With no other choice at the moment, everyone headed home. Charlie made Kevin promise that the moment he heard from his mother, he'd call so Charlie could pick him up to take him back to the hospital.
When they got up to their floor, Mick insisted Kevin come to his apartment rather than going to his own.
"The last thing you need right now is to be alone."
Kevin agreed. He didn't want to be by himself. Even with Mick there he knew he probably wouldn't sleep. He did, however, lie down on the sofa at Mick's insistence. When Mick sat down beside him, Kevin looked at him and sighed deeply.
"Is anything real?"
Mick smiled, stroking Kevin's arm. "I am."
"I didn't mean it that way."
"I know. Yeah, a lot of what you thought you knew about me, about Will, turned out to be wrong and it's our fault. But we did it… said it, so we could protect you."
Kevin nodded. "I know that, but…"
"If I'd told you the truth about me at the beginning, would you have trusted me to help keep you safe?"
"I don't know. Maybe." Kevin tried to smile. "Hell, the way you've lived, you probably know more about how to do that than most people."
Mick chuckled. "Good point, but still…" He shrugged.
"What I really don't understand is why Will didn't tell me."
"He has his reasons."
"Do they have to do with my uncle?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, from what Mom said, my father died—or at this point I guess disappeared—about the same time Uncle Danny was killed. Oh God," he whispered, "he didn't have something to do with that, did he?"
"No, not the way you seem to be thinking."
Kevin frowned, staring off into space for a moment. "He saw it, didn't he? Just like he saw what was going to happen to me."
Mick nodded. "But like I said…"
"It's not your story to tell. I understand. You know what? He damned well better live because I want to hear it. From him. I want to know why he deserted me and Mom."
"You will."
"God, I hope you're right," he whispered, echoing his words to his mother.
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