Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 66

(Thomas's POV)

The day started well. I woke up and felt lighter than I had in weeks, maybe because I finally got a decent night's sleep. I even managed to laugh at one of Bundah's stupid jokes during breakfast, and that felt like a miracle on its own. For once, I thought things might be okay.

But then, as I walked down the corridor toward the main lounge, I saw them.

Angel and Hendrix stood in the hallway by the old bulletin board, where we had pinned up notes and little reminders. It was supposed to be a place for the usual, boring stuff, but the way they stood there felt like something out of a romantic movie.

Hendrix leaned against the wall and kept his eyes fixed on Angel with this look. The kind of look that twisted my stomach into knots. She smiled at him and reached up to brush a strand of hair from his forehead, and her fingers stayed there a moment longer than needed.

I froze as a sharp pain stabbed at my chest. What was this? I thought I was making progress. I thought I had a chance. But seeing them like this felt like someone pulled the rug right out from under me.

I turned away before they could see me, and the image of them burned into my mind. I needed space and air and something to clear my head, so I walked to the lounge and sank onto one of the worn-out couches. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through it, trying to distract myself from the ache in my chest.

Bundah wandered in later, carrying a deck of cards. "Yo, man, you up for a game?" he asked, and shuffled them in his hands as usual, always trying to lighten the mood.

I barely glanced at him. "Not now."

He sighed and sat down beside me. "Come on, what's eating you?"

"Nothing," I snapped and instantly regretted the sharpness in my voice.

Bundah just shrugged, used to my moods. "Fine. Be like that." He stood up and walked off, and he left me alone with my thoughts. I should've felt bad for brushing him off, but I didn't have the energy to care.

Hours passed. Other patients came and went, and their voices turned into a dull hum in the background, but I didn't pay attention. My mind kept drifting back to Angel. And Hendrix. How close they were. The way she looked at him. It felt like something inside me unraveled, thread by thread.

in middle school. She was autistic but sweet, cute, kind and everything I thought I wanted. But she never saw me, not the way I saw her. Instead, she chose

was making me watch as

I knew where that path led. There was a stash in the storage room at the far end of the East Wing. It was dangerous territory,

the world would stop spinning. Maybe I'd wake up and find out this was all

"Thomas?"

up and blinked rapidly as Angel's voice cut through the haze in my mind. She stood there with a can of soda in her hand and looked at me with that familiar

forced myself to sit up and ignored the way my heart skipped

took a step closer and didn't take her eyes off me. "Mind if

seat beside me even though I fought every instinct to get up and walk

until I couldn't take it anymore. "What's with you and him?" The words flew out before I could stop them, and I

She looked

I'm talking about." I stood up and took a

something shifted in her eyes-guilt, maybe. "We're

it, and her eyes darted away. That small gesture cut deeper than I thought it would. Why couldn't she just look at

up, dropping her can drink on the table. "It's not that

closer and refused to let her slip away this time. "Why can't you just be honest with me? Why

about him, okay? It's just... I don't know. Everything's mixed up, and

challenged and stepped closer until there was barely any space between us. "Of actually

scared of hurting you.

pull her into my arms and make everything okay. Without thinking, I reached out and hugged her. She stiffened at first but then relaxed against me, and her head rested on my shoulder. "Why do you

soft and full of pain that

back a little and kept my hands on her arms, and I searched her

answer. She just looked at me, and in that moment, I saw everything

she finally whispered and stepped back, pulling herself out of my grasp. "I can't keep hurting

fists and fought the urge to reach for her again. "You're not hurting me.