40. Brayden

Chapter forty

Brayden

T he commotion of shouting stirs me from my hazy sleep. Initially, I assume it's my mother caught in an argument, but the voices are too deep, too masculine. I turn my aching head toward the door, and there they stand: Kal and Bohdi, locked in a tense standoff, chests colliding, fists clenched.

"What the hell is happening?" My voice, scratchy and raw, pierces the tension. Both Kal and Bohdi snap their attention toward me.

"I was just telling our teacher here that he needs to leave."

Bohdi's tormented expression bores into me, as if he senses the pain I'm struggling with, like he'd do anything to ease it.

"Bray, please." His eyes plead with me, and I realize how much I've missed him. I can't gauge how long it's been since he was last here, but the ache of his absence is physical.

"Kal, please."

"No." Kal's face contorts. "He's taking advantage, Bray. I won't stand for it."

"Kal, it's not what you think." Kal whirls around on his heels.

"Then tell me. You've kept this from me. Explain what it's like. Help me understand." His voice cracks. "I can't bear to watch you suffer like this and do nothing."

"I need him, Kal." My trembling lip betrays me, and tears blur my stinging eyes.

"Kal." Bohdi's voice breaks through, and Kal's head snaps toward him. "I know you said you'd report this to the dean, and you know what? Go ahead. I don't care about my job. I don't care about teaching. The only person I care about is lying there, shattered, while we stand idly by." His finger points at me, and I gasp, the weight of his truth settling on my exposed vulnerabilities. "I'd sacrifice everything for that boy. Everything." His gaze locks onto Kal's, a tear escaping from the corner of his eye. "But remember, it won't be just me you're hurting. It'll be him, too."

Bohdi stands tall, his beard grown out, stubble longer than usual. His greasy hair and rumpled suit make him look like a man unraveling, crumbling alongside me. I ache to reach out, to touch him.

My legs move before sleepless thought. I rise from the bed, legs threatening to buckle as I take tentative steps toward Kal and Boh. My legs that I haven't used in days begin to shake as I buckle with my next step, but Bohdi pushes Kal aside, catching me, his eyes boring into mine.

"I'm here," he whispers, pulling me close. And then it all spills out. I cry until I can't anymore. Bohdi cradles me in his lap, Kal's hand rubbing my back as I choke on my own sobs.

I must fall asleep in Bohdi's arms on the floor, because when I wake, Bohdi is leaned up against the wall while I'm tucked in tight to his chest. I grip his shirt, leaning my head up. My head throbs as Bohdi runs fingers through my hair. Tray sits on the stool eating a sandwich while Kal sits on the floor opposite, staring straight at me with an emotionless stare. No, actually he stares at Bohdi's hands running through my hair.

"Bray." Bohdi's whisper draws my eyes upward. His tired blue gaze studies me, and a frown creases his forehead. "Can you eat something for me, please?" His brows knit together in a desperate plea, and I nod instinctively. I can't bear to see Bohdi sad.

The sandwich tastes like sawdust, but I have to admit, I feel less sick, less empty once I finish half. My body only allows me to eat half of it, but I'm full already. I put the plate down and Bohdi whispers thank you, while pulling me in tight to his chest again. I close my eyes, but then I realize something doesn't feel right.

"Bex." I sit up, urgency flooding me. "Bex." Everyone freezes as I leap to my feet, the room spinning. I scramble onto the bed, cocooned in the quilt, seeking the scent of my brother. It's there, faint but familiar, and I cling to it as if it can mend the fractures within me.

My groggy eyes flutter open, and Bohdi stands by the bed, holding a cup of water and another sandwich. I sit up, accepting the water first, then the sandwich. Bohdi crouches down, observing as I take a few bites.

"I need you to come stay with me for a while," he says.

"No," Kal snaps, and I turn my head to look at him. "He can stay with me. How will it look if he stays with you?"

"No one has to know he's staying with me," Bohdi counters. "We can tell the school he's with you temporarily. Given the circumstances, they'll accept it."

"I can't," Kal grits out.

"Are you really that awkward?" Bohdi's frustration seeps through.

"My dad is on the school board," Kal explains. "He'll know that Brayden isn't staying with me."

Their back-and-forth exhausts me. Kal's next words cut deeper.

"Why does he need to stay with you, anyway? Bray has been my best friend since childhood. My parents and I can take care of him."

Bohdi rubs his temples. "I don't doubt that. I want Bray with me." His vulnerability melts something inside me.

The room pulses with tension as Kal's protest hangs in the air. "Well, I want Bray with me," he insists, but I'm too drained to intervene.

"Kal, stop this," my voice trembles.

"I've been where Brayden is. I lost someone close last year. I want to be there for him. Please, let me." Boh's eyes plead with Kal, and I swallow down the emotions threatening to engulf me once more.

"I know." Kal replies, his voice softer. I frown. How would he know? But my exhaustion doesn't let me ponder it anymore.

"I'll stay with Bohdi and tell the school I'm here," I plead with Kal. "If your parents ask, can you say that you and Tray are keeping an eye on me? Please."

Kal nods, lips pressed tight. "OK, but you need to know something." His words hang heavy. "Mom is coming tomorrow to discuss the funeral arrangements with you and your mom."

I gulp, closing my eyes, taking a deep breath. "We don't have the money for a funeral." My lip trembles, tears escaping. Bohdi's hand reaches out, gently wiping them away.

"Don't worry about the money," Bohdi interjects.

Kal follows up. "My dad is handling it. We'll need your input, though, if you're up for it."

I nod. "Not today?"

Kal's voice is softer now. "Not today," he confirms, offering me a tight-lipped smile. He leans over the bed, careful not to touch anything, and places a kiss on my forehead. My eyes well up again.

I glance at Kal, who blinks three times at me. It takes me back to when I was urging Bex to blink three times, even though deep down, I knew he was gone.

A sob racks my body as Bohdi pulls me close, and Kal stares at me, tears streaming down his face. This pain won't leave, and I'm lost. How am I supposed to carry on without my brother? He was my reason for everything, the driving force behind my hard work. Now, I'm left with nothing.