Draw the Line

chapter five

"You're bleeding out in the middle of the fucking living room and this is where you shoot your shot?" Luke snorts.

"Well, last time I waited too long and she ran out on me before I could even get her name," he counters, but his eyes never leave mine as he flashes a teasing smirk. "I couldn't even get my pants up before she was gone."

Luke's eyes widen as he looks back at me, and I shake my head quickly, well aware of how that sounds. I'm sure he did it on purpose.

"We were on campus," I say, but then realize that it sounds like I'm admitting to hooking up with him on campus. "We were modeling for an art class on campus," I clarify. "And we still had our underwear on. It was innocent," I amend quickly, looking over to Luke.

I'm about to suggest that we get back to the podcast, but I lose my train of thought when Micah's bright eyes dim as he starts to blink, trying to clear his vision. He's lost a lot of blood, and I can practically hear Halle's mom yelling at me to get him to sit down before he passes out and hits his head. If not, we might be visiting her in the ER.

"So, yeah, if I have to bleed out right here to get her name, then —"

"Okay." I cut him off. "I'll tell you my name if you go take care of that gash. You need to disinfect it with peroxide and stop the bleeding —"

"Peroxide?" His brows pull together as if he's genuinely confused, but I can tell by the way his cheek twitches that he's trying not to laugh. "Never heard of it."

"Big brown bottle, white cap," I explain slowly, trying to bite back my smile. I know exactly what he's doing, and I know I shouldn't fall for it, but I can't deny the flood of warmth that courses through my body when his devilish eyes meet mine again.

"Hmm." He looks over his shoulder toward the hall and then back at me. "I don't know if I'll make it all the way there by myself, Melons. I've lost a lot of blood already. I'm getting pretty dizzy."

Luke sighs loudly, turning on the massive TV as he reaches for the PlayStation remote on the coffee table as if he's used to his friend's antics.

"What are you doing?" I ask, watching as he tosses the notebook full of podcast ideas to the other side of the couch.

"I know where this is going, Melons." He doesn't take his eyes off the TV. "Might as well get a game or two in while I wait."

"He knows where the peroxide is." I shake my head. No matter how appealing it might sound, I can't just abandon my project to play nurse with Micah Costa.

"Yeah, but he really does look fucked up. Someone should go with him to make sure he doesn't pass out and crack his head open on the sink. I'd do it myself, but my knee is killing me since I had physical therapy today."

I consider that for a second before looking up at Micah, who just shrugs as if to say, it's true, I could die in there if I go alone.

When I look back at Luke, he's already clicking on the NBA2K game loading on the flat screen, but I don't miss the you owe me look that he sends Micah before turning back to the TV, utterly unfazed by the idea of his project partner being commandeered by his roommate.

When I look back up at Micah, his face is even paler.

"Alright," I sigh, standing up and dropping my notebook down onto the couch next to my phone. I can feel his gaze as I step around Luke and round the sofa, and when I finally stop by his side and look up at him, his lips settle in that familiar stoic line as he grabs his backpack and nods for me to follow him toward the hall.

I don't have much time to look around his room as he leads me into the connected bathroom, but the one thing I can't miss are the stacks of books on every open surface — his nightstand, his desk, the dresser, the floor near his open closet. I'm tempted to slow down and inspect them, to see what kind of books Micah Costa spends his time reading, but when I look up to see him narrowing his eyes as if he's genuinely light-headed, I forget all about the books and follow him into the bathroom.