Always (Boyxboy)

Chapter Eighteen- Tyler

"Um, could I get a phone number or contact information for that?" Tyler heard his mother ask.

It was silent for a minute then— he assumed the doctor was writing the information down for his mother— and he tried to relax into his pillow, thinking about how nice it would be to fall asleep right then. As if reading his thoughts, the doctor said, "as for your concussion, you should try to get lots of rest. Even if you are unable to sleep you should lay there with your eyes closed. Also, avoid screens for at least a week, and don't drive. You should take off school for a couple days as well. I'll write you a doctors note so you're excused and don't need to make up the work".

"Alright," he mumbled, a frown pulling at his lips. It would be hard to get to Pierce's apartment and apologize to him. Maybe he could get his mom to drive him.

That reminded him. "Mom?" He asked. The doctor excused herself to go visit more patients.

"Yeah?"

"You know Pierce is the one who brought me in, right?" He inquired, and the woman tensed. For the first time since he woke up, she met his eyes.

"Yeah. I had a conversation with him in the hall this morning". Something about her tone told Tyler she wasn't pleased about what they had spoken about, and his eyes widened in surprise, because there was no fucking way Pierce had told his mother about the nature of their relationship. His eyes shifted to look at James, hoping to find a reassuring expression or something that told him Tyler was simply overreacting. His best friend just closed his eyes.

"Um... what did you talk about, exactly?" He asked nervously, shifting in the bed. His head was starting to feel better the longer he was awake.

His mother's eyebrows narrowed. "He actually didn't say much. He was unable to answer why you were at his apartment, and how you knew where his apartment was in the first place," she explained, and Tyler nodded quickly, thinking, okay, I can fix this- "He also didn't deny it when I accused him of having sex with you".

"You-" Tyler's breath left him. "You asked him that?" His hands flew up to cover his eyes. "Oh my god mom! Why would you do that?"

"Because I was hoping that at least he could manage to be honest with me," she claimed, and Tyler dropped his hands to look at her. "I would ask you how long you've been lying to me about where you've been, but thinking back, I'm afraid of the answer".

"I'm gonna be outside," James mumbled, backing out of the room. Tyler wished he could join him.

"Mom," Tyler sighed. "I'm sorry I lied to you, but how could I tell you. You hate him-"

"You're right," she interrupted. "I do. He is a twenty one year old man who smokes and has been arrested for assault"

"Mom," Tyler cut in, voice loud enough that it made him wince. "He's never laid a finger on me". Her eyebrows raised at this and Tyler averted his eyes, cheeks getting hot. "I mean in a bad way". It was silent as she gave him time to stew in his embarrassment. "Are you going to tell me I can't see him anymore?"

While he had been avoiding Pierce for weeks, he couldn't bear the thought of being restricted from seeing him. If he never got to see him again, that would mean it was over, and dispute everything, he wasn't ready for that yet. He wondered if he ever would be.

"Tyler, he's twenty one," his mother said. "You shouldn't be with him. It's wrong".

But it wasn't wrong. It was perfect with Pierce, better than it ever would be with anyone else, better than it even could have been with Ace, which was a part of Tyler's current mental dilemma. "Mom-"