Lost Stars (The Jewel Project #3)

11.2|| Theo

Tom and the nurse spoke over her head, but Angie didn't care anymore. This was the ninth circle of hell. What else could go wrong? He pulled her hands away from her face and forced her to look at him. He'd crouched in front of her.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not." She pulled her hands away and leaned back in her chair, staring at the white ceiling. The neon light hurt her eyes.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked quietly.

She just nodded, sniffing like a toddler. She really needed a tissue. Pull yourself together. He's alive. Has no idea who you are, but he's alive. And she owed him answers. So she straightened up and patted the plastic chair next to her.

"Your name is Tom," she said.

For a moment, he just stared as if a three letter name was hard to process. Then he dropped next to her and put his joined hands behind his head. "Well, I was close enough."

A laugh escaped her. "You have no idea how close. Your middle name is Theodore."

"Seriously?" He let out a huff. "Thomas Theodore? What the hell is wrong with my parents?"

So much was wrong with them, he had no idea. "Actually Tom comes from Thompson."

"Like the gazelle?" He shook his head in disbelief and mouthed a curse. Then he sat quietly, looking at the wall in front of him.

Angie shifted uncomfortably. All her euphoria had burned to the ground, leaving her feeling like an intruder, and it was stupid because this was Tom. Except it wasn't. It was Theo. Why wasn't he asking anything?

"My name is Angie, by the way," she said.

He just nodded, seeming completely uninterested in her. And it almost tore her open. No, don't go there. It's not his fault. It wasn't her fault either.

"Come with me," he suddenly said, standing.

Angie complied and followed him down the hall, into a room on the left. As soon as she stepped in, her breath caught in her throat. On the bed, connected to a ton of machines, was Billy. His full-moon face was bruised and battered, his arms were bandaged. Guilt weighed her down. She hadn't even given Billy a second thought once she spotted Tom.

She walked to his bed to get a closer look, but it only made her feel worse. "How bad is he?"

"He has a bit of swelling, so they're keeping him under until it deflates," Tom answered.

"Oh, so he's not in a comma."

"Technically he is."

She waved her hand impatiently. "An induced comma isn't the same thing. He can actually wake up from this when the doctors stop the meds."

He nodded, seeming mildly impressed, and it took her back to when they first started hanging out and he did his best to make sure she wasn't an idiot. The memory brought no joy.

"What's his name?" Tom asked.

"Billy. He's your cousin."

"Really? Wow. And who are you?"

"I'm your-"

No, she couldn't say it. Not when he was staring blankly at her, as if she were a mildly interested TV show. She couldn't tell him she was his girlfriend and see the confusion and pity in his eyes. Well, not that she could see his eyes. She'd been brutally kicked out of his circle of trust.

"That nurse. Has she seen your eyes?"

"Who, Geaneyi?" He frowned in confusion. "Yes, of course."