Why the Straight One? | Book 1 | bxb

Excerpt 6

I rushed into the hallway, fear adding speed to my run. It didn't matter that Jasper was only ten feet ahead of me and running away down the hall. All that mattered was Alex's body, crumpled on the floor.

A pain so sharp it felt as though I too had been stabbed, shot through my heart, and I threw myself down by him, turning him over onto his back. He cried out in pain, and I looked down at his stomach where his hands were desperately clutching. Dark blood covered his hands, flowing out of the wound at an alarming rate.

The knife was gone. He was bleeding out and I had to stop it or there was no way he would live. I ripped off my suit jacket, folded it as best as I could with my shaking hands, and tried to put it on his stomach. His hands were still there, and I tried to move them away gently, but he whimpered, and held them in place.

"Baby, please. I've got you. Move your hands for me."

I don't know if he even registered what I said, and I forced his hands away as gently as I could in my hurry. He was still losing blood. I covered the wound with my jacket, applying as much pressure as I could. He screamed in pain, and I wanted to pull away, to stop hurting him more, but this was his life. I couldn't let him bleed out like this.

"Tommy, please—please stop." He whimpered, bloody hands grabbing desperately at my hands, trying to make me pull away.

I looked at his face for the first time, and i felt my heart twist painfully. Tears coursed down his cheek, pain twisting his features.

"I can't. You're bleeding too much." I tried to make him understand. Tried to keep back my own tears as he writhed in pain beneath my hands.

"It hurts." I didn't answer, couldn't form words around the ache in my throat. "Please stop." His voice was getting softer now, but his hands moved around, frantically trying to find something to hold onto during his pain.

Tears slipped from my eyes as I pulled one of my hands away for a moment to guide his hands to my sleeve. He clutched at it, holding my arm so tightly that it stung.

I had heard feet rushing by us, and looked up. People were running by, but I couldn't make out any faces, tears blurring my vision. Unable to wipe them away, I called out to people I hoped were there.

Someone came rushing towards me. As they drew closer I knew it was Mark. He knelt down on the other side of Alex.

"Someone is getting doctors right now." I barely heard him, looking back down at Alex, and the blood still seeping into the fabric of my coat.

I saw Mark's hands next to mine, and I looked up at him, a question forming on my lips.

"I've got this. He needs you." I moved my hands away from the fabric, watching as Mark's hands replaced mine, applying pressure in the hopes that it would help.

I took Alex's hands in mine, both slippery from blood, but still he clung to me. I moved until I was closer to his head, lifting it off the ground gently and cradling it in my lap.

"I'm—I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry." Tears we're still pouring from his eyes, and he gasped between his words, like even breathing was becoming hard for him.

"Shh, you're okay, love. You're okay. Don't be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I—I didn't stay wh-here you..." He was struggling to speak, and I brushed my hand through his hair. It was sweaty, my hands were covered in blood, but I needed to be close to him. As close as I could.

"Its okay. You're gonna be okay." I kissed his forehead, his cheek, anything to distract him from the excruciating pain he was in.

"I was s-so mad. I-i thought..." His breath hitched, and a spasm shot through his body. "You we-re just being too protective. I'm so s-sorry."