Page 3 of Collin: Episodes 4-6
“Thank gods.”
“I personally would ascribe this miracle to Hypatia.”
“Hypatia wasn’t a goddess.”
“She is to me.”
Ellisandre ended the call.
Mr. Reevesworth entered the living room with his coffee. The bruise around his eye was missing. Collin did a double take. “Is that makeup?”
Mr. Reevesworth smirked.
Collin sighed. Focus. There are other things to think about. “Ellisandre didn’t say where they were bringing my mother.”
“I thought we could go to the neighborhood you were researching the night you fell. You can tell her about your work. Is there a breakfast spot there she would enjoy?”
“Yes.” Collin closed his eyes. “At least two.”
“Do you mind if Ellisandre joins us? They’re hungry.”
“No, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth chuckled. “What about the king of Spain?”
“If he wants to join in, he’s welcome. Is he married? Is he dating? Because my mother needs a new hobby. One that’s not me. I know she’s sworn off men, but maybe we can talk her out of it. Offer her university more funding. Something. Anything.”
Mr. Reevesworth put his coffee on a coaster on the side table and crossed the room in two strides. He took Collin’s shoulders in hand and turned him, drawing Collin against his chest.
Collin slumped against him. “I’m so, so sorry, sir. Last night was amazing, and I know we were all planning to just lay low and rest…” Collin’s voice cracked with frustration.
Mr. Reevesworth wrapped both arms around Collin’s waist and shoulders. “We are going to go to breakfast with your mother. She is going to be horrified and impressed. We are going to walk down the street to one of the community centers I help fund. I’m going to introduce her to some people who would be only too glad to get her to write papers about their work. You are going to remind her that you’re still on doctors’ orders for light activity. We will return here, alone. We will lay down for a nap. The rest of the day will be ours.”
“I can’t just abandon—” Collin clipped off his words. “I didn’t promise her I’d see her today. She came uninvited.”
“Quite so.”
Collin let out a long breath. “I really, really want to hurt myself right now.” He looked down at his arm.
Mr. Reevesworth slid his hand up under Collin’s sweater. He caught Collin’s nipple between his finger and thumb and squeezed.
Collin gasped. Like before, the pain started and then built, spreading out over his chest.
Mr. Reevesworth let go slowly, holding a protective arm around Collin’s lower back. “Better?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. We might have to see about something more continuous for you if that works.”
“I think clamps would show through my shirt.”
“Waistcoats hide innumerable secrets as do sweaters and coats. We could always pierce you and hang weights from the rings.”
Collin’s eyes flared wide. His hand went to his chest. That would hurt. And he liked that.
Mr. Reevesworth took a smooth stone out of his pocket and set it in Collin’s hand. “Meanwhile, take this. Rubbing something or turning it over in one’s pocket is one way of self-regulating your nervous system.”
Collin took the stone. It was dark blue with gold and browns. “What kind of stone is this?”
