Page 59 of Chase

Penny eventually turns her head to see me and immediately jumps up to wrap her arms around my waist with relieved tears trickling down her cheeks. I hold her close, stroking her hair and trying to give her reassuring words of comfort. She eventually breaks free and leads me over to Will, who is deathly pale and covered in deep purple bruising, cuts to his face and arms, and has a drip feeding into his hand. If it wasn’t for how awful he looks,you would think he was just sleeping.

“Jaime?” I whisper, snapping him out of his troubled thoughts. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” he says quietly but I know he’s not, so I walk around the bed to where he’s sitting and open up my arms. “Come here, Jaime.”

He looks at me like a lost little boy and it only takes a few seconds for him to jump into my arms and sob his heart out.

“Oh, Jaime,” I say softly, patting his hair like a mother would her son, “let it all out.”

He cries a bit longer and then breaks free, looking a little embarrassed as he wipes away a traitorous tear with speedy aggression. When he looks up, his eyes seem to bulge in horror.

“S-sorry, man, I just…” he stutters, then trails off, dropping his gaze to the floor. I frown but then turn to see Theo’s hulking great figure in the doorway. He smiles warmly and clears his throat.

“No need to apologize,” he says to Jaime, “I know I can’t refuse a cuddle from Izzy; she’s good at that.”

“Do we know anything about what happened?” I ask, as I take a seat on the side of the bed and take hold of Will’s hand.

“Just that he arrived here this morning; his sister and her boyfriend brought him in. They found him crumpled up on the ground next to his car, probably on his way to see you. His dog was lying next to him and wouldn’t leave his side,” Jaime explains.

“Where are his parents?” I ask. If it was my child, I would be here around the clock.

“They haven’t been in,” Jaime sighs quietly, almost looking guilty on their behalf. Knowing they haven’t even bothered to come in, I feel fury building up inside of me.

“Do they know when he’ll wake up?”

“They reckon it should be soon,” Jaime smiles with renewed hope, “but his body is trying to repair itself so it might take a while.”

I nod; sleep is probably the best place for him right now.

“Who are all these people, Jaime?”

A tall, willowy girl walks in with a cup of coffee from the machine. She’s elegantly dressed, wearing a full face of make-up as well as a scowl. From her features, height, and coloring, I would guess she’s Will’s sister. She eyes each one of us with questioning contempt, apart from Theo. I can only imagine what she’s thinking when she looks at him wearing his designer suit and perfectly coiffed hair.

“Hi, I’m Izzy,” I finally say, holding out my hand to shake, “I’m so so-”

“I know who you are, and you can leave,” she snaps.

“I’m sorry?” I question, even though her instant hatred of me is more than evident.

“You’ve been seeing my brother and giving him ungodly ideas, forcing him to tell my poor parents he’s gay or some such nonsense. Now look at him, are you happy?”

“Hey -” Theo tries to argue on my behalf, but I can more than defend myself against this crazy bitch.

“I would never tell anyone what they should do,” I fight back, “I’m not like some people who feel it’s their place to makedecisions for others. I was a listening ear to your brother, who I happen to think is fantastic.”

“He never had any of these perverse thoughts about men before he met you. And we’ve all heard about your ghastly reputation,” she scoffs. “And now I know who he is,” she says, gesturing over to Theo, “the cousin you’re engaged to. The cousin you bedded when you were only fifteen!”

“Let me guess, you’re friends with my sister, Tilly?” I sigh, crossing my arms defensively.

“Tilly and I have been friends since prep school, we were in the same year together. Will came along much later for my parents. Much like you, he was a mistake, but because he is a boy, they didn’t mind so much.”

For a moment, I feel sorry for her; I imagine she has been overlooked, for her jealousy is more than obvious. But then I remember Will and what has happened to him, purely because he fell in love.

“I can’t deal with your issues right now,” I tell her, “I’m here for your brother.”

“Well, you’re not welcome here; you’re likely infecting the place with whatever diseases you’re carrying,” she says venomously.

“Hey, back the fuck off!” Theo says in an eerily quiet voice while pushing me behind his intimidating frame. She shudders a little but still opens her mouth to argue. However, a cough from Will’s bed causes everyone to break the tension and look at him instead.

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