Savage Little Lies (Court Legacy 2)

He did call after me. He did a couple times, but I noticed he didn’t follow. In fact, I didn’t see him again until I closed the gate. Who I’d called a friend and a brother was down to his knees on the lawn.

He had his head in his hands.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sloane

My brother tossed a Funyun at me.

He was obviously feeling better.

Dr. Richardson had said something similar about an hour ago. He’d checked in on Bruno several times throughout the day. After the final check, the doctor said he had felt good about leaving him for the evening but advised the hospital (or Bru and me) to call him if anything changed. My brother was up and wiry, joking with me, and though he couldn’t possibly eat any Funyuns, that didn’t stop him from tossing mine at me.

“You worry too much,” he said, like I hadn’t seen his ass collapse last night. Dr. Richardson had confirmed what Callum had told me when I’d arrived. My brother had collapsed due to dehydration and lack of fluids. His throwing up had only made it worse. This had ultimately caused him to pass out, and though his fever had broken, he was still weak. A Funyun was about the only thing he could pick up.

I’d taken Dr. Richardson aside at multiple points in the day. I wanted the hard facts about what was going on, but Bru’s ailments seemed to be a mystery to him. My brother gave symptoms as if he had the flu, his fever coming and going.

“We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” he said before he left for the evening. I’d come back into Bru’s room after that, and Bru definitely knew what had been talked about.

Hence him tossing Funyuns at me now.

“I just don’t know why they can’t figure this out,” I said, tossing a Funyun back. “I mean, they’re supposed to be doctors.”

I’d been informed by Dr. Richardson that he’d consulted with a couple of doctors here at the hospital before I’d arrived. He’d wanted a second opinion, I guess. He’d had the doctors here do bloodwork, and even after analyzing it, he and the other doctors still couldn’t discover a diagnosis for my brother’s symptoms.

Bru shrugged. Sitting up, he was in a hospital gown, and it was hard not to notice the dark circles under his eyes. He’d also lost a ton of weight.

Mere weeks ago, he’d been a teenage boy tossing footballs across the field. Now, it was touch and go whether he could pick one up depending on the day. His head tilted. “They may be doctors, but they’re practicing medicine.”

“Well, they need to practice better.”

“And you should know because of your degree. Right, Dr. Sloane?” He smirked. “I’m feeling a lot better.”

“Who knows for how long.” Whatever was going on with him seemed to be tremendously better or worse depending on what breath he took. I cuffed my arms. “I just want you to be okay.”

He said nothing, but I noticed him shift in my direction. My brother and I had never been the touchy-feely types, but we did care about each other. We both loved and worried about each other.

We were all we had.

Bru took my hand over the sheet, and I let him because I was vulnerable. Hell, I should have been the one taking his hand.

“I’m going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

He smiled a little. “I am because I have you.” His head cocked. “You won’t let me die. I know you.”

He said that with a laugh, but it was a little dry, and I wondered if he was just as scared as I was. If he was worried about dying.

I squeezed his hand. “You’re right. I won’t let you die.” I frowned. “I still have to kick your ass for trying to get into the Court in the first place.”

Whatever was happening with him now seemed to have come right after he’d jumped into that lake. Who knew what the fuck he’d caught? He could have been stung or bitten. Who knew?

Bru pressed his lips together, huffing. “I don’t think any of that matters anyway.” He studied me. “You were right about those guys. Not one of them has come to see me while I’ve been gone.” His back touched his elevated bed. “I can’t even get any of them to text me back. Friends don’t do that.”

If it meant anything, I didn’t want to be right.

Honestly, I believed Legacy had been pushing Bru away because of me, but I just hadn’t wanted to stress Bruno out.