wondering why the hell he’d been so stupid. The man was fucking handsome. Even lying there prone on the floor and smelling like a horse field, he was still stunning. Trent ran his hand through Wood’s long hair on top of his head, surprised how soft the light gray strands felt sifting through his fingers. The sides were darker, mostly black and shaved close, and Trent realized it was a look he found very attractive. After his sixth or seventh run-through, he glanced down and saw Wood watching him through heavy-lidded eyes. Trent slid his hand away and stared, unsure of what to say.
He got up and did a few bends to try to loosen the tightness he felt all over but gave up at the useless effort. Hauling Wood through the trailer like that must’ve caused him to pull a muscle or something because he could barely stand up straight. Wood was gazing in the same place Trent had just been, his eyes focused on nothing as if he was lost in his head. God, if he only knew what happened. The thought to call Bishop had popped into his mind so many times he was getting frustrated. He understood why Wood hadn’t called him, and Trent was going to do his best to prevent Wood from any more disappointment.
“I’ll be right back. I’ma get you some water, okay. You have to try to hydrate now,” Trent murmured and left out the bedroom.
In the kitchen he retrieved his cell phone off the table and saw it was a little after eleven, and he had nine missed calls, four from his boss and five from Bishop. “Shit.” He immediately hit Redial, and Summer picked up on the first ring.
“You asshole. I was just about to come over there. What’s going on? Why aren’t you at work?” Summer said the moment the line connected.
Trent hobbled over to the cabinet and got a plastic cup and poured it half-full with a bottle of water. “I’m sorry. Look, um. I need you to cover for me with the boss today, all right.”
“Trent, I am the damn boss.”
Trent chuckled weakly. “I know. I need my best friend Summer to speak to my boss and tell her I had an emergency and can’t make it today… and possibly tomorrow.”
He could almost see Summer’s curious smile through the phone. “Very cute. Okay, fine. I’ll put in a good word for you with management, but your best friend demands to know what’s going on with you and why you sound so winded.”
“It’s a long story.” Trent leaned forward and let his forehead rest on the open cabinet door. “And I’m too exhausted to tell it right now.”
“But you are okay? You didn’t say you were sick. Is it Bishop?”
“No.”
“Mike?”
“No.”
“Oh,” she whispered. “Did you and Wood…?”
Trent rolled his eyes. Women and their damn intuition. “It’s not like what you think. I’m not sure what’s going on with my roommate, but I need to be here.”
“Trent. I’m a little worried, hon.”
“Don’t be. It’s fine. I got this. I just have to… I gotta. Sometimes a person needs to know they’re not alone, Summer. And if I leave for nine hours, then I know he’ll—”
“Don’t say anything else. Take as much time as you need. I’ll even get a temp from the agency if I have to. It’s flu season, so that’s what I’ll tell any of the big guys from the office if they make a drive-by, okay.”
“Also if Bishop calls or comes up to the site, cover for me with him too.” Trent felt his shoulders sag in relief. “I owe you.”
“Boy, you say that so much, I’m beginning to think you’ll never be able to repay.”
“True dat.” Trent yawned.
“All right, little brother. I guess I’ll trust that you know what you’re doing. But call me if you need me, okay?”
“Yeah. Got it.”
“Love you, bighead.”
Trent smirked, his chest feeling a little lighter. “Yeah, back atcha.”
Trent didn’t feel like dealing with the extra questions Bishop would have, so he texted him instead and told him that Wood had the flu and not to come over, he’d call him back.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wood
Wood didn’t move. He remained as still as possible in the depths of wherever this place was he’d found. There was only blackness and cold, like the kind of frigid chill he’d felt when he visited the SeaWorld Antarctic exhibit. The kind that seeped down deep in his bones and chilled him to his core. He could hear sounds and