Chapter 12 #2
“I’m not into guys, it’s fucked up, Skeet. What the hell makes you think I want to fuck him?” I asked sharply, a little surprised when he glared at me.
“Stay in the fucking closet and be miserable then, but your best friend obviously likes you. Keep your homophobic shit to yourself if you give a fuck about him. Anyone with eyes can see the way you two look at each other.”
“I thought the crews hated that stuff?” I muttered, making him scoff as he stepped back to start packing up.
“Old school shit was thrown out when Slash and I took over. When you grow some balls and stop being a people pleaser, maybe you’ll be happy. Until then, wallow and learn, I guess.”
“I can pay you for fixing this. How much?” I asked to change the subject, and he gave me the side-eye before zipping up the bag.
“I don’t want your fucking money. Put it towards some therapy before you do something you can’t take back. I don’t want to be left dealing with the broken pieces you leave behind when Rory gets the call that you’re gone.”
I watched him leave, hearing him talking to Rory on his way out about needing to deal with the crime scene in Caden’s car, then she appeared with a glass of water and some pills.
My heart was lodged in my throat at the thought of her getting that call, and it took me a second to speak.
“I can’t believe you punched him and he didn’t punch you back,” I mumbled as I took the pills and water from her and swallowed them, earning a shrug.
“He’s a kitty cat under all that asshole.”
“He could’ve hurt you.”
“He pointed a fucking gun at you. Of course I was going to punch him,” she scowled as she took the glass back and placed it on the counter beside me, taking my wrist so she could inspect Skeeter’s work. “I’m staying tonight.”
“Mom—”
“I can either stay here or you can come and stay at my house. It’s up to you,” she said firmly, not giving me another option. I went to argue again and she cupped my cheek, her eyes softening. “Luke, let me look after you.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice cracking, and I leaned into her as she wrapped her arms around me.
“I’ve got you,” she promised, and I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that until she stepped back. “Let’s get some clean clothes on. We should probably shower too. Step in and keep your arm out of the water. I’ll wash you.”
I hated that I loved seeing this side of her, a flicker of the sweet girl that had been my best friend before her father had destroyed her innocence.
Rory
Once I had Lukas comfortable in his bed, I curled up beside him and cuddled him as if I could put all the broken pieces back together myself. I’d seen him take his pain out on himself before, but not like this.
Walking in to see all that blood wasn’t at all what I’d expected, and I was so glad he’d let me call Skeeter because I had no idea what to fucking do.
“I killed Tristan,” I said absently, his entire body going rigid.
“What?”
“Slash locked me in a room with Tristan to scare me. Tristan thought I was some kind of rape gift or something and tried to hurt me. So I killed him,” I replied, peering back at him as he stared at me. “I didn’t mean to. I just started stabbing him to make him get off me.”
“He didn’t hurt you?”
“I’m okay. Caden and Skeet seemed to work together to help me. It was weird,” I chuckled lightly, and he raised an eyebrow.
“Is that a weird kind of sex code?”
“No. Well, they did that too, but that’s not what I’m referring to.”
“I bet Skeet left Caden crying,” he joked, and I shook my head.
“They have some kind of agreement, I think. It was nice to not have them fighting.”
“I never thought I’d see the day,” he scoffed, burying his face in my neck to give me a soft kiss. “I should’ve been there looking after you too.”
“No. Never put my problems before your own. I’m glad you called me. I’m fine, honestly. Jense is freaking out about you not talking to him though. Can you maybe—”
“I don’t want to talk to him,” he cut in, and I sighed.
“Regardless of what’s happened, he’s still your friend. He’s really worried about you. Just text him to say you’re okay. That’s it.”
“You tell him.”
“I have but he wants to hear it from you.”
Tension lined his brow as he thought about it before shaking his head. “I can’t or he’ll know I’m lying.”
“Then tell him you’re not okay but you will be. If you keep ignoring him, he’ll only show up to see for himself,” I warned, conflict on his face.
“I should. Do you mind if I call him?”
“You do that and I can text Caden and Ty to let them know you’re okay,” I encouraged, giving him a quick kiss as he climbed out of bed and moved into the hallway for privacy.
I took the time to glance around his room, noting that not much had changed since we were kids.
There weren't a lot of personal touches because he barely spent time here, and my heart hurt as my eyes landed on the blood stains on the floor. We’d cleaned it as best as we could, but it was still noticeable.
Lifting my gaze to the window, I stared at the house next door. It looked the same as it had when I’d been a child, flickers of memories rushing at me of playing in the yard with Lukas, swimming in the pool, and Mom scolding me for running in the kitchen when she was baking.
I wondered if the family that owned it now had children who raced up and down the multiple stories of stairs, if they’d learned to swim in the pool like I had, or had pancakes for breakfast in the kitchen with their mom singing along to the radio.
My eyes jerked to the door when I heard Lukas let out a sob in the hallway, and I stopped myself from climbing out of bed and going to him when I heard him begging Jensen to come over. He was just upset and needed a minute.
I’d helped dress him, so I knew he had nothing on him to hurt himself.
My phone buzzed and Caden’s name popped up on the screen with a message.
Caden: How bad is he? Jense just ran out of here like his ass was on fire.
Rory: Pretty bad. He’d calmed down until he called Jensen. Hopefully having him here will help and not make it worse.
Caden: Does he need us too? Are you okay?
Rory: I’m fine. I think he’d freak out if you guys showed up too. I’ll call if we need you.
Caden: Thanks.
I looked up as the door opened and Lukas appeared, holding his phone out to me as he tried to get his emotions in check again. “Jense wants to talk to you.”
I stood and took the phone, pressing it to my ear. “Hey.”
“He cut himself? How deep? Should I bring bandages? My questions are upsetting him more and I can’t understand him properly,” Jensen said instantly, my eyes tracking Lukas as he moved towards the bed and curled up into a ball, facing away from me.
“He let me call Skeet for help, so he’s patched up now. He needed a few stitches, but most just needed cleaning and bandaging,” I explained, hearing the Camaro rev louder as he floored it.
“He needed stitches?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there in two minutes,” he replied before hanging up, and I climbed back onto the bed to wrap my arm around Lukas to wait.
Tires screeched outside a minute later, and the front door slammed before footsteps thumped up the stairs and Jensen ran in, not hesitating to move around to Lukas’ side of the bed and lie down to hold him.
Lukas broke all over again as he sobbed into Jensen’s chest, and part of me wondered how often Jensen had handled situations like this on his own.
He managed to calm Lukas down with soft words and touches, raking his fingers through Lukas’ hair as he held him close.
It wasn’t a surprise when Lukas ended up falling asleep, exhausting himself from the emotional roller coaster, and Jensen finally looked over and acknowledged me.
“It’s getting worse. Usually it’s a small cut or two and some apologies when he calls me, but those hysterics are new.”
“He was freaking out when I got here. He had blood dripping down his arm, and I don’t even know if he was aware of it. He was pacing and getting it everywhere,” I murmured, and he closed his eyes with a defeated sigh.
“I don’t know how to help him. Karen would never allow him to seek help for it, it would embarrass her too much.
I can’t stay with him all the time, even though I want to.
He lets me hover for a while then feels smothered and gets uncomfortable, mostly because his mom starts saying shit about us.
I don’t know how he’ll handle school, everyone’s talking about us being gay. ”
“I can confirm you’re both into pussy, not that it matters. I’ll punch anyone in the face who wants to fight about it,” I scowled, making him chuckle as he lifted his hand to cup my cheek.
“I know you will. We’ll take down the guys, you handle the girls. Deal?”
“Deal. We’ll be expelled by the end of the week,” I said through a huff of light laughter.
“Welcome to being privileged, where Josie bails you out every time you do something against the rules. You could burn the school down and she’d find a way to blame them.”
“She’s really nice. I wonder if my mom will get along with her. Maybe they could be friends?” I stated as I considered the thought. “Maybe Mom would like to live closer to Ashburn Valley if I kill Max?”
“You’re going to kill Max now? Do you have a hidden Grim Reaper list or something?” he asked dryly, and I rolled my eyes.
“No, but one day I’d like to think I was strong enough to tear him down. I just have to find him first.” I paused, contemplating whether to bring up Hunter with him. “Do you know much about the Devils?”
His face fell and he narrowed his eyes. “Why? Are they bothering you?”
“No. Skeet just won’t tell me much about them, and I think I should be more aware of what they’re like. They’re in town, so I want to know what to expect from the enemy, you know?”
He relaxed, nodding. “Yeah, that’s smart. Hunter used to hang out in Ashburn a lot with Skeet. They went to Ashburn Valley High together and were best friends.”
“Is Hunter nice?”
“He shot Skeet and left him for dead, what do you think?” he scoffed, sliding his hand up the back of Lukas’ shirt when he stirred, giving him back tickles until he settled again. “I don’t think Hunter would shoot you, but I think he’d use you to get to Skeet. Don’t get between them.”
“But you said he won’t hurt me.”
“I didn’t say that, I said he won’t shoot you. Hunter would play you like a puppet and leave you to pick up the pieces, and if you let him suck you in, it’s the Psychos you’d have to worry about. Don’t rub shoulders with the enemy.”
“And Marco?”
“I don’t know much about him, other than him and Skeet were insanely close until all the shit went down between the crews.
Hunter seems to send him on a lot of messy jobs, so he’s probably more likely to shoot you.
Maybe ask Diesel, he’d probably tell you what they’re like.
” He watched me for a moment before speaking again, his voice low.
“They’re really not bothering you? If they are, you need to tell Skeet. ”
“If I’m not at home, I’m with one of you guys. They don’t have a moment to catch me alone,” I said with a shrug, guilt eating away at me for lying. “I think we need to convince Luke to come back to Holloway’s house or yours. We can’t be here when his mom gets back.”
“I think Holloway’s is a good idea. He needs Josie to fuss over him. She makes you forget about your shitty parents,” he answered. “She’s a good mom to all of us.”
“I really like her,” I admitted, feeling a little bit awkward for saying it. “All I really know about most adults is that they’re like Max. She’s different from what I expected.”
“What’s your mom like? Do you remember much?”
“Not a lot, I was pretty young. She played with me and tried to protect me from Max. He thinks she ran because she didn’t want me, but I know she had to get settled somewhere before she could come and get me.”
He cringed, his voice gentle. “She’s had a long time to do that. Shouldn’t she have come back by now?”
“She’s scared of what Max will do. He can’t do anything when I’m eighteen, I’m just biding my time.”
He was quiet for a moment before replying.
“I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.
Take it from someone who spent a lot of time waiting at the window for a parent to come back.
Dad never stopped disappointing me by canceling trips home or not showing up for parent things at school.
Josie was there though, so I promise when you feel like you don’t have someone, you can turn to her. She won’t let you down.”
“Mom’s coming back,” I said sharply, and he nodded.
“I know, I’m just saying. I don’t want you to get your heart broken if she’s made a whole new life without you.”
I didn’t get time to argue before Lukas’ phone rang, waking him abruptly.
Jensen grabbed it off the bedside table and scowled.
“It’s just Karen.” Lukas reached for it and Jensen ended the call, putting the phone back down.
“You don’t need to hear her bullshit right now.
She can probably see my car on the cameras and just wants to yell at you. ”
“She’ll keep calling. Give it here,” Lukas threw back.
“No. You can’t stay here, Luke. Come back to my place.”
“That’s a fucking great idea. Then we can tell everyone we moved in together and are expecting a baby by Christmas,” he snapped, climbing out of bed to put some distance between them. “Whatever the fuck has happened between us was a mistake. It’s not happening again.”
I sensed Jensen’s hurt but he did well to keep it out of his voice. “Then you need to stay with Rory or one of the others. I need to know that you’re okay, and you won’t be if you stay here.”
Lukas glanced at me and I smiled. “Stay with me. Please.”
“I don’t want Josie to see me like this. She has enough to worry about right now,” he said weakly, but Jensen shook his head.
“Maybe she can get you private appointments on the down-low with a therapist? She won’t tell Karen shit.”
Lukas tensed and I got to my feet, moving towards him. “Don’t worry about that now. You need a good meal, a decent sleep, and for people to leave you alone for the night. I can hide you from Josie if you need me to. She gets back from her trip early tomorrow.”
His shoulders dropped in relief as he nodded. “Just you?”
“Just me,” I promised, turning to give Jensen my attention. “Give him some space until this dies down. I’ve got him.”
“Please text me,” Jensen answered, but he was looking at Lukas. “Just once a day even.”
“I can do that,” Lukas agreed, surprisingly letting Jensen walk over and hug him. They didn’t talk but they didn’t need to.
Jensen left first so Karen could see him leave alone, and after an hour, I led Lukas outside towards my car and headed straight home.