Page 76 of If the World Was Ending

Hunter’s mom… Shit. Colby hauled himself to a sitting position. He started to crawl toward the bed and his phone, then he stood up and stumbled there. He plugged in his phone and reached for the half-empty water bottle on the nightstand. Hunter had watched Colby puke, got him to drink water, and stayed on the phone with him until he passed out. His mother was sick, and he was there for Colby.

His phone was still too dead to use, so he dragged himself into the shower and cleaned up. By the time he was back, wrapped in a towel with the hotel robe hanging off his shoulders, the phone had enough juice to power up. He immediately sent a text to Hunter.

Hey. How are you?

Hunter

Probably better than you. Glad you’re alive.

Colby smiled.

Hungover AF but breathing. I’m really sorry about your mom. You gonna be ok?

Hunter

Depends on the outcome, I guess. But right now, better than I was. Thanks to you.

Colby stared at that text. He hoped they really were going to figure out how to be friends, but he was worried. If he were back in the same place with Hunter, like when the tour was over and they were back to living together, would he still be able to control the urge to do things that went far beyond friendship? He was attracted to Hunter, full stop. And that attraction felt uncontrollable when they were together. That was a big scary problem.

Hunter

Listen…. I know what I said last night and I meant it. We are friends. All good.

But…?

Hunter

But I’m staying here, with my mom, for a while. Indefinitely.

That made sense. That didn’t feel like a contradiction.

Yeah of course.

Hunter

I might have to let the apartment go.

There was the other shoe dropping. Colby immediately felt like it was a personal attack, but he tried to talk himself out of it. Hunter still wasn’t booking constant work, and if his mom was sick, he’d be in Montreal, not auditioning, which meant not working. Paying money for a place he wasn’t living in, when he wasn’t working…

I can transfer you three months rent right now. In full.

He had the cash. It would make things a little tight, but he could do it and still manage. Mostly everything was paid for on the road by the label. If he did this, the apartment would stay theirs for a little bit longer. No one would have to move out.

Hunter

I can’t ask you to do that.

You didn’t ask. Look, if things work out, you can pay more later. Ok?

There were bubbles, then nothing, then bubbles, then nothing.

There was a knock on Colby’s door. He got up and glanced through the peephole. It was Hannah. He opened the door and motioned for her to come in. She shook her head.

“We’re supposed to sightsee together, remember?” Hannah said. “Hope we get people asking for selfies or making videos of us without our knowledge.”

“Right. Fuck.” Colby’s headache was back. “Let me get dressed.”

“Meet you in the lobby.” She turned and headed down the hall.