Page 147 of Reinventing Cato
“Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
Cato touched his face, trailing a finger over Vigge’s lips. “If I’d lost you…”
“If I’d lostyou…”
They exchanged smiles.
“Did you tell them about us finding the letter opener?” Vigge asked.
“I had to think fast about that and I decided it was better to go with the truth. I told them we’d searched before for cameras and mics because of the threatening texts, and that the letter opener hadn’t been there. Then it was, and you took it away in an evidence bag just before the party started. And that you were drugged before you could call it in, which is technically the truth.”
“You look tired.”
“I am. I was… I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up. They told me you would, that you’d be fine, but I was scared. I’m supposed to tell the nursing staff when you open your eyes. Your colleagues want to talk to you. I did have to do a bit of persuading to get them to let me stay in your room.” He pushed to his feet. “Do you want me to come and fetch you when they release you? I could drive you home, stay for a while and look after you.”
“Wait on me hand and foot?”
“I was thinking about the bits in between.”
“I’d like that.”
Cato smiled, leaned in and kissed him. Just a quick, gentle press of lips but it made Vigge’s heart lurch.
“Max has gone, by the way. He’s left Louise and he wanted me back. I said no. Just in case you had any worries.”
“Not one.”
“I’ll come back later with grapes and porn magazines.” Cato slipped on his coat.
“Please don’t.”
“You don’t want me to come back?”
“Not with grapes and porn.”
“An energy drink and porn then.” Cato exhaled. “When I saw you lying on that roof with blood on your back, I thought, if that bastard had killed you, I was going to kill him. And remember, I’m the boy who cried when he stepped on an ant.”
Vigge chuckled.
~~~
Vigge was discharged two days later and Cato was there to pick him up. A nurse wheeled him to the door of the hospital, and though Cato was fussing and wanted to wheel him all the way to the car, Vigge insisted on walking.
“Fine.” Cato huffed. “Try not to collapse because you’ll crush me if you fall on me.”
“You could just move out of the way.”
“Oh yes, I hadn’t thought of that. That’s exactly what I’ll do. Go ahead and fall if you need to.”
Vigge grinned.
“Where’s your car?” Cato asked as he unlocked his. “Is it still at the car park? Oh God, I’ll have to overcome my phobia about multi-storey car parks, won’t I?”
“Forensics took it. It’ll be returned to my house.”
“Good. Can I er…stay with you for a couple of days?” Cato asked. “I’ve been sleeping in college in a guest room. My place is a bit of mess and the press are still lurking in the bushes. Sam’s gone to stay with a mate. He came to see me in college and I thought he was going to drive me mad. Fussing and going on and on about Pedro. I get he was shocked. So was I. There were no hints. I didn’t tell Sam that I thought out of the two of them, I’d suspected it was him.”
“That wouldn’t have been a good idea.”
