Asleep.
He looked younger like this. Guard down, face relaxed in a way it never was when he was awake. The bruises on his jaw were fading to yellow-green. The cut above his eyebrow was healing clean.
I stood there watching him breathe. Watching his chest rise and fall in the steady rhythm of deep sleep.
I grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch. Draped it over him carefully, trying not to wake him.
His hand came up automatically. Grabbed the edge of the blanket. Pulled it closer without waking.
The same way he used to as a kid. When nightmares woke him up and I'd cover him back up and sit on the edge of his bed until he fell asleep again.
I stood there for a long moment. Just watching him. Memorizing the way he looked peaceful for once instead of wound tight and defensive.
Then I forced myself to move. Headed upstairs to my room. Stripped off my bloody clothes. Got in the shower and let hot water wash away the evidence of the night, watching blood and sweat circle the drain until the water ran clear.
TWELVE
WHAT HE SAW
DECLAN
Troy showed up at the rehab center around noon.
I was working with Ralph on resistance training when I saw him walk through the front door. He looked better than he had a few days ago. The bruises on his face were fading from purple to yellow-green. He moved easier, like his ribs had stopped screaming with every breath.
He scanned the space, eyes tracking over the equipment, the clients, the layout.
My hands slipped on the resistance band I was adjusting.
Ralph's knee jerked forward with the sudden release of tension.
“Shit, sorry.” I grabbed the band again, repositioned it. “Hold that position. Three more reps. Slow and controlled.”
Ralph grimaced but did as instructed. Good kid. Listened well. Actually wanted to heal properly instead of rushing back and making things worse.
I kept half my attention on him and half on Troy, who was standing near the front desk looking uncomfortable in a way that said he didn't know what to do with himself.
Why the fuck was he here?
He hadn't mentioned coming by. Hadn't texted. Had barely spoken to me in three days beyond the necessary logistics about groceries and who was using the shower. And now he was standing in my workspace looking like he regretted every decision that had led to this moment.
Mara appeared from her office. Smiled at him, said words I couldn't hear over the gym noise. Troy responded with a nod, hands shoved in his jacket pockets, body language screaming that he didn't want to be here but had come anyway.
I couldn't figure out what the hell he was doing here or why he'd bothered showing up if he wasn't going to acknowledge me beyond that one brief look.
“Declan?” Ralph's voice pulled me back. “That good?”
I looked down. He'd finished the reps, was waiting for my assessment, and I'd completely missed the last two because I'd been staring at Troy like a man who'd forgotten how to do his job.
“Yeah. Good form. Take a break and hydrate.” I handed him a water bottle, tried to focus on the work I was being paid to do instead of the man standing across the room who couldn't even look at me properly.
Ralph headed toward the water station. I grabbed my clipboard, made notes on his progress that I'd have to redo later because my handwriting looked like I'd had a stroke.
Rafael appeared from the back office a and walked straight toward Troy with that easy smile he wore like armor.
Troy's expression shifted. Confusion first. Then something harder. His gaze cut to me across the room, sharp and accusing, before snapping back to Rafael.
He hadn't expected to find Rafael here. Hadn't known Rafael and I worked together. And from the way his jaw tightened as Rafael reached him, from the way his hands came out of his pockets in a gesture that looked casual but was anything but, he was putting pieces together he didn't like.
