Stryker let out a little whimper.
“We’re here, S.” I tried “I promise we…whatever you need, you just have to ask.”
“No.” Came Stryker’s reply, hoarse “you have your own thing going on, Theo. I’m not walking inside that contaminated room, and the pair of you are never out of it.”
“…I’m sorry.” I whispered eventually “we should have…tried to help. We should have noticed.”
Stryker choked on a bitter laugh “I’m not a baby, Theo. This shit’s on me.” He curled even further into himself “I’m not either of your responsibilities. I just…I don’t need caretakers, Theo, but I’d appreciate the company.” He sucked in a shuddering breath “you…don’t know what it’s like. Being stuck alone with thoughts like mine.”
I flinched “I’m sorry.” I repeated “we didn’t think.”
Stryker leaned away from me, and I felt my heart crack at the tears glistening in his dark eyes “I don’t need you to be sorry, Theo.” He shook his head weakly, clenching the fist that sat over his stomach “I need…Jack’s the only one who ever really seems to want to spend time with me, and even then it’s probably…it’s just because he feels bad watching me spiral.”
I gaped, my heart sinking even further, right down to my ass “no!” I exclaimed “god, Stryker, no! We all…god, S, we all love you, you know that. Fuck, S, no.” I sucked in a calming breath “How can you not see that?”
Stryker scoffed, breath hitching as he rocked further away from me “my own sister and uncle don’t want me, Theo. How could anyone else?”
He hadn’t told me what had happened with his dad, or the aftermath. I knew that Jack knew. I knew thatthishad a lot to do with it.
I shook my head frantically, lost for words “we do.” I insisted “you’re right, me and Matthew have that…fucked up thing we have, and all, but we love you, okay?” I reached out a hand, only to retract it when Stryker flinched away “promise me you’ll never doubt that.” I insisted, doing my best to make my blue eyes imploring.
Stryker’s dark orbs flickered away, focusing on the window as he murmured an uncertain “I promise.”
I exhaled shakily “Ipromise.” I muttered “I promise that it’s true.”
“Where is he?” Stryker shot back, looking downcast.
I frowned “Jack’s on a-“
“Not Jack, Theo. Matt.”
“Oh, he’s-“
“Sick of me?” Stryker cut me off before I could get the words out “that why he’s still upstairs?”
“No.” I coaxed, shaking my head firmly “he is sick, but not of you. He’s been throwing up for hours, S. Should be asleep now. Got poisoned, remember?”
Stryker swallowed hard “oh.” He said, turning to look at me guiltily “then why aren’t you with him?”
“Well, I had to check on you, didn’t I?” I raised an eyebrow “he’s fine. You, on the other hand, need to eat something before Jack comes back and skins the three of us alive.”
Stryker began to protest, but I cut him off “yes, S. Not a sandwich, maybe, but at least a soup.”
Stryker grimaced “I think I’ll just risk Jack skinning-“
“Fuck right off.” I sighed “no. Forget it. Work with me.”
Stryker looked like he was going to protest again, but the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs caught both of ourattention. Matthew yawned as he entered, oblivious to the tense atmosphere as he sank down next to me “you were gone.” He mumbled accusingly.
Fromthe corner of my eye, I caught Stryker move to stand.
“Hey.” I barked sharply “no. None of that.” Matthew jumped, and Stryker hesitantly remained standing.
“We’re making some soup.”
Jack, thank god, returned two days later. Stryker hadn’t eaten anything since the soup- which had ended up in the bowl thirty minutes later- and that wasn’t for lack of trying: he’d been sick three times since then, and flat out refused anything I put in front of him. Even Matthew was eating some bland food here and there. I had never felt so lost in my life.
So, when Jack walked through the door, I almost tackled him in a hug.Almost. Jack would have told me to piss off anyway.
