Page 53 of Small Sacrifices

It would probably be amusing to see how wide Everett's eyes can get if Reid knew what Briana was talking about. But he doesn't. Because he's tired.

"What?" he asks.

"Oh, never mind. Bye!"Click.Damn her.

"I'm sorry," Reid says. Everett's eyes are still mostly white. "She does that." Whateverthatis. Is she suggesting Everett may try to have sex with him?Him?She's hissister.He must be reading it wrong.

Everett huffs a laugh, back to good-natured all of a sudden. "You forget that I have a little sibling. I know how these things go."

Right. His brother. Maybe this is just a thing that happens in families? A kind of teasing, even if it's inappropriate? That just leaves the question of why they're only starting this now.

They settle in next to each other on the queen-sized bed and Everett scrolls on his phone while Reid folds himself into a pretzel up against the headboard and eats his soup. It's a hearty soup, hot and not too salty. Both the vegetables and noodles still have some bite to them. The bread tastes like preservatives, but Reid manages to get it down, anyway.

When he's sopped up the rest of the soup with the last bit of crust, Everett looks over at him with a soft smile on his face.

"That better?" he asks

Reid nods. He feels warm now, not hot anymore. The heaviness in his limbs is pleasant. It's still early in the evening, so if he goes to sleep now, he might even be back at a hundred percent tomorrow.

"D'you want me to leave?"

Oh. Reid blinks at him. "Not really."

The minute the words have left his mouth, he cringes internally. That's not a good answer.Not really?What's that supposed to mean? But Everett just keeps smiling.

"I can stay a bit longer," he says.

Oh. That would be nice. He doesn't want to be alone right now. It's surprising how relaxing and safe Everett's presence has felt so far.

"Won't that be an issue? 'm not supposed to know you, 'member?"

Everett's smile only deepens as he watches Reid rub at his eyes. "No one knows I'm here. It'll be fine."

That doesn't sound right. Reid frowns. "You waited for me in the corridor. There's a PPO in the corridor."

"That's just Holland. Holland likes me. You don't need to worry."

It seems like this is something that Reid should protest. But he's tired, and everything is warm. Frankly, he's melting into the bed at this point. Instead of saying anything, he attempts to drag the sheets out from under himself.

It's harder than it should be. His hands feel weak, and the sheets seem glued to the mattress. Maybe they're stuck under it.Damn it.Why do hotels always have to be so difficult? He's close to giving up and resigning himself to sleeping on top of the covers when Everett steps in. With one firm pull, the sheets come free. A few gentle movements later, Reid is tucked in snugly.

Everett doesn't leave, which is a relief. He settles back on the bed next to Reid, staying on top of the covers. It's comforting to know he's there. Even with a foot of space between them, Reid swears he can feel the warmth radiating from him.

He's close to sleep when a sudden movement drags him back up into consciousness. Everett has shifted next to him. "Don't you need to brush your teeth?"

Reid glares at him.Technically, yes. But he's cocooned in warmth now, and there's no way he's getting out of bed untilmorning. Still, Everett's reminder prompts another thought—his glasses. He's still wearing them.

Sighing, Reid reaches up and pulls them off. Everett must be making a face, but Reid doesn't care. He lies back down and ignores the unspoken judgment.

Chapter 18: A new awakening

The world comes back to Reid in bits and pieces. The warmth of the blankets he's buried in. His curls tickling his nose. A warm weight against his back. There isn't even an alarm blaring.

This is a good thing right up until it isn't. Because Reid doesn't remember if he set an alarm yesterday. And then he can't get up because there's something heavy on his midsection. Something that tightens when he tries to move.

A look down tells him it's an arm—and a look to the side confirms that the arm is Everett's.

Huh.

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