“Coby?” I reply.
“Yeah, you know my friend the hockey player.”
“No.” I frown. “I didn’t know they were cousins.”
Tarrant shrugs. “We were all taken to the police station.” He looks at my booted leg and frowns before staring out the hospital window. “Well, everyone who didn’t need to come to the hospital.”
My heart squeezes, and the pain in my body seems to ramp up.
“Casper’s mom called Coby to help him with a lawyer. I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine, as it was self-defense, but he’s with the lawyer right now. He’ll be here to see you later.”
Slowly bringing my hand up to my chest, I put a tiny amount of pressure over my heart and jerk as my ribs scream in pain. “He’s okay?” I need confirmation.
Tarrant smiles, and then quickly frowns. “He is. He’ll be here as soon as he’s finished. He was so fucking angry when the cops took him in. He would have been released much earlier if he hadn’t of put up such a fight.” Tarrant rubs his hand back and forth over his head. “We thought you were dead, Caden… he…” Tarrant coughs, closes his eyes and pushes his finger and thumb onto his eyelids. With a small shake of his head, his shoulders drop, and he looks at me again. “Casper lost it. He was a fucking machine. It took four cops to stop him fighting, to drag him away, and he wasn’t just fighting one guy either.”
“There were six of them,” I choke out.
“Solomon came, too.”
“Solomon?”
Tarrant nods. “Yeah, Aaron called him, too.”
“He did?” I don’t know why I keep questioning what he’s telling me. I swallow hard, and tears gather on my lower lids as I try not to think about where I’d be right now if Aaron had chosen to do nothing.
Tarrant nods. His fists are clenched, the knuckles blanching across his stretched skin.
“I… I might have died if Aaron hadn’t…” my breath stutters. “He saved me.”
Tarrant drops his head, resting his chin on his chest. His shoulders rise, and he seems to hold his body still for ten seconds before I watch his shoulders drop, his head swings up and the pain on his face, the sadness in his eyes, it takes my breath away. “He’s dead.”
Hammering, fluttering, collapsing in on itself, my heart does it all as my brain tries to process his words. I can’t speak as tears streak down my face.
“Aaron came to the fight. He arrived just after me and brought Solomon. We kicked their asses because of him. You’re okay because of him. Shit. They stabbed him, Caden. Todd stabbed him.”
Choking erupts in my throat and chest, and the pain intensifies both physically and emotionally. Tarrant jumps up grabbing my water, he helps me sit up, waiting for me to calm down. Then, holding the straw that Nurse Lucy added to my water, he lets me sip like the water will somehow wash away the ache, which at this point simply feels like a part of me. I shake my head over and over, my jaw screams at me with every movement, but I can’t seem to stop.
Tarrant puts the water down, and tenderly cups both my cheeks with his hands. “Stop, brother. There’s nothing any of us could have done. Todd is obviously unstable. Aaron…” He glances away swallowing then turns back to me. “Todd stabbed him eleven times. He bled out on the side of the road.”
A strangled noise expels involuntarily from my throat. “Morgan.”
“Is with Laura and Max. Worry about you right now, you still need to recover.”
“Todd?”
Tarrant’s face hardens. “The cops have him. He won’t be free anytime soon.”
“Mom?” I whisper.
“She’s at the house. I asked her to let me come here and tell you what happened. Mom would have been too emotional. Then there would be two of you.” The corner of his mouth quirks, but I don’t react. I feel numb. More than anything, I want Casper.
“Can I borrow your cell? Call Casper?”
He frowns. “You can’t call him right now. Let him sort out his legal situation, then he’ll be here… trust him… trust me.” It’s a plea, and so I silently agree. “Get some rest, you need it.”
Again, I give Tarrant no answer, only close my eyes and hope my dreams give me a reprieve.
Waking this time brings a torrent of emotions. I’m hit by sharp pain directly in my chest when I remember that Aaron died, and it’s because he chose to save me.
The only thing softening the crushing feeling within me right now is Casper. Sitting in the chair next to my bed, his hand firmly grasping mine, I watch as his back expands in time with his breathing. His head rests next to my legs, and his long eyelashes caress the very top of his cheekbone while he sleeps.
I love him. My absolute.
Staring at our joined hands, I wonder if he’ll love me if I’ll be his first love. Not many people our age find their forever love. It’s the way Tarrant and I are built. But considering Casper wouldn’t even admit he was gay until recently, I’m not sure he’ll be satisfied with me—not forever.
“Hey…” His whispered voice drags me from my introspection, back to his eyes. Wide open, the deep amber hue shines back at me, drawing me in, and as always I’m captivated.
“Hey…” I echo his greeting, but my voice comes out with a rasp.
Casper lets my hand go and picks up the plastic cup. Walking into the adjoining bathroom, he throws the old water down the sink and moves to the other side of my bed, pouring fresh water from a pitcher. It’s
