My Best Friend's Boyfriend | BxB

17. Alone

"Have you called Mum? Please tell me you have not called Mum. Dad will have my head. I'm fine."

Gale and Emily stood in the hallway, listening to Matt pleading with his aunt. He had just woken up, and his aunt and uncle were seeing him before the others could go in.

"Of course I called your mother, Matthew. You had an accident!" Lucy answered, pressing her palm to his forehead.

Matt's groan was so loud, they heard it in the hallway.

"I just have a broken leg, nothing more!" Matt pointed out.

Gale inched down the hallway so he could peer into the room. Matt's right leg was in a cast, elevated. Maybe he had bandages in other places, but Gale could only make out the ones on his arms. He had a cast on his left hand, too.

Gale inched back towards Emily. "He is not so bad," he said.

At least he didn't have a broken neck, and his head seemed to be fine, thanks to his always wearing a helmet.

Emily rubbed her hands together, exhaling in relief.

"You still have to get your head checked," Peter said.

"Just tell me they are not coming, are they?" Matt asked.

"They booked the next flight here, they'll be here in the morning," Lucy answered.

"And Hannah?"

"Yes, with Hannah."

A doctor in a white coat came down the hallway and went into the room.

"Mr and Mrs Miller, can I talk to you outside?"

"Of course, Doctor," Peter answered.

"Your friends are here to see you, honey," Lucy told Matt. She went after Peter and the doctor, ushering the group in the hallway into the room.

Gale hesitated in the hall a while, not completely sure how to handle this. He had avoided the guy for days after kissing him. What now? What would he say?

Matt was fine, he was going to be alright, could he go home now?

"Gale?" Emily's voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked down to find her looking up at him in question. Their parents had already gone into the room.

"Come on," she said.

He followed her into the room.

By some totally unfortunate stroke of luck (lack of), Matt looked past the ladies the moment he walked into the room, his eyes falling onto him. Gale stopped walking, afraid he would stumble on his feet. He had no idea what to do.

But Matt did.

He smiled at him. The most fleeting smile ever, and then he was back to talking to Emily's mother.

"It was a van. He was overtaking a trailer. It came straight for me, but I veered off the road at the last moment. Went flying right out of my bike," Matt was narrating, as if he was giving another person's ordeal, and not his own near death experience.

"I'm fine, really. My aunt just freaked out a little," he continued.

They had all freaked out. Much. Honestly, this was better than what they had expected.

"I'm fine," Matt repeated, looking around at everyone.

Gale stood aside as the grown ups dotted on Matt, happy things weren't so tense anymore.