Page 136 of Monstrous Serpent

“I’m here.”

His eyes drift shut, then open again, tears streaking down his cheeks. “But you’re . . . not . . . staying.”

“Like hell I’m not.” I squeeze his hand when he tries to pull it away. “Cody, I’m right here.”

“Not for long.”

“Enough.”

Cody sniffles, eyes drifting shut again. “I can’t move . . . Can’t read . . . What good—”

“I said enough.”

He scoffs. “Are you going to . . . beat the shit out of me . . . too?”

Every fiber in my body freezes. The one mistake I wish I could take back. My gaze flicks up to Mr. Jenkins. He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t even look at me. But a muscle near his jaw ticks. When I look back down at Cody, his eyes are open.

I carefully pull my hand away from his and grip the side rail. “I fucked up.”

“You think?” He lets out a long breath. “I want to see him.”

“He’s not here.”

The heart monitor starts beeping faster. “Where is he? Where . . . is my boyfriend . . . Hunter?”

“Hey, bud. Calm down.” Mr. Jenkins smooths Cody’s hair again. When Cody settles down enough, Mr. Jenkins steps away from the bed and heads toward the door. “I’ll give you two some privacy. And Hunter, remember what I said.”

I give him a curt nod.

Cody huffs, looking at the ceiling. “Great. Nothing like . . . coming out to your dad because one boyfriend . . . is a psycho fuckhead asshole who doesn’t fucking listen . . . when I’m screaming it was a fucking accident.”

My eyes drift back to the door. His father didn’t know we’re dating. But he didn’t react either. Just focused on calming Cody down before stepping out.

“Don’t even think about going after my dad.”

I look at him. “Wasn’t.”

He takes a breath, eyes closing, then fluttering open. “Where’s Atlas, Hunter?”

“I don’t know.”

Cody looks back up at the ceiling, tears spilling again. I take his hand in mine and just hold it. He doesn’t pull away, the beeping of the heart monitor the only sound in the room.

“I’m mad at you.”

“I know.”

He turns his head and looks at me. “No, you don’t. I was scared. Not because I was hurt . . . You . . . You didn’t see his face. It terrified me. And then I heard people screaming that you were killing him, and I couldn’t move. Do you know how that felt?”

My gaze drops to our hands, my brows furrowed, molars grinding. I hurt them. Both of them. And not accidentally.

I lost control.

Cody sniffles and tries to move his hand. But I reach over and wipe his nose with my sleeve.

He rolls his eyes. “Because this day couldn’t get any worse. Now my snot is all over you.”

“Stop.” I wipe his tears with the other side of my sleeve. “You’re mine. I don’t give a shit if you cover me in snot. Or vomit. Or—”