Pathways // Gawsten [Book 2]

14 - Adjusting To The Dead

"You're telling me Grace knows by pure accident?" Jawn asked, stifling a small giggle at the mortified look on Geoff's face.

It was the next day after Grace had unfortunately discovered what exactly Otto and Geoff had been doing in Houston. It was too early in the morning to predict what the tension would be like, or if Grace would say anything to Awsten (or if she already had, despite saying she wouldn't). Their biggest concern was hoping Grace didn't hear them after she left the room, as Otto had feared that might push her over the edge.

When Otto had woken up that morning, it was unusual. Usually, after a night like the night before, Geoff would still be beside him. Not necessarily asleep, but Geoff never liked to leave Otto alone afterwards. However, this morning Otto woke up alone. He couldn't stop the confusing flooding through him when he saw the empty space in the bed next to him, or the guilt cursing through him. 

Instantly, he knew what they had done was wrong. Not when in Houston, but knowing they had their life back. He made a mental note to talk to Geoff about it as he climbed out of Geoff's bed and pulled his tshirt on. Without a thought, he made his way down the many flights of stairs, trying to ignore the urge to go into his own room and talk to Grace. He knew he was the last person she wanted to see right now. 

As soon as he walked into the kitchen, he was met with Geoff and Jawn talking quietly. Geoff had a mildly worried look on his face, but he couldn't see Jawn's face as he had his back turned to him. Once Geoff caught sight of Otto, he gave him a small smile followed by a grimace. The grimace caused Jawn to turn around and he flinched at the sight of Otto.

"What?" Otto asked confused, coughing slightly at the feeling of his dry throat.

"Your face... Your cheek is bruised." Geoff pointed out softly, and Otto reached up to touch the side of his face. To the touch, it felt fine, but after remembering it was there, he became very aware of the pain on the side of his face.

"Oh." He responded, and moved to sit down at the table across from his friends,

"Did Grace do that?" Jawn blurted out, and Otto briefly saw the annoyed look Geoff gave him. Otto just nodded with slightly furrowed eyebrows,

"How did you know that?" Otto asked,

"Geoff was explaining last night to me...You're telling me Grace knows by pure accident?" Jawn asked, stifling a small giggle at the mortified look on Geoff's face.

"Unfortunately." Otto grumbled, and dropped his head to the table.

There was a silence after that. Otto kept his head down thinking about what he could do to make this better, or to make Grace forgive him. He'd never expected her to find out about him and Geoff, especially not like that.

The situation between him and Geoff was complicated. It had come about when the two of them were in a particularly bad spot with everything going on; they'd only just recovered from the most recent incident, and were stuck in a spot of missing the life they'd left behind. Somehow, they'd fallen into each other. It was never meant to happen, and they both knew it, but that didn't stop either of them from enjoying it.

Geoff wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffled slightly, pulling the blanket more around his body. It was late in the evening, and he was sat by himself on the sofa. He assumed Caspar was with Otto, wherever he was, and thus he was all alone. The TV was turned off, and the only light in the room was the remaining light shining in through the windows where the curtains hadn't be closed yet. 

The lights outside were nice. You could see the neon signs around the city, and the car headlights. They were lucky that their main room faced that side of the city, because it meant they got a nice view compared to boring and bland.