Suzanne Young - The Treatment

“Dead,” James finishes for me.

Realm ignores him, still looking at me with a sort of reverence. “So you’re happy to see me?” he asks, as if he’s scared of the answer.

“Yes. What kind of question is that?”

He smiles, dropping his hand. “Of course. You didn’t take it.”

My expression falters when he mentions the pill. Realm doesn’t know I told James about it. He doesn’t know we’ve kept it secret from the others. Dallas slams the cabinet door under the sink, and my heart jumps. When I look up, she’s walking over with a small box in her hand, focused on Realm, and I relax.

“Hey, blondie,” she says with a big grin. “Was wondering when you’d get here. I picked this up for you earlier.” She slaps a box of hair dye against his chest. “I’ve always liked you better as a brunette anyway.”

Realms smiles at her, something affectionate and familiar. “Thank you, Dal.”

She shrugs as if it was nothing, grabs a kitchen chair, and spins around to sit on it backward. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on us,” she says teasingly to Realm. “Have you gotten my messages?”

“I apologize,” he tells her. “But yes, I got them. That’s how I found you, actually. We shouldn’t stay here. We’ll need another safe house.”

“Working on it,” Cas says, getting up to grab a backpack from the closet. “Didn’t expect you for another week at least.” They exchange a look before Cas tosses the pack in Realm’s direction. Realm immediately opens it, sorting through its contents. “We’ve found a basement apartment,” Cas continues, “but I don’t think it’s a good choice. Not enough exits.”

“Keep looking,” Realm says, taking out a cell phone. “This clean?” he asks.

“Just got it today. Why?” Cas smiles. “You want to order a pizza?”

“I need to call Anna and thank her. Let her know I’m okay.”

Anna, Realm’s sister, is the one who told us to run, gave us a car and some money. She helped us get away before The Program could catch us. And she did it all just because her brother asked her to.

“Tell her thanks from me, too,” I say, reaching to touch Realm’s arm. He flinches but then looks down at where my hand is on him. He seems a little lost, and I want to ask him where he’s been all these weeks, but I don’t. Not yet.

“I’ll tell her,” he replies.

“Hey, Realm,” Cas says. “I’ll drop your stuff in my room. I think I’d rather sleep on the couch anyway. Place is getting a bit claustrophobic.” He gives Realm a fist bump before leaving.

Michael Realm smiles at me, somewhat sheepishly, and then he dials a number on the phone and walks into the living room. I stand, looking after him, and when I hear him choke out a cry, promising he’s okay, there’s a familiar warmth for him. I like how he cares about his sister. He reminds me of Brady.

“I’ll be upstairs,” James mumbles, and leaves. His file is still spread open on the table, but I know he’s distraught. Realm is his insecurity, and I was jerk for not being more sensitive to it. I glance at Dallas, who is leaning her elbows on the back of her chair, looking self-righteous.

“A boyfriend and a lover?” she asks. “Would have never thought you the type.”

“Shut up,” I reply, although I feel my cheeks redden. Then, with my pulse still racing from Realm’s return, I hurry up the stairs toward James.

THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING ON the landing leading to the bedrooms. I expect James to be jealous, angry—instead I find him in the chair at the window, staring out at the street. Looking so lonely.

I’m such an idiot. “James . . .”

“He’s your friend,” he says, keeping his eyes trained outside. “I get it. I’m even glad he’s not dead.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Which part?” He turns then, the dim light making his normally crystal-blue eyes darker. I cross the room and sit on the bed, pulling my legs under me as I watch him. James isn’t pouting, exactly. He just seems hurt, and maybe a little confused. “What can I do?” I ask.

It’s quiet at first, and then James lowers his head. “What does he want?” he asks. He looks up and his face is absolutely miserable. “Why is he helping you like this?”

“Realm?”

“Yeah. Why does he keep risking his life for you?”

I shrug, but I know the answer. Realm is in love with me, even if I don’t feel the same way about him. But my nonresponse does little to console James.

“There’s something I need to know,” he says, “although I might not like the answer.”

“Oh God. What?”

“That night . . . the night we argued and you went to Realm’s house? What happened between you two exactly?”

“Does it matter now?”

James exhales, leaning back in the chair like he’s exhausted. “A little.”

“We didn’t sleep together.”

He closes his eyes. “The fact that you jumped immediately to that as your defense isn’t comforting.”

“I was upset.”

“You kissed him.”

I nod, feeling ashamed. James and I weren’t even a couple, but I knew how I felt about him. My hookup with Realm was completely reactionary.

“And more?” James asks.

I nod again, and I look out the window at the tree branches as they sway in the wind. I think I can actually hear the sound of James’s heart breaking.

“Did you touch it?”

“Touch what?”

“It.”

I laugh and shake my head. “No. No, I did not.”

“Did he touch yours?”

“James!”

“Did he? I’m trying to get a handle on what ‘and more’ means.”

“No.” I stand up and walk to his chair. “James, no. He didn’t . . . do that.”

“How about those?” He points to my chest. He must see my expression change because he nods. “So he got to second base.”

“Really, James? Second base?”

He turns away from me. “I don’t blame him,” he murmurs. “They’re nice.”

“Thanks.”

“Besides, it was my fault anyway. I was an asshole. I practically gave you to him.” And although he’s trying to sound like he’s being reasonable, a tear spills over onto his cheek and he wipes it quickly so he thinks I won’t notice.

I drape my arms over his shoulders, and he turns his cheek against my shirt, his hands on my hips. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, wishing I could take away the betrayal he must feel. “Realm knew I wasn’t into it. He knew I was nuts for you.”

James sniffles and pulls back enough to look up at me with a small smile. “You didn’t like it?” he asks.

“No.”

“Because you love me?”

“Yes.”

“And you won’t kiss him again?”

I smile. “Never.”

He licks his lips. “But you’ll kiss me now?”

I answer by bringing my mouth to his, kissing him softly. He’s slow to respond, his body tense. I can feel his arms shaking as he wraps them around me. He’s all raw nerve endings, and then James, my James, practically collapses and cries into my hair, saying how sorry he is for almost losing me.

I go downstairs for dinner as James runs to the store for supplies with Cas, opting to skip the meal. Really I think he’s avoiding Realm, but at the moment—considering what we’d talked about earlier—that’s probably a good idea.

I make it into the kitchen and Dallas is the only one there, frying up something that smells like charcoal in a pan. When she notices me, she shrugs. “I burn everything.” She lifts the pan. “Chicken?”

“Uh . . .” I peek into the skillet and shake my head. “No, thanks. Do we have any mac ’n’ cheese left? James isn’t cooking for us tonight.”