Page 113 of Two for Joy

“I know him.”

“Knew him.”

Holly shook the flowers at Gareth. “Look are you going to let me see him, or what?”

“No.” Gareth said. “Out.”

Holly backed away. “Tell him—”

“I’m not telling him shit from you.”

“I’m going.”

“I’m making sure of it.”

Gareth followed her down the corridor, and they both passed Romeo, too wrapped up in their own little world to notice him.

Holly had gifted him the perfect opportunity.

He looked at the door that led to Chad, checked for Gareth coming back, then reasoned he could be quick, in and out of Chad’s room in less than a minute.

When he pushed through the door shock hit him before any relief. Chad looked deathly pale, hooked up to machines, with tubes feeding into his arm. His eyes were closed, and he lay completely still. If it weren’t for the machine tapping out his heart rhythm Romeo would’ve thought he was dead.

“What the hell had Marc been giving you?” Romeo muttered, before getting closer.

“Chad?”

His eyelashes fluttered at his voice, and Romeo repeated his name until his eyes opened. Hazy, confused. Chad looked at him, frowning.

“It’s Romeo.”

“Romeo.” He breathed, closing his eyes for a second. The machine sped up, beeping out Chad’s quickening heart rate. “Out.”

Romeo never would’ve imagined one word would hurt so much. “Is that what you want?”

Chad flexed his hand on the bed, the odd anxiety fueled mannerism, only slower, and weaker. “Yes… Before they find you.”

Romeo exhaled shakily, then dared to smile. “You don’t want them to find me.”

“No.”

Romeo leaned closer and stared into Chad’s drugged up eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

Chad bit his lip. “I know I shouldn’t…”

“Tell me?”

“I want you to wait for me.”

Romeo took hold of his hand, stopping his fidget. “Then I’ll wait for you.”

“You’re the only one that was on my side.”

“We’re not on sides, we’re in the middle together. Just me and you.”

Chad’s hand relaxed in his, and his eyes fluttered closed again. The machine slowed back to the rhythm it had been beeping at when Romeo had first walked in. He let go of Chad’s hand, not wanting to push his luck, and left the room.

He hurried away, thinking he’d got away with it, but he heard footsteps behind him, trying to catch him.

---