33. Chapter 33
Hunter
Six hours.
Six hours since the ambulance pulled away with Cody, and I still don’t know if he’s okay. His parents haven’t updated us either.
My fingers sink into the back of my neck, nails scratching the skin as I continue to walk over the same stretch of hospital tile. Wall to vending machine. Vending machine to the corner. Corner to the double doors with the restricted access sign.
Over and over.
Reyes steps in front of me and grips my shoulder. “Go sit.”
I jerk away. “Don't fucking touch me.”
“Don't try me, pendejo. Swing at me, and you’ll end up in a room here too.”
I’m about to step around him when Davis rounds the corner, drink in hand. Reyes looks over his shoulder, grunts, then steps aside. But not before shooting me a warning look.
My upper lip twitches. I’m about two seconds away from putting him through the goddamn wall because I will never hurt a child.
Ever.
Especially not Cody’s little brother.
Davis comes to a dead stop, his gaze moving from Reyes to me. The color drains from his face, eyes widening as his fingers tighten on the paper cup he’s holding.
I nod at him. “Hey.”
Tears streak down his cheeks, and his chest starts hitching, each breath faster, harder. He doesn’t answer, doesn’t curse me out. Just throws his drink at me before running off in the opposite direction. The cup hits me in the chest, pop and ice splashing on me, then onto the floor.
God-fucking-dammit.
I take a deep breath and start to go after him, but Mrs. Jenkins holds up a hand, stopping me. Her eyes are red-rimmed and wet, and she looks at me with something worse than anger.
Disappointment.
She shakes her head once, then turns and walks after her youngest son.
My fingers clench, unclench, then clench again. They never should have seen me like that. My back hits the wall, and I sink to the floor, nails digging into my scalp.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The hit. The bang on the boards. The way Cody dropped. I can’t stop seeing it.
I knew it was bad, hopped the boards, and skated over before the ref even blew the whistle. Bile burned the back of my throat the closer I got. And when Cody said he couldn’t feel his legs, I fucking snapped.
Don’t remember pulling Atlas away or those first few hits.
It wasn’t until Shaw punched me that I realized my hands were around my best friend’s throat, and his face was a reddish purple.
Except I slammed him into the boards right after letting go of his throat, then threw a few more punches.
Coach Reed, Reyes, and others had to pin me to the ice to stop.
“The fuck did I do?” My voice cracks, and I start clawing at my scalp again.
Reyes sighs. “He’s not at the dorm. Hasn’t reached out to anyone either. Rua was the last to see him. Said he stripped out of his gear, then took off.”
My head snaps up.
Atlas always has someone on the phone with him if he’s alone. Always texts someone his location and where he’s going. Been that way ever since my uncle abducted him.
“Shaw’s looking for him.”
I push to my feet and pull out my phone.
Me: Where are you
Me: Answer someone
Me: Atlas
I stare at the screen, every message unread.
“Hunter.” Mr. Jenkins stands off to the side, hands in his pockets. “Cody is asking for you.”
My feet stay planted where they are, my body refusing to move.
Reyes jerks his head toward Mr. Jenkins. “Go. I’ll let you know when we hear something.”
I nod, then follow Mr. Jenkins through the double doors.
Mr. Jenkins doesn't say much as we walk. Just leads me past the nurses' station and down a bright hallway. Monitors beep behind half-closed doors, each one at a different rhythm. Overhead pages muddle together, names and codes that mean nothing to me.
He stops outside a room near the end of the hall and looks at me. “He's a bit out of it because of the pain meds. Try to keep him calm.”
I swallow hard. “Is he paralyzed?”
“The doctor thinks the swelling around the nerves caused the loss of feeling. He expects more function to come back as the swelling goes down.”
“But they don’t know.”
Mr. Jenkins shakes his head. “Cody has a few vertebral fractures and a spinal cord concussion. We just have to wait and be there for him.” He places a hand on my chest when I move to go inside. “He’s asking for Atlas too. So, whatever you’re feeling, do better by my son than you did your friend.”
I nod, take a deep breath, then walk in.
Cody is lying flat. Completely still. A thin blanket pulled to his chest, IV taped to the back of his hand, tubes running under his nose. The heart monitor beeps next to him, steady and too loud in the quiet room.
He looks small. Smaller than I've ever seen him.
A rigid back brace sits on the chair next to the bed. I stare at it until my vision blurs, then grab the rail at the foot of the bed because my hands need something to hold.
His eyes open and find me. “Hunt?”
“Hey, Little Titan.”
“I . . . I’m not going to play again.” His bottom lip trembles, tears sliding down the side of his face and into his hairline. “Not going to walk again either.”
My gaze cuts to Mr. Jenkins.
“He hasn’t processed it. Not sure why the doctor bothered explaining anything while he was this medicated.
” Mr. Jenkins moves to the side of the bed and smooths Cody’s hair back.
“Bud, remember what the doctor said. The swelling has to go down first. We won’t know how quickly everything will come back until then, okay? ”
I move to the other side of the bed and lay my hand on top of Cody’s.
He stares up at me, eyes wet and glassy, looking at me like I'm supposed to fix this as the monitor beeps faster. Except I can’t turn back time, can’t go back and stop that hit from happening no matter how much I want to.
“Hunt . . .”
“I’m here.”
His eyes drift shut, then open again, tears streaking down his cheeks. “But you’re . . . not . . . staying.”
“Like hell I’m not.” I squeeze his hand when he tries to pull it away. “Cody, I’m right here.”
“Not for long.”
“Enough.”
Cody sniffles, eyes drifting shut again. “I can’t move . . . Can’t read . . . What good—”
“I said enough.”
He scoffs. “Are you going to . . . beat the shit out of me . . . too?”
Every fiber in my body freezes. The one mistake I wish I could take back. My gaze flicks up to Mr. Jenkins. He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t even look at me. But a muscle near his jaw ticks. When I look back down at Cody, his eyes are open.
I carefully pull my hand away from his and grip the side rail. “I fucked up.”
“You think?” He lets out a long breath. “I want to see him.”
“He’s not here.”
The heart monitor starts beeping faster. “Where is he? Where . . . is my boyfriend . . . Hunter?”
“Hey, bud. Calm down.” Mr. Jenkins smooths Cody’s hair again. When Cody settles down enough, Mr. Jenkins steps away from the bed and heads toward the door. “I’ll give you two some privacy. And Hunter, remember what I said.”
I give him a curt nod.
Cody huffs, looking at the ceiling. “Great. Nothing like . . . coming out to your dad because one boyfriend . . . is a psycho fuckhead asshole who doesn’t fucking listen . . . when I’m screaming it was a fucking accident.”
My eyes drift back to the door. His father didn’t know we’re dating. But he didn’t react either. Just focused on calming Cody down before stepping out.
“Don’t even think about going after my dad.”
I look at him. “Wasn’t.”
He takes a breath, eyes closing, then fluttering open. “Where’s Atlas, Hunter?”
“I don’t know.”
Cody looks back up at the ceiling, tears spilling again. I take his hand in mine and just hold it. He doesn’t pull away, the beeping of the heart monitor the only sound in the room.
“I’m mad at you.”
“I know.”
He turns his head and looks at me. “No, you don’t. I was scared. Not because I was hurt . . . You . . . You didn’t see his face. It terrified me. And then I heard people screaming that you were killing him, and I couldn’t move. Do you know how that felt?”
My gaze drops to our hands, my brows furrowed, molars grinding. I hurt them. Both of them. And not accidentally.
I lost control.
Cody sniffles and tries to move his hand. But I reach over and wipe his nose with my sleeve.
He rolls his eyes. “Because this day couldn’t get any worse. Now my snot is all over you.”
“Stop.” I wipe his tears with the other side of my sleeve. “You’re mine. I don’t give a shit if you cover me in snot. Or vomit. Or—”
“For the love of god, don’t you dare finish that sentence.”
The corner of my mouth curls up. And when he squeezes my hand, my heart beats faster. So fast, I think it might give out.
“Hunter?”
I swallow hard, my palms going sweaty.
He’s mine. He will always be mine. No matter what.
Leaning over, I kiss the tip of his nose, then rest my forehead against his. “I love you.”
He gasps, but stays silent for a beat. “Just me?”
“No.”
“Then fix it.” A tiny smile forms on his lips when I pull back. “And I love you too, even if I want to . . . strangle you with the IV line right now. You’re lucky I can’t move, dumb fuck dipshit.”
I huff a laugh.
My little Titan is mouthy, strong, and stubborn. That’s why he’ll be back out on the ice. This injury won’t stop him. He won’t let it.
When Cody drifts off, I pull over a chair and sit beside him, unable to stop holding his hand.
He loves me.
I spent my whole life thinking I didn't deserve to hear those words. Still not sure I do. But Cody said them, and something inside me gives way. I brush that stubborn curly strand from his eyes again, but as usual, it falls right back into place.
Fucking thing needs to be cut off.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out with my free hand. Hope Reyes found Atlas. But when I look at the alert on my screen, it’s my brother’s name that pops up.
I place the phone face down on the bed. Now is not the time. But he texts again. So, I unlock the screen and read his messages.
Garrett: We need to talk
Garrett: Meet me here
There’s another text with a pin drop.
Me: Can’t
I yank my hand away from Cody’s when the next text comes through, every muscle in my body going rigid. It’s a photo of Atlas. He’s tied to a tree, mouth gagged. My gaze scans his face, taking in the discoloration, the puffiness. His one eye is purple and swollen.
Fuck.
I did that. To the other man I love.
The room starts to spin, walls closing in, the only thing I hear is the rapid thumping of my heart.
Another text comes through.
Garrett: Come now or he dies