Chapter 12 #2
“Uh-huh,” he says, watching me from under those pale yet thick brows.
He drops the wrench, and it hits the floor with a clang that makes me flinch, but Levi only does it to pull his thick blond waves into a short ponytail.
Of course, no one likes hair in their face as they break bones.
His Iron Maiden T-shirt doesn’t need to be tight to show off muscle, because Levi’s size is enough to communicate that he has the strength to break my leg.
Would I prefer my knee shattered? Or would it be better if the bone itself ended up fractured?
What would heal more easily? Can you swim with one leg?
“You have insurance, right?” Levi asks, picking up the big tool from the floor.
“Yes,” I choke out.
He sighs. “And there’s no other way?”
“No.”
Aaron lets out a soft whimper, but I’m set on this.
Am I though?
Levi nods at me. “Okay, if there’s no other way…”
I’m on the verge of throwing up when he raises the wrench, but every minute passing is Cassian potentially kissing the fake troll. I just can’t have that.
“Count,” Levi advises. His usually pleasant face is now serious, and with the wrench above his head, he looks like a modern day Thor.
“Three, Two…”
He brings the tool down.
I scream.
Aaron screeches.
“No! Please, no!” I yell at the last second, prepared to feel searing pain and hear a vomit-inducing crack.
Instead, the loudest sound in the room is Levi’s sigh. “Of course not. This is the stupidest plan I’ve heard in my entire life.”
I roll off the chair and grab the spared leg, curling up as shock settles in, making me feel hot.
“Matt, are you okay?” Aaron asks, crying on the other side of the room.
“He’ll live,” Levi concludes before dropping the wrench back in the drawer. He then picks up a bottle of water, unscrews the top and hands it to me. “Even though with this degree of stupidity, he might not last long.”
I’m wheezing, fighting bouts of nausea, but the water helps. Aaron turns around to wipe the tears off his face.
Levi sits at the table. “So. Now that we established you don’t actually want your leg broken, can I find out what this madness is really about?”
My heart is pounding like mad and I don’t think I’m able to stand up just yet. “I was the troll,” I utter. “I kissed him. So the guy he’s meeting is a fake.”
Levi hums as understanding passes over his face.
“So… hang on, weren’t you the token straight?”
Aaron laughs through his sobs. “Not anymore.”
My shoulders sag. “I think I like Cass.” I know I do, but it feels like such an enormous thing to admit.”
Levi’s face is stony. “Let me get this straight. You’re crushing on your gay friend, and know someone is trying to get into his pants under false pretenses, and you’d rather have your leg broken instead of telling him you like him? By the way, how would getting a fracture help your situation?”
Aaron has finally stopped crying, and sits next to Levi, pale as a sheet.
I’m trembling at this point. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. What else can I do?” I don’t even care how whiny I sound.
Levi watches me and pulls out his phone. Seconds later, there’s a ringing tone. It takes a few times, but eventually someone picks up the call.
“Hey, Cass. Listen, I’ve got a bit of a situation. Your friend Matt threw up all over the bathroom, and he’s not feeling so great. Would you mind picking him up? I’m worried he’s not making it home on foot in his state. Yeah? Okay. See you in a bit.” He ends the call and raises his eyebrows.
All I can think of is that I’m jealous he still has Cass’s number.
“Oh, my God! Why did you not think of that? Why go to the extremes right away?” Aaron cries and leaps at Levi, who grows stiff during the brief hug.
Aaron is not a hugger, so he must have been seriously freaked out.
He pulls away, blushing, and starts pacing while Levi meets my gaze. He is infuriatingly calm.
“I lied this time so he doesn’t do something he might regret, but you gotta tell him the truth. It’s not like he’s your secret straight crush.”
Aaron spreads his arms. “Exactly. I’ve been telling him that all this time. But he won’t listen. And it’s all because of Logan too. He doesn’t want to make them break up while also absolutely wanting them to break up. It’s madness!”
I run my fingers through my sweaty hair in exasperation. “He has a boyfriend. I can’t just barge in there with my feelings!”
Levi shrugs. “Their relationship is open.”
How does he know this?
“But I don’t want that! I don’t want to share him with Logan!” There. I said it. “And he might not even like me back that way, and it’s gonna get weird between us, and I’ll lose my best friend!”
“You don’t know that,” Levi says in a calm voice that makes his take seem almost reasonable when it’s obvious that I can’t just throw my friendship with Cass away for a chance at…what exactly? A relationship? What if that doesn’t work out even if he drops Logan for me?
“That’s why I can’t risk it!”
Levi slides out of the chair to sit on the floor in front of me.
“Do you actually believe Cassian would let things go sour with his friend just because your feelings didn’t match?
He’s a decent guy. If he doesn’t like you that way, it’ll be awkward for a week, but then both of you will move on.
But if you don’t shoot your shot, you’ll always regret it. ”
Aaron nods. “You wanted to get your leg broken for him, but you’re afraid of a little awkwardness?”
I slouch, playing with my fingers. They don’t understand. If Cass rejects me, I will die, and it will be much worse than getting every single bone in my body broken.
“I’ll think about it. I need to find the right moment,” I say to appease them.
It doesn’t even feel weird that Levi now knows my secret too.
Levi pats my foot in encouragement. He looks like he knows shit, so maybe I should trust him.
“Thanks for not breaking my leg.”
“Thank me when you tell him how you feel. Trust me, you absolutely need to do this.” A cloud passes over his features, but he gathers himself up before I can inquire and claps his hands. “Right. Now we must make sure you look adequately ill.”