Page 80 of 6 Days to Whisky

He didn’t sound accusing or challenging, but still, the request triggered something in Leaf that he had wanted to forget.

“I told you the truth.” Leaf’s voice was weak and shaky. “I can’t pretend nothing happened. I can’t ignore the guilt, even if you say you don’t blame me. And …” A lump formed in his throat. “Please, stop pretending you still want me.” It hurt him so much to say that. His heart pounded rebelliously and hard in his chest.

Tristan opened his mouth, but no words came out—he had used them all up. They were all scribbled on the countless notes plastered behind him on the wall.

“I dragged you into this mess,” Leaf said, his tone laced with remorse. “So give me the blame and say you hate me.”

“I … can’t,” Tristan replied, shaken. “You’re the only one I have left. You can’t leave me too. This big black hole … it’s consuming me. And I can’t do anything about it. Everything was fine. Where did you go?”

“Yeah. Until you got in that damn car and drove into the desert! You left me!” Leaf had no idea where those words came from, but they terrified him.

“That wasn’t me,” Tristan explained as he fought back tears. “Please, Leaf. Forgive me.”

Leaf staggered backward slightly, feeling suffocated by his guilt. “No. I was the one who made you do it. I’m sorry.”

They remained motionless, staring at each other. Tristan searched for words–on the floor, the walls, even on Leaf’s body.

Tristan gasped the moment he noticed something. He grabbed Leaf’s wrist and clutched his elbow with the other hand. “What the …? Is that … Please tell me it’s not what it looks like.”

All the blood drained from Leaf’s face at the horror in Tristan’s expression. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Yanking his arm free from Tristan’s grip, he stepped back.

“You … you shot up! Are you hooked on needles?” Tristan asked, his voice filled with pure terror.

“I’ve got it under control. It was just a small slip.”

“That looks like more than just one slip!”

“Oh fuck … I …”

“We have a concert tomorrow! The tour starts on Tuesday! What were you thinking?” Tristan’s voice grew stronger, louder, almost breaking, and Leaf knew it was a sign of absolute helplessness. It showed in the way Tristan struggled to stay on his feet. “Fuck …” he muttered softly, as if all his strength had suddenly left him. He shifted from one foot to the other, pressed his lips together, and bravely stood his ground. “I love you, Leaf.”

That confession, combined with Tristan’s tear-filled eyes, brought down all the walls that had been holding Leaf together. The last breath left his lungs, and he started to tremble. Panic-stricken, he moved away. It wasn’t easy to turn his back on Tristan and start moving, but as soon as his body finally understood what his mind wanted, the heavy feeling left his limbs, and he stumbled out of the apartment.

Thank God he knew the solution to the chaos in his head. As soon as he got home, he hit speed dial on his phone. Like a caged animal, he paced in his cabin, counting the unanswered rings until Nathan finally picked up.

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