Page 26 of Digging Deeper

I take a deep breath and say, “I’m going to have to push him even harder.”

“You think you can get him to try again?”

I look at my best friend and nod. “I’m not giving up on him.”

He smiles softly and leans his head on my shoulder. “Thank you, Gav.” He picks up his phone and writes out another text.

Holds: Jameson told me you have a crush on someone.

“He did? Who?” I ask, a sinking feeling hitting the pit of my stomach.

Holden laughs. “I don’t know. He won’t tell me.”

Drix: Uh… nope.

Holds: Come on, you can tell me who.

Holds: Who is it?

Holds: WHO?!?!?!

I snort out a laugh even as my chest constricts and my stomach fills with lead. If Drix likes someone, then I… then I shouldn’t care… he’s…him…he’s straight, he’s my friend, I should be happy for him. He’s just afriend.

“What are you two doing in here?” Jameson’s voice cuts off my thoughts, making me jump and Holden scramble to shove his phone behind him.

“Nothing,” Holds squeaks.

“That wasreallyconvincing,” Jameson says with a laugh before walking over to plant a kiss on Holds’s forehead.

Aiden walks in and settles in an armchair as Jameson takes the loveseat. I’m about to ask Jameson if he wants to switch with me so he can be by his boyfriend, but Holds grabs my arm and yanks me even closer to him as he mutters, “Where do you think you’re going?”

I settle back as Jameson asks, “You going to tell me what you two were scheming?”

“Nope.” Holds grins at his boyfriend.

Jameson scowls at us, and I blurt, “We were texting Drix to find out what’s going on with him and then Holds was trying to get him to tell us who he has a crush on.”

Holds sighs. “Nice, Gav.”

I look at him. “What? He’s got great interrogation skills! I bet all the criminals confess their crimes as soon as he looks at them.”

Holden shakes his head. “He asked us twice. Twice.” Jameson and Aiden are both quietly chuckling at us, and Holds smiles at them. He asks Aiden, “Doyouknow who my brother likes?”

Aiden shakes his head and glances at me for a moment, but doesn’t say anything.

Jameson asks, “Did you guys find out what’s going on with him?”

Holden passes Jameson his phone and the four of us talk, trying to decide how best to help Drix.

When I lie in the guest room bed trying to sleep, it’s no surprise that the only thing I can think about is Hendrix, his pretty eyes, and how special I feel when he aims a smile at me.

11

Hendrix

“It’s a plus you already had so much upper arm strength,” Gav says as he walks down the hall next to me.

While that’s true, he doesn’t know how much time I’ve been spending rolling around the halls at night and on the weekend when he’s not here. As much as Gavin’s a slave driver, he also insists we stick to the treatment plan so I don’t injure myself. I’m confident I’ll be going home soon, though, so I’m preparing for being on my own. Once the doctor comes to the same conclusion I have, Gavin will realize he’s done all he can for me. Hopefully, he’ll also understand how much I appreciate him. If not for him being so bullheaded and pushing me so hard, I’d still be lying in my bed feeling sorry for myself instead of exploring all of the options I have for my life going forward.

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