(Patrick's POV)

"So you're okay now?" I asked Pete from the passenger seat of his car.

After spending a ridiculous amount of time making out in the parking lot, we decided to go somewhere more private. I suggested we go to my place. I wanted Pete to see the way I'd fixed up his old house.

I would rather Pete have come by himself. But Tyler didn't want to go back to their hotel alone. Personally, I didn't care what the hell Tyler wanted. I'd known him for a few minutes and I already wasn't too fond of him. But Pete cared. All Tyler had to do was widen his eyes and pout his bottom lip at Pete to get his way. It annoyed me.

"I'm not in perfect health." Pete shrugged. "But I'm doing way better than I was when you last saw me."

"Clearly." I smiled. "But how much better exactly?"

"His white blood cell count is down by around 52%. Which is miraculous if you consider the short time span."

I glanced at Tyler in the back seat. Acknowledging that I'd heard him without actually having to reply to him. I didn't want to admit that he was right. Pete improving at that rate was nothing less than a miracle. If he'd actually improved that much. I wasn't calling Tyler a liar but I wasn't just going to take his word for it. I'd bring Pete into the office in a few days and go over his charts with Brendon.

"And what's with the blonde hair?" I ran my fingers through it playfully. The small smile Pete had been wearing for the past few minutes widened.

"You don't like it?"

"I love it."

"I wanted to try something new." He turned away from the road for a second to look at me. "Your hair is different too."

"Yeah." I blushed when he noticed the cut I got just for him. "I wanted to try something new." I mocked his words.

"Oh haha." He glanced at me again. "I like it. I like it a lot."

"Good." I smiled smugly.

"You don't wear your hat anymore?"

"I lost it at the bar."

"Must have been a crazy night."

"It was fun." I said after a few seconds of silence. "It was the first time I'd gone out since you left."

A look of guilt spread across Pete's face. Making him feel guilty hadn't been my intention. I was simply stating a fact.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." My reply was quick and low. I wanted the fun atmosphere between us to come back. Now the car ride was feeling somber. He felt bad for leaving and I felt bad for making him feel bad about leaving. "I've been really busy with work and stuff." I lied.

"Oh that's right." Tyler spoke up instead of Pete. "You have your own office, right? I wish I had my own doctor's office."

"Well, you have to be an actual Doctor first, don't you?" The words came out more bitter than I'd intended them to.

The car went awkwardly silent again. And again it was my fault. I didn't even try to start another conversation. There wasn't a point. I reached down and placed my hand on Pete's knee as he drove. He freed his right hand from the steering wheel to intertwine our fingers. Butterflies chased through my stomach at the small contact.

Pete pulled into the parking lot of his old house. My new house. The house we had so many memories in. Kisses. Hugs. Arguments. Sex. Tears. Smiles. He'd dropped down to one knee and proposed to me in this very place. He'd accepted my proposal on the very same night.

That was still one of the best nights of my life. The ring he'd bought me was around my neck on a thin chain. Hidden under my shirt. My eyes dashed to his hand. Of course he wasn't wearing his ring. We weren't engaged anymore. He probably didn't even knew where it was. Probably lost it on his journeys through Canada with Tyler.

"Whose car is that?" Pete tilted his chin in the direction of the car beside his. I hadn't even noticed it was parked there.

"That's my car." I let go of his hand to get out and inspect it. No Ryan or Brendon was inside. How the hell did they get it back here?

"Nice ride." Tyler noted, stepping out of the car.

"Thanks."

Pete and I walked side by side to the front door. With Tyler just a foot behind us. I reached above the door frame to grab the spare. But it was already unlocked. Was I so excited to go to the bar that I forgot to lock my own door? I pushed it open and walked inside.

All the lights were still off. My car keys were sitting on the end table beside the door. Brendon must have brought them in when he dropped the car off. My house keys were on the same keychain.

"It looks so different in here." Pete flicked on the light switch and walked deeper into the room.

"Yeah." I closed the door and locked it behind myself. "The furniture is all new."

"I can tell." He walked past the living room and into the kitchen. Turning that light on too. "It's not so different in here though."

"There's only so much you can do with a kitchen." I shrugged.

"Doesn't look like much cooking goes on in here." He was referring to the stack of takeout menus on the counter.

"I can cook!" Tyler chimed in. I hadn't even heard him walk in behind us.

"He can." Pete nodded. Smiling over at the boy like a proud father. "Tyler's omelets are to die for."

"Pete loves my cooking." He laughed.

"And don't even get me started on this man's duck."

"I make great duck." He shrugged but he was blushing. "You see, the trick is to stuff it with-"

"I don't need cooking tips." I interrupted him. "I'm too busy working to have time to cook."

"I'm sorry, do you have a problem with me?"

"Tyler." Pete sighed.

"I have to ask." He eyed me warily. "To my knowledge, I've never done anything bad to you. Yet you've been super shady towards me since we met."

Shady? Was he 12?

"I don't have a problem with you." I rolled my eyes. "I just don't need your advice on anything."

"See," he pointed at me. "That right there! Why the attitude?"

"Tyler, he says he doesn't have a problem with you." Pete came to my defense and I held back a mischievous grin. "So let's just drop it."

"I'm not an idiot, Pete. I can tell when someone doesn't like me. And your boyfriend here doesn't like me."

"Tyler-"

"Maybe I should just head back to the hotel."

"Tyler-"

"I need the keys he held his hand out."

"Tyler you don't have to do that. You can stay and hang out."

"The keys." He said again.

Pete sighed sadly. Dropping the keys in his friend's hand.

Tyler didn't say goodbye to either one of us. He turned on his heel and walked out the room. I half expected him to slam the front door on the way out but he didn't.

"I don't know what's gotten into him." Pete turned to face me. "He never acts like that."

"Maybe he's not feeling well. This is a new environment for him."

"Maybe." But he didn't look too convinced. "You like him, right?"

"What?"

"Tyler. He's cool, right? You don't have any problems with him?"

"Pete, why on earth would I have a problem with him?"

"I-I don't know." His eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.

"Hey, let's not worry about that right now." I stroked my fingers across his jaw.

"You're right." He grabbed my waist. Lifting me onto the counter I was standing in front of. "I've missed you so much, Patrick." His forehead pressed against mine.

"I missed you more." He had no idea how true that statement was. No idea.

"Really?" A slow smirk spread across his lips.

His hands slid themselves under my hoodie. Well, not my hoodie, but still. He was about to slip them under my shirt but I jumped. Pulling myself away from him. That was too close. He was only a couple of inches away from my cuts. Most of them were healed or healing, but he'd still be able to feel the rise of skin. I wasn't ready to go down that road yet. I didn't want him to find out how messed up I was too soon and run before I could make him love me again.

"I-I'm not ready for that yet."

"It's okay." His confusion was replaced with an easy grin. "What do you want to do instead?"

"Can we order some food?" I snatched a random menu from under my butt.

Pete slipped it from my hand. "Indian food it is!"