Coming Home- Rock Bay 1 (25 page)

W
HAT
a fuck of a night
. Lex was still sitting on his couch, head in his hands. He missed Tally. Already. The thought of going back into his room and sleeping in a cold bed all alone didn’t appeal to him at all. Why didn’t he just say okay? Tally had done exactly what he wanted, he told Brock about them, he told him that he didn’t want to be friends. Why was Lex sitting alone in the dark when he could be wrapped up in Tally’s arms in the middle of amazing make-up sex? They were meant to be together. He felt it in every cell of his body. Too bad he couldn’t talk his mind into catching up. It was still all pissed about the Brock thing.

You’re gonna take him back. Why’d you even bother hesitating?
Lex sighed. He
was
going to take Tally back, wasn’t he? It was the only way to get rid of the burning ache in his chest. Damn truth was he loved the dumbass too much to not give him a second chance. He just needed to breathe for a few seconds before—
Was that a crash?
Lex stood, almost afraid to hear what he knew he’d heard. It was the sound of glass breaking—a window, to be more correct.
What the hell?
He was out his apartment door and running down the stairs to the shop before he could even think that it might not be the best idea for him to go prancing in there unarmed when there was clearly someone in his shop who shouldn’t be there. He wasn’t ending this awful damn night with a robbery, though.
Lex pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the local 911, waiting on the line for a few tense ring tones until the operator connected.
“I just heard a window break in my shop,” he said forcefully the moment an operator picked up the phone. “There’s someone in there.”
He gave his address in quick whispers, creeping down the hall toward the front room. Lex was worried, but he was also just plain confused. There weren’t any
burglars
in Rock Bay, and even if there were, what would they want with a coffee shop? Lex pushed the door open cautiously, ready for who knows what. He wished he had a broom or a bottle of syrup to use as a weapon. Anything. Lex did a quick scan but saw nothing he could pick up, only the gaping hole where his shop’s glass-paneled front door used to be. His heart thunked in his chest before it started pounding hard and fast. More than anything, he wished Tally were there.
“Who’s in here?” Lex knew his voice sounded shaky.
C’mon, cops. Put your foot on the gas.
He squinted into the darkness, trying to keep from trembling. There, right by the broken door was a figure, pale and puffy. Lex turned on the lights.
Brock? What the hell?
“Brock, what did you do? Why are you in my shop?”
Brock had a bottle in his hand, vodka, maybe. Lex couldn’t tell. He was swaying, but he looked angry. Irrational.
“It’sh your fault.”
“Brock, you’re drunk. Let me call Drew.”
“Fuck Drew. And fuck you!” Brock stepped closer, feet crunching on broken glass and swinging the bottle in his hand until alcohol sloshed over the side. “You tookth Tally and turned him into a fucking fruitcake.”
Oh my God. Tally really did tell.
Lex was getting scared. Brock’s eyes were red-rimmed and a bit wild, like he’d lost whatever small amount of reason was knocking around in his brain.
Lex backed away as Brock lurched toward him. “I didn’t turn Tally into anything he hasn’t always been.” Brock was standing close enough that Lex could smell his breath. Ugh. Whiskey.
“You’re fucking lying, you pansy ass chocolate jockey. Tally’s not going to pick you!” Brock swayed closer, and Lex leaned away again, not wanting to be anywhere near that toxic breath.
“That’s not true.” He tried to be reasonable. “Tally’s always been gay. He told me himself that he had a boyfriend in high school.” Brock made a growling noise and teetered a little, clearly so drunk and angry he couldn’t concentrate on standing straight. “Listen, Brock. Sit down before you fall over. I’m going to call Drew.”
Lex didn’t see it until it was too late. The bottle, that damn bottle of whatever the hell it was that Brock had was heading for his skull, and if he didn’t move in about—
Too late.
“Fuck you, faggot!” The sound of glass breaking was the first thing Lex noticed. Then the pain slammed through his consciousness for about two seconds, and he thought he saw flashing blue lights before black spots took over his vision, and he felt himself slumping to the floor.

T
ALLY
woke to his grandmother pounding on his door.
“Tallis! Wake up!”
The distress in his grandmother’s voice penetrated his sleepfogged mind, and he sat up, instantly alert. “Come in, Grams. What is it?”

His grandmother’s face was tense with fear. “Drew just called the house. Something terrible must’ve happened.” She looked scared and worried.

Instantly, Tally’s stomach clenched. “Grandma, just tell me. What did Drew say?”
“Brock’s in jail, and Lex is at the hospital. Brock must’ve… attacked him. Lex isn’t waking up, Tally.”
The wave of dread that hit him was immense and black. He was frozen solid.

Lex. No!
He bolted out of bed and reached for the jeans and shirt he still had draped over a chair in the corner of the room. It took a few tries to jam his legs into the jeans, he was shaking so bad. His stomach started to twist and turn, nausea rising fast. He had to sit down, get a grip. No. No time for that. He needed to go, to get to Lex.
He looked up to see his grandmother standing at the doorway.
“Calm down, son. You won’t be any use to him if you’re a jittering mess.”
Tally could barely even answer. “I’ve gotta go, Grams. Now.”
“I’m going with you, son. I don’t want you on the road like this.”
Tally turned in circles, looking for his keys. He was getting frantic when he noticed them sitting on the dresser where he’d put them for weeks before he’d moved in with Lex.
Lex.
How could Brock hurt him? Was he totally fucking nuts?
Tally knew it was his own fault. He shouldn’t have left Lex alone.
I love you, baby. Please be okay.
He waited by the door for a few brief moments before his Grandmother came down, dressed in jeans and a sweater. “Why don’t you let me drive, Tally?”
Just the thought of that long car ride, only able to think and not act, made him panic. “I need to do
something
. I can’t just sit in the car.”
“Well, getting us in an accident isn’t a good something. Call Drew back.”
Tally turned to the phone and stared at it for a few seconds before he shook his head. He couldn’t stand to know. Not until he was there, touching Lex with his own hands.
“Let’s just go. I need to be there now.”
As expected, the ride to the hospital was excruciating. It felt at least ten times as long as the last time, when he’d had a green but not dying Lex seated next to him, trying not to vomit. That was nothing. Back then there was nothing about Lex
dying
, about him being so hurt the doctors couldn’t wake him up.
C’mon, Grams. Get there.
Tally clenched his hands to keep from drumming on the windowsill. He wanted to crawl out of his skin.
“You sure you don’t want me to drive?” he asked. It probably wasn’t the first time he’d asked. He didn’t even know what was coming out of his mouth anymore. The only thing he could process was sheer panic.
“We’re almost there,” his grandmother replied patiently.
“I know, Grams. I’m sorry. I’m just—”
“I understand, darling. You love him. I never thought I’d see you like this.”
Tally laughed mirthlessly. “I didn’t either.”
Hurry!
Thankfully, his grandmother elected to pull through the ambulance turnaround instead of parking. He was sure she could sense his desperation.
“I’ll see you in there. Go get your boy.”
Tally nodded gratefully and vaulted himself out of his grandmother’s old boat of a car before sprinting through the slidingglass emergency-room doors. The first thing he saw was Drew huddled next to Amy, who was white-faced. Any traces of her usual sarcasm were lost.
“Where is he?”
Amy looked at him. Tally thought he saw accusation in that glare. He didn’t blame her. “He’s in the ICU. No one’s allowed back there. They’re trying to determine if he had any brain damage.”
“Brock hit him that hard?”
Amy’s face grew pinched, like she was holding something back. Drew put his arm around her. “Yeah, he was drunk and unreasonable. I guess he swung really hard. Why weren’t you with him, Tal? I thought you were going back there.”
Tally ground his thumbs into his eyes. They ached, and his throat was tight, and fuck if he was going to lose it in front of Amy and Drew. “I did go back there. He told me to go back to my grandma’s house. He said he needed time to think. God, this is my fucking fault.”
Drew shook his head. “It’s Brock’s fault, or if you want to blame someone else, then blame me. Lex is going to be fine.”
“We don’t know that,” Amy spat out.
Tally was going to reply, but Drew shook his head. He understood. Amy was scared just like he was, and she needed someone to blame. He was rubbing his eyes again when Lex’s parents came running in, followed by his grandmother. Lex’s mom was wearing sweats, and her hair was pulled into a haphazard ponytail that leaned over the top of her head.
“Tally, dear, how is he?”
Tally’s heart sank. God, it hurt. He didn’t want to have to confess that he hadn’t been there when it happened.
“He’s still under. They’re going to let us know when he comes around.”
Everyone huddled in the uncomfortable emergency room chairs. Drew and Amy sat next to each other, muttering quietly. Lex’s parents sat silent, staring at the waiting room TV, unseeing. Tally sat next to his grandmother, unable to do anything but worry. There was no way he wasn’t going to see Lex again. His life couldn’t be that fucked up. He sat, and sat, and watched the minutes tick away on the clock. It was starting to get light. Shit. It was going to be time to let Travis in soon. There was no way he was leaving. No goddamned way.
“Hey, guys. Someone’s gotta go take care of the shop, get the window patched. Make sure the customers know it’s closed.” He hated being practical, but he knew Lex would be pissed off if his precious shop wasn’t taken care of.
Drew sighed. “I’ll go. You just want me to make a sign or something?”
Tally nodded. “It’s the best we can do right now. The shop needs to be cleaned up, and I just don’t want Travis to have to deal with all of this. Hopefully….” He didn’t say it. Hopefully Lex would be fine the next day, fine enough so Tally could leave and take care of the business for him. He wasn’t leaving until he was sure.

T
HERE
was daylight coming through the emergency room doors when a doctor came out and called for the family of Lex Barry. Lex’s mother rushed over, his father not far behind. Tally wanted to shoot out of his chair, get as close as he could to hear what was happening. Lex’s mother was smiling, though, and that may have been the first time Tally breathed, really breathed, in hours. She wouldn’t have smiled if he wasn’t okay.

“He’s awake,” she finally said, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “So far it seems like he has a concussion and some cuts and bruising but nothing else.”

Thank fucking God.
“Just the parents for now.” Tally stayed seated. He understood. It seemed like they were back in that room forever but finally

came out, both smiling but looking a bit concerned.
“How is he?” Tally couldn’t wait to find out for himself. “Sore,” Lex’s mother answered. “And a bit tired, but he’s going

Tally stood. He assumed he’d be next. He
had
to be next, had to see Lex.
“Um, Tally, he says he’d like to see Amy and to tell everyone else to go home and get some rest.”
Tally felt like he’d been stabbed. “I’ve gotta see him,” he protested.
Lex’s mother shook her head. “He’s not ready.”
She knows.
He felt like throwing up for the hundredth time that night and wondered what he could do to make it right. He couldn’t say any more, though. Lex’s mother wasn’t going to go against her son’s wishes for
him
. He hadn’t been wanted in the first place. Sure, before all the stuff with Brock he’d been tentatively making progress with Amy, with Lex’s family. He couldn’t imagine what they thought of him now. He was having a hard time not hating himself.
“Okay,” was all he said. Tally could hear the rejection in his voice. He felt pathetic, like a dog that the owner kicked out of bed. Lex’s mother spared him a tired, understanding smile.
“Go home, everyone. They’re going to release Lex in a few hours, and we’ll take care of him.”
Tally sighed and gestured for his grandmother. He felt defeated, but there was nothing he could do. Lex would see him when he wanted to see him. Until then… well, until then he could feel like the biggest asshole on the planet.

eyebrow pulling every time he moved his face, and the daylight flooding into his apartment made his headache even worse. He was sore and angry and doped up. He wanted desperately to complain, but everybody had been so
nice
he’d feel like a jerk doing it. Even Tally. Especially Tally.

He’d run the shop without complaint for four days so far, dealt with the customers, cleaned up the mess, even coordinated with the contractors who were starting work on the drive-through window to do the repairs on the front door. Lex knew he was running the place open to close with whatever help Travis could provide. He wasn’t even clocking in his hours.

Lex had been sneaking downstairs after all the do-gooders were gone and checking on everything. He wanted to get back to his normal routine, to be done with the pain meds, the police reports, the hovering, concerned females. He wanted his shop back, his life back. His boyfriend….

He missed Tally. A lot. Shit, it was awkward, though. They’d talked about the shop a few times, and he could swear they were both giving each other these sad little looks, but he didn’t know what to say. After the whole Brock mess, it seemed like neither one of them knew what to say to each other. There was so much, it was just hard to start talking. Part of him just wanted to kiss Tally until his eyes rolled back into his head and just get it over with.