Dare to Fall

Chapter LX

"I love you."

I thought it was too late to tell him that. Even now, with everything that had happened, I struggled to find the confidence to say them out loud—especially not in front of my mom. My heart ached, and I felt the weight of the world pressing down on me as I looked at him.

Cayden lay on the cold, hard floor, his body limp as I shook him, panic rising in my chest. "Cayden!" I cried, feeling the tears spill over as his weight felt heavier in my arms. I looked up at James, who stood frozen, his expression one of shock. He had shot his own friend—my friend. The gun slipped from his fingers, clattering to the concrete with a heavy thud that echoed through the silence, stinging my ears.

"No... no, no," he stammered, his voice trembling as he realized the gravity of what he had done. Tears pooled in his eyes, and I could see the horror etched on his face as he took a step back, as if the reality of the moment was physically pushing him away.

"Cayden!" I shouted again, feeling a desperate urge to will him back to consciousness. I felt a presence behind me and turned to see Noah, Logan, Ethan, and Caleb rushing in. The sight of them didn't bring the relief I had hoped for; instead, it amplified the panic bubbling inside me.

"What happened?" Logan asked, his voice a mix of confusion and concern. I could only point at Cayden's wound, my voice caught in my throat. I pulled him closer, cradling his head in my lap as I rocked back and forth, tears spilling onto his shirt.

"The cops should be here any minute now," Ethan said, but I barely heard him, my focus entirely on Cayden, whose face was growing paler by the second.

As if sensing the urgency, I looked around for Trevor and Nolan. They had vanished, leaving only chaos in their wake. James, still lingering, took a hesitant step toward us, tears streaming down his face as he dropped to his knees beside us.

"I'm so sorry," he choked out, shaking as he reached toward Cayden. "I didn't mean to... I—"

Before he could finish, Noah's fist connected with James' face, sending him sprawling backward, a gasp escaping his lips as blood trickled from his nose.

"That's for shooting your own best friend!" Noah shouted, his voice heavy with rage. Logan and Caleb joined in, kicking at James' side, each kick a testament to their anger and betrayal.

"Betraying your own friends," Caleb added, fury boiling in his tone.

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer, and I felt a flicker of hope. My mom appeared at my side, wrapping her arms around me as I sobbed into her shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay now," she murmured, but her words felt hollow against the weight of the situation.

Paramedics rushed through the entrance, their urgency palpable as they moved to help Cayden. I watched, heart racing, as they took over, their voices a blur of medical jargon.

Meanwhile, the police moved in, arresting James for kidnapping and attempted murder. He met my gaze, sadness etched across his features. "I hope you can forgive me for what I did," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Fuck you and your apology!" Logan shouted, his anger unyielding.

"Let's go after Cayden at the hospital. But we need to go to the police station first," Logan said, looking at me with a reassuring nod. "We'll catch up with you. Just get there."

I nodded, feeling numb as we made our way down the stairs, finally escaping the darkness of the abandoned building. The cool night air hit me like a splash of cold water, waking me from the daze I had been in.

I climbed into the ambulance, heart pounding as I watched my mom drive off in her car. Logan and Noah hopped into another vehicle, heading in the opposite direction. I focused on Cayden as the paramedics worked, their faces a mask of concentration as they struggled to keep him stable.