Saving Me [MxM]

Chapter 18 (Part Three)

Slowly his feet pulled him past the threshold. Almost like a magnet in his chest was drawing him to the center of her circular rug. He inhaled sharply when his boots touched the soft material, and then he couldn’t help it. His fingers ran the crumpled comforter, touching every wrinkle, every stray line of thread.

Gently he pressed, feeling for something, anything beneath the blanket, though he knew he wouldn’t find anything. As he rounded the bedside, he kept expecting to see a tangled mass of coppery auburn hair peeking just above the hem of the blanket. His ears rang with hollow dull laughter. Fragments of memories of feet running down the hall, calling his name.

His heart thudded softly in his chest, long slow beats, almost relaxed. But his pulse throbbed in his neck, making him pull his fingers from the bed, pressing them to his jugular to try and calm the vein.

He didn’t remember leaving the room, but suddenly he bumped into the kitchen counter, hand reaching absently for the phone. When had he decided to do that? Who was he going to call? Why?

Blinking, he shook his head. The silence was getting to him. He couldn’t keep doing this. He needed someone to talk to. Evan was busy. Nathan was busy with school. There was no way he was calling Jecklynn. Andre? He hadn’t seen him since before he’d gone to the bar.

Snatching the phone off the receiver, he dialed Mr. Tonseley’s house. He didn’t expect Andre to be there, since he’d continuously called off work, but he might be able to leave a message with the older man.

The phone rang twice before the other line picked up. “Tonsley residence, Andre speaking."

“Oh! Hi, Text. I wasn’t expecting you to pick up.”

The sheer sound of another voice had Varian smiling. He hadn’t realized just how bad loneliness was.

Andre chuckled. "That's alright, I wasn't either. I almost forgot it was Uncle Phil's birthday so my parents and I came over to have dinner with him."

“That’s very nice.” Varian said. Then it hit him that he might just be disturbing their meal and family time. “This is probably a bad time, sorry. I’ll call back later.”

"Oh, no you actually chose the best time. The old folks are just sitting around talking. It's actually quite boring so I was just getting up to head outside,” he hurriedly replied.

Sighing quietly, Varian nodded, though he didn’t know why, it wasn’t like Andre could see him. “Okay. I was calling to see if you’d be willing to come back to work. I know I haven’t exactly been very social this last great while.”

"Oh definitely. It's been kinda slow for me lately so I'd be glad to come back."

“Feel like gracing my presence then?” Varian asked. “It’s kind of lonely over here, and I’m sure I could find something for us to do.”

"Oh God, yes. Thank you for rescuing me. Dad and Uncle Phil are swapping war stories. I think Mom fell asleep. I'm on my way."