You’re upset. The nightmare... the stupid tales of my family troubles...”
“My mind’s intact
too,” Lee snapped. He stopped writhing against Patrick. He was breathing
heavily again. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Why now?”
Patrick’s body ached to touch, to enjoy: why couldn’t he shut the fuck up?
“But now
is what’s important.” Lee’s voice was both soft and strong. “I need to
appreciate that—take advantage of that. We both do. I want to feel good, I want
to feel emotions. I want to feel you. Something worse could easily have
happened.” His expression twisted in distress. “I could be dead, Patrick.”
Patrick’s heart
seemed to stop beating.I could have lost you
“Unless you
really don’t want to? Unless I’m being really, reallystupid? Oh, fuck
it, I never thought—”
“No, you’re
right.” Patrick grabbed at him, careless for a second of the bruises. “I do
want to. I reallydo.” He’d worry about this tomorrow, about the whys