How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 58: Best buddies reunited

"Hey, do your parents also have to come to school tomorrow?" Harry asks me as soon as he picks up.

"Uhm, yeah." I say. "Weird, huh?"

"No, not weird considering we both ended up in hospital." Harry says angrily.

"Harry." I say. "Thanks for pulling Adam away from me."

"Don't get your hopes up. I'm still mad." Harry says.

Liar.

"Who gave you the bruises?" I ask him.

"What?" Harry asks.

"Who beat you like that?" I wanna know.

"I thought you knew it was Adam?" He asks me.

"No, you just went with what I thought happened. Why are you lying?" I ask him. "Why are you defending him?"

"What?" Harry asks me.

"I talked to Adam. He said he thought I hit you. I thought he hit you. So who did it?" I ask him.

"Does it matter?" Harry asks me.

"Harry, just fucking say it! It was Noah." I yell angrily.

Harry doesn't say anything.

"And you fucking believe me now. You believe me, but act like you don't. Why?" I ask him.

"Sammy. Please. I can't talk about this now." Harry says.

I let out a frustrated scream and pull on my hair. Is he seriously trying to pretend like he doesn't believe me? "Harry, stop it. You believe me!" I say. "You believed me from the very beginning. You were just scared because you knew how mental Noah is."

"Shut up, Sammy!" He shouts. "Shut up. Don't try to manipulate me!"

"The only one manipulating you is Noah!" I yell. "Are you blind?"

"He's my family. He's my cousin." Harry says quietly. "I can't believe you."

"Harry. Why did he beat you like that?" I ask him.

I hear him sniffle. Is he crying now?

"Because you still have the recording. I promised we could trust you, but you just kept a copy." He says, his voice close to breaking.

"That was a lie. I don't have a copy." I explain. "I was mad because he posted the video online, so I lied."

I can hear Harry let out a sob. "He got so mad at me."

Harry sounds so broken. His devastated voice is crushing me. I just wanna hold him.

"He said I'm on your side and that I betrayed him." Harry sobs.

"Harry." I say, trying to comfort him.

"It's Noah. He's not supposed to be the bad guy." Harry says. "Do you know how close I am to him? He's more like a brother to me than my actual brother."

"Harry, I'm so sorry." I say.

"He's never been that way. He hates violence." Harry whines. "Why did he change? What did you do to make him change?" He asks me frustratedly.

"I didn't do anything." I say to him. "You know that."

Harry starts full on whaling now. I listen to him sob and cry and try to form words.

I know that Harry did me wrong. I should be mad at him. But I really care for him.

"Shh, it's okay." I say to him in an attempt to calm him.