understood. I felt…” She patted his back and felt for his heartbeat with her other hand—just to be sure he wasn’t a dream or a freaky side effect of the pain killers. “Everyone thinks you died.”
“I know. It might’ve been a shitty choice—to pretend. All the people close to me know, though.” He pulled the armchair over to her bed and retrieved his wig.
“Don’t wear it.” Milla watched as he pulled the fake hair back on.
“Have to. I promised Larson and Brett I would, though I think they’re just messing with me.” He glanced at the TV, which as usual had his face surrounded by a black frame.
“It’s sad.” Milla pointed to the TV.
“I’m here to check on you and to apologize.” Gage leaned forward, and his blond wig tickled her wrist.
Milla fisted the fake hair and yanked, quickly freeing it and putting it under her butt so he couldn’t wear it. “For what? Lying? Dying? Not dying?” she asked.
“All of that. I’m just sorry we had to go through that. And that when you get out of here they’ll be all over you.” Gage ran a hand through his real hair, making it stick straight up. “That’s my fault.”
“Who’ll be all over me?” Milla folded her arms, realizing she wasn’t wearing a bra and her thin hospital gown and his nearness were making her perky.
He motioned to the TV. “Sorry.”
She was trapped for a minute in his eyes. She knew they were green. All of a sudden it made sense: the world’s unreasonable devotion. He was really ethereal. The cheekbones, the lips, the way he liked to lick his lips. He was beautiful. But beyond that, looking through the mask of amazing he’d been cursed and blessed with, she saw that this famous thing, it was a burden.
“Damn. You’re alive. Thank God.” She’d be so much stronger knowing Gage was alive and in the world somewhere.
“I wanted the attention. I really did. When I wrote my songs, I wanted to be heard. And now? Well, everything I said is scrutinized. And I think I’ve done it to you. Instead of escaping them, I just gave them a new target. ” He shook his head, clearly frustrated.
“I get why you were tempted. It must have seemed perfect, to play dead for a little while. Did you expect all this?” Milla tried not to stare.
“No, that’s my biggest problem. I never see it all coming, and I always get shocked. Anyway, enough about me. How’s your toe? How’s your head?” He patted her elbow awkwardly.
“My toe? It’s gone. I’ve got a prosthetic baby toe. The bonus is I can take it off and put it on the table when I’m painting my nails. I’m a nineteen-digit wonder. The rest of me is healing just fine. How are you? Were you hurt?” Milla sat up straighter, trying to see if he was injured.
He smiled a bit and shrugged. “I had a little damage. Nothing that won’t heal.”
Milla looked down at the floor. His giant foot was wrapped inside a walking cast. ”Your foot?”
He looked down at his big metal boot and back at her face. Milla swore the oxygen level in the room dropped when he gave her a knowing smile.
“I lost my little toe. And got a few burns, but they won’t need grafts. ”
“You have nine toes now, too?” Milla smiled so big it hurt her cheeks.
“Yup, plus the fake one. We’re freaks together. Imagine that. ” He reached out and touched her hand where it peeked out from under her armpit.
“That’s crazy.” Milla moved her hand so she could properly hold his. She never wanted to let it go. Her hand felt like it was singing a love song. Her heart was uncurling a pair of wings and flying. She checked his eyes. They were sparkling. The TV spoke their names softly. Milla didn’t need to look at the screen to know what they were showing again. The wall kiss had been repeated over and over, as had the disrobing. Here in this room, holding hands seemed far more intimate than the kiss had been. Their smiles glowed with relief. Relief that they had lived, relief that they had
“I know. It might’ve been a shitty choice—to pretend. All the people close to me know, though.” He pulled the armchair over to her bed and retrieved his wig.
“Don’t wear it.” Milla watched as he pulled the fake hair back on.
“Have to. I promised Larson and Brett I would, though I think they’re just messing with me.” He glanced at the TV, which as usual had his face surrounded by a black frame.
“It’s sad.” Milla pointed to the TV.
“I’m here to check on you and to apologize.” Gage leaned forward, and his blond wig tickled her wrist.
Milla fisted the fake hair and yanked, quickly freeing it and putting it under her butt so he couldn’t wear it. “For what? Lying? Dying? Not dying?” she asked.
“All of that. I’m just sorry we had to go through that. And that when you get out of here they’ll be all over you.” Gage ran a hand through his real hair, making it stick straight up. “That’s my fault.”
“Who’ll be all over me?” Milla folded her arms, realizing she wasn’t wearing a bra and her thin hospital gown and his nearness were making her perky.
He motioned to the TV. “Sorry.”
She was trapped for a minute in his eyes. She knew they were green. All of a sudden it made sense: the world’s unreasonable devotion. He was really ethereal. The cheekbones, the lips, the way he liked to lick his lips. He was beautiful. But beyond that, looking through the mask of amazing he’d been cursed and blessed with, she saw that this famous thing, it was a burden.
“Damn. You’re alive. Thank God.” She’d be so much stronger knowing Gage was alive and in the world somewhere.
“I wanted the attention. I really did. When I wrote my songs, I wanted to be heard. And now? Well, everything I said is scrutinized. And I think I’ve done it to you. Instead of escaping them, I just gave them a new target. ” He shook his head, clearly frustrated.
“I get why you were tempted. It must have seemed perfect, to play dead for a little while. Did you expect all this?” Milla tried not to stare.
“No, that’s my biggest problem. I never see it all coming, and I always get shocked. Anyway, enough about me. How’s your toe? How’s your head?” He patted her elbow awkwardly.
“My toe? It’s gone. I’ve got a prosthetic baby toe. The bonus is I can take it off and put it on the table when I’m painting my nails. I’m a nineteen-digit wonder. The rest of me is healing just fine. How are you? Were you hurt?” Milla sat up straighter, trying to see if he was injured.
He smiled a bit and shrugged. “I had a little damage. Nothing that won’t heal.”
Milla looked down at the floor. His giant foot was wrapped inside a walking cast. ”Your foot?”
He looked down at his big metal boot and back at her face. Milla swore the oxygen level in the room dropped when he gave her a knowing smile.
“I lost my little toe. And got a few burns, but they won’t need grafts. ”
“You have nine toes now, too?” Milla smiled so big it hurt her cheeks.
“Yup, plus the fake one. We’re freaks together. Imagine that. ” He reached out and touched her hand where it peeked out from under her armpit.
“That’s crazy.” Milla moved her hand so she could properly hold his. She never wanted to let it go. Her hand felt like it was singing a love song. Her heart was uncurling a pair of wings and flying. She checked his eyes. They were sparkling. The TV spoke their names softly. Milla didn’t need to look at the screen to know what they were showing again. The wall kiss had been repeated over and over, as had the disrobing. Here in this room, holding hands seemed far more intimate than the kiss had been. Their smiles glowed with relief. Relief that they had lived, relief that they had
Similar Books
