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“Jones. Did he hit you with his car? I remember... I remember wanting to hit him.” His eyes closed before they popped back open. “Did I win a race recently?” Watson muttered.
I swallowed the bile that threatened to come up. “Yes,” I told him. “You won, and then...”
Did Watson not remember everything that happened? How we’d kissed outside the bar, and that he loved me? That we were together? We had had sex last night. We were engaged.
“Watson, what exactly do you remember?” I dragged my teeth over my bottom lip.
“Jones hitting you with his car. That bastard.”
“Okay, what else?”
He nodded. “Yeah, and then... I don’t remember anything else after that, Holt. It’s a big fat nothing. My stupid brain, as usual.”
Holy shit. “You don’t remember anything else? Like at all?” My stomach dropped.
He shook his head. “Nah, bro, nothing. Weird, but I guess that’s probably a good thing, because—” Watson stopped and let out a big yawn. “I’m such a mess. Maybe once I’m at the hospital, my dumb brain can function again.” His eyes fluttered shut as the pain medication started to take over.
My eyes filled with tears. I turned away so he couldn’t see and let them fall, but the only thing I could think about was that he didn’t remember.
Watson had forgotten about us.
***
Watson was so drugged up, he had been sleeping since they moved him into the hospital room. I couldn’t sit there and watch him. I didn’t want to be there when he woke up, because I didn’t want him to act like we weren’t anything other than brothers or friends. So instead, I walked the hospital. Paced the halls, wondering how I could make him remember without actually telling him. More than once, I had to step outside and resist the urge to scream at the sky about how unfair this was. How I’d finally had what I wanted, only for Watson to be taken away. My phone buzzed in my pocket.
Watson: Where are you? Are you avoiding me or something? Is my face that hideous to look at? Whenever I wake up, you’re never here.
Shit, he was awake.
Holt: Be right there.
Watson: Bring me some real coffee. This shit they have here sucks.
Holt: Sure.
Watson: Best brother ever.
Right, because that’s all I am to you anymore. Just your brother.
“Hey, bro.” Watson’s face was a mess of bruises and cuts, and his dark eyes glittered with whatever heavy medication they had given him for the pain. “You worried about me?” he teased. “You shouldn’t. I’m tough as nails. Nothing can kill me. Where have you been hiding?” He took the Starbucks I handed him. “Lifesaver.” He moaned as he took a sip, and of course it went right to my dick, because why not? Let’s add that to the list of things I had to deal with today.
My throat felt tight. “Do you remember anything yet?” I sat down on the chair next to his bed.
“Nah, funny thing...” He tapped my arm. “I can’t remember anything from like, I don’t know, from like weeks ago. Weird, right? I must have really knocked my head good. What happened? Did I win any races?” Watson wiggled his brows. “How about any hot dates?”
Shit, that also meant he didn’t know he came out. That wasn’t something he could hide, nor that he announced he had a boyfriend.
“Uh...”
How was I going to approach this mess? Hey, Watson, you kissed me after Jones hit me with his car, we started fooling around, and then we sort of became a couple. You gave me your Xfinity ring, Mom and Dad are pissed as hell, but we’re in love, so what does it matter? Oh, and we got our own apartment together.
“H?” Watson touched my arm. “Are you all right? You look funny. Aw, were you worried about me? Because that’s super sweet, man. I love you, too,” he teased. Just hearing those words made me want to hit something.
I was going to have to go through all of that again. The endless girls. The heartbreak. When Watson promised me, he wouldn‘t. That he would love me. Keep my heart safe.
“I can’t... I have to—” I bolted from his room, only to run smack into Mason in the hallway.
“Where’s the fire?” He gripped my shoulders. “Shit, is it that bad, Holt?” His brown eyes searched my face. “Is he awake?”
