Blessing in Disguise (MM)

Chapter Forty Two

ARIS' POV

✲

My vision is blurry from the tears that keep clouding my eyes. The pain in my chest is agonising but I'm desperate to get home. I manage to wave down a bus and beg the driver to let me on–he must have seen the hopelessness in my eyes and ushered me in.

I attempt to catch my breath but my heart is rattling so hard that I can barely use my lungs. Once the bus stops and I make my way up to my apartment, legs shaking and eyes sore from endless crying, I slump into the door and try to dig out my keys.

The door opens from the other side and I fall forward. "Aris? Oh my God, where have you been? I've been worried sick." Luca's voice echoes in my ears

My knees hit the floor and I break down. Luca joins me on the ground and clutches my arms. "Aris, you're scaring me."

I press a hand to my heart and the tightness in my chest increases. It's never felt this intense before and I cry out in agony. "Aris? Fuck. DECLAN!"

"L-Luca," I murmur and clutch onto him, hissing when it feels like something is piercing my chest.

"What's going on?" I hear a deep voice and Declan soon is in front of me.

Fuck. I can't breathe. I can't see.

"Heart attack," I whisper through the pain. "I think I'm having a heart attack."

Declan jumps up and grabs his phone faster than lightning. "I'm calling an ambulance."

"Should we not just take him to the hospital?" Luca says in distress.

"The ambulance should be here in minutes," Declan responds before pulling the phone to his ear.

Luca's hands slide down my arms soothingly. "It's okay. We've got you. It's gonna be okay."

I'm not sure that it is. I clutch my hands to my chest and groan when it tightens again. Every part of my body seizes up and I close my eyes. The pain is excruciating and I feel more tears roll down my cheeks. Fear creeps up through my spine and I want nothing more than to crawl up into a ball.

"They're on their way," Declan says. "Said we need to put him against a wall with his head and shoulders supported, knees bent. Luca, grab a pillow."

Declan begins to move my body and Luca rushes to grab a pillow, sliding it behind my head and shoulders. "Now what?" Luca's panic has me wincing. "What else should we be doing?!"

"Keep calm, Luca," he tells him. "Aris needs you to be calm. Okay?"

Luca's eyes flick between his. "Yes. Okay. I can do that."

"Good," he nods before Declan places a hand on my knee. "You're gonna be okay. They will be here any second."

Every second feels like a year and I don't know how long I can keep feeling like this.

✲

Turns out mini heart attacks aren't fun. Luckily the doctors managed to get me stable again. I knew something was wrong. All that pressure, all the stress, all the emotions. I've never felt so broken in my entire life.

I'm wired up to the machine at the hospital. Luca hasn't left my side for a single second, Declan is here too which is a nice surprise. Then I remember Nick. I remember his words. My eyes close and I tell myself to calm down before I set my heart off again.

"Hey," Luca whispers when he notices I'm awake. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," I admit. "Weak."

Declan leans over the table to grab a bottle of water with a straw. "Here."