Page 52 of His Worst Crime

“Better, I think. Stuff’s starting to come back.” His eyes met Ramon’s in an earnest appeal. “I was… you have to know… I was coming back to Barcelona when it happened. I was going to confess… I couldn’t—“

“Shhh,” Ramon soothed. “Don’t talk about that now. You need to focus on getting better first.”

“No, I’m feeling fine,” David insisted. “And I want you to know I was coming back to turn myself in.”

“No need for that anymore, Davey.”

“Yeah, our Dad told me that our Owen fessed up. What’s that about?”

“In the end, he didn’t want his brother doing time for his stupidity. He’s trying to make amends.”

“Wonders never cease.”

“Do you remember anything about the accident?” He immediately regretted asking it. The last thing he wanted was for Davey to get stressed about it again.

“I remember getting into the lorry. The whole rig stank of cognac. I don’t remember anything after that.”

“I’m so glad you’re OK. But don’t think about it anymore. Try and rest. We’ll have time…”

David looked down to where their hands were clasped together on the bedclothes.

“I didn’t think I’d see you anymore,” he said. “Seeing you drive off from that gas station, I… you know when you realize you’ve made the biggest mistake of your life, and you’re never going to be able to fix it. It was as if instead of Owen, it was me who’d committed a crime, the worst of my life. And I was never going to be able to see you again. After that, I just knew I had to come back, even if it meant going to prison, I had to at least make the attempt. I felt like the worst guy on Earth, Ramon…”

“You aren’t a bad person, Davey, of course you’re not. You were covering for your brother, taking the rap for him. He didn’t deserve that sacrifice from you. At least he finally stepped forward and took the blame. You shouldn’t have tried to go down for him.”

“We’d lost our Mam. Our Dad was drinking. How else was I going to keep the family together?”

“Not by taking the rap for a crime you didn’t do.”

“Maybe you’re right. But I thought, at least our Owen and our Dad could carry on, maybe keep Ravenscragg out of the hands of the banks. Mind you, they’ve always been at each other’s throats their whole lives.”

“It’s over, anyway. All you have to focus on is getting better now.”

But Davey was still looking at him with big anxious eyes.

But I was lying to you, the whole time since we met… even my name: it’s Howard, not Cooke—“

“I know, I know, don’t worry about that now, Davey, I don’t care about that.”

“But it was what always stopped us, made me have to leave. I couldn’t be honest with you, and it was killing me… and to Carme too. She probably hates me, for leaving like that, the way I did. And lying and everything.”

“Well, we both suspected you had secrets. Carme and I… we knew something was off… but it was clear you were a good person at heart. Otherwise she wouldn’t have hired you. I’ll get her to come in and tell you herself. She’ll be thrilled to hear you’ve woken up.”

“Embarrassing… I’ve lied to so many people… I’m so sorry about that. And leaving Boira halfway through her breaking in… I’m sorry, Ramon, I’m so sorry. Tell Carme I’m really sorry—“

Ramon saw he was getting agitated and could think of no other way to shut him up, so he leaned in and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. And for a second or two Davey still struggled to speak. Then he gave in, and his lips softened, responding to Ramon’s, parting slightly at the pressure of Ramon’s tongue. Ramon gripped his head with both hands as his tongue forced its way urgently between Davey’s lips. Davey’s tongue came out to meet it, and they kissed deeply, their tongues entwining in a slow sensual dance. For a long time they stayed that way, gently savoring the taste of the other, enjoying the present moment without thinking about the future or past. Ramon’s hands were in Davey’s hair, cradling his scalp, his fingers caressing his locks. Davey raised his hands from the covers, coming into contact with Ramon’s torso through his polo shirt, and gently tracing it. His right index finger was still attached to a pulse oximeter, but his left slipped under the hem, exploring Ramon’s taut stomach muscles dusted with their thick dark hair, and gently grazing his nipples. Ramon moaned, dropping one hand from Davey’s face straight down onto his sex beneath the hospital gown. He found Davey’s thick cock full mast, straining up through the bedclothes.

“Carai, someone’s recovered fast.”

Davey just smiled through their kiss, and the hand free of the oximeter dropped to explore Ramon’s crotch. His dick was also hard, straining against his jeans.

“Makes two of us.”

“I’ve been like this ever since I last touched you, every time I think of you, since before I left you… back at that gas station.”

Wrong thing to have said, maybe. But Davey didn’t seem to have noticed. His left hand was rubbing Ramon’s paquet urgently. Then they both heard Mariona and Saïd in conversation, coming their way, and Ramon remembered that Davey’s father was seated just outside the room.

“Merda! To be continued,“ he grumbled, trying to adjust his erection so that it was less obvious.