Yet a Stranger (The First Quarto #2) - Gregory Ashe Page 0,137
it, he gagged me and tied me up; I’m surprised he didn’t stomp my face in just to get revenge.”
“I guess being quiet was his top priority.”
“Thank God.” Theo’s gaze dropped; he wadded up the plastic wrapper that had come with the flowers. “Guess I let you down again, huh? Right when it mattered the most.”
“You were there with me. You trusted me to do something dangerous and important. Things didn’t go like we planned, but you didn’t let me down.”
“Great.” He was staring at the crumpled plastic. “Now I’ve immediately stopped feeling so fucking awful.”
“Hey Theo?”
He didn’t look up.
“You know how people sometimes get student loans for school?”
It came out of nowhere, his face hot, his eyes prickling. He nodded and wiped his cheeks.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Theo took a shuddering breath. “Student loans, yeah, you just have to—” The next wave crashed over him, and his shoulders caved. He pressed fingers against his eyes.
Auggie sat up, pushing back the blankets. Theo waved furiously for him to stay, his whole body shaking, as he choked out, “I’m fine. God, I could hear you. I could hear you, hear what he was doing to you, and I couldn’t do anything. I was so fucking useless. Again.”
From the next room came a woman’s voice. “And how are we doing today, Mr. Hobarth? And how are we doing today, Mr. Francis?” Laughter that the woman—the nurse?—probably imagined in her head as tinkling. “And what are we going to watch today, Mr. Hobarth? And what are we going to watch today, Mr. Francis?” Clip-clop, clip-clop. “Let’s see that arm today, Mr. Hobarth. No, no, no. Now don’t be a sourpuss. It’s just your old friend Mr. Blood Pressure Cuffy-Wuffy.”
Theo’s eyes were sticky and burning when he finally managed to bring himself down. He tilted his head at the voice and said, “It’s like a bad kid’s show.”
“Jesus,” Auggie said, covering his face. “Where’s my old friend Mr. Weefle Injection?”
Theo’s laugh was wet and short, but it felt real. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about this. I’m going to go.”
“I guess you didn’t sleep much.”
“They had me at the station all night. The only good news is John-Henry thinks they’re going to drop the assault charges from earlier this year. He didn’t come out and say it directly, but he made it sound like the county wouldn’t have much interest in prosecuting me anymore. Have you talked to Orlando?”
Auggie shook his head. “I didn’t, you know. Sleep much either.” He didn’t say anything. He just lay there, his Adam’s apple moving under the bruises, his eyes dark and steady.
Theo shucked his boots. He climbed up onto the bed, and then they both had to squirm around until they were stretched out together, Auggie with his head on Theo’s chest, Theo’s arm around him.
“My arm’s going to be pins and needles.”
Auggie made a sleepy noise that sounded like he might not be too bothered by that fact. Then he roused, his chin digging into Theo’s chest, and said, “Student loans?”
“Why do you care about student loans?”
“I think—I think that’s what I’m going to have to do.” He chuckled, turning his face into Theo’s chest. “Fer’s furious, and rightly so. The Civic is totaled. I’ve blown so much money on stupid shit. I keep getting in trouble.” Auggie shook his head. “He’s going to try to lock me in my bedroom after this. I’ll be lucky if he lets me out before I’m forty. And—and I think Fer might need some help too, in his own way. He’s so stressed. He’s carried our family since he was a teenager, and I don’t think he’s been happy in a long time. I can do this for him, you know? Take one thing off his shoulders.”
“That’s really thoughtful of you.”
“What about a job application?”
“What?”
“A job application.”
“I’m not hiring.”
Auggie poked him.
“Jesus, ok, stop. I seem to remember that you don’t have the time or inclination for a job.”
“Could you, you know, help me fill out my first one?”
“They’re pretty self-explanatory.”
More poking.
“Fine, yes. Damn it, I think you punctured a lung.”
“Will you be a reference?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Just tell them how amazing and wonderful and smart and brave and strong I am. Oh, and that I’m dependable, reliable, a natural leader, a problem solver, and that I can definitely remember to clock in and out.”
Theo’s fingers played with the buzzed hair on Auggie’s nape. “I’ll figure out something.”
As though someone had flipped a switch, Auggie’s breathing evened out. In the silence that followed, Theo heard