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Elio snorts, then finally takes his meds and hands the plunger back. “Yeah, he is.”
I fold my hands in my lap, then look at him. “The bruise?”
“Oh.” He huffs. “When I bit him on the face, he got me on the jaw with his chin, trying to get away.”
I press my fingers to my mouth for a second and swallow. “The fact that you had to do that upsets me. But I’m very proud of you.”
“Did you know that most human bites like that get infected?” Elio says with a bigger grin. “And I hadn’t brushed my teeth very good that morning, and Sarah let me eat some of her Takis, so he’s probably going to look disgusting when it all sets in.”
I don’t bitch at him about the fact that he’s not supposed to be having Takis. Instead, I reach over and pull him into my lap and hug the hell out of him. “You are the best kid.”
He snorts but hugs me back. “Did Mom call yet?”
“No. She’ll probably call in the morning, but I have my ringer on so I can answer the moment she does.”
“Do you think she’s going to be freaked-out?”
I roll my eyes and squeeze him harder. “Yeah, bud. She’s definitely going to be freaked-out.”
As restless as Elio is, the medications hit him, and before Easton is finished with his shower, he’s dead asleep. His BiPAP is like a comforting white noise in the room because it reminds me that he’s here.
There was a moment this afternoon when—for only a second—I thought maybe I wasn’t going to find him right away. That maybe Neal was going to truly lose his mind and do something he couldn’t take back.
The thought has me shaking, and by the time Easton walks back into the room, I’m nearing a panic attack. He only takes a second to notice, and he drops to his knees on the little makeshift bed and hovers near me.
“What can I do?” he murmurs.
I shake my head and try to draw a full breath. “I don’t know. Just…give me a second? I think?”
“Want me to sit on you?”
The request is so earnest that it knocks me out of my spiral for a second, and I stifle a laugh. “What good would that do?”
“Leo used to like it when we were younger,” he says with a small shrug. “I could try it—see if it helps?”
Shaking my head, I shift to lie down, then drag him with me, and he lets me curl around his back. My hand presses to the center of his chest, and I can feel the slow, steady beat of his heart.
“Today was one of the worst days of my life,” I whisper.
He nods, then picks up the ceiling fan remote and clicks it so the lights go off. It’s not completely dark. There’s a night-light in the corner, and Elio’s machine glows faintly on the little table beside him. But it’s dark enough that I can settle in a bit better.
“You made going through it so much easier.”
He sucks in a breath. “I mean, I didn’t do much.”
“I heard you say that earlier to Elio, and that’s fucking bullshit, okay? I mean, maybe you didn’t charge in like some movie hero and knock Neal out on his ass…”
“I fucking wanted to,” Easton snarls.
I squeeze him tighter and kiss the side of his neck. “I know. Me too.” I let us share that moment, but only for a second. “You were more than enough, Easton. And I regret what I said earlier.”
He stiffens. “About what?”
Tugging and pushing at him, I get him to roll toward me, and then I drag a touch down the side of his face, and he leans toward my hand. “About taking it slow. I mean, we should take it slow. I’m still not fucking divorced yet, and while I’ve probably been in love with you for years now, you’re just now catching feelings for me, so…”
“Wait.” His voice is breathless and rough. “Wait.” He licks his lips. “Did you just say in love with me?”
Part of me wants to run. Being vulnerable like this on a day that has me emotionally shredded probably isn’t my brightest decision, but today also proved that I do love him. That I could trust him. That he’s every bit the man he’s always been, for as long as I’ve known him.
