Forged Bonds (BxB)

CHAPTER 42

"Are you sure you want to watch something that depressing?" Jeo asked me cautiously.

It was the next day and Jeovanni was at the hospital with me again. I still felt weak, but I was slightly better after having some meals. But they wanted to keep me here for at least one more day to make sure I wasn't going to try to commit suicide again.

Honestly, I wasn't complaining. I knew I wasn't going to try anything in the hospital, so this place gave me a sense of security. It protected me from myself. But, once I left, I was on my own.

I looked at Jeovanni, who was holding my hand while we watched 'Life is Beautiful' on Dani's notebook on my lap. Okay. Maybe I wasn't on my own.

"I'm sure" I kissed the top of his head.

"I don't want to cry" He protested "I'm an ugly crier"

I laughed.

"Crying is good sometimes" I said "And I could never find you ugly"

Jeo diverted his gaze from the movie to me.

"The same goes to you"

I smiled at him, and he mirrored my smile. Then there was a knock on the open door. Assuming it was Mallory or Danielle (Alvarez was working), I didn't get startled and kept holding Jeo's hand when I glanced over to the doorway. And I froze when my assumptions were proven to be incorrect.

"Hey" Kaden had an unsure smile on his face.

His gaze travelled to my hand enlaced with Jeovanni's for a split of a second before he turned it back to me, his expression giving away nothing as to what he thought about what he saw.

"Hi"

"I can come back later if you're busy" He offered after we stared at each other for a moment.

"No"

I didn't want to lose the opportunity of talking to Kaden. That day when I tried to make amends with him was a fiasco, so it was scary the idea of having another conversation with him. But, after almost ending my life, that fear became too small in comparison to my wish of having any sort of bond with my cousin.

"Can you wait outside?" I turned to Jeo and asked in a whisper "I need to talk to my cousin"

"I'll be outside in case you need anything" He said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

I wanted to give him a chaste kiss, but I didn't want to show Kaden how much of a hypocrite I was. I had done that plenty already. So I let Jeo go, and he nodded in acknowledgement to my cousin as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

"I told you to come to me, Jack" He said in a sigh as soon as it was just the two of us.

"I didn't do it only because I'm gay, Kaden" I admitted in a mumble, casting my eyes down.

I wasn't looking at my cousin's reaction, so it caught me by surprise when I was suddenly being hugged by him.

"Fuck, I can't lose you too" His voice trembled, and I instantly knew he was thinking about Charlie.

I gulped and, for some reason, I couldn't hug him back. I felt paralyzed before his affection.

"I hate you for what you did to my boyfriend" He confessed what I already knew "But I don't want you to die. Because I love you too. You're my family"

I blinked.

"Okay..." I muttered. When did he become so emotional and open?

I didn't know how to deal with Kaden showing me his emotions. While we were growing up, I knew we had a good relationship, but he was never one to go around telling me how much he loved me. Then, I started being an asshole and our relationship became more distant. And then I outted his boyfriend and he began to hate me. He hated me for months. And suddenly he was saying he loved me? I thought hearing that was one of my greatest wishes, but now that I had, I didn't know what to do with it.