Chapter 16

They cleaned up the kitchen in silence, putting away the remaining snacks.

Sebastian inspected James's nose and gave him a cold, wet cloth to ice his face as best he could without any actual ice, then insisted James take something to help with the pain and swelling. The nose wasn't broken, but still, Sebastian fussed.

"What would you like for dinner?" Sebastian leaned against the counter, hands folded behind his back as he eyed James, watching like he expected his nose to suddenly start bleeding again.

James turned and gazed out the window. Sebastian's attention was making him squirm. "Don't feel like you have to cook for me or anything. Just do whatever you were planning to if I wasn't here."

It was fully dark now. Unlike the other night, James hadn't yet spotted any shades drifting around. He'd count it as a blessing.

"I can't exactly keep going as if you aren't here. We're"—Sebastian paused—"roommates now."

The statement elicited a strange wave of emotions within James. He was crushed by the turn of events, yet part of him was glad it was Sebastian he was stuck with. It didn't make sense to be happy about the chance to spend more time with Sebastian. He was the reason James was trapped in the first place, even if he hadn't done it on purpose, and it wasn't like he wanted to spend all his time with the guy.

"Roommates," he echoed. It was too bland a word to describe their situation.

They ended up having peanut butter on toast—well, pan-fried bread since there was no toaster—and calling it a night.

Sebastian brought firewood up to the spare room and lit a fire in the hearth. The mood was somber. James wished they could go back to joking around, Sebastian scandalizing him with suggestive comments and trying to get him into bed, like the last time he'd stayed over. All that felt like a lifetime ago.

Sebastian stood from the fireplace. "Want me to get you something to wear that isn't bloody?"

James blinked at Sebastian, feeling dazed. It was probably exhaustion from all the magic use, but the situation certainly wasn't helping him stay out of his own head. "Sure," he agreed and watched Sebastian leave.

James sat on the bed, staring blankly at the flames growing in the small fireplace.

Sebastian returned with a pile of things, which he dumped on the bed. "My stuff will be too small for you, so these are some of Stephen's old things."

James wasn't sure what he thought about wearing Sebastian's dead uncle's clothes. "Thanks." Everything looked dated, from the nineties or so.

Sebastian rested a hand on James's shoulder. "I'll get us out of here. I know I asked for your help, but this is on me. I'm not going to give up while you're stuck with me. Okay?"

"We'll figure it out together," James countered. "I just need to sleep. I'll be less mopey tomorrow, promise."

Sebastian let out a harsh laugh. "Mope all you want. I spiraled for months when I was first stuck here." With that, Sebastian left him, closing the door.

The silence was crushing.

James was roused from sleep by Sebastian knocking on his door. "James, James." He poked his head in. "Get up. I think your brother is here."

James rubbed sleep from his eyes. He needed approximately one million more hours of rest before he was ready to function. He slipped his shoes on and grabbed a robe from the pile of Stephen's old clothes to throw over the flannel pajamas he was wearing.

Sebastian led the way down the stairs and out the front door, oil lamp in hand. "I was watching out my window and saw headlights pull up. There are people poking around your truck."

James was still disoriented from sleep. "What time is it?"

"Just after eleven."

Someone here so soon was good. They hurried across the front porch and down the driveway. Sebastian was still in James's jacket with no shirt, like he hadn't gone to sleep yet.

"Hello? James?" Eli called from the other side of the gate. He turned to Parker. "Here they come."

"Eli." James's whole body flooded with relief at the sight of his brother and Parker shining shade-lights through the gate.

"Why didn't you come home or answer your phone?" Eli scolded as if he was the older one. "Are you trying to give me gray hair worrying where you are all the time?"

"No. There's nothing to worry about," James found himself saying. He shopped short. That wasn't what he'd meant to say. He'd been planning something along the lines of Help me!

Parker shone a flashlight at Sebastian, then at James. "Jesus, what happened to your face?"

A bruise must have started forming. James's nose and left eye ached dully. "I walked into a wall." He wanted to say more but couldn't.

There was a strained silence. James wished he could see Parker more clearly. He was in shadow, the light he was holding making it impossible to see his expression.

"Seriously?" Parker asked. "You expect me to believe you're that clumsy?"

James wanted to say it was an invisible wall and that he was trapped. Instead his words twisted, his mind forced to come up with a believable lie to divert Parker's suspicion. "No, you're right. It's just that Sebastian and I were playing a little game. I was hunting him down, and it got—um…" James tried to stop talking. "Just don't worry about my nose. Nothing I didn't sign up for, if you know what I mean."

Why was any of this coming out of his mouth?

"Right." Parker sounded stunned. "If that's what you're into."

Before James could begin to say anything else, Eli cut in, his frustration clear. "Why didn't you tell anyone you weren't coming home?"

"Because I'm a grown man," James grumbled as if he were mad at Eli for asking. He was horrified with how rude the comment was. He'd never talked to his brother in that tone before.

"Yeah," Eli said slowly. "But you can still text to say not to expect you. I always let you know when I'm not gonna be home."

"Sorry." James glanced at Sebastian, who was watching them all blank-faced. "I'm just spending the night with Sebastian. There's nothing to worry about. Go home."

Parker shone the light between him and Sebastian again, seeming to linger on Sebastian, maybe noting he was wearing James's jacket and no shirt.

James wanted to tell them what had happened that afternoon more than anything, yet he stood silent. His tongue was tied as firmly as Sebastian's must have been all these years. Sebastian didn't seem any better off than James, or he would have been begging Parker and Eli for help.

"Really, you guys can go," James insisted. The experience of saying things he didn't mean to was surreal, almost like there was something inside him with its own agenda, filtering his thoughts before they reached his mouth. It might be better to keep his trap shut and not speak at all.

"I can't believe we came all the way out here for this." Eli sounded hurt by James's dismissal. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," James repeated, lying through his teeth more convincingly than he ever had of his own free will.

"Okay." Parker clapped a hand on Eli's shoulder. "But do us a favor. Next time you're staying over playing bedroom games with a friend, let your brother know you won't be home. You, of all people, should understand how he'd worry."

They turned and climbed into Parker's car. The tires crunched loose gravel as they pulled back onto the road, leaving Storm House behind.