Two for Joy - Louise Collins Page 0,61

opened the door.

It took a few seconds for him to adjust to the dark, the curtains were drawn, and before he saw blood, he smelled the irony scent in the air.

A figure lay on the bed, completely still, eyes closed. The cuts looked black with the lack of light, dark on his skin. Romeo could see the patches where it had run down the side of his body and soaked into the white sheet beneath.

Romeo approached, skimming his gaze along the torso, not to see the extent of his wounds, but to make sure he was still breathing. There was no slash across his throat, no spill of dark color, but that didn’t mean he was still alive. Romeo had almost killed him twice when they were in the farmhouse.

He was pretty certain his heart had stopped in his chest, but he had to see, had to know.

“Chad?”

His nose twitched, and that was all the confirmation Romeo needed. His body remembered how to breathe again, and he took two heaves, then rushed towards Chad. His eyes fluttered, Romeo gripped his face, hand on both cheeks.

“Fancy seeing you here.” Romeo whispered.

Chad opened his eyes. It was too dark in the room to see them clearly, and Romeo let go of him to turn on the light. He staggered back when he saw the slices and cuts decorating Chad’s body, the numbers 5, 4, 3, and 2 scratched into his flesh. Some looked old, some looked fresh, some looked deep, some faint, some had scabbed, others oozed. The most shocking were the numbers that had been cut out, like Chad’s flesh was a piece of pastry.

He knew Chad was hurt, could even smell the blood, sweat, and fear in the air, but it had been easier to handle in the dark. With the light on he could see the damage, the horrific red marks on Chad’s chest, the darker dried blood on the bed. He could see how pale Chad’s face was, how matted with sweat his hair looked, how cold his skin felt.

“Romeo?” Chad croaked.

He forced his shock aside, and went back to Chad, holding his face, and looking deep into his pained brown eyes. “I’m here.”

“You look like shit.” Chad mumbled.

“Me?” Romeo laughed softly. “If only you could see yourself.”

Chad’s eyebrows twitched, then he scrunched his eyes shut, and his body started to shake. Him in distress sent Romeo’s mind into a confused spiral. He didn’t know what to do, how to help, could only hold Chad’s face as he broke down and feel as his own pit of despair widened and deepen in his chest.

“Listen to me.” He said, wiping Chad’s tears away with his thumbs. Chad’s face continued to twitch and shake as he tried to withhold his anguish.

“You listening?”

“Ye—yeah I’m listening.”

Romeo nodded, half to himself, half to Chad. “I’m gonna get you out of here, okay?”

“I’m—I’m really thirsty.”

“Okay,” Romeo said, looking around the room. He spotted a jug of water and a glass on a dresser, but when he took a step towards it, Chad spoke in a hurry.

“No, not that water.”

Romeo hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

“Be quick.”

Romeo opened the doors along the corridor, until he found the bathroom. He filled up the glass, then hurried back to the bedroom. Chad struggled to sit up, then Romeo steadied him as he drank the lot. He was shaking so much his teeth knocked on the glass, making Romeo wince. He put the empty glass on the floor, then reached for Chad again.

Chad moved his arm, and a cuff clunked against the bedframe. “He cuffed me.”

“That’s okay.” Romeo said, releasing Chad’s face, and searching his pocket. “I found this downstairs.”

Romeo leaned over Chad, and unlocked his cuff, before he’d even moved back, Chad had his arms around Romeo, clinging onto him hard. Romeo leaned back till he was on the edge of the bed, and Chad went with him, keeping a tight hold, burying his face in Romeo’s neck.

“Are you actually here?”

“Yes.” Romeo said.

He went to hug Chad in return, but hesitated. He didn’t want to aggravate his wounds, didn’t want to cause him any more pain. But the longer he didn’t wrap his arms around Chad, the harder Chad pressed into him, the tighter his arms became until he was squeezing Romeo. Romeo slipped his hands up Chad’s bare back, held him close, and that seemed to be what Chad desired, he relaxed into Romeo’s arms with a shaky sigh, still sobbing, still making aborted gasps,