Page 2 of Zero Divergence
Royce clicked the small remote attached to his visor, then drove his Camaro into the empty spot in the garage once the door opened. The motion was effortless, as if he’d been doing it for years instead of only a few weeks. Sawyer recalled the note he’d left on the kitchen counter with the spare garage door opener and a bear claw. They’d been working surveillance on different shifts at the time and had only managed to steal an hour of kissing, talking, and sex each morning.
Dickhead,
You didn’t freak out when I gave you a house key, so I hope you’ll accept this garage door opener as easily. I have the extra space, and it’s stupid for you not to use it. Don’t overthink things. No pressure. No ulterior motives.
xoxo
Your Favorite Asshole
He’d thought “your favorite” was a special touch, and Royce had returned to the bedroom to thank him in dirty, dirty ways, even sharing his beloved bear claw with him. At that moment, Sawyer had known Royce was in love with him, even if the actual declaration hadn’t come until a few days later when he gave Sawyer a key to his house also.
Royce killed the engine and clicked the button to close the garage door. “Ready for this?”
“Ready for them to go home,” Sawyer said, offering the sexiest smile he could muster. Judging by Royce’s failed attempt to squelch a chuckle, Sawyer hadn’t pulled off the look. At least the blisters and chapped lips had healed enough for him to do that much without his eyes tearing up. “It was a villainous grin, wasn’t it?”
“A very sexy one,” Royce countered. “I get the impression you want to do very wicked things.”
“To you, yes.” Sawyer was dying to return to some sense of normalcy, a world that included Royce’s dick inside him. He wasn’t injured there after all.
“You’ll get your chance, GB. I can imagine how frustrated you are, but the setbacks are only temporary.” Royce gestured his finger back and forth between them. “We’re forever.”Whoa.
“You’re so good at this,” Sawyer whispered, leaning toward Royce. Pitiful lips be damned; Sawyer wanted a kiss. His mother opened the door leading to the kitchen before he could meet his objective. “We’re busted.”
Royce lifted their joined hands and kissed Sawyer’s fingertips before releasing him. Then he removed his seat belt and opened his car door. “Need help getting out?”
“Yeah,” Sawyer admitted. Walking out of the hospital had taken a lot out of him, and lying mostly flat on his back for ten days straight had taken its toll on his strength and stamina. He’d only managed to release his seat belt by the time Royce walked around the car to open his door.
Royce picked up the picture frame from Sawyer’s lap and smiled at the photo Felix had taken of them. The burn unit had strict rules regarding visitors, food, flowers, and personal items since the patients were at high risk for infection. The nurses made an exception for the photograph and even looked the other way when Royce lingered well past visiting hours. Sawyer knew they would’ve wheeled a cot in for the charmer to sleep on if they could’ve gotten away with it.
“He sure takes a good photo for a fleabag reporter,” Royce quipped.
Sawyer accepted the hand Royce extended to him and eased out of the car. The image of Royce caressing Sawyer’s face had helped him retain his sanity when the worst pain or loneliness hit him. Sawyer had kept his eyes fixed on it when the nurses came in each day to remove the dead skin and rebandage his wounds. Sometimes the tears streaming from his eyes had made it difficult to see the adoring look on Royce’s face in the picture, but it helped him stay calm and kept him from crying out and upsetting Royce, who’d waited in the hallway per the nurses’ instructions.
Royce leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against Sawyer’s mouth. “I fucking love you. Welcome home, asshole,” he whispered.
“Aww,” his mother said from the doorway, crossing her hands over her heart. She practically vibrated with happiness. His mother had loved Vic, but there was no doubt her bond with Royce was stronger. Maybe she sensed how much Royce needed her maternal TLC after missing his mother for so many years, or perhaps their personalities just clicked better. Regardless, it made Sawyer’s heart happy to see the genuine affection between them.
“A party, Mom? Really?”
“I told Royce it was a bad idea,” she replied. “He wouldn’t listen to me. You know how much he loves a party.”
Sawyer chuckled as he slowly made his way toward the door. His mom’s eyes were filled with tears by the time he climbed the few steps into his house. “I’m glad you’re here.” He looped one arm loosely around his mother’s waist and hugged her. “I’m just not sure I’ll be great company. My energy seems to have abandoned me.”
“We won’t stay long. I just fixed you a little something to eat since you’ve existed on hospital food for the last ten days.”
“To be honest, I haven’t felt well enough to care.” Sawyer caught a whiff of his mother’s fried chicken and cornbread and felt his spirits lift. His stomach growled, calling him a liar. “Yeah, I could stand to eat.”
When they entered the kitchen, Sawyer’s sister Grace and his sister-in-law Brianna were setting out the food buffet-style on the kitchen island and counters. Evangeline O’Neal’s idea of fixing a little something to eat was actually enough chow to feed a battalion.
“Look who I found,” his mom said, getting their attention.
The relieved look on Grace’s face was touching. Both she and Sawyer’s brother Killian had been mad as hornets when they returned from a family vacation with their spouses and children to find out he was in the hospital. Their parents had decided upsetting them wouldn’t be wise, and it turned out to be a smart decision. Children weren’t permitted to visit patients in the burn unit since they were little germ magnets, and according to the nurses, they preferred the parents of the bacteria breeders to avoid visiting too. His siblings had to settle for passing messages to Sawyer through their parents or Royce.
Grace started crying as she rushed toward Sawyer. “Easy now,” he cautioned before she could plow into him. “Everything still hurts.”
“I’ll be gentle,” she said, easing her arms around his waist and hugging him loosely. “We got sitters for the kids because we didn’t want to take chances. Your nieces and nephews can’t wait to see you.”
“I miss them too.”