A loud crack accompanied by a flash of bright light that came from nowhere and seemed everywhere nudged Todd out of sleep. Nick’s arms and legs tightened around him. The curtains blew away from the window. The breeze had turned to a proper wind. For a split second, the room lit up again, and the fact that Nick was trembling against him registered in Todd’s brain. Groaning softly, Todd pushed Nick flat against the mattress and rolled to his side, hoping to block the view of the window. He didn’t want to leave Nick alone even long enough to close the window. At once Nick squirmed, wriggled closer, and pressed his nose to the soft flesh just under Todd’s shoulder. He had a hand slung over Todd’s hip and the fingers of that hand dug painfully into the muscle there.
“Shh…Nicky.” Rubbing one ha
