Take Me Beyond Your Heart (sequel) boyxboy

*9*

*Jace's POV*

"Is it bad that I feel like a total jerk? I mean, I do deserve to feel this way."

I had just come from the hospital where I visited Nolan, and I decided to go to Shane's house as well. It'd be dumb of me not to see him and tell him how I felt.

"No, you don't, Jace. You don't deserve to feel bad, and stop blaming yourself."

I heaved a sigh. "I was going to stop him from walking home, I promise. But I was so speechless when apologized for being a burden to us."

I watched Shane's expression convert into a confused one. "He said that?"

"Yeah," I responded. "He isn't a burden in any way! I should've told him that and stopped him, but I was so shocked." I laid down on his pillow. "I hate these mistakes I've been making."

"Jace, stop." He wrapped his arms around me. We were silent for a bit before he spoke again. "Do you think it was an accident?"

"Of course it wasn't, Shane."

His head snapped up. "I didn't expect you to say that."

"Well, maybe it wasn't exactly intentional. He could've acted on impulse and regretted it later... kinda like how I feel about this whole situation. Or, at least, his belief that he's a burden to us played a role and like he told you, he got frustrated. I guess he just wasn't thinking right."

He contemplated everything I told him and sat up, leaning over me a bit. "You know Nolan better than a lot of people. I need your help," he said to me.

I nodded, pulling a look of concern.

"I had a conversation with Elaine, and she mentioned that she wants Nolan to have someone entirely new. By that, she meant, she wants him to fall in love with..." He
shrugged. "Someone who's a mystery to everyone else but him, if I can say that."

"Okay," I understood, nodding for him to continue.

"I really don't know the right way to put this. All I can say is that maybe Nolan fell for me because he saw how much I loved you. Maybe he wanted the same love with me. Does that sound remotely true?"

I thought about it and sank further into his arms. "I get what you're saying. But, Shane, you seem to really hate the fact that Nolan is in love with you. You're looking for any way to explain why he feels this way, and you're no psychologist. You don't know how
his mind works, what he's feeling, or how deep his emotions run for you."

"So I should just let it go, huh?" He let me go and slid off the bed. "I was only trying to figure it out."

"Shane -"

"No, it's fine. I'm wrong. I'm gonna make dinner for my parents. I'm supposed to help Darren."

He walked out of his room, leaving me on the bed. I hadn't meant to make him upset, but what he said was absurd. I heard the doorbell ring and I rolled over, getting up from the bed.

I went downstairs and stopped in the living room where I saw Shane heading to the front door. He looked through the peephole before opening it.

"Hi, Justin," he greeted, letting Nolan's older brother into the house. Someone else was with him, who looked the same age, but I'd never met him before.

"Hi, Shane. Uh, this is my friend, Asher. Sorry I didn't call. We were driving near here, and I just decided to stop by."

"No, it's fine. You can sit down. Did you need to talk? How's Nolan?"

I stood behind the wall and listened.

"He'll be home tomorrow evening," Justin informed.

"That's great. Can he talk right now?"