“I don’t want to make it worse. I’ve had two hours of good, and I don’t want to lose that.”
Beck didn’t challenge him, which was what he’d expected. “Well, I’m not going anywhere. Have you had enough to eat? You need a bath or anything? Or I can tuck you in.”
“Let me cover my plate for later. It’ll heat up.” He squeezed Beck’s fingers, feeling lost as hell. “Do you want me down here so I don’t bother you?”
“Hell no. I’ve been sleeping alone too long. If we’re going to break the stairs rule, I say we break it big. I’ll set you up in there in the morning so you can be down here, though.” Beck got out of his way so he could take his own plate out to the kitchen.
“Oh. Good.” He crept to the kitchen, trying not to let on how bad he hurt. “The potatoes were so tasty.”
Beck followed, cleaning up the kitchen around him without a word while he moved slow, finding foil and covering his plate. By the time he got it in the fridge, Beck was combing through his meds and looking at the discharge sheet. “Okay, two of these and one of these after dinner, it says. I’m going to pick you up a sorter or something tomorrow to make this easier.”
“Okay.” He stood there, trying to make good decisions. Go to the bathroom down here? Ask if there were pain pills? Get a drink? There. A drink. He wanted a glass of juice.
He laboriously turned the walker around and headed back to the kitchen.
Beck hovered but let him be and set out pills for him on the counter. One of them had to be a pain pill, right? Had to be.
He ended up caught between the fridge and the open cabinet, just caught. If he moved, he’d fall down. If he stood here, he’d fall down.
“Beck? I need help.”
“Right here.” Beck was suddenly next to him. One arm caught him around the waist and the other closed the cabinet door. “Damn, that took talent, babe.” He got a wink and a kiss.
“No shit.” He rested their foreheads together, breathing hard. “I’m hurting bad, love. I’m fixin’ to scream.”
“Sky. Why didn’t you say earlier?” Again, Beck lifted him right off his feet, stopping by the counter so he could scoop up his meds before heading upstairs with him. “You don’t have to be so stoic to impress me. I’m already impressed.”
“Yeah? Okay. I’m trying to hold up, but…it’s been a long fucking day.”
“It has.” Beck sat him on the bed. “Breathe a second. I’ll run back down and get your juice, and then I’ll help you deal with the bathroom and everything. You want anything else while I’m down there?”
“My pillow?” It was in his bag. Parker had brought it for him from the trailer, and he’d kept it with him the whole time.
“Pillow? Is that in your bag? I brought it up before your nap.” Beck went over and dug through his bag and pulled it out. “What the—is this it? You don’t really need this ratty thing, do you?”
Sky took the little pillow and sorta smiled, feeling like an idiot and not fucking caring. “It was the one I took when I left. I’ve never slept without it. I always took the one you slept on when I left home.”
Beck stared at him, and he sighed, worrying that he’d said the wrong thing yet again. But then Beck sat down beside him, brushed a hand across his cheek, and pulled him close. Beck didn’t say anything but didn’t really need to either. It seemed like neither of them had the right words yet. Or maybe they did but the right ones were way too hard.
Sky sighed, letting himself melt. If he fell asleep like this, holding his pillow, Beck holding him? Well, he never had to wake up again.
13
“Hey, Adam. I’m out. I need to pick up Sky at rehab. Have a great weekend.”
“Oh, hey. Beckett.” Adam scooted out from behind a giant desk and walked over to him, pulling out a battered wallet. “I have a card for you.”
He looked at the card Adam handed him, which had a name and number on it and “Home Health Aid.” He stuck it into his pocket. “Thanks, Adam.”
Adam looked at him seriously. “You need some help, Beckett. You’re exhausted.”
“I’m not exhausted. I’m just tired. And it’s the weekend, so I’ll get some sleep. I’ll be fine on Monday.”
“Beckett—"
“Look, I appreciate the thought, and the card. If I need help, I’ll get it. You have a good weekend, okay?”
“Get some rest.” Adam crossed his arms over a broad chest. “Superman.”