A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies - Christina Lee Page 0,35

which helps too.”

Emerson lifted the covers and slid beneath them, and it felt like old times, when they would sleep over at each other’s houses on the weekends.

After Rhys came out, some of the kids at school started treating him differently. The guys in the locker room would turn away, like he’d study their junk or something. It sucked, but it could’ve been so much worse. Kids would whisper shit, but he was never outright bullied, and for that he was grateful.

But Emerson always treated him the same, and though they had different interests, he was always there for him. So being vulnerable in front of his best friend now shouldn’t have thrown him so much, but somehow it still did. Emerson had been through so damned much, but he’d taken him in, no questions asked.

“So what is this?” Emerson asked, leaning toward the phone.

“It’s from the X Games, and this dude is the next big thing.”

He hit Play and listened to Emerson’s reaction to some of the stunts. His mind kept drifting to other memories from their childhood, like snapshots in time. Sometimes if he tried too hard to jog his memory, his head would swim and he’d feel pretty out of it. Which was happening now. That, along with the pain meds setting in, made him feel drowsy.

“That was cool!” Emerson exclaimed, seeming genuinely impressed. He might’ve been a pretty cautious person when it came to…well, life, but he was always a good sport about listening and acting interested in Rhys’s hobbies. “Click on that other one of this guy.”

Rhys hit Play on another YouTube video, and Emerson held the phone closer to his face, but after another minute Rhys’s eyes drifted closed and his head coasted toward Emerson’s shoulder.

Emerson tensed briefly, but then Rhys felt his arm wind across his back, most likely to keep him steady. He immediately melted into him, burying his nose in Emerson’s cotton shirt and taking a whiff of the clean scent of laundry detergent with a hint of Emerson’s musky smell. The aroma surrounded him in a familiar and comforting way.

“Hey,” Emerson said into his hair, making a warm buzz travel across his shoulders. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Still, neither of them moved. He was like dead weight, and he hoped Emerson would forgive him for enjoying his warmth a little too much.

He felt safe and content, like maybe everything would be okay. He’d get his memory back, he’d stop having dreams about falling, and he wouldn’t be afraid to climb again.

12

Emerson

“What exactly do they do at occupational therapy?” Neil asked as he sat down in the chair across from Emerson’s desk in his cubicle.

He’d just returned to work after driving Rhys to his appointment and back on his lunch break, and he was cutting it close, even though his boss was being understanding about the situation. Still, he’d have to organize some spreadsheets while chowing down his lunch at his desk, and Neil was kind enough to include his order with his own.

Rhys had been exhausted after the session, but Emerson was able to get him to eat some soup before setting him up on the couch with the remote. He had a couple of hours before the kids got home. So far, their arrangement was working well.

“Good question,” he replied, as Neil opened the paper sack and pulled out a couple of burgers and fries. “Rhys said they do some motor skills and brain activities.”

“To help him remember?” Neil asked, uncovering his cheeseburger.

“Maybe.” He suddenly felt like the topic was too personal. It was also a touchy subject, and following the accident, when he’d felt most raw, he’d come close to telling Neil what happened between him and his best friend. But ultimately he’d decided against it, not only because it was private, but because it wasn’t like Neil could help him get over his crush on his best friend. He’d have to overcome that hurdle all on his own.

And last night didn’t help. The way Rhys had gotten cozy on his shoulder made his stomach quiver with longing. After reveling in his closeness for far too long, he’d helped him get settled in bed. Rhys just mumbled and fell back to sleep, which was totally endearing.

The fact that Rhys had relaxed enough—had trusted him enough—to fall asleep against him while Emerson checked out the skater video, made his heart soar. It had been a cool video, and Emerson was always impressed with the skill level of some of