I'll Swim, You Play Your Football

Chapter 17

Landon's POV

"How the hell did you let him get hurt?" I was looking down at the ground but look up as Jasper yelled at me.

"I'm sorry. He was on the second floor and I was on the fourth." I said in a small voice.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! You are my baby brothers boyfriend so you are supposed to protect him! How am I supposed to trust you if he gets shot?!" I actually cowered back a little. His brother was scary when he was mad. Alex was holding onto my hand and standing next to me. He was looking down at the ground with a spacey look in his eyes. I could tell he wasn't even listening. What happened at school only a couple hours ago really freaked him out.

"Believe me, if I could have gotten to him faster I would have." I said. Jasper stared hard at me as if he was searching my soul before sighing and nodding.

"I'm sorry for yelling. I just don't want Alex hurt. It kills me to know that he got more wounded going to school then I did going to war. That is fucked up." I nodded and brought Alex in front of me so I could hug him against me.

"Are you okay Alex?" Josh asked and looked to me. I let Alex go so he could hug Josh.

"I am now. Landon helped me when he got there." That's all he said. He hasn't said more then a few sentences all day. Once Josh let go of him he backed into me and held onto the side of my pants. I wrapped my arms around to his stomach and kissed the top of his head. Josh pulled on Jaspers hand and they both went upstairs. Alex turned around and wrapped his arms around my waist. He had his chin on my chest so his head was tilted towards me but his eyes were not looking up at me.

"Are you really okay?" I asked pushing some hair behind his ear. He frowned and then his lips started to quiver. He shook his head and then buried his face in my chest.

"He was shot right in front of me. I couldn't have been closer." He whimpered. I picked him up and carried him out of the basement. We passed Josh and Jasper as I brought him up to his room. They both nodded to me and I continued up to his bedroom. When I got to his room I balanced him in one arm and opened the door, then pushed it shut with my foot. I laid him down on his bed and realized that he was crying into my shoulder. He was reluctant to let go, but I just laid down next to him anyways. He immediately curled up next to me and cried silently.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked rubbing his back. He sniffled and shrugged.

"I'm just in shock I think. Didn't really go into school today thinking I would be shot at."

"I know babe." I said wrapping both my arms around him and pulling him against me. We laid there in silence for a long time. I kept checking to see if he had fallen asleep but he was always just staring blankly ahead.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked after a while. He sighed and shook his head just as his mom called up for dinner. "You should eat." He nodded and sat up. I stood up and Alex held his arms out to me. I smiled down at him and lifted him up. I puckered my lips and he gave me a kiss before walking down to the kitchen. I placed him down in one of the chairs and went to get his food but he grabbed onto my arm.

"Don't leave me! Please, I don't want to be alone." He said with pleading eyes.

"Okay. Okay." I said sitting down and moving my chair closer to him. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head on his shoulder. I closed my eyes and he put his hand on my thigh. I heard someone sigh and opened my eyes to see Alex's mom walk in.

"How are you guys doing?" She asked.

"Fine I guess." Alex said and watched as his mom set down some macaroni and cheese in front of us. I lifted my head off of Alex's shoulder and stared down at the food. I felt almost as if I didn't know what to do with it. I could feel Alex looking over at me but I just sighed and wrapped my arms around myself.