Chapter 33
Darren woke up feeling…okay. Not good, certainly not good, with the residual cloud around the edges of his thoughts, but…not bad either. Not so crushingly bad.
It was late; Jayden’s alarm clock said it was half past ten, and the bin lorry was reversing outside, judging by the smell and the sounds floating through the half-open window. Jayden was still asleep, half-wrapped around Darren’s arm, and he grumbled when Darren shifted.
“Need to get up,” Darren coaxed, and Jayden squinted at him before letting go. For the first time in weeks—maybe even months—a tiny flower of warmth opened up in the pit of Darren’s stomach.
He felt Jayden’s tired eyes on him while he dressed, and when he reached for his glasses on the bedside table, a hand caught his wrist. “Don’t,” Jayden mumbled s
