The Nerd Can Fight (#1)

Chapter 49

"So you were the one who slid those envelopes into my mom's hospital room to help pay her bills?" I winced when I saw the look in his eyes but nodded slowly.

"Case, what were you thinking?! You could have died! We could have found another way to pay her bills," I couldn't help myself at that. I tried to bite my tongue so bad that I tasted a slight metallic taste but that was the last straw.

"And then what? Watch her die slowly on that white hospital bed and see you grieve even worse because you feel guilty for not being able to prolong it for a little while until we find enough money to fund for her operation?

I saw an opportunity to at least try to help buy Carla some time and I took it. That winning prize could've funded her whole operation if we just had more time." My last words were accompanied with a sob.

Time; that is our true enemy; It won't stop to let us catch up with it. Every second counts.

I heard Adam sigh before I was engulfed in his arms.

"I just don't want to lose you," he murmured, stroking my hair and back. I hugged him back when I caught what he was saying.

"I know and you won't," I assured him with every ounce of determination in me.

"You understand that even if I want to quit now, I can't. You heard what that man said. I need to come back and fight again," I felt his arms tighten around me and held me in a vice grip.

"He's bluffing, Case. Don't heed it. I won't have you risking your life. You might be one of the best fighters I've ever known but there's no saying that you will survive this kind of obstacle in your life. You heard what that man said too. You can die even before you finally fight against him and even if you survived, you'll be walking into your own death."

I shook my head. It's not going to end. It's never going to end. I'm stuck in this life; running and being caught on a hook that pulls me back to the start.

I shouldn't have jumped into this life in the first place. If only Bryant was here to tell me what to do. I stared at the clock and saw that it was already late. Everyone was sleeping already since today was seriously nerve-wrecking and I guess it drained them to be in such pressing situations.

After we got home from the hospital, they were quick to distribute the bedrooms between themselves. We have two guest bedrooms and the kids were sleeping with Jerry while Adam will be sleeping with Jake in the other guest bedroom and Monic will be sleeping with me like every other time.

Preston was staying in the hospital for tonight. His vitals were fine but it was just a safety precaution in case they missed something. We met the old man who accompanied Preston while he was unconscious on our way back and I thanked him for his help.

It turned out that the man knocked Preston out before Adam got to him and had Adam chase him. It was certainly a wild day for all of us.

Adam took a seat and I followed suit, the tension leaving my body and leaving me to slump my shoulders and let the chair bear my weight.

"Why do you stay by my side?" I asked him curiously. He shrugged in response seeming like he couldn't care less on why. He could've avoided a shit load of trouble if he just broke up with me and moved back to his town.

I wouldn't even go after him or stop him because even I wished I didn't have this life to deal with. But I chose this and I have accepted a long time ago that I have to face the consequences of my decisions and actions.

But Adam didn't choose to be with someone that has a baggage as heavy as I do. He didn't know my secret when he befriended me. He can choose to escape this fate now if he wants to. He can quit anytime.