Page 36 of Private Exhibit
Andy frowned. “I mean it.”
Devon shook his head. “I know I'm boring and weird, and it was really nice of you to come out with me like this, but–”
“Devon,” Andy interrupted him, the sound of his own name making his skin tingle all over. Andy paused, holding his gaze, then breathed a curse and shook his head. “Gods help me, there's nowhere I'd rather be right now.”
“Really?” Devon blurted out.
“Really.” Andy looked up at the tree, a thoughtful expression flitting across his face, then looked back down at Devon again. “Let's keep walking. See what else we can find. We can stop by here again on the way back. How's that sound? And, if you want, you can tell me about your evening.”
Devon gulped. It sounded like the man really meant it. But how could he? Other than Oliver, nobody ever wanted to spend time with him.
He thought of that awful letter again.
Devon winced. Maybe he could tell Andy all about it. Something about the man made him feel safe. Like he could unload all his problems, and Andy would hold him up. Keep him steady. Devon had no idea if he was imagining it or seeing what he wanted to see, but the feeling persisted.
“Alright,” he agreed.
Andy smiled. A genuine, actual smile.
The sight made Devon tremble all over.
“After you,” Andy murmured.
Devon blushed and ducked past him, heading through the archway and back out onto the sidewalk. He reoriented himself, facing the direction of the hospital, and headed down the street, so aware of Andy beside him that he thought he might burst.
It was so simple and so absolutely perfect.
Chapter 14
ANDY RESOLUTELY shoved his hands into his pockets.Gods. What had he been thinking? He shouldn't have gone to Devon's apartment in the first place. Certainly shouldn't have blurted out that request to join him for a walk. Every second spent with the boy was wreaking havoc on his nerves.
Because he wanted more. So much more that he couldn't have.
Devon was so achingly precious that Andy felt like he might explode. The boy had completely lit up over atree, for gods' sakes. A tree! Something common and mundane and abundant, surrounding them on all sides at every moment of the day. Trees lined every street in New Haven. Filled every park. Andy never spared them any thought. He'd never had the time.
But Devon apparently took the time to admire and appreciate them. Intentionally went through a process of picking out a favorite, then allowed space in his schedule so he could stop and admire it every day on his way to and from work. Who did that? In a world full of advanced technology and myriad distractions, Devon managed to find pure joy in something utterly simple.
And it was beautiful.
Andy couldn't stop watching Devon as they strolled along, seeing the boy's eyes light up at every new plant they passed. And there were a lot. New Haven wasn't known as the Silver Jungle for nothing. Every building, every sidewalk, practicallyevery window was graced with some kind of growth. Trees. Trailing vines. Window boxes. Small lawns and gardens. Andy almost stopped in his tracks, really noticing, for the first time, just how truly lush everything was. How much all the plant life made the buildings themselves look alive.
“Holy shit,” he gasped.
“What?” Devon asked, whirling to face him.
Andy looked up and all around, bombarded with varying shades of green in every direction. “How do you pick just one?” he asked. “Gods, I never really realized there was so much.”
Devon smiled shyly and shrugged. “Sometimes, it's hard. Sometimes, I literally pick a new favorite every day. But there's also too much to take in, you know? I could walk this same route every single day and still find something new that I didn't notice before because there was too much other sensory input overwhelming my brain.”
Andy started to wince, then paused and thought about that. “From A-G or from the spectrum?”
Devon stopped in his tracks and blinked up at him. “You remembered that?”
Andy shoved his hands into his pockets, hoping that he wasn't blushing. He didn't dare admit he remembered everything Devon had ever said. It all felt permanently etched on his mind.
“Or…” Devon went on. “Well, it's also like most people just dismiss that or don't believe me.”
“Oh, I believe you,” Andy assured him. When Devon gave him a curious look, he said, “I had a patient in Diagnostics once. A young boy on the spectrum. Nonverbal, so he couldn't tell us what he was experiencing, and even our scanners weren't picking up anything wrong. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even point at pictures of what he wanted. But you exhibit a lot of the same behaviors that he did.”
