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“Mason,” Izzy utters brokenly into my ear.
“I’m here. I’m right here,” I say over the phone, my voice breaking.
“I can’t lose him.”
“I know.” Me neither.
It hits me so hard and sudden, how much he means to me—Waylon. The miserable little shit who once hated me all because Izzy wanted to be my friend. All his jagged edges, that reckless, cocky, infuriating attitude he gets sometimes. The way he’s so fucking talented, and doesn’t even seem to realize it or care…
Apart from Jeremy, he’s my best friend. He’s like a brother. A bratty little brother I sometimes hate, even though he’s only a couple months younger than me. And Izzy…
He is her brother, for all intents and purposes. They were raised together.
The three of us…Izzy, Waylon, and me…
There’s no us without him. We’re supposed to go to New York together. College. All of us. Jeremy included.
All for one and one for all.
It’s the plan.
It’s the way it’s supposed to be.
“They’re putting him in the ambulance now,” Izzy rushes out.
“Can you go with them? I—” I look at Phoebe, whose eyes are big and wet. “I-I have Phoebe. I’m babysitting. I don’t have a car. I can’t?—”
“I’m going. I’m going with them. They can’t stop me.”
“Okay, I’m gonna call my mom. She’s working tonight. Make sure they take him to Mercy, okay?”
“O-okay.”
“Mom will be there. She’ll know what to do. She’ll fix this.” I know what I’m saying is irrational, but I can’t stop. I’ve never felt so helpless as I do right now, and all I can think is?—
Mom.
Mom fixes everything.
Mom’s a nurse.
She can fix him.
“Mason.”
“I know, baby. I know.”
“I need you. If he di-dies—I can’t. I need you.”
I nod. “I’ll get to you as fast as I can. He’s going to be fine.”
She sniffs, and whispers, “This shouldn’t have happened.”
Pain flares in my chest, white-hot. My jaw is clenched so tight, I don’t know how it doesn’t shatter. “I know.”
“I’ll never forgive myself…”
I squeeze my eyes shut, and whisper, “Me neither.”
