Page 144 of Unspoken Rules

Yeah, it may help. Or it’ll be intolerable, because all I’ll want to do is kiss him like I do right now. Which absolutely cannot happen.

Chapter Sixty

Bryson

Airports suck.

Just being around planes makes me nervous, knowing I have to get inside one. My anxiety is through the roof. And because I’m too nice for my own good, I make sure it’s okay with Cole before I call Mila about Chris. He said it was fine and thanked me for asking.

All the light that man once had is gone. It breaks my heart seeing him like this. But then I remember how he broke mine and didn’t care.

I don’t want to blame him fully for this, because we both made the decision. Blaming him for it all is easier than accepting I fucked up—again. And at the end of the day, Cole did break my heart because he didn’t pick me.

But we’re both to blame, I guess. We were both more concerned about someone else’s happiness than our own.

If only things could be different. If only we could be together without it being a problem. If only Chris could accept us.

“Are you hungry?” Cole asks, getting up from his seat. I’ve been pacing for a while, wondering what exactly I’m going to say to Mila.

“I could eat.”

“I’ll be right back.”

I watch as he walks away, getting lost in the crowd of people coming and going. Business men carrying briefcases, talking on cells. Random others tugging wheeled suitcases behind them. Mothers carrying babies. Teenagers goofing around. I glance out the large windows toward the planes and get lightheaded. I quickly turn the other way and pull out my phone. This fear of flying is insane. It never used to be a problem, and now I can’t even look at planes? Pathetic.

I scroll to Mila’s name and press the call button. She answers on the second ring.

“Hey, Bryson!” she says cheerily.

“Hey, Mila.”

“What’s wrong?” she asks, the happiness draining from her voice.

“I have some not-so-good news. Are you sitting?”

“What’s going on?”

I run a hand down my face and start walking. I need something to do, because standing in one spot is driving me nuts. But I avoid the windows so I don’t freak out. I don’t go far though, because I don’t want to leave my suitcase. Cole flew here with nothing but the clothes on his back. He stopped to get new clothes before coming to the airport, since we didn’t have time to wash what he was wearing.

“Chris was in an accident. He’s in a coma.”

“What?” she breathes out. I squeeze my eyes shut, picturing the horrified look on her face. I hate that I’m not there to hug her while I tell her this. I’d considered waiting but didn’t want to in case things with him got worse.

“Cole showed up at my apartment last night, kind of freaking out. Apparently Chris has been in the coma for two, well now three, I guess, days, and—”

“Three days?” she blurts.

“I know. I was pissed and told him as much. He’s a mess. Said him and Tabitha were just trying to get through it.”

“Three days?” she repeats, her voice quiet. “He’s been in a coma for three days, Bryson?”

“Yeah.”

“Was the accident from…” I know what she’s going to ask even though she doesn’t. She can’t. Maybe afraid to speak the truth. Maybe afraid to judge if it wasn’t because of that.

“Yeah,” I say softly. “He was drinking.”

“Do they think he’ll wake up?”

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