Two Boys Healing (Book Two)

28. Ow

"Ow."

It was dark, wherever Tristan was. He couldn't see anything, but that could have been due to the bag over his head. It smelled metallic, and leathery.

He groaned and tried to lift a hand to his pounding head, but found he couldn't. What the...

"...oh, good, you're awake."

Tristan huffed, rolling his shoulders and squinting, though it didn't really do much good. "I'm—augh—what?"

There was a slight chuckle, and then the bag was ripped off his head, and he was staring up at a tall, blond Will.

He blinked, looking around. They were in a small room built with flimsy wooden walls, lit by a single, dirty light above them. Tristan took it all in, then looked to the blond Will, then laughed. "What the fuck."

Then he noticed the gun in the man's hand, and his laugh choked off to a slight terrified wheeze. "What the fuck"

"I'm going to give you a few chances, boy. I know you're the one I tried to end a few years ago, don't try to fucking deny it, you disgusting faggot."

Tristan gaped up at him, then the gun in his hand, then up at him again. "WHAT?!" Panic was slowly beginning to seep in. The last thing he remembered was— he was walking down the path to Will's cabin, nervous as always but always eager to see him, and then he'd been pounced on.

Hed vaguely heard of Will's dad, and why he was in jail. I look a lot like Riley, Tristan realized with a growing sense of dread.

Will's father's grip tightened on the gun, and he smiled with crooked, yellowing teeth. "Don't try to play dumb, boy. You're the reason I ended up in that fucking prison. My own son betrayed me because of you, you and your homosexual- your- you." A vein was bulging out of his forehead, and his face was red.

Tristan could help but laugh again. He didn't know what the fuck was happening.

Will's dad narrowed his eyes. "...what the fuck are you laughing at, you faggot?"

Tristan's shoulders shook, and he hung his head between his shoulders. "is that—is that the best—insult you can come up with—"

The punch came, right to his jaw, and he gasped at the sheer force of it, hearing a crack but not knowing where it came from. It took a second before pain bloomed, sharp and throbbing and holy shit.

"Shut the fuck up. I'm not going to shoot you, yet. I want my son to see it when I kill you."

Tristan had tears in his eyes. His heart was pounding, beating like a scared bird, pounding against his bones and making his blood sing. His face hurt so bad.

"no," he gasped, eyes wide as he looked up at him, hair falling in front of his eyes. "What?! No—no—wait—"

He's going to kill me.

He's going to kill me—

Im going to die—Im going to die here, maybe today—

Will my parents even care?

Wills father continued talking, turning and stalking over to a wobbly table, but Tristan wasn't listening anymore, staring at the floor.

Would they even host a funeral? Or just cremate my body and say 'oh, too bad'?

Would anyone even care?

"Will won't come look for me," Tristan said, not caring that he was interrupting whatever insane thing the man was saying. "I doubt anyone will. Will hates me."

Will's father stated down his nose at him, but Tristan didn't look up at all. "Now, see, if that's the case, then why shouldn't I shoot you in the head right now?"

Tristan's breathing stuttered.

~ ~ ~

"Okay, he's not okay. It's been two days."

Will, Ash, Riley, and Chaol were all sitting on the carpet in their cabin. Ash was sitting on Will's lap, and Chaol's brows were furrowed, his hands clasped together. Riley had never seen him look so serious.

Will didn't say anything. He hadn't said much this whole time, and Riley thought he might know why.

Ash frowned, inhaling slightly. He'd remembered everything, but he hadn't even had the chance to tell Will, what with when they woke up they were immediately looking for Tristan. Will was tense beneath him, his arms secure around Ash's waist, seemingly almost to comfort himself.

"Will," Riley said delicately. "....I think you should, um, tell everyone..."

Will was silent for a while, and Ash blinked and turned to look at him with furrowed brows. "...?"

Chaol leaned forward, frowning. "What? Will, do you know where Tristan is?! Why the fuck didn't you say anything—"

"I don't know where Tristan is," Will said blankly, tonelessly. "But I know who might have taken him."

There was a brief moment of silence in which Chaol stared at him with wide green eyes and Ash furrowed his brows. "Who?"

"My dad."

There was no emotion in Will's voice, not even anger, and it honestly scared Ash. He remembered how hateful he had spoken of his father when he talked about him ages ago, and there was none of that here.

"Oh," Ash said, not sure what else to say. "I—I thought he was—in prison—???"

Will looked up at him with a hopeless expression on his face. "...he got out on parole. And then the court somehow gave him my location, for reconciliation purposes, and I think he might have kidnapped Tristan because he looks a bit like Riley and my dad isn't the brightest and I don't really want Tristan to die—"

"Hey, hey, slow down! Will—will, everything is going to be okay." Riley butted in, and for once, Ash was grateful. He had no idea what to do with this emotionless but clearly desperate Will. "Calm down. We'll get Tristan back."

Will stared at him with wide eyes, his arms so tight around Ash's waist he was nearly wheezing to get a breath, but Ash didn't mind.

"How do you know? You don't know my dad—"

"Yes, Will. I do. He hit me with his car. Think, bud. Where would your dad take Tristan? He had to have had a reason. Maybe to get back at you, maybe to—I don't know—try to get you to come see him—" Riley's voice was soothing and firm, and Ash wished he could have his calm confidence. "What about a mountain cabin? Didn't we see one of those on our hike, from the view at the top of the mountain?"

Will inhaled, looking down and resting his forehead on Ash's shoulder. "Maybe," he muttered.

Chaol finally spoke up. "...what," he said, sitting up straight and looking at all of them, "are you guys talking about?!"

Ash exhaled. "Wills dad hit Riley with a car after Will came out to him as gay and then he was put in jail for supposedly 15 years but then Riley didn't die so they let him out on parole and now he's here and he took Tristan to be an ass." It was the most he'd spoken in a few days, and it left him a little breathless.

Will nodded wordlessly, eyes closed, and Chaol had wide eyes. "Jesus, and I though my family had problems—what is this, some shitty online novel?! That's like- worst-case scenario—"

Will nodded again.

Riley abruptly stood. It was very early morning, the sun barely risen, but he went to go put on his shoes.

"...where are you going?" Ash asked nervously.

"To that cabin on the mountain. It should be about a three hour hike. I'm going to see if Tristan is there."

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:)

It's like really early am rn and I'm like literally so exhausted so I won't put a lot here lol but :) I updated

Q: favorite type of dog?

A: toy Australian shepherd :) you should totally look them up theyre so rocking cute