Precious Virtue ✓

Bonus Chapter: White Flowers

Precious Virtue

Bonus Chapter: White Flowers

[Elijah's POV]

I stepped out of Preston's bedroom feeling like someone stacked a bunch of textbooks on top of my chest. My entire body hurt. My arms and legs trembled. Blood pulsed in my ears.

I tried for the last hour to get him to calm down, but he wouldn't. Nothing I said or did would make him feel better, and I hated myself for it. Part of me feared he would dehydrate or pass out from how hard and long he'd been crying.

I wished I could help him. I wished I could get him to calm down. But I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't. He thought I left him after I walked out on him in that empty classroom. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces just thinking about it.

I silently prayed that now Adrien was here, that Preston would finally be able to calm down. If anyone could get him to calm down, it would be Adrien.

I stopped near the top of the stairs and gripped the railing, knuckles turning white from my vise-like grip. I clutched my chest; hot tears burned my eyes, rolling down my cheeks as I choked back a sob, struggling to take in enough air in my lungs.

God, everything hurt. It hurt to see Preston like that—so broken down and in pain. It had felt like slow motion when I initially arrived back at our dorm. My heart had been pounding so hard and so fast that I thought I was about to have a heart attack, and my hands shook from the adrenaline that coursed my body. I was afraid of the state that I would find him in, and afraid that I somehow wouldn't make it to him on time if he had decided to hurt himself.

"Preston??" I shouted, panic bleeding through my words as I ran upstairs to his room. His bedroom door was closed. I banged on the door a couple of times before checking the doorknob—the door was unlocked. I quickly pushed open the door; a rush of relief and dread bled into me all at once.

Preston was on the floor, hands hugging his knees to his chest as loud, painful sobs escaped him. His room was a disaster. There were broken beer bottles scattered along the carpet, and some of Preston's things had been thrown about his room—his clothes, his textbooks, even his dresser and desk had been swiped clean, items littering the floor.

I rushed over and knelt in front of him, grabbing his hands. Preston lifted his head, glancing at me with eyes flooded with tears and sorrow. I checked every inch of his skin, looking for any sign that he hurt himself, but didn't find anything.

"Y-You're okay??" I let go of his hands and cupped his face. "You didn't cut yourself? You didn't take any pills or anything, did you??"

Preston shook his head. His lip wobbled as he sobbed some more—he opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out were gasps for breath.

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him to me. Preston tried to push me away, he shoved and kicked, squirming as he desperately tried to break free from my embrace, but I only hugged him tighter. He eventually gave up the fight and curled into me, crying harder.

"Y-Y-You left—left m-me...!" Preston cried, digging his nails into my arms as he clung to me. "You l-left m-me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I said, fighting back tears that threatened to burn my eyes. "I would never leave you, Preston. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm here. I'm here."

"Y-You hate me! E-Everyone hates me!"

"No one hates you, I love you, Adrien loves you...Flores, Blaire, Prim...we all love you." I insisted.