Lunatics {Book 1 ✔️}

Chapter 31

He couldn't hide them from me. None of them could.

Noah nuzzled his little head into my neck and I squeezed him tighter. The six-year-old could hardly understand what was happening. All he seemed to know was that his brother was hurting. He didn't know how or why.

"When can we go home?" Noah asked, his eyes wide and sleepy.

Tucker wore a pained expression on his face. He wanted his family close by; it was the only way to protect them. When we'd rushed to the hospital, Tucker demanded that Elias and the younger boys meet us there. We'd been sitting in the waiting room for hours and the boys were getting anxious and sleepy.

I squeezed Noah a little tighter and shot him a goofy smile.

"Have you ever been camping, Noah?" I asked and the little boy nodded.

"Once!" He replied cheerfully, "With Daddy."

My heart dropped in sadness. I didn't let my emotions slip into my expression. Tucker watched me as I interacted with his brother.

"Well, I'm going to show you what Harry and I used to do when we wanted to go camping all the time."

I scooped him up off of my lap to go ask the nurse for any extra blankets she could spare. She took one look at Noah's face and melted- I couldn't blame her. She returned with her arms full of scratchy hospital blankets.

We began spreading the blankets on top of the chairs and looping them into the armrests. When the other boys realized what we were doing, they joined in to help. Tucker sat smiling as he watched our fort being made. 

When we'd finally stuffed the last blanket, I turned to Noah.

"Ever go camping in a hospital?" I asked, and he shook his head, "Well go on then!"

I ushered into the fort where we'd laid out some blankets and spare pillows for the boys. He giggled happily and disappeared inside. I didn't intrude as Lucas and Elias joined him in the fort.

Instead, I made my way back to where Tucker was sitting with a smile on his face. He continued to look at me with it spread across his lips and I shifted uncomfortably.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head and let out a laugh as if he wasn't expecting to find it funny.

"I don't know when it happened," he said, holding my gaze, "but you've become the person I turn to for everything."

Not sure how to respond, I inspected the tops of my sneakers. He was still looking at me when his phone rang. His eyes narrowed as he checked the caller ID.

"You have a lot of nerve calling this number."

His voice was harsh and emotionless. My mind tried to keep up with his quick mood swing. He gritted his teeth as the other person responded. Anxiously, I waited for him to hang up and explain.

"If you think you'll go anywhere near-" Tucker began, but the line must have gone dead because he shoved it in his pocket with frustration. He cradled his head in his hands, running his fingers through his already tousled hair.

"It's Owein," he explained and my heart clenched, "your mother is looking for you. He said they're coming to get you."

He observed my reaction as I digested his words. The breath in my lungs got caught in my tightening throat. Seeing Owein again was not on my top ten list-especially with my mother around.

The boys giggled from the fort and I envied them. Tucker protected them from the things around them. He shielded them from the truth as they huddled up under blankets that kept the rest of the world out. The boy next to me stood, probably ready to battle the demons that threatened to come closer to his family. The two of us looked at each other for a long moment.