Anyone But Me

by J.D. Frost

“You love him, don’t you?” she asks after a while. I whip my head around, eyes bulging. “Are you boyfriends?” “How’d you know that?” “It wasn’t hard to figure out. I see the way you look at him, with hearts in your eyes and stuff. It’s cute.”

I crouch beside the bed, trailing my finger down the side of Oakley’s face, careful not to wake him. Then, I press my lips to his forehead in a lingering kiss. “I’m gonna fix this, baby,” I whisper against his skin. “I’m gonna help you remember.”

“So, you’re him, huh? You’re the one who they think… did this to me.” My head drops, a lump rising in my throat. “I didn’t. Whatever they’ve told you, it’s not true. I would never hurt you.”

“It’s funny,” he starts, voice low. “I have no idea who you are or how we know each other. Only things people have told me. That you’re a bully who used to hurt me for fun, for sport. But, somehow…” My pulse rings in my ears, my entire body coiled tight, hanging on to what he’s about to say next. “I believe you.” A choked sound leaves me, my eyes finding his again. “You do?” He nods slowly. “Yes. I don’t know why, but I do. I don’t feel fear when I’m around you. It’s the opposite. I feel… safe. Truly safe. Like I know, deep down in my soul, that you’ll protect me, and I can’t ignore that.”

“We really loved each other, didn’t we? I can tell. From the drawings, I mean. The way we look at each other.” A fresh onslaught of tears prick my eyes. “Yeah. We did. We were like… two halves. We made each other whole.” Sniffling, I turn my watery gaze away. “I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for you.”

I’m coming, Oakley. And I won’t let you down this time.

“I thought you’d be here,” he spits. “What is it about him, huh? What is it that won’t let you quit? Must be a really good piece of ass.” Gaining momentum, I plant my feet to the floor and buck my hips as hard as I can, throwing him off. Then, I flip our positions so I’m the one on top of him, fist clenched and raised in the air. “He’s not just a piece of ass, you son of a bitch. He’s twice the man you’ll ever be.”

“No,” Oakley urges, his voice thick as he jostles me. “Wake up, Ash. Stay with me. Please, baby. Fucking stay with me.”

“You remember me?” I croak, the words blurring together. He sniffles, cupping my cheek in his palm. “Of course, I do. How the hell could I forget?” “You’re not just saying that because I took a bullet for you, right?” “Want me to prove it to you? My first day at Leighton Bay High, you barged into me and made all my papers go flying into the air. Right from that second, I was a hundred percent yours.” He leans in, brushing his lips over mine. “I love you, Asher.”

“No, baby. Come on, you’ve got to stay awake. Asher? Listen to me. Listen to my voice. Stay with me.”

Oakley. He’s next to me, hand gripped tightly in mine. His eyes are closed, those thick eyelashes of his curled against his cheekbones. His hair’s a wild mess atop of his head, the strands sticking up this way and that, and there are smudges of dirt on the side of his neck and his cheek. But, he’s never looked more beautiful. Man, this is a sight worth waking up for.

“Are you alright, son?” he asks, his voice hoarse and not at all commanding like it usually is. I nod. “Yeah. I’m okay.” My dad breaks down then, a heavy sob rising from his chest as tears pour freely from his eyes. His shoulders shudder and he clamps a fist over his mouth, trying to contain the emotion. I lift my weak arms in invitation and he accepts, falling into the hug with a pained cry. It’s… strange. I can’t remember the last time we did this. Probably when I was just a kid. But, it feels damn good. Like something I’ve been waiting for for years, like something I needed. It’s as if a tiny piece of my heart is slowly healing.

“I’m sorry. I just… Christ, Asher. I could have lost you.” “But, you didn’t,” I counter gently. “You’re right, I didn’t. I can’t say it was smart, doing what you did. But, it was damn brave. You saved Oakley and April’s lives. And, I… Well, I couldn’t be any prouder to call you my son.”

“Tell me what it was like. When you remembered, I mean.” “It was like…” I feel his hard swallow against my skin, the flutter of his eyelashes as his eyes fall closed. “A flood. When I saw you standing there, the blood coming through your shirt, it just all came flooding back. Like a dam had burst inside my brain. All these different images hit me, one after the other. Memories. Burying my parents, moving here… meeting you. All of it. And in the space of a split-second, it was like I felt my love for you all the way down to the marrow of my bones. Like nothing else mattered but making sure you were okay, that you made it through. It was… intense.”

“I want this,” he says, turning serious. “Us. Me and you, together forever. A proper future, where we’re both doing what we love. And since I won’t need to use my trust fund to get away from my uncle anymore, I thought we could get a place together.” “That sounds perfect,” I croak. “Absolutely perfect.”

“Don’t worry, Ash.” His mouth molds to mine, kissing me slowly and intensely, stealing my breath and robbing my brain of all thought. “They’d need a fucking army to drag me away from you. I’m not going anywhere, ever again.” “I love you,” I whisper against his lips. “I love you, too. So fucking much.

“You’ll be here when I wake up?” He doesn’t even hesitate before answering. “Always.”

To everyone else, he’s the picture perfect hipster artist. At least, that’s what the media likes to refer to him as, anyway. But to me, he’s just my Oakley. Perfect in every way.

When I got out of the hospital after being shot, the first thing I did was visit my mom. After some persuasion, I managed to get my dad to tag along, too. And the best part? It went great. After that, he visited her every day. I mean, he really visited her, not just stalked the halls, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Then, after almost a year of taking things slow and working through their issues with a therapist, mom came home and they’ve never looked back. Of course, things aren’t perfect–they never are–but they face their hurdles together now. Dad’s hours at work have significantly decreased and for the first time in over ten years, his priorities are exactly as they should be. Family first.

“It’s so good to see you, baby,” mom says, her palm cupping my cheek. “I’ve missed your face.” “I missed you too, mom.” Dad claps me on the shoulder. “Good game the other night. I was on my feet the whole time.” “He was cheering so loud, Mrs. Peters from next door came by to make sure everything was okay,” mom adds, rolling her eyes with a smile. He kisses mom on the cheek

My heart fills with so much warmth with those words, it feels like it’s about to burst. It’s not just mom and dad’s relationship that’s gotten stronger over the years; ours has, too. He’s finally the father I always wanted, the one I dreamt of as a boy. And the way he’s taken Oakley and April in with open arms, loving them and supporting them as if they’re his own? I’ll never be able to put my gratitude into words.

“Gross. Aren’t you two a little old to be doing… you know, that?” “Never too old.

“Come on, baby,” he urges, reaching a hand down to jerk me. “I’m so close. Squeeze my cock with that tight ass and make me come.”

My dick gives a halfhearted twitch against Oakley’s stomach and he lets out a choked laugh. “Are you kidding me? You’re such a horndog.” “Can’t help it,” I tease, pressing a kiss against the side of his throat. “You’re just impossible to resist.”

“Listen to me. I promise you, nobody’s ever gonna hurt you again. Do you hear me? I’ll always keep you safe.”

“What are you doing?” I ask, voice breathy. “I was—” “I don’t need a big speech,” he tells me, the wetness in his eyes spilling over. “Or rose petals or candles or a surprise trip away. I don’t need any of that stuff. I just need you.” He swallows hard, hand coming up to cup the side of my face as his forehead lands on mine. “Yes. The answer is yes. I’ll marry you, Asher Brooks. I’ll marry the shit out of you.”

Like always, we lose ourselves in each other, this time with a promise that it’s going to last forever. Jesus, I’m so fucking glad I pushed that kid over on his first day of school.