Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Ash
Why did things always seem to go to shit at the worst possible time? He and Ker were embarking on a new relationship, and it seemed that fate was determined to keep them apart this week.
It started when Ash got to work on Monday morning. He and Hank were called in to their captain’s office to discuss a new case being assigned to them. It appeared to be related to a cold case that Hank had worked on a few years earlier, and it meant that not only did they need to follow up on some new leads, but they both needed to review the original case files to see if they could establish specific connections between both cases. And that all meant longer hours for the time being.
Then Ash got a text from Ker, saying that there were some issues with one of the projects he was overseeing, and he was stuck in more meetings than he cared to think about.
But they texted when they could and promised each other they’d get together again soon. At least the weekend was coming, when they could spend some time together Saturday at the community kitchen and then maybe hang out in the afternoon.
It was almost nine on Friday night when Ash got home, and after pulling a container of chili out of the freezer to heat up for dinner, he texted Ker to check in. When he didn’t get a response, he didn’t think much of it, just figuring that Ker had gotten in late and crashed just as Ash was planning to do as soon as he scarfed down his meal. He texted one last time, saying he’d see Ker in the morning, washed his bowl, and stumbled off to bed.
Ash parked in what he now thought of as his usual spot in the community kitchen’s parking lot. Walking into the facility’s back door, he saw Dean and Mack both working on food prep at one of the counters.
“Oh, good, you’re here.” Ash heard Joyce’s voice to his left. “Ker’s out sick, so I really need you today. Can you give Dean and Mack a hand, please?”
“Sure,” Ash replied. Fear crept into his gut. “What’s wrong with Ker?”
“He texted to say he was coming down with something and didn’t want to spread it to anyone else. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Ash nodded. Is he really sick, or is it something else? Ash remembered getting no response from Ker either last night or that morning. This didn’t feel right.
After lunch was served and everything had been cleaned up and put away, Ash begged off coffee with Mack and Dean. Instead, he drove to Ker’s house. Rather than get out, he sat in the driver’s seat, debating what to do. Should I knock on the door or text him first? Concern won out, and he got out and hurried to Ker’s front door, knocking loudly.
After a few moments, he heard fumbling, and the door opened. Ker was wearing a ratty gray T-shirt and plaid sleep pants with a hole in one knee. Scratching his belly, he croaked, “Hey, Ash, what are you doing here?” His hair was sticking up in random places, and despite sounding awful, he looked adorable.
“Sorry to come by unannounced, but Joyce said you weren’t feeling well, and I wanted to see how you are. Thought maybe you needed something from the store.” Ash wondered if he sounded as lame as he felt. Clearly Ker was ill and not high as he had feared might be the case.
“Or maybe you thought I scored some oxy and wasn’t quite sober enough to go to the shelter this morning?” Bitterness crept into Ker’s voice.
“Okay, I deserved that,” Ash admitted. “Yes, my first thought was that you might have taken something, but really, I was concerned about you. I did want to make sure you were okay. And if you do need something from the store, I’m happy to be your errand boy, Ker. I do care about you, you know.”
“Why, Ash? Why do you care? No one else in my life seems to. My parents don’t give a shit about me. Granted, Sharon cares about me, but she’s two hours away, and so most of the time, it’s outta sight, outta mind. I can’t say I blame her. Why should she be concerned about her druggie brother?”
“Hey. Stop that right now. I care because I think you’re a good person. I like you and want you in my life. I thought I made that clear last weekend. You can’t honestly tell me you didn’t feel something too. Talking shit about yourself isn’t gonna get rid of me. Now c’mon. Let me help you. What do you need from the store?”
“You’re absolutely right, I’m sorry. This week has really sucked, and getting sick on top of it isn’t helping,” Ker admitted, shame coloring his cheeks. He seemed to deflate, gazing down at his sock-clad feet before looking back up at Ash. “I didn’t mean to take it out on you. And yes, deep down I do know that you care. You’re probably the only person I can count on.”
It broke Ash’s heart to hear Ker talk like that, but now wasn’t the time to hash this out. It was more important to make sure Ker had what he needed to get better.
Ker rattled off a few items, like orange juice, Kleenex, and bread. “Lemme get you some money.” He turned away from the door.
Ash grabbed his arm. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you covered. Do you need anything else? Cold medicine?”
“Nah, I try to stay away from that stuff. Too easy to get hooked on the ones that make me sleepy. I’ve got some ibuprofen. That’s pretty much all I take.”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a few.”
“Hey, Ash,” Ker said quietly, “sorry I was such a dick to you earlier. I’m just not used to having someone care about me.”
“No worries. Just remember, I’m not going anywhere.”
When Ash returned about a half hour later, he put away the food in Ker’s kitchen and handed him a package. “I stopped at a CVS and spoke to the pharmacist; this doesn’t contain any alcohol or other habit-forming drugs. It should help relieve some of the congestion so you can rest.”
“Thank you. I can’t believe you did that. You really do care about me.” Ker’s shoulders dropped, and the muscles in his face visibly relaxed. Until that moment, Ash hadn’t realized how tense Ker had been.
“Of course, I care, sweetie. I’d hug you, except I really don’t wanna get whatever you have.” He grinned sheepishly. “On that note, I’ll say goodbye and remind you that if you need anything—anything at all—I’m just a phone call or text away.”
As Ash drove home, he thought about everything that had transpired at Ker’s house. Yes, he had been wrong to assume that Ker might have used something, but he had also seen how vulnerable and defensive Ker had gotten. They would need to talk about that at some point. Ash didn’t like how negative Ker could get about himself. Ker needed to realize that he was a good person and worthy of someone’s love.
Wait, love? Where did that come from? Was Ash starting to fall in love with Ker?