Page 43 of Stop and Seek
But, when he patted the side table? His hands only touched the box of tissues that lived there and then knocked into a glass of water.
Where the fuck are they?
Throwing the cover to the ground, he fumbled with the pillows. His bed wassoaked.
Still, no glasses.
“Theo?” Rachel’s voice floated in from the front room, higher than usual.
“Yeah, hold—hold on,” he yelled back.
Why were his pants unbuttoned?
His hoodie?
Did he give up halfway through getting undressed?
God, why was his shirtcrunchy?
With a sigh, he dropped onto the edge of the bed. “I’m in here.”
Smears of… something—or someone—popped into his doorway and he blinked hard, willing anything to come into focus.
No dice.
The pounding in his skull had spiraled into his temples, thumping against his brain.
“You look like crap, Teddy. Are you okay?” Rachel asked.
“It’s his own fault. He didn’t listen,” Alyssa said.
The bed tilted and he could barely make out Alyssa’s profile. She hovered closer, her hand on his forehead, and everything snapped into focus.
“Have you seen my glasses?” he asked.
“Have you heard of like, toothpaste?”
“I just woke up. Fuck you.”
“It’snoon,” Alyssa shot back, her voice hitting a shrill note that didnothelp the headache.
A tap on his shoulder.
Then, the familiar weight of his glasses pressed into his palm.
Thank god.
He slipped them on, and the world sharpened into clear lines and solid objects.
Alyssa, propped on his bed, and Rachel standing with her hands on her hips.
Alyssa jiggled the bags and an oversized to-go cup. “Food?”
Theo’s stomach rolled over, growling in response. His mouth watered, and he didn’t realize how fuckinghungryhe was until he saw it.
Alyssa tore open one of the bags and dumped containers of fries on top of it.
“You had me worried,” Rachel said, ripping open ketchup packets with her teeth and squeezing them onto the fries.
