Page 102 of After the Siren
‘I don’t know if you can agree to that with a concussion,’ Theo said. Jake’s lips brushed the side of his throat and he tried not to shiver. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘Can’t I kiss my boyfriend?’ Jake pressed a kiss under Theo’s ear. He wriggled in his lap, and Theo decided that the situation needed to be controlled before it got out of hand.
‘No,’ he said, firmly, rolling Jake carefully off his lap and onto the pillows. ‘You have a concussion. You need to rest.’
Jake pouted up at him. ‘I’m not sleepy, and I’m bored.’
‘Life is hard.’
‘I want my phone.’
‘No.’
Xen had initially taken possession of Jake’s phone – he’d called Debbie to let her know Jake was alright – and then he’d delivered it into Theo’s custody.
‘I can read to you?’
Theo half expected Jake to scoff, but instead Jake just blinked at him. ‘Read what?’
‘A book.’
Jake looked mulish. ‘No shit. What book?’
Theo had expected instant rejection of the idea. Jake didn’t have any books in his room, so Theo went out to the living room to search for something appropriate.
Xen was on the couch with headphones on. He looked up when Theo came in. ‘He good?’
‘Yeah. Do you have something I could read to him?’
Xen smiled. For a moment, Theo thought he looked a bit wistful. ‘Sure, what do you want?’
‘Something soothing?’
‘Well, Paddy has a lot of thrillers and books about music, so probably not those. There’s some random stuff out here.’ Xen waved at the bookcase next to the TV. It was mainly full of things that weren’t books, but there were a few shoved onto one of the top shelves.
Theo made a selection and returned to Jake’s bedroom. Jake was in the process of making a nest out of the covers. After some careful manoeuvring, and a lot of grumbling from Jake, they ended up with Jake settled back on the pillows and Theo arranged with the book in one hand and the other hand free to stroke Jake’s hair.
‘What’s the book?’ Jake asked.
‘Never you mind, just listen.’ Theo cleared his throat. ‘Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.’
‘Are you trying to make a point?’ Jake murmured. But he didn’t tell Theo to stop.
Jake was falling asleep by the end of the first chapter. Theo put the book aside and settled in next to him. Jake immediately turned and tucked his face into Theo’s chest.
‘We’re not going to sleep like this,’ Theo warned. He’d never been able to sleep while someone else used him as a pillow. Spooning – as the big spoon – was where he drew the line.
‘Speak for yourself.’ Jake nestled closer.
Theo sighed.
‘You have to be nice to me,’ Jake said. ‘I’m yourboyfriend.And I’minjured.’
‘Is that how it works?’ Theo realised he was not helping his argument by continuing to stroke Jake’s hair.
‘Yeah.’
‘I guess I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had a boyfriend before.’
