Page 74 of Beneath the Stain
“Yeah?”
“Where’s your wife right now? The one who brought you the food?”
Cambridge smiled. “She’s eating dessert with the nurses. They know her here.”
Good. “You guys riding home together?”
“Yup. She’ll drop me off in the morning.”
So the guy had stayed there for him, special. That was nice. “Doc?”
“Yeah?”
“’Kay, even if I fall apart and fuck this whole thing up? This was nice of you to stay here, bring me dinner. This was a real good moment. Thanks.”
Cambridge looked suddenly bleak. “And that’s something else we’ll talk about,” he said softly. “Here’s hoping you have a lot of good moments to come, okay?”
Mackey nodded and gave the man his Tupperware. “Yeah, well, if I have them, they’re going to have to be without Grant.”
“Maybe they can be without anyone for a while,” the doc said meaningfully.
Mackey grimaced. “Well, right now, I wouldn’t mind if they were with my friend.”
And that was why he texted Trav after Cambridge left.
Trav?
Yeah?
Are we friends?
Pause.
At least. Yes.
I’ve never really had a friend, he confessed.Only brothers.
Friends are brothers you can pick.
Fucking profound.
I was trying to be wise.
Leave that to me. I’ve got the ass for it.Mackey cackled a little as he texted.
Why are you asking?
Mackey sighed, took a deep breath, texted again.Good friends are harder to lose than boyfriends, aren’t they?
Depends on the friend and the boyfriend.
I mean… if you think of me as a friend, you might be more inclined to stick around.
Ah.
Mackey scowled.Ah what?
You’re right. Being friends might be easier if you want me to stay.
