When they walk in, Jared is just barely awake. His arms bare for everyone to see what he's done.
"Jared, dear God, man..." he can't flip them over. The cuts are all around his arms.
"Let me talk to him."
"Evan, I don't know if -"
"Put the fucking phone on speaker and let me talk to him." he does so.
"Jared?"
"..........hm?"
"Jared, baby, why?"
".........." it's just Jared, Connor and Zoe in the room. The parents wait outside.
"I just..... I can't do it Ev."
"Can't... Can't what?"
"My life is fucked up majorly. The only singly goddamn thing good to come out of it was you." You can almost hear tube second Evan's heart breaks.
"was?"
"And I just can't- I cant LIVE anymore Evan. You deserve so much more than me. You deserve Connor. He could actually protect you unlike me. I love you so much but I know you're unhappy with me and that you deserve better and-"
"Jared I'm most happy when I am with you. Neither of you could've prevented this, you're in a different state. I'm so happy with you, I'm getting this job in order to move into an apartment with you, how could you think I was unhappy?"
"Because I'm fucked up Evan. I'm fucked up in the head and everywhere else and I make assumptions that couldn't possibly be true and I tell myself that they are and then I hurt myself to have some other pain that isn't the one I just made up in
My head."
"You think you're the only one that's fucked up? Jared, I couldn't live with what happened today if you were gone. I'm scared and I'm hurt and now I'm hearing you almost died? Do you know what that would've done to me? Especially if - if he got me -" he can't say it.
"I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry... I just..." he's gonna cry again.
"It's okay. Jared, listen to my voice, it is okay. Just don't do it to me again, all right? I'm gonna ask my mom to drive me down to see you, okay?"
"Mhm...."
"Okay. Connor, take me off speaker a moment."
"Gotcha." he takes him off speaker.
"Please, for the love of God, be ready to hold me when I get there if he isn't awake."
"No problem, Ev." The next couple days pass by and Jared is definitely awake when Evan gets there. But he has dark circles under his eyes and looks so tired. Evan doesn't look good himself. He definitely put up a fight against Kevin. He's battered and bruised. He's got a black eye and the swelling in his lower lip is finally beginning to go down. He's got more bruises elsewhere.
"Jared."
"Evan..... what happened?"
"I... Thursday. When..." He rubs his neck and looks away.
"Evan.... did you..?"
"I fought back but... He overpowered me. I'm... I'm not very strong compared to an alpha." He looks concerned, holding out his hand for him to take. He needs to touch him. He needs to make sure this is real. Evan moves forward and takes his hand.
"I thought... When you wouldn't answer your phone, I thought you didn't want me anymore. Cause I'm... Well, I'm sort of... Ruined."
"You're not ruined. You're still Evan and you're still mine.... I sorta marked you." They're the only ones in the room.
"... I know, but... I don't feel the same. I can't... I can't look at myself anymore without... Without seeing what he did." He squeezes his hand only slightly, closing his eyes tight.
"I'm sorry.... I'm sorry you went through that...."
"There's nothing you could've done, I should've listened to you and not gone, it's... It's my fault." Jared pulls him down gently to hug him.
"I love you so much..."
"I love you too." he pauses.
"Why did you say I deserved Connor?"
".........because you do.. I still don't think you deserve me. I've been an asshole to you for years. Telling you that our "friendship" was for car insurance..."
"And... And now you tell me you love me every day. You make me feel wanted, needed, even."
"You are needed. I need you."
"I need you too."
"God..... Y'know, the school year hasn't started yet. My dad kicked me out of the house. What I went to NJ with you?"
"I... You'd have to share a room with Jeremy and I."
"It's fine with me if it's fine with you two."
"It's definitely fine with me, but um... I'm not sure about him."
"Do you have his number?"
"Uh yeah, lemme just text him..."
E: [Jeremy, would you mind if we took in Jared as well? It'll be like Michael, but for me.]
Je: [sure? I mean that probably means I'm gonna spend more time at Michael's house]
E: [If that isn't a problem with you it isn't one with me either]
Je: [then go ahead]
"He's all right with it. Now to convince my mom... Shouldn't be too hard."
"Bring her in here. We got this."
"Okay. All right. Do we want to tell her about..?"
"I'm sure she knows. Your mom isn't stupid"
"I meant the mark. I've been extremely careful. She doesn't know."
"Oh... uh, well only if you want to.."
"I think... I think if I don't tell her now I never will."
"The let's do it now. Get it over with."
"Okay. Okay, I'll go get her." He brings her in and she gives sympathy to Jared.
"So um... Mom, we've got to have a discussion."
".......okay.."
"Jared... Can't go home and the school year hasn't started, so we were thinking... He could come live with us?"
"Uh, well..... I mean why can't he go home?"
"My dad kicked me out."
"Oh.... I'm sorry."
"It's... Well, I wouldn't say complicated, but..."
"Well I mean.. we can't just take him. With us. He still legally belong to his dad. We would to sign adoption papers."
"Oh...."
"Well we can do that. Connors parents are taking my dad to court for Child abuse, since I'm not quite 17 yet. He could go to jail."
"Which would be so good..."
".......alright. We'd have to go to the police then"
"All right. Not impossible." he reaches for Jared's hand again. Jared takes it. Mrs. Hansen notices.
"Anything else?"
".... A couple things..."