Page 20 of A Series of Rooms
Jonah looked around, tapping his fingers where they rested on his knees, then slid off the window. He returned a moment later with the small hotel-branded notepad and a pen. “Your canvas,” he said, presenting it.
Liam’s smile relaxed into something genuine. “Okay,” he agreed.
Satisfied, Jonah climbed back into his post, taking a sip of his coffee while Liam got to work on his masterpiece.
“What are you drawing me?” he asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
He began with hesitant pen strokes, as he did almost every time he tried to create something with a specific audience in mind. But once the idea took shape, Liam fell into a familiar rhythm, only glancing up every so often for reference.
Maybe it was the lack of direct attention now that Liam had a task at hand, but something in Jonah’s demeanor seemed to loosen as the night went on. Slowly, he began to talk. It was nothing groundbreaking; he was still careful about what he revealed, but Liam pocketed every shared tidbit like something precious. He learned that Jonah liked to run, and that he had played soccer and ran track in school. He learned that he grew up somewhere in the Midwest, though he did not specify where, and Liam didn’t ask. He started to tell Liam about a childhood cat he’d grown up with, but there was a somber shift in his tone that made him retreat quickly. Liam was happy to change the subject with a timely drop of his pen.
“Done,” he announced.
Jonah sat up straighter, visibly thankful for the distraction. “Let’s see it.”
Strangely nervous, Liam tore off the top page of the notepad and handed it over.
Jonah stared down at it for a full three seconds. “It’s Jonah and the whale,” he said, nearly a whisper, then looked up at Liam. “You drew me.”
“And a whale,” Liam added, shifting under the attention.
“On topof a whale,” Jonah amended, turning the paper over to display the cartoonish depiction of Jonah saddled on a whale’s back, complete with a cowboy hat and lasso. “Have you read the book, Liam? I’m pretty sure this story is about him gettingswallowedby the whale.”
“No,” Liam said. “The story is about him gettingout.”
Jonah looked at him and Liam looked quickly away. They were quiet for a few long seconds. Finally, Jonah smiled and shook his head.
“I definitely missed the part where he rides the whale into the sunset afterward.”
“It’s all there.” Liam shrugged. “In the subtext.”
The first thing Liam did when his eyes opened to a sliver of daybreak peeking through the curtains was check to make sure Jonah was still there. A breath of relief rushed out of him when he saw him, already awake and propped against the headboard.
“Good morning,” Liam croaked, pulling his arms up into a stretch. Jonah blinked, waking from whatever trance he was in to smile back at him.
“Morning.”
At the foot of the bed, the borrowed pajamas were folded into a pile again. Thankfully, not accompanied by a cryptic goodbye note this time. Still, Liam’s heart sank a bit.
“I have to leave soon,” Jonah confirmed. There was a heaviness behind the words.
“Can I get you breakfast before you go?” Liam asked. “The hotel doesn’t offer it, but I think there was a diner close by.”
Jonah shook his head. “I can’t.”
Liam wanted to press for answers. He didn’t.
“I wanted to wait until you were awake so I could say goodbye,” Jonah said. Then, with a rueful smile, added, “This time.”
Liam pushed himself up, swinging his legs off the bed. “Can I see you again?” he asked, emboldened by the idea of Jonah walking out of this hotel room and back to the person who gave him that bruise.
Jonah stood and paced away from the bed, suddenly interested in a loose thread at the hem of his shirt. “You can message me to set something up.”
“I meant...” Liam tracked him with his eyes, treading carefully. “Maybe somewhere outside of a hotel room?”
“I don’t really have nights off.”
