Chapter 103 Garrett
Garrett
By the next morning, I was back at Crownwell.
My entire body on fire.
Mother stepped out first, issuing orders to the driver before he could even open the trunk.
Olivia, on the other hand, came around to my side immediately, helping me maneuver the crutches and steady myself as I got out of the car.
“Easy,” she murmured, one hand lightly on my arm. “You still look half concussed.”
“I feel half dead,” I muttered.
Her mouth twitched.
By the time we made it into my room, Mother was playing the role of mother of the year, instead of the selfish one she was, abandoning her injured son for a luxury retreat.
Olivia helped me lower myself onto the bed, and I let out a breath through clenched teeth as my leg throbbed inside the cast.
“Thanks,” I said quietly, glancing at her when we were alone. “For yesterday. For keeping Trisha out of the hospital room. And… for offering to help while I’m stuck here.”
Her expression softened.
“Garr, I had no plans anyway,” she said with a small shrug. “I’m staying with a friend nearby, so if you need anything, I’m here.”
Then one side of her mouth curved into that knowing smile I knew far too well.
“Of course, we can let Mother think I’ll be by your side every second,” she added under her breath. “But we both know you’re probably hoping for a very different kind of company.”
I let out a dry laugh.
“That’s not happening.”
Her brows lifted.
I looked away, my jaw tightening. “I promised myself I’d give him space. A chance to get his head together. To move on while I can't commit 100%, you know? Until I talk to Trisha and all that.”
“Well, so much for that Trisha talk…” Olivia sighed.
I swallowed.
“I don’t want to hurt him anymore.”
Olivia went quiet for a second, then leaned one shoulder against the desk.
“The way he ran to you yesterday?” she said softly. “Garrett, that boy looked like his entire world had just collapsed.”
I looked down at my cast.
“Trust me, he ain't moving on any time soon…”
I didn’t answer because I knew.
Jesus, I knew.
And that was exactly why I had to be careful, because every fiber in my body was telling me to be with him… But I wanted to do things right, for once.
Mother came back and finished rearranging my room like she was staging a showroom, as we heard the noise outside.
Every hyper student on campus, getting ready for the trip.
I accompanied my parents to the courtyard with Olivia's help, in time to watch everyone dragging designer luggage and winter coats toward the buses.
The moment they saw me, a small crowd immediately broke off and headed our way.
“Garrett! How are you feeling?”
“Oh my God, that looked awful yesterday.”
“Does it hurt?”
I gave them the practiced smile. “I’m alive, guys. You should've seen the horse!”
That got a few laughs.
Trisha reached me first, of course.
She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then my lips, long enough for Mother’s approval and the surrounding audience.
“I know we already talked about this,” she said softly, fingers resting on my chest, “but I could still stay if you wanted me to.”
Dear God, no.
Please go. Please enjoy Canada.
Preferably forever.
Out loud, I smiled. “No, honey. I want you to have fun. It’s okay. I’ll manage.”
She smiled sweetly and kissed me once more.
As more people from the elite circle gathered around, I started to feel uneasy.
Please, please, for the love of God, nobody mention Aslan.
Nobody say he’s staying.
Nobody ruin this.
And then I saw them.
Aitor, and beside him, Aslan—his arm was wrapped around Aitor as they crossed the courtyard, helping him with his luggage while balancing the violin case on the other side.
For one horrifying second, my entire body went rigid.
Then Mother noticed them, and her expression shifted into icy satisfaction.
“Yes,” she murmured. “Let them get as far away from here as possible.”
My lungs finally worked again.
Phew. Conflict averted.
By the time the buses began loading, Mother had gone back to listing instructions.
“If you need anything, staff can be sent from the estate.”
“Mother,” I said, already exhausted, “I can use crutches to get to the cafeteria. They serve food there. It’s not like I have to cook.”
She nodded. “Olivia will assist you with anything essential.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Father finally stepped forward, placing a hand briefly on my shoulder.
“Recover properly.”
Then, just like that, they were gone.
Mother, father, the staff, the car, the stress…
I had barely made it to my room when a soft knock sounded at my door.
“Come in.”
Aitor stepped inside, one hand still in the pocket of his coat, the other pushing his hair back from his face. “Hey, man,” he said, his expression immediately softening when he saw me on the bed. “How are you?”
I let out a dry laugh. “Happily settled, without my mother on-site!”
He smiled at that and stepped farther in. “Yeah, I just saw her leave, so I thought I’d take a moment to say goodbye.”
“Thank you, man.” I nodded.
“I actually tried to visit you at the hospital last night,” he added. “But your bodyguard nearly shot me in the head under your mother’s command.”
That got an actual laugh out of me.
“Yeah,” I said, shaking my head, “I figured as much.”
For a moment, the room went quieter.
Aitor shifted his weight and looked at my cast, then back at me.
“Listen… are you gonna be okay here?”
The concern in his voice hit harder than I expected.
“Yeah,” I said after a second. “I’ll be fine. Just need to be careful for a while. Follow doctor’s orders. Try not to kill myself on crutches.”
His mouth curved into a faint smile, but it didn’t fully reach his eyes.
“I’m sorry I’m gonna miss the trip,” I said. “And your performance.”
He waved it off immediately. “Come on. You’ve been at every one of my performances since we were kids. Missing one isn’t going to make it any better or worse.”
I snorted softly.
Then his expression changed. The smile faded, replaced by something more serious.
“Last night…” He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “You scared the hell out of me.”
I looked up.
“When you fell, Garrett…” His voice dropped, quieter now. “I didn’t even want to think about what could’ve happened.”
Something tightened in my chest.
“You’re my best friend, man,” he said, meeting my eyes. “That was a big fucking scare.”
For a second, neither of us said anything. Then I let out a breath and nodded.
“I know.”
Because I did.
For all the chaos, all the bullshit, all the tension that had built between us these last weeks, Aitor had always been there.
Always.
I looked at him and forced a small smile. “I know. You’re my brother.” The words came easier than I expected. “I love you, man.”
His expression softened into something warm and a little sad at the same time.
“I love you too, idiot.”
He stepped closer and carefully leaned down to hug me, mindful of the cast and bruises.
The hug was brief but solid. Familiar. Grounding.
“Take care,” I said as he pulled away. “Have a safe trip.”
“You too,” he said with a small smile. “Get better soon. I’ll see you when I’m back.”
He turned toward the door.
“Aitor.”
He stopped and looked back. “Yeah?”
I swallowed. This needed to be said.
“I want you to know you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
His brows drew together slightly before one corner of his mouth lifted.
“Why would I?” he asked with a grin. “You only admitted you’d try to get him back, like, what, a week ago?”
A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it.
“Oh yeah, I did, didn’t I?” I said, smirking. “I told you I’d try to take him from you… but not while you’re gone; relax.”
Aitor shook his head, amusement warming his face. “So you’ll wait until I get back?”
“Damn right.” I leaned back against the pillows, adjusting my cast with a grimace. “I’d never stab you in the back, bro. Never take what’s yours.”
I let the words hang for half a second before adding, quieter, “Not like that.”
Aitor held my gaze for a long moment. Then he nodded once, the smile still there, softer now.
“I know.” He moved toward the door, then glanced back at me. “We’ll duel when I get back. Just protect him for me while I’m gone.”
A grin tugged at my mouth.
“I’ll hit anyone who gets near him with my crutch.”
And honestly, God knew I would.