Chapter 25

They both turned to look as Hunter stepped in. Casen tensed seeing him there. He didn't dare lift his head, but he could feel Hunter's gaze at him as he wondered why Hunter was there. 

"How are you?" Hunter asked and Casen was shocked as Hunter wasn't using his rude tone anymore. 

Casen's throat felt dry as he whispered. "F-Fine." 

Seeing his discomfort Sam comforted him while squeezing his hands. "It's alright, no need to get scared. Hunter helped me a lot while taking care of you." 

Hunter didn't respond right away. He simply turned his gaze to Sam. "Thank you." 

Sam looked at him, raising a brow. "For what?"

"For sending your uncle."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, well…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "My uncle said his men weren't even needed. You alone were enough to handle those assholes."

Hunter scoffed. "He's right."

Casen blinked in confusion. "What a-are you talking about?" he asked, finally looking between them.

Sam turned to him and ruffled his already messy hair affectionately. "You don't need to worry about that. Just focus on getting better."

Casen didn't like that. He didn't like being left in the dark. But he was too tired to argue. A silence settled between them.

Casen shifted slightly under the blanket before speaking again. "How…did I get here?"

Sam exhaled, his expression softening. "The janitor found you. And I…" Sam hesitated before continuing. "I was the one who brought you here."

Casen processed that slowly. Sam was the one who saved him. Casen didn't know how to feel about that. His fingers curled into the fabric of his blanket.

"When can I leave? I don't like it here."

Sam and Hunter exchanged a look and Casen immediately didn't like that.

"What?" His voice came out sharper, his stomach twisting already in unease. "Why are you looking at each other like that?"

Sam moved closer to him which made Casen feel trapped. Sam reached forward, taking Casen's smaller, trembling hand into his own. H

"Casen…" Sam began slowly with a gentle voice. "The doctors said your mental health is still weak." Casen flinched and Sam rubbed his hands. "You're not being discharged yet."

Casen's breathing slowed at that so Sam became more alert and cautious. "Instead, they're transferring you to a rehab facility. You'll be on medication, counseling…until they're sure that you're not a danger to yourself."

Casen's entire body went rigid. "No," Casen whispered, feeling his chest burn. He looked at Sam, his eyes darkening with betrayal. "You…think I'm crazy."

"Casen, that's not—"

"Don't lie to me!" Casen yelled and tried to yank his hands back while looking at Sam with resentment. "You think I'm insane! That I need to be locked away—"

"No, absolutely not," Sam didn't let Casen spiral his words. He leaned forward and cupped Casen's face in both hands, forcing him to look at him while making soft circles against Casen's wet cheeks. "I don't think like that, Hunter doesn't think like that, nobody does." 

Casen's eyes burned with fresh tears as his lower lip trembled. "Then why are y-you sending me there?" 

"We're not sending you anywhere alone," Hunter cut in. Casen turned to him and met his serious look. "We'll be there with you. Both of us."

Casen looked…lost. His hands shook slightly. His head dropped, his hair falling over his eyes. His voice was small when he spoke. "I d-don't want to be alone. Promise me you'll be there. Because when I'm alone—my thoughts—they…they–" He choked on a sob. "They scare me, Sam."

Sam's throat closed and he squeezed his own eyes shut for a second, his grip on Casen tightening just slightly. He hated that he hadn't noticed sooner. He hated that Casen had suffered alone for so long.

He hated himself.

"I promise." Sam opened his eyes and forced out a small sweet smile. "I swear to you, Casen. I'll always be there for you from now on." 

Casen's breath shuddered and he finally broke. His body collapsed against Sam's chest. Sam immediately caught him, wrapping his arms around him protectively and met Casen cry. Sam held him like he was something precious.

Sam held him until Casen dried out all his tears and fell asleep in Sam's arms. His face was pale, lips slightly parted as his breathing evened out. Sam's fingers absentmindedly brushing over Casen's head, his touch was unbearably soft as if Casen would shatter if he let go.

Hunter leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, eyes dark with thought.

"You should go home," Sam murmured in a hushed voice not to disturb Casen's slumber. "You haven't slept all night. I'll stay with him."

Hunter was about to respond when his phone vibrated sharply in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned at the caller ID—his uncle. With a sigh, he answered, pressing the phone to his ear.

"Hunter? Where are you?" His uncle sounded worried. 

"Hospital," Hunter answered boredly. "Why?" 

"Your school called," his uncle continued. "You're suspended until further notice. They called me in for a meeting tomorrow."

Hunter's jaw tensed, but he wasn't surprised. Before he could respond, Sam's phone rang too. He glanced at the screen and sighed before answering.

"Where the hell are you, Sam?" Sophia's voice came through, sharp with irritation.

"Hospital," Sam said flatly, rubbing his temple. "Casen—"

"I know," she interrupted. "But that's not why I called. Did you know that Casen and Hunter are suspended from school."

Sam froze in shock. "What?" 

"School just called Mom and Dad. And they said that you might be involved too. Sam, just what the hell are you up to now?" 

The anger flashed in Sam's eyes and his grip on his phone tightened. He hung up and watched as Hunter hung up too. 

"How the fuck could they do this?" 

"It's expected," Hunter let out without any care. "The bullies' parents are rich. They must have used their connections."

"So what?" Sam snapped his gaze to him. "My parents are rich too. I have connections too. Does that mean I get to ruin some kid's life whenever I feel like it?"

Hunter sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not saying it's fair. But this is how things work. They needed someone to take the fall, and Casen…" He exhaled, looking at the unconscious boy in Sam's lap. "He was the easiest target."

Sam clenched his fists. "Casen is the fucking victim here!"

Hunter didn't respond immediately. He just looked at him—studying the anger, the frustration, and more than anything—the guilt in Sam's eyes.

Sam turned back to Casen, his fingers brushing over his cheek. The touch was so gentle it barely existed.

"I won't let this happen to him again," Sam whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "No more injustice. No more pain. Those assholes need to pay."

◾◾◾

Aiden's eyes constantly flickered toward the door as he tapped his pen against the desk. His stomach churned with unease. 

Where the hell is Hunter? He had planned everything out—how he would apologize, how he would explain that he wasn't trying to be selfish, that he had only been thinking about Hunter's safety. He didn't deliberately ignore Casen.

But Hunter never showed up.

The morning passed in a blur, his focus slipping as worry gnawed at him. Half the day was gone. Still, no sign of Hunter.

"Aiden."

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Sophia standing by his desk. "Are you coming to the cafeteria with us or what?"

Aiden barely heard her. 

"Why does he look like that again?" Nick scoffed, nudging Brian. "I bet it's because his little pet didn't show up today."

Aiden's head slowly turned toward Nick, his expression darkening. Nick snickered until he saw Aiden's eyes. A sharp and dangerous glare. For the first time, Nick felt fear. Aiden had always been playful, mischievous, dramatic but right now? There was nothing playful about him.

"Tch—whatever, man," Nick let out quickly, trying to act cool but he instinctively took a step back, bumping into Brian.

Brian, unimpressed, shoved him aside.

Sophia spoke up again. "Aiden...Hunter won't come anymore." 

Aiden's head snapped at her, making her uneasy. "What do you mean?"

She looked uncertain, shifting on her feet. "I thought you'd already know..."

Something in Aiden's chest tightened. His apprehension deepened into something heavier. "Know what? Just get to the point, Sophia!"

Sophia flinched at his tone. She took a breath, then finally said it. "Hunter got suspended."

Aiden almost lost his balance. "What?"

"Hunter and Casen are both suspended," she continued carefully. "They were asked to show up with their parents today."

Aiden's heart skipped a beat. His legs suddenly felt weak. "Why?" he asked, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Sophia hesitated, then sighed. "After Casen was taken to the hospital, Hunter went after the guys who bullied him. He—" She swallowed. "—he beat them pretty badly."

Aiden couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He what?!"

"He was pissed, Aiden," she explained. "I mean, wouldn't you be? Casen tried to—" She stopped herself, glancing around before lowering her voice. "Casen tried to kill himself."

Aiden's entire world tilted. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else. "Wh—what?" He stumbled slightly, gripping his desk for balance. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

Casen...tried to kill himself? His mind flashed to that day in the hallway, to Hunter's rage, to the disgust in his voice when he called Aiden selfish. That's why Hunter was so angry at me...

Sophia looked at him carefully. "You...really didn't know? I thought since Hunter is your friend. He might have told you everything." 

Aiden barely heard her. He felt sick. The words Casen tried to kill himself echoed in his head like a broken record. He had been so focused on Hunter, on their fight, on proving he wasn't selfish...He never stopped to think about Casen. About how bad it really was for him.

His stomach twisted with guilt. Hunter's words of how selfish he was made sense now. Because it was true.

"Shit—" Aiden suddenly shot up from his seat, nearly knocking his chair over.

"Aiden!" Sophia called after him as he bolted from the classroom.

Aiden ran while gripping his phone tightly, pressing the call button for what felt like the hundredth time. His heart pounded as he waited, but just like the last few times—

Hunter cut the call.

Aiden bit his lip, blinking back the sting in his eyes. He tried again. This time, the phone rang for a long time, hope flickering in his chest until it went to voicemail.

Aiden felt like screaming. He tried one last time, desperation clawing at his chest, but the phone was off.

Hunter had shut him out completely.

Aiden lowered his phone, staring blankly at the screen. His throat tightened, and an ache settled in his chest—an ache he wasn't used to, an ache that made his fingers tremble.

"Hunter..." he whispered. 

"Aiden!" Sophia's voice broke through his thoughts. He barely had time to react before she caught up, panting as she stopped in front of him. "What the hell was that? Why did you run off like that? What's wrong?"

Aiden didn't answer immediately. His gaze stayed fixed on his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen as if by some miracle, Hunter would call back.

But nothing happened.

Sophia's expression shifted when she noticed the way his lips trembled, the way his chest rose and fell unsteadily. "Aiden...are you crying?"

That question broke him. He wasn't crying until that question. 

His breath hitched, and he quickly turned his face away. He wasn't supposed to cry, wasn't supposed to feel this helpless. But Hunter wasn't answering. He wouldn't even give him a chance to fix things.

Sophia gently touched his arm. "Aiden, tell me what's wrong."

"I messed up," Aiden whispered, his voice barely holding together.

She frowned. "Okay...let's sit down first, alright? Then you can tell me everything."

He nodded numbly, letting her guide him toward the empty playground. They sat on the wooden bench, and for a long moment, Aiden simply stared at the ground.

Sophia waited patiently.

Then, in a broken voice, he finally spoke. "Hunter hates me."

Sophia had never seen Aiden like this. "Tell me what happened."

And so he did. He told her everything—the fight, his argument with Hunter, how he wanted to apologize, how Hunter had ignored him completely.

"I was supposed to fix everything today," Aiden mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands. "But now this happened and...I don't even know what to do anymore."

Sophia stared at him. She could see it—the pain, the guilt. But more than anything, she could see the confusion in him. She knew that feeling all too well. She hesitated for a second, biting her lip. She didn't want to say anything wrong. Didn't want to offend him.

But she had to ask. "Aiden..." she started slowly, watching him carefully. "Do you like Hunter?"

His head snapped up abruptly as if she had caught him red handed. 

"W-what?"