CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER twenty-seven
David woke up the next day to sunlight streaming through the open windows of his and Noah’s hotel room. He squinted into the light and looked for Noah beside him, but the bed was empty. David furrowed his brow, racking his brain for some kind of memory that would help him place where his boyfriend had gone.
Fuck, what time was it?
They’d spent the afternoon with Caroline’s friends and went to dinner in the evening, but David had carefully avoided eating anything more than the iceberg lettuce wedge that the restaurant was trying to call a salad.
He grabbed his phone to check for any new texts, but there were only a few messages from Caroline reminding him that they had to be at the venue at six.
“Noah?” he called.
Noah appeared in the room adjacent to their bedroom suite, shirtless, with his phone pressed to his ear. He smiled and gave David a wave, the epitome of early morning handsomeness. David couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he took a moment to soak in the way the sun illuminated the planes of muscle that made up Noah’s abs and highlighted the tattoos on his arm and chest. David couldn’t wait until they were married and he could call that man his husband.
He pulled off the comforter, shivering against the cold air that ran over his naked body when he did so. Damn. He’d slept through the chance at waking up next to Noah naked beside him.
David stepped into the bathroom to brush his teeth, keenly aware of his ribs barely showing and his collarbones still mostly hidden by his stupid shoulder fat. He shaved in relative silence as Noah continued his conversation in the other room, and then he stole some of Noah’s moisturizer. He wanted to look a bit more alive for the party, and he’d read somewhere that dark circles were caused by dehydration.
He opted to change into one of Noah’s shirts, a worn-out Mid-Ohio tee that smelled like Noah’s laundry. David smiled at the scent as he hopped into a pair of black pants. He wished he could wear sweats all the time, but Parisians would probably burn him at the stake if he walked outside of the hotel in them.
“Morning,” Noah said as he entered the bedroom.
The hair on the back of David’s neck rose in the pause that followed. He turned to his boyfriend as Noah yawned and sat down on the edge of the bed.
He was faking nonchalance. David didn’t know how he knew, but he could sense it.
“Good morning,” David said warily. He plopped down on the bed beside him and leaned in for a kiss. Noah accepted it—he tasted like a croissant. “Who were you talking to?”
“Hugh,” Noah said.
David waited for more, but Noah merely thumbed his jaw instead. “Okay. And what did Hugh have to say?”
“It’s not important right now.”
“I think it is, especially if you aren’t telling me,” David said, gently pushing Noah’s hand away from his face. “I’m going to make things up if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
Hugh never came with good news. Even if it sounded like good news, there was always some kind of twist with him.
Noah’s shoulders sank, and his Winged Victory tattoo flapped its wings with the movement. “Two things: One, your dad is in France.”
David blinked, flashing back to the memory of Klaus standing across the street. He’d decided not to say anything so that Caroline didn’t worry. Klaus wasn’t after her—he knew Caroline’s father had the French police under his thumb. He also hadn’t wanted Noah to worry, so he didn’t say anything to him either.
“How do you know?” David asked, playing it cool.
“I asked Caroline for the security team’s contact info and checked in with them to see if they had any updates. One of the guys caught Klaus at a collectible stamp store down the block from the venue yesterday. They have photo confirmation that it was him.”
David swallowed. He hoped they hadn’t seen his mishap at the flower stand. “I didn’t realize security was already on the lookout.”
Noah shrugged. “Yeah, well. I wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. I reckon this is, like, the perfect place and time to stir some shit.”
“So what happens now?” David asked.
Noah’s eyes filled with sorrow. David’s stomach twisted, wringing itself so hard that the pain traveled through his whole body.
“We can’t cancel,” David said, shaking his head. “Noah, I will not cancel this. I can’t do that to Caroline.”
Noah took his hand. “We’re not canceling. Security will take care of Klaus if he so much as breathes near this party.”
David let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Does Caroline know?”
“I’m sure her father does,” Noah said. “I’ll call him later.”
“No, I will. This is my mess,” David said. He had to take responsibility for his family. “Are your parents here yet? Do we need to tell them?”
“I called them while you were sleeping,” Noah said. “They’re in Normandy right now. I’m having a car pick them up later to drive them straight to the party. They were going to take the train, but I don’t want them somewhere so crowded, just in case.”
David nodded. “That’s a good idea. I can pay for it. It’s the least I can do.”
Noah kissed the back of his hand. “Babe, don’t. I’ve got it covered.”
David knew better than to start a fight about this. They pretty much had a joint bank account at this point, anyway. “So, why did Hugh call?”
“I called him,” Noah said flatly, and David’s blood turned cold.
“Oh. Why?”
Noah looked down at their hands. David followed his gaze and tried not to feel disgust at the sight of his chewed-up thumb next to Noah’s olive skin. Little red marks dotted the skin around David’s thumbnail like fucked-up beacons of hunger.
“I’ve been trying my absolute best to take care of you,” Noah said.
Fuck. David knew where this was going.
“You’ve been taking care of me, Noah,” David said, leaning into him. “Better than anyone has, ever.”
Silence wedged between them. David’s heart sank, and he found himself bracing for the worst.
I want to be with someone else. I’m tired of doing everything. I don’t want to be a parent. All real possibilities, and ones David wouldn’t blame Noah for thinking.
“Your last check-up with Pratik wasn’t good,” Noah said, so quietly that David almost didn’t hear him. “The Formula America medical staff are worried. They’re thinking about putting you on probation for the next race in Iowa.”
“What?” David struggled to comprehend. “What do you mean?”
Noah wouldn’t look at him. “They don’t think it’s safe for you to drive right now. And if you don’t show progress, I don’t think you’re driving in Portland either. It’s not confirmed yet, but these things take time to fix.”
The words slid into the nothingness that had been pressing in for weeks.
“I’m doing everything Hugh and Kyle asked,” David growled. His throat ached around the words.
Noah flinched. “David, this is because of Kyle and Hugh. This is because you need treatment for your eating disorder.”
“ What? ” David spat. Eating disorder? That made it sound like he had a fucking disease.
“Pratik has threatened to file a motion with the Sporting Regulations Committee if Oxbow doesn’t start taking care of you,” Noah said softly. “You’re very, very sick, David. It’s worse than I thought.”
“I am not,” David snarled. Fucking Pratik. He was probably doing this out of an alliance with Jacob to give him an advantage. “I’m perfectly safe to drive, Noah. Tell them that. Call Hugh back and tell him that!”
“I’m looking out for you,” Noah said. “I thought I could convince you myself to get better, but it hasn’t worked. Every minute you’re not in treatment, you’re getting closer to…”
David made a face. “Dying? Are you serious? You think I’m dying?”
Noah’s lashes hung low over his eyes. David had seen that look before, back when Noah found out he wouldn’t be racing for Cobalt anytime soon. “I can’t name one real meal you’ve eaten since we got here.”
“What? We sat next to each other at dinner last night!”
“Yeah. A wedge salad isn’t a meal, babe,” Noah murmured.
“Then let’s have lunch,” David said, pulling his hand free to stand up. “Come on. Let’s go get something.” He would show Noah the reality—he was healthy. He was getting healthier every day.
“David—”
“No, come on,” David said. “I’ll eat whatever you want me to eat, and I won’t throw up. I promise you. I swear on our relationship.”
Noah winced, but David had nothing better in his life to swear on. His dad wanted to kill him, his mother wanted nothing to do with him, and his career wasn’t worth much, apparently. He was not going to let Hugh replace him. He couldn’t even think of a driver capable of replacing him except the one sitting in this room with him.
David grabbed his wallet from the dresser and headed out into the suite to grab his shoes. Noah followed him, but David shrugged him off when he tried to touch him.
“I love you,” Noah said into the stillness of their living space. David plopped down on the ground and pulled on his socks.
“I love you, too,” David said. He paused to look up into the eyes he dreamed about every night. “And it’s because I love you that I’m going to eat all this fucking food today, okay? Only because I love you.”
Noah sank to his knees in front of him. David went still as Noah leaned in and pressed a kiss to his temple.
“Don’t do that,” David muttered. He tried to tie his shoes, but his fingers were shaking too much. “I’m not dying. I’m not fucking dying—I think I would know.”
Noah gently took hold of his shoelaces, and David released his grip, sucking down a breath. His chest pressed into his legs and he felt the dips and waves of his ribcage against his thigh. He watched without seeing as Noah tied his laces for him, gentle and sure in his movements.
I would know , David thought with a hard swallow. I can’t die without my own fucking consent.