SO BAD [MXM] [MAFIA] ✓

40: HELP

TW: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

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Skylar is unsure how long it takes for him to gather the strength to leave, but he does, eventually. When he does, he hastily exits Ashton's room and makes a beeline for his own. Or... well... his old room. He's immediately stripping his drenched clothes off and leaving them in the bathtub, before searching around for his own. He did laundry a few days ago, and he's pretty much only been wearing Ashton's clothes, generally, for a while now. So, he should have something.

Skylar does eventually find a shirt and some shorts, as well as a pair of underwear, in one of the bags he'd left in here when he moved to Ashton's room. After drying himself off the best he can, he changes into his own clothes, and then he doesn't know what to do.

Skylar is really regretting not going with Evangeline, but there's nothing he can do about it now. He doesn't have Ash, he doesn't have Samantha because all her stuff is in Ash's room, he... he doesn't have anybody, and the darkness is closing in, and...

Skylar feels something buzzing, and it takes him a moment of fumbling around to find his phone, which is a fish again. He honestly can't really make calls anymore, the screen is so messed up. He can only take them, and he can't read the name of the person who's calling him, so he just reluctantly answers.

"Hello?" Skylar says, pressing the phone to his ear with a shaky hand and trying to ignore how wrecked his
voice is. That always happens when he cries. He probably looks like total shit right now.

"Skylar? You sound horrible, are you okay?"

Jessie.

Instantly, Skylar's mood brightens, and he honestly feels like crying again. Mostly from joy and relief, but he doesn't, half because it would probably make Jessie even more concerned than he already appears to be.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Skylar sniffles, rubbing at his face. He is currently sitting in the middle of the floor, all of the lights on to keep the shadows away. "Why did you call?"

"Wanted to check how everything's going." Jessie replies, and it takes a moment for Skylar to realize he's only referring to the fact that Skylar is living with Ashton now. He wants to know how that is. This question only reminds Skylar of the events that just took place, though, and he clenches his eyes shut.

Letting out a shaky breath, Skylar replies, "it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

For some reason, this is all it takes to set Skylar off. "Why didn't you tell me Ashton had feelings for me?"

Dead silence, and Skylar runs a hand down his face. He's doing everything he can to keep it together, but there's just way too much going on right now. Honestly, Jessie could not have picked a worse time to call him.

It stays silent for a bit longer, before Skylar hears some shuffling around. A moment later and the dull background noise Skylar hadn't even noticed before is gone. When Jessie answers, Skylar takes note that he doesn't sound surprised.

"He asked me not to."

Skylar closes his eyes, putting the phone on the ground after eventually finding the speakerphone button. It was mostly out of muscle memory, too. His screen is fucked. "And you listened."

"I'm sorry, Skylar," Jessie apologizes, and that's not what he wanted. Skylar curls in on himself, trying not to break down again, but this is rough. He is not in the state of mind to be having serious conversations like this right now. Then again, it's kind of his fault for starting it. "You're right, I should've told you."

"It's fine." Skylar sighs, and another long beat of silence passes. Skylar is starting to come up with excuses to hang up the phone—sorry, he loves his brother, but he does not have the mental capacity for this shit right now—but before he can actually settle on something, Jessie speaks.