Jed ignored the question and beckoned Max closer until he could cup his chin and peer into his face. “Why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
“Nice try. What did that tray do to you?”
Max fiddled with the thin blankets on the bed. “Nothing. I was more worried about what it was going to do to you. I think I might have thrown your lunch in the bin.”
“The bin? You mean the trash can?”
Jed let go of Max’s face and fell back on the pillow. His eyes drooped. Max squeezed his hand. “Whatever it’s called, it’s staying there. You’re not eating that crap.”
“No. I don’t want eat… hungry, fuck.”
Max rolled his eyes. Jed was definitely off his face if he was tripping over his words. “I’m going to go home in a bit and get you some real food. Is there anything else you need?”
Jed sat up again and flickered a tired gaze around the room. “Someone stole my clothes.”
“Anna, probably. She’s around here somewhere. I can get you some more. Anything else?”
“My laptop?”
Max sighed. “Work? Really?”
“What do you want me to do? Lie here and rot for a week?”
“No. I want you to lie here and get better so you can come home.”
The statement seemed to mollify Jed. He closed his eyes and muttered something in a language Max didn’t understand.
He wondered if Jed was worried about paying the bills. He’d taken over the cabin finances, saving Max the trouble of remembering to pay them on time. Was anything due? Shamefully, Max had no idea. Despite his initial resistance, it hadn’t taken long for him to forget about the bills entirely.
Jed let out a soft sigh. Max squeezed his hand again, but got no response. Defeated, Max let go and left him alone to rest.
Chapter Twenty-Five
JEDTOOKa tiny, tentative sip of hot rooibos tea. He swallowed with even more caution. The warmth was soothing against his dry, sore throat, but his diaphragm tensed, waiting to see if his stomach would reject the intrusion.
It didn’t, and he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He felt like a bulimic teenager—terrified to put anything in his mouth. He’d even waited until Max was out of the room to dare try.
He took another small sip and set the plastic mug down. The flickering TV caught his attention. Max had switched it on earlier, bored, no doubt, with watching Jed sleep away most of the day. Jed shut it off and set the remote aside. Another glance around revealed Max’s favorite hoodie folded up on the bedside table. He slipped it on, wrestling a moment with the cacophony of tubes attached to his body. The woodsmoke-scented cotton was worn and soft. American hospitals were overheated and stuffy, but as ever, Jed felt cold to the bone, especially without Max’s smile warming the room.
Max. Jed closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Max was the only thing keeping him sane, but underneath his light touch and gentle smile, Jed could see how unsettled he felt cooped up in the hospital. Jed understood. He felt the same. On the outside he was so tired he could barely raise his head, but on the inside….
On the inside he was screaming.
The door opened. Jed jerked his head a little too fast. He absorbed the accompanying wave of dizziness, expecting to see Max, but no one came in. Instead, the door handle seemed to catch and jump back up.
A scrabbling noise came next. Jed frowned and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The door wasn’t much farther than the bathroom. He figured he might make it, but was saved the trouble of falling on his ass by the appearance of Flo and a wide-eyed Belle.
“Hey, bug. Where’s your mom?” Jed pulled the oxygen tubes from his face and tossed them aside, thankful Dan had brought him some sweatpants. “And where’s that pesky sister of yours?”
Belle hesitated a moment and glanced behind her. “Tess is at home with Mrs. Dagastino. Mom’s talking to a nurse. I thought Max was in here. The nurse asked Mom if you were together, and she said you were.”
Irritation washed over Jed. He was pretty sure he knew which conversation Belle had overheard, though he had no idea how Kim was so sure of her answer.
Flo grumbled. Jed blinked, realizing he’d left Belle standing in the doorway, and held out his hand. “You want to keep me company until your mom comes looking for you?”
He lowered the bed and Belle hopped up to sit beside him. Jed eyed the small pink satchel slung across her tiny frame. “What’ve you got in the bag? Anything good?”