Precious - Roe Horvat Page 0,55
He couldn’t sit; he’d weep with pain.
Travis cleared his throat.
“I thought we could eat breakfast in the living room. I’ll bring a tray. It’s just waffles. You can wait on the sofa if you want?”
Of course, Travis knew.
Micah took his cup of coffee and sipped, awkwardly standing in the middle of the kitchen. “Thank you.”
“They should be done in a couple of minutes.”
“Okay.”
Bringing the cup with him, Micah went to the living room and carefully sank into the sofa. Okay. Bearable. The warm coffee tasted good. The morning sun peeked through the glass door on the patio, birches and pines waving in the wind. Another gorgeous day in the mountains and Micah felt raw and alone. Travis hadn’t touched him since they’d gotten out of bed, as if an invisible barrier stood between them. On the other hand, Micah wasn’t sure he could tolerate being touched at all, and he suspected Travis knew. The soreness was oppressive, taking over any other feeling.
Only one week of this. C’mon, Micah, you can deal. You’ve dealt with worse.
When Travis came in with the tray, Micah already had a contingency plan. It was an old coping mechanism, and it always worked. Whenever he felt down, he filled his days with tasks.
“Can I call the sheriff? I want to give the statement today.”
Travis looked taken aback but recovered quickly.
“Sure. You can have my phone.”
“No, I’ll use mine. I just forgot where I left it.”
“It’s in the kitchen, on the windowsill.”
Micah made a move to stand but winced.
“I’ll get it.” After leaving the tray on the coffee table, Travis went to the kitchen and returned with Micah’s still turned-off phone.
Micah placed the coffee cup on the tray and took the phone from Travis. He pressed the button and waited for the device to turn on. As the system booted, the familiar sequence of icons and logos lighting up, Micah felt his responsibilities land back on his shoulders. His studies, his thesis, his father’s expectations, the apartment on campus… The phone dinged with an avalanche of notifications, so Micah muted it and ate his waffle. If he were to face reality again, he’d need sugar. He forced the food down, his stomach heavy.
“I can make one more if you want.”
Stop being so kind all the time! “No, thank you.” The words came out harshly, his tone biting. He cringed. It wasn’t Travis’s fault Micah felt like shit. Well, it is a little bit his fault. He and his stupidly big alpha dick.
“How are you, Micah?” Travis asked quietly as if afraid of the question and the possible answers.
He’s trying to be nice, Micah. Don’t lash out. Rubbing his face with both hands, Micah groaned.
“Ugh. I’m sorry, Travis.”
“It’s okay. It should get better within a few days.”
“This is not me.” Micah gestured helplessly down his body.
Travis lifted his hand as if to reach out, but he dropped it immediately. “I know.”
He picked up the plates and cups and stood, then headed back to the kitchen.
“Can I ask for one more cup of coffee, please?” Micah called after him.
Travis threw him a warm smile over his shoulder.
“Sure.”
The phone lay waiting on the table. Micah sighed and picked it up. Ignoring the messages and missed calls, he opened the app he used for notes and task lists. Leave statement, call Father, get my things (somehow), check the bank account, go through school emails, check tuition due date. Decide. He needed to tell Travis today if he’d stay or not. He couldn’t put it off much longer. But first, his statement.
The sheriff in Birdsview sounded like a nice man. He wanted Micah to come in person, and Travis had offered to drive him. Wanting to get it done, Micah agreed to go immediately. The fact that the sheriff was an omega made it easier for Micah to be open and specific about what had happened. He’d been afraid to relive the memories, yet afterward, he’d felt relieved.
“You were very brave and coolheaded. You made it possible for Travis to get out of the restraints. That was admirable.”
The praise only made Micah uncomfortable. “Do you have everything you need?”
“For now. Your statement is consistent with what we found in the chalet and what Travis told me. We might have more questions later, and of course, you’ll be asked to witness in court.”
“I know.”
“Okay. I’ll let you go back to Travis. I bet he’s chewing on his nails in the foyer, itching to have you back.”
Micah tried to smile.
“Thank you.”
“Have a lovely day,