The Guarded One ✔

Chapter Forty-Two

I spend the remainder of prom night pasting back and forth through the hallway in some fancy suit, waiting for someone to give us news on Duncan.

He deserves better than this. He doesn't deserve to die in some strange hospital at eighteen from suicide. He deserves to live a happy, healthy life with some strange pessimistic girl that loves driving me insane.

Suddenly my cellphone rings from my pocket. I pick it up when I see my aunt's name across the screen.

"Any news?" She asks.

"No, not yet...I'm at the hospital now" I explain to her, "we're waiting for a doctor to come out and talk to us"

"Has his parents arrived yet?" Aunt Laura softens her voice.

"Not yet..." I admit.

"Well, stay safe" aunt Laura begs, "I'll see you back at home"

"Bye" I end the call and take a seat beside Tyler whose hands shake uncontrollably.

"My dad killed himself when I was a kid" he explains, "he overdosed on Opium in the bathroom...I told Duncan once, I'll bet my life that that's where he got the idea"

Stunned for a moment, I recover fast.

I shake my head violently, "This isn't your fault, man...He would have done it anyway..."

Tyler sobs. I've never seen him like this. That's what scares me the most I think.

"Well, I sure as hell didn't do any good"

"You performed CPR for almost ten minutes straight" I point out, "if that's not some good, I don't know what is," I say exhausted, at a whisper.

He drops his gaze to his feet. "I should have never told him about my dad...Otherwise, he'll be here right now"

"That's not true" I shake my head. "Duncan's been depressed since Ayla died...this was going to happen no matter what stories he heard" I lean my head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.

How the hell did we get to this? Duncan was going to therapy,  he was doing well — well at least so I thought.

"Well, how is he?" Jess asks the nurse.

She smiles. "He's going to be okay"

My heart sinks in relief. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost him too. I can't lose anyone else. I won't.

"Can we see him?" I ask.

"One at a time"

"Jas, you go first" Jess nods.

I walk in slowly to find him sitting up on his bed. Wide eyed and still pale, he looks down at his trembling hands.

"Duncan," I sigh.

"Leave" he ordered, "I don't want to talk to you, Jas..."

I shake my head. "I don't care, we're having this conversation whether you want to or not"

"Leave, Jason" he shoots his head up, looking me dead in the eye.

God, he looks tired. Dark circles and shaggy hair. His once-bright blue eyes now look faded and his wide smile has become a sad frown.

"You tried to kill yourself" I clench my jaw.

"Yeah, and I couldn't even do that right!" Duncan screams.

His confessions feel like sharp blades across my heart.

"How many times do we have to be sitting here having this conversation for you to finally get help"