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.

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 Bobby, the boy-next-door type who could charm anyone

here I was, reliving the same story. It felt like the universe was making me watch as the girl

There was a stash in the storage room at the far end of the East Wing. It was dangerous territory, and I knew what it would cost me to go there. The one person I didn't want to face would be waiting, and I wasn't ready for that confrontation

back and shut my eyes. Maybe if I stayed there long enough, the world would stop spinning. Maybe I'd wake up and find out

"Thomas?"

She stood there with a can of soda in her hand and looked at me

and ignored the

step closer and didn't take her eyes

the empty seat beside me even though I fought every instinct to get up

anymore. "What's with you and him?"

She looked

I'm talking about." I stood up and took a step back. "You and Hendrix. What's going on? Are you

her eyes-guilt, maybe. "We're just... It's

been here this whole time. What's so complicated about that?" She opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it, and her eyes darted away. That small gesture cut 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?

and stood up, dropping her can drink

took a step closer and refused to let her slip away this time. "Why can't you just be honest with me? Why him? What does he have that I

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

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

and her breath hitched. "No... I'm scared of hurting you. Of hurting myself. Of everything falling

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

pain that it nearly brought me

little and kept my hands on her arms, and I

in that moment, I

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

my fists and fought the urge to reach for her