My Better Half (Sequel to My Cup of Tea)

Chapter Twenty

SO MANY UPDATES!!!!!

I just wanted to get this one out today so I could have a Christmas one tomorrow!

Happy holidays!

-biblio (santa) soph

Penelope was not happy.

She'd been sitting down for dinner with her family when she saw the text from Simon's phone.

To: PENNNN <3

Bunce, it's Baz here. Simon's been in an accident. Southampton General. Get here soon.

She wondered, of course, how Baz knew about this. Had he been with Simon? Had he caused the accident? Penny had to push those thoughts from her mind—had to find a way to get to Simon quickly.

Now she was at the hospital, demanding an explanation from Baz. He looked like shit with little cuts all over his arms and small shreds in his trousers. He was caked in dry blood but it didn't look like it was his. Penny folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, waiting for him to pull himself together and explain what the fuck had happened to Simon.

"First tell me why we're in bloody Southampton when you were supposed to be in Hampshire and Simon was supposed to be in London," she said.

Baz nodded and pulled his fingers through his matted hair nervously. "He called me. He went to Burley, like an idiot, and I had to fetch him."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Burley? Why would Simon go to bloody Burley on Christmas Eve?"

"To find D.M., of course."

Penny was very confused. "Who the fuck is D.M.?"

Baz studied her for a moment like he was trying to piece her together like a bloody puzzle. "Has he not told you about the letters?"

"What letters?"

Baz sat her down and explained everything—the letters, Simon's promise, their friendship, and their kiss. He told her everything that they had been doing and what they hadn't done and what they admitted to each other. Penny was mad (well, maybe mad wasn't the right word, but she was definitely frustrated. Betrayed, maybe) that Simon hadn't told her any of this himself, but when she thought about it, she realized that it made sense. She'd practically torn Simon away from Baz at the party, so why should Simon feel comfortable telling her that Baz was his friend? She felt guilty and ashamed and embarrassed, but also confused. Baz's explanations had all been well and good but it still didn't  explain why Simon was in the hospital. At first, she figured that it might've been because D.M., who was Simon's father, according to Baz, got mad and hurt him, but he seemed far too injured for a brawl. Simon could handle himself in hand-to-hand combat. He was a formidable foe.

"So why is he here, Basil?"

Baz sighed and looked down. Penny thought that he might've been embarrassed or ashamed––he certainly looked something. 

"A deer came out of nowhere," he explained, his voice tired and far away. "It went through the windshield into his lap. He...please don't make me tell you anymore of it, Bunce. I can't––it's too––"

Then, without warning, he broke into tears. Big, heavy ones that shook him through. Penny watched him for a moment, completely bewildered and confused, before she tugged him close to her chest and tried whispering comforting words to him. It didn't seem like they were really getting through to him since he was still crying, but she felt him acknowledge them, at least. She could feel them seep into his skin and occupy space in his brain, so she kept going. She whispered half-hearted promises that Simon would be fine (which she didn't know if there was any truth in) until his tears subsided and he was left sniffling and red-eyed and exhausted beyond comprehension. He'd been injured, too, she recalled. Everything must've been catching up with him now and it was draining him. She was sure he would collapse any second. 

"You need to get some rest," she said, brushing a piece of matted hair out of his face. 

He looked up at her and started to protest––his eyes wide and horrified. 

"You need to shower and eat and sleep. You've had a traumatic day and staying here and not taking care of yourself isn't going to help anything. You can give me your number so I can text you if there's any update, but you need to go home and take care of yourself before you can take care of Simon. I know him, and I know that if he sees you looking like this, it'll break his heart."

Baz nodded. "Right. I––I don't know who I should call."

"I'll take you. I borrowed my mom's car."

"No," Baz protested. "Someone needs to be here with Snow."

Penny rolled her eyes. "He's in surgery, likely for another few hours. Plus, your house isn't far from here, right? Hampshire?"

Baz nodded again, seemingly incapable of his normal speech. 

When they got to Penny's car, she didn't know what to say. It felt awkward to just be silent (she hated silences, especially awkward ones) but she had no idea how to carry on––how to pick things up. The last time she had really spoken to him, she'd been chasing him out of her flat.

"So," she said, glancing over at him, "you and Simon?"

He glanced back over at her. "What about it?"

She shrugged. "The last time you were together, it didn't end well. From what I remember of it, you shouted at him until he was curled up in a non-responsive ball."

Baz sighed and leaned his head against the window. "I know. And I––I feel absolutely terrible about it. I didn't mean any of it, either. I just...I love him so much so when he said he wanted to end it––"

"You know that it broke him, right? Leaving you?"

"I know. And that hurts, too. Knowing that we were both miserable for no reason. But now––"

Penny fought the urge to bang his head against the window to knock some sense into him. "There is no now, Basil. I won't allow it. Simon broke up with you for a good reason and you and Agatha are only on a break."

"What can I do, Bunce? What can...what can I do to be with him again?"

She sighed, changing lanes. "I don't know. I mean, from when I've spoken to him about you, he said that he was upset that you were living a double life. With your father, I mean."

"You think I should come out to him? Tell him about Simon?"

"I can't make that decision for you," she said. "But if you want Simon back, and you love him as much as you say you do, then I think it would be a good start."