Page 59 of Unfinished Noise

“Are you awake?”

Spencer rubbed his face. “Not for long.”

Jamie huffed, half teasing, half concerned. “Are you going to sleep all day?”

“Maybe.” Spencer winced a little. “Have a big headache. Need more sleep.”

Jamie’s worry kicked in fast. He darted across the room, grabbed the aspirin bottle from the nightstand, and shoved a bottle of water into Spencer’s hand. “You’re dehydrated,” he said, as if it were obvious. And honestly, Spencer always forgot to drink water when he was stressed.

Spencer took the pills with a grateful grunt. “Thanks. I bet Nathan is beat too. Maybe you and Alfie could spend the day together, and tonight we’ll do something special.”

Jamie brightened immediately. “That’s a great idea.”

Alfie sent him text updates on Nathan, who was in the same condition as Spencer—half-dead—and Alfie said he was hovering around the room like a restless cat. Jamie didn’t mind hanging out with him—Alfie was chaotic, sure, but fun in a way that made Jamie feel lighter.

Plus, he didn’t want to sit around waiting for Spencer to wake up. He wanted movement. Noise. Something to shake off the leftover tension from last night.

He grabbed his phone and shot Alfie a quick text.

Jamie: You wanna get out of here? Spencer’s down for us doing our own thing.

Alfie responded in seconds:

YES. Please. Before I start climbing the walls.

Jamie laughed under his breath. Okay, perfect. He already had an idea forming—something loud, something nostalgic, something that didn’t require deep emotional conversations.

Roller Towne.

He hadn’t been skating since Christmas, but the thought of neon lights, sticky floors, and rock music blasting from old speakers made him grin. Alfie would love it. And Jamie could already picture the two of them wobbling around the rink, probably falling at least twice, laughing the whole time.

He switched his shirt with Black Shadows on the front and turned back to Spencer, who was already getting comfortable like a man returning to his natural habitat.

“We’re gonna go to Roller Towne,” Jamie said. “Skating. Loud music. Bad decisions.”

Spencer smiled sleepily. “Sounds perfect. Have fun, sweetie.”

Jamie leaned down, kissed his forehead, and whispered, “Sleep. I’ll check in later.”

“Phone charged?”

“Yes, Daddy Spencer.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jamie

Jamie slipped out of the room, excitement buzzing through him. Spencer and Nathan were already half-asleep, sprawled across their beds like they’d been dropped there. Alfie was waiting in the hallway, bouncing on his toes.

But before Jamie could say anything, the elevator dinged—and the doors slid open to reveal Billy and Farlan.

Billy looked rough. Hair messy, shirt wrinkled, eyes downcast. He didn’t say a word, just stared at the floor like it might swallow him whole.

Farlan perked up the second he saw them. “Oh! Morning, guys.” He squeezed Billy’s arm. “We’re heading out to breakfast. Billy’s starving.”

Billy didn’t react. Didn’t look up. Didn’t even pretend to be part of the conversation.

Jamie gave a polite nod. “Nice.”