Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 140629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Between the outlines of two guns, bold gothic script read GUNNER.
Caspian wanted to cry but no tears would fill his eyes.
Gunner yelped and his half-smoked cigarette fell to the ground, but the ripped fabric revealed not only the tattoo but also… pierced nipples. This was insanity.
Instead of fighting Caspian though, Gunner looked down his chest and… sobbed. “It made sense at the time.”
“How did you even pay for this?”
Gunner bit his trembling lip. “I know a guy…”
What a fucking mess.
And the worst thing? The moment Gunner made that pathetic sound, the fury buzzing inside Caspian was replaced by worry. Had someone hurt him? Was he unwell?
And that was when Caspian saw something even more disturbing than the tattoo. Or the piercings.
A small piece of a Snickers bar remaining in an opened wrapper. It just sat on the bench, right next to the bottle of beer Gunner had been drinking from.
Caspian’s head filled with red hot smoke. “Had… did you eat this?” he asked breathlessly and pointed to the bar.
Gunner rubbed his eyes. “What? Eating healthy is the least of our problems, isn’t it?”
“You’re allergic to nuts! Where’s your EpiPen?” Caspian asked, squeezing Gunner’s hips to see if he could feel the familiar shape in the jean pockets. Nothing.
“Am I?” Gunner looked up with dazed eyes. How much had he already drank? “Why do I need a pen?”
Panic filled Caspian from head to toe. He needed to take Gunner to the hospital, and fast!
“Yes, I fucking told you. What the hell were you thinking?” Caspian asked, pulling him up to his feet. A middle-aged couple watched them from inside the store, but he ignored them, focused on getting to the emergency room before the allergic reaction took hold.
"I don't know!" Gunner cried. "We've already established I'm a dumb fuck, who can't get anything right. How allergic am I? Am I gonna die?" He gasped and grabbed his neck, staring up at Caspian with reddened eyes.
“You’re not gonna die, because we’ll take you to the ER,” Caspian said and took the car keys from Gunner before opening the passenger seat of the Southfield to help him in. His attention briefly lapsed when the damp blue eyes met his, and he wiped away a tear rolling down Gunner’s cheek. “And you’re not dumb. Now strap your seatbelt.”
“Is he okay? What’s going on?” Noah asked, approaching them quickly.
“I’m taking him to the hospital. Take care of my truck,” Caspian said and tossed him the keys.
“But—”
“Noah?” Gunner rasped. “If I die, you can take all my stuff, okay?”
“He’s not gonna die. I’ll call you” Caspian said and turned on the engine as soon as he sat behind the wheel, determined to make it to the ER before the idiot living in his body choked to death. He stepped on the gas hard and drove onto the road, speeding toward the nearest hospital.
Chapter 26 – Gunner
Gunner went into full-on panic mode even before his airways started to swell, but Caspian had been there, holding his hand, rubbing his back, telling him when to inhale, and when to exhale. He’d felt sick and got an ugly rash. By the time they’d arrived at the ER, Caspian was so frantic he carried Gunner in and demanded help. It had all been a whirlwind after that. Eventually, the symptoms had subsided, and Gunner had fallen asleep with Caspian sitting at his bedside, exhausted.
A ping brought him back to reality, and he blinked, opening his eyes to see Caspian chewing on a rice waffle and typing something on the iPhone, which, theoretically, belonged to Gunner now. He had shadows under the eyes, but those couldn’t make him any less handsome to Gunner.
The room was small and basic, with no decoration nor comforts beyond the blanket covering Gunner and the chair Caspian occupied, but it was where Gunner managed not to die, and that counted for something.
“Um… what time is it? Did you use my finger to unlock the phone?” Gunner asked, still a bit dazed.
Caspian looked up, blinking. “Uh… between two and three a.m. How are you feeling?” He asked, pulling the stool closer to the hospital bed and taking hold of Caspian’s hand. He dropped the phone in his lap.
Gunner didn’t deserve all this care after what he’d put Caspian through. He was an embarrassment. “Just tired, and a bit achy. Do I… do I have insurance for this?” He squeezed Caspian’s hand even though he didn’t know why Caspian would want to touch him after today. But he was needy, and he’d take whatever he could get.
Caspian offered him a weak smile. “Yeah, I gave them the insurance number, remember?”
Gunner didn’t, but he’d been too frantic to notice such things. Caspian had taken care of everything.
“I exchanged some messages with Mom and Dad. They’re worried. And they say they’ll love me no matter what,” Caspian said, and his smile broadened, as if there was a positive to this whole situation, other than Gunner not dying. “They seem to think you panicked because Alex outed you in front of everyone, so I guess that’s why they’re so forgiving.”