Page 85 of Light Up
Of course, Louis rang before he’d even got out of London.
“Where are you going?”
“How do you know I’m going anywhere?”
“Because no matter what you told Mojo, you’re not stupid enough to go for a walk. Snow’s forecast.”
Ah.Tal hadn’t known that. Usually, he checked the weather. “I’ll be back later. I’m being careful.”
“You’re in a car.”
“I’m not driving, obviously. I want to get a few things. I’ll be back by the time you’re home.”
As he ended that call, his phone rang again.
“Tal?” a quiet voice asked.
Tal felt as though the universe had exploded, except in a spectacularly good way, if that was possible.
“I’m on my way,” Tal said. “The YMCA in Deaton, right?”
“Do you remember?”
The hope in Corey’s voice made Tal want to say yes, but the truth was he didn’t. Not in the way Corey hoped. He wouldn’t lie. “No. Maybe bits. But I need to see you.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”
Nineteen
Corey had been shocked when one of the hostel staff had come to his room and given him Tal’s name and number. For a long moment, he’d not felt able to reach out and take the piece of paper.
“We haven’t told him you’re here. It’s up to you whether or not you want to speak to him.”
Or nothad never come into it. And now Tal was coming. He might only recallbitsbut he was still coming. Corey changed his T-shirt twice before settling on the one that saidI do bad things and I do them very well.Would Tal remember?
It didn’t take long for Corey to talk himself into a state of acute agitation. If Tal didn’t remember everything, why did he want to see him? What sense, if any, had Tal made of it all? Could he possibly have an explanation Corey hadn’t thought of?
He hadn’t figured anything out when someone came to tell him Tal was downstairs. Corey put his hand on his heart. He could feel the plaster beneath his T-shirt. Yesterday, he’d begged one of the staff for a plaster. The guy he’d asked was an American and Corey had to explain what he wanted.Ah, a band aidthe guy had said. He hadn’t asked why Corey had wanted it, which was just as well.
When Corey had been a young boy, and upset about something, his dad used to stick a plaster on his heart, and when it had come off, or Corey had picked it off, that meant it was time to be happy again. It was something Corey had kept doing over the years when life got him down. After the worst day of his life, when Raj had… Corey shuddered. After that day, he’d kept plasters over his heart for a year. The moment one came off, he put on another.
He’d opened his heart to Tal, but hadn’t told him about his friends and what had happened to them. He wanted to tell himbut the day was locked so securely inside him that Corey wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to let the memories out.
As he headed into the reception area on his crutches, he saw Tal in his dark coat. He had his back to Corey but as he turned and saw him, then smiled, Corey’s throat felt blocked.
“Your friend has signed in. He can go up to your room if you want,” one of the staff said.
Corey managed to nod and Tal followed him. Once they were in his room, Corey sat on the bed. He had to hold in his sigh of pleasure when Tal sat beside him instead of on the chair. Though they weren’t touching.
“This is yours.” Tal pulled Corey’s hat from his pocket.
Corey clutched the bunny hat tightly. Was Tal guessing or did he remember?
“Thank you for dragging me from my car,” Tal said. “The police told me my seat belt had been cut. Apparently, seat belts don’t burn easily. The fire department found a charred tool that wasn’t mine. Somehow you managed to get me out of my car and into yours. I have no idea how.” He looked at Corey’s foot.
“The snow helped. I sort of pulled you along.”
“Even with a broken foot.”
