Page 17 of A Series of Rooms
Liam had been so consumed with the idea of finding him again, of having access to him long enough to check in, that he hadn’t formulated much of a plan past that. Get him here, ask if he’s okay, offer to get him help. That was the entire checklist, and he had already blown through two and struck out on the third. He supposed the only thing left to do was to offer the same thing he had last time: a safe place to sleep and a hot meal.
A good idea in theory, but he couldn’t help but notice that the food in Jonah’s lap was mostly untouched. It was a stark contrast from the way he had devoured every bite Liam put in front of him last week. He had been picking at the same piece of chicken for the last several minutes, peeling off small pieces of breading and dropping them onto the plate.
It was obvious he was on edge. There was a certain apprehension in the way Jonah looked at him. Perhapswatchedwas a better word for it, as if he was trying to calculate the exact moment when the rug would be pulled out from under him.
Hesitantly, Liam let his gaze slip over to him, hoping that Jonah wouldn’t choose that moment to glance over and catch him gawking. But he barely seemed to notice Liam was there at all. Heavy, half-lidded eyes blinked twice in slow motion as he traced a fingertip idly along the edge of his plate.
Liam cleared his throat. “Is the food okay?”
Jonah blinked again, his head turning slowly, almost mechanically, in Liam’s direction. “Hm?”
“Is it. . . Does it taste okay?”
Jonah looked down again, as if only then noticing the shreds of chicken. “It’s good,” he said, picking off another small piece and placing it in his mouth. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
Yes,Liam thought,I did.
“Don’t worry about it,” he dismissed with a wave, his hands feeling heavy and awkward on his wrists.
When it seemed like Jonah had eaten all he was going to, Liam collected their paper plates and boxed up the leftover food, taking extra care to make sure Jonah saw him put it in the mini fridge beneath the television, in case he got hungry later.
“In retrospect, I should have, like, brought something to do. I’m afraid I’m not very good entertainment on my own.”
“You don’t owe me entertainment.”
Liam opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. “Jonah?” he began, waiting until he had his eyes to continue. “Do you want me to leave?”
That seemed to catch him off guard.
“I mean that sincerely,” Liam continued. “I won’t be offended. I wanted to see you again, and I’m really glad I got the chance to, but I’m not going to force my company on you. If you want, I can give you the money and the room will be yours for the night. I promise not to bother you again. Just say the word.”
Jonah stared at him long enough to have Liam shifting under the scrutiny. Finally, he said, “Do you want to leave?”
Liam thought about it. The immediate answer wasno.
“It’s not like I’m missing out on any big Friday night plans,” he said, because it felt slightly less pathetic than sayingI’ll just be alone if I leave now.
“Things haven’t improved with your friends?” Jonah asked, neatly avoiding the question.
“If we were hanging on by a thread before, last weekend was the snapping point.”
“Because of me?”
“Because of them,” Liam corrected.
There was a weighty pause. “I’m sorry,” Jonah said.
“I told you, it’s not your fault.”
“No.” He shook his head. “For earlier. I didn’t mean to come off... I was just...”
“You don’t have to explain.” Liam sank onto the opposite bed, putting them closer to eye level.
Finally, Jonah said, “Your company isn’t so terrible.”
Liam laughed, a bright, relieved sound. “C-minus as far as compliments go, but I’ll take it.”
That got a small smile out of Jonah, which felt like a bigger victory than it should have. Eager to keep the mood light, Liam grabbed the remote and handed it to Jonah. “Should we put on a movie?”
