Flawed Perfection (Beautifully Flawed, #1)

Chapter Thirty Eight

Adam was always stubborn, even with his hand swollen to the size of a softball he wasn't going to the ER. Tara texted me she was bringing Bobby to make sure his nose didn't need to be set, but she never asked what led to the double black-eyes she encountered when she came over later that night.

I guess she knew better.

Adam sat on the balcony with a blank stare on his face for three hours without saying one word to me. I sat on the couch with him in my line of vision as he drank the beer I gave him with the ice pack wrapped around his fist.

I didn't know what to say. Who was I to break up a friendship that was born into him? This was his brother he sucker punched, and it was all because of me. My phone beeped, breaking me out of my stupor, and I glanced down at my lap.

TEXT FROM TARA

Bobby's fine—just bruised, no broken nose. Adam should see the doctor, though.

I texted her back to let her know I'd try to convince him and to thank her for letting me know. She didn't respond. I let it be.

When I looked up Adam had moved; his shoulders were slumped and his head was in his hands. I stood and slipped out the window, running my fingers over his back.

"Hey," I said.

Adam didn't answer or respond to my touch. I felt the nausea in my stomach as I wondered what he was thinking. If he was wondering if I was worth all of this.

"You okay?" I asked.

Adam's fingers gripped his hair before he let go and wrapped his arms around my waist, placing his head on my stomach. His back rose against my hands as he took a deep breath.

"You know I meant it, right?" he asked, looking up at me.

"What?" I asked, my voice soft.

"I do love you that much. I love you more than anything. It makes me irrational, obviously," he said as he let out a painful chuckle.

"Obviously Bobby's a bit irrational, too," I replied as he stood, his hands running up my arms and causing chills to course through my skin.

Adam's hands reached my face and his thumbs traced my cheeks as he lowered his lips to hover over mine. He cringed at the movement, and I pulled his injured hand into my own before placing a kiss there.

"You're not questioning how I feel, are you?" I asked finally.

My eyes drifted up to meet his. "You've never said it River."

"I love you, Adam Beckerson. I've loved you my whole, entire life—there's been no one else since the day I laid eyes on you," I answered.

His lips crushed into mine, stealing my breath away as his good hand tangled in my hair, and he tilted my head.

"I don't understand why I deserve you," he whispered as his lips drifted over mine.

"I complicate everything," I answered.

Adam's forehead moved against mine as he shook his head. "You make me a better person."

My eyes moved down as I swallowed. "You just clocked your brother because of me."

That wasn't my idea of a better person.

"Look at me...He had it coming. I should've done it a long time ago."

"Your mom is going to hate me even more now," I answered.

Adam burst out laughing, a smile cracking the sadness in his face. "I didn't think that was possible!"

"Oh, ha ha!" I shot at him as he led me back into the house. "You need to go to the ER."

"No, especially not after the fact I'm sure Bobby already went."

"We can go to the walk-in," I said and my shoulders rose to my ears, palms pointed up.

Adam cleared his throat as he sat on the edge of my bed and unwrapped the ice pack from his fist.

"That does not look good," I said, and I could feel the blood rushing from my face. I had to sit to keep my knees from buckling.

His whole fist was black, and his fingers had turned an awful shade of nauseating blue-green. It looked painful, and I grimaced as I took it into my own hands. I tried to move his fingers and he moaned in pain.

"Maybe," he said as he sucked in a breath through his teeth.

"What?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm more concerned about how I'm going to teach guitar with this," he said, eyes glassy. "This will send them over the edge."

"I thought they didn't mind the lip ring?"

"Having the appearance of a bad ass is one thing; showing up with a broken fist is another thing." Adam tilted his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm fucking screwed."

"Let's go to the walk-in and see what they say. Okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "You're driving, though."

I smiled down at him, biting my lip and he rolled his eyes.

"You want to drive the GLI?" he asked.

I nodded, and he used his good hand to take the switchblade key out of his pocket.

I grabbed it and smiled at him. "Finally!"

"If you crash it, I'll kill you," Adam said, narrowing his eyes at me as he stood.

"You and your bum hand are going to take down this?" I replied, flexing my biceps at him.

"Twig," Adam said through a cough as he followed me out.

"Broken hand," I returned.