“So comfy,” Jom said as he rolled around, pulling at my blanket. It was practically suffocating, having two guys as big as water buffaloes squeeze onto the same bed. It felt completely cramped. We were in each other’s way, and he kept rolling around and bumping into me. I tried to ignore my discomfort for a while but eventually I couldn’t take it anymore.
Thwack!
“Ow!” Jom yelped, and rolled off the bed. I kicked at his hip as hard as I could, wanting him out of my sight. Pete and Tem howled with laughter.
“What’d you kick me off for?! That hurt like hell!” Jom turned his head to yell at me from the floor, painfully holding onto his butt.
“You’re annoying me!” I shouted back.
Jom pointed at me and grinned. “You didn’t seem to mind when it was Kinn! Is it because—”
“Bastard! Get out! I’m trying to sleep!” I quickly burrowed into my blanket, but he wouldn’t stop making fun of me. Kinn annoyed me, too, but he’s not as annoying as Jom! Shit! I didn’t know why, but when Jom lay down next to me, it felt utterly unbearable—but with Kinn, I hadn’t felt the same discomfort. It was kind of nice, actually.
Click! I heard the door open, pissing me off further. Who the hell are all these people visiting me?!
“P’Time, you come in first,” Tem called. P’Time was Kinn’s friend—what the hell was he doing here?!
“Kinn told me to bring these desserts over for Porsche…here.” I heard P’Time set a plate on the bedside table, but I didn’t bother emerging from my blanket to look.
“Say thank you,” Pete told me, nudging at my back.
“I don’t want it!” I said harshly.
“Oh, P’Time, did you ask P’Kinn why my friend here was in his room?” Tem chuckled. That insolent little shit!
“Why do you want to know?!” I flipped the blanket over and turned to aim my foot at Tem’s face until he moved away. P’Time glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and smirked.
“I didn’t ask, but I have an idea,” he said.
“Get out! I’m going back to sleep!” I burrowed back under the blanket. Fuck! What did they think they saw between me and Kinn?! It was like the more I talked, the more they teased me. And Tem, why are you acting all friendly with Time, talking like you’re so fucking close—it’s annoying to look at!
“Don’t forget to eat your dessert, or else my friend will be disappointed in you,” P’Time said cheerfully.
I heard the door close, so I got up and out from under the blanket again. “Why are you being so friendly to him?” I asked Tem.
“What? We keep bumping into each other. Plus, I have way better social skills than you,” Tem said. He walked over to look at the desserts on the plate, his eyes shining. “Those look amazing.”
I looked over at the desserts. There were choux cream puffs along with a large slice of cheesecake arranged neatly on the plate.
“You want some? I’ll get you a spoon,” Jom said, coming over to look at the desserts in Tem’s hand.
“No!” I shouted.
“Then we’ll eat it. Come on, Pete.” They passed out the spoons and dug in with gusto, especially Tem, who looked almost euphoric. I couldn’t help but wonder if Kinn was really the one who’d sent us these desserts. He wasn’t usually this generous—when had he ever shared anything with me? He’d reprimand me just for moving a little, so why would he suddenly send all this over? Or was the Kinn I saw in the forest still there and the normal Kinn had yet to return?
“Give me one,” I said hesitantly. Pete looked up with a smile and carefully placed a piece of cheesecake and a cream puff onto a plate. He moved the overbed table over and put the plate in front of me.
“With love and care, from Mr. Kinn,” Pete said, smiling. I flipped him off before picking up a spoon and eating. It was tasty. I was one of those guys that liked dessert—any dessert, even if it wasn’t necessarily my favorite, like those chocolates in Kinn’s room. At first they tasted kind of strange, but after a while, I’d developed a taste for them. Plus, I’d been sneaking them quite often. If Kinn found out, he’d chew my head off.
“Eating and smiling to yourself… Are you in love?” Tem asked, spoon still in his mouth. I frowned. What was I even smiling about? What’s wrong with you, Porsche?!
“The dessert and the man who gifted it—which is sweeter?” Pete asked. I threw the TV remote at his head. “Ow! Don’t be so violent, I’m just teasing you!”
“Bastard! Give me my medicine, I’m going to sleep.” I ate the last of my cake and took a sip of water. Pete passed me the medicine, which I quickly knocked back before reclining on the bed. I didn’t lie flat, though, or else I’d get heartburn. No matter how much I wanted to burrow completely into my blankets and hide from their prying stares, I couldn’t.
I sat there unhappily, watching the TV and trying to make sense of it, but my mind kept coming back to what happened this morning. I ended up just staring blankly ahead while everyone whispered and laughed at my bedside. I tried to not pay attention, attempting to understand the show on the screen—it was some kind of rap contest.
Click! The door opened again.
Oh, come on! Who were all these people visiting me?! Did they want me to get better or worse?