An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(39)
Vic wound down the window. “Rob! Over here!”
Rob lifted his head, blinking as his gaze flitted in Vic’s direction.
“Here! You need to get in quickly. I’m on double yellows.” Not that he expected to find a traffic warden strolling along so late at night, but there was a first time for everything.
Rob rolled himself into an upright position and stumbled over to the car, the bag slung over his shoulder. He leaned on the door sill. “Hey. You were fast.”
Vic growled. “And I’ll have to drive even faster if a copper spots me, so stop talking and get in the fucking car.” When Rob pulled the door open, Vic let out another growl. “And leave the glass, for God’s sake. Put it on the curb if you have to.”
Rob set the glass down at the base of a lamppost, stumbled into the passenger seat, and tossed the bag onto the back seat.
“Seat belt,” Vic barked out as he indicated to pull away, glancing into the rearview mirror. “And I thought I told you to stop drinking.”
“It was water!” Rob yelled, before slumping farther down into the seat. “Sorry. S’been a shit day.” He tugged the belt across his chest, his fingers fumbling as he tried to lock it into place.
Those words robbed Vic of his irritation. Plainly something had happened to push Rob over the edge. Vic let out a sigh. “We can talk about that in the morning. Let’s get you home.”
Rob snorted. “Home. What’s that?” He closed his eyes and within seconds his breathing had changed.
Vic drove home at a much steadier pace, his mind turning over Rob’s words. Maybe him saying he wanted Vic was the alcohol talking, and maybe it wasn’t. Vic wasn’t about to go there.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
Forty minutes later, he helped a groggy Rob into the house, up the stairs, and into the bedroom. He sat him on the edge of the bed and stripped off his shirt before he pulled back the duvet and allowed Rob to flop onto the bed. Vic smiled as Rob’s eyes closed at almost the same moment as his head hit the pillow.
Vic sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at the sleeping Rob. What is it about you? He reached out, hesitant, and stroked Rob’s cheek, keeping his touch light. Rob stirred slightly, his lips parted, and a whisper-soft sigh escaped. When Vic withdrew his hand, Rob made a low noise of discontent, his forehead furrowing.
“Hey,” Vic whispered. “Sleep. Leave all those things that trouble you behind you.” He trailed his fingertips across the worry lines, the connection gentle and fleeting. When he was certain Rob was asleep, he got up and left the room, closing the door as quietly as possible.
Vic had a feeling sleep wouldn’t come to him as easily.
ROB WOKE in the morning with a groan. His mouth tasted like he’d licked an ashtray, and his head would have been better off if it had split. His bladder felt as though it was ready to burst, so he got up and padded into the bathroom. After he finished, he flushed the toilet, then stepped in front of the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin pale.
Rob trudged back into Vic’s guest room. How did I get here? What the hell did I do last night? He remembered getting on the train, his stomach in knots because…. Shit. It hadn’t been a dream. He’d really lost his job, and the next thing on the list would be his flat. He knew why he’d come to see Vic: he didn’t make Rob feel like he was a total loser. When Rob got off the train, though, he realized that there was no way could he dump this all on Vic. The man had been nothing but nice to Rob, and Rob… liked him.
The thought was an alien one, because Rob didn’t like a whole lot of people. Vic was different, though. He was kind, funny, and even a little goofy at times. When Rob thought about Vic, his stomach got fluttery in a way it never had before. All the time he spent with Vic only made him wish for more. Hell, turning up to see him like this was getting to be a habit, and a new one at that. Even when he’d been friends with Jamie, he hadn’t enjoyed being with someone so much.
What is it about Vic? Why do I feel the way I do? Simple things, like watching a film, take on a whole new meaning when I’m with him. Rob found himself grateful for every moment they spent together.
In a burst of lucidity, his words from the previous night came back to him. Why the fuck did I tell Vic, “I want you”?
Rob groaned and got back to bed. Maybe if he went to sleep, he could pretend it had never happened. Maybe Vic will forget. Even as the hopeful thought passed through his mind, Rob knew there was fat chance of that happening. Okay, so he didn’t know Vic all that well, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the man had a memory like an elephant.
Rob turned over in bed, and something on the bedside cabinet caught his eye: a few aspirin and a bottle of water sat waiting for him. Gratitude flooded through him as he cracked the bottle and downed the pain killers. Then he lay back and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the medication to do its stuff.
As if things weren’t bad enough, I had to go and open my big fucking mouth. The last thing he’d intended to do was let Vic in on the feelings he’d been having. It had taken Rob long enough just to admit it to himself. He wanted Vic. For…. Well, he wasn’t sure what, but he knew that being with him made Rob feel like a better person.
And now I’ve gone and cocked it up.
Except that felt like an understatement. He could only imagine the horror Vic must have felt to hear Rob’s revelation, especially after Rob had called him a poof.