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CONNOR

M ason took the phone from my hand and put it to his ear. I knew he didn’t want it to be on speakerphone. I looked at Eli and canted my head toward the door to give Mason some privacy.

Eli spoke first once we got to the hallway. “Now your family is here, do you want to meet them for dinner?” he asked, maybe thinking I’d changed my mind about waiting to see them tomorrow.

“Eli, we discussed going to a nice restaurant tonight for a salmon dinner I know you’ve been thinking about all day,” I replied. We needed a break from the hospital, and that would give Mason a night to rest without us hovering.

Eli snickered and said, “Yeah, I had been thinking about it all day. I went ahead and made reservations once I suggested it to you.” He seemed relieved, and I had the impression he didn’t necessarily like eating at a nice restaurant in the big city by himself.

We went back to Mason’s room after a few minutes, and he’d just finished his phone call. I saw he still held the phone in his hand, but it lay by his side. He stared at the ceiling.

“Is everything okay?” I asked. He closed his eyes before he spoke.

“They’ve been in a panic about me, and I feel guilty about the worry they’ve been through,” he said sadly. I slipped my hand in his. “They plan on coming to see me this weekend. She said they’d call before they do and when I’d be up for a visit.”

I knew Mason’s caring nature and understood how he felt. “You know it’s not your fault. You had an accident and were gravely injured, babe. I wish I’d thought about getting hold of them and letting them know. They live here, and I should have thought of calling them. Now I feel shitty,” I said as I stroked his hand with my thumb.

Eli chuckled next to me. “Well, you can both feel shitty, but it’s neither of yours fault, so let it go,” Eli said, addressing Mason. “They won’t hold it against you.”

Mason looked at us both. “I want you guys to meet them, and I need you both to be here when I have that conversation. It’s important.”

I looked at Eli, and his confusion matched my own. Mason looked tired, and I knew it had been a long day for him, seeing Mom and Kyle, let alone the phone call he’d just had. I felt it was a good time to let him get his rest, and I wanted to talk to the doctor about the next steps in his recovery.

I leaned over and kissed his lips tenderly. “Eli and I are going to dinner, so you need to get your rest tonight,” I said as I gazed into his eyes, which had become hooded with sleepiness. I had a feeling he’d pressed his pain medication button after the phone call.

Mason hummed, and I yearned for him. I knew it would be a long time before we could be intimate again, but I brushed that aside, knowing we’d be able to tangle together once he’d healed. It had been well over two weeks, and I hadn’t even thought of sex. But now, my dick stirred at the thought. I knew if I’d stay any longer, though, I wouldn’t be able to pull myself away from the handsome man lying in that bed.

Eli and I went back to our hotel to clean up and then headed out for dinner. It was a nice change from the routine we’d fallen into. Fast food and the hospital cafeteria didn’t have the same appeal after the exquisite meal and service we experienced tonight. Mason and I both had fresh Coho salmon that had been grilled to perfection. I could easily get used to it, but I knew it would require graduating from school, finding my career path, and making good money to afford that kind of luxury.

During dinner, Eli and I discussed the next steps for all of us. Mason was soon to be placed in the neurology ward, where they could monitor his progress better. Dr. Ellington was pleased with his cognitive ability and felt he’d be able to be discharged in the next week or so. Mason would require rehabilitation, and he’d yet to have the cranioplasty to replace the part of his skull they’d removed. My head swirled with questions.

Where is Mason going to go once he’s discharged? Who will care for him? How long will he be in rehab for recovery? How long before he’s able to work again? So many questions and variables needed to be thought out.

I needed to get back to the university, and Eli needed to get back to Crescent City, but we needed answers about Mason’s recovery first. I was just happy I could work on my thesis remotely, and Spencer was a godsend, sending me the information I needed from the university’s library. And it gave me a chance to talk to my best friend, who I missed terribly. Eli stayed in touch with the staff at his bar, and he was a bit more flexible with his time away.

I couldn’t sleep, and I had a restless night. I couldn’t shut off the mind chatter as I thought of all the things Eli and I had talked about at dinner. I found myself up in the middle of the night, jotting down more questions than answers. I only hoped that over the next few days, we’d have a plan.

When Saturday morning came, Eli and I decided to head to the hospital together around mid-morning. Not having had much sleep, I was moving slower than normal. Eli felt it was worth teasing me about. I knew Mom and Kyle would probably wait until closer to lunchtime before they showed, and I planned on texting them once we arrived. We still weren’t sure when Mason’s ex-in-laws would be visiting, though. We stopped for much-needed coffee and headed to the ICU.

Amanda greeted us as we arrived at the nurse’s station and said Mason had been taken out of the ICU earlier in the morning. Dr. Ellington preferred him to be in the neurology ward, which she directed us to.

As much as I thought Amanda could be a first-class bitch at times, I was thankful for the care she’d given Mason. She was a good nurse. I’d miss Sam the most, but I made a mental note to come up and see her later when her shift started.

We found Mason’s new room easily enough, and when we walked in, there was a woman who had a tape measure around his head. Mason looked our way, trying not to turn as she worked, and I couldn’t tell whether he was amused by what was going on or irritated. I’d hoped for the former because I didn’t like a grumpy Mason. I walked up and gave him a quick kiss as she removed the measuring tape.

The occupational therapist smiled at me and greeted us warmly, introducing herself. She told us she was measuring Mason’s head for a protective helmet he’d need to wear before his cranioplasty took place. I stifled a laugh because I knew damn well he wasn’t going to like wearing it. I thought it might be fun to decorate it with stickers to make it more annoyingly fun for him.

Mason’s new room had a window with a view of the Seattle skyline. It was brighter and didn’t feel as gloomy as the ICU. He also didn’t have the monitors that continually beeped—even though I’d gotten used to them. The biggest score was a TV in his room. I was sure he’d want to watch his football. I did notice there was only one chair next to his bed, so I handed my coffee to Eli and took the opportunity to scrounge up a couple more.

When the therapist finished and left, we had three comfortable chairs at our disposal. I also texted Mom that we were here, told her about the room change, and said they could visit at any time.

I had been out of the room when they arrived about an hour later. When I walked in, Kyle was seated facing my way. He immediately stood and approached me.

“Hey, Connor. Do you have a minute?” he asked, almost in a whisper, as he lightly gripped my upper arm. His expression was somber, and I wasn’t sure I cared for it.

I glanced at his hand on my arm and said, “Sure.” I decided to let him lead the way out of the room after he addressed everyone and said we’d be right back. I followed him down the hall into an empty waiting area that was dimly lit.

We stood facing each other. I felt tension in the air, not knowing what he wanted to say. The last time we’d stood like this, we’d screamed and said some hateful things to one another. My pulse quickened at the thought.

Kyle looked up and closed his eyes before taking a deep breath. When his eyes met mine, they were softer. More like the Kyle I’d known most of my life. He took his time, and I could tell he was thinking before he spoke.

“The last time we saw each other, I was a complete fucking dickhead. I had no right to treat you or Mason the way I did. It was Christmas, for crying out loud,” he began before he turned away. “I had no right to get in your face about you not warning me who he was, what he did, or his age. Honestly, I felt blindsided, but that’s just me. I’ve always had a hair-trigger reaction to things that surprise me.” By this time, he’d turned back to face me again. “I’ve always been your protector, and I was caught off guard. Maybe I thought I needed to take on the man-of-the-house role, which was wrong.”

I stood there in a state of shock but let him continue as the tension in my shoulders eased.

“Yesterday, when Mom and I got here, I watched the tenderness and care you showed him as he lay there. I could see the love you have for him, and I hope, for your sake, he feels the same for you. I’m so envious of that. I’ve never felt that with anyone I’ve had a relationship with.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but he held up a finger for me to wait.

“These past few months have killed me not talking to you. My fucking pride kept me from reaching out. I just wanted to tell you how much I’ve missed you. I love you, brother, and I’m so sorry for what happened.”

My eyes filled with tears, and my throat tightened. It was my turn to make amends, and I wanted to do it right. I wiped a fallen tear from my cheek before I talked. His last declaration had hit me square in the chest.

He stood close enough that I reached out and took one of his hands. “I’ve missed you too, Kyle. The things I said back then, how I hated you, were hurtful and stupid. I shouldn’t have gone that far. I hope you realize I could never hate you. We’re ride or die, man. You’ve been my supporter, my friend, and an amazing brother,” I said, fighting more tears. “Maybe I should have given you and Mom a warning about who Mason was and not let it play out the way I did. I was so afraid of what you’d both think of me being attracted to older men. Maybe I do have a ‘Daddy’ complex, I don’t know…but I don’t care. Mason has filled my heart with real love and devotion, and I’ve not felt that with anyone either.” I stopped and gently pumped his hand. “I want to say I’m sorry for the things I said back then too. Can we move forward and promise never to let our pride get in the way again?” I finished with a pleading smile.

Kyle pulled me into the strongest hug we’d ever had. We sobbed on each other’s shoulders, letting go of shit we’d kept bottled up. We both said we loved each other, and I thought perhaps Mason’s accident was partly to bring my brother and me together again.

When we broke free, we laughed at each other’s crying, but we both knew we’d fixed things, and my heart felt incredibly lighter. We walked back into the room with our arms around each other’s waists and our eyes red-rimmed. Mason, Eli, and Mom watched us approach, and Eli quickly said, “I think they made up.”

Mom jumped to her feet and embraced us. We told her we were sorry for putting her through our fucking shit, to which she said, “Language!” We laughed, and Mason looked at me with a smile that conveyed his happiness. I smiled back.

Mom and Kyle stayed another couple of hours before they decided to head out, have some lunch, and do some early Christmas shopping. They thought they’d find gifts they wouldn’t find in Portland. I thought the idea of early Christmas shopping in a city only one hundred and seventy-five miles from Portland was a stretch. But I told them to have a nice time, and we’d catch up later. They said they’d probably stop by for a quick visit later tonight.

Mason had finally finished his lunch but was insistent about getting a second or third green Jell-O cup from a nurse, which I thought was hilarious. And what’s this fetish about the color green? I thought.

Eli said he was going back to the hotel to get some rest. I decided to busy myself on my laptop and tried to compose a page about the World Trade Organization and its crucial role in regulating trade flow, and then decided it was a lost cause. My head wasn’t in it with all the worry I’d had about how Mason was going to get his recovery dealt with once he left the hospital.

Just as I closed my laptop as if on cue, Mason’s phone rang.