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Zane sighed He knew no one had died He knew exactly what had happened last night He just didn"t have perspective, because when he drank, he focused in on whatever he thought his goal was to the exclusion of everything else Last night, Ty had been part of

“everything else” That was the problem: Ty wasn"t his keeper—Ty was his conscience

Zane sat up and scooted back to lean against the headboard

“Lorenzo Bianchi brought Corbin Porter a present,” he rasped “A sign of goodwill and respect between friends, he said”

The hardness in Ty"s eyes didn"t fit with the fluffy bedroom slippers It was almost comical “I suppose the word „moderation" isn"t in an alcoholic"s vocabulary, h it well

Despite the lack of outward signs of anger, every comment cut deep Zane felt hollow as he met Ty"s eyes “I didn"t think my tolerance would have dropped so ht I could handle it”

Ty continued to look at him, his face expressionless The lack of emotion holly unlike Ty; usually he couldn"t be trusted to hold his temper and his eyes were easy to read The lack of outward e very hard to hide whatever he was feeling

Finally, he set the book aside and pulled his feet off the table “At least you know that for the next time,” he observed

Zane wrapped his aret any syiven him any reason to think he suffered addictions like Zane did, and despitean effort not to drink around his partner, Ty"s reactions suggested no small amount of disdain for Zane"s substance abuse probleo when they"d firstalcoholic ? ”

Ty certainly didn"t want to hear Zane boo-hoo about it Zane wished, though, sooddale day of his life

Ty was still watching hiain, right?” he asked softly

The thought hurt Zane so badly inside that it had to show on the outside somehow He could still taste the liquor, and his throat and belly burned for it He nodded jerkily It wouldeasier to handle, clearer to see, smoother to s It would cool him off and soothe his nerves And with every sip he"d damn himself further

Zane knew that when that bottle was back in front of him, he wouldn"t be able to handle it

“You"re just going to accept that?” Ty asked him in frustration

He stood up quickly, one of the fuzzy slippers in his hand He held it up, waved it, then tossed it angrily at the wall “Why the hell am I the only one that cares about that?” he shouted as he came closer

“I care about it There"s just nothing I can do about it,” Zane answered

“Bullshit!” Ty snapped, jerking his head as if he"d just bitten a piece out of so

“Will you listen to rily