Second Chances by Andrea Speed, A.B. Gayle, Jessie Blackwood, Katisha Moreish, J.J. Levesque
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was the box of books he had picked out from his collection that he simply could not leave behind. He pulled them out one at a time and looked at them again.
A leather bound
Divine Comedy
was one of his favorites. It was a more modern edition, but the feel of it in his hands was comfortable and soothing. His grandparents had given it to him when he graduated college.
Another one, again bound in leather, was a complete collection of Poe’s works. It had belonged to his mother and was the one thing of her he still had. Though he was angry with her for leaving him with his father, he understood why she had to go. After all, he’d had to leave, too.
One by one, Aiden went through each book in the box. They were a part of his soul. Reading had taken him away on adventures as a child, and let him flee his troubled home and even more troubled life with Peter. Where people had failed him, books never had.
The last book he had picked would not have been one of his choices a month or two ago. An edition of
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
by Howard Pyle, which he had picked up randomly at a library book sale. It wasn’t of much value in the condition it was in, but it reminded him of Flynn.
Robin Hood… Little Red Riding Hood… Flynn called me that.
The memory made him smile. When was the first time he had called him by one of his silly nicknames? It took Aiden a moment, but he remembered.
At the drive-in. We were watching those horror movies.
Reminded of that, he got up and searched through the books on the shelf above the fireplace. He did have some room in the box. Lovecraft. When Flynn first came over, he had pulled this book off the shelf. He liked horror. Too bad it caught him in real life. Aiden set the book in the box and looked around. There was one more, now that he thought about it. It was silly, really. But Red Riding Hood… Grimm’s Fairy Tales. That book was upstairs in his bedroom.
A quick trip upstairs and he found the book, but that brought other things to mind.
Flynn in my shower when he was upset. He was upset a lot after the drive-by shooting…
What he wouldn’t give to have the other man in his shower again. Or just here, for that matter.
Returning to the living room, he sat on the couch. The couch he and Flynn had first had sex on.
Pierce said Flynn was nothing.
He set
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
in the box with a frown. A glance at the clock showed it was nearing one in the morning. He should get some sleep, but he wasn’t tired. He was restless. His fingers itched to pick up the phone and call the hospital. Flynn was gone, but maybe if he called he would discover that it had all been a mistake. Maybe he’d regained consciousness and been shifted to another room. Perhaps the paperwork hadn’t been done yet. Would the nurses station even answer at this hour?
Before he could answer his own question, the phone was in his hands and he had the number dialed. A nurse did answer with a polite, if bored voice. She stated her name and the name of the hospital, and then waited.
“Hello?” she said after a moment. “Can I help you?”
“Umm, yes… I’m looking for a friend. Flynn Archer. I know it’s late, but could you put me through to his room?”
“We generally do not accept phone calls at this time of night.”
“I know, I understand. I’m sorry, but could you at least tell me his room number, and I’ll call back in the morning? I’ve forgotten it….”
“Just a moment, please.” The sound of typing filtered softly through the phone, and Aiden held his breath.
Please let him be in the system.
“I’m sorry, sir. But I don’t see a Flynn Archer on record. Maybe you should try your friend at home.”
The breath he had been holding escaped in a rush and he nodded, though she couldn’t see it. “Yes, I’ll do that. Thank you.” Aiden hung up the phone and leaned over, resting his head in his hands. If he called Flynn’s house number he’d get no answers
A leather bound
Divine Comedy
was one of his favorites. It was a more modern edition, but the feel of it in his hands was comfortable and soothing. His grandparents had given it to him when he graduated college.
Another one, again bound in leather, was a complete collection of Poe’s works. It had belonged to his mother and was the one thing of her he still had. Though he was angry with her for leaving him with his father, he understood why she had to go. After all, he’d had to leave, too.
One by one, Aiden went through each book in the box. They were a part of his soul. Reading had taken him away on adventures as a child, and let him flee his troubled home and even more troubled life with Peter. Where people had failed him, books never had.
The last book he had picked would not have been one of his choices a month or two ago. An edition of
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
by Howard Pyle, which he had picked up randomly at a library book sale. It wasn’t of much value in the condition it was in, but it reminded him of Flynn.
Robin Hood… Little Red Riding Hood… Flynn called me that.
The memory made him smile. When was the first time he had called him by one of his silly nicknames? It took Aiden a moment, but he remembered.
At the drive-in. We were watching those horror movies.
Reminded of that, he got up and searched through the books on the shelf above the fireplace. He did have some room in the box. Lovecraft. When Flynn first came over, he had pulled this book off the shelf. He liked horror. Too bad it caught him in real life. Aiden set the book in the box and looked around. There was one more, now that he thought about it. It was silly, really. But Red Riding Hood… Grimm’s Fairy Tales. That book was upstairs in his bedroom.
A quick trip upstairs and he found the book, but that brought other things to mind.
Flynn in my shower when he was upset. He was upset a lot after the drive-by shooting…
What he wouldn’t give to have the other man in his shower again. Or just here, for that matter.
Returning to the living room, he sat on the couch. The couch he and Flynn had first had sex on.
Pierce said Flynn was nothing.
He set
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
in the box with a frown. A glance at the clock showed it was nearing one in the morning. He should get some sleep, but he wasn’t tired. He was restless. His fingers itched to pick up the phone and call the hospital. Flynn was gone, but maybe if he called he would discover that it had all been a mistake. Maybe he’d regained consciousness and been shifted to another room. Perhaps the paperwork hadn’t been done yet. Would the nurses station even answer at this hour?
Before he could answer his own question, the phone was in his hands and he had the number dialed. A nurse did answer with a polite, if bored voice. She stated her name and the name of the hospital, and then waited.
“Hello?” she said after a moment. “Can I help you?”
“Umm, yes… I’m looking for a friend. Flynn Archer. I know it’s late, but could you put me through to his room?”
“We generally do not accept phone calls at this time of night.”
“I know, I understand. I’m sorry, but could you at least tell me his room number, and I’ll call back in the morning? I’ve forgotten it….”
“Just a moment, please.” The sound of typing filtered softly through the phone, and Aiden held his breath.
Please let him be in the system.
“I’m sorry, sir. But I don’t see a Flynn Archer on record. Maybe you should try your friend at home.”
The breath he had been holding escaped in a rush and he nodded, though she couldn’t see it. “Yes, I’ll do that. Thank you.” Aiden hung up the phone and leaned over, resting his head in his hands. If he called Flynn’s house number he’d get no answers
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