All Chapters of Boys Like Him: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

I woke up to an unfamiliar room, completely disoriented. The harsh fluorescent lights stung my eyes, blurring the ceiling before a familiar silhouette broke the glare. Malik's face came into view."Hey, gorgeous." His voice was a low, soothing rasp, but his eyes looked heavy. I immediately tried to sit up, the paper sheets crinkling beneath me. "Where am I?""Wanna guess?" He offered a faint, tired attempt at his usual smirk."Hospital?""Ding, ding.""But how?" My head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing behind my temples. "What happened?""Well, after calming your ex, I knocked him out, and you passed out," Malik explained. "You've been out for eight hours. The doctor said the shock was too much for your brain to process. "The mention of Lloyd cracked the dam. The parking lot, the gun, and the cold metal under my fingers flooded into my memory. The terrifying lies I had to tell just to keep him from pulling the trigger. I remembered everything."Thank you so much, Malik," I whispered, te

"Nyelle, what are you doing?" Mariah reached out, her fingers brushing my sleeve, but I slipped past her grip.My feet hit the cold linoleum. I didn't want to think about Malik right now. I couldn't look at the space he had left behind without feeling like I was tearing apart. If I stayed in this bed, the guilt would suffocate me."Nyelle, stop!" Mariah scrambled off the mattress, intercepting me before I could reach the heavy wooden door. She threw her arms out, physically blocking the exit, her dark eyes flashing with a mix of fury and sheer panic. "You are not walking out that door. Look at me! You're shaking. You can barely stand.""I have to go, Mar," I whispered, my voice sounding incredibly thin. I didn't try to push past her; I just let my forehead drop against her shoulder, completely exhausted. "If I don't go, and he spirals... if he hurts himself because I refuse to walk a few feet down a hallway, I will never forgive myself. You know I won't."Mariah's chest rose and fell

I grabbed my phone from the console, my limbs feeling like lead as I prepared to force myself out into the heat."What do you think you're doing?" Mariah asked, her brow arching as she yanked her own keys out of the ignition."Going up?" I muttered, blinking at her. "You said you had to get to work-""I called out of work the second the nurse told me your vitals were spiking, idiot," Mariah rolled her eyes, throwing her door open. "You think I'm leaving you alone in a sauna when you can barely tie your own shoes? Move it, hermit."A wave of pure relief washed over me, so thick it made my throat ache.She didn't let me carry a thing. She snatched my phone, grab-bagged the cold container of garlic soup from the floorboard to throw away upstairs, and practically hoisted me out of the passenger seat. Her arm wrapped securely around my waist, anchoring my trembling frame as we slowly conquered the narrow flight of concrete stairs.When we reached my door, I fumbled with the keys, but Maria

Malik's thumb stopped its soothing circle against my knuckles. The gentle warmth in his posture vanished instantly, his muscles locking tight as a steel vice."You went to see him?" his voice dropped into a dangerous, gravelly register. His eyes, already heavy with exhaustion, narrowed into sharp, intense slits. "After everything? Why?""His parents, Malik," I explained quickly, my voice rising with a frantic edge as I squeezed his hand back, desperate to keep him tethered to me. "They came into my room. His mother was weeping, clutching my blankets, telling me Lloyd was under a psychiatric hold but wouldn't cooperate with the doctors unless I gave him hope. They said I was the only thing keeping him from trying again."Malik let out a harsh, dark laugh, his head shaking in pure disbelief. He pulled his hand from mine, running both palms over his face and through his messy hair, gripping the strands tightly. "So they weaponized his guilt to rope you back in. Unbelievable.""I tried to

"Fine, fine, I'm shutting up," Mariah giggled, holding her hands up in defeat as the napkin fluttered harmlessly onto the table. "But seriously, think about the gala. You deserve to wear something pretty and remind everyone that you're thriving, not just surviving."She checked her phone, letting out a sharp sigh as she read the screen. "Ugh, speaking of surviving, I have to get back down to the salon. My receptionist just texted me saying three walk-ins showed up at once, and the girls need backup. The joys of being the boss."She scrambled out of her chair, throwing her massive pink parka back on and snatching the last churro from the bag. She paused by my seat, planting a quick, sweet kiss on the top of my head. "Love you, hermit. See you tomorrow. And remember, if you decide to go to the gala, your hair and makeup are on the house.""Thanks, Mar. Go save your business," I laughed."Always!" she called out, giving Malik a supportive nod before slipping out and locking the heavy wo