The hospital doors hissed open as Asher Thompson stepped outside, his mind heavy with the weight of the news he had just received. His steps faltered slightly when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Glancing down, Caleb's name flashed on the screen. He hesitated for a second before answering.
"Asher?" Caleb's voice cracked with unease, raw and already teetering on panic.
Asher exhaled slowly, his tone clipped but steady. "Darling… Henry's in the hospital."
A pause stretched long enough for Asher to hear Caleb's breathing falter.
"What?" Caleb's voice erupted with panic. "What happened? Which hospital? Tell me—"
"Mercy General," Asher replied curtly, already stepping off the pavement toward his car.
"I'm coming there right now." Caleb's voice was breathless, already moving. The call ended before Asher could say another word.
Sliding into his sleek black car, Asher clenched the steering wheel, the muscles in his jaw tightening.
---
At the hospital, Caleb stood just outside Henry's room, his heart breaking in his chest. The steady beeping of machines echoed from within, blending with the low hum of life support that filled the corridor. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his head bowed as a storm of emotions raged inside him.
Blame clawed its way up his throat. As much as he wanted revenge, as much as he wanted to punish Henry for cheating, this was never what he wanted. Seeing Henry lying there, pale and bruised, clinging to life. It shattered every ounce of anger he thought he held onto. And somewhere in the wreckage of it all, he had fallen for Asher.
Wiping his face quickly, Caleb pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed Derek.
"Derek," he breathed. "I need to see you. You and Will."
"What's going on? You sound—"
"Will's place," Caleb interrupted, his voice cracking. "Please."
Derek didn't hesitate. "Alright."
---
Hours later, Asher stood inside Henry's apartment. His steps were precise as he moved toward the security system, unlocking it with a few commands from his phone.
He pulled up the footage from last night.
The video played. Henry stumbled inside, clearly drunk, followed by a tall man with dark hair and a cocky posture. Asher's eyes narrowed as he watched the man settle in, lingering for hours and leaving only as dawn broke.
Rewinding the footage, Asher captured a clear image of the stranger's face. He studied the photo for a brief second, his lips pressing into a thin line of disdain.
Without hesitation, he made a call.
"Get me that bastard from the photo I just sent you," Asher ordered, his voice sharp and lethal.
"Yes boss," came the immediate reply before the line disconnected.
Asher ended the call and turned back to the security footage, his eyes dark and calculating as he paused it.
---
Derek stood from the couch, concern etched across his face.
"Caleb, what happened to you?" Derek asked, stepping closer.
Will frowned, crossing his arms. "You sounded messed up on the phone."
Caleb's voice broke as he spoke. "It's Henry… he's in the hospital. He had an accident"
For a second, silence enveloped the room. But then Will's face contorted with anger.
"You did this," Will accused, his voice cold and sharp.
"Hold on—" Caleb started.
"Of course, you did," Will snapped, stepping closer to Caleb, his voice sharp like glass. "You married his father. What the hell did you expect him to do? Celebrate? Pop champagne?"
Caleb stood looking at Will in surprise because of what he had just said.
"Will?" he called softly.
"Will, come on..." Derek tried to intervene, his voice calmer. "Will, not now"
"No! He flaunted it, shoved it in Henry's face. He couldn't take it, and now look where he is!"
Caleb's voice wavered. "He cheated on me, Will. What was I supposed to do?"
"You're the reason he's half dead!" Will barked, pushing Caleb lightly.
"Stop!" Derek grabbed Will's arm, but Will shoved him off.
"You broke him, Caleb. You walked out of his life and straight into his father's bed. You think he could handle that? You think any sane person could? You're the reason he ended up in that accident."
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," Caleb said quietly, voice faltering.
Will's rage only swelled. "Don't stand there acting innocent. You caused this mess. You ruined Henry. You ruined his life."
"Will, that's enough," Derek stepped in, moving between them, hand out in a protective gesture.
But Will shoved past him. "Get out of my house, Caleb."
"Derek," Caleb pleaded, his eyes darting between them.
Derek shook his head, torn. "That ain't right, man," he told Will, voice low.
"Fuck off, man," Will shot back, his jaw rigid with anger. "It's all his fault."
Caleb's eyes met Jaden's briefly before he turned and walked away.
Derek turned to Will, his expression displeased. "I don't like what you just did. That was really wrong."
Derek's eyes darted to Jaden, who stood quietly near Mia, avoiding everyone's gaze.
Derek pointed accusingly. "You should be blaming him too."
"Leave Jaden out of it," Will snapped.
Derek turned to Mia, and finally back to Will. "He's our friend," Derek reminded him, before turning and walking out after Caleb.
---
As he stepped onto the street, his phone buzzed just as he approached his car.
Caleb answered, his voice rough, nearly breaking. "Hello, sweetheart."
"Come to Henry's apartment," Asher instructed softly.
Before Caleb could respond, Derek walked out of Will's house across the street. Caleb lowered the phone from his ear and ended the call, their eyes locking in silence.
Derek approached, pulling Caleb gently into a warm hug. "Forgive Will," Derek whispered, his tone low and sincere. "He's only mad at you."
Derek drew back slightly, his eyes searching Caleb's face. "He never meant any of that, trust me."
Caleb nodded, his throat tight as tears pooled in his eyes. Derek smiled faintly and pressed a small, comforting peck to Caleb's chin before pulling him back into the hug.
---
In Henry's apartment, Asher sat silently at the table, the CCTV footage frozen on the screen, the stranger's face glaring back at him.
Caleb hesitated, then stepped forward.
"I know him," Caleb said quietly.
Asher's eyes flicked to him.
"The guy on the CCTV… he's one of my best friends. Henry's ex," Caleb admitted, swallowing hard. "The one I caught him with. He's the reason I left Henry."
Asher stayed silent, eyes narrowing as he leaned back in his chair.
"That only means one thing," Asher murmured.
Caleb frowned, confused. "What?"
Asher didn't answer. He simply turned back to the CCTV screen, his eyes locked on the frozen image.