The Bet (The Badboy's Claim Series #1) ✔️

SIXTY-ONE

JAXON

I sprinted down the hospital hall as fast as my small legs could take me. The calls from my Dad, Axel, and the nurse telling me to wait went through one ear and out the other. I couldn't stand another second sitting in that dreadful room. The moment the nurse said it was okay to see Tyler, I took off.

Tyler.... he has to be okay. He couldn't be dead.

I glanced at the room numbers as I ran, pushing past doctors and other people filled with glee in the hallway. I hope I felt that when I saw Tyler.

Please be okay...

Skidding to a stop, I found Room 213 and barged through the door. 

There he was. His fragile body lying in the bed, the beeping of the machine wasn't frequent but, it was too slow for a normal heartbeat.

I gathered my breath, walking to the side of Tyler's bed. His eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. The bruises on his dark skin that seemed to have lost some of his color. It pained me to see him in such a weakened state.

Tyler is like a brother to me. I never want to lose him. He's always been there for me. Even though I hated when he lectured me to do something, I loved him for doing so.

I grabbed his hand that was wrapped in bandages that seemed to be slipping from how small his hand was. He slowly opened his eyes, his brown eyes uncertain as to if he just woke up from a dream. He looked around the room in a daze. "Where are we?"

"We're in the hospital... well, you are," I told him.

He froze as the realization hit him. The heart monitor giving away the drop of his heart. "T-That means that it really did happen. E-Everything." He stammered out as his heart rate sped up on the machine. He shot up from the bed, wincing in pain but, he grabbed my shoulders, gripping onto me ever so tightly. "Where's Mama? Where is she? Is she here? Is she okay?!"

I frowned not knowing how to put it to him. Not knowing what to say to him as he looked so desperate to hear something that wasn't the truth.

"She's dead." We both turned to Axel, his blue eyes unreadable as always. "Your drunk father killed her and he nearly killed you until you took the same glass bottle that he murdered your mother with and stabbed him over and over again until he was dead."

"Axel! You weren't supposed to say anything!" I yelled, clenching my fists.

He glanced down at them. "You're going to fight me for telling the truth? Besides, we both know that I'm stronger so you wouldn't even win."

He was right. I wasn't stronger than him. He had his growth spurt before Tyler and I. Not to mention, he's always bragging about how he's learning how to fight from his Dad.

"No..." Tyler's voice cracked as his head fell into his hands. His breathing was no longer shallow. He was panting, trying to fill the air in his lungs as they probably felt as if they were closing in. His eyes were dilated and so much emotion passed through them. Pain, disbelief, confusion, anger. So much pain.

Tyler loved his mother so much. Axel and I both loved his mother too as if she was another one for us. She was one of the sweetest people I ever met.

I took a deep breath, hugging Tyler as he began to cry. "I'm sorry, Tyler..." And silently, I began to cry too.