No other.
* * * *
Chapter 18
Matt woke wishing he were dead.
Well, maybe it wasn’t that bad…but his brain seemedto have pooled behind his left eye, which throbbed in its socket tothe beat of his heart, and his stomach churned around the remnantsof whatever he’d eaten the night before. He just knew if he openedhis mouth, he’d vomit, and if he tried to get out of bed, his headwould split in two, right down the center, like an overripe melonleft out in the sun. Whoever had the bright idea to go get wastedat Kyle’s party should be dragged out into the street and shot.
Oh, wait. That was him.
Somewhere below the raw, twisting mess in his gut,his bladder threatened to burst. With a groan that sounded like itcame straight from the grave, Matt rolled out of his sleepinglover’s embrace and felt the pain in his head roll with him, acrosshis forehead, to puddle behind his other eye. He was almost afraidhis brain would leak out if he tried to open his eyes—it felt likethe damn thing was trying to escape.
Gingerly, with no sudden moves, Matt swung one leg,then the other, over the side of the bed. His feet landed indiscarded clothing that jangled when he kicked it. Like a mummy ina horror movie, rising slowly from its tomb, Matt pushed himselfinto a sitting position.
Pain like fireworks flared behind his eyes.
He clutched his head in both hands as an unconscioussob escaped him. God. That was the last time he evertouched a mixed drink again. Rum was notorious for its vilehangovers, and who knew what all they put in Coke?
Easing to the edge of the bed, Matt tried to stand.He swayed a moment, sure he’d managed it, but then his legscollapsed under him and he fell to the bed, hard. Behind him, Vicgroaned in his sleep, and the blankets sighed as his hands rubbedover Matt’s side of the bed. When his lover found the spot besidehim empty, a groggy voice yawned in Matt’s mind.::Matty?::
::Bathroom,:: Matt replied. His legswobbled as he pushed away from the bed a second time. The pulsepounding in his head quickened, his stomach roiled, and when hetook a step, his foot caught in the clothing on the floor and hestumbled. Opening his eyes, the world around him took a sickeningdip.
The rustle of bed sheets behind him sounded a worldaway. His lover’s voice softened as the mental connection betweenthem allowed Vic to feel what Matt did. ::No offense, but youfeel like shit.::
With a startled laugh that sounded like more barkthan bite, Matt muttered out loud, “No, really?”
He took another shuffling step and, as the darkenedbedroom swooned around him, as the pain in his head bludgeoned hisbrain, as his stomach rose into his chest and pushed its contentsinto the back of his throat, he changed his mind about the wishinghe were dead bit. It really was that bad.
* * * *
In the bathroom, Matt sat backwards on the toilet,head buried in the sweaty darkness made by his arms crossed on theback of the commode, legs spread wide around the toilet bowl as heemptied his bladder. He didn’t have the strength to stand and waitwhile relieving himself. As it was, he didn’t know how he’d get upagain without falling, and the journey back to the bed yawned aheadof him like a canyon disappearing into the distance. Somehow thishad to be all Kyle’s fault. And Jordan’s, too. Don’t forgetJordan.
How could he?
When the last tinkle of water in the toilet diedaway, Matt flushed and wished he hadn’t. A sudden whoosh! ofsound filled the tiny bathroom, echoing off the tiled walls andrunning over Matt’s already tortured head like a semi. He moaned,sick, and wondered if he had the dexterity to slide off the toiletto the floor before he threw up. Never again.
From the bedroom, he heard the rustle of bed sheetsas Vic stirred. Awake now, his lover’s gentle presence coveredMatt’s mind like a balm, deadening the pain. ::Matty?:: Vicasked. ::You coming back?::
Matt groaned in reply.
The faint squeak of springs told him Vic had gottenout of bed. He heard footsteps, bare feet on a carpeted floor,nothing but the soft thud of Vic’s heels as he walked. Thenstrong arms eased under his, lifting him off the toilet, and heleaned against Vic’s nude body, head burrowing into Vic’s neck as ano-nonsense hand cleaned him up. Matt was too hung over to even beashamed of himself, but one thought rolled through his mind likethe pain that battered behind his eyes. ::No more, neveragain.::
With a grunt, Vic grumbled, “I’ll remind you of thatnext time.”
Matt lay against him as Vic washed both their handsin the sink. The towel felt rough and unused against Matt’s skinwhen Vic patted his hands dry. Then his lover bent down and caughtMatt behind the knees; in one fluid motion, Vic stood, and Mattfound himself swept off his feet and cradled, like a child, inVic’s arms. Clasping his hands around Vic’s shoulders, Matt hid hisface against Vic’s neck and let his lover carry him back tobed.
* * * *
When he woke again, he felt much better. At least thepain had receded a bit—his head no longer felt like anover-inflated balloon, ready to pop, and the storm that had ragedthrough his stomach earlier was now calm. Matt lay alone in thebed, huddled among warm blankets, his arms clutching something softtightly to his chest. He opened one eye.
The pain stayed at bay.
He opened the other eye and stared into the darknessof his bedroom. The curtains were drawn tight against the day; theonly light came from the digital alarm clock on Vic’s bedsidetable, its display giving off a dull red glow. 2:23, itread, and as Matt watched, the last digit flickered to a 4.An unblinking dot in front of the first number indicated P.M.
With a yawn, Matt stretched across the length of thebed. On his own bedside
