Page 154 of Run
Ethan barks out a laugh, then winces and grabs his side. “Owwww. Oh shit!”
I push myself up and his hand drops from my face. “Sorry!”
He shakes his head slightly. I think he’s grinning, but it’s hard to tell because his face is so busted. “Don’t ever stop being you, Red.”
“Alright, I’ll leave you two alone. I know it’s been a long night.” Connie steps over to me and gingerly pulls me into a hug. “Thank you.”
“For what? Almost getting your son killed?”
“I didn’t almost die!” Ethan rushes out, then coughs.
“No.” Connie holds me tight. “For always being the light to my son’s darkness.” I give a sad smile because I don’t know what else to do. “Alright, I’ll be back later. Need anything?” She slings her purse over her shoulder.
“Yes, food. Lots of food.” Ethan rubs a circle over his stomach. “I’m not eating green Jell-O, I’ll tell you that right now.”
Connie smirks. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I return my gaze to Ethan as she leaves the room and see his arms outstretched toward me. “Come here.” I shuffle over to him and sit on the edge of his bed, on his uninjured side. “No, come here.” He tries to pull me down toward him, but I resist.
“No, Ethan, you had your side stitched up in two places. I can’t lay with you.”
“The hell you can’t.” He starts to push up into a sitting position.
“Stop it!” I break into a coughing fit.
“OK. OK,” he concedes. “Just let me look at you.” When I think I’m done coughing, I lean over him, placing one hand on either side of his body. He cups my face, turning it this way and that. “Anything broken?”
I shake my head in his hands, and he trails fingers down my arm, gently touching the stabilizer on my wrist. “It’s just a sprain.” He nods. I gingerly lay my upper body over his, and he lets out a breath as my head settles on his chest.
After a beat, I hear his hoarse voice again. “Is he dead?”
I nod against him.
“How do you feel about that?”
“He tried to kill you, Ethan. I’m glad he’s dead.”
His hands roam across my shoulders and back, and the back of my head. I know he wants to hold me closer and it’s killing him that he can’t, but tears are leaking out of my eyes and I don’t want him to see them.
“Ari, please lay with me. I know you’re crying.”
I shake my head against him. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ll do it.” My head snaps up at the sound of Fonz’s voice, and I see him striding over to us. I get up and pull out of Ethan’s grasp to let Fonz see his best friend for the first time tonight.
Fonz sits on the edge of the bed, swings his legs over, and slides right up against Ethan, who laughs—then winces and coughs—before bringing an arm up and around so Fonz can snuggle into his side. Fonz carefully drapes an arm and leg over Ethan the way I often do.
“Are you serious right now?” I bark as loudly as I can without hurting my throat.
“Mmhmm,” Fonz hums into Ethan’s chest. “He’s like a dog with anxiety. He needs one of those weighted blankets to feel safe.”
Ethan chuckles, then breaks into full laughter and coughs. “Hey, you had your chance, baby.” He glares at me with his good eye.
“One word, four syllables.” I hold up four fingers and dip them as I speak. “Co-de-pen-dent.”
“Yep,” both guys answer at the same time.
“Give me a break, Ari,” Fonz grumbles into Ethan’s chest. “You’re not the only one who loves this ogre.” At the sound of his voice breaking at the end, Ethan and I make wide eyes at each other. Well, Ethan makes one wide eye.
