He’s always been this way—the calm to my storm.
I try to conjure suitably erudite words, but all I can manage is a small, “Like utter dogshit.”
His lip twitches. “Calm down, Oscar Wilde.” I drag in more ragged breaths, and he puts his finger over my mouth. “You’re okay,” he reassures me quickly. “That’s all you need to know at the moment.”
“At themoment?”
The door opens, and a doctor walks in. He looks tired, his white coat rumpled. “Ah, Mr Conway.” He scrutinises my face. “Good to see you’re awake.”
“Have I been asleep?” I mumble around my thick tongue.
He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he looks at the men in my room. “If you wouldn’t mind waiting outside, gentlemen.”
They begin to move towards the door, but I direct a panicked look at Reuben, who’s still standing by the bed. He nods in answer, like he was waiting for the request, and I relax.
“I’m staying,” he states with the mulishness he gets when he doesn’t want to obey. Unsurprisingly, it’s a familiar expression I used to see at least thirty times a day.
The doctor looks at me, and I nod, trying to communicate that I want Reuben here at my side. Reuben directs a long look at me and then steps aside so the doctor can examine me.
It seems to take forever as lights are shone in my eyes and he asks me fifty thousand questions. He summons a nurse and they remove the drip from my hand, which is the first time I realise I had one. My hand immediately throbs, and a bruise begins to form.
Finally, the doctor steps back. “Well, I’d say you’re a very lucky young man, Xavier.”
Reuben sags in relief. What the fuck happened to me?
I frown. “Lucky?” I say hoarsely.
He nods. “The effects from the drug could have been a lot worse.”
“What drug?” I ask blankly. I look at Reuben. “What happened?” I say, trying to sit up.
“Shh,” he says, immediately coming to my side and pushing me gently back. It doesn’t take much effort on his part. I feel as weak as a kitten. “Easy, baby.”
I subside into my pillow, as the doctor writes something on his notes. He looks up. “I’m going to order a battery of tests before we even think of discharging you, but I’d say this is a good start.” He pats my shoulder and then vanishes out the door with the nurse in tow. The sound of the door shutting is loud in my ears.
Reuben and I stare at each other. His face is turbulent, and then he shocks the shit out of me by bending over and gatheringme into a hug. His hands are gentle, and his body is so warm that I repress a groan of happiness. It’s only now that I realise I was shaking with cold.
I wind my arms around him. “Tighter,” I whisper.
He gasps and does as I ask, his hug tight and perfect.
I cling to him as he buries his head in my shoulder. “Reuben?” I whisper, realising with horror that he’s shaking. His whole body judders as if he’s grabbed a live wire.
He pulls back, and I’m shocked to see his eyes are wet. Reuben never cries.Never. I saw him at the funeral of his closest friend, and he hadn’t shed a tear.
“No,” I say immediately. “Please don’t cry. Are you okay?”
“AmIokay?” he says incredulously. “What about you?”
I shrug. “I’m awake and verbal. Let’s call that a win.”
“I’m not sure that’s the correct way to describe the verbal bit.”
I laugh but his face loses its brief flash of humour and he grabs me into a hug again.
The door opening makes him pull back, and I shiver at the loss of his heat. Jonas, Dean, and Pip file back in.
“Okay?” Dean asks. He comes close and cups my face gently in his big hand. His eyes are impossibly gentle. “You gave us such a scare.”
