The Secret Between Us [BxB]

42. I Write Sins Not Tragedies

"What about this?" 

I asked Thomas as he stood beneath me, looking confident on his first pair of prosthetic legs that he was finally able to bring home. He scratched his chin as he looked at the letter 'J' which would now hang in the main entrance of our farmhouse.

"It looks fine, now get down from there. You're starting to scare me," He waves at me to come back to him as I leave the letter and slowly back down the ladder, folding it and putting it to the side. I took in a strong whiff of the delicious apple pies we had baking in the oven after we went picking in our backyard trees earlier before it started to downpour. 

 I go back to the center of the artistic creation we had been working on to pass the rainy day. When you entered our house, we had a wooden console table rested against the white shiplap wall. Feeling a little baren and bored, I decided to hang up a few things above it.

 A large tin letter J hung above with four picture frames. The first one held a photo of Thomas and I after one of our first photo shoots as a band. A second frame had Thomas and my family in two separate photos but put in the same frame. For the third, I put a small post-it that read 'coming soon' because I had reserved it for Jaydean. 

And we had no idea as to what to do with the fourth one.

Thomas came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my round belly, feeling little Jaydean as she kicked very close to my rib cage making me nervous and uncomfortable. Tomorrow is her due date but she could come today for all we know. 

He rested his chin on my shoulder and we looked up at the decorations together. Little fall leaves covered the table along with a small pumpkin and a bowl for our keys.

"How are you feeling, future Mr. Jackson?" Thomas asked and I placed my hands over his. 

"Are you claiming me already?" I asked and he laughed, kissing my cheek as he did so.

"Nah, I already did that with the ring," He said and I let out a small happy sigh as a loud clap of thunder shook the house riling Houston who stood on guard by our feet. He was now barking at the door as if the lightning and thunder could grow legs and kill us both.

"Hey Houston, calm down boy. It's just a storm," I coo, slipping from Thomas' arms to try to calm our fur baby who was going nuts as he scratched at the door. 

"Stop it Houston, it's not-"

A loud knock stopped me from going further and I looked back at Thomas who gave me a curious look.

"I wasn't expecting anyone, you?" Thomas asked and I slowly shook my head. He took charge standing in front of me as I held Houston back while he checked on the door. After looking out the glass, he quickly unbolted the lock.

"Babe, who is it?" I asked but he ignored me as he whipped open the door and I discovered for myself who knocking on our front door. 

Standing at our doorway, sobbing wet in every way imaginable stood Wesley Anderson. 

"I-I'm s-s-sorry." Wesley stuttered as his teeth chattered and Thomas quickly pulled the man into the house and shut the door behind him to lock out the cold.

I would have been pissed off that he had done so without asking if I hadn't seen the shape Jaydean's father was in. He leaned against the white shiplap wall, dripping onto the hardwood floor from how soaked he was with his shoes caked in mud, his wet suit clung to his body but it was far too large for him. He was no longer the muscular man he once was and I had never seen his face so hollowed.

He looked like a ghost or skinnier, depressing, emo twin of Wesley Anderson. 

I looked at Thomas with a gaping mouth and he nodded towards me. 

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry," Wesley repeated as he hugged his skinny body and shivered uncontrollably. I realized from his bloodshot blue eyes that the water on his face wasn't just the rain and my heightened maternal instincts started kicking in. 

"Hey, it's okay, come here buddy," Thomas reached out to Wesley and wrapped his arm around his shoulder to help him. Stumbling a little, the pair start to walk down the hallway and I go ahead of them to the closest guestroom, swinging open the barn door and grabbing a few towels. 

Thomas reaches the doorway and I wrap my other arms around the weakened Wesley who could barely drag his feet. Together we get him to the bed where he sits up but has his head down. 

"I'll go grab him some spare clothes, you need to get him out of those wet ones," He says and I bite my lip in nervousness. 

"Are you okay with that?" I ask and he rolls his eyes.

"Matty, the man can barely stand on his own. I'm pretty sure he's not going to fuck you or attack you," Thomas says as he walks away and I turn back to the physical manifestation of a dark cloud.

"Hey, Wes?" I call his name but get no response as he hands his head while shivering. I stand in front of him and gently pull up his chin.

"We have to get you out of these wet clothes okay?" I inform him and he only blinks a few times as if he doesn't understand a single word I'm saying. 

I start with his jacket, having to literally peel it off him, and toss it to the floor. I move on to his white button-up shirt, trying to go as fast as possible because he was shaking like a little leaf but pause when I finally get it off and see his bare chest. I release an uncontrollable gasp once I see just how bad he really is. 

There wasn't a single ounce of muscle left on Wesley's body. All of his ribs were pointing out as if they were about to stab me and his stomach had started to concave. 

"Wes...what happened to you?" I asked aloud not expecting a response as I slipped off his belt.

"Guilt," He finally muttered one word without stuttering and it was the last thing I wanted to hear.

"I'm back," Thomas announced as he came back into the room and I backed away from Wes.

"Good because I can't bend over to take off his shoes anymore," I said and Thomas took charge as I ruffled Wes' hair with a towel, trying to get him at least somewhat dry. I moved onto his body when Thomas looked at Wes. 

"Do you think you're strong enough to take a hot shower bud? I think it would really help you," Thomas said and Wes only nodded in response. 

"Good, why don't you do that and when you get out you can join Matty and me in the kitchen for dinner. Tell you what, he finally learned how to cook and he made the most delicious chicken pot pie so I will get you some and we can talk," Thomas explains to Wesley as the two make direct eye contact. 

Wes only nods once more and Thomas takes my hand in his.

"Alright, we'll see you when you're done okay?" He tells Wesley and we leave him be, for now, closing the barn door behind us and walking over to the kitchen in silence.

I lean against the counter and let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in. Thomas runs his hands over my back and kisses my cheek.

"What happened to him, Thomas?" I asked aloud but my fiance only shook his head with just as much knowledge about the situation as I did. I could hear the shower now running in the guest room and squeezed my eyes shut, only to be met with the image of Wesley diminished to nothing but a sack of skin and bones. 

"I guess we'll find out,"