all those broken promises | shyland

Chapter Seventeen

a/n: you're not ready for this.

—

All he could see was red.

Tears falling from red-rimmed eyes and blood splattered across the concrete and pain coursing through his throbbing knuckles and the shots in his system threatening to make a reappearance and the sound of crying and choking and someone being unable to breathe and it may have been him but he couldn't know for sure because the ringing in his head was louder than the chaos around him as punch after punch ripped into his friend's face and the screams around him became a motive.

There was more red as somebody grabbed him by the arm and tried to drag him away from the unconscious slump of the boy across from him and he reminded himself with every splatter of red that landed across his face that this was who he was and who he had always been and who he probably always would be and as the ringing in his head turning to pounding and the pounding turned to reality and the reality turned into him crashing to his knees in a puddle of liquor and beer and blood.

He could see the faces of the people around him and he could see his best friend's lifeless body draped up against the concrete stairs and he could see his throbbing hand pulsating with every breath he took and he could see tears blurring his vision yet none of it mattered because the one person who did—

...was nowhere to be found.

Three Hours Earlier...

Ryland Adams knew two things for certain.

One, he was irrevocably in love with Shane Dawson. After spending the week with their legs entangled and his head tucked into Shane's neck and his fingers twirling strands of auburn-colored hair between them like he couldn't wrap his mind around the thought that Shane was actually his – all while his boyfriend alternated between editing their film and pressing kisses to the top of his head – the realization was clearer than it had been a week ago. He had dangerously and clumsily and uncontrollably fallen in love with the forbidden boy and there was nothing he could – or wanted to – do about it.

Two, he had a bad feeling about this. He had agreed on going to this party with Shane even though he was sure there would be drinking and he didn't know anyone going and he and Garrett had only spoken a couple of times in passing – he didn't have anything against the Watts' family, but he never thought he would show up unannounced at Garrett's pre-Thanksgiving party.

"Are you sure about this, Shane?"

The auburn-headed boy turned to face his boyfriend as he rolled the sleeves of his button-up shirt and gave Ryland a smile. "Garrett already said you can come. I know he seems intimidating sometimes, but now that we're dating, he'll include you in the group. He's my best friend, he would never do anything that would hurt me or the people I love."

"And his parents are okay with him throwing parties?"

Shane laughed. "Are you kidding? His parents are never home when this happens. A few people who come to the party have older siblings who supply the drinks and there's a few stoner kids who live behind Garrett's place that supply the weed."

"Shane—"

He threw an arm around Ryland's shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Okay," Ryland accepted as he tried to ignore the growing pit inside of his stomach. "Or, we can stay at my house and watch movies and ignore the thought of a bunch of high school students getting drunk inside the Principal's house without his knowledge of it."

"Ry—" Shane squeezed his shoulder. "I'm going to be with you the entire time. If you need to leave, tell me and we'll go. But—I have to make an appearance at Garrett's party."