Boys Like You

Something softened in her eyes and she sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sure she meant for you to come before nine. I’m sorry, but it’s too late, and it’s against hospital policy.” She shook her head. “I’m going to have to ask the both of you to leave.”

And that was it. Over before it could start.

“Are you kidding?” Monroe pushed past me, and for a second, I thought she might actually hurt the nurse. “Can’t you see what this means to him? Trevor is his best friend. He has to see him. You have to let him.”

The nurse shrugged. “I understand what you’re saying, but we have rules and we have them for a reason, and if you don’t leave quietly, I’ll have to call security.”

“Monroe, it’s no use. Let’s just go.” I grabbed her elbow and would have turned except I heard a voice call my name, softly, but there was no mistaking the gruff undertone.

“Nathan.”

I looked past the nurse and spied Mike Lewis standing just outside Trevor’s room, and if it was possible for everything inside me to freeze, it did. My lungs. My heart. My brain. Everything stopped, like time was winding backward. I felt like I was standing in ice, as if the blood rushing through my veins was frozen and slow.

The nurse was still chattering in my ear, though she’d moved a bit and I had nothing blocking my view. I had no idea what she was saying, because there was nothing but Mike in my vision. In my head.

Nothing but a slow blow to my heart.

Trev’s dad looked as if he’d aged ten years since I had seen him. His skin was gray and his eyes, shit, his eyes were sunken, glassy, and so full of pain, I felt it like a physical blow.

As if he’d balled up those massive fists at his side and smashed them into my face.

For the longest time, he stared at me, those sad, angry, and haunted eyes pinning me hard. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do. Was he going to finally kick my ass? Would that somehow make him feel better?

Because I gotta tell you that if it would, I’d gladly let him beat me. I’d let him lay his hands on me and get whatever relief he could. Anything to make his pain go away.

He pushed off from the wall and walked toward us, his gait slow. He was a big man, intimidating to most with his shaved head, tattoos, and massive shoulders. Yet when I looked at him, I saw the guy who took Trevor and me fishing every Friday after school when we were ten. The guy who helped us build go-karts and who rushed me to the emergency room when I broke my arm after an epic crash.

I saw the guy who let us play our loud ass music ’til all hours of the evening and who would watch us, bobbing his head even though I knew he’d rather listen to Big & Rich.

I saw the guy whose heart I had shattered.

He stopped a few inches away, his sleeveless wife-beater stained down the front of his chest—coffee maybe—and it was wrinkled, like he’d s

lept in it or grabbed it off the floor to come here.

He rolled his shoulders, his eyes never leaving me, but there was no danger in his voice when he spoke. He just sounded really tired.

“You look like shit, Everets.”

I nodded. “I guess I do.”

Mike ran his hand along at least a week’s worth of stubble on his chin and his eyes slid to Monroe. “You again.”

Wait. What? When the hell had they met?

I looked at Monroe, but she faced Mike Lewis, legs spread, arms at the ready as if… Hell, she looked like she was willing to fight him if she had to. And if it was possible for my heart to squeeze even tighter, it did.

That’s what this girl did to me.

“Me again,” she said softly.

“Mr. Lewis, I was just telling them it was too late for visiting hours.” The nurse shifted on her feet, suddenly unsure.

Yeah, it was a long night, I got that, but I didn’t care that she was tired of my shit. I didn’t care about anything other than Trevor.

“I thought about what you said,” Mike said gruffly, his gaze still on Monroe. “You were right.”

I watched the two of them, not really understanding what was going on and wondering when the hell Monroe had hooked up with Trevor’s dad.