Page 27 of Sun, Sea and Spotted Squid

He drew away and left. Outside, the tears came hard and fast.

The next morning, Sam’s phone vibrated.

“Hello?”

“Sam? It’s Wolfgang.”

Sam sat bolt upright. “How are you?”

“I am fine. Better after sleep. I wondered if you are at home.”

“I am. Ruben said not to come in today.”

“That’s good. I will be there in an hour. I left my keys on the boat.”

“Do you need me to come get you?”

Wolfgang laughed. “No. You saved my life. I think you deserve to stay in bed.”

Sam didn’t stay in bed. He got up immediately.

The night before, he had bought items from a department store: cushions, pillows, flowers, bottled water, and even a ridiculous copper lizard. He placed everything carefully in Wolfgang’s room, trying to make it homely.

Nerves hit him as he finished. Wolfgang might not even remember what had been said.

The buzzer rang. Sam ran downstairs. Wolfgang stood there, heavily bandaged and still infuriatingly attractive.

“Come in,” Sam said quickly.

“Look at the fucking state of me,” Wolfgang said. He had on a Hawaiian shirt that clung to his muscular body and a pair of suit trousers that had seen better days. “Lost property. They cut me out of the wetsuit.”

Once upstairs, Wolfgang stopped in the doorway. “Did you do this?”

“Yes,” Sam said defensively. “And don’t complain about me going into your room.”

Instead of being angry, Wolfgang stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “For everything.”

They pulled apart.

“You can keep the lizard,” Sam said, trying to lighten the moment.

Wolfgang smirked. “Thank you. I think.”

They sat on the bed.

“I need to talk to you,” Wolfgang said.

Sam’s stomach tightened.

“I said something yesterday,” Wolfgang continued.

“You were out of it,” Sam said quickly. “You don’t need to explain.”

“I do,” Wolfgang said. “I need to tell you why I have been like this around you.”

Sam exhaled, bracing himself.