Chapter 54

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