The Trouble with Tyler

By Heather Mar-Gerrison

“Don’t die on me, Tyler, don't you dare die on me!”
I closed my eyes. I didn’t deserve a friend like Vegas – I’d stopped being his mate almost overnight since he’d become an item with Daisy Oldham – and now I’d never have a chance to put things right again.
Let me introduce myself. I’m Tyler and I’m trouble – there’s no denying it – it’s just the way it is. I just got in over my head and ended up fighting for my life and missing a whole lot of college.
Cue Savannah, the tutor assigned to save me from failing – a girl with bright green eyes and beautiful dark hair with a brain the size of Mars and she also happened to be Daisy’s best friend.
She didn't seem to think I was so bad - until I asked her out and everything went pear-shaped... It seems no matter what I did, it always ended in trouble...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Mar-Gerrison
• Release date: Oct 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310281761

Heather Mar-Gerrison

I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

Book preview

Prologue

Tyler

Oy, you – half-breed.

I turned around, a scowl already on my face, my skin prickling with annoyance. Half-breed? What the fuck? It didn’t take a second to recognise the face to the voice. It was the guy who lost the fight last night. I think his name was Ian Smith – but he wanted to be notorious and had chosen Smithy as his tag. Whatever. If that was the way he wanted it…

I raised an eyebrow, relaxing a little as I saw it was someone I sort-of knew, I’ve got a name, dude, I said, It’s Tyler.

Whatever, he sneered, I want a re-match. He shoved my shoulder, instantly annoying me.

I shoved him back. Just who the hell did he think he was, coming to find me and insulting me? Well, that’s not gonna happen, I said, I beat you fair and square.

The expression on his face changed and I realised a little belatedly that this had been a set up. He hadn’t come looking for me alone – he’d come with a few mates to give me a kicking… Well, he could try but I wasn’t going down without a decent fight. How could I? It was what I did…

We traded a few punches but then it got dirty. Well, of course it did. I was just as dirty a fighter as he was, too. I’d noticed that the night before. Let’s face it – we hardly stuck to the Queensbury rules and anything went, really – but he was particularly bad and I’d had my work cut out. With a few mates joining in, I was beginning to feel a little out of my depth.

It was Tuesday afternoon in the half-term holiday and I’d been hanging out with Johnson and a few of his mates. Since it was half-term and the weather was shit, there was nothing else to do. We’d been playing football and generally being a pain in the arse to everyone else who was trying to enjoy themselves at the park.

I was waiting for Vegas to finish his swimming session. We were barely talking to each other if I’m honest but he’d asked to speak to me about something. He’d sounded pretty anxious and I’d kind of felt obliged.

I was heartily wishing I’d stayed at home now. This was getting ugly and since Johnson and the rest of them had left, I was completely alone.

I caught Smithy with an uppercut and he staggered backwards, his expression one of stunned shock. Good. I was glad it stung. The bastard deserved it ambushing me like that. Still, it was the only way he was ever going to get the upper hand... Where was the other guy? I felt a punch in my kidney. Shit – there he was. That fucking hurt…

Another guy joined in. He kicked my thigh, giving me a dead-leg and then Smithy was back on his feet. He grinned evilly. We’d travelled as we’d been trading punches and kicks and we were outside the main doors to the leisure centre. The building was getting old. It was due for a major refurbishment program later on in the year and it was fair to say it had been severely neglected for the past few years.

Smithy took his chance while I was busy defending myself against the other two. He ran at me full force and shoved his hands in my back. I had nowhere to go other than straight through the full height window in front of me… I closed my eyes as I pitched forward, totally unable to stop myself from hitting the glass full-force.

I heard the glass shatter, felt the shards of glass spray my head and shoulders and then I hit the floor – hard. I jumped back up, absolutely furious that he’d done that. The cowardly bastard. He couldn’t win by hitting me, so he’d had to resort to that sort of shit? It didn’t really occur to me that the blood, spraying out in front of me in short bursts, was actually mine; that with each beat of my heart, my life was ebbing away.

With my heartbeat thumping away in my chest and the adrenalin rushing around my body, I’d never felt so angry – or so alive. I was so incensed I got back to my feet and made to go straight after him. I was gonna chase him down and I was gonna fucking kill him. I didn’t get very far though.

As I got to my feet, I realised that I had quite an audience – and every one of the faces staring at me was absolutely horror-struck. It only occurred to me later that what they were seeing was a young guy with his ear hanging off the side of his head and his neck sliced open, pumping blood all down his clothes and across the floor in front of him. I must have looked like something from a horror movie. This sort of thing didn’t generally happen on a Tuesday afternoon in Sleepyville…

Vegas McKenzie was one of those people. He was someone I used to get along really well with, but right now, for reasons I shall explain later, I hated almost as much as I hated Smithy.

Tyler! He yelled, panic-stricken, as I took a step back towards the doors, Stop!

Fuck off, I tried to shake his hand off my shoulder. The blood was still pumping in bursts from my neck, which felt all hot and tingly but was making me feel really cold all at the same time.

He rummaged in his swimming bag as he clung to my shoulder, effectively stopping me from going anywhere. I was vaguely aware that he had quite a decent grip and I was suddenly so very tired. I guess the adrenalin was abating and I’d lost quite a lot of blood too. My knees buckled and I sank to the floor. He was on his knees next to me, pushing me gently backwards.

Rooney, one of the pool attendants had appeared from nowhere and was shouting instructions to Vegas as he was calling someone on his mobile phone. The lights above me seemed to be getting closer and closer and then shrinking back again. It was the weirdest sensation I’d ever experienced in my life. Was this the end? Was I about to die? I looked up, trying to bring Vegas into focus.

He was pressing his towel against my neck, Don’t die on me, Tyler. He said with tears streaming down his face, Don’t you dare fucking die on me. I love you, man…

I closed my eyes. I didn’t deserve a friend like him. I’d been a right shit to him for the past couple of years, since he’d been an item with Daisy Oldham… Yeah, I was pathetic, wasn’t I? He’d won her heart and I was so jealous, I’d pretty much stopped being his mate overnight – and now I might never have a chance to put things right again. Well, that was a right bastard…

The last thing I remembered before I lost consciousness was his face. He looked absolutely terrified.

*

I woke up in the middle of the night with a start. Wow. I was actually alive. That was a bit of a relief. What do I mean a bit? It was fucking amazing…

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air. My neck was painful and my chin hurt, too. I felt it with my fingertips gingerly. Ooh, stitches. That was gonna get even worse over the next couple of days then. Stitches always felt tighter and tighter before they dissolved… Great.

I drifted back off to sleep. Maybe they’d sedated me – or maybe it was just the lack of blood in my body, I wasn’t sure but I felt like shit and sleep seemed like a really good idea.

*

Morning finally arrived and with it came a pretty, young nurse with some painkillers for me. Morning, she said in that overly cheerful way they were all trained to be like. She flashed me an apologetic grin, You look awful.

I frowned up at her, Thanks. I deadpanned. Can I go to the loo? I was dying for a pee.

She chuckled, Yes, she said, You’re lucky, you have your own bathroom – right there. She pointed to a door that was only a couple of feet away from my bed. Thank God…

She disappeared after she’d given me a couple of painkillers. Right. I was going to go to the bathroom…

Well, it was more of a struggle than I’d anticipated. I had zero energy but finally I made it. I had to pee first. Once I’d taken care of that, I washed my hands and finally I had to face what I knew I was putting off. I had to look at myself. I was frankly terrified. I’d always rather liked what looked back at me in the mirror. I knew without being told that I was good-looking… I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the glass. Shit. What a mess. I was covered in dried blood. Well that was gonna have to wait until later to be washed off. My legs were beginning to shake with the effort of standing and I just wanted to go back to bed. I looked like a fucking mummy from ancient Egypt. I was wrapped up in so many bandages. I’d have to look at the damage to my neck later on but there was no getting away from it. It was gonna scar pretty badly and it had been right across my windpipe. I took in a deep shuddery breath. Holy fucking shit. If I didn’t look like trouble with a capital T before, I sure as hell would now…

Mum was by my bedside when I got back. Her eyes were red and she looked exhausted.

Hi, Mum. I croaked as I collapsed back on my bed, completely spent.

She looked so relieved to see me alive and kicking, Oh, thank God you’re awake. She smiled at me with tears in her eyes, I only went to get a coffee and when I got back here, you’d disappeared. It took me a while to realise you were only in the bathroom. She laughed but she still sounded worried about me, How are you, baby?

Baby? Really? I’m uh… sore, I answered truthfully, and absolutely knackered. I was. My throat hurt inside and out, my neck was painful, as was my ever-tightening chin. My ear felt like it was on fire and my eyebrow felt all tight now, too – and every muscle in my body was screaming with the effort it had taken to get to the bathroom and back, How do I look?

She smiled, Beautiful, she said lovingly, you always are. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

I doubted that but I wasn’t in the mood to argue. Did the police catch up with Smithy? I asked.

She nodded, Is that the little scrote’s name? she asked, sounding more like me than I’d ever heard her.

I nodded, He wasn’t alone, I said, he had two other mates with him – or I would never have ended up like this.

I want to press charges for attempted murder. Mum growled, He can’t get away with pushing you through a glass window.

I shrugged and sighed, How do you prove it? I asked.

She scowled, I don’t know. She said, But we have to try.

I shook my head, Look, Mum, I’m no angel. I was fighting with him the night before last for money. I won and he lost a load of money. He and his mates were betting on him winning. I don’t need the cops breathing down my neck – we’re not talking a couple of hundred quid here…

She sighed and shook her head, Oh, Tyler…

Vegas saved my life. I said quietly, I’ve been a right pain in the arse to him all year and yet there he was… I felt all choked up about it again and had to stop talking.

Mum smiled, I know, baby, she said squeezing my hand, He rang me to tell me what had happened too. He’s a good boy.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Vegas had always been a ‘good boy’ as far as my mum was concerned. It was me who’d always been the trouble-maker.

She got up, Well, I’m going to let you get some sleep sweetheart – and I’ll be back later on to see you. They’re keeping you in today – it’s just for one more night. Observation or something…

I sighed, Okay. I mumbled. Truth be known, I had no desire to move right now, anyway. I was well tired.

James and Celeste will be round tomorrow to see you. He was very worried. You know what he’s like. She bit her lip and I rolled my eyes. Yes. I knew exactly what he was like…

Mum smiled at my eye-rolling, kissed me again and then she left. I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew it had rolled around to morning again.

Chapter 1 – Could have died…

Savannah

Oh, my God! I stared at her in horror, What happened? The blood drained from my face as Daisy filled me in on the latest gossip. Tyler? Hurt? My heart started to pump in my chest at double time. He could have died… He’s going to be okay, isn’t he? I asked. Please say yes – please say he’s going to be fine...

Oh, sure, Daisy replied breezily, Vegas saved his life. She added proudly. Vegas was her boyfriend. They’d been going out with each other since we were fifteen and their relationship was pretty much rock-solid. Even though it had never been mentioned, I had more than a sneaking suspicion that Vegas and Tyler’s famous falling-out was down to the fact that Tyler had a bit of a thing for Daisy and when Vegas had won her heart, his heart couldn’t take the pain. He’d alluded to it once when he was drunk. It was at the Christmas disco the year I joined the school. I wasn’t sure if he remembered the incident and I’d never mentioned it again – not least because I was very grateful to him for seeing off Joshua Kedleston only a short time afterwards… Joshua was, for want of a better word, grabby.

No one else seemed to have realised that their friendship had waned in direct relationship to Vegas and Daisy becoming an item – and if they had, no one said anything about it. Let’s face it, no one wanted to voice anything that made Tyler look less than his macho image for fear of losing a few teeth… He was volatile, to say the least.

I’d hoped he would get over it and maybe even notice that Daisy’s friend (that would be me) would be a good match for him. I certainly thought so. Our skin tone was similar, although it was obvious that Tyler’s roots were Caribbean whereas mine were southern Italian. Mum was the Italian one, Dad was Irish – and yes, I was bi-lingual but I never told anyone I could speak Italian fluently. Everyone already thought I was a super-geek without them knowing that, too.

Sadly, Tyler firmly believed that Daisy was the one for him and it literally took him years to realise she simply wasn’t ever going to be interested.

Can we go and see him? I asked. But seriously? Why would he want to see me? He barely acknowledged my existence and he’d think it was just weird that I was there…

"Do you want to go and see him?" she asked, sounding a little bit surprised.

Yes, I said honestly. It wasn’t as if Daisy didn’t know I fancied him. She might not have realised just how deep my feelings for him were but she did know that. I’d go on my own to see him but he has no idea about the way I feel about him, so it would just be weird if I did that. The only way is if I tagged along with you guys.

She nodded thoughtfully, I’ll see what I can do. She said, Let me check with Vegas.

As it turned out he didn’t want anyone to go around except Vegas, so I didn’t see him until he came back to school but then, neither did Daisy, so it was all good…

Chapter 2 – What a mess…

Tyler

They might have patched me up – and made a pretty decent job of it too, since I was still alive but they hadn’t washed my face or anything. I was still covered with bandages, so I guess that would have been a little difficult. I had one wound around my head, holding my ear in place and another around my neck, so I didn’t know what that looked like yet but I couldn’t imagine it was pretty.

I was still wearing one of those hideous gown things, since Mum had forgotten to bring my pyjama bottoms in – two days in a row – and I was feeling particularly disgusting, since I’d gotten a bit sweaty. It was so hot in the hospital. What made it worse was there was dried blood all over it.

I still felt a bit woozy, like I’d had too many drags on a joint in a short space of time – although I hadn’t touched the stuff in a while. Not since I’d spent the night with some girl I couldn’t for the life of me remember but we’ll come back to that later... No, it was the loss of blood that was making me feel like this.

I held onto the sink and took a deep breath. I was gonna have to wash my face before they’d let me out of here, but the idea of it was making me want to puke. Ironically, since I was usually causing someone to bleed profusely from their nose, I’ve always hated both the sight and smell of blood. I closed my eyes briefly and took another deep breath. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life with dried on blood all over my face and neck and the nurse had said I was allowed to take off the bandages as soon as I liked – and I couldn’t wait to get them off.

I unwound the bandages as carefully as I could and dropped them at the side of the sink. Next, I splashed water onto my face, going as gently as I could. I’d tackle my neck in a minute. I didn’t really fancy doing that right away. As I watched all the blood started to drain down the sink, I began to feel a little better. The smell, however, was overpowering and making me want to puke again. It wasn’t like I’d just got a nose-bleed or anything. This was blood from deep inside my veins and it absolutely stank.

I looked at myself in the mirror and took a deep shaky breath. I could have died on Tuesday, just three weeks after my seventeenth birthday – all because some stupid fucker couldn’t accept the decision from the night before. I shook my head at the events of the last couple of days. Seriously – what the hell?

It really was time I stopped this ridiculous fight club before we all got found out and done by the taxman if nothing else. I had plenty of money, now. It wasn’t like I really needed any more. Not for a while, anyway.

I looked up at myself in the mirror again. Well, I still looked like shit but at least I wasn’t covered in dried blood anymore. There were dark