What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

Laine’s other eye opened and before Sev knew what was what, he was grabbed and rolled onto his back, with Laine on top of him. He grunted, Laine about squashing the daylights out of him. Laine propped himself up on his elbows and gave Sev a stern look.

“You made me say Grace.”

Sev strived for his most innocent expression. It wasn’t one he was very familiar with. “Well, I thought with you claiming you were going to be the big strong man in the next life, Grace should be your responsibility.”

“Aw, shit,” Laine mumbled, “you aren’t ever going to forget that, are you?”

“Probably not,” Sev conceded. “It’s too much fun to tease you about it.”

Laine grinned, which caused Sev’s entire body to tingle. Too bad he thought he’d puke if he and Laine got down and dirty. “Next time Alma cooks I am not going to eat so much.”

“Me neither.” Laine dropped a quick kiss on his lips then rolled off Sev and flopped onto his back. He slung an arm over his eyes. “You know we’re both lying?”

“Yeah. Alma promised us chicken enchiladas tomorrow.”

“I’m not eating a thing until then,” Laine promised, then apparently reconsidered. “Or, I will, so I’m not starving by the time I get home. Got to be able to do more than waddle after dinner since that Wiccan ceremony is tomorrow night.”

“What time?” Sev perked up a little. The ceremony sounded…interesting.

Laine lifted his arm up enough to peer at him. “What time do you think? They want to get it started at midnight, on the dot.”

He should have known. “Of course. Well, I still want to go. I wonder if Alma will let Rogelio go?”

Laine took his arm away from his face completely and turned his head toward Sev. “Is he gay?”

Sev wasn’t surprised at Laine’s blunt question. Rogelio had all but drooled every time the kid looked at Laine. “Ya think? He’s having a hard time with it, though, and I suspect him being gay is a big part of why Alma and Roger cut ties with our parents. They’d insist Rogelio be sent to one of those scared-straight camps.”

“Idiots.” Laine glared up at the light for a second. “Weren’t you the last one in bed?”

The last one was supposed to turn the overhead light off. “Yeah, but I wanted to be able to see you clearly while you told me about your day. I’ve been waiting all evening to hear about your visit to Miriam. Well, I’ve been waiting ever since you texted me and told me you were going. So what did she say?”

Sev listened while Laine talked. He couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope that the High Priestess would be able to bring the spirits back. Then Laine’s voice went low and soft, hesitant, which was so unlike him Sev’s senses went on alert.

He rolled to his side and propped his head up on one fist, but he didn’t interrupt, not once, while Laine told him about Chris and Miriam helping him to let go of some of the burdens he’d carried for so long. A small part of him wanted to be jealous that Chris and Miriam had managed to do what Sev hadn’t, but he ignored that petty little bitch in him.

Instead, he let the waves of joy roll over him as he took in Laine’s relaxed pose, the relief evident on his rough, handsome features. Then he held Laine as the man quietly broke down, years of guilt streaming free with every tear.

* * * *

A godawful racket woke Laine from a sound sleep. He sat up, Sev grumbling beside him, and felt around the night stand for his cell phone. Prying his heavy lids open was asking a tad too much just yet. His hand slapped the cell and he scrambled to keep from knocking the stupid thing to the floor. Folding his stiff fingers around the phone, he forced an eye open and cursed when the number was blurry.

Both eyes open wasn’t much better, but Laine found the right button to push and if he was a little growly when he answered, who could blame him? It was dark-fucking-thirty in the middle of the night.

Miriam’s voice penetrated his sleep-fuzzed brain and Laine sat up further. He turned the lamp on then took Sev’s shoulder and shook gently. Then not so gently. “Miriam, can you hang on a minute? I want to wake Sev up and put you on speaker so he can hear this.”

Miriam agreed and Laine set the phone on the night stand. He shook Sev a little harder and was rewarded with a hard slap to his arm. “Shhtopit.”

Even though he was nervous about what Miriam had to say, Laine couldn’t hold back a grin. Sev was so adorable when he was all sleepy and rumpled and grumpy. Not mad—then Sev was downright scary, but grumpy was just cute.

Laine bent and placed his lips against Sev’s ear and hoped to hell he didn’t get smacked upside the head. “Wake up, sweetheart. Miriam’s calling about what she found out.”

That got Sev awake in record time. He set up so fast his shoulder clipped Laine’s lip. Laine tasted blood and slapped his hand over the wounded part. Obviously he was getting too old and slow. He should have been able to dodge that hit.

Sev looked at him and frowned. “What happened?”

Laine rolled his eyes. “Talk to Miriam while I get a wet washcloth.” If Sev didn’t realize he’d clocked Laine, Laine wasn’t going to tell him. Although, maybe he should. It might get Sev over that whole man-woman crap Laine had so stupidly spewed in jest.

When Laine came back from the bathroom, Sev was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs dangling off the side of the bed. He stopped mid-sentence in his conversation to Miriam and blanched when he looked at Laine.

Laine wished he’d been able to stop the bleeding but