Chapter 84

“Antonio, go away.”

Boots clunked and the curtain rattled; Tav kissed an ear hidden in that hair, and choked back another sob. “I’m sorry. But—fuck, I’m not either, ‘cause you were so messed up yesterday and now you’re…you know me and you’re okay and…”

“I didn’t know you?”

“You don’t remember?”

Luca hummed. “I dunno. I can’t tell if I was dreaming or not. You…we argued and you dumped me and then you weren’t dumping me and Paolo was reading from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because he’s a massive nerd and you were hugging me.”

Tav untangled himself and settled on the very edge of the mattress, absently carding his fingers through Luca’s hair. “And you know I’m not, right?”

“Huh?”

“Dumping you.”

“Uh-huh,” Luca said. The affirmation sent a rush of hot relief through Tav’s chest, and Luca squeezed Tav’s elbow with his good hand. “I’m still a bit…I can’t remember things right. The doctor said it’s just the drugs, says it’s normal…”