Wilder has an extra ticket to a party and invites his best friend Tristen to go with him. Tristen isn't quite thrilled but decides not to turn down his friend's offer.
'It's just a party. It's gonna be fun.' That's what Tristen thinks. Wilder, on th...
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Tristen covered his eyes, hoping that I wouldn't notice him crying.
It saddened me to see him like this. My heart broke to pieces whenever he inhaled a shaky breath. I needed to comfort him. I needed him to be calm or else risk going through another seizure.
I needed him to relax if we were ever going to finish this!
I was still on my knees when I got up and hovered on top of him. My hands sunk into the bed at his sides, alerting Tris to my new location. He never moved his hands away from his face, but I saw the muscles around his collarbone spasm.
The sudden realization hit me like a brick; Tris is afraid of me.
I took the sheet beside me and threw it over his lower half. I wanted to soothe him with all my heart. I felt a lump growing in my throat. It physically hurt to watch him flinch at my presence.
This isn't healthy. This ain't right.
I gently grabbed his hands and pulled them to his sides.
"Hey, Tris. Hey." I tried to smile. "It's gonna be OK."
Most of his tears were gathered on his thick eyelashes. They barely ran past his face, leaving his lashes heavy and wet. He felt a bit content when he heard my reassuring words, I could tell from the way his breathing steadied. That sheet covering him might have given him one less thing to worry about, like being naked under me.
"I'm just tried." His voice was low and raspy, but then he shook his fists and spat, "I'm so fucking tired!"
His anger wasn't directed at me but at the whole messed-up situation. He had every right to act this way. I wouldn't blame him if he punched me in the face. I almost told him to do it. After all, it was all my fault.
"I know. I know."
I was on all four and he was trapped under me, surprisingly calm. Maybe because I kept stroking his hands in a friendly way.
"Tris?" I exhaled nervously, trying to find the right words. "You... You know we have to do this, right?"
"But it doesn't hurt anymore." He opened his eyes with panic. "I swear, the pain is gone."
"Oh, for God's sake. Not this again." I rolled my eyes. "It's gonna come back!" I snapped and made him jump. "And I know that's it's my fault." My voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Tris. Lemme fix this."
"I don't think it's that bad," he chuckled but with a hint of fear. "Seriously, dude. You helped enough."
"Goddammit, Tris." I frowned at him, letting go of one of his hands to pound the bed. "You don't get it, do you?" I had to tell him the truth. "If we don't do this, you're gonna die!"
"What?!"
"A painful humiliating death!"
I didn't want to go into the gory details, but I hoped with this much info he would actually listen to me now.
