Page 42 of Painting Together a Family
“Do you think you could manage some food if I go get you something? You never got supper in the end, and that can’t be helping anything.” Bryan touched his cheek gently, his face a little tender from Grant’s punches.
“Something easy? Just—come back, please.” He was a little wigged out, and Bryan’s presence made him feel better.
“You want me to stay until the doc gets back instead? I totally can. There’s a vending machine out there. I can grab you some chips or something.”
“Just stay. I don’t think I’m hungry. I’m just tired.” And the adrenaline was fading. Again.
“Okay, I’m not going anywhere. Wait, let me just…” Bryan went to the curtain and pulled it open. “Hey, can we get someone in here to tell us what’s going on? We really don’t want to leave AMA, but if someone doesn’t get this cast thing happening, we will.”
Okay, that was pretty hot.
Seriously.
He was grinning when Bryan came back in.
“Someone is coming to talk to us,” Bryan told him, returning his smile. “We will get you out of here tonight. Hopefully with something to stabilize that wrist.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I hope so.” He tried to smile; he really did feel better now that Bryan was here with him. It grounded him somehow. “That was scary as hell.”
“It was! I can’t believe he got up there. I can’t believe he showed up at all. He was always so sweet. Aside from the whole stealing all our money thing of course.” Bryan shook his head. “Sorry. Sorry. This is about you, not me.”
“No. No, it’s about us. I mean, you were there. Your kids were there too.” He was pretty sure Grant would have been happy to beat down Bryan next if he’d had the chance.
Bryan nodded, shuddered slightly. “It was horrifying. I’m worried they’re not going to keep him in jail, despite the fact that even after he’d been arrested, he threatened to come back and do worse.”
“How safe is your house?”
Bryan paled. “Oh god.”
“Okay. While he’s in custody, go get things for the boys, get clothes, computers. Do you have friends that can help? You can stay with me until things cool down.” This was all his fault. Besides, he could think of worse things than having Bryan living with him.
“That’s an awful lot to ask of you. Three extra people?” Bryan shook his head. “We couldn’t.”
“I have tons of room. The boys know me. I have security, and they’re going to be psychotically careful now.” He tried to reach for Bryan, crying out at the pain. “Please. Let me help. Stay with me.”
“Okay, okay. Just don’t hurt yourself anymore, okay?” Bryan put a hand on his good arm. “We’ll stay. You’re going to need my help anyway until that wrist heals.”
“Do you have friends you can call? I’ll be okay here until they cast me up.”
Bryan frowned. “No, I’ll stay until I can get you home. We’ll figure out what I need to get from my place tomorrow. The boys can sleep in their underwear. Hell, so can I.”
“Well, then, let’s get this cast on. I want you and your special things over at the flat so you’re safe.”
“Thanks, Dev. You don’t know what it means to me to know there’ll be a layer of security between us and Grant.”
“Yes, I do. I care about you, and this is all my fault.”
“All your fault? I seem to remember it was Grant’s fists that were flying—you were just defending yourself.”
“Yeah, but I did the billboard.”
“Oh… I guess that’s why he attacked now.” Bryan shook his head. “He deserved that, though. He deserved that and more. This is still his fault and not yours.”
“He’s insane. I’m so sorry, but his new guy deserved to know.”
“I agree and I don’t blame you. This is all on Grant. He’s the one who ripped us off. He’s the one who chose to come into your home and hurt you when he got called out.”
The curtain shifted and the doctor came in. “Not interrupting, am I?”
