I woke up just as I remembered falling asleep, in the same position with Logan tucked against my chest and my arms wrapped around him. It's like neither of us even moved an inch for the length of time we'd been asleep. I double checked to see if we'd even been asleep that long, and came to find that we'd actually slept through almost the entire day. It had just gone four in the afternoon. With this realisation came a groan on my behalf.
I really didn't want to get up.
My groan of disappointment caused Logan to stir in his sleep, shuffling about until he was laying on his back and my palm was resting flat against his stomach. I leaned my forehead against his temple to gently whisper something by his ear, hoping to ease him slowly into consciousness.
"Logan, I gotta go." I was surprised at how awake the guy suddenly was. His head turned towards me. I leaned back so I could focus on him properly, instead of causing my eyes strain. "We've been in bed all day."
"Oh. Well, hey, then it's nearly night time. And...people sleep at night. So you should stay. And sleep, here. With me." I almost couldn't say no to the hopeful tone to his voice and the pleading look in his puppy-like eyes, but I had shit I needed to do. I hadn't made any money today, in fact, I'd barely made any money that wasn't coming straight from Nate's wallet.
I'd gotten myself so wrapped up in being with Logan or running to Nate each time he called, that I'd completely forgotten I was supposed to be lingering around the streets all day and night looking for any walkin', talkin' ATM machines I could find. I just hoped Kyle didn't notice the income he was getting should've been...a little bit higher than it was.
"Sorry but I really do have to go. I gotta work and I haven't been around for Alex much, I'm all the kid's got right now."
"Who's Alex?"
"He's just a friend. Don't worry, I'm not screwing him too." In some strange, stupid way, those words felt like a lie. It was true, I wasn't screwing the guy, but we weren't exactly just friends, either. That was something I'd keep to myself, even though I was sure Alex most likely knew in some way or another. Which made me glad he'd decided to just leave it alone.
"I wasn't worried." His tone sounding forcefully uncaring. I shrugged and clambered out of the bed, searching for my clothes. I pulled my jeans on first, and just as I was about to take Logan's jumper off and replace it with the one Nate bought me, Logan stopped me.
"That's your jumper now, remember?" I slid the arm I'd pulled out of the sleeve back in and smoothed the creases out along my torso.
"You sure?" He nodded, one corner of his lips tugged upwards, in reply. "Thanks, then." I beamed a grin his way, which he returned as best he could. I was worried about leaving him, because to have slept all day and still look as worse for wear as he did...well, who wouldn't be worried?
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" I said, standing by his bedroom door, my shoes fitted on my feet and the hoody Nate bought me slung over my forearm.
"Yes, Ash, I'll be fine." He chuckled softly.
"Alright. Remember to eat something. You haven't had anything all day, have you?"
"Ash." He sighed, and I knew it was because of the fact that I was beginning to sound like his mother again. I smiled whilst nodding down at the floor in defeat.
"Okay. Well, I'll see you sometime tomorrow, maybe." I paused momentarily before walking out, to say, "Call me, if you need to. Doesn't matter the time or whatever. Yeah? Promise me." He rolled his eyes exasperatedly and nodded slowly, obviously getting tired of my concern, but I couldn't help it.
"I promise. Now go, before I call my real mum and tell her there's an imposter in the house." He winked playfully, which resulted in a huge smile plastered on my face. I waved a goodbye and jogged down the stairs, heading straight out onto the street. My stomach grumbled as I walked. I hadn't had any proper food in ages, maybe a sandwich here and there and a packet of crisps. I was literally dying for a full-on English breakfast right about now.
I took a cab that dropped me off at my usual spot, just before the flat. It was still a bit windy, but the temperature had picked up a little bit, so I wasn't shivering in my boots like I was this morning. The alleys, for some reason, felt especially creepy as I was walking past them. Getting to the flat seemed to take a lot longer than it normally would. I don't know if that was just me being a paranoid twat because my stomach was hungry and I was feeling a little bit dizzy from the lack of food. But either way, I was glad to be inside the apartment.
When I got inside the flat, it was empty as per usual this time of day. The initial plan was to just drop the hoody off and grab a few notes from my secret stash inside the sofa before heading back out to a café, to grab something to eat. Until my eyes came to rest on Alex's stuff laying beside his make-shift bed. I noticed the jeans he was wearing, that day I found him in the alley, laying on the floor underneath his sleeping bag. Like he was hiding them from sight. Can't say he did a very good job if that was his intention.
Just as I was about to slide them out from underneath the bag, I heard the sound of a key being jammed into the flat's door and the clicking of the lock as it was opened. Tyler came peering round the living room's door frame a few moments later, gracing me with an inquiring look from where I'd quickly sat down on the sofa. I placed my best innocent face on, but apparently Tyler could see straight through my facade.
"What were you doing?" A sly grin appearing on his lips.
"Nothing."
"You know you're a shit liar, right?"
I sighed. "There's something wrong with Alex. I think he's hiding something." I gestured a hand towards his stuff. Tyler's eyes followed the direction and, just as his eyes landed on the trousers, his eyebrows rose up his forehead and his lips pursed into an 'O'.
"And you think it 'as something to do with 'is pants?" He quirked an eyebrow, nodding his head towards the jeans. I answered by nodding back. "You know, I did see him bein' all suspicious like, shovin' somethin' into his front pocket 'fore anyone could see."
"What'd it look like?" My voice suddenly becoming desperately intrigued.
"Fuck if I know. The lad was sure as hell makin' sure no one could see what it was, mate." Tyler strolled into the room, hands delved into his pockets as he stood just in front of me, eyes turned towards Alex's jeans on the floor. "You could check, see if it's still in 'is pocket. I mean, looks like he's tryna hide 'em, right?"
I nodded again, moving to grab the jeans, but hesitated and fell back in to the sofa, looking up at Tyler with nervous eyes. "I don't know, is it bad to do that? You know, go through his stuff."
"Of course it is, you pillock." I certainly went to the wrong person for reassurance on this. I knew it was wrong, I just wanted to hear someone telling me it was right to ease the guilt up a little bit. I knew I shouldn't go rooting through other people's shit.
"Fuck." I whispered to myself, dragging a hand down my face tiredly. "I'm just worried, you know? It's not like Alex to hide shit from me. What if this is something bad? I need to know why he's so desperate to hide it."
"Then find out. The answer could be lying right there, in those trousers." He wiggled his brows, urging me to do the wrong thing. But hey, I was gonna do it anyway, what's the point in acting all righteous now? So, with a groan, I crouched down and pulled the trousers fully out from underneath his sleeping bag. Taking one last nervous look up at Tyler, which was returned with an eager nod of the head, before shoving my hand into one of his front pockets.
"Was this the right pocket? Cause I can't feel nothing." I asked, sticking my tongue out in concentration as I rooted around the trousers.
"Yeah, think so. In fact, am sure it is. Prolly put it in the jeans he's wearin' today. If he wanted to hide it so much, he wouldn't exactly leave it lyin' around, would he?"
I sat back with a sigh. "Yeah, you're probably right." Tyler moved to sit down in the sofa, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. I tilted my head up at him with hopeful eyes. "I don't know what do. What do I do, Tyler?" There was a moment where his features softened and he stared at me with a look that I interpreted as sympathetic.
"Just confront 'im about it. S'all you can do, and it's damn straight the best way to get answers."
"And what if he just tells me to sod off cause it's none of my business?"
"Then you remind him why it is your damn business. You remind that little shit that it's your damn business, because you're practically the only person in this world that he's actually got who cares about 'im." I had to take a moment to realise that I was still talking to Tyler. It wasn't like him to get all heartfelt like this, nevermind to actually say something I agreed with. I had to smile at that. I wanted to say something, an urge to wind him up about it and tease him.
Instead, I balled my fist up and hit my chest, where my heart is, twice before saying, "Inspirational, bro." With a grin that I couldn't hold back, and a cheeky wink. Tyler smiled, turning his eyes down towards the floor with a slight flush of embarrassment.
"Yeah...let's just, uh, forget 'bout that little speech, okay?" He said, glancing at me shyly.
"Absolutely." He knew that meant I was going to tuck the memory away and mock him about it later in life. It felt like the old Tyler was starting to come back, for whatever reason.
I don't know what's happened with Tyler to make him ditch his uptight, cocky personality, but I was thankful. I mean, the guy's always been cocky and a little arrogant but he was never someone who you could hate for it. I still don't know what even happened in the first place to make him change into that, seemingly, emotionless bastard. I just hoped he'd drop the act.
"So is this it then? Have we got the old Ty back, now?" The words left my mouth before I could even think about what I was going to say. Tyler's gaze snapped to mine, but he didn't look pissed off, which is the expression I automatically expected whenever I approached subjects like this with him. He surprised me with his reply.
"You have, I guess." He brushed a hand over his mouth awkwardly, before letting it fall back into his lap. "I just- the other guys...Mitch and Tony, even Alex, they don' know me. They've only ever seen me be a-"
"Bastard." Tyler paused and looked at me with feigned offense at what I'd said, but he just rolled his eyes and continued.
"I can't just suddenly turn up and start being nice. Tha's just not me anymore. It'd feel weird, wouldn't it?"
"I'm sure they'd get over it, mate. And, just a thought but, maybe you could apologise to Alex?" I slid an overly-enthusiastic smile onto my lips. Tyler just outright laughed before seeing my, now serious, expression and suddenly went silent.
"You're joking, right? That was a joke?" I shook my head, narrowing my eyes. "Psh, fuck that. If bein' a nice guy means I gotta say sorry to that twat, then am good bein' a bastard." I shrugged with a brief urge to roll my eyes at his childishness.
"Was worth a try, I guess."