He Made Me Stay

by K. Webster

  “Is he going to die?” I croak out.

  “No, sweetie. You acted fast. He’s going to be okay. I’ll be there in less than five minutes.”

  She hangs up and I call my parents, waking them up. Mom assures me she’ll let Leesa and the EMTs in while Dad comes to clutch my shoulder and offer assistance. Now that help is on the way, I sag in relief, allowing the tears to fall.

  I can’t lose him.

  He saved me.

  I sure hope I saved him too.

  My smiley boyfriend—my once a thing but now my everything—doesn’t move or laugh or tease. He’s nearly gray and unmoving. I stroke his soft curls and promise him the world.

  It feels like an eternity, but Leesa arrives, shooing me out of the way so she can take over. The EMTs arrive shortly after. I’m numb as they talk to him and try to rouse him.

  They administer another dose of glucagon, a lot more skilled and efficient than when I did it.

  After several minutes, Kit’s Jolly Rancher apple green eyes flutter open. His mom has the juice box ready and at his lips. He sips at it, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “Is he going to be okay?” I ask, hating how they’re not moving to rush him to the hospital.

  “He will be now.” Leesa smiles at me, tears in her eyes. “As soon as he’s feeling a little better, we’ll take him to the hospital to get checked out.”

  Hours later and Kit is his normal cheesy self. He somehow knows every nurse at Mountain Grand Memorial. Even Eric’s mother Susan. Susan is one of his nurses and is charmed by my boyfriend. Everyone is. Kit has that effect on people.

  Kit’s doctor returns after some tests and gives us a warm, reassuring smile. I’m exhausted and stressed, but his smile relaxes me.

  “So Kit tells me he’s been eating properly and getting a little more exercise than usual, but nothing too extreme.” He winks at me, making me turn bright red. “Yet he’s still having issues with hypoglycemia happening more and more frequently.”

  Leesa nods. “He’s so careful.”

  “It appears he’s having pump failure. The rate of his dosage of insulin is too high,” he explains.

  “Did it get jostled?” I croak out. “Did I accidentally knock it loose? Oh God. Is it pouring insulin in there?”

  His doctor chuckles. “No, son. It doesn’t come loose easily and it’s not flooding him with insulin. There’s just something wrong with the device itself. It’s reading that he’s being given a certain dosage, but it’s actually putting more into his body. We’ll need to get him set up with a new insulin pump and monitor it carefully.”

  When the doctor finishes talking to Kit and Leesa, he leaves. Kit, still exhausted from the events, nods off to sleep. Leesa squats down in front of me, taking my hands.

  “Jasper Darrow,” she says, squeezing my hands. “Thank you for saving my son’s life.”

  “I didn’t do…” I trail off. “You told me what to do.”

  “But you noticed something was wrong. You were an advocate for his body when he was unable to. I can’t thank you enough. You’re good for my boy. You saved him.”

  “He saved me first. I guess we’re even.”

  She kisses my forehead. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  As she excuses herself to get coffee, I rise to my feet and approach Kit’s bed. His eyes flutter open, sensing me. I press a kiss to his pink, pink strawberry lips.

  “You scared me,” I murmur.

  His thumb strokes over my hand. “I’m sorry, quark. Everything’s going to be okay. As long as you stay with me.”

  I give him a fierce nod. “I’ll be here as long as you need me.”

  “I’ll need you forever.”

  “Then forever you’ll have me.”

  Kit

  October 4

  “…and this year’s Homecoming prince is Kit Strong!” Miss Beasely announces on the speakers.

  I quirk a brow at Eric. “They have princes at these things?”

  “They have a whole court,” Eric starts to explain but is cut off by Miss Beasely again.

  “Our Homecoming king is Eric Davidson!”

  We both walk toward the center stage, arm in arm. Eric is nervous, but he doesn’t let it show. His mom is proud of him. Everyone at school knows he’s gay now, so it’s not like he has anything to fear. I’d finally convinced him today to let me come to his house before the crowning ceremony so we could take pictures and break the news to his mother in a more controlled environment. Jasper, Henry, Harloe, and Serena were there to also lend their support. Rather than yelling at him like he worried, she was thrilled he had the bravery to tell her.

  Miss Beasley places a small crown on my head and then a larger one on Eric. Eric also gets bestowed with a sash that matches Harloe’s since she’s our queen. I scan the crowd, looking for my man. In the front row, Jasper sits beside Serena looking hot as ever.

  We have to stand there in front of all our peers and parents for the Homecoming banquet, grinning, as Miss Beasley makes a speech about our football team, cheerleaders, and school. I can’t take my eyes off Jasper, though.

  My hero.

  I just had to save him first.

  It’s hard to believe just over a month ago, he wanted to die. The moment I locked eyes with him, I felt something was severely wrong with him. It was clouding the air around him, toxic and suffocating. I knew everyone felt it but avoided it.

  I couldn’t.

  Not after reading up on social media about what happened to his brother and then seeing firsthand the utter despair he was experiencing. I knew I had to do something. I had to find a way to pull him to me and keep him together.

  The Strong Force as my parents call it.

  At first, I wanted to be a friend. But the moment I heard his voice and felt all of his emotions so clearly as though they were my own, I was captivated by him.

  Back then, he was empty and sad. The most beautiful guy I’d ever seen wrapped in a blanket of sorrow and pain. I craved to tug that blanket away and wrap my warmth around him, comforting him in a different sort of way.

  We fell.

  So fast and so hard into each other.

  Each day, we fall a little more.

  Mom wasn’t sure of Jasper to begin with. He wore dark clothes and his smiles were rare. But Jasper is one of those people you can’t help but gravitate toward. He’s like a beacon, pulsating and urging you forward. It’s like he wears his emotions on the outside. Places his tender heart right on his shoulder where everyone can see. All it does is make you want to crowd around him to protect it.

  Jasper doesn’t see what everyone else does.

  He didn’t see the way his mother would cry when he’d turn his back, terrified she’d failed him. He never saw how his teacher, Mr. Halston, fretted over his psychological well-being. Jasper didn’t notice the way the kids watched him, slightly hopeful that he might speak to them and then sad when he didn’t.

  Everyone wanted to help.

  He’d lost his brother and was clearly suffering from it.

  The poor guy thought he was all alone.

  It didn’t take long to make him realize he wasn’t alone. He had me and his family and my family and his teachers and his peers. It took hard work from everyone to slowly bring him away from death’s doors and right in the center of our world where he belongs.

  Jasper always fondly tells me of how his brother was the star.

  Perhaps Julian was.

  But if Julian was the star, Jasper is the moon.

  Lighting up the darkness. Glowing bright and brilliant for all to see. A force of nature.

  Like now, he grins at me and the entire world disappears. I feel like a little kid staring at the sky, marveling over the grandness of the moon.

  “You two are so cute,” Eric complains. “Henry and I aren’t that cute.”

  “Sure you are. Have you seen yourself in a tux?” I tease. “Henry was pretty cute when he about choked on his tongue when he saw you.”

&nb
sp; “Yeah, I guess we are kinda cute. He was cute when he got jealous I was taking you to Homecoming.” He chuckles. “I told him I’d save a dance for him.”

  The event ends and before I can make it to Jasper, Carla nearly tackles me with a hug. Zach lingers with both babies in his arms, smiling fondly at us.

  “You looked handsome up there,” Carla says. She takes my cheeks in her palms. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you.” Her eyes that look just like Jasper’s well with tears. “You gave me my son back. Have fun at the dance.”

  As she walks away, arms envelop me from behind. I relax in Jasper’s embrace. Since Jasper is so deeply familiar with loss and heartache and emotions of all sorts, he loves hard. He’s not one of those guys who hides his feelings. My boyfriend is one hundred percent in.

  “You’re so hot in a tux,” he rumbles against my ear. “I’m gonna give you a blowjob later while you’re still dressed.”

  I turn in his arms, hiding the erection he’s caused. He’s hard too as he rubs against me. His gray, stormy eyes are locked on mine, pinning me forever.

  “I got you something,” he says, a grin tugging at his handsome mouth I could spend days kissing.

  “What’s that?”

  He fishes something out of his pocket. It’s an enamel pin. A rainbow that says, “Magical as fuck.”

  “I thought gifting pins was my gig,” I tease as he sets to affixing it on my lapel.

  “You gave all yours away. I thought maybe you needed more.”

  Our lips meet for a sinful kiss that has Eric whistling and giving us crap nearby.

  This boy with the sad eyes and broken heart has filled me with more love than I know what to do with. It’s one of those kinds of loves that will continue to grow. I’m delighted that he didn’t just give me lunch or the next day or the week.

  He gave me him.

  The forever him.

  And we have decades ahead of us to watch this strong, budding love evolve into something deep and unbreakable. All we need is time to allow it to complete the epic transformation it’ll go through.

  We have the time.

  Because I asked him to stay.

  And he did.

  (If you enjoyed this emotional MM romance, please check out more of K Webster’s

  heart-stopping MM romances like Wicked Lies Boys Tell or Hood River Rat!)

  All MM Romances by K Webster:

  Dane

  Wicked Lies Boys Tell

  Hood River Rat

  He Made Me Stay

  No Tears with Him

  Sheriff’s Secret

  Thank you to my husband. You’re the most supportive man I know. Love you!

  A huge thank you to my Krazy for K Webster’s Books reader group. You all are insanely supportive, and I can’t thank you enough.

  A gigantic thank you to those who always help me out behind the scenes. Elizabeth Clinton, Ella Stewart, Misty Walker, Holly Sparks, Jillian Ruize, Gina Behrends, Wendy Rinebold, Ker Dukey, J.D. Hollyfield, Nicole Blanchard, and Nikki Ash—you ladies are my rock!

  Misty, thank you for being you! Love you!

  Thank you, Elle Spaulding, for helping me iron out all the diabetes stuff! I had it all backwards but you straightened me out. Thank youuuu!

  A big thank you to my author friends who have given me your friendship and your support. You have no idea how much that means to me.

  Thank you to all of my blogger friends both big and small that go above and beyond to always share my stuff. You all rock! #AllBlogsMatter

  Emily A. Lawrence, thank you so much for editing this book. You’re a star!!

  Lastly but certainly not least of all, thank you to all of the wonderful readers out there who are willing to hear my story and enjoy my characters like I do. It means the world to me!

  K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.

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