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“You don’t know that.”
He smiled a little. “I am because I have you.” His head cocked. “You won’t let me die. I know you.”
He said that with a laugh, but it was a little dry, and I wondered if he was just as scared as I was. If he was worried about dying.
I squeezed his hand. “You’re right. I won’t let you die.” I frowned. “I still have to kick your ass for trying to get into the Court in the first place.”
Whatever was happening with him now seemed to have come right after he’d jumped into that lake. Who knew what the fuck he’d caught? He could have been stung or bitten. Who knew?
Bru pressed his lips together, huffing. “I don’t think any of that matters anyway.” He studied me. “You were right about those guys. Not one of them has come to see me while I’ve been gone.” His back touched his elevated bed. “I can’t even get any of them to text me back. Friends don’t do that.”
If it meant anything, I didn’t want to be right.
Honestly, I believed Legacy had been pushing Bru away because of me, but I just hadn’t wanted to stress Bruno out.
I still didn’t, squeezing his hand.
“Knock, knock. Anyone home?”
I let go of my brother’s hand when Ares Mallick entered the doorframe. Basically, I was surprised as fuck.
I wasn’t the only one.
Bruno’s jaw dropped, mine even lower.
Ares had brought… flowers.
He had like a huge fucking display of them, in a pot and everything. He balanced that on one hand, his hood up and all his curly hair pushing out. He laughed. “You seeing visitors, bro?”
Pure shock stiffened me as I watched my brother brighten up, then sit up. Bru attempted, but he struggled, so I elevated his bed more.
“I got it,” he growled, still trying to be strong. Bru waved Ares over. “Of course, man. Come on in, and good to see you.”
“Good to see you, kid,” Ares returned. He came into the room with his plant, and my expression dropped.
The side of his face was a completely different color.
Like legit, his face had transformed. Red and purple marred his usually golden skin, and he’d healed pretty well since his run-in with my brother, and Dorian after that. Dorian had actually hit him over that haze at the lake.
And again this morning.
Dorian had hit him earlier today, but I didn’t recall Ares’s face looking like that. I definitely would have noticed.
Ares had obviously tried to hide it as he gave my brother the pot he brought. He had his hood up and his hair around his face, but there was no hiding that bruise. Ares lifted the pot. “Sorry I wasn’t around sooner. I, um…”
“Nah, you’re fine.” Bru visibly brightened. Ares looked like he didn’t know what to do with the pot, and Bru advised to place it on the table near the door. Ares had to double back to do this, and when he did, I got up.
I told Bru I’d be back, then asked Ares if we could talk out of the room for a second. He was hesitant, but he followed me out. We made it into the hallway, and I propped my hands on my hips. “I want to see it.”
“What?”
I eyed him like it was obvious, his face. His gaze caught the ceiling, and I took it upon myself to tug his hood down.
I covered my mouth. He looked like someone had assaulted him, over and over someone had kicked his ass, and growling, he tugged the hood back up.
“Who did that to you?”
His attention reached the lights again. “What’s it to you?”
