Page 23 of Fall of Us
I returned his grin. “I was hoping you would.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
I laughed as Andrew squeezed my hand a little tighter. Needles and I were not friends, but it always helped when he came with me. This meant so much more now because I was doing this for him. We were doing it for each other.
A nurse came out and called me back. I asked if Andrew could come with me and explained that he was here for the same thing. She was friendly and allowed us to come back at the same time. We took turns in the chair and holding each other’s hands. The needle always looked fucking huge, but it was amazing how you never seemed to feel it. After we each completed a urine test, they sent us away with instructions that we would receive the results in a few days.
As we left the clinic, Andrew grabbed my hand and threaded his fingers with mine. A warmth spread through me as we walked down the street.
When Joe came out of a store, I froze, almost yanking my hand from Andrew’s grasp before I remembered that this was normal for us. Joe looked up at us and smiled, shoving a bag behind his back. It wasn’t suspicious at all, and all I had to do was look up to see that he’d come out of a camera store. Was he buying something for Aiden? And if he was, why was he trying to hide it?
“Hey guys!” Joe sounded strained and nervous, and the way he shifted back and forth showed that he was uncomfortable.
“What’s up, man?” Andrew held out his fist, as if to bump, and it took Joe a minute to reciprocate the motion. The whole encounter was awkward as hell. “What are you up to?”
Joe laughed awkwardly, pulling the bag from behind his back. “Just picking something up.”
“Are you getting a part for Aiden or something?” I asked.
Joe stared at me for a moment before it occurred to him that I was with them the other day when we’d met up at Seattle Center.
“Uh, yeah. That’s it. I’ve gotta get these to him, actually.” And just like that, he was darting down the sidewalk.
What the hell was he hiding?
Chapter 15
Andrew
I’d sensed the moment that Brandon had almost pulled away from me. It stung just the tiniest bit, but I also understood his fear. We’d talked about keeping it between the two of us for now, but the more suspicious he acted, the more people were going to think something was up. I tried not to let it bother me or ruin the morning after we’d gotten tested together. Having sex with no barriers between us was a big next step.
I knew Brandon was always safe. He did this after every break-up, but it meant so much more now.
“What’s up with Joe?”
I laughed as we watched our friend make his way down the sidewalk as quickly as possible. “I don’t know. Has he been acting weird lately?”
“You could say that. I met up with him and Aiden the other day and he was throwing money around, which was really different for him... and now this.”
I nodded as Joe disappeared from sight. We’d have to investigate later, and hopefully, our friend was staying out of trouble.
Today was about Brandon and me, so I redirected us to a small Greek restaurant that was around the corner. Brandon perked up the second we walked through the door. “Gyros?”
“Hell, yeah.”
His smile was so bright as he let go of my hand and approached the counter. We placed our orders and then grabbed a table to wait for our food. When they called our number, Brandon excitedly hopped up and ran to get the tray. He sat down the two boats that had pitas stuffed with roasted lamb piled high with onions, lettuce, tomato, feta, and tzatziki sauce. My mouth watered as I picked up my sandwich and took a huge bite. These were always so good, and Brandon and I had bonded over our obsession with them.
While we ate, Brandon chattered on about the book I’d given him. He’d finished it quickly, and he’d loved it. There was apparently a second novel, and he was looking forward to getting it to follow the next couple. I loved listening to him talk about books.
“So, Mom and Dad talked about giving me some more responsibility at the store, letting me open or close it on my own.”
I grinned and wiped my hands on a napkin. “Yeah? That’s a lot of work. Do you think you’re ready for that?”
His head bobbed in a rapid nod. “Definitely. I want them to start taking it easy. They’ve worked hard enough.”
We cleared the table and walked out into the cool afternoon. I pulled Brandon to my side and took a deep breath of his hair. Chamomile and Bergamot. I’d been around Brandon and hisfamily long enough to recognize most of his scents by now, and I loved this uplifting mixture.
“You’re sniffing me?” Brandon laughed.
