Page 417 of Sticks and Stones
Will wrapped his arms around his waist, holding him as the man let that emotion out. It was clear that he’d been crying.
“Are you okay, Corby?”
Was he?
No.
“I’m so sorry that I nearly threw us away. I read your texts. You were desperate to find me.”
He knew he’d found his phone on the counter.
“Oh, Corby, of course, I’m going to look for you. Wouldn’t you look for me?”
He nodded.
When he lifted his head, Will wiped the tears on his cheeks with his chilly fingers.
“I’ll always look for you, Corbin,” Will said. “Until my dying day,” he promised.
Corbin was grateful for that.
Sniffing the roses, he liked them.
“These are a nice surprise. No one’s ever given me roses before,” he admitted.
Will grinned.
“Well, that’s my job. So, buckle up. You’re getting roses for the rest of our lives.”
That sounded like an amazing thing.
“But those aren’t the surprise,” Will said, holding up a bag filled with things.
He was curious.
“What do you have there?” he asked, following Will back into the living room.
“Have a seat, and I’ll show you,” he said.
Corbin did as he asked.
That’s when Will emptied out the bag. First, he handed him a pint of his favorite ice cream.
“I thought this would be easy to eat, so you can keep your calories up. Plus, it’ll soothe your mouth and throat,” he stated.
Corbin stared at it and then closed his eyes.
“Unless you don’t want it,” he said. “I can put it in the freezer. I’m sorry,” he offered.
When Corbin opened his eyes, the tears fell.
“They did so many horrible things to me,” he whispered. “I don’t know how I survived,” he said, his fingers going to his throat where the bruises were on his neck.
It didn’t take a genius to know why his mouth and throat were raw, or why he was in pain. They’d brutalized him.
Will sat beside him.
“I hope I can make you forget all of that one day,” Will admitted. “I hope that with time, and therapy, you’ll wake up one morning and the last thing on your mind will be how they hurt you.”
