Wondering if I should move, I stirred a little. I had a feeling every bone and muscle in my body would cry out the minute I lifted my head.
“Who’s Dean?”
Jeremy’s voice startled me, making me snap my head up quicker than I had planned. I was right. It did hurt. A lot.
“What?” I asked, still a little groggy, but once my eyes fixed on Jeremy, I gasped. He looked so much better. “Jeremy!” I cried, jumping out of my seat to give him a big kiss.
Jeremy laughed. “You missed me that much?”
I nodded and gave him a little nudge. Already the tears were threatening to run. “Don’t you ever do that to me again! I was frightened out of my wits.”
Jeremy laughed. “I know. Rachael’s already filled me in. You really stayed at the hospital this whole time?”
I nodded and saw a hint of moisture in his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, turning his head away a little. I knew he was getting emotional and I knew he was trying desperately to keep his tears in check.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, trying to change the subject for him.
“I feel a lot better. I still feel a little tired, which is weird because I’ve been out for the last four days.” He chuckled a little and looked towards me as I touched his hand.
“I’m so sorry, Jeremy. We shouldn’t have gone out that day.”
Jeremy’s smile vanished as he tugged my hand. “Don’t you dare take that away from me. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. It was the best day of my life. Something else to cross off my list. The only thing left now is a kiss from Julie.” He smiled.
Not wanting to remember this “Bucket List” of his, I went on to tell him what I thought. “Well, that is something for us to look into once you’re better and out of this hospital.”
Jeremy looked sad and stared at his bed. “It frightens me a little—you know, leaving here. I don’t want to end up in some kind of centre for kids my age.”
I gave Jeremy a cheeky smile. I had been planning this in my head for the last four days. It just felt right. “When you’re better, how would you like to move in with me? You could stay, get into school, and once you’ve found your feet, we can take it from there. I’m not going to see you homeless, Jeremy. No way.”
“Are you serious?”
I nodded. “As serious as I’ll ever be.”
As quickly as his smile came, it vanished and he shook his head. “I can’t. You have enough to deal with without a teenage boy hanging around your flat. It wouldn’t be fair for you. And what about your stranger? He might not like me living with you.”
I must admit, the thought had crossed my mind but, in the end, that didn’t matter.
Grabbing his hand, I squeezed it. “Don’t be silly, Jeremy. If he’s not happy, he can go and find some other apartment to eat cookies and move things around in,” I laughed. “It will be fun. I have a small room I use for work, but we can buy you a bed. I can move all my work things into my room. There’s plenty of space in there anyway.” When he didn’t say anything, I bit my lip. “Come on, Jeremy. I want you with me. I want you to know you have someone. I’m here for you now. I told you that you weren’t getting rid of me that easily.” I gave him my cheeky grin and he finally smiled.
“Fine. I’ll come and stay with you, but on one condition. No funny business. I can’t have you sneaking into my room at night, no matter how irresistible it can be.”
I laughed, but crossed my heart. “I promise.”
Listening to what Jeremy had just said about sneaking into his bedroom made me think about my stranger. I wonder if he’d been into my apartment. I wonder if he’d been getting frustrated, not knowing where the hell I was. The thought had me smiling.
“Holy shit!” Jeremy shouted. I raised my eyebrow at him. He just shrugged his shoulders. “You got to admit, this is definitely a holy shit moment.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I think I have to agree with you there.”
Suddenly, Jeremy sat up. “Now that we’re going to be roomies, are you going to tell me about Dean?”
My back straightened and my eyes widened. “How on earth do you know about him?”
Jeremy smiled. “Just before you woke up, you moaned and whispered Dean. I just figured he meant something to you. Does he mean something to you?”
I cringed. Of course he meant something to me. He meant the world to me. He was my first love, then disappeared without a trace. Something I don’t think I’ll ever get over. I shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
Jeremy wasn’t buying it. “Complicated as in you still have feelings for him?” When I didn’t say anything, he rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Tyler. It’s me you’re talking to. Don’t pretend I can’t see what’s really going on. Tell me. What’s your story?”