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.

not the way I saw her. Instead, she chose

reliving the same story. It felt like the universe was making me watch as the girl I wanted slipped through my fingers again

about sneaking out to find some alcohol, but 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, and I knew

enough, the world would stop spinning.

"Thomas?"

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

and ignored the way my heart skipped

her eyes off me.

the empty seat beside me even though I

it anymore. "What's with you and him?" The words flew

looked genuinely

talking about." I stood up and took a step back. "You and

shifted in her

deeper than I thought it would. Why couldn't she just look at me? Why couldn't she say something that made sense of all this? "You're not even trying to see it, are you?" I

her can drink on the table. "It's not

her slip away this time. "Why can't you just be

looked up, and her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "It's not about him, okay? It's just... I

of what?" I challenged and stepped closer until there was barely any space between us. "Of actually being happy? Of letting

blinked, and her breath hitched. "No... I'm scared of hurting you. Of hurting

wanted to be angry, to push her away, but all I saw was how lost she looked. How much she was hurting. And I hated that I couldn't fix it. That I couldn't just 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

that it nearly brought me

pulled back a little and kept my hands on her

answer. She just looked at me, and in that moment, I saw everything she couldn't say. Everything she was too

pulling herself out of

urge to reach for her again. "You're