Fall

by Rachel Van Dyken

  “We’re going to be coming and going a lot,” he said smoothly. “If you give us some space and privacy, I promise to answer some of your questions. But please, don’t direct any of them to my girl, she’s had a rough couple of days and the last thing she needs to do is answer mindless questions about what it’s like to be Jamie Jaymeson’s girlfriend.”

  The cameras continued to go off but people stopped talking.

  “I love her,” he said simply looking down at me and bestowing a kiss on my forehead like I was the most precious treasure. “If you want to do something with the copious amounts of free time you seem to have, pray. Pray for her seventeen-year-old sister to make it through, because right now — she’s the only family my girl has left.”

  With that, he gave a slight nod and led me back into the hospital. I glanced back through the glass doors to see a few of the news ladies’ mouths completely dropped open, whether it was in shock over what he said, or shock over the fact that he’d just declared love — I had no idea. But it felt good. It felt better than he’d ever know. Because it wasn’t just me fighting for my sister, but Jaymeson too. Maybe it was crazy but in my heart, I felt like she would make it. As long as I had him on my team, she’d make it.

  By the time we reached the fifth floor I had gotten used to the stairs. It was weird because for the first time people weren’t just staring at him, they were staring at me. Possibly trying to figure out what in the world he was doing with me. But I didn’t care.

  “Mr. Jaymeson…” A nurse jogged toward us. “We have some news.”

  My heart stopped.

  But the nurse was smiling. That was good, right?

  “She’s been moved into one of the private suites on the eighth floor. The swelling has gone down considerably and the doctor’s confident that she’ll make a full recovery.”

  My shaking legs gave way. I would have landed on the floor had Jaymeson not gripped my body with his hands holding me steady.

  “Thank you.” He held out his free hand and shook the nurse’s hand firmly. “What room number?”

  “One.” The nurse beamed.

  Jaymeson half carried me to the elevator as we went up a few more floors. I was so excited to see my sister that I wanted to run out the elevator and throw myself onto her bed.

  Lucky for me, Jaymeson kept me grounded. He was probably sure I was going to face plant if I tried to make a run for it.

  The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, we took a left toward the rooms labeled one through ten. And then took another left.

  When the nurse said suite, I’d thought she meant a big room. Not an actual hotel suite.

  Dani still had some tubes connected to her, but the color had returned to her cheeks.

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Dani?” Tears filled my eyes. “Are you awake?”

  Her eyes flickered open. Growing up, I’d always been jealous of her. She had beautiful honey brown hair and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. While I’d always felt plain, she was striking.

  “Pris?” Her voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable. “Is that you?”

  “Yeah.” Carefully, I sat on the bed and reached for her hand, she struggled to sit up and then blinked a few more times.

  “Pris?”

  “What, baby girl?”

  “Um…” She blinked again. It was then I realized she was looking over my shoulder. “Did they say anything about me hallucinating?”

  “No…”

  “Oh.” She blinked again. “Is Jamie Jaymeson standing in my room?”

  “Oh.” I managed to laugh. “Yeah, he’s um, kind of, he’s—”

  “Careful, you’re going to hurt yourself, love.” Jaymeson winked and approached the bed. “I’m your sister’s boyfriend.”

  Dani’s eyes went wide as saucers.

  Yeah. Two months ago I would have had the same reaction.

  I cleared my throat. “How are you feeling?”

  “Crappy.” Dani sniffled. “But the drugs are helping take away the pain — at least the physical pain.” Her eyes closed briefly as a few tears escaped.

  “I’ll just leave you girls for a minute,” Jaymeson whispered and stepped out of the room.

  “They told you about Mom and Dad?” I squeezed her hand.

  She nodded.

  “And the accident? Do you remember anything?”

  Dani broke eye contact and stared at the blanket.

  “Dani, it’s not your fault. I know you must be traumatized but—”

  “It was,” Dani said in a hollow voice. “It was my fault.”

  “Accident,” I said slowly. “Dani, you couldn’t have prevented it.”

  Her answer was to shrug. I knew it would take time, she’d just woken up and I knew I’d probably respond the same way.

  “Hey.” I changed the subject. “How about we watch a movie or something? Are you up for it?”

  She blushed.

  “What?”

  Dani leaned forward awkwardly, her tiny body nearly impossible to see underneath all the stuff connected to her. “Is it weird to watch a Jamie Jaymeson movie when he’s actually sitting in my room?”

  “Nah.” I grinned. “He’s a total narcissist. He’ll probably eat it right up,” I teased.

  She blushed harder.

  “Let me grab him…” I patted her hand and went out of the room to retrieve the movie star.

  “Everything okay?” He yawned.

  “Yup.” I tried to hold my grin in.

  “What?” His eyes narrowed.

  “She really likes you.”

  “Love, I played a superhero last year and saved the world like five times. Of course she loves me.”

  “Hmm…” I tapped my chin. “And to think, I thought the cocky Jaymeson was long gone.”

  “Oh, he’s still here.” He pulled me into his arms and softly kissed my mouth. “He’s just on his best behavior.”

  “I wish he wasn’t.”

  He took control of my mouth again. “Oh, don’t worry, my self control is hanging by a thread, and you, my dear, possess the scissors…”

  I giggled and looked to the side as he kissed my neck. All the staff gathered around the nurse’s station watched with rapt attention.

  Clearing my throat, I hit him in the arm and stepped back, probably blushing like a lunatic if the heat in my face was any indication.

  “She wants to watch a movie.” I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear.

  “Movie it is.” Jaymeson wrapped his arm around me. I sighed into his chest. Grief was strange. I’d never fully experienced it. One moment I wanted to cry, and the next I was laughing.

  Shouldn’t I be crying every minute?

  For some reason, even though my entire body screamed with sadness, having Jaymeson? Well, he was the umbrella to my rain cloud.

  And I knew… my dad was the type to look at the positive. Always. If he were here… Tears welled again. If he were here, he’d ask me why I was wasting my time crying, when I should be celebrating life.

  Celebrating what I had left.

  A little sister.

  Jaymeson.

  Friends.

  Life.

  I could hear my dad’s words like he was actually there, speaking them over me. “Life is over in a blink of an eye — so why waste your time being anything but happy that you’ve been given another day to live?”

  “Hey, you okay?” Jaymeson whispered in my ear.

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “I really am.”

  I thought of my dad’s smile. Of his reassuring hugs, of his playfulness, and his amazing ability to captivate everyone around him.

  And my mom — to her, everything was funny. Life was hilarious, she’d say. She found joy in planting flowers and baking cakes for anyone who would eat them.

  If I could describe my parents in one word, it would be joyful.

  And I swore right then and there, that I wouldn’t let that legacy die with them.

  ****

/>   We watched two movies. Dani fell asleep during the first thirty minutes of the second one, but Jaymeson wanted to keep watching.

  He claimed he’d never seen one of his movies before.

  He cringed about every five seconds and covered his eyes, alternating between saying, “Bloody awful,” and “Bloody terrible,” over and over again.

  I decided I needed to record his expression. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture. I was rewarded with a glare, and then he was back to watching himself, his face wincing as he delivered lines in the movie.

  Once I saved the picture — I itched to Facebook it — to share it. Which was stupid because technically he didn’t have a Facebook.

  Then again.

  I didn’t either.

  Bad call — I shouldn’t have deleted my account. With a sigh, I quickly logged back in and reactivated my account.

  I had thirty messages from Jamie Hudson who had now changed his name to Jamie Hudson Jaymeson.

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: I’m sorry.

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: Please forgive me.

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: I’m an ass (he’d inserted a picture of an actual ass)

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: …Love

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: I think I may love you.

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: Never mind… I know I love you.

  The messages were all similar, each and every one of them made me want to cry.

  I wiped at a few stray tears and almost dropped my phone when it went off again. I had one new message from Jaymeson. With a smile I looked up, and he winked from his spot on the bed.

  With a smile, I opened the message, and this time really did drop my phone before picking it back up again.

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: Say you’ll marry me.

  Shaking, I answered.

  Me: Are you asking?

  Jamie Hudson Jaymeson: More like ordering. I’m Jamie Jaymeson — I don’t ask.

  Me: That’s too bad, because I’m Priscilla S. Garcia and I need you to ask.

  He didn’t respond. My heart deflated a bit as I stared at the phone and waited for the notification alert.

  And then I looked up.

  Jamie Jaymeson wasn’t messaging me on Facebook. He was real, in the flesh — and he was kneeling in front of me. An adorable, worshipful smile crossed his lips as he reached for my phone, set it on the bed, and wrapped his warm hands around my fingertips.

  “Demanding little minx, aren’t you, love?” Those same full lips curled into a gut-wrenching smile that had me full-on melting against the bed.

  “I love you.” Each word was said so softly that my ears strained to hear. “I love you.” He looked into my eyes and repeated, “I love you.” With a sigh he lifted my hands to his lips and kissed every single finger before uttering again, “I love you.”

  My breath caught as he lifted my palm to his mouth and kissed. “I want to spend my life saying those three little words… every chance I get. Priscilla, will you rescue me? Will you reform me? Will you partner with me? Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?”

  “No way,” a low voice muttered.

  I looked up with blurry eyes to see Demetri, Alec, Nat, and Alyssa watching the exchange. Demetri looked like he was about ready to pass out while Alec was grinning like a fool.

  Jaymeson cleared his throat.

  I glanced back at him, at his beautiful green eyes, dark hair, full lips, he was beautiful on the outside — it’s what had attracted me to him in the first place. But I could honestly say, it was his heart that I loved the most.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “Yes!”

  I flung myself into his arms nearly knocking him over.

  Alec whistled while Demetri looked like he needed a paper bag to breathe into.

  “What’s all the noise?” my sister asked in a sleepy voice. Then she rubbed her eyes and paled. “Pris, please tell me I don’t have both members of AD2 in my room as well as Jamie Jaymeson.”

  “Uhh…” I laughed. Dani had only met the guys a few times, and even then she’d been so tongue-tied she’d actually gone pale and just walked away.

  “Want me to sing you a song?” Demetri offered, grinning like a fool. Alyssa smacked him in the stomach, and he bent over in pain.

  “See?” Alec laughed. “We’re real.”

  “Pris,” Dani croaked. “I think, when I’m not so tired, we have some catching up to do.”

  “Yeah.” I pried myself away from Jaymeson and grabbed her hand. “We do.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Jaymeson

  Demetri alternated between eyeing me like I was high and shaking his head, before he finally resorted to muttering to himself. Pretty sure this was one of those times he wished he still did drugs.

  “You fell fast.” He shook his head. “Less than two months and you’re proposing.”

  “When you know, you know,” I teased.

  His eyes narrowed, and then he pointed. “We’re getting married first.”

  “You and me?” I asked innocently.

  “Jackass. Me and Lyss. Don’t go raining on our parade, I want to have sex again. Lots and lots of sex. I will not have my British brother cock block me!”

  “Shh.” Alec gave me an irritated look. “She’s sleeping.”

  It was just us three and Dani.

  The girls had gone to get food and thought it might be smarter to keep us all secluded in the room so we wouldn’t be responsible for another nurse passing out. I didn’t actually see it happen, but apparently when Demetri accidently walked into the wrong room, a nurse was so startled — he says by his good looks — that she fainted.

  I think she was just overworked and exhausted.

  But Demetri was convinced it was his presence. Yeah, good luck with that one, Alyssa. He was still as cocky as ever.

  Dani had fallen asleep again on account of all the drugs they were pumping through her system, which was probably a good thing considering her heart monitor had gone crazy once she realized that all of us were, in fact, standing together in her hospital room.

  My phone started ringing.

  Peter.

  It was the third time he’d called me that day.

  “I’ll be back, guys.” I answered the phone and walked hastily into the waiting room. “I won’t change my mind.”

  “Jamie,” a gruff voice said. “This is Danny Erickson, I’m sitting here with your agent discussing the movie’s future.”

  “Sir.” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry that I turned down the in-person audition, but there’s no way I could leave—”

  “I understand, son.” His voice was gruff. “I lost my little girl to a car accident when she was seven. She was riding her bike in the street and got clipped.”

  I sucked in a breath. “That’s awful, my condolences, sir.”

  “What I’m trying to say, and what I’ve been telling your agent for the past two hours is… you need to do what you need to do. But this movie? It’s not going to get made unless you have the lead. I believe in you for the part, and I can’t imagine anyone but you playing it.”

  It felt good to be wanted, but I couldn’t leave Pris. “I just asked my girlfriend to marry me.”

  “Congratulations!” Danny sounded genuinely happy. “Would that be the girl who did the scene with you?”

  “Yeah,” I said in a voice that probably sounded more blissful than business.

  “Great, that makes this so much easier.”

  “This?”

  “We want her to play the role opposite you.”

  I almost dropped the phone.

  “Pardon?” I squeaked, pounding my chest like I’d just swallowed a bug. An unknown? They were going to give the part… to Pris?

  “I’ve surprised you.” He chuckled. “Your agent poured himself a drink, I’m not sure if it was in celebration or stress. At any rate, it’s my movie, and I have full control of casting. The chemistry you both demonstrated was unlike anything I’ve seen in a ver
y, very long time, son. Now, Peter has explained your situation in great detail. If we’re able to move a chunk of the movie to Oregon rather than Louisiana, and if your fiancée is okay with it, can I get a verbal agreement?”

  “Yes.” This was happening. Holy shit. “Yes, I’ll do it.”

  “Fantastic.” I heard a few claps. “We didn’t want to film in Louisiana anyway. It didn’t have the right feel. Oregon has some great tax breaks, so we’ll be saving money filming in that location anyways. Alright, pre-production’s set for two weeks. You may need to fly down with your fiancée a few times, but we’ll make it work.”

  “Do you want me to tell her?” Please let me tell her.

  “Of course! We’ll be in touch, Jaymeson.”

  “Sir.”

  I ended the conversation and stared at my phone for a good five minutes before mindlessly shuffling back into the suite.

  “Everything alright?” Alec popped his gum and leaned back in the chair.

  “Yeah.” I stuffed the phone back in my pocket. “Um, I got the part.”

  “Awesome.” Demetri pumped his fist in the air. “I love happy endings. The whore discovers a heart and lives happily ever after in Oz under a rainbow of potted gold.”

  “Uh…” Alec patted Demetri’s shoulder. “I think you’re mixing your fairy tales up with the great wizard and lucky charms.”

  “Damn, I’m starving,” Demetri muttered.

  “They’re offering the other lead to Pris.”

  Demetri fell back in his chair. Alec caught him before he hit the ground. Both of them cursed then winced as Dani moaned in her sleep.

  “How?” Alec asked while Demetri said. “Does she know?”

  “We did the audition tape together. It was…” Hot. That’s what it was. It was amazing. The first time I’d said I love you out loud.

  Alec clapped his hands. “Dude, stop spacing out. You’re worse than Demetri, and you don’t have the excuse of having no brain cells left from drug use.”

  “I love my brother. I love my brother. I love my brother.” Demetri squeezed his eyes shut and repeated the mantra.

  “Boys!” Nat entered the room lifting bags of food in the air. “We brought you food!”

  We fell silent.

  The girls stared at us.