Page 90 of Handle with Care
“I’m sorry I made you worry,” he murmurs back. “I had an epic migraine. I was out for three days.”
“Sounds awful.”
He grimaces. “It was bad. I was actually overnight in hospital because my mum was so worried about me not being able to even drink water. I wasn’t there for too long, but they wanted to make sure I didn’t get totally dehydrated.” He shakes his head. “Then I saw the pile of messages from you, and I wasn’t ready to respond.”
“Well, fuck. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It was a lot, this last week,” Will confesses. “The only thing that gave me peace was knowing you would be okay at the museum, and they would have to give you the permanent job.”
Then, I remember the morning. I swallow hard. “Um. About that.”
Will looks at me, the corners of his mouth turning down at the shift in my tone. “What?”
There’s no easy way to tell him.
“I, er, tried to resign too.”
His eyes widen. “Dylan. You’re not serious. You can’t.”
“Why not?” I bristle. “You started it. And I wasn’t going to let you be scapegoated for a mistake we both made.”
He rubs his face with his hands. “I can’t believe you did that…”
“I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t,” I protest. “Because you’ve worked so hard on everything this summer together with me. I couldn’t have people thinking shit about you… because of the shit I started at the beginning of summer. I was such a jerk.”
“I was acting like a jerk all on my own,” Will confesses. “And I deserve for people to think poorly of me. But you? Everyone loves you. It’s easy to see why.” Then he frowns again. “Please tell me you didn’t quit the internship, Dylan.”
I shift, uncomfortable. “I really did try this morning. Instead, they sent me home for the day. And we agreed that we’d talk next week. I’m also expected at the opening tomorrow night.”
Will looks relieved. He nods, leaning back into the bench. “Thank God.”
“I don’t know why they would listen to you resign and not me,” I grumble. “I’m very convincing.”
His lips quirk into a smile. “Mm.”
“Mm,” I acknowledge, leaning into him again. We’re slowly starting to get wet out here. “Well, seeing as no one’s dying on their sword tonight, maybe we should find somewhere dry? And you must be cold.”
“A little,” he admits. “What I’d really like is to go home with you.”
My heart soars. Home. With Will. Heaven. “I want to go home with you too.”
He brushes his lips lingeringly against mine, a promise for later. “Let’s go back to London, then.”
“I think Gray said something about dinner?”
“They’ll understand if we leave.”
“Will. I can’t show up and steal you away from your family just like that.”
“Please do. In fact, I insist.” Will rests his chin on my shoulder. He’s irresistible. I’d take him to the moon if he asked right now.
I lean my head against his for a moment. “Let’s go inside.”
Will at last shifts to upright again, looking uncomfortable once more. “I’m, er, not wearing my leg.”
“I love you with or without leg options,” I tease him gently with a grin.
With a wry smile, he shakes his head. “It’s different. Seeing me without it. I’m not used to most anyone other than my family seeing me without wearing my prosthesis. Except for early days in rehab and so on. And, of course, you.”
