AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thinking about it again, I drew a blank. All I could think about was looking down at him as he threw up at the mention that he could hurt me. How could someone be so tough, yet so sensitive?
I was barely able to fall asleep that night, but when I did, I kept dreaming of one location over and over again. It was of the lake. In one dream I was asking him why he had left me. In another, I had asked him why he would hurt himself. So, when I woke up, the first thing I did was call Quin.
“Did you hear from him?” Quin asked desperately.
“Maybe. I don’t know. But I think I know where he is. It was somewhere he took me when I was in Snow Tip Falls.”
“Cage has been looking everywhere there. He’s been asking everyone.”
“It’s not in town. I’ll tell you how to get there. But, before I do, I need you to do something. It’s important. It’s a matter of life and death.”
Chapter 12
Nero
I sat in my truck staring at the lake in front of me. It stared back unchanging. I had been here all night. Yet, I was no closer to deciding where I was going or what I was doing next.
The first time I was here, things had quickly become clear. What I had to do was protect Mama. That meant that I had to return and become the person I did.
What about now? There was no one I had to return for. I had betrayed Kendall and he had watched me do it. I got to see how much it had hurt him. I had thought that football could be enough for me. It isn’t. Yet, it was now all I had.
How could my life have turned out like this? It was just a few weeks ago that I thought I had it all. But realizing that no one ever wanted me, I saw just how much of a lie that was.
I had nothing and no one. I didn’t know what was holding me back from ending it all. Starting the truck and staring the lake down in one last battle of wills, I was about to shift the truck into drive when something in my periphery moved.
My eyes flashed up to the rearview mirror. There was a truck approaching. I recognized it. It was Cage’s. What was he doing here?
Before I had time to think about it, another truck appeared behind it. It was Titus’s. Behind that were a few I recognized from around Snow Tip Falls. There was even one that I knew from the football stadium parking lot.
What the hell was going on? Of all of the places in the world, why were they here? Why now?
Turning off my engine, I got out and watched them park. Cage was the first to get out of his truck and race to me.
“Nero, we found you. We were so worried. Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone? We didn’t know what to think,” he told me before throwing his arms around me locking me into a hug.
“I…” I stammered.
Before I could answer, Titus joined us. It was a relief to see that I hadn’t killed him. Although, the bruise I left on his cheek would be hard to ignore.
I lost my strength reminded of what I had done. I really was the ultimate fucked up mistake. Look what I had done to my friend. I was an animal. One that deserved to be put down.
“Nero!” Quin said joining his boyfriend hugging me. “We’re so happy you’re safe.”
Titus didn’t get as close. Neither did Dr. Sonya or her son Cali. Dr. Tom, the local doctor, and his husband Glenn, stayed back a bit. So did Mike, the asshole I worked for as a busboy, and Claude, one of the football players from my high school team.
The familiar faces continued to pour out of their trucks until I had to pull away from my brothers.
“I don’t get it. Why are y’all here?”
Cage and Quin stared at me.
“Because we were worried about you, Bro.”
I had a hard time processing that. And, even if that were true,
“Dan, why are you here?” I asked one of my brother’s friends who still played on the East Tennessee football team.
“Like he said. We were worried about you. And Cage said you needed our support. So, I’m here.”
