“I am so sorry. Here, let me…” The man looked around the small apartment with wide eyes. Through the blurriness of tears, Duncan could make out the vibrant color of his irises. “Let me take these outside.”
“Damn allergies. If anyone is sorry, it’s me. Figures, it’d take a handsome man like you giving me flowers for my allergies to decide to kick into overdrive.”
“No worries; let me get rid of them. And for the record, your red nose just makes you that much more adorable.”
Duncan swiped a hand over his nose and scrubbed his eyes again. A memory. He’d had a memory. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to replay the memory in his mind, and he got frustrated when he couldn’t conjure the image of the other man. Surely, the man was Pierce. Who else would it be?
But he had a hard time recalling the face of the other man, or even his voice. But when Duncan tried to conjure up an image of the man’s face, he couldn’t. It was frustrating, and he groaned as he started to sneeze again. There was something else that niggled in the back of his mind. The dream.
It was much like the one he’d had before, where he was running through an alley. The fear he felt during the dream radiated through him as he started to remember. All thoughts of the mystery man disappeared as the terror Duncan felt in the dream started to take over his body. As he started to tremble, he pulled the covers tighter around him before another fit of allergies sent him into a round of sneezes.
“Honey, are you okay?” Pierce asked from the doorway.
“No,” Duncan called out with a scratchy voice, “I’m not.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked and stepped farther into the room.
Duncan pointed toward the flowers. “Please take them away.”
Through the tears, Duncan could’ve sworn he saw Pierce’s eyes go from concerned to furious. But maybe the bleariness of his vision had Duncan misreading the way Pierce’s gaze darkened as his eyes narrowed.
“Why? Don’t you like them? I got them to cheer you up.”
“They’re gor-gor-gorgeous,” Duncan said around another loud sneeze. “But I’m allergic to them.”
Pierce stood beside the bed until Duncan’s sneezing fit finished and he wiped is eyes. “You’re allergic to flowers?”
Duncan shrugged. “Apparently so. Didn’t you know that about me?”
Pierce’s jaw clenched. “I must’ve forgotten. Let me get these out of here.”
“I’m sorry. I appreciate the gesture, and they’re gorgeous flowers. Especially the blue ones.”
“Why the blue?”
“It’s my favorite color,” he said absently, then he realized what he’d just said. Duncan’s watery eyes widened, and a huge smile stretched his lips. “Oh my goodness. Blue is my favorite color!”
Pierce walked over to the table and picked up the vase. “I’ll take these downstairs.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you getting them. I’m sorry they can’t stay in here with me.”
“It’s fine.” Though Duncan could tell by Pierce’s face that it was anything but fine. Duncan couldn’t help he was allergic to the flowers, though, so they needed to go.
“Wait!” Duncan called out when Pierce reached the door.
“Yes?”
“You didn’t know blue is my favorite color?”
Pierce shrugged and gave Duncan a half-hearted smile. “There’s plenty of time to tell you things about yourself, and with trying to get you settled, it slipped my mind. I’ll try to remember to tell you little things to help jog your memory, okay?”
“That’d be great. And thank you again for the flowers.”
“No problem. I’ll be back with breakfast and then help you get situated for the day, okay?”
Duncan nodded while Pierce disappeared out the door. A few seconds later, he could hear Pierce’s footfalls as he descended the stairs. Having the flowers out of the room already helped Duncan’s allergies immensely, but he felt bad over needing them taken out. Pierce was only trying to do something nice for Duncan, so maybe the look he’d seen in Pierce’s eyes was disappointment.
Wiping his hands over his face again, he scrubbed away the tears and gave his nose a final scratch. He cleared his throat, longing for a glass of water, and then shifted on the bed to get more comfortable. Now that he was fully awake, he was more aware of how much his ankle hurt, and he flung the blanket back. What he saw had him gasping loudly.
“Pierce!” Duncan called out.
Duncan waited a few seconds as he continued to stare at his ankle, but Pierce didn’t come. Maybe he didn’t scream loud enough.
“Pierce!”
A few seconds later, Duncan felt relieved when he heard Pierce’s footsteps on the stairs.
“What is it?” Pierce asked as he burst into the room. “Is everything okay?”
“My ankle. Look at it,” Duncan cried, pointing toward his foot.
Pierce sighed and stepped closer. He leaned over to peer down at the blue and purple bruises that marred his skin and mingled with the old ones that’d begun to fade to yellow, green, and brown. But it wasn’t just the bruises, it was the size of his ankle. It had nearly tripled in size, and it looked like someone had shoved a tennis ball under his skin.
“This is why you called me up here? I was in the middle of making breakfast for you, and you screamed as if you had fallen again.”
“What? Look at my ankle! I think you need to take me back to the hospital. What if it’s broken?”
“Can you move it?”
Duncan gritted his teeth as he tried to roll his ankle a bit to the side. Pain shot up his leg as his ankle moved a bit to the right. His vision blurred, and he saw spots in front of his eyes. Sweat beaded on his temple and began to trickle down his face when he pushed his ankle back to its normal position, and when he was finished, his breath was coming out in short pants.
“It’s not broken if you can move it,” Pierce pointed out.
“Are you serious?” Duncan asked. “Why are you being this way. You saw how much pain I was in, and I barely moved it a fraction.”
“Do you know how much money you’ve racked up in hospital bills? Another trip to the emergency room for an x-ray will be very expensive. I have a bandage, so I’ll wrap it, and you’ll keep it elevated as we ice it. If it’s not better in a few days, then I’ll take you, okay? But I think we should hold off and try not to spend another exorbitant amount of money.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. What if I injure it further?”
“The only way you’d do that is if you pull another stunt like you did yesterday. Let me finish your breakfast, and then I’ll wrap your foot. Unless you need something else?”
Duncan shook his head as his eyes burned. He couldn’t understand why Pierce was being so cruel to him. Was he that upset over the flowers?
“Good. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he snapped.
Pierce turned and stomped out of the room, leaving Duncan alone. He continued to stare down at his swollen ankle, and he bit his lip as he tried to move it again. The pain that shot through his leg and up to his hip made him stop as soon as he started. He was pretty sure the fall yesterday had injured it more than it already was, and he wondered if it was broken after all. Even though Pierce was right about how expensive his hospital bills were, he wondered if maybe he should go to the hospital.
Reaching for his phone, he decided if Pierce wasn’t going to take him, he’d call an ambulance. Clicking the phone to wake it up, he went to dial the number only to see it still didn’t have any service. How was that possible? Yeah, they were out in the middle of nowhere, but even remote locations were able to get phone service, right? And there was still no Wi-Fi, either. What was the problem?
Putting the phone down on the table with a frustrated sigh, he readjusted his pillows to settled comfortably against them. His ankle hurt, his throat was still scratchy, and he really needed to use the bathroom—but he was stuck waiting on his husband. His husband who was clearly
in a pissed off mood and offended over some stupid flowers he was allergic to.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited until he heard Pierce ascending the stairs, and when he entered the room, he was carrying a tray of food.
“Here’s your breakfast,” Pierce announced as if Duncan didn’t have eyes.
Duncan didn’t say a word as Pierce settled the tray over his lap. Rather than look at him, Duncan kept his eyes downcast. The way Pierce had treated him was completely unacceptable.
“Hey,” Pierce said softly when Duncan didn’t say anything to him. “Honey, I’m sorry for getting upset with you.”
Duncan still refused to look at him and didn’t utter a sound.
“I just hate this entire situation. I hate seeing you hurt, and the strain of the hospital bills is hurting us financially. Not to mention, I wanted to get the flowers to cheer you up, and you can’t even have them in the room.”
“It’s not my fault any of this happened, or that I’m allergic to flowers. You’re my husband, so you were supposed to know that,” Duncan said bitterly.
“I know. I guess with everything that’s happened, the stress caused me to forget, and it’s getting to me. Between worrying about you, and our bills, and work, it’s all just been a lot. And for that, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Duncan could understand that, and he finally allowed his eyes to meet Pierce’s. His gaze was filled with sorrow and remorse.
“It’s fine. I appreciate all you’ve done for me and being so patient while I work though this and try to retain my memory.”
Pierce reached out a tentative hand and cupped Duncan’s cheek. The first reaction Duncan had was to flinch away, but he fought past it and remained where he was. After their rocky morning, the last thing Duncan wanted to do was upset Pierce any more than he already had.
“What are husbands for?” Pierce asked. “Now, eat up so you can take your medicine. I’m pretty sure you’re going to need it this morning, and while you eat, I’ll wrap your ankle.”
Pierce removed his hand after stroking his thumb softly against Duncan’s cheek. The second his hand was gone, Duncan felt his body relax, and he began to breathe a bit easier. For some reason Duncan couldn’t understand, having Pierce touch him didn’t sit well with him, and he felt bad since Pierce was his husband.
“Make sure to drink your juice. You need the vitamins.”
Pierce left the room to grab the bandage, before returning a moment later. Duncan tried to eat around the pain as Pierce wrapped the bandage tightly around his ankle. Pierce worked quickly, but a few times, Duncan had to pause between bites so he could grit his teeth and catch his breath. Finally, Pierce was done, and Duncan was able to finish his breakfast before taking his pain pills and draining his juice.
“Now, how about I help you to the bathroom,” Pierce said after he removed the tray from across Duncan’s lap.
“That’d be great. My bladder is on the verge of bursting.”
Pierce chuckled and helped Duncan off the bed and to the bathroom. Careful not to put any pressure on his ankle, Duncan had to hold on to the sink with one hand as he did his business, and after washing his hands, he called out to Pierce to help him back to the bed. He was feeling drowsy from the medication, and after Pierce got him settled in bed, he started to succumb to the fatigue.
“Get some rest.” Pierce’s voice came through the fog, and the only response Duncan could give him was a quick nod.
Maybe it was the medication, or the drowsiness, but before Pierce left the room, Duncan could’ve sworn Pierce leaned down to give him a kiss on the lips. But before Duncan could think anything of it, the fog thickened, and he was lost.
Chapter Seven
“You did good—”
“You know the rule; no names,” Pierce warned the caller.
The man cleared his throat. “You got the information I needed. I’ll be in touch if something else comes up.”
“I know you will be.”
“There is no need for the conceit. Being humble goes a long way.”
“It’s not conceit when you’re the best. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Pierce hung up before the caller could say anything else. He didn’t need a lesson in humility, not when he had other shit to do. He knew he was the best at what he did. Why else would he have such a long list of clients? And the man he just spoke to knew it, as well. Otherwise he wouldn’t have continued working with him, no matter how often Pierce challenged him.
After finishing up his job for the night, Pierce made a pitstop at a store before he headed home. He still had a few things to finish up before he could get some rest, and one of the projects would hopefully make Duncan feel a little better.
His patience was constantly being tried when it came to Duncan, and he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out. Pierce longed to be able to touch his husband, to share a bed with him and hold him in the middle of the night. Instead, he was walking on eggshells and unsure how to approach Duncan. He couldn’t touch him. He was forced to sleep on the couch. And no matter how many times he made him meals or brought him flowers to cheer him up, it seemed as if he wasn’t ever doing the right thing.
Pierce wanted Duncan to be able to count on him for anything he needed, so it hurt his feelings when Duncan injured himself trying to walk to the shower. Duncan’s independence was one of the things Pierce loved about his husband, but considering he’d just been released from the hospital, the stunt he pulled was fucking stupid. Now he was hurt even more than when he’d come home and had pushed his recovery back even longer. How were they supposed to move forward as a couple if Duncan was stuck in his bed? And what if the bump on the head prolonged the process of getting his memory back?
The worry over Duncan being injured mixed with the stress of hospital bills and frustration over not being able to touch his husband, and it added up and started to take its toll. Lashing out on Duncan yesterday wasn’t supposed to happen, and seeing the hurt on his face made Pierce feel guilty, but hopefully after Duncan received his gift, he’d be a bit more understanding.
The gift had been time consuming to create—an intensive labor of love he hoped Duncan would appreciate. And hopefully, it’d help jog some of Duncan’s memory of their life together.
Exhaustion eluded Pierce as he worked hard to finish his present for Duncan, and by the time he was done, the sun was starting to peek through the tiny space between the curtains. He tidied up the table where he’d worked, and then climbed the stairs—gift in hand—to check on Duncan. Surely, he’d be waking soon and in need of the bathroom and breakfast.
Pierce pushed open the door gently and saw Duncan’s sleeping form on the bed, the blanket pulled tightly around him and tucked under his chin. Pierce’s body swayed forward with the desire to lie down beside him and line his body up with Duncan’s. He wanted to wrap his arms around Duncan’s waist; to pull Duncan’s body close to him and press his lips to Duncan’s neck so he could taste his skin.
One foot moved in front of the other before Pierce realized what he was doing. But by that time, he was hovering by the bed. All Pierce had to do was crawl under the covers to lie beside Duncan, and then he could hold him while he slept a little longer. Pierce moved to set his gift on the bedside table, but then, as if sensing he was in the room, Duncan began to stir. Pierce held his breath while he watched Duncan roll onto his other side and slowly blink his eyes open.
“Good morning,” Pierce said softly when the pale, blue eyes he loved locked on his.
“Morning,” he said through a yawn and stretched his arms over his head.
“How’d you sleep?”
“It felt like I passed out. The pain medication must be very strong.”
“I’m sure it is. Are you hungry?”
Duncan rubbed his eyes before he sat up and leaned against his pillows. Rather than look at Pierce, he adverted his gaze and stared down at his hands. “I’m fine.”
Pierce
pursed his lips and sat down on the bed beside Duncan. He reached out to touch Duncan’s arm, but when Duncan flinched away, he dropped his hand to his lap.
“I’m so sorry for how I acted yesterday, honey. I was out of line.”
“You were an asshole,” Duncan corrected.
Pierce’s eyes widened at Duncan’s blunt statement, and it took him a second to recover. “I was frustrated. Between you being hurt, and the bills piling up, and work, I’m just stressed, and I took it out on you. And for that, I apologize.”
“I was only trying to do a little bit more by myself, so you aren’t constantly waiting on me, and you treated me like a child you were reprimanding. I’m an adult.”
“I know you are. Seeing you passed out on the floor like that scared me to death. I thought the worst, and to know you were willing to cause yourself further injury just so you aren’t bothering me…it was upsetting.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Duncan mumbled.
“I know you didn’t. I understand what you were trying to do, and I appreciate it, but please, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call for me. I’m your husband, through thick and thin, and I want to help you.”
Duncan nodded before looking up at Pierce. “I’m sorry for not asking you for help.”
Pierce finally reached out and lightly placed his hand over Duncan’s. When Duncan didn’t flinch away, Pierce pressed down a little bit firmer. But rather than bask in the heat that traveled from Duncan’s hand to his own, he knew it was best to not give into the temptation. Not when Pierce was having to tread lightly when it came to him.
“Now that we’ve moved past yesterday, how about I help you to the bathroom so you can shower, and then I’ll get you some breakfast and let you see your gift?”
“Gift?” Duncan asked before looking at the bag on the table. “What is it?”
“You’ll find out after your shower.”
“Don’t you need some rest?”
“I’m okay for now. But the longer you put it off, the longer you’re putting off my sleep.”
Sinister Shadows Page 4
