The Harper Cousins (Wattpad Version)

Life gets crazy with the Harpers

Oliver

Deacon, Grayson, and I visited Jayden in the hospital. He was sitting up as Markus and Hayden sat in chairs.

"Damn, you look like hell," Grayson said.

Jayden glared at Grayson. His left eye was swollen, along with half of his face. He had bruises and cuts.

"Way to be sympathetic there," Deacon said, rolling his eyes.

Grayson shrugged.

"Is there a reason you're here, or will you join Jayden?" Markus asked Grayson.

I shook my head. "Ignore Grayson. His dad dropped him while his mom wasn't watching."

Deacon snickered as Grayson rolled his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Jayden.

"As a bus hit me," Jayden said.

"You look like a bus hit you," Grayson said.

"That's it," Markus said, escorting Grayson out of the room.

Hayden chuckled. "Markus is a little upset."

"Well, someone did beat the hell out of Jayden. If I were Markus, I would hunt the tool down and do more damage," I said.

Everyone looked at me. Too many people take liberties with someone. I saw how defeated a person can become when their family hurts them.

"I don't think Grayson is making light of the situation," Deacon said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, because my mom joked after Tim attacked her. We didn't find it funny. She said if she didn't laugh, she would cry."

I furrowed my brows as Jayden sat in his bed.

"Dad said Mom uses jokes as a coping mechanism. It's what kept her going through the abuse she suffered as a kid."

Deacon gave me an idea about Conner. Sometimes, our cousins inspire us when they aren't ticking us off.

Markus returned with Grayson. We visited Jayden and got him to laugh. Then I left to visit Conner.

I showed up at Kain's house and waltzed into the house.

"Don't you knock?" Nixon asked me.

"Why bother? Family doesn't knock." I shrugged.

Nixon shook his head, then coughed. He kept coughing, sitting down in a chair. He wiped his mouth, and I noticed blood.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, that's the million-dollar question. But no. I have four-stage lung cancer."

I stood there, speechless.

"The doctor suggested chemotherapy, but I declined."

I sat down on the couch. "Why wouldn't you receive treatment? Don't you want to fight?"

Nixon looked at me with his steel-grey eyes. "Chemo might prolong my life by a few months. I would spend more time sick than living. Who wants to lie in a bed, waiting to die? I don't. I want to go out in a blaze of glory, my way."

"Isn't that selfish?"

"What's selfish about my decision? Is prolonging my life about me or others? Oliver, most people suffer because they don't want their family sad. If the family loves the person, then they won't make them suffer. The boys understand why I declined the treatment."