“I’m going to go now because, if I don’t, we’ll start singing and crying, and I need vodka to blame for that.”
“Thank you, Liv. For everything.”
He watched her double-check her belongings—triple-check—and walk to the door. “You want the light on or off?”
“Off, please.” He watched the door close before he picked up his phone to search his messages.
Nothing from Ajax.
Maybe that wasn’t so surprising. They’d taken all Ajax’s electronics. Maybe he hadn’t gotten the chance to buy a new phone. Maybe he didn’t know Dmytro’s phone number.
Dmytro dropped the thing onto his bed and ruthlessly told himself he didn’t wait for people to call. For men to call.
He wasn’t some lovesick boy.
He didn’t pine, for God’s sake. When he got back to work and his life was normal again, he’d get Ajax’s new number from Zhenya and call him if only to see how he was doing. To feel things out.
And if Ajax was embarrassed by or ashamed of the things he’d said in the heat of the moment, Dmytro would be a man about things and let him off the hook.
He lay back and glanced out the window, into the darkness, and tried not to imagine Ajax worrying about letting him down easy.
People did things.
They said things when they thought it was the end.
If Ajax came to tell him he’d reconsidered, then Dmytro would say he’d reconsidered too. There would be no harm done. No hurt feelings. They’d remain friends, of a sort, and that way, if Ajax ever felt he needed protection again, he could call Iphicles without hesitation because Dmytro wanted him to have the best.
Even if it wasn’t him.
That’s how he knew it was love he felt for Ajax. He’d even suggest Bartosz for the job.
He swallowed a groan when he shifted in his bed. He was still sore everywhere. He found the television control and turned on the monitor without the sound to watch the local news.
The door opened a crack. A slice of light spilled in from the hallway. At first, he didn’t see anything. Maybe it was one of the nurses coming to check on him. He let his gaze go back to the television, afraid to hope.
“Hey,” Ajax said softly from just outside the door. “I hear they’re releasing you tomorrow.”
Dmytro asked, “Are you afraid to come in?”
“No. I—” He stepped forward. “I just wanted to make sure you were alone.”
Dmytro turned off the television and tossed the remote. “As you see, I am totally alone.”
“I see.” Ajax nodded. “So, I wanted to come by—”
“Then why didn’t you?” Dmytro couldn’t help his glare. “I’ve been in this room, able to accept visitors, for over a week. So why didn’t you come?”
“It’s complicated.” Ajax held his hands up. “I wasn’t sure you wanted me here.”
That got Ajax a look the words deserved. “I see. So why come now?”
“Because I wanted to say goodbye. And to let you know what my plans are. I thought you might like to visit sometime, once things are back to normal.”
“Visit.” Dmytro examined the wordvisitnext to the wordsloveandhopeanda shared futureand found it didn’t have quite the same tone.
“Well, yeah.” Bright flags of color stained Ajax’s cheeks. “Bring the girls.”
“Bring the girls.”
