PLAY WITH FIRE

CHAPTER 40

EROS DONOVAN

PRESENT TIME

He laid still, his pale skin resembling that of a corpse. 

Schmidt, Dean and I had all taken a seat around his hospital bed, all of us silent, all of us unmoving. Our eyes were trained on Holden and Holden only. Even Boone fucking Matthews was watching from the doorway of the hospital room, his leg bouncing like the rest of ours. 

We were all nervous, even though nurses had told us he was in a stable condition. He didn't look it. 

When we were all finally allowed into the room Holden had woken up but almost instantly he started coughing and choking on the tubes that went down his throat. He ripped them out of his throat himself. Ripped. Didn't take them out carefully like a nurse is supposed to. He ripped them out. 

Holden told us what had pushed him into trying to take his own life and I swear to fuck if I see either of his reasons I will choke the life out of them myself. I love Scarlett, but right now I don't care how drunk or high or how off her head she was, she is my enemy. 

And that other girl? She won't know what hit her. Literally. 

Walking into your best friends apartment and finding them laying practically dead on the floor should be a sight nobody has to witness. Not the good. Not the bad. Nobody. 

They shouldn't have to touch their cold body. They shouldn't have to wipe white foam from their mouth. They shouldn't have to shake them and get no response. They shouldn't have to call an ambulance mid panic attack. 

I shouldn't of had to. 

The pure fear coursing through my veins when I walked in to find Holden's body cold on the kitchen floor after I'd been called out to him and received no reply. A pile of vomit beside his body. Pills scattered across the bench and floor. 

His body didn't want to die, but he did. 

My best friend, Holden Maverick Hartley wanted to die. 

I stood of from my chair, patting Holden's cold hand before making my way to the door. Boone stepped aside and out of my way, giving me a nod as I went to pass him. 

Boone Matthews, the most surprising ally. He cared about Holden in his own twisted way, just as I know Holden cared about him. They were surprisingly good friends, even if they hid it behind a façade of hate. 

They knew each others strengths, but they also knew each others weaknesses. They knew each others dreams and they knew each others nightmares. They shared a history; a haunting childhood full of abuse and neglect. I think that's what made them such good friends. They lived the same, yet different life. 

They'd managed to become brothers, the way Holden and Nolan were. 

Sometimes, I hated Boone and his stupid face. He'd managed to fill a hole in Holden's heart, and not replace Nolan, but support Holden the way he did. I hated Boone because it felt like he had become Holden's go to to talk to when he needed it. 

Holden and Boone weren't the only ones trying to get over a fucked up childhood. They had each other. 

Who did I have?  

"Where are you going?" Dean asked. I turned around, Dean and Schmidt both watching me. Dean just wanted to know where I was going. Schmidt's face told me he was sceptical of my motives. Glancing at Holden I replied. 

"Keep an eye on him."

About a year ago someone had broken into Holden's apartment. Weirdly, they hadn't stolen anything but after that instance Holden upped his security. He installed a better security system at the front door as well as installing security cameras in the hallway outside his apartment and a few within his apartment.