Chapter 14

Nick POV

I can't bear to see him this way. He hasn't spoken to me the whole ride back to his house. His tear streaked face is breaking my heart. I guess it was just my selfish way of knowing if he was gay or straight...Not that it affected me in any way. I just wanted him to be with someone else so I didn't think about...

"Adien, I'm sorry! I can't believe I did that, I wasn't thinking. I just remember you telling me you've never done anything with anyone and...I should have asked I'm so sorry," I stutter near tears. I fucked up.

"I don't want you to be sorry. It's fine," he spoke not looking at me, instead he was glazing out the Window, he's still shaking.

All I want to do is reach out and grab his hand, soothe him. We sit in silence until we get to his house, he piles out of the car drained, refusing to let me help. The house is quiet and no lights are on, Adien's mum must be asleep.

As we trudge up the stairs, which seems unending, I plan out in my head how I was going to show him how sorry I am.

Something tells me this isn't some small petite fear, it was something huge. And maybe it had a link with his nightmares.

"I want to go to sleep now," he announces looking exhausted, not even bothering to brush his teeth, only taking all his clothes off except his boxers.

"Okay, I'll see you Monday and Adien I am sorry, words can't express how much hatred I have towards myself" I mutter reaching for the door as I talk. "I'll do anything to make it up to you, you're one of my best friends even in the short time I've known you,"

There's silence and I lose hope in him talking to me at all even if it's angry shouts, it'll be better than complete and utter silence. I grab the handle about to leave.

"Nick?" He finally whispers breaking the thick air.

"Yeah" I half bellowed...probably a bit desperately.

"Please...if it's not too much to ask, can you stay with me?" He asks quietly, barely audible over the sound of my rushing heart.

"Of course, I will" I sigh in relief, stripping my clothes to stand in my boxers a little too eagerly. I slid into the bed staying as far from Adien as possible just in case he still hates me.

"Why are you so far?" he whispers scuttling a little closer, I could almost feel his heat on my skin. I shuffle closer to him. "I know my outburst must have surprised you, but trust me I have my reasons" he gave a nervous laugh.

"I know...goodnight," I say sympathetically kissing him on the forehead before I could stop myself. We both tense, I can't believe I did that.

Fuck!!

It doesn't take him long to fall into a hibernation-like sleep, but my embarrassment is still fresh and I feel unbelievably stupid. It been a long night and I'll make it up to him...I promise.

********************

I wake up to screaming, it jolts me awake and my heart is racing it feels like I'm having a panic attack. I look beside me to see Adien kicking his legs and swinging his arms in a way that could take out my eyeball. This is the worst I've seen him.

"Adien! Wake up, it's only a dream" I say getting on top of him so he doesn't kick as much. I'm now straddling him, but struggling to wake him. I try and keep calm but I'm struggling. He start shaking slightly, but not enough to raise my concern.

"Adien, it's me, Nick. I'm here now, calm down" I whisper soothingly desperate now. He's sweating profusely and a few tears are dripping from his eyes.

His eyes shoot open but it's like he can't see, he's eyes are filled with terror and locked open, he begins to shake uncontrollably and I can't hold him anymore.

I jump off the bed skidding on the landing and nearly decapitating myself. I swing the door open and Adien's mum shoots awake sitting up horrified.

"Nick, what is it honey?" she asks skidding out of the bed. Wrapping a robe around her small waist.

"It's Adien, he's shaking and his eyes...his eyes" I can't finish, I gulp swallowing the tears that are clogging up my throat. My nose starts to tingle, I try and resist the temptation to let the tears flow out. I have to keep strong not just for myself but for Aiden and his mum.

I wasn't even finished when Adien's mum runs past me.

"Adien, honey" she exclaims climbing onto the bed and hugging him.

"He was having a nightmare then this happened" I explain looking on frozen in fear.

"This has happened before, call 999" she exclaims tears streaming down her face like she was remembering a terrible memory.

I call the ambulance and the next thing I know, I'm driving behind Adien and his mum in the ambulance. The night is a blur of flashing lights, red and blue everywhere.

It takes me back to memories, things that I don't wanna remember anymore; times when everything turned for the worst.

We reach the hospital and I hesitate to go through I haven't been to a hospital since...my parents.

I shake the thought out of my head it not about me today it's about Adien. I try to gain the courage that I need right now, as Adien needs me. I stand in front of the entrance looking in, suddenly I'm an ant compared to a giant.

"Nick, you can go home, I'll call you in the morning" Adien's mum spoke looking back at me as Adien is carted off by some doctors. I barely heard her.

"No! I want to stay," I say lifting my leg about to enter. As soon a I set foot in the hospital, I begin to lose my breath. It instantly becomes impossible to breathe and the poignant smell of bleach chokes me. Like an elephant sitting on my chest, and suddenly all the memories come flooding back. I remember it like it was this morning.

"Nick, are you okay?" She asks walking over to me, by then I'm hyperventilating; my knees have deceived me and I'm crumbling to the floor. "Nick!"

The corners of my vision begin to blacken. I see nurses rushing toward me, grabbing oxygen tanks and getting me a wheelchair, but I hear no sounds. I'm temporarily deaf.

Everything is going in slow motion, all I can see now is graves, a funeral, and family that never came home. It's a depressing mess of my life. I finally get a breath and a few last pictures fill my head a picture of all my friend and the last one is Adien a picture of him smiling, if I'd died then I would have died happy to see him face a last time.

They say that just before you die, you have a moment of bliss.

Then everything goes dark.