Jessie grabs my hand when we exit on the fourth floor, and I grip hers back just as anxiously. “I’m really nervous,” I whisper in her ear.
“Me too.”
The ICU sign over the nurses’ station has me taking a deep breath, attempting to swallow the knot that refuses to go down. Beeping from the machines, people groaning painfully, and family crying beside their loved ones is all too overwhelming.
“Right this way,” The nurse continues to lead us past the nurses’ station and down another hall that branches off to the right. The third door on the left is where we stop. She steps to the side and draws the curtain back.
I inwardly gasp, my hand instinctively covering my mouth. Hayden is covered in gauze head to toe, and his arm is suspended in the air.
“I can’t do this.” My eyes burn, and I turn away.
I hear Jessie’s sobs from the hallway, and my body begins to tremble. I feel a presence at my back and glance over my shoulder to find Ryder with his hands against the hallway wall, looking down at the ground. I walk over to him, pressing my hand to his shoulder, and he tenses.
“I’m so sorry,” My voice breaks, and I sniff.
“He’s not dying.” He growls as if that’s what I was insinuating.
“He’s not,” I agree.
Jessie joins us in the hall, “You should go see him, Kels.”
I nod and take slow steps into the room. I watch my feet instead of looking up. Afraid of what I’ll see. Hayden has become one of my best friends over the past few months. I can’t lose him. I’ve already lost my parents, and they were all I had until meeting them.
Who am I supposed to have my smoke seshes with if he’s gone? Who’s going to crack jokes at me and make me laugh? Ryder has no sense of humor, that’s for sure. He’s too serious about everything. I rarely ever hear him laugh.
I stand beside his bed, and I drag my gaze up inch by inch until they land at the foot of his bed. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor beeps beside me. I trail my gaze up his legs to his hand, where I place mine over his. He’s warm. His large calloused hand remains so still, and my heart breaks.
“Hayden—” I sniff again, “You have to pull through this. I need you. We need you.” My throat constricts as I speak the words I never thought I’d speak.
See, that’s the thing about life. It’s brutal and unexpected. You never know what will be thrown at you tomorrow, so it’s important not to take things for granted, or you’ll regret it. You won’t realize how much you missed out on until it’s too late and you can’t go back and change it.
I can’t bring myself to look at his face. That will be what breaks me. His beautiful, handsome face. Only his hand tattoo is visible, and I trace it with my thumb.
“I would give anything to hear one of your corny jokes and that laugh again.” I wait. I don’t know why. He isn’t going to respond. He can’t.He’s in a medically induced coma, dumbass!
“You can’t leave me. You gave me that car, and you’re supposed to ride with me in it, damn it! You promised me you would take me back to the waterfall!” Tears pour down my face, and my nose is all stuffy. I squeeze his hand one more time and close my eyes, kissing his cheek. I drop my eyes back to the floor and cry quietly as I step back into the hall with Jess and Ry.
On the way out to the car, my mind plays through memories.
Ryder
The ride home was deafeningly silent. I’ve never regretted anything in life, until now. My brother could die. The same brother I have put through Hell for four months over something that ultimately wasn’t his fault. I ruined our bond. Me. Because I’m an asshole who can’t keep his temper in check. I acknowledge that, and I take accountability for that.
I immediately head to the counter, flipping open my laptop.
“You’re seriously working?” Jessie bitches in my ear.
I’m not like normal people; my brain doesn’t function the same. I need to stay busy, or I’m going send the world up in flames. I’m fuming, and somebody is going to pay for the damage they’ve caused. I can’t kill Alejandro because the motherfucker took the easy way out and died on impact, but there are other Vipers that will pay for his stupidity. What’s that little saying? Guilty by association. They’re going to tell me exactly who set them up for this, because they’ll be next.
“What do you expect me to do?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, “Ourbrotheris in the hospital fighting for his life, and you’reworking?” Her eyes narrow before she huffs and stomps off up the stairs. I hear her slam her bedroom door behind her.
Hayden isn’t our biological brother, but after hisparents’ deaths, he moved in with us. Once he turned eighteen, he had his last name legally changed to Langley. So, despite the DNA difference, he’s as much my younger brother as Jessie is my sister.
I’ve had my phone on do not disturb since the accident. The only person I’ve been in contact with is Teegan. I pull up my messages and notice fifty-three unread messages, all asking about Hayden. I don’t reply. I have even more missed calls. Hayden is well known and has a large friend group, so I’m not shocked about all these people reaching out. I delete all the messages and calls, because if it’s not going to lead me to the suspects, I just don’t give a fuck.
I pull up Teegans’ contact and click call, then place him on speaker.
