“Figured.”
“Sepsis is a bitch. And you have it bad.”
“I know, dad.” Stryker shakily pushed himself further up, one hand still twisted into his dad’s shirt as if he were afraid that he’d disappear if he let him go, but gaze shifting to me again. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” He confessed.
I understood that. I nodded “Johnathan offered this morning so…I agreed.”
“Right.” He smiled at Johnathan, then turned back to me “you look troubled.”
I laughed. Actually laughed, which probably wasn’t suitable for this situation but I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t really that easy to read, right?
“Some things happened.” I admitted with a small shrug “whilst you weren’t there.”
“Obviously.” He smirked. Slowly, he released his hold on his dad’s shirt “can I…can me and Theo talk for a moment?”
I could have kissed him for his perceptiveness.
His dad nodded slowly “not long though, okay? We need to talk too.”
“I know.” He nodded once “we won’t be long.”
He turned his full attention to me once the small room was empty “so? What’s up?”
I exhaled slowly, shakily, easing myself down onto the chair by his bedside that Johnathan had previously occupied. “Two things have happened.” I started carefully.
“Okay. Go on.”
“Firstly…I have this girl.” I lied through my teeth. I didn’twantto lie to him, but I didn’t feel comfortable telling the complete truth about this either.
His eyebrows raised with interest.
“And I think I fucked up? I…said some bad shit and h-she got pissed…or upset, I’m not sure, and we’ve been avoiding each other ever since and I don’t know what to do.”
This time,helaughed atme. I scowled. It was a serious situation! Catching my expression, he schooled his features into something more genuine “I think the solution is pretty straight forward, is all.” He said in a way of apologising for his outburst of giggles.
I stayed silent, waiting for him to reveal this ‘straight forward’ solution.
“Talk to her.” He advised, voice soft “apologise, explain. Whatever you said can’t have been unforgivable.”
Right. Thatwassimple,only I wasn’t convinced he was willing to forgive me. He’d said he was done, right?
“Yeah.” I agreed with a hard swallow “I’ll try.” It was all I could do.
“What was the other thing?”
I sucked in a breath “Dean told me something.”
He seemed a little more alert “oh?”
“Yeah, he, uh…” I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it wasrighttalking about someone who wasn’t there. Then again, I wasn't planning on saying anythingbad,I just needed help sorting out how I felt about the whole ordeal. Which felt hypocritical of me.
“I think he came out to me?”
Stryker looked surprised. He struggled to sit a little straighter; I bent forward to help him.
“He did?”
“Hm. I wouldn’t have…said anything, but he told me you knew and…”
