by Cole Lepley
I grit my teeth. “Pissed doesn’t even begin to describe what he’ll be feeling if he found out.” I turn to him, crouching down further. “We fucked him, Walker. Drug dealers don’t like when you do that.”
He looks thoughtful for a minute and then smiles. “That’s what we have Sugar for. She said if anyone gives us shit, go to her.”
I slap him upside the head. He narrows his eyes at me. “What was that for?”
“Don’t be stupid. What’s she going to do if we’re already dead?”
His eyes widen a little while he rubs the back of his head. “Good point.”
I stand up and look up and down the alley. There’s no sign of him. “Okay, I think we’re good.”
Before I can turn to look at Walker, something sharp pokes me in the side. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to get my attention. My entire body stiffens.
“What are you good for, Michaels?” Robby growls in my ear.
I swallow hard, raising my hands slowly. “We don’t want any trouble.”
Robby laughs and I see Walker’s body being flung to the ground in front of me. He puts his hands flat on the pavement, but doesn’t get up. His eyes meet mine and I can imagine he looks as scared as I am right now. Three other guys gather around me.
“I’m not here for trouble either, I came to give you a message,” Robby continues. The knife digs a little deeper and my pulse begins to quicken.
“What’s that?”
I’m surprised I can get the words out, my mouth is so dry right now.
Robby chuckles darkly. “I know about your deal with Sugar and that’s fine, what’s done is done.” He leans in closer and the warmth from his breath brushes across my ear. “But that’s the only break you’re going to get. Next time, we won’t be so forgiving.”
I nod quickly. “Okay, sounds fair.”
He laughs again as the other guys start walking away. I’m about to breathe a sigh of relief until he stabs the blade directly into my side. Sharp pain radiates through me like an explosion and I let out a strangled grunt.
My knees buckle and I swivel to face him. He pulls a bandana from his back pocket and wipes off the blade, locking eyes with me the entire time.
“That’s so you won’t be so forgetful in the future.”
Without another word, he turns and walks casually back to the waiting SUV. When the tires squeal down the road, Walker scrambles to his feet and rushes to my side.
“Oh my God, Perry. He stabbed you!” he shouts.
I clutch my side as warm blood seeps out around my fingers. “I know. You need to get me to a hospital. I’m…” My voice trails off and I risk a glance down to my wound. “I’m bleeding too much.”
Walker continues to panic, pacing around with his hands in his hair. The longer he freaks out, the greater chance I have of not making it out of this alley alive.
“Walker,” I call to him, the struggle in my voice greater than the last time I spoke.
He ignores me and continues to curse into the air.
“Walker!” I say more forcefully.
Finally, he stops and kneels back down at my side. His hands hover over my wound, but he doesn’t touch me. His entire body is shaking. “I…I don’t know what to do? How can I help you?”
My teeth grind together in pain and I try to put more pressure on my side. “Get the jeep. We need to get out of here.”
He nods emphatically, but doesn’t move to stand.
“Now, Walker,” I growl.
He appears to get stunned back into reality and he takes off down the road. Slowly, I reach into my pocket for my phone. I type out the first number I think of and hold the phone against my cheek before I hit send. It only rings once.
“Perry? I’m in class right now,” Tess whispers.
I cough and a mouthful of blood comes with it. That ain’t good.
“Tess, I need you to meet us at the hospital. Something—it’s bad, Tess.”
She’s quiet for a moment and I hear shuffling in the background. A door closes and the way she speaks sounds muffled. “Perry, you listen to me. Are you listening?”
I curl myself on my side and the pressure subsides a little, but the bleeding doesn’t stop.
“I’m listening,” I breathe.”
A sob catches in her throat. “You’re going to be okay. I don’t know what happened, but you’re going to be okay because I need you to be. You got that?”
“I got it…”
“No, you say it,” she demands.
I take a painful breath. My insides feel like they’re twisted in the most excruciating knot. “I’m going to be okay.”
She releases a forceful breath. “Okay, where’s Walker?”
“He’s getting the Jeep.”
“I’ll meet you there,” she says quickly. Her locker slams in the background and by the tone of her voice I can tell that she’s running. The next thing I hear is her car door. “Perry?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“I love you too much for something to happen you. Do you know that?”
“I love you, too Tess.”
That’s the first time it goes black.
The wind is whipping through the vehicle now. I’m buckled in the passenger seat and Walker is frantically driving down the highway. He must be taking me to the ‘good’ hospital. My hand is still firmly planted on my wound, which is now tied with Walker’s hoodie.
He notices my movement out of the corner of his eye.
“I tied it around to stop the bleeding. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Fifteen minutes? How long has it been so far? How much blood can you lose before you die?
I lean my head back against the seat and fumble for my phone again. “I called Tess,” I choke out.
Walker doesn’t respond right away. I’m sure he’s pissed. After we decided to go in big with Sugar, I insisted she knew what was going on. We were putting her in danger too whether he wanted to believe it or not. The only rule we made was that she didn’t get to know the details, she just knew it was happening. She’s less than thrilled about it, but at least we’re not completely shady anymore.
My hand is still pressed against my wound, but they feel fuzzy. My whole body feels like it’s floating…
Walker is sobbing incoherently now as my eyes flutter open. When I look around at the streets, not too much time has passed since the last time. Painfully, I readjust myself in the seat.
“Walker.”
More sobbing.
“Walker, listen to me.”
He keeps his eyes on the road and wipes his face with the sleeve of his jacket. “You’re going to die, Perry. You’re going to die and it will be all my fault. I should have listened to you. I can’t lose my best friend—I just can’t.” He slams the steering wheel with his fist, tears streaming down his face.
“Walker, I’m not going to die,” I grit out. Even speaking is a struggle at this point. “You’re going to save me, remember?”
“What if they ask questions? There’s going to be an investigation, and they’re going to wonder why some kid from New Haven just got fucking stabbed.”
I close my eyes and think. It is a bad idea, because Walker starts screaming again.
“Perry! Stay with me, man!”
I chuckle, and it hurts. “I’m here you fucking pussy.”
“I’m not a pussy,” Walker cries. “I love you and I can’t lose you too.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. Just try and hold it together when we get in there. Tell them I got mugged and nothing else. You didn’t see anyone—you didn’t…” My voice trails off and I hack up more blood. I quickly wipe it on my hoodie so he doesn’t see. “You didn’t see shit, Walker. You hear me?”
He nods. “I didn’t see shit,” he repeats back to me.
“Good.”
I lean back in my seat once more as the floating starts to take over again. The next time I wake up, I’m not in the Jeep anymore.
Sloan is starin
g at me with a deadly gaze. I think she’s pissed. I barely opened my eyes and I already wish I hadn’t. Even though I got stabbed in my side, my entire body feels like it was run over.
Despite the look of disdain, she’s holding my hand.
“Sloan,” I choke out. “How did you find me? You’re supposed to be at school.”
Her grey eyes narrow. “Tess called. She thought you would want me here since you so obviously could have died.” Her voice starts to raise and she stands. “What in the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”
I laugh. Yeah, I could get stabbed.
Sloan isn’t amused. “This isn’t funny, Perry.” She crosses her arms. “How do you think I would feel if you were gone, if I lost you?”
Slowly, I roll to my side, being mindful of the various IV’s. “Well, you do pretty well any other time.”
She drops her arms and balls her hands into fists. “You’re an asshole.”
“Baby, I’m sorry.” I reach for her hand and surprisingly she sits back down and lets me hold it. “I love you.” I kiss her palm. “I’m glad you’re here.”
She leans forward and whispers, “Why am I here? Who stabbed you?”
I risk a glance out in the hallway. There are several officers and very a distressed looking Walker clinging to Tess along the wall. I look back to Sloan.
“It’s a long story.”
This makes her angry.
“A long story, huh?” She stands again to hover over me. “My boyfriend almost died and nobody will tell me what the fuck’s going on.” She leans in closer. “You weren’t mugged, Perry.”
My nostrils flare. Her outburst is drawing attention to the room and I have no idea what Walker told them. He could be singing like a song bird for all I know.
“Sloan, sit down please,” I say in the nicest possible way.
She crosses her arms again. “Why?”
Now I’m angry. Of all the times for her to throw a fit, this isn’t the best time.
“Sloan, I won’t ask you again. Sit the fuck down and keep your mouth shut unless you want to be visiting me in prison.”
Her eyes widen and a tear slips down her cheek. I know she wants to say something, but she doesn’t. She sits down and takes my hand again.
“I love you,” she whispers after a long moment. “So much.”
I sigh. “Don’t worry, baby. Everything is going to be golden.”
24
Perfectly Wrong
Tess- Then
It’s way too cold to be sitting on my roof right now, but it’s the only place I can think clearly. I have my puffer jacket zipped all the way up and a beanie on my head that I stole from Perry. I also have a half a pack of cigarettes that I stole from him.
Maybe stealing is a strong word. Let’s just say he lets shit sit around a lot.
After the whole stabbing incident, the guys have been keeping a low profile. I’m almost positive the cops thought their story was bogus, but with no evidence, the investigation went cold. I really wish they were smarter than this. At least Perry. He always seems like the one who has the most sense—except when it comes to Sloan. That defies any rational logic.
I just lit a cigarette when I hear the familiar stomping on the shingles. He would make a terrible burglar, he can’t do anything quietly. I take a drag and hand it back to him without looking.
“Thought you had a date with Sloan?”
When he doesn’t answer, I tilt my head to him. His eyes are hardened and red around the edges. In all the years that Sloan has been messing with his head, and even when Jeremy died, I never saw Perry cry. I have a feeling I’m about to.
He sits down beside me dressed in his usual dark hoodie with the hood pulled up to shield his face. He nods to me. “That’s my hat.”
I place my hands on either side of my head, pulling it down. “Well, it looks cuter on me so I’m keeping it.”
I smile and he gives a half of one back. “You’re right, Bishop. It does.”
With a sigh, I nudge him with my shoulder. “What’s going on?”
He shakes his head, flicking his ash roughly.
“So, you came over to my house just to ignore me?”
No answer.
“Fine,” I say, standing. “You can sit here and brood all you want. I’m going inside where it’s warm.”
I make it a few steps before he speaks.
“Why are you out here?”
I shrug. “Walker had to work and you were supposed to be with Sloan so…”
I let my voice trail off and retake my seat beside him.
“Don’t you have other friends?”
I raise an eyebrow. “That seems kind of harsh.”
Perry laughs. “No, I don’t mean it like that. I just wish you had other things that made you happy besides two future inmates.”
I laugh. “Perry, you’re not going to jail. Me and Walker had a long talk and he promised me that after a couple more big deals, you guys are out.”
I swear I catch Perry roll his eyes, but I can’t tell because of that damn hoodie. I shove it back from his face. “Is he lying to me?”
Perry shakes his head slowly.
“Don’t you fucking lie to me.”
When he looks over at me, I see the sincerity in his eyes. “I would never.”
I reach over for his hand. “Then please, tell me.”
Perry runs his fingers through mine over and over. It’s soothing and I lose track of what we’re talking about for a moment.
“He wants to get out—that much is true. I’m just not sure when.”
My eyes scan his beautiful face. For only nineteen it holds so much pain. He’s dealt with things people don’t even see in a lifetime. I wish I could take it all away.
“I don’t like it. Not at all.” I take a breath. “But I love Walker and if he says that it will be over soon, I have to trust that he’s telling the truth.”
Perry finally looks over at me. “Bishop, he loves you. That’s the only thing I can be sure of at this point.”
“What happened with Sloan?”
This causes him to turn away. The hood is pulled back up and he brings his knees up to rest his elbows on. He shrugs. “She’s done with me.”
I roll my eyes. “Come on, how many times has she said that before?”
He bites his lip for a moment. When he responds, his voice is broken. “For real this time.”
Instinctively I want to reach for him, but I’m afraid. He’s visibly shaking.
“She said that I’ll never be able to give her the kind of life she can feel safe in. That I’m basically a fuck-up.” He turns to me as the first tear falls. “She’s right. She’s fucking right.”
I shake my head and he scoffs.
“Don’t try to tell me how good a person I am. It doesn’t mean shit if the one person—the person who owns every single part of your soul, doesn’t think so.” He sniffs once, and turns to face me. “Tess, you will never understand how much I love her. But I do.” A sob escapes him and I think my heart cracks at exactly the same time.
He pulls his hand into his chest. “I fucking love her so much that I don’t know what to do.” He lowers his head to the tops of his knees and shakes harder. “I don’t know what to do.”
It doesn’t take long for the shaking to turn to sobbing. I’ll never be able to accurately describe what it sounds like when a man that you love experiences heart wrenching pain like this. It wounds you, too. My chest physically hurts as I watch my best friend completely lose it.
Slowly, I wrap my arms around him and squeeze as hard as I can. I rest my cheek on his back and whisper every comforting thing I can think of.
I tell him everything will be okay.
I tell him he’s a good person and Sloan’s a bitch.
I tell him I love him.
Over and over— I tell him I love him.
That’s what Perry needs. He needs to know that even if it isn’t from t
he one he wants—he is loved more than he’ll ever know.
We sit huddled together for so long my leg begins to fall asleep. Perry finally lifts his head and wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. “I’m really sorry about that,” he whispers.
I run my hand down his back, still sitting practically on his lap. “Never be sorry.” My fingers trail a path down the side of his face. “Not for this.”
He sniffs again and leans down to kiss my forehead before wrapping me in his arms. I curl into his chest and close my eyes.
“She’s wrong you know,” I say after a moment.
“About what?”
“You make me feel safe. You always have.”
His arms squeeze me tighter. “I will protect you with my life, Tess. Nothing will ever happen to you as long as I’m around.”
I nudge him with my elbow. “And that’s going to be a long time, right?”
I tilt my head back so I can see his face. His eyes are distant as he stares over the rooftop. It goes so long; my neck starts to strain. Finally, he leans down and kisses the tip of my nose.
“Yes, a long time.”
Snuggling back into his chest, I can breathe. Being near Perry, under any circumstance, is what calms me. I know that no matter what, I can go to him and he’ll be there. The same can be said for Walker, but Perry and I have a different bond. The love that we have for each other isn’t tainted by the emotions brought on by relationships—it’s pure. It’s not something you take back in the heat of the moment because you’re angry with that person. We love each other always, no matter what.
“Perry?”
“Bishop?”
I smile. He’s obviously feeling a little better.
“One day you’re going to meet a girl who will cherish you for the gift you are. She will love you unconditionally and you will look back on this and laugh.”
He laughs once. “You think so, huh?”
“I do. Like I said, I don’t hate Sloan, but she’s not the one for you. You two are completely toxic in every definition of the word.”
“I know.”
“Then why do it? Why not try for something better?”