Page 79 of Forever Mine
When I join Julien, I catch the tail end of what Jayson is saying.
“… Liz completely zombied out. It was the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Fucking Ry. I knew something was going on. Lying bastard.” Jayson rubs the heels of his palms across the dark circles under his eyes.
Julien bands his arm around Jayson’s shoulders. “Not about you or him right now. Liz needs us. What she doesn’t need is you and Ry fighting. I love you, but if you start anything, I’ll kick your ass out of her room.”
Jayson’s mien fills with a mixture of guilt and frustration. “I’m not going to let him steal my girl. Fuck him.”
“Jay, Jesus Christ, enough,” Julien warns.
“You can see her now,” Daniel says from the entryway.
The walk to Liz’s room feels impossibly long, and when we get there, I’m not prepared to see how small and fragile she looks lying in the utilitarian bed. Juxtaposed against the stark white sheets, the harsh fluorescent lighting gives her complexion a sickly hue.
“Hey you,” she says, her voice raspier than usual.
Julien hurriedly crosses the five feet to her bedside and takes her hand.
“How are you feeling?”
A weak smile spreads across her face. “Tired,” she admits.
He bends over her, and her eyes flutter when he lovingly kisses her forehead. “We won’t stay long.”
“Stay. I want the company. Where’s Jayson?” Tears prick her eyes when she sees him hovering just inside the room as if he plans to bolt at any moment.
“Hi,” he softly replies.
When she struggles to sit up, Julien and Ryder help her.
“Jayson, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you to find out this way. I never meant to hurt…”
Liz goes quiet, and her head and left arm begin to twitch as she stares straight ahead.
“Elizabeth?” Ryder says, panicked.
Julien hits the call button. “Go get a doctor.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
ELIJAH
When there’sa knock at the door, I toss my hoodie into the duffel along with everything else I’m taking to Julien’s. Ash has a habit of forgetting his keys. Mei has a backup in case I’m out and the RA isn’t available to let him in.
“Second time this month,” I say, opening the door… only to find David standing on the other side.
“What the fuck, Elijah?”
I step out of the way when he barges inside.
I’m not proud of the way I’ve been actively avoiding him the last couple of days, but in my defense, I’ve been busy. April is arriving tomorrow. I’ve got work and class and have been helping take care of Liz.
After she was discharged from the hospital, she has been staying at the guys’ place at Daniel’s insistence since he had to fly back to Seattle to take care of his husband, Drew, who is undergoing chemo and radiation for a brain tumor. Liz is doing much better. The neuro she saw yesterday diagnosed her with partial seizures and placed her on oxcarbazepine.
Between class and work and Liz, I’m exhausted and don’t have enough energy to deal with the whole David situation. Julien doesn’t know what went down. I’ve tried to bring it up several times, but we’ve had zero privacy the last couple days.
“Can we talk later? I need to get to Julien’s.”
David walks over to my bed, his gaze landing on my open duffel before turning around.
