Page 75 of Dream
“In Romford? You need to get outmore.”
“Don’t be a dick.” Angelo poked his tongue out. “I want to ask you something,actually.”
Clearly intrigued, Dylan grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. “Not gonna propose, are you? Because I’ve already told you I’m not a marriage kind ofbloke.”
Angelo snorted. “You and meboth.”
It was true. On one of the many nights they’d sat up battling the evil tag team of Dylan’s insomnia and the spasms in Angelo’s muscles, they’d talked about anything and everything, learning what made the other tick, and solidifying their bond until it was absolute. They were different men, but their dreams were thesame.
“Actually,” Angelo went on. “I was going to ask you if you’d be my student for the day on Wednesday. I know it’s your last day off before your new job, but it’s my first assessment and I’m freaking out abit.”
Understatement. Freaking out wasn’t Angelo’s usual style, but Dylan wasn’t the only one with new employment prospects. Angelo’s ME-specific physio had panned out so well that Harry had suggested he retrain as a graded exercise therapist. In a moment of madness, he’d agreed and was now three months deep into his firstyear.
Dylan nudged Angelo with his shoulder. “Of course I’ll be your student for the day. I don’t know what you’re fretting for, though. I know you don’t like peopleing, but you’re an amazing teacher. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to bend my legs behind my head like I did justnow.”
Angelo chuckled. “You’re a quicklearner.”
Dylan laughed too, but the ever-present shrewdness in his gaze told Angelo that he’d seen right through him. “They’ll give you another date if you’re not up to working thatday.”
“Yeah, but what’s the point in that? If I can’t get myself healthy enough to go to work, how can I help anyoneelse?”
“By showing them that it’s okay to have bad days. You know that exercise therapy isn’t a blanket treatment. It’s helped you massively, but it doesn’t work for everyone?—and it doesn’t work all the time. That’s what Harry tells you, and that’s what you’d tell your patients,right?”
“I s’poseso.”
“Youknowso.” Dylan knocked Angelo’s shoulder again. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Besides, you have just as much chance of having an amazing day. Like today. Did I tell you that I love youyet?”
And just like that, the malaise clouding Angelo’s mind cleared. Despite their surroundings and lingering heat of their playtime encounter, Dylan’s gaze seemed innocent and pure, and Angelo lost himself in the smile that had turned his life upside down for the better. “I wanna get into bed withyou.”
Dylan held out his hand. “Then we’d better gohome.”
“Okay, butDylan?”
“Yeah?”
“I love youtoo.”
THEEND
