Threat

“Tyler…this is the tenth time you’ve visited her in the past four days.”

I didn’t care.
My focus was on the black-haired beauty that remained motionless on the hospital bed.

I’ve ran out of tears to cry.
I don’t even feel sad anymore.

Just numb.

“You don’t have to come with me every time, Micah…”

A hand on my shoulder.

“What kind of friend would I be if I just left you alone like this?”

I placed my hand on top of his.

“You’d still be the only friend I have…”

I didn’t mean for those words to leave my mouth, but at this point, I just didn’t care.

A thick, unnerving silence only broken by the constant beep! of the heart monitor.

Nothing was said after that.

| x | x | x |

“We need to swing by your house.”
“Why…?”

I’m overstaying my welcome just because I didn’t want to go back; because I wanted to forget about what happened to Marcia as much as I could.

And I have the fucking nerve to ask “why”.

Before he could say anything else, I immediately apologized.

“Why are you apologizing?”
“I’m overstaying my welcome, and yet I have the nerve to—”

“Tyler, you know you can stay here as long as you like. I know you still don’t want to go back.”

I shrunk into the couch.

“Then why did you ask…?”
“Because…”

He sat down in the space next to me.

“I’m helping you pack.”

I looked up at him, confused.

“Pack for what…?”
“I’m going back home for the holidays, and you’re coming with me.”

I was going to say something, but he cut me off.

“Remember: you didn’t visit your mom for Thanksgiving and we both know that she misses you to death since you haven’t seen her for two years now. Plus, I think you should get away for a bit after…”

I bit down on my lip, nodding in agreement.

“So you’ll go?”
I nodded again.

That brought a huge smile to his face, and I couldn’t help but smile myself.

“You seem so happy about it…”
“Of course I am! I get to spend the holidays with my family and my best friend this time.”

My cheeks grew hot at the statement.

“Are you blushing?”

I quickly covered them up with my hands, eyes growing wide.

“What?! No! You are!”
“Settle down, Fucktard. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“You still call me that?!”

His smile turned into a smirk.

“More or less, yeah.”

I punched him in the arm.

“You only called me that whenever I did something stupid!”
“I’m sorry! ‘Fucktard’ stuck more than ‘Bi-Boy’ to me!”

I crossed my arms over my chest, sticking my tongue out at him.
He came closer and closer; I was expecting him to get me back for punching him.

Instead, a familiar pair of lips was pressed against my forehead.

“Come on, let’s get your stuff. We have to catch a plane in two days and I want us to be completely ready.”

| x | x | x |

The familiar atmosphere.
The familiar scents.
The familiar scenery.

They all reminded me of—

“Tyler? Are you coming upstairs?”

I bit down on my lip, harder than before.

“I-I can’t…”

Fast footsteps down the stairs.

“I can’t, Michael…! I can’t leave her! What if something happens while I’m gone? What if—”

“Tyler. She’s going to be fine. She’ll be in the hospital, recovering, and the nurses won’t let anything happen to her.”

“What if she wakes up and I’m not there?! She’ll…!”

He shushed me, placing a hand onto my cheek.

“It’s time that you start living for yourself. Marcia will be fine. As of now, you’re not. You need this, Tyler. You and I both know that you've been needing this for the longest.”

I placed my hand on top of his.

“Everything will be alright? You promise…?”

He gave me a reassuring smile before kissing my forehead again.

“I promise.”