by Kai Juniper
"A couple days ago."
Is that why Chad was calling me? To see if I'd take him back? There's no way that's happening. He can go find someone else to treat like shit.
"You two are such a cute couple," she says. "Everyone's waiting for you two to get back together."
"It's never happening. I have Dean now, and he's a million times better than Chad. I had no idea what I was missing out on until I started dating Dean."
Jane's quiet, then says, "Wait, are you serious? You're really dating that guy?"
"Yes, and if you knew him, you'd understand why. He's kind, mature, responsible, loving, and he has the most amazing body I've ever seen."
"Brook, what is wrong with you? Did you not see the news? The guy's the son of a convicted felon who just escaped from prison."
"Yeah, I'm aware of what's going on," I say, rolling my eyes. "It's why I spent all day talking to the police and at the hospital with Dean. It's why I won't sleep tonight."
"Why would you get yourself involved in this? You go from this perfect life with Chad to a life with some dumb jock, the son of a violent criminal? It doesn't make sense."
"I never had a perfect life with Chad. He made me feel worthless, like I was never good enough. He even told me that. He was always telling me what I needed to change to be better."
"He was being supportive."
"He was being controlling, and I hated it. I wasn't happy with Chad. I just pretended I was because everyone said I should be. Dean's shown me what real happiness feels like. He's the last person I would've imagined myself being with but now I can't imagine being with anyone else."
"Okay, I don't know who I'm talking to because this doesn't sound like you at all. What happened to wanting a nice house? A nice car? Going to a good college?"
"I can still have those things but I also want to be with someone I love, and someone who loves me back. Chad never loved me. He said the words but he didn't mean them."
"He loved you, and still does. That's why he wants you back."
"If that's why he called, he's wasting his time."
"He called you?"
"He couldn't. I blocked his number. He called my mom and told her he wanted to talk to me."
"Brook, you need to call him back. If he put in the effort to call your mom, it means he's really serious about this."
"Calling my mom didn't take effort. He was using her, hoping she'd convince me to call him, which I'm not going to do."
"If I were you, I'd consider it. You've known this other guy for what...a few weeks? Maybe a month? That's nothing. You've known Chad forever. You can't just give that up."
"I can, and I did. I don't want him back. I'm so much happier without him. I didn't know I could even be this happy."
"You're happy being with a guy who's in the hospital because his father, a convicted felon, beat him up? Sounds like a real stable family. No dysfunction there," she says sarcastically. "Where's his mom? Is she in prison too?"
"She took off last year. Dean's been raising his brother, something Chad would never do."
"Chad also wouldn't end up in prison."
"Dean's never been in prison."
"Yeah, but he will be. That's his future. Kids who have a parent in prison usually end up there themselves. Look it up if you don't believe me."
"That might be true for some people, but not Dean. He'd never hurt anyone."
"He plays football. He's already hurt people."
"That's different. It's part of the sport. It's not like he does it on purpose. And outside of football, he'd never hurt anyone."
"You sure about that? You ever see him when he's angry?"
"Yes, and he was fine. He's not like his dad. Not even close."
"Yeah, okay," she says in a condescending tone.
"Jane, I have to go." I need to end this call before I yell at her for saying bad things about Dean. She doesn't even know him.
"Call Chad. You two could at least be friends. As for the other guy, good luck."
I end the call and turn out the light, even though there's no way I'm sleeping after that. I'm so freaking angry. She acts like she knows what's best for me. Chad acted that way too and I hated it. They both seem to think I'm too stupid to figure out my own life. They don't get that what they think is best for me isn't what makes me happy. My parents don't get it either.
At two in the morning, I'm still awake, staring at the ceiling and wishing I could call Dean. I hope he's okay. I hope he's sleeping and not in pain.
A text pops up on my phone. You awake?
It's Eve.
How'd you know? I text back.
You want to talk?
It's ok. You can go back to sleep.
The phone rings.
"Eve, you didn't have to call."
"We're friends. Of course I'm going to call. How are you feeling?"
"Sad. Angry. Helpless."
"Understandable. Who are you angry at? His dad?"
"Chad. Jane. My mom. They all keep telling me I shouldn't be with Dean. They think he's trouble and I should stay away. None of them care that Dean makes me happy. It's like that doesn't even matter."
"You talked to Chad?"
"No. I blocked his number, but he called my mom. He wants to talk to me."
"About what?"
"He didn't say. He made it sound like it was urgent so my mom would make me call him, but I'm not doing it. I don't have anything to say to him."
"Do you think he wants to get back with you?"
"Jane said he does. She called when I got home. She said Tamara moved back to LA, which explains why Chad is suddenly interested in me again. He doesn't want to have to put the effort in with someone new. With me, it was easy. He could just ignore me and I put up with it."
"He doesn't know you're with Dean? I thought that girl from your old school saw you two together."
"She did, and she told everyone at school, but people thought it was a joke, including Chad. He thinks I'm pretending to be with Dean to make him jealous. Even when I told Jane tonight that I'm dating Dean, she didn't believe me. And when I finally convinced her, she told me to break up with him and go back to Chad."
"And you're friends with this girl?"
"Not really. Not anymore. I don't know why we ever were. When I think back to all the years we were friends, I don't even know who I was back then. I feel like it was someone else. Moving here and going to a new school, I feel like a different person."
"Which is better? The old you or the new one?"
"The new one. The old one wasn't even real. It was just me being who everyone told me to be. And the thing is, I don't think that ever would've changed if I hadn't gotten away from those people."
"So being rich isn't so great, huh?"
"It is in some ways, but it's not as great as people think." I stare up at the ceiling. "I hope he's okay."
"He's good. He's sleeping."
"What if he doesn't get better?"
"He will. Dean will go crazy lying in bed all day. There's no way he'll put up with being stuck in a hospital."
"He may not have a choice."
"He wants to be with you, and be with Jake. He'll do anything to make that happen, even if he has to force himself to get better."
"I don't think that's possible."
"Maybe not, but if it were, he'd do it."
"He'd leave right now if he knew about Jake. He'd be trying to hunt down his dad and get Jake back."
"When are you going to tell him what happened?"
"I'm hoping they find his dad before I have to."
"He's going to ask about Jake once the drugs wear off and he's more alert."
"I know, but I don't think that's happening in the next few days. He's in a lot of pain. They're going to keep him on those drugs."
"Dean's used to pain from playing football. He can handle a lot more than we could. If he tells them to back off on the drugs he could be asking questions by tomorrow, or today."
"Y
ou're supposed to be making me feel better. Now I'm freaking out."
"Sorry, I just want you to be prepared. You know he's going to ask to see Jake."
"Maybe I'll have to lie. Telling him is only going to upset him, and if he's upset, he won't rest."
"You really want to lie to him?"
"No." I sigh. "I don't know what to do. I know I need to tell him but I'm afraid of what he's going to do when he finds out. Can we talk about something else? I'm getting more stressed the longer we talk about this."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Anything. Pick a topic."
"Someone asked Evan out," she says, laughing.
"Why is that funny?"
"Because it's Evan, my stupid brother who smells like sweaty socks and lives on cheese puffs."
"Evan doesn't smell."
"Trust me, he does. And his fingers are always coated in that cheese dust. It's disgusting."
"I've never noticed that," I say, feeling a smile creep up my lips. It's amazing Eve can make me smile even when I'm feeling sad. "I think you're exaggerating because he's your brother."
"Whatever. Anyway, he's going out with her this weekend, unless he chickens out and cancels."
"Why would he chicken out?"
"Because she's way out of his league."
"Who is it?"
"Christina. She's a cheerleader."
"Dark hair? Big boobs? Really good dancer?"
"Yeah that's her. He thought she was joking when she asked so he didn't give her an answer. He just walked away."
"What did she do?"
Eve laughs. "She ran after him and yelled at him for not answering. I don't know this girl but I already like her just for that. Anyway, they're going out on Saturday, or that's the plan. Now that he knows she likes him, he's freaking out, thinking he'll screw it up, which he probably will."
"You should help him. Tell him what to do."
"Are you kidding? He doesn't listen to me. And I don't listen to him. I'd never take his advice about dating."
"Speaking of dating, I noticed Kendrick kept looking at you tonight."
"No, he wasn't. He was looking down the hall to see if Heather would show up. I saw him flirting with her at lunch last week."
"He wasn't flirting. I was there that day. He was just talking to her."
"Talking. Flirting. It's all the same."
"Eve, I'm telling you. He likes you. He kept looking over at you."
"Maybe he was looking at you, checking to see if you were okay. Those guys are really protective of you. Being Dean's girl has earned you the royal treatment from the entire team."
"That's not true. Most of them didn't even know we were dating."
"They knew. And if they didn't, they did after seeing you at the hospital, begging the nurse every five minutes to let you see Dean. That team is like a family. They take care of their own. That's why they were all there tonight, and why they keep offering to give you rides and stuff."
"They really are good guys. I always thought football players were assholes but these guys are different. I saw that tonight. I couldn't believe they all showed up." I yawn. "I think I'm actually getting tired. I might be able to sleep."
"Good to know I can put you to sleep."
"I didn't mean it that way."
"I know. See you tomorrow. Want me to pick you up?"
"You don't have to. It's out of your way."
"I'll be there at seven. I'll make Evan sit in the back. Bye!"
How did I get so lucky to find a friend like her? Someone who checks on me in the middle of the night? Spends hours waiting at the hospital with me? Goes out of her way to pick me up so I don't have to ride the bus? There isn't a single person at my old school who would do that.
Finally feeling relaxed, I fall asleep, dreaming of Dean being healthy again, wishing I could be with him.
Chapter Seven
Dean
"Get away from her!" I yell as his hands grip her neck, his fingers digging into her delicate flesh.
I yank him back, my fist positioned and ready to strike. I slam it into his throat. His eyes widen and he makes a choking sound. I hit him again, this time in the face, then throw him against the wall.
"Dean, no!" she says, sputtering and coughing as she tries to breathe. He choked her, almost killed her, but he'll never do it again.
Rage fills my veins as I look at him, giving me that smirk, thinking he's smarter than me. Stronger than me. Thinking he's going to win.
I grab the gun and aim it at him.
He doesn't look the least bit scared. "You wouldn't do it, boy. You don't even know how to use one of them. You're too stupid."
"Let's find out," I say, pointing it at his chest. I pull the trigger.
His body jerks against the wall. His jaw drops, his eyes narrowed in confusion. He didn't think I'd do it. I surprised him. For once, I proved him wrong.
"Dean, stop!"
Her screams don't faze me. She doesn't understand. None of us are safe if he's alive. I thought I could trust the system but I couldn't. They let him go.
I shoot him again. He falls to the floor. It's not enough. I have to know he's gone. I shoot him once more, then stand over him, watching the blood pour from his chest.
"Rest in hell, Dad." I walk over to Brook. "It's okay. He's gone."
Brook's slumped down on the floor.
"Brook, it's okay. You can get up now."
I pull on her arm. It's limp. And cold.
"Brook?" I kneel down to her, my heart thundering in my chest. "Brook, get up!"
I turn her over and see her face is blue. "Brook! Brook, wake up!" I feel for a pulse. Nothing. No pulse, and she's cold as ice. "Brook!"
"Get a doctor," I hear someone say. I feel someone pulling on my arm, then something touching my chest.
My eyes open and I see a nurse hovering over me.
"What's happening?" I say, but it sounds like someone else. My voice is weak and hoarse.
"You were trying to get up," the nurse says. "You were pulling out your IV and your heart rate shot up."
A woman in a white coat appears. "What is it?"
"Dr. Engels," the nurse says, turning to her. "You might want to check him. He was trying to get up. He might've pulled out some of the stitches."
The doctor walks up to me, smiling. "Going somewhere?"
"I had a nightmare," I say, rubbing my neck. It itches like crazy.
She takes my hand away. "You need to leave it alone. It might itch as the skin closes but scratching it could break open the stitches. Let me take a look." She turns my head to the side and I hear the bandage being peeled away. "Looks like they're intact." She stands back. "How are you feeling today?"
"Good."
It's a fucking lie. I've got a pounding headache, throbbing pain all down my body, a sharp pain in my ribcage every time I breathe, and my neck itches so bad I'm about to rip the skin off.
"You sure about that?" the doctor asks, raising her brows.
"I'm not a hundred percent but I'm feeling better."
She nods. "I'll check your chart and see if we can cut back on the pain meds. We want to alleviate the pain but don't want to go overboard on the drugs. I'm sure you've noticed they make you groggy and maybe a little disoriented."
A little? I keep waking up not knowing where I am or what day it is. I think I've been here a day but who the hell knows? I thought Brook was here but that must've been a dream. The nurse said only family is allowed to see me. Was Jacob here? If he was, I don't remember seeing him. I need to get out of here and get to a regular room. It's the only way I can have visitors. I need to see Brook. I need to know she's okay. I keep having nightmares that he hurt her.
"We'll back off on the drugs," the doctor says, "but tell us if you feel any pain. If so, we can always go back to the higher dose."
"What day is it?"
"Tuesday. You've been here a day."
"What's the time?"
"I believe
it's almost noon." She checks her watch. "Yes. Eleven forty-five."
I try to sit up but the pain stops me. I sink back into the pillows.
"What's wrong with me?" I ask, noticing how hard it is to talk. Every time I do, I feel it in my neck, like it's stretching the skin, making it burn and itch.
"Do you mean your injuries?"
"Yeah."
"You have a concussion, and contusions along your head and neck, as well as a good portion of your body."
"Contusions. What is that?"
"Bruising. There's a lot of swelling as well. It'll go down as you heal. There was damage to your neck so you had surgery to repair the tissue."
"What else?"
"There's a partial fracture on the left side of your ribcage but there's nothing we can do for that. It just needs time to heal. The same for your knee. At first we thought it might be fractured but it's actually a ligament injury. With rest and physical therapy, it should heal just fine."
"Can I still play football?"
"Not for awhile but eventually, yes, you should be able to."
"But I'm out for the season."
"I'm afraid so."
There goes my chance at a scholarship. College. A future. What the hell am I going to do? Work at a gas station for the rest of my life?
It's just what my dad wanted. He always said I'd be a failure, and just as I'm about to prove him wrong, he shows up to make sure it doesn't happen. The bastard wants me to fail. I fucking hate him.
"Where is he?" I ask, trying to sit up again and failing miserably.
"Who?"
"My dad. Where is he?"
"I don't know. I'm sorry, but you'll have to ask someone else about that. Do you have any other questions for me? Medical questions?"
"When can I get out of here?"
"Your condition has improved faster than expected. If it continues, you could be out in a day or two."
"I'll be home in two days?" I ask, unable to believe they'd send me home when I can barely move.
She smiles. "Not home, but moved to a regular room."
"How long will I be in the hospital?"
"It'll depend on how you're doing." She turns to the nurse as she returns. "I'm going to lower his pain meds. If he needs more, we'll up the level again."
The nurse nods as the doctor leaves.
