Reckoning - 26. Chapter 26

Patrick woke up hungry and less drunk; he turned and found Adam not with him. He climbed out of bed, leaving the bedroom for the kitchen where he found Adam standing at the counter with his back to him. Patrick walked up and wrapped his arms around Adam’s chest, hugging him.

“What took you so long?” said a familiar voice that wasn’t Adam’s.

Patrick stepped back, confused by Adam’s voice. “What did you say, Adam?” No answer came, and he never turned. “Adam? Stop playing around and look at me.” Patrick grabbed his arm and jerked him to turn when the man who faced him wasn’t Adam but his dead boyfriend, Gavin. Patrick stepped back, stunned to see Gavin, who lunged at Patrick and tackled him to the ground.

“No, get off me!”

“Why, you belong to me. Not him.”

“No. Adam, Adam help me!”

“He’s not coming for you because he’s already dead.”

Patrick’s jerked awake, finding himself on the bathroom floor. He was still wearing Adam’s tee shirt, but no sweatpants or sneakers. The room was dark except for a light shining through the window and from under the door. Did I sleep the day away? He wondered as he stretched on the floor. “I got to stop drinking so much hard liquor,” he said sitting up. “How did I end up in here and on the floor,” he said, grasping the sink rising to his feet. He stared into the mirror at his tired face and disheveled hair. Adam must livid to leave me in here. He thought. His eyes drifted to the window and wondered where the light was coming from. Curious, Patrick looked out the window and saw the light on in Gavin’s bathroom. The window was no longer damaged and the police tape gone. “When did they fix it?” he said. The light flickered, and the room went dark for a second when it came back on he saw him. The mask killer walking past the window and into the bedroom. Patrick stood frozen in place as he watched him move through the threshold a few seconds later returned fighting with someone. It took Patrick a moment to see it was Adam struggling with the killer. Patrick wanted to call out, but he couldn’t speak or move. He witnessed Adam strike the man in the face, cracking his mask. The blow didn’t faze him as the killer counters attacked and struck Adam in the face, sending him stumbling back. The killer took full advantage rushing Adam putting him into a neck hold dragging him to the window. He opened it and shoved him out, Adam put up a fight and seem to win when someone else rushed into the room. Gavin Martin approached the men and grabbed Adam’s legs and helped the killer toss Adam out the window. Patrick watched as Adam tried to grab the window ledge but failed and dropped to his death. Tears fell down Patrick’s cheeks as both men stared back at him. Gavin leaned out the window and yelled at him.

“This is your fault!” he said before the room went dark.

Patrick fell back crying when hands grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him. Patrick’s paralysis melted away as he fought back crying. “You killed him.”

“Pat,” Adam called. “Pat wake up.”

Patrick’s eyes opened and to his relief Adam was above him. “Adam?” he said, calming down. “Adam, you’re alive?”

Adam released him and laid beside him. “Pat you were dreaming.”

“I was?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I thought…” He drifted back to sleep.

Adam checked for a fever, finding him well. He kissed his forehead and left him to sleep. Leaving the door cracked.

He returned to the living room to his beer, and a paused game. He sat down when he heard the buzzer to his front door.