Greya's POV...

"We're gonna be late Chase!" The kid's dragging this morning. I wonder if we kept him up last night. He usually sleeps like a rock.

"You okay?" I hand him his jacket and cane while we head out the door.

He quietly nods. We should probably talk on the way to school. Chase is never quiet, so I know something's bothering him.

We're in the car and as soon as I hit the main road to his school, I confront him. "Hey Bud..."

"Did all that really happen to Becker and Alec?" Okay, he beat me to it.

"You heard us last night?" Damnit! No wonder he's quiet.

"Every word. Is it true?"

"Unfortunately, it is true what you heard. Do you want to talk about it with me?"

He's blankly staring out the passenger window.

"That town is cursed," he softly says. "I'm glad we moved and I'm glad we have Liam and Lox here with us now."

"I think you're right buddy. A lot of terrible things happened there, a lot of sad memories. But we had a few good times too. It's the place we met our friends."

He turns his head to me. "Our family. They're our family now Grey. The only family we have."

"Yes, they are."

"So are they safe now? From Lox's dad." He asks, rubbing his eyes, keeping his emotions under control.

"We hope so, but just to be sure, we will always call them by their new names from now on."

He nods again in understanding and I hear him sniffle.

"It's ok to be sad and talk about it. You can always talk to me or Fynn and Cohen."

"It's not fair what happened to them, what happened to Loxley. He can't play soccer again or run and he has seizures. What's a seizure?"

How do I explain this?

"Well I guess because he has a brain injury, parts of his brain don't work anymore and the parts that do work now try to compensate for the injured parts. Sometimes when Loxley becomes overwhelmed or when his brain is working too hard it causes his body to convulse."

His brows scrunch together, I need to explain better.

"Picture your arms and leg muscles becoming painfully stiff and shaking at the same time. Everything violently shakes, even your head and back and you can't stop it and you become disoriented and can't speak. That's sort of what happens to Loxley."

"Will that get any better?"

"I think it can. He takes medications so they don't happen so often."

"What about his left arm and leg? Will those get better?"

He has a lot of questions I can't honestly answer. It's all confusing even for Loxley. The brain is unpredictable and his doctors don't know what to expect. That's what is so frustrating about brain injuries.

"I'm sure Loxley is hoping they get better. He goes to physical therapy and does certain exercises, I think that's all he can do. He had a stroke while recovering and the parts of his brain affected by that have a harder time repairing themselves. He might not ever be able to use his arm and leg fully."

"Will you still love him if he can't? His mom and dad don't love him, they hurt him and his mom doesn't like that his body doesn't work the right way."

Whoa! Okay, I can see why he might think that. What kind of a mother would leave their disabled son? What kind of a father would hurt their son?

"Their parents weren't good people, Chase. There are bad people in the world who don't deserve to have children. I think their mom was a good person at one time, but she was scared every day and it drove her to make poor decisions. Liam and Loxley deserved much better than what they had. We're not bad people, Bud. I'm not a bad person. Just like I'll always love and take care of you no matter what, I'll always love Loxley too."

"Okay," he says and blankly stares out the window again.

I pull up in front of his school and remind him that he has people to talk to when ever he needs. He turns and give me a hug before getting out of the car.

What a morning so far. I can't wait for Thanksgiving break so I don't have to focus on school work or soccer at least. This week is playoffs for both men's and women's soccer and I need to focus on that plus make sure Lox and I are okay. Now Chase knows the truth too and I need to focus on his mental health as well. There isn't enough time in a day to get everything done.

Lox isn't in class when I walk in, so I immediately text him.

Me: Hey Lox, how you feeling?

The few minutes that pass waiting for him to respond has my stomach in knots. I'm worried sick about him. I can't imagine what's going through his mind after last night and it's scares me.

Lox: Tired and weak. I'm not going to class today

Poor guy. I'm not sure I'll get more of an answer from him if I ask any other questions. Maybe Liam can tell me what's really going on.

Me: Hey Liam, how are you and Lox doing? He says he's not coming to class

Liam: Mentally IDK he's been quiet didn't ask many questions only wanted to see his medical records to confirm he was shot. Physically he's struggling today and I don't want to leave him alone

Me: I'll come over and stay with him after my class so you can get to yours

Liam: Really? Thanks

Me: See you in a bit

My class goes by in a blur and I get into my car and drive over to their place.

Liam's ready with his book bag when he answers the door.

"I need to run so I'm not late. He's in his room and he can't really walk much, but I just helped him to the bathroom so he should be good for a while."

"No problem Liam. I've got him. Go before you're late."

"Thanks. I'll be back in time for your practice," he says while walking out the door.

The place is quiet and I'm a bit nervous to see him after last night. I don't know if he's angry with me or if he wants me around. I hope we can work it out.

I knock on his bedroom door.

"C...come i...in."

I slowly push the door open and notice he's lying on his bed with his back against the headboard.

"Hi," I shyly greet him, walking closer to his bed.

"H...hi."

There are folders and papers sprawled out on his mattress. As I get closer I realize they're his medical reports.

"Th...they c...confirm I w...was shot," his voice is low, his eyes drop towards the mess of paperwork.

"I d...died t...twice in th...the operating r...room and th...they kept m...me in a c...coma for a l...little over a...a month s...so m...my brain c...could rest."

I don't know what to say. It's like he's learning what happened and mourning for himself.

His eyes are puffy and bloodshot. His aqua blue irises a bright contrast to the red streaks surrounding them.

There's nothing else to do but sit beside him on the bed and hold him.

I wrap my arms around him, pulling his chest into mine. His bent left arm tucked between both our bodies. He embraces me with his right arm and burrows his face in the crook of my neck.

We stay like this for a long while. Holding each other in silence because there are no words that could make what happened to him any better.

His arm slowly drops from my back so I release my grip too and sit with one knee on the bed while I face him.

He takes my hand in his and plays with my fingers.

"Do you want to talk about anything? You were so calm last night, it worried me."

"T...tell m..me about h...him. Tell m...me a...about Becker."

I'm not sure if he's asking me to tell him about his past or what kind of a person he was...is.

"What do you want to know?"

"I w...want to kn...know th...the k...kind of p...person he w...was."

"Oh B, you're still that person."

He lowers his eyes and shakes his head.

"I m...must n...not have b...been a v...very good one."

"What makes you think that?"

"B...both of m...my fathers w...were terrible p...people N...no one a...abuses a g...good kid th...the way L...liam says Jack a...abused me. H...he never l...laid a h...hand on Liam only m...me. And th...then he sh...shot me. I m...must've deserved th...this."

Tears fall and I reach up to brush them away from his sad eyes, then I wipe the ones falling from my eyes too.

"You didn't deserve any of what happened to you."

"How d...do I kn...know wh...when I c...can't remember m...my life b...back then?"

I'm sure Liam hasn't told him everything. Liam feels so much guilt, like it's his fault that Becker sacrificed himself to protect his younger brother

"Please don't ever think you were a bad person or that you deserved all that pain. You were and still are a wonderful, caring person who sacrificed himself so that Jack wouldn't hurt Liam too. Jack had a lot of issues and you made it so Jack would only take out his anger on you and not Liam."

He looks up into my eyes to see if what I'm saying is true.

"You're the bravest and the strongest person I know. You care deeply for everyone you love, you always have. What Jack did to you was solely on Jack. He was the one who made terrible choices because of no one else's fault but his own. Like your biological father and your mother, they all did unthinkable things. You didn't deserve any of it...it was them who didn't deserve you, Lox."

He uses his sleeve to wipe his own eyes this time. He then uses his right hand to rub the rigid muscles in his left forearm. He's physically and mentally exhausted and I wish more than anything that I could take all his pain away from him.

I get up and climb over him, pushing all the papers to the foot of the bed so I can sit beside him on his left side. His gaze curious and I know he's thinking of objecting my help, but changes his mind when he feels my hands massage his sore arm.

We sit in silence while I do my best to loosen up his muscles. He rests his head back against the headboard and closes his eyes once I release his fingers from the tight fist he was holding.

"Thank y...you."

"You're welcome," I give him a smile he doesn't return.

I continue gently stretching his fingers. His elbow wants to remain bent. I'm sure he needs to do a lot more stretching than this, but at least I've helped a little for now.

"Y...you call m...me B for B...Becker." Not a question more of a statement.

"I told you why I call you B."

I link his limp hand with mine and give it a squeeze.

"I'm n...not h...him. I d...don't know who I...I am and I...I can't b...be with y...you until I f...figure i..it out."

A lump moves into my throat when he says that. I feel like his guard is up and he's trying to push me away because he's scared. Hell, I'm scared too. I'm scared of ever losing him again.

"You're the same person. My B. Beautiful inside and out. You're incredibly brave facing every obstacle.  You're so brilliantly smart and brilliantly talented, plus so much more."

"B...burden."

"What?"

"Y...you say I'm s...so m...much more? I...I am! I'm a b...burden. To e...everyone. M...my c...crippled b...body doesn't w...work unless s...someone helps m...me." He slightly raises our linked hands to show me."

"I c...can't s...speak right and who e...ever is w...with me w...worries about when m...my next s...seizure will b...be. L...Liam's m...missed his t...teenage years to t...take care of m...me and he's n...now missing out o...on a real c...college experience b...because of me. I n...need a l...lot of h...help but a...at everyone else's ex...expense. I'll al...always be a b...burden Greya, d...don't you s...see."

Damnit Loxley. He needs to realize none of us think of him that way.

I drop his hand and climb on top of him, straddling my knees over either side of his legs and grab his face in my hands. His wary blues wide in surprise. His full lips slightly parted so I lean forward and kiss him. My lips fiercely connect with his and I keep it short and brief but packed with just enough punch that I get my point across.

I back away, my hands still cupping his anxious face.

"Don't you see, B. Helping someone you love isn't a burden. You're not a burden to any of us. We all love you and will do anything to help you any time you need it. You would do the same for us. I know you didn't experience what love was from your parents and you haven't felt love in the longest time, but it's always been there. Liam sacrifices because he loves you just as you had sacrificed for him. Cohen and Declan are your best friends, you three have had each others backs from day one. And I've loved you ever since we locked eyes in the 7th grade. What happened to you doesn't change that. Your disabilities are not what define you. When you need our help, none of us will think twice about it."

"I d...don't like b...being this w...way, I...I might al...always be d...disabled. Y...you have a l...lot going on, y...you have Ch...Chase, school, s...soccer. I'm d...dependent on p...people now and i...it's not f...fair for m...me to n...need you m...more than I c...can of....offer back. I'm un...unworthy of y...your love."

Breathe, Greya. I need to remember that it's been less than 24 hours since he's heard the truth of what happened to him and was told things about his life that he can't recall. He has no recollection of Becker Reeves so he can't understand why his family did the things they did and he doesn't know the wonderful human being he really is. I need to show him. Show him all the great qualities he possesses and show him how loved he is.

"You may not be able to see it just yet, but I need you too. I refuse to live my life without you in it. I love you Loxley Madden and whether or not you feel the same way, and if you only want to be friends, I'm going to remind you every day that I love you and show you how worthy you really are."

I climb down from him and off the bed. He's staring at me, his glamorous eyes filled with swirls of hope and despair while he silently watches me.

"I'm going into your kitchen to make us some lunch."

I know he needs some time and space to process things. I'll give him that, but I'm not going to let him try and push me away while he figures out who he is. He's not alone in this and soon he'll realize I'm not going anywhere.