“You listened to him, which is more than he could say about most people. You didn’t find him to be ridiculous—”
“Yes, I did. Because he kind of is.” Awesomely so, but still ridiculous.
He glared at me. “Are you always this difficult?”
“Pretty much. It’s kind of my curse. I tend to take the road less traveled just to be a pain in the ass.”
“He’s going to need you.”
“So you and everyone else in the free world has said. He doesn’t seem to know that.”
He shook his head. “It’ll happen. Trust me. About thirty minutes after you left, his mom took a turn for the worse. She’s in a coma now. Her doctor doesn’t think she’s going to wake up. That’s why Vince was a little… distraught. I was holding him up to keep him from punching the wall.”
My jaw dropped. “I was just talking to her a couple of hours ago. How could she…?”
“It’s been expected,” Darren said. “His dad is there now, and Vince had to leave for a bit to clear his head. He’s going to go back.”
“Did she get to talk to him? Did she… say anything to him?”
“I don’t know.”
“I should go with him,” I decided. “I should be there for him.”
“He won’t let you,” Darren said kindly. “He doesn’t want you to—”
“Maybe I don’t give a fuck what he wants,” I interrupted. “Maybe I should just do what I think is right.”
“Don’t push this, Paul,” he warned. “He can’t be worried about what you’re thinking when he’s starting to grieve.”
I was pissed off again. “So what the fuck do you want me to do?”
“For now? Nothing. I’ll have his back until he needs you.”
I couldn’t help the jealousy I felt at that, but I couldn’t ignore the logic, either. Darren knew him better than I did. Darren had cared for him longer than I had. Darren was his family. I was not. It burned, but he was right. “Fine,” I relented. “But you call me if something happens and I’m needed. You promise?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I will. I promise.”
“Does he know you’re out here?”
He looked down at his feet. “I kind of yelled at him for being a dick to you and he went to his room and slammed the door shut. He doesn’t know. We’re supposed to go back to the hospital in a few. I think he just needs time to cool off.”
I thought fast. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Yes.” No hesitation as he looked back up at me.
“Will you tell him something for me?”
“What?”
“Just… can you tell him that I said it’s real? That if I have to, I’ll tell him every day that it’s real. Just… can you tell him that for me?”
“Sure, Paul.”
I nodded.
And then I left.
Chapter 20