Just an illusion. | Jaythan AU | co-written with @chasing_TW

Chapter nineteen

Chapter nineteen.

Do you think he'll be okay?" Jay asked as he absentmindedly looked out of the window.

"Who?" Nathan asked as he turned right at the junction.

"Tom" Jay said as if it was the most obvious thing, "who did you think I meant?" Nathan shrugged.

"Why are you thinking about Tom?" Nathan's grip on the steering wheel tightened, making his knuckles turn white.

"Your knuckles are turning white" Jay observed, Nathan nodded letting his grip loosen on the wheel.

"You didn't answer my question" persisted Nathan, looking into Jay's blue eyes for a second before turning back to the road.

"I'm worried about him, I don't want anything to happen to him or for him to do something to someone else. I don't want him to get into trouble because of those stupid voices" Nathan discreetly rolled his eyes, he didn't understand why Jay was this worried about someone that was trying to kill him not long ago.

"I'm sure he'll be fine" Nathan spoke, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to say something wrong and offend Jay.

"How long till we get there? I can't wait to see max!" Jay grinned, bouncing excitedly in his seat.

"About another ten minutes" Nathan smiled as Jay cheered.

~*~

"Max!" Jay grinned as he saw his best friend sat up awake and alive in the hospital bed.

"I missed you!" Jay pulled Max into a hug, squeezing just a little too right and making Max flinch, "I knew you was going to be okay, we were talking you remember Nathan thinks that it was just another illusion of mine but It wasn't right?"

Max skeptically looked at Nathan, who nodded, "Yes I remember he was probably day dreaming you know what he's like, as you never shut up about him" Max half joked poking Jay in the ribs.

Nathan silently thanked Max for lying to Jay.

"Tom came in earlier"

"He did? What did he want? Is he okay? Did he say anything? Did he try anything?" Jay threw questions at Max like there was no tomorrow.

"Jay love, I think you're overwhelming him. One question at a time okay?" Jay nodded and blushed.

"Sorry, but did he say anything? Or do anything?"

"He erm-" Max swallowed the vomit he could feel rising from his stomach, "no he just came to apologise, then he left" Max lied.

Max didn't know why he was lying to Jay. To protect Jay? To protect Tom? Or even himself? He didn't know, but he lied that's all he knew.

Max felt sorry for his old friend, Tom didn't mean whatever he said or did. He was being controlled, controlled by his illness.

"So he's not here anymore?" Jay asked, as well as seeing Max Jay was hoping to see Tom.

Max shook his head, "no he left about half an hour or so before you arrived"

They stayed for another 15 minutes until Max had fallen asleep and one of the nurses kicked Jay and Nathan out.

Nathan and Jay dawdled back to Nathan's car in silence. A comfortable silence. When Max had fell asleep Jay wanted to wake him up as he hadn't finished telling him his really exciting story about ho we thought pandora was real.

Nathan took out his keys from his back pocket and was about to press the little button on the key to unlock the car when he noticed Tom leaning on Nathan's car. Nathan froze, his keys falling to the floor startling Jay.

"Nathan! What's wrong!" Jay asked worriedly.

Nathan was so shocked about seeing Tom stood there that he wasn't able to speak, only point.

Jay followed Nathan's hand and his eyes widened when he saw who was standing there.

"TOM!" Jay yelled, "what are you doing here?" Tom shrugged.

"Came to see Max and then I saw Nathan's car so I decided to wait for you I wanted to apologise for all I've done to you Jay" Tom smiled.

"Good one Tom" the voices said, "remember get him on your side and when you can, kill him" the voices chuckled at their own plan.

Jay accepted the apology, Tom knew he was the most gullible so it wouldn't be that hard for him to lie to but Nathan, he was a different story.

Tom could tell Nathan wasn't convinced by his 'apology' so he knew he had to try that little but harder to convince him.

"I forgive you Tom, deep down I knew you didn't mean it after all we were all best friends but the schizophrenia just dragged you under making you do all those horrible things" Jay said innocently making Tom feel horrible as he would have to kill him.

"Nice chat but we've got to go now, Jay's tired and we better get back before anyone suspects Jay is missing" Nathan said offhandedly.

"Don't be rude! I'm not tired Tom has waited for us out in the cold!"

"Yeah don't be rude now! Hey Jay? Want to come back to my house? My mum hasn't seen you in a while and she's cooking your favourite meal?" Jay nodded.

"I'm going with Tom, I'll see you later Nath"

Nathan had a bad feeling about this, he could sense something bad was going to happen. He didn't know if Jay would come back alive, wounded or at all. He wanted to run after them, follow them but he was frozen. He didn't know what to do for the better other than wait for Jay, hoping he would come back.

"Please God, make Jay come home safe, please?" Nathan pleaded silently to himself.

Tom smirked, he had Jay and he was leading him into a trap. Tom's mum wasn't making Jay's favourite meal, in fact she wasn't even home. This was it. The day Tom would kill Jay, and the voices would get what they wanted.

In less than two hours Jay would be dead.

In less than two hours Jay would be murdered.

In less than two hours Jay would be murdered by one of his old friends, Tom Parker.

Written by @nicely_mcguiness.