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“Things would be easier if people liked you more.”

“I am absolutely not in control of that,” Hollis said immediately. “Also, that was a fucked-up thing to say. I need you to know that was fucked-up to say to someone.”

Walt didn’t seem bothered. He stopped walking and tilted his head to the side.

“It’s really not that hard. Have you tried being nice and interesting? Or being real straightforward, but not in a bastard way?”

“What?”

Walt clicked his tongue, annoyed. “I said, have you ever given up your own ego and submitted to the horror of being known, or did you just shrug your shoulders and assume the whole world’s filled with people full of talent who all got lucky while you got the short end of the stick of life? The whole world can’t be filled only with people who hate you for no reason.”

“I have friends, just not a lot of them,” Hollis shot back. “And what do you even know about it? If you were so good at being liked, why don’t you ‘being liked’ yourself out of your own fucked-up situation?”

Walt covered his eyes in frustration. “Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ,” he muttered. “Look, pal. All I’m saying is that your opinion that everyone around you is running on full cylinders from birth is hooey. And that you could stand to work on yourself a bit before throwing yourself away. This Jorge guy is only pinning this on you because he knows you’re disliked enough that he’ll get away with it....”

Walt paused. “And ’cause he’s more scared of his parents than he is of you. Which is something you could change.”

Hollis scoffed. “Hooey? Who even says that?”

“Me, you asshole. If I’d half the opportunity you got in life, I sure as hell wouldn’t waste it crying in the woods. Look at you. You’ve got everything!” Walt threw his arms out wide. “You’ve got all your arms and legs, strong heart, strong lungs; you’re tall; you’re not ugly; you’ve got friends, a family, a place to live—”

“And what do you have?” Hollis asked meanly.

Walt stopped and let his arms fall to his sides. “All the answers, apparently.” He grinned. It didn’t reach his eyes.

“And my coat.”

“And... your coat.” Walt shook his head and started unzipping it.

Hollis immediately felt bad. “No, dude. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. You can keep it. I’m just... frustrated.”

Walt grimaced but stopped unzipping. He brushed his fingers through his hair and looked up at the night sky.

“My life ain’t been easy,” he said softly. “But I like to think I’ve learned a lot. We might be able to help each other out.”

“How?” Hollis was certain that this guy was either about to skip town or be found in the woods frozen to death.

Walt met his gaze again. “Well, you wouldn’t be talking to me if you had anyone else to talk to. So, I think at bare minimum, I can give you that.”

“And what can I give you ?” Hollis asked.

Walt smiled.

A real one this time, with all his teeth showing. It transformed his face, in a way that made Hollis immediately want to look away. Eyes squinted into half-moons, canines sharp in the late-fall starlight.

“You’re enough as you are,” Walt said.

Hollis huffed humorlessly. “Is that your way of saying that you’re lonely?”

Walt shrugged. “Aren’t we all?”

And that was the rub.

As terrible as it was to admit, this guy was quite literally doing exactly what Hollis claimed he couldn’t: making someone like him enough to offer to save him. Walt had even talked himself into a way out of standing half-dressed in the cold.

Hollis looked down at his shoes. At the edges of Walt’s beat-up Chuck Taylors across from his. This... felt so easy.

Hollis loved Annie and Yulia, but he couldn’t remember the last time it was this easy to talk about his feelings with another guy. He felt seen, even though it was clear Walt didn’t exactly like what he was seeing.

Walking away from this felt like a missed opportunity. It was unhinged to even think of this as an opportunity. He’d known this guy for thirty minutes and most of those they had spent arguing.

But Hollis already felt lighter inside, better than he had going into the woods.

Walt waited for him patiently. Steady and still. Not eerie still, like he’d been the first time Hollis saw him. Quiet still. The way old people did when they were waiting for the bus without a cell phone to look at, or on a bench while they were feeding the birds.

“Where do you live?” Hollis asked.

Walt’s gaze sharpened. “I don’t sleep far from here. It’s nowhere you’d want to visit, that’s for sure. But I can meet you tomorrow at the corner of Ridge and Greenway. Near where we met today.”

“What time?”

“Fifteen to midnight, I gotta work during the day,” Walt said immediately.

“That’s so late—”

“It’s later than that right now,” Walt pointed out. “I’m sure you don’t want people to see us hanging out or whatever. I’m not exactly polite company.”

Hollis huffed. “Fine. Eleven forty-five at Ridge and Greenway. You better be there.”

Walt grinned again. “You’ve got it.”

Hollis looked over his shoulder at his house. “I’m... gonna leave now. Have a good night, I guess.”

“Stay safe,” Walt said.

“It’s like twelve feet away, dude.” Hollis laughed. “You stay safe. Don’t freeze to death.”

Walt laughed back, soft and deep. “No promises.”

When Hollis put his key in the door, Walt gave him a sloppy salute, then turned and left.