Learning To Love

Chapter 37

The more I dug for answers, the less I had.

I went back to the hospital feeling defeated. The room was dark, Ollie had turned off the lamp that the doctors had kept turning on. I slumped into my chair and sighed.

It took a long time to fall asleep, and all through the night I kept waking up. After the third time I had trouble falling asleep, so decided to just keep my eyes open.

Wind crashed against the window, making it click and rattle. The sound of pelting rain and ice echoed all throughout the hospital. The winds sounded like distant screams.

Ollie kept stirring in his sleep, his chest started heaving.

"L-Lucas!" He cried.

"Yes?" I stood up from my chair and hovered over his bed.

"Lucas no!" He yelped before jumping up, hyperventilating.

"Ollie, what's wrong!?" I sat down beside him and through the blinds, moonlight glistened off the tears rolling down his face.

"Are you okay?" I whispered and stroked his good arm. "What happened, did you have a bad dream?" His eyes were two glowing orbs of light, shining with a gloss of fresh tears.

He mumbled but his lip trembled and instead of saying anything he clasped onto me. His shoulders started shaking violently as he sobbed into my arms.

Cradling him softly, I rocked us side to side.

"Promise you won't leave me Lucas!" He pulled away, frantically looking into my eyes.

"Promise me! Promise!" He sounded so hurt, so helpless, so tired and scared.

"I won't!" I said sternly, sandwiching his head in my hands.

"I won't ever leave you!" His trembling lips came crashing onto mine, his fingers clasping into my hair.

He cried all night. He was inconsolable. And I spent all night stroking his arms, his cheek, his nose. Until he finally cried himself out and fell asleep in the crook of my neck.

Maybe realization as settling in. Maybe he felt scared and helpless. Who knows what someone like Ollie felt and thought. Who knows what Ollie's been through.

I was awake early in the morning. I sat at a tiny table by the window, looking at some stupid magazine, when suddenly there was a gentle knock at the door.

I'd expected a nurse or doctor, but to my surprise Grayson was sulking in the doorway instead.

He glanced over at Ollie with a worried expression. With a nudge of his head, he gestured to the door, joining him in the hall I felt he had something serious to say.

"Seeing him like this scares me Lucas." His voice had a rasp to it. He didn't look me in the eyes.

"And considering your guys-relationship. I figured you should know, something like this could send him to relapse. That thought terrifies me." He finally looked at me now.

I felt embarrassed, a large hole growing in my chest.

"Have you told anyone?" I anxiously asked. He shook his head.

"And I'm not going to. Look, I don't care about the fact that you two are together. Um, sure didn't expect it." He made an effort to smile.

"But buddy, on the leather couch man!" A quiet chuckle escaped his throat. I felt my face go red and warm.

"Dude, I know your not talking." I snapped, he narrowed his eyes at me and grinned.

"Yeah but at least I don't get caught, you could learn a thing or two from me, for starters, locking the door is a good one." I rolled my eyes.

Stepping back and glancing at Ollie's sleeping lump in the blankets, I sighed.

"I'm worried about him too." A sudden rush of guilt and anguish flooded me.

I felt the need to sit down.

I could tell Grayson, he could help me.

"What's wrong?" He questioned as I swayed a little bit.

"What do you know about Ollie's dad?" I asked through the intense lump in my throat. I was sweating.

"What do you mean?" Graysons voice had a stern edge to it, it was more intimidating then mine.

"We'll, is he a good guy?" I sounded nervous.

"I haven't really talked to him much, in all of our friendship we've never gone to his house before." That struck me as shocking.

"Never?" I asked in dismay.

"No, it's always been at cams usually or a parking lot." He laughed a little, not realizing my worry.

"That doesn't strike you as a little strange?" I looked deep into his eyes, I needed help on this. I needed someone to help me with this, and if it's anyone I can trust, it's Grayson. I think he was closest to Ollie than anyone, and I hated my jealousy for that.

"Where are you getting Lucas?" His voice lowered.

"I mean, I don't think this happened as he says it has." My voice was a whisper.

"You mean, you think he did it?!" I instantly shushed him.

"Be quiet! Ollie can't know this. I went to his house yesterday and grabbed his guitar to change the strings. The weed whacker is gone!" My heart was racing.

"Of course it is, who the fuck would keep it after what happened?" I didn't like his tone.

"Grayson, I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't trust you. Please, I need your help. Something isn't right with him. I know it!"

"Alright, but what exactly makes you think this?" We were leaned into each other ears.

"I came to Ollie's house before this happened and talked with him in the drive way. His dad left the house and Ollie just had this look on his face, like horror. I think he was trying to tell me something. I don't think he wanted me to meet Robert."

Grayson considered this fact for a moment.

"What do you suppose we do?" I was glad that he seemed as serious as I.

"I'm trying to find out anything about Robert that I can. Get any reactions out of him. Oh, and another thing, Ollie didn't tell him about the tour! He didn't even know about his guitar!" He pulled away from my ear and looked at me in surprise.

"Your fucking lying Lucas!" His voice was shaken with aggressiveness.

"Grayson, I swear on my left ballsack, I'm not." I looked him straight in the eyes with the most serious look.

He shook his head. "That's not right."

"I know."

"So how do you want me to help?"

"I can't leave Ollie here alone, it tears him apart. Given what you said, I'm even more worried about leaving him alone. I need you to watch Robert. Keep eyes on him. Look through his garbage and see if you can find the weed whacker, or hair or bloodied rags. See if Robert does anything, strange, while he's home." He scowled at me.

"Grayson, I wouldn't ask this if I really didn't need it. But I do. Please help me." He didn't hesitate, nodded right away and leaned in to side hug me.

"I knew I could count on you!" I said as he pulled away.

He nodded in response.

"Keep him safe Lucas. Im serious. You don't know how he can be." He gave me a very long stern look, and I got butterflies.

I didn't.

I shrugged, but he knew what it meant. He walked down the hall without saying another word.

Now I have a plan. Now I'm no longer in this alone.

I have someone on my side.