Fix You ~Completed~

Act Seventy-Eight-Point-Five

~Eddie~

It was weird being home after nearly a week away. Our first night back, Gale was off with Dame and told us he'd been staying the night at her place. They had a lot of catching up to do and their favorite show just got updated on Netflix so they were going to binge-watch it.

That left Clem and I home alone, which had been happening more and more as Dame and Gale grew closer. I had no issue with it and I didn't think Clemmy did either, but I couldn't help but notice how- when Gale was gone- he always avoided going into the bedroom. Even if it was just to change into pajamas or something, he would not go in there.

When I brought it up to Gale, he told me it was probably just a built-in defense mechanism. "You know what Kyla did to him," he'd murmured to me, his eyes locked on the floor. "He's probably just scared. Don't be offended or anything."

I wasn't offended, just worried. Clem and I weren't even dating back then. Of course I'd never try something. Not even now would I make a single inappropriate move. If he felt ready, I'd do whatever he wanted, but I wouldn't even think about it at all before he did.

Clem admitted he was tired, so he curled up into my chest while we sat on the couch eating dinner- McDonalds, the healthiest food out there- and started to doze off. I tried hard not to move too much so I wouldn't wake him, but that was easier said than done. Clemmy was a notoriously light sleeper; everything startled him. It was probably another defense mechanism.

God, I need to tell him.

We were home alone and it was a perfect opportunity. I was going to, just like I promised Gale I would, but...

How could I?

We'd had the conversation when we were unloading the car and bringing our luggage back up to the apartment. Clem had been instructed to go ahead while Gale and I attempted to drain our travel cooler of the ice that had melted inside of it in the little drain by the apartment, and, surprisingly, he agreed to do it. My Clemmy rarely went anywhere without either of us in public, so it was pretty mind-blowing to me.

It also gave me a perfect opportunity to talk to Gale alone.

"Gale?" I murmured while we removed cans of Coke and water bottles from the cooler. He nodded, focused on his simple task. "I-I need to tell you something."

"Alrighty. What is it? Oh god, are you already asking Lem to marry you? Isn't it a little soon, dude? Just kidding! I fully support it! As long as you let me be your best man!" he informed me, waving a scolding finger in my face. I smacked it away, hissing that this was serious. "Okay, okay. What's wrong?"

He wasn't gonna believe me. I knew Gale. My best friend would assume I was just joking for whatever sick reason.

I took a deep breath. "I did something awful, Asher. Promise you won't freak when I tell you?" I asked, though I knew he would despite whatever he promised.

"You are scaring me. What did you do?"

Gale didn't look truly scared, not yet.

"Kyla's death wasn't an accident." Nothing. Not even the blink of an eye. "Gale, he didn't... he didn't mix up his drugs. I did it."

"Dude, that's really not funny," Gale sighed, setting one hand in his hip. With the grace of a toddler, he dropped a water bottle onto the pavement and dove to pick it up. As soon as he was standing straight up again, our eyes met. "You are messing with me. It's not funny and it's a little sick, actually."

"I'm not messing with you. I'm only telling you because-"

"No. No, you did not kill a man." A look of frosty horror crossed his face and Gale threw his hands in the air, "Eddie, you killed someone!"