Waiting For You (Tree Bros)

Chapter Nineteen: Crashing Down

A/N: I think the next chapter will be the last.

"Isaac passed away five minutes ago."

Those six words came crashing down on Evan and he broke down, clutching his knees as he sobbed loudly.

Connor threw his arms around Evan as he cried too.

As the doctor walked back into the room to break the news to Jared, Evan thought about how Jared would feel.

He would be absolutely devastated. Why did bad things happen to good people?

The doctor walked back out the room to the two crying boys. "Jared has asked to see you. I'm so sorry for your loss."

Evan wiped his eyes and slowly stood up, along with Connor.

He walked into Jared's room where he sat, staring at the wall.

His face was blank. No tears, no frown, nothing.

"You said he was going to be okay," he said in a monotone.

Evan continued to cry. "I'm sorry, Jared. I'm so sorry."

Jared turned his head towards Evan, rage in his eyes. "You lied to me! You told me he would be okay. You told me..." Jared began to cry. He put his head in his hands as tears streamed down his face.

Evan walked up to him, running a hand up and down his back.

"I'm sorry, Evan," he said between sobs. "You didn't deserve that."

"It's okay," Evan said. "Don't apologise."

"It should've been me," Jared choked out. "Isaac deserved to live. He deserved every good thing life had to offer."

"You both deserved happiness," Evan told him. "Isaac's in a better place now. No bad thing will bother him again."

"But that's the thing," Jared looked up at Evan with a tear streaked face. "Is he really in a better place? Wherever he is? Is he truly happy?"

"I don't know, Jared. But what I do know is that he is here," Evan put a finger on Jared's chest, where his heart was. It was beating faster than usual. "And he always will be. As long as you're happy, he'll be happy. Remember that."

Jared sniffed, wiping his eyes.

"I'm not saying don't grieve," Evan said. "Just don't let it haunt you."

Jared nodded. "Thanks, Evvy. For everything."

"You don't need to thank me. It's what friends are for."

"I don't deserve to have a wonderful friend like you," Jared cried. "I treated you like absolute shit, and you still forgave me. "

"Shh... it's okay... Just breathe..."

Jared took a shaky breath before once again erupting into sobs.

"It just... doesn't feel real," he cried. "He's gone. I'll never see him again."

"He's here, rem-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. He's here," Jared said, pointing to his heart. "But that's just in spirit. It's not tangible, y'know? I'll never kiss him again, or hold his hand, or even have eye contact with him again. All I have now are memories, and they fade over time." He wiped his eyes. "I don't want Isaac to fade away."

"He won't," Evan assured him. "You both loved each other to pieces. He was the first person you ever loved, you won't forget him."

Jared mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Evan asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry."

They then heard a knock at the door, and the doctor walked in.

"Hey, Jared," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"My boyfriend just died," Jared replied curtly. "How do you expect me to feel?"

"I'm sorry."

Jared sighed and put his head in his hands. "No, I'm sorry. It just... really hurts."

"These feeling are normal," the doctor assured him. "Now, I have some news."

Jared looked up at the doctor. "What is it?"

"You asked me before if anyone else was hurt in the crash. Do I recall correctly?"

Jared nodded.

"It came to my attention that the driver of the other vehicle was admitted to this hospital as well. He is currently unconscious, but after looking through his things, we discovered a name."

Jared raised an eyebrow, signalling for him to continue.

"His name is Harry Tyler. However, I regret to inform you that we found a burner phone in his bag," he said, a sincere look on his face. "On it were messages from an unknown number. It appears that he was ordered to crash his car into you and Isaac."

Jared's eyes widened. He looked afraid. He began to shake. 

Evan was confused. Harry Tyler... He'd heard that name, but where from?

"I know this is hard to process, but everything will be okay. As soon as he has recovered, he'll go to jail."

"Th-thank-you," Jared said quietly.

The doctor left the room.

"I'm going to strangle that son of a bitch with his heart monitor cord," Connor muttered angrily.

"Why have I heard that name before?" Evan asked.

"He was allegedly kidnapped along with me," Connor explained. "I never actually saw him, though. So unless he was working with the kidnapper, or... he was the kidnapper."

Evan's eyes widened. "Oh my God."

"I'll help you strangle him," Jared said. "For you two and Isaac."

Their death plotting was interrupted by a knock at the door.

The same doctor walked in, his hands behind his back.

"We... we were going through Isaac's things," he explained. "We found this."

The doctor pulled an item from behind his back and handed it to Jared before apologising and leaving the room.

Evan looked at Jared. He was holding a small, navy blue box.

Evan had a feeling he knew what it was. He began to cry some more.

Jared put a shaky hand to his mouth. He obviously had an idea as to what it was, too.

Jared slowly opened it. As soon as he saw what was inside, he began to sob.