Half an hour later, Billy pulled up in front of his apartment. He’d been driving around town for the last thirty minutes, his head in a fog.
The lights were on in the living room. He sat there for a moment and then turned the motor off and climbed out. Hopefully Francis would forgive him for running off like that. Bleary-eyed, Billy walked up the steps and found the front door unlocked. He stepped in.
Xavier jumped to his feet, off the couch, and stood taut in the middle of the living room. “Billy…are you okay?”
Before Billy could react or speak, Francis had limped to him and grabbed his shoulders. “Jesus Christ,” Francis yelled, hugging him so hard, Billy lost his breath. “I was two seconds away from calling the cops!”
Billy tore away from Francis and stepped up to Xavier, stopping cl
