“Alright, I won’t tell you.”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“Maybe.”
“Obviously, or why else would you be riding a street bike?”
“For fuck’s sake, man! Can you get off my dick for a minute? I know what I’m doing. You can go now.”
“You’re so fucking stubborn.” He backed away. “This conversation isn’t over.”
“Noted. If Grandfather asks, I crashed at your house tonight, okay? I need you to cover for me. Now go.”
He shook his head in disappointment before he spun and left, fully aware I’d win this argument. I closed my eyes, breathing a sigh of relief that he was gone. I wasn’t sure how long I laid there, lost in my own personal hell when Belle suddenly walked into her bedroom. Pain reliever in one hand and an ice pack in the other.
Slowly, I sat up against her headboard, groaning out in pain.
“Here.” She opened the pill bottle, grabbing the water that was on her nightstand and handed them to me. “These are my dad’s pain pills. He uses them when his back is acting up. They’re strong, so only take one—”
I took three.
“Tristian!”
“What? Do you want me to be in pain?”
“I want you to be coherent.”
“I’m a big boy, kitten. I’ll be fine.”
I handed the glass back to her, and she sat it on her nightstand.
“Are you really okay?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Even if you weren’t okay, you wouldn’t tell me the truth, would you?”
“I don’t lie to you.”
“I find that hard to believe, but I’ll accept it for now.”
The look on her face was full of concern.
Confusion.
Longing.
Which had me questioning my resolve about how much I’d share with her in that moment.
—Belle—
After I helped him get dressed in some of my brother’s clothes, I changed into a hoodie and sweats. The uncomfortable silence hammered all around me, tearing into my insecurities that it was a bad idea having him in my bedroom with my parents not being home.
But what else was I supposed to do?
I couldn’t just leave him to face the consequences by himself. Although, Tristian’s body was in the room with me, his mind was somewhere else entirely.
He looked lost.