Nick's fingers gripped around the bouquet of white lilies as he walked through the stark, sterile corridors of the hospital. The brilliant overhead lights hummed slightly, producing an artificial glow that did nothing to quiet the storm raging inside him. His chest felt tight, his breath unsteady, as if every stride forward was a battle against the weight of his own shame.
He had spent hours convincing him to come, hours trying to get the strength to face Arthur after everything. But no amount of reasoning could change what he had done. No amount of resolution could erase the hurt he had caused.
The news of Arthur's collapse had broken him.
When Mia told him about Arthur being at the hospital, Nick had felt like the floor had gone beneath his feet. The world had blurred. His heart had seized in his chest. He hadn't even thought—just grabbed his keys and drove straight there, hardly able to see through the haze of his own self-loathing.
He had harmed Arthur.
He has broken him.
And nevertheless, despite everything, Arthur still haunted his every thought, his every breath.
But now, standing outside the hospital room, Nick hesitated.
Through the small glass in the door, he could see Arthur sitting up in bed, his face wan, his eyes heavy with tiredness. He appeared thinner than Nick remembered, his once-bright presence muted by whatever horror he had been going through.
But Arthur wasn't alone.
Nick's breath caught in his throat.
Kneeling alongside Arthur's bed was Tyler. His shoulders were shivering, his hands gripping the edge of the mattress, his face buried as if he couldn't bear to lift his head.
Nick's grasp on the bouquet slackened.
Then he heard it.
"I was jealous," Tyler choked out. "I wanted you to see me the way you saw Nick."
Nick's fingertips went numb.
"That's why I hired a guy to spike your drink, strip you naked, and take those pictures to send to Nick."
A piercing ringing assaulted Nick's ears. His vision clouded.
"I thought if I could make him doubt you, he would finally let you go…"
The bouquet slid from his grip, striking the cold, tiled floor with a harsh thud.
Tyler's voice, thick with regret, continued, each syllable a dagger slashing into Nick's soul.
"I didn't know it would hurt you this much. I didn't know it would destroy you."
Nick swayed on his feet.
His stomach wrenched viciously, his pulse thumping in his ears.
The images had been a setup.
Arthur had been telling the truth all along.
And Nick—Nick had believed the lie.
A choking sob fought its way up his throat. His knees trembled as he staggered back a step, pushing a palm against the wall to calm himself.
Arthur had asked him to listen. Had stared at him with those begging, tear-filled eyes, insisting he hadn't done anything.
And Nick—God, he had walked away. He had thrown it all away, letting his own anxieties and worries drive a knife through the heart of the man he loved.
How could he have been so blind?
How could he have allowed his own doubts to destroy them?
And now Arthur was here.
in a hospital bed
Because of him.
Nick's breath came in short, shallow gasps as the weight of his mistakes crushed him.
He had left Arthur to suffer alone and had pushed him into a corner with nowhere to move and nothing to breathe. And then, as if that hadn't been enough, he had twisted the dagger, faking a relationship with Mia, displaying his purported pleasure in a desperate, pathetic attempt to wound Arthur the way he himself had been hurt.
But Arthur wasn't like him.
Arthur wasn't cruel.
Arthur had just broken.
A strangled sob escaped Nick's throat as he clasped a quivering hand to his mouth. His eyes dimmed with tears, the image of Arthur in that bed twisting into something awful.
He didn't deserve to be here.
He didn't deserve to go into that room and act like he had any right to be around Arthur after what he had done.
His presence wouldn't make things better. It would just hurt Arthur more.
Because Nick wasn't good for him
He never had been.
And now, he never would be.
Tears poured freely down Nick's face as he took a step back, then another, and then—he turned and bolted.
Through the long, sterile hallways
past the nurses who barely had time to gaze at him.
Out into the cool night air,
the biting sting of the wind across his face did nothing to slow the tempest inside him. His legs burned as he pushed himself forward, but he didn't stop.
He ran until his body gave out.
Until his knees touched the pavement and his chest strained for air.
Until he could do nothing except slump into a cold, unoccupied seat just outside the hospital,
and then he hid his face in his hands and broke.
The cries rushed through him, raw and unforgiving. His shoulders trembled, his fingers burrowing into his scalp as if he could tear the misery out of himself.
He had come here to set things right.
He had clutched onto the naive illusion that maybe, somehow, he could face Arthur and apologize.
But now, he knew the truth.
There was no mending this.
No redoing what he has done.
And maybe—
just maybe—
Arthur really was better off without him.
You believe an apology is enough? " Arthur's voice shook with emotion, raw and exposed like an open wound. His chest heaved as he attempted to control the wrath rising inside him, but it was useless. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his knuckles going white. "You think saying sorry fixes everything? I trusted you, Tyler. Nick warned me about you, but I defended you. I called you my good friend Tyler.
Tyler stood in front of him, his face drenched with tears, his look devastated. He looked smaller than Arthur had ever seen him, as if the weight of his own shame was crushing him from the inside out.
"No," Tyler murmured, his voice breaking. "I don't. But I had to say it. I have to tell you how sorry I am." I regretted everything, Arthur. I am truly sorry.
Arthur let out a bitter laugh, one that sounded more like a sob. His eyes blurred with unshed tears, his body quivering with the intensity of everything he had pent up for so long. And before he could stop himself—before he could think about restraint—his fist rushed out, striking Tyler's jaw.
The hit brought Tyler falling back, his hand flying to his face. Arthur's knuckles hurt from the punch, but he scarcely recognized the pain. Tyler didn't fight back. He didn't even lift his arms to defend himself. He merely stood there, his eyes full of sadness, his body still.
"I deserved that," Tyler replied, his voice wavering, his breaths unsteady. "I deserve more than this.
Arthur lurched back, his own body betraying him as he dropped against the edge of the hospital bed, his limbs quivering. The wrath that had powered him minutes ago drained out of him all at once, leaving only tiredness and despair in its wake. He put his head into his hands, his shoulders quivering as silent tears rocked his body.
"You hurt me," Arthur cried out, his voice shattering like shattered glass. "You hurt me, you hurt Nick, and you almost destroyed everything."
Tyler didn't move. He didn't try to make excuses or offer justifications. He simply went to his knees beside the bed, his hands gripping the fabric of his jeans like he was trying to hold himself together.
"I know," he muttered, his voice rough. "I know I did. And I'm so, so sorry, Arthur. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to."
Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, his mind reliving everything. The pain of betrayal, the hours he spent doubting himself, the sorrow of losing Nick—not just as a lover, but as a friend, a collaborator, his person. The months of separation had been painful, a long, drawn-out anguish. And it had all started because of Tyler, because of his selfishness, because of his lies.
The room was silent except for their frantic breathing, the weight of everything between them crushing down like an oppressive force.
Minutes passed, maybe longer; Arthur wasn't sure.
Finally, he expelled a quivering breath, wiping at his sweaty cheeks. His hands still shook, but his heart felt… lighter. Not healed, not whole, but no longer drowning in the same smothering fury.
"I forgive you," Arthur murmured, his voice faint but firm, but I will never forget.
Tyler's head snapped up, his eyes wide, incredulous. "What?
"I forgive you," Arthur said, and this time, the words felt true, like something solid he could grip onto. "Not because what you did was okay. Not because I'll ever forget, but because I can't carry this fury anymore. It's killing me, Tyler. And I need to let it go."
Tyler let out a strangled sound, something between a sob and a gasp. His shoulders trembled fiercely as he broke down, years of remorse and regret pouring out of him all at once.
"Thank you," Tyler muttered, his voice barely audible. "Thank you, Arthur."
Arthur nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. He observed Tyler, the lad he had once considered a friend, the one who had betrayed him in the cruelest way possible. There was still so much pain between them, so many wounds that would never fully heal.
"But we're not friends," Arthur continued, his voice harsher now. "Not yet, maybe not ever."
Tyler flinched, but he nodded, his look somber.
"But I forgive you," Arthur continued. "And that's a start."
Tyler wiped his tears, inhaling deeply like he was trying to stabilize himself. "That's all I can ask for."
For the first time in a long time, Arthur felt the weight of the past start to lighten. It wasn't gone—it never would be—but it was no longer a chain around his heart, holding him down.
Tyler stood up slowly, pausing as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, he merely nodded. Without further comment, he turned and walked out of the medical room.
Arthur exhaled, letting himself fall back against the pillows. His body was still throbbing from the stress, but for the first time in a long while, his mind felt clearer.
He stared at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling in a constant pattern. He thought about Nick, about the anguish they had both faced, and about the love that had never completely departed despite everything.
They had a long way to go. There were still conversations to be had, scars to heal, and trust to reestablish. But for the first time since everything had fallen apart, Arthur felt like he could breathe.
Tyler's apologies didn't erase the past. It didn't undo the damage. But it gave Arthur something he hadn't realized he needed—closure.
A chance to finally go forward with Nick.
With his life and with the prospect of a better future.