Page 72 of Part & Parcel

“I’ve spent so much of my life trying to keep that look off your face,” Nick said, waving a hand unsteadily at Kelly. “But I can’t change the past.”

Kelly breathed out his name, but Nick was turning away from him before Kelly could speak more, letting Ty lead him out. Kelly grasped at the bar in front of him, trying to steady his head and his heart and his body. Jesus, he felt like he’d been hit by a truck.

“Doc,” Zane said, and Kelly’s head shot up. Zane was looking at him as if he’d called him several times before Kelly heard him. “Come with me. Get some rest. It’ll be okay in the morning.”

Kelly glanced at Owen and Digger, and they both nodded for him to go. “I’ll get us another room, give him some space,” Owen told them.

“Ain’t the first time you two gone ’round,” Digger told Kelly as he swept up the bottle Nick had broken. “You’ll be all right, Doc.”

“Is he right?” Kelly asked them without moving. He was met with uncomfortable silence.

Kelly’s stomach churned the entire way to the room, going over every word they’d said to each other, and every word they hadn’t.

When Zane got the door unlocked and pushed it open, Kelly grabbed for his arm, stopping him from entering. “Was he right?”

Zane winced and looked into the darkened room like he just wanted to slink into it and disappear. He sighed and met Kelly’s eyes again. “I think you both are.”

He turned and headed into the room, and Kelly followed him, scowling as Zane flipped the lamps on. Zane shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it at a chair in the corner.

“I don’t know the whole story. I mean, you two, you’ve got twenty years behind you, I’ll never know the whole story. That’s just you and him.”

Kelly glanced up, meeting Zane’s eyes with a little bit of difficulty.

“You think Nick’s a monster?” Zane asked neutrally.

Kelly’s response got stuck in his throat. He had to struggle to find it again as Zane watched him. “I don’t know. The thing is, I don’t care.”

Zane raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

“I don’t care if he is,” Kelly said again, voice stronger this time. “Monster or not. All I know is he’s mine.”

Zane nodded minutely, chewing on his lip. “I’d bet he feels the same way about you. No matter what you think of yourself. And if I were him? I’d want to hearthattonight.”

Nick sprawled on the king-sized bed, a hand tossed over his eyes. The room was spinning on him, and he was afraid to open his eyes in case it wasn’t just him going in circles.

“Irish?”

“I’m okay,” Nick grunted.

Ty sat on the edge of the bed, the covers rustling as he moved next to Nick. “Not used to your tolerance being so low. You still on those painkillers?”

“Yeah,” Nick answered, knowing Ty would be giving him that disapproving scowl of his and not caring.

“Maybe we avoid the bars until you’re off ’em, huh?”

“Don’t mother me, Tyler, you’re not very good at it.” A tiny mew answered Nick’s words. He raised his head, scowling. “The hell was that?”

“Kittens,” Ty answered, and then he was murmuring under his breath, which started more excited meowing.

Nick groaned. “I forgot you had them with you. What’d you do with them at Yellowstone?”

“Kept them locked in the tent until Johns killed me.”

Four tiny paws landed on Nick’s belly, complete with needle-sharp claws. The kitten balanced on Nick’s abdominal muscles, using its claws as it got its footing. Nick groaned louder.

Ty stretched out on the bed beside him, and Nick finally risked a peek at the ceiling. It wasn’t going quite as fast as he thought it would be. He took in a deep breath. At least he didn’t feel sick. That was the last thing he needed tonight, to spend the rest of it with his head in the toilet and a curious kitten on his shoulder.

“That’s Jiminy,” Ty told him.

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