The Coffee Shop (Hamilton Lams Modern AU) **IN EDITING**

Chapter 20

Both POVs

2 Hours Later

I was in John's room with him, relaxing on his bed and watching YouTube while he slept next to me. He seemed calm. Like nothing could bother him. He'd been crying earlier, although he didn't seem to have a reason. He'd just sobbed into my shirt for around half an hour before he fell asleep on me. The door creaked open and Herc stepped inside, snapping me out of my thoughts. I put a finger to my lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. "I didn't realize he'd fallen asleep, sorry if that was loud," he whispered. "It's okay, just keep quiet. He was a mess before he fell asleep, and I don't wanna have to deal with that again. Seriously, I don't mean to talk about him like he's a little kid, but you guys must've had your hands full with him when he moved up here," I commented. "You have no idea. When we first met him, he was this little kid who'd moved here and had no idea what he was doing. Ever wondered why he's not in college? He told us he said he couldn't afford it, he didn't wanna do a student loan, and he thought he had zero chance of winning a scholarship. You know how he was today? Shaky and close to tears? He was like that every day for a while. Laf and I 'forced' him to go to therapy because we knew it would help him. He never admitted it, but he was definitely getting better with every session. He seems a lot better now, though. When I left, half of his days were days like today, which he'd call his 'bad days.' Last night, I could barely even recognize him. He'd gone from being this shaky little kid who had to constantly be monitored so he wouldn't hurt himself to someone completely new. He just looked happier. It was a visible difference. And to top it off? He trusts you so much, yet I'm pretty sure you two recently met. He had trust issues before, so again, he's definitely different. I've never seen him this comfortable with someone, and I've known him for around three years." Whoa... that's.. a lot to take in, I thought. "Seems like I was right, you guys definitely had your hands full."

~

I woke up to find myself in Laf's car, which was surprising because the last thing I remembered was snuggling with Alex before passing out. I looked next to me and Alex was driving. I had no idea why or where we were going, but all I knew was that I wanted to go home. "Alex, where are we going?" I asked, still half-asleep. "John, you have therapy. I said I'd come with you so I'm taking you there," he explained. "I don't wanna go.." I complained. "First, stop whining like a little kid. It's cute, but stop. Second, you might not wanna admit it, but if you hadn't gone to these sessions, you probably wouldn't be feeling as well as you do. Think about it, Jack. Nine times out of ten, you're having a good day. This is just a minor setback." I huffed a little, still acting like a four-year-old on their way to the doctor's office to get a shot. "How'd you suddenly know so much about me? I never told you any of-" I sighed. "Lemme guess, one of the guys told you?" He nodded. "Herc came in while you were sleeping and told me a lot about what you were like when you moved here. You've changed a lot, and no matter how much you don't wanna admit it, Jack, these sessions have helped you a lot." I didn't wanna tell him how right he was. "I know.." I mumbled. It was all I could say. I couldn't even describe how I felt. "I always knew the sessions were supposed to help me, but I never saw how pulling all my triggers at once could make me feel better," I shot back. "We're here," Alex told me, ignoring my previous comment. I groaned as I realized I was in for an hour of crying, yelling, and failed attempts to calm me down.