Chapter 10

What would it take to get us to that point?

Who’s he kidding? It’s taken him this long to just build up the courage to invite Jim in. By the time he gets around to asking the man to stay the night, one or both of them will probably be too old to be any good in the sack. Most likely it’ll be him.

From the other room, he hears heavy steps clomp down the stairs. A moment later, Brooks comes into the kitchen wearing a pair of lounge pants and an old T-shirt, his hair disheveled from sleep. Despite his bleary-eyed expression—or maybe because of it—he looks impossibly young.

“Morning,” Alan says over the top of his teacup.

Brooks grunts in reply. He opens the cabinet nearest the fridge and grabs a plastic cereal bowl, which slips through his fingers to clatter on the counter.

Alan winces. “A bit early to be tearing the place apart, innit?”