Page 10 of Saving Wyatt

I wasn't going to.

I wasn't a horny fifteen-year-old with a crush on his best friend's brother, nor a twenty-five-year-old that saw his destiny in every man he came across.

I was a grown-ass man and I could control myself. Besides, I reminded myself—something I hadn't had to do in a long, long while—my heart was closed for business.

"I hope you can sort it all out," I said, and he let go, though was it me or did he look like he didn't want to?

God. Now I was projecting. As if this beautiful, mature man was gay.

"Thanks. Me...me too," he said, and just like that, the spell ended and I could return to my normal life.

I could return to my body, my soul, and my responsibilities.

And that was exactly what I did. I got into the car and waited for Warren to get behind the wheel so I could get to work.

"Are you okay?" he asked when we arrived at home and I made my way to the van.

"Yeah. Why?"

He shrugged. "You haven't said anything the whole way home."

"Just...thinking about the long day ahead," I said, and Warren frowned.

"Oh. Okay. Are you sure? You've never been this pensive before work."

"Pensive, huh? Did someone learn a new word?" I wiggled my eyebrows for extra teasing, and Warren pushed me off my path.

"Fuck off. I'm just checking."

"Checking what?" I asked.

"Maybe you felt weird with my brother."

"Weird?" I grimaced. "Why would I feel weird? What makes you say that?"

Had he noticed something? Had I given myself away? Damn, I thought I'd done a better job of hiding my ridiculous attraction.

"I don't know, man. I thought maybe you felt some kind of way about sitting next to a potential murderer," he said, and I almost came to a complete stop.

My jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? Your brother is not a murderer," I said.

"I know that. But I thought maybe you thought he was guilty⁠—"

I put my hands up and shook my head. "No! Of course not. If he says he didn't do it, I believe him." I had no idea why, but I did. "Besides, you guys said this had to do with the crime lord lurking around. Even more reason not to believe he had anything to do with it."

"Okay. Yeah," he replied and took a deep breath before he pointed at the van. "Do you need me this morning? Want me to come with?"

I had no idea what I needed or wanted anymore. Not after the experience I just had, but I wasn't about to tell him that.

"I don't think so. If I do, I'll text you."

And like that, we parted ways, and I made my way to Main Street where there was already a line of people waiting to be seen. It was exactly what I needed to take my mind off everything and to focus on what was important. Helping people.

By lunch time I'd seen a couple dozen people, and the last patient was an elderly Black man with a ratty Cairn terrier in tow.

"Morning, Mr. Rogers. What brings you by today?" I asked, and the man tied his dog outside without being prompted before he stepped inside.

"It's gotten worse, Doctor. I can barely sleep at night," he said and took a seat with a heavy groan.