Page 9 of To Love Jason Thorn

The next few days were pure hell for me, havingJason sleep right across the room from mine, sitting right next to him at thedinner table. The worst was when I looked at him and found him smiling at mebut knew it meant nothing at all.

Maybe it never had.

Chapter Three

Jason

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyeswas Emily’s worried face hovering over me.

“Good morning,” I said, yawning through thewords. “What time is it? Did we miss breakfast?” Sitting up on the makeshiftbed I’d made use of almost every other day for the last seven years, I rubbedmy eyes and tried to wake up.

“Jason. Honey.” I heard Emily’s strugglewith those simple words and became alert at once.

Then my gaze fell on Dylan, who was sittingon the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. I looked up and saw his father,Logan Taylor—a fireman, a man I respected more than my old man—standing in thedoorway. His eyes were as hard as steel.

“What’s going on?” I asked no one inparticular as something ugly started to find its way into me.

Emily, the woman I loved quite possiblymore than my own mom, sat down next to me and gripped my hand in her small,delicate one. She had burn marks on that arm, almost up to her shoulder, butthey never bothered me like they surprisingly bothered a lot of people, young andold.

“Jason, I don’t know how to say this.”

Another burst of silence.

“Can someone please say something?Dylan? What’s going on, man?” Still no sound. “Okay, you guys are starting toscare me.”

“Logan,” Emily murmured next to me, hereyes desperately focused on her husband.

Dylan’s father shook his head, dropped hisarms, and stepped into the room to sit next to Dylan, right across from me.

When my best friend lifted his head, I sawhis bloodshot eyes.

My gaze went back to his father’s steelyones. They were easier to look at. Anger was always easier to handle thanemotion; I had learned that from my own family.

“I’m ready,” I said, keeping my eyes onLogan. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

I didn’t know it, but I was not actually readyfor the words he would give me. Nowhere near ready.

“Son,” he started, because that’s what Iwas to him. “You can handle this.”

It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway.

“Your mother overdosed on her sleepingpills last night. She is gone.”

I blinked, once.

I nodded.

My voice thick and rough, I asked, “Whofound her?”

“Apparently your father came back from histrip this morning. He called an ambulance, but Lorelai was already gone.”

“I understand. Where is my father?”

“He is at the hospital. I talked to him afew minutes ago.”

Helpless, I nodded again. What else could Ido? What else was I supposed to do?

“Thank you,” I said, giving Emily’s hand aquick squeeze. “Thank you for being the ones to tell me.”

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