Higher Ground by Becky Black (notion reading list txt) 📗

lead him. Adam had screwed it up with him. But Zach could have called him on it, if he thought Adam was leading him on, said he didn’t like it. And he could have called to cancel tonight. Not bothering was just selfish. Just being an asshole.

If Zach had the nerve to show his damn face here tonight, Adam would slam the door right in that face.

* * * *

Adam woke on the couch when he heard the door chime. The room was dark—he’d sat brooding for a while as the light faded and then fallen asleep after a second beer. Damn lightweight, he thought. What the hell time was it anyway? The door chimed again, and he sat up. Just after midnight, according to the wall clock. Who called at midnight? Surely Zach wouldn’t have the nerve to come now?

On the third chime, he got off the couch, moving stiffly, calling out, “Okay, okay, I’m coming.” He groaned and stretched as he reached the door, then shook himself and opened it.

Zach.

“You have to be kidding me.”

Zach didn’t even look sheepish like a man four hours late for a date ought to. He looked wide-eyed and crazier than usual. His bike lay on its side on the path as if he’d just dropped it there. Adam moved to close the door, but Zach jumped forward and put a hand on it.

“Please, I just have to know, did you pack?”

Adam’s head throbbed. What the hell? Maybe he was still asleep and dreaming this.

“Did I what?”

“Pack your things. So you can leave quickly. I know, I’ve no right to come here now, but I have to tell you…if I’m right…” He ran a hand through his hair, and Adam frowned. God, he looked worse than ever. Cracking up. When had he last slept? Or had a proper meal?

“Zach, what’s this about? Your results, what have you found?”

“The colony is in danger. The whole island. I’m sure now. I’m sure, but nobody will listen to me! I just called Phillips, and he said he’ll look at the results in the morning, but—”

“You called your professor at midnight?”

“I had to. Maybe I should call Dr. Morrison. Or Ms. Johnson.”

“The head of the council? Now?” Okay, Adam had to do something before Zach got himself locked away in the colony hospital’s rubber room. “Come in, Zach, please, don’t go rushing off without thinking this through.”

“I’ve been thinking about nothing else for a week!” Zach flushed as he said it. “Ah, except for you. I’ve been thinking about you.”

“Kind of forgot about me tonight, didn’t you?” A little bit of anger remained, despite his concern. He closed the door as Zach came inside.

“Yes. I’m sorry. But I had to stay at work. I had to design some new tests, triple-check them. They’re running now, and they’ll tell me how long we have.” He stumbled and grabbed at Adam, who steadied him. Adam wanted to ask more details of how long they had until what, but Zach looked on the point of collapse.

“Zach, listen to me. You need rest. You’re not thinking straight. You try to tell Phillips or Morrison anything, and they’ll think you’re raving.” Maybe he was raving, and he could rave as much as he liked to Adam. But if he raved to his bosses, he could ruin his standing here. They might send him back to Earth early. And Adam didn’t want him to go. He started to steer Zach toward the bedroom, Zach stumbling along beside him.

“Where’m I going?” Zach asked, voice starting to slur. Adam took a quick sniff of his breath. No drink, just pure exhaustion. And a lot of coffee. Ineffective coffee.

“My bed. You’re going to sleep, and in the morning, you’re going to see Phillips looking like a sane and rational scientist, not a mad one.”

“Bed,” Zach sighed out, his voice full of the anticipation Adam had been trying to build in him for a week. But this time simply for the bed itself, not for having Adam in it. He was crashing hard, Adam realized. Like he’d used the last of his strength getting here and it had finally given out, the last few days catching up with him.

In the bedroom, Zach crumpled onto the bed, facedown, on top of the covers. If there had been rose petals on there, he’d have inhaled one before he noticed it. Adam shook his head, looking down at the sprawled-out man on his bed.

“This should have been the start of a night of fun and frolics.”

Zach began to snore.

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Why the hell had he let Zach in? Why couldn’t he have stayed mad and slammed the door on him? Let him go wake up Morrison or Johnson, raise the whole town and make them all think he was a lunatic. Why the hell should Adam care?

No reason. Except he wasn’t done with Zach yet. He sat down on the bed and took off Zach’s shoes.

Chapter Six

An alarm woke Zach. He looked around in confusion, not recognizing the room or the alarm. Not his room, not his alarm.

“Alarm off!” The muffled voice came from the other side of the bed, where someone lay buried under the covers. The alarm turned off.

“Adam?”

Adam’s tousled head emerged. “Who else were you expecting?” He rubbed his eyes. “Oh God, it can’t be seven already.” He pulled the covers back over his head.

Zach looked down at himself. He lay on top of the bed covers with a blanket over him, all of his clothes still on. His shoes were missing, though. Hazy memories of the night before came back to him, riding through the darkness on his bike, half-asleep already but needing to find Adam, needing to make sure he’d be safe. And wanting him, wanting him so much. Fearing they’d never have another chance.

But when he’d arrived, he’d been barely coherent, and the memories became even hazier, as if he’d been drunk, though he didn’t think