Page 85 of The Head Game

He’d liked taking the pictures. Liked posting them. Liked the comments he got on them.

And now he could barely stand to look at himself in a mirror.

His eyes were still bruised and puffy, dark shadows making him look as exhausted as he felt.

Nico slipped the toque off his head, scowling at the shorn hair and the bruising around the bandages. With his stubble grown out he looked tough but not in a good way.

He looked like the kind of guy you didn’t want to meet in a dark alley.

Nothing about him felt fun or light now.

As Nico stared at his reflection, he wondered if he’d ever be the same.

The sound of voices in the hallway outside his bedroom made him straighten and he felt the oddest sense of relief when he heard August’s low tones, familiar now.

Nico slipped his toque on again and turned, cursing when he stumbled a little. Shit. His mom was right. His balance still wasn’t good.

They’d assured him it would get better, but how could he skate when the world was a little wobbly and his left hand couldn’t grip anything the way it used to?

Nico righted himself and yanked open the door, glad to see August’s face.

“Auggie!” Nico said, relieved. “God, I thought you’d never get here.”

“Sorry.” August frowned. “I had to speak to my neighbor about checking up on Marty while I’m gone. Is everything okay?”

Nico shrugged. “Just glad to see you.”

Something passed over August’s face and it almost looked like guilt.

Why would he feel guilty? As impatient as Nico was for a break from his parents, it wasn’t that late. August had made good time getting to Toronto.

“Uh, glad to see you too,” August said. He leaned in, brushing his lips across Nico’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a big baby,” Isa said in an affectionate tone. “He’s terrible at sitting still and he’s already going stir-crazy.”

Nico grumbled, annoyed because she wasn’t wrong and he hated that.

“C’mon, you can put your stuff in my room,” he said, tugging on August’s bag.

He balked. “Shouldn’t I stay in the guest room?”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “Well, I have a three-bedroom place and both guest rooms are already taken. Unless you want to bunk down with Mom and Anika or Dad and Noor, you’re out of luck. Besides, we’re engaged. They don’t care if we share a bed.”

“Right. Of course not. I just … didn’t want to risk hurting you in your sleep. That’s all.”

“Nah. You won’t hurt me, Auggie.”

Nico wasn’t sure of very many things at the moment but he felt sure of that.

August seemed strangely tense as he followed Nico into the bedroom and dropped his suitcase on the bed.

Nico flopped down beside it, wincing when it made his head throb. “Make yourself at home.”

August unzipped his bag, then glanced over. “Where do you want me to put stuff?”

Nico shrugged. “Wherever. You probably have a drawer here or something already. I don’t remember where it is though.”

“Uh, no.” August cleared his throat. “You never gave me one.”

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