Complicate Me(44)

What the fuck was he thinking?

“Hey,” Jacob whispered, walking into her room and coming toward me. “You been in to see Austin lately?”

“Yesterday.”

“Lucas…”

“Don’t,” I snapped.

“We’re all upset with him, but shit happens. He would never put Alex’s life in danger or his. He was stupid and irresponsible, he’s paying for it now.” He eyed Alex’s bed, machines surrounding her with sounds that told us she was alive. Which was ironic since the beeping noises made me realize the severity of the situation. At least that is how I felt.

“And so is she,” I added, making him turn back around to face me.

He begrudgingly nodded and followed it up with a long deep sigh. He knew I was right but couldn’t admit it.

“You going home to sleep?” he asked.

“Are you?” I countered.

He nodded again in understanding, putting his hands in his jean pockets, leaning against the wall with one foot over the other.

Waiting.

That’s all we did.

My mom walked in with Alex’s mom and Lily by their side. She was thirteen now and reminded me so much of Alex at that age. She dressed like her, put makeup on like her, was spunky like her. Half-Pint was her hero, and I couldn’t have been happier for her to follow anyone else’s footsteps.

“Hey, Kid,” Jacob greeted. Lily wrapped her arms around his waist, as he tugged her into his side. He placed his ball cap on her head. She was always stealing it from him and I knew he put it on her to make her feel better.

“Hi,” she softly spoke.

I smiled at her when she looked at me.

“Are you okay, Lucas?” she questioned. Concern and worry evident all over her face.

“I’ve been better.”

She bowed her head with sympathy, it didn’t matter what I told her. My baby sister was intuitive, just like Alex.

“Lily is exhausted. Can you take her home?” Mom asked, pulling all of us away from our thoughts.

“I can’t leave, Jana,” Mom whispered low not wanting to disturb her, even though she wasn’t paying any attention to us. She sat on Alex’s bed holding her hand.

As much as I didn’t want to leave Alex’s side, I knew she would want to have my mom at her mom’s side right now, they were like sisters, she needed her.

I was about to open my mouth to say something but Jacob beat me to it. “I’ll take her home,” he stated.

“You sure? Robert is on call and he won't leave the hospital until something happens with Austin or Alex. Do you mind staying over? Lily can’t be—”

“Mom,” Lily interrupted, looking embarrassed.

I immediately contemplated what the embarrassment was from. Jacob watched her get her diapers changed.

He pulled away from her before I could give it any more thought and peered down at her. “It’s okay, Kid, it’s more for my benefit. I don’t like to sleep in a house by myself.”

She grinned, knowing he lied but appreciated it nonetheless.

“Thank you,” Mom mouthed.

He winked at her, as Lily came over to give me a hug. My mom kissed the top of her head and Lily wrapped her arms around Jacob as they walked out of the room together.

I leaned back into the chair and closed my eyes. I had a blinding headache from my lack of sleep. I didn't know when I passed out. I think I was more in and out of consciousness than anything else, but when I slowly opened my eyes wiping off sleep I found Alex staring at me.

I instinctively jumped out of the chair and was over to her in two strides, grabbing her hand and kissing all over it. “Half-Pint, oh my God! You’re awake.”

Our eyes locked, both of us trying to focus and taking everything in.

“Water,” she muffled, pulling me away from my need to ask her a million and one questions.

I kissed her hand one last time and ran to the door, opening it. “I need a doctor! She’s up!” I yelled to my mom, Jana, and the doctor who were standing at the nurse’s station.

I told them she asked for water as they made their way into the room. I stood in the back to allow them more space, even though I wanted nothing more than to still be sitting by her side holding her hand. He proceeded to check all her vitals and ask her lots of questions. She seemed disorientated and confused, she didn’t remember the accident or getting into the car. He continued with questions she would know the answers to and she passed with flying colors. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her before she passed out again. The doctor said it was all completely normal for coma patients to seem out of it and her memory would most likely come back with time.

It had been the longest four days of my life, but I finally breathed a sigh of relief that she would be all right. So I sat back down in the chair.

And once again…

Waited.





Thank God I was being discharged, it had been a week since I woke up. The entire team cleared me, including neurology who had been watching me like a hawk. I didn’t remember anything. It was crazy how your brain could do that, just block out several hours of your life. Maybe it was a good thing that I didn’t remember. When Austin woke up three days ago, he seemed way more disoriented and confused than I was, but the doctor said that was normal, since he had been in a coma for a week and then again from the surgery. He would have some wicked scars. They were keeping him for several more weeks, and I could tell he was over it and wanted to go home as much as I did. He had months of recovery and rehabilitation to come.

I was one of the first people to see him when he woke up, and even though he said he didn’t remember anything, the way he looked at me told me otherwise. I didn’t call him out on it, but when he asked everyone to give us a few minutes, much to Lucas’s dismay, he hugged me and just started bawling.

It was then I knew I was right.

I repeated over and over again that it wasn’t his fault, and that it didn’t matter. We were alive and I loved him no matter what. His breakdown spoke for itself, he didn’t listen to any of the comforts I tried to provide.

It spoke volumes.

I let him cry for as long as he needed. He appeared better when he was done. I told him girls were going to obsess over his scars and now he was really going to look like a bad boy with a record to prove it. I saw laughter in his eyes, but I couldn’t get a smile. He asked me what I remembered and I told him I had no recollection of the accident. He apologized several times, saying he would never put me in danger, and I knew that. He didn’t have to say it out loud. I reminded him every time.

Lucas hadn’t left my side since I woke up. He needed to go back to school, but he said he spoke to all his professors and they knew what happened.

“I’m not sitting in that,” I said, looking at Lucas who was behind the wheelchair.

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

“I don’t need it. I can walk.”

“The doctor—”

“I don’t care what the doctor said, Lucas, I just want to get the hell out of here. I never want to see a hospital again.”

“Yeah… you and me both.”

“I’m going to go say bye to Austin. Come on.”

“I’m good.”

“Why are you purposely staying away from him?” He wasn’t being subtle. I had noticed it immediately, it was like he wanted him to know.

“I’m not. I said bye to him last night.”

“You’re lying! You haven’t left my side.”

“I’m not arguing with you, Half-Pint.”

I gently folded my arms over my chest, not wanting to give any inclination that I was in pain and my ribs hurt. “Great, seeing as I have no intention of arguing with you, you’re coming with me.”

“Alex,” he warned.

“I know why you’re acting this way. I’m not stupid.”

He smiled, folding his own arms over his chest, mocking me. “I am fully aware that you’re not stupid.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I stated not being charmed by his antics. “It was an accident.”

“An accident he caused.”

“He didn’t tell the tree to come out of nowhere, Lucas.”

He shook his head with a hard, grim expression. “No, you’re right, he didn’t do that. He just drove drunk as shit and raced his car through the woods. That makes it much better.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Tell that to the cops, Alex, because he’s in some deep shit after he gets discharged from the hospital. He will be lucky to ever drive again before he’s twenty-one.”

“Exactly, Bo, he’s already paying for his bad judgment. I got into the car, he didn’t make me,” I justified. “He doesn’t need to be held accountable by us.”

“I can’t help it. If something worse would have happened to you—”

“But it didn’t. I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” I argued.

“Tell that to your scars and your ribs, Alex.”

I rolled my eyes and placed my hand on my hip, a small smile spread across Lucas’s face, but he quickly covered it up.

“I could show you hundreds of scars from growing up with you boys. So please try something else because that weak excuse isn’t going to work on me. Didn’t you once tell me that scars are awesome and that they tell a story?” I reminded him, cocking my head to the side.