Better Than I Know Myself

Chapter Twenty-One

(Adrian's POV)

I look like a mess, my clothes are covered with Jesse's blood, but I don't care. All I care about is how Jesse is doing, he has to be okay. If he dies I will blame myself. It is my fault he is here. If he had never met me, his life would have been different. He came here to get away from his problems with his mom and he just ended up with more problems. I should have broken up with him when Hector first threatened me. Jesse would have been better off without me.

I wait and wait for some kind of news that Jesse came out alright. It's been about an hour since they took him into surgery. I look to where Jesse's dad and aunt sit together, holding onto each other in comfort. I sit alone. The only person I want comfort from is Jesse but that isn't going to happen.

"Adrian."

I look up to see who is calling my name. I am lost for words. My parents stand in front of me and worry is written all over their face.

"Thank god you're alright." My mom walks over to me and hugs me.

I am stunned by her actions. I can't even remember when the last time she hugged me was. "Mom, dad, how did you even know I am here?" I didn't think they would have even care if something had happened to me.

"Mr. West from school called us about how a boy saved you from being shot. Why would anyone try to shoot you?" My mom asks, they never knew about Hector.

There was never a need to tell them because they hadn't showed any interest in my life after I came out to them. But if they could come here because they thought something happened to me, then a part of them must care for me. We go to the café next to the hospital to get something to drink so that I can explain everything to them. Jesse's dad told me he would call as soon as he heard something. We order our drinks and sit down at a table, people are staring at me, but then again I do have blood on my clothes.

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask them, there isn't really much to say, but they should know everything if they want to know.

"Whatever you feel like you need to tell us son." My dad replies.

I nod my head and take a sip from my cup of chamomile tea. "When I came out to you when I was fourteen, I had met a boy named Hector Cervantes. He too is gay, but he felt like he couldn't come out to his family. For the past three years, we were in a secret relationship but I wanted more. I wanted to be able to be out in public with him, so he told me that he was going to tell his family, but I had my doubts that he would." I take a deep breath and wait to see it they have any questions so far, they just nod their head for me to continue.

"I really thought I loved him, but then I met Jesse Logan. He Dr. Marshall's nephew. He at first annoyed me, but the more I got to know him, the more I could see I was falling for him. Then, I realized I no longer wanted to be with Hector. I wanted to be with Jesse. He made me feel special and he has never been ashamed to be seen with me."

"So what caused the shooting?" My mom asks.

"When I told Hector I had my doubts he would ever come out to his family, we had an argument and I broke things off between us. He wasn't too happy about that. When he found out I started dating Jesse, he flipped out. He threaten me. If I didn't break up with Jesse something bad was going to happen to him."

"So that is why he shot the boy?" My dad asks.

"No, I had tried to break up with Jesse, but he didn't let me. He said he wasn't going to let someone take away the one he cared for just because they blew their chance. When Hector still saw that I'm still with Jesse, they got into a fight, and both were suspended from school for three days. When Jesse came back to school we thought it was over and done with. Hector hadn't come up to us. Then, while we were walking back from lunch, Jesse stopped to use the restroom. He wanted me to follow him but I told him no that he was just being paranoid that I would wait outside for him." I start to cry again.