Hello Stranger

Chapter 11

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't want to stay longer?" I question my brother as he collects his belonging from the hospital room.

"I'm starting to think you don't want me to go home. Is there a specific reason for that?" Asher asks pointedly.

"I just want to make sure you're not pushing yourself too much," I answer. "What reason would I have for not wanting you to come home."

"First of all, the only real damage done was my broken arm," Asher reminds me. "And you came with Jackson. Of all people, you came with him."

"My other options were Joey and Grayson. As bad as I left things with Jackson, I preferred him to drive me than having to deal with Grayson being a jerk. Or Joey being a dick."

"Yeah, what's going on with Joey?" Asher said recalling Joey's behavior toward me.

I sit down on the bed and chuckle lightly. "Honestly, I have no idea. I get that he likes me but he's acting like I cheated on him or something. I don't know what I did to make him so mad."

Asher's eyes bulge out his head, "He likes you?!"

"Shit," I mumble to myself. "Yes. Well, originally it was theoretical but I think based on his behavior, I can say he does. But can we please not talk about that now?"

"Okay," Asher says as he finishes collecting his things. Then, he sits down next to me and looked in the hall where Jackson stood. He was talking on his phone with somebody, so he hadn't noticed Asher and me. "Did you forgive him?"

"No, I say looking down at my hands.

"Why not?" Asher questioned.

"I don't know! I tried. We talked about it a little bit but I just don't feel like I forgive him yet." I explain.

Asher nods in understanding. "Do you still like him?" 

"I don't know," I whisper as I fidgeted with my fingers. "I don't think so."

"Then, why can't you forgive him?" Asher pushed. "You forgave me and Xavier for the same lie that you won't forgive him for. Why?"

I run my fingers through my tangled, long brown hair. "I don't know. Part of me doesn't care he lied to me. But if I don't care, then why am I still angry?"

Asher wrapped his good arm around me, allowing me to rest my head on his shoulder. "I think you did forgive him for lying," Asher says.

"Then why am I still mad at him?" I complain.

"You're not mad at him for lying, Andy," Asher chuckles. "You're mad at him for leaving."

"But it wasn't his choice to leave, you know that."

"But it was his choice not to say goodbye. He left when you needed him, without saying goodbye. Then, he made no effort to contact you when he was gone. And when he came back we were in his past," Asher explains.

"Maybe you're right. But I don't want to be mad at him anymore. You're my brother, and Xavier is like one to me too. Jackson was my best friend," I whisper.

"Well, now you say Xavier is your best friend," Asher reminds me.

"Yes, but there are things I can't tell him because I'm afraid of him reacting the way you do. He's protective of me just like you are. He looks at me the same way you do," I say.

"But it wasn't like that with Jackson?" Asher asks.

I sigh, "No. With him, I could tell him everything. And he was on my side all the time. He was protective but in a different way. In a way that said he just wanted me to be careful and that he didn't want to lose me. With you and Xavier that was more extreme, no one, and nothing was good enough for me to you guys. And the way Jackson looked at me, it was like he was holding onto every moment with me and making the most of his time with me because he didn't know if he was going to lose me. While you and Xavier act like we have all the time in the world because there is no losing family. It was just different with him."