Falling Star: Book 2 of The Orion Series

Goodbyes in Airports

"¡Hola, hola! Si, me llamo Gloria, hubo un accidente y mis amigos estan heridos, muy mal heridos, y tienes que enviar ayuda con rapi--yes, sorry, sorry."

My left side is starting to hurt. Badly. I look down but I don't see anything, so I ignore it.

"My name is Gloria, and I'm on a bus, and there's been some sort of accident. I don't know what happened but the bus has flipped, and there's one man unconscious with something sticking out of his side--"

Hearing Gloria say that makes me shudder.

"--and a young woman here with her leg broken severely, and there's a man pinned under the seats, and another who seems okay but I think his scalp is going to need stitches, and--Tristan! What about you, are you alright--what, me? Um."

I watch as Gloria wipes at her face and winces. "I have glass in my face from the window and I can't see from my one eye--"

She breaks down and I hold back my own tears.

"Our driver is dead, and it's gross, and I don't want to lose my eye and I don't want any of my friends to die, so please, you have to come quickly!"

~

"Do you have to go?"

I look down at Orion. We're in his bed. I thought he was asleep, and maybe he was, but he's awake now.

I had been looking at all of his band posters and pictures. I'll never forget the first time I saw them. I thought he was insane; I quickly understood he wasn't insane, merely passionate.

"Yes," I say.

"I don't want you to," he tells me softly, and I can tell by the tone in his voice he's near tears.

"I don't want to, either."

"Then don't."

"Orion...it's not that easy. You know that."

He sits up. "But isn't it? You don't need that job. You don't need an apartment, I have more money than I know what to do with, you can just stay here with--"

I sit up, gently putting my two fingers to his lips. "Love...My work depends on me. I can't just leave them high and dry. And I just signed my lease. The landlord is banking on my rent. I can't rip someone's livelihood away from them."

Orion shakes his head, looking defeated. "You're such a caring person Tristan. How did you end up with--" He cuts himself off and looks away.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Orio, what?"

I don't want him to close himself off. I hate it when he does that. Because then I have to take the proverbial pry bar, bust down the door where he's hiding, and drag him out of the dark room he's put himself in. What's worse is he usually comes out battered and wounded. I hate seeing him like that. I'd give anything to never see him like that.

"I was going to say, how you ended up with someone like me, but that's a stupid--I mean a silly-- thing to think, and it's self-deprecating, and I shouldn't think things like that because they aren't true."

I'm genuinely floored. Excitedly I grab both his hands. "Orio...that was beautiful."

He laughs bitterly and looks off to the side. "Yeah, all the therapy is starting to sink in."

"That's wonderful," I try to encourage him.

He looks at me. His glower softens, and then the faintest hint of a smile plays on his lips. "Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?"