stormy weather (dreamnotfound)

chapter 24 - consolation

tw: self harm discussion

-

"Karl broke up with me."

"He WHAT?" I shot off the bench and blinked a few times, thinking I had heard his words wrong. "How in the- wha-"

"I know. I don't- I don't know why. He left this," he held out a yellow sticky note, and I felt my heart drop as I read it.

Nick,

we're breaking up. i can't believe you would do such a thing. i thought you loved me.. but something like that is unforgivable. goodbye, nick.

I let the note float out of my hands, having re-read it multiple times. By the time the words had registered I looked up at him, his eyes full of tears, staring at the ground with his hands stuffed into his pockets. I sighed before grabbing his jacket and pulling him into a hug. He didn't seem to accept it at first, but after a moment he gave in and let me hold him tightly. "What does he mean? What did you do?" I asked, standing on my tippy-toes so my chin sat on his shoulder.

"I have no idea. It was on my nightstand when I woke up in the middle of the night. He... he's asleep on the couch," his voice was quiet and low, I could barely make out his words.

After we pulled away I held him by the shoulders, trying to look him in the eye but he kept his head down. "So he didn't leave? Why didn't you talk to him about it?"

"George, I- I couldn't," he muttered as he gave Clay a heartbroken look. "I didn't want to face him. I don't know why he's still there." He clasped his hands together nervously, biting his lip as he held the tears back. The look in his in eye was impossible to describe. A mix of sadness, jealousy, and everything in-between.

I gasped silently as his sad look reminded me of Clay's. The familiar hollow stare he provided brought me back to the night in his bathroom, the heart-wrenching event I wish I could forget.

I shook my head slightly and focused my attention on the problem at hand. I placed my hand under my chin in thought. "Obviously something is wrong. You're sure you didn't do anything?"

"Like I said before, I think we should go talk to him," Clay put in, standing up from the bench. He put his arm around me and I leaned into him for a moment, but pulled away after seeing the flash of bitterness in Nick's eyes.

I turned to the side to meet Clay's hopeful eyes. With the motivational squeeze of his hand, I motioned to Nick to follow.

"We're going to find him, right now. We'll figure this out."

-

By the time we arrived at Nick's house, the faintest edge of the sun had peaked above the horizon, casting bright orange streaks across the sky. It was almost blinding to look at, and I caught myself staring a moment too long before I tore my vision away. Nick unlocked the front door and we headed inside.

Karl was sound asleep on the couch, curled up in the corner with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around him. His head lolled gently to the side as he slept and his quiet snores filled the room. His bed head was honestly adorable, but I forced myself to keep an angry mindset. I was going to wake him up calmly, but Clay stormed over and ripped the blanket off.

"Clay- be careful with him," Nick whispered as he held his hands to his chest, but Clay threw the blanket on the ground and and shot him an irritated glance. Karl sat up slowly and blinked fiercely as he recognized our faces.

"It's- it's so early.. What's going on?" he muttered as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes worriedly.

"You tell me," Clay grumbled as he held the note in front of him. Karl held it close to his face and examined it, his eyes growing wider each second.