Waiting For You

Chapter Thirty-seven

"Fuck what you had. I'll give you what you deserve".

~R. H. Sin

Alex

One week had passed after Hunter had woken up when some progress had been made. The doctors said he was looking good –the hematoma hadn't returned thankfully-. The morning of that week's Saturday was the day the doctors were finally letting him return home. As soon as Hunter arrived, Holden Bradley joined us, having prepared Hunter's case against Matt's assault. Aaron was going to sue Matt and file for restraining orders against him for Hunter, which would get pulled through fast enough considering this qualified as a hate crime.

I could barely keep up with all the lawyer gibberish that Holden was yapping on about. What I did understand was that the hearing would be held Monday morning and Hunter wasn't allowed to attend at his doctors' orders. His doctors had actually been very strict about what he could and couldn't do. Seeing the guy that put him in a coma in the first place wasn't something he should be doing.

I looked at the man that was still talking, explaining how everything would go in the hearing, and I couldn't help but wonder. Criminal lawyers didn't take cases like this. Well, they did but from the other side. Matt would hire a criminal lawyer to help him get out of this mess. One the other hand, Holder was still a lawyer. He knew the laws and he knew exactly what to do in these cases. Holden knew how to...

"Sadly, while winning is certain, assault is a misdemeanor and Matthew is still underrage so he will be facing only a few months in Juvenile detention or a small fine of a couple of thousand dollars".

"A couple of thousand...? That's nothing to someone like Matt!" I yelled out, being pulled out from my thoughts. All eyes were averted to me, surprised expressions mirrored in them. "He put Hunter in a coma, he has been bullying him for years, and he attacked him at the beginning of the year! There has to be something more we can do".

"As I said, Matthew is still a minor. Even though our case is strong, the laws won't be any stricter with him. I've worked on many similar cases, Alex. At this point there's not really much we can do about it," Holden replied with a soft sigh.

"At least he can't claim gay panic," Hunter muttered, snapping my attention to him.

"Gay panic?" I questioned with a frown.

"Yes, it's when the defense claims the defendant acted on temporary insanity because of unwanted same-sex sexual advances. It's only banned as a defense in three States," Holden explained and I felt my stomach curl.

So many people... so many people would go unpunished due to homophobia. So many people died and suffered due to it. And Matt; Matt would do time or just pay a few dollars and everything would be la-di-fucking-da. It was unfair.

Without saying anything I jumped up from my seat and walked out of the apartment. I was pissed. I was so fucking pissed I could feel it in my bones. I was breathing too fast to even acknowledge it. Without missing a beat I pulled out my phone and called Don.

"Hey Alex, is everything alright?" my friend said as soon as he picked up, his voice as usual chirpy.

"Everything is not fucking alright. Listen can we meet at Matt's place? We all need to have a talk," I told him and ended the phone call before he could say anything to stop me.

Ten minutes later I was trying to push Don aside and get into Matt's apartment building. But Don –being athletic and way more muscular than I was- easily subdued me.

"Alex, think for a second here! Do you think that if you go up there screaming and kicking you'll do any good to Hunter? Do you think that it will change anything?" Don was trying to reason.

"I have to do something, Don! So long I have been holding back, biting my tongue; so long I have been just standing back while people like Matt..." Don stopped me by clasping me by both shoulders. 

"Alex, just take a breath. What Matt did had nothing to do with the way you acted. Nothing you could have done would have prevented this".

"No! If I had fought back more often; if I had defended Hunter more; if I had not let him be so homophobic..."

"You would have been lying right next to Hunter in that hospital bed. Alex, it's not your duty to control Matt. It never was. And it's not your fault that Matt attacked Hunter," Don cut me off. I shook my head.

"But it feels as if it is my fault. Matt was my friend. He was there when I came out because he was my friend. Had I cut my ties with him when my soulmate bond was formed, Hunter may have never been in the hospital".

"That's..." he shook his head disagreeing and sighed, his hands unclasping my shoulders. "In that case, Alex, had I realized that your soulmate was the other gay classmate of ours who happened to always skip school when you did; had I realized that when you came out to me you were talking about your soulmate... had I not been so obsessed with my own relationship for a moment, I wouldn't have tried to have a threesome with you. I wouldn't have fucked up our friendship".

"I already told you I'm over that..." I told him, shaking my head.

"Yeah? And how do you think Hunter feels about everything you just said?"

Hunter... Hunter didn't blame me for what Matt had done. He had told me more times than I could count how much he understood that I wasn't ready to come out. He understood why I didn't push Matt away. He didn't blame me. Realizing that, I took a few deep breaths and calmed my nerves. Don must have realized that I had calmed down because he let out a sigh and guided away from Matt's place.

"So, how is Hunter doing?" he asked as we walked down the street, not really headed somewhere.

"Better. He was released from the hospital, but the doctors still don't want him doing stressful activities. He's under house arrest for the time being..." I replied and shoved my hands into my jeans' pockets.

"He needs the rest," Don agreed. "Oh, Beth was talking with Calla and Calla said she's planning this Welcome Home Hunter party next week. Will he be up for it?"

"If he stays away from alcohol and takes it easy, I guess he will be..."

"Great," Don exclaimed just as we reached his place. "Will you be alright? I won't have to haul your ass from Matt's front door again, will I?" he said with half-lidded eyes.

"No, no. I'll be alright. I was pissed about him being so lucky," I replied with a heavy sigh.

"Lucky isn't a word I'd use to describe Matt..." Don muttered.

"He could have killed Hunter. He would have. And he will get away with almost nothing. Lucky is exactly the word I'd use for someone like Matt," I said and turned around. "I'm going back home". Behind me, I heard Don stifle a laugh. "What is it?" I asked him, stopping short and looking at him over my shoulder.

"Nothing, you just call Hunter's place your home now..." he replied and a smile ghosted over my lips.

For the moment I met Hunter, he turned into my home...