32
Stealing one last glance at him asleep, Sky quietly shut the bedroom door and headed downstairs to make breakfast. The moment he stepped out, a sharp burning pain flared across his back.
He stopped and reached behind him, fingers brushing the sore spot.
The black shirt clinging to his body was slightly damp with blood, and he could tell from the heat coursing through him that his temperature was far from normal. He chose to ignore all of it.
With his hands buried in his pockets, Sky descended the stairs, lost in thought. He spotted his brother lounging on their old vintage sofa, casually munching on a green apple—his favorite—while flipping through the morning newspaper.
Sky paused with only two steps left to go, studying him for a brief moment before continuing down. Jasper was already dressed in his school uniform, looking neat and polished, carrying himself with the confidence of a young professional.
“Wasn’t class canceled because of the weather?” Sky casually asked.
“There wasn’t any announcement from the school. The mayor only suspended classes for elementary,” Jasper replied.
Sky wished classes had been postponed, especially since Jude could not attend. He was worried that Jude might miss out on earning extra points. Sky wanted him to be the class valedictorian after all.
“How was your first day at work?” Sky asked as he walked toward the refrigerator and grabbed a glass of water.
Jasper shot Sky a glance before returning his attention to the newspaper.
“It was okay,” he replied. “A little confusing at times, especially with all the medicines. And I still have to get used to dealing with customers, mostly the hot-headed senior citizens. But that’s all normal when you’re just starting.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with it?” Sky asked, concern evident in his voice.
Jasper sighed and lowered the newspaper slightly.
“Are we really having this conversation again? We’ve already talked about this.”
“I know,” Sky said quickly.
Sky took a sip of water before adding, “Just remember, you can quit anytime if you want.”
Jasper did not answer. Sky immediately knew he was starting to get on his nerves.
“What’s with all that stuff?” Sky asked, eyeing the extra bag on the couch. “Are you seriously going to school carrying two bags?”
“I packed some things,” Jasper replied, causing Sky’s brows to knit together in confusion.
“Why?”
“I was thinking…” Jasper trailed off, a little scared.
“Since our house is pretty far from where I work, I might stay there a few nights a week. They have a staff room employees can use, and honestly, it’d be a lot more convenient than traveling back and forth every day.
At least until I get used to everything. ”
The idea of Jasper not coming home did not sit well with Sky.
A strange sense of discomfort settled in his chest, but he kept it to himself.
He could not exactly tell Jasper not to do it.
The commute was exhausting, and deep down, Sky knew his brother’s plan made sense.
It would save him plenty of time, energy, and unnecessary hassle.
Nevertheless, knowing the house would be emptier without him felt harder to accept than Sky expected.
“You’ve really thought this through?” Sky asked for confirmation before taking a long drink, finishing half the water in his glass.
“Yeah,” Jasper replied. “Besides, I’ll still come home every weekend. And if I ever feel like coming back during the week, I can. So don’t worry.”
Jasper flashed Sky a reassuring smile, and somehow, it eased the tension in his chest.
Jasper had grown much more mature in the way he approached and handled his decisions.
Even though he was already nineteen and perfectly capable of making sensible choices before, Sky had always felt the need to take control of everything.
Now, however, he realized it was better to let Jasper decide for himself.
After all, Jasper had never given him a reason to doubt him.
He had never done anything reckless or irresponsible enough to truly anger Sky.
He was intelligent, dependable, outstanding, and everything Sky was not growing up.
On top of that, he excelled academically, something Sky could not help but feel immensely proud of.
“Besides,” Jasper added with a teasing grin, “I think you also need an extra room. Feel free to take over mine whenever you want.”
“What are you talking about?” Sky asked, frowning as he leaned against the kitchen island.
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
“You forgot to keep your voices down.”
Sky immediately stiffened.
“The two of you were arguing so early in the morning that it woke me up,” said Jasper.
Since Jasper’s room was right next door, Sky had no doubt he had heard far more than he should have.
Jasper knew Sky better than anyone. Sky was certain he had already figured it out. In fact, he had probably known for a long time.
“I heard about what happened,” Jasper said. “It’s been all over campus since yesterday. Mitch has been telling everyone that Jude got kicked out of their house and that he’s adopted.” Jasper said as he folded the newspaper neatly and set it on the coffee table before rising to his feet.
“I honestly don’t understand why Mitch treats him that way,” Jasper continued, shaking his head. “I even heard she was the one who orchestrated what happened to Jude in the parking lot a few days ago.”
Anger instantly flared inside Sky. He had already suspected who the mastermind was behind the attack, but hearing it confirmed only fueled his urge to do something about it.
What angered him even more was the fact that Mitch had been spreading Jude’s personal situation around campus as if it were her story to tell.
“Just be gentle with him, Dre,” Jasper said, his voice softening. “He’s already been through more than enough.”
The sincerity in his tone made Sky fall silent for a moment.
“Don’t expect me to come home tonight,” Jasper said as he slung one of his bags over his shoulder and picked up the other from the sofa. “Give Jude my regards later when he wakes up, and tell him to come back to school soon. You too, okay? I’ll make up an excuse for both of you to the teachers.”
Jasper reached for the big black umbrella and headed for the door.
“Bye. Love you.”
Without waiting for a response, Jasper stepped outside and shut the door behind him.
Sky remained where he was, stunned into silence. The anger raging inside him had become so overwhelming that it drowned out whatever he had in mind. All he could think about was finding them.
Sky’s blood boiled with fury.
He wanted to go to school.
He wanted to put his fists through the faces of every person who had hurt Jude.
He wanted them to feel the pain they had inflicted on him. Twice. Thrice. Ten times over. Or life.
He wanted them to pay.
But he could not leave today.
Not when Jude was sick and alone upstairs.
Sky clenched his jaw and forced himself to push those thoughts aside for now. Taking a deep breath, he turned toward the kitchen and began preparing breakfast. Anger prickled fiercely beneath his skin.
Sky wanted to remember every little thing Jude liked when it came to food.
An omelet loaded with onions, steamed broccoli, a glass of milk, unpeeled cucumber salad with vinegar, brown sugar, and lots of onions—those were some of his favorites.
Thankfully, they had all the ingredients in the refrigerator.
As he prepared breakfast, however, his thoughts kept drifting back to Mitch and the cruelty she had shown.
The more he thought about it, the more his anger simmered beneath the surface.
A horrible idea crossed his mind. Sky did not know when it had become this way, but when it came to Jude, there was almost nothing he would not do. He would do everything for him.
And that realization only brought his mind back to the previous night.
FLASHBACK
Sky had no idea what to do.
He paced back and forth across his room, caught in an absurdly intense debate with himself. Should he let Jude sleep through the night in his rain-soaked clothes, or should he change him into something dry and comfortable?
For someone who was a gang leader, who usually made firm decisions, this felt ridiculously difficult.
He stood with his hands on his hips, sweating from nerves.
A moment later, he dragged a hand through his hair and clutched his head in frustration.
Then he sat on the edge of the bed, fingers intertwined while staring blankly at the floor, only to stand up and pace again seconds later.
The indecision was driving him crazy.
Sky had never struggled this much over such a simple choice before. Anxiety churned in his stomach, and to his annoyance, his hands were trembling slightly. It was a feeling he was not used to, one that made him even more restless.
Later, he would have to sort through and wash all of Jude’s belongings.
Everything was drenched from the rain—his bag stained with mud, his clothes completely soaked through, and his school files sopping wet.
Even his laptop had been caught in the downpour.
But none of that mattered to Sky right now.
What mattered was that Jude could not stay in those clothes. That left Sky with only one option—letting him borrow some of his own.
Using Jasper’s clothes was not even worth considering. Knowing how organized Jasper was, if Jasper noticed anything missing, he would immediately start asking questions. Sky was not ready for that. He did not want anyone knowing Jude was here.
Not yet.