19
Nick got dressed on autopilot. It would have been fairer to say that, actually, he didn’t remember getting dressed at all. He woke up with his alarm and got up immediately, knowing that Mom and Zoyka would be waiting for him to get his s**t together. He stumbled to the bathroom in a daze, where he found himself waking up at random moments from a dead-eyed stupor, having peed, brushed his teeth, and showered. He tried to focus on shaving even as his thoughts kept derailing.
He tiptoed into Dex’s room, nervous despite knowing Dex hadn’t come home last night. He forced himself not to think about Dex as he pulled out clean underwear, clean jeans, a clean shirt, a fresh pair of socks. He avoided thinking altogether as he pulled the clothes on, article by article, until he looked as normal
