Dirty Roomie

by Alycia Taylor

  When I woke up again, I saw that I had been asleep for two hours. It had felt like I’d only just closed my eyes. I sat up a little and looked around, wondering where everyone was. I’d been lucky enough in life not to have been admitted to hospital before, so the feeling of it was something I wasn’t used to. I was used to just getting up and going wherever I wanted. Thankfully, a nurse came in only a few minutes later and asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink.

  “I didn’t even realize I was hungry,” I said to her. “But now that you mention it, I’m starving. Yes please.”

  She came back carrying a tray with soup, two slices of bread, and some tea. The tea reminded me of Nick, and I felt a pang of sadness for my old life. I wanted to be back in the training center, teasing him for drinking tea while doing the same thing myself. I wanted to feel like I had my whole life ahead of me, rather than feeling like it had all been taken away. I ate quickly, and when I put the tray down, I felt as if I could eat another whole meal and still not feel full. I wondered if the nurse would allow me to have more.

  But I didn’t get a chance to ask her because the next person that walked into the room wasn’t the nurse. It was my father.

  “Pop?” I said. Then I laughed. “Oh wait, I think I’m dreaming. Man, this feels real.”

  He chuckled. “You’re not dreaming.”

  “Seriously? It’s really you? What’s going on?”

  “I heard you were in the hospital. There’s no way I’m not visiting my own son in the hospital.”

  I looked at him. My father. It was strange to see him here in front of me. The man I had once despised for the way he had treated us. Especially the way he had treated Brady. And yet . . . here he was. He was a good man who had done some bad things, but he’d come through stronger and better than ever before. It was hard not to feel emotional with him standing in front of me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. “I can’t believe you came all this way to see me.”

  “Ryan, you know I’m always here for you. I always have been.”

  “I know. Oh hey, did you see Reed?”

  My father beamed. “Yes! I got to see two sons in one visit. I’m glad Reed is here for you. He’s looking good, don’t you think?”

  I smiled. “He sure is. I hope you aren’t leaving today, because Trinity is also here.”

  “I’m not. And yes, Reed told me. I haven’t seen her in such a long time. I cannot wait. She’s probably grown up so much.”

  “She has. She’s the sweetest thing. Reed has done such a good job with her, you know, despite all that he went through. Sometimes I’m amazed at how strong he is. I don’t think I’m nearly as strong as that.”

  “Are you kidding me? Of course you are. You’re a Maxwell. We were made to be tough. We all just have different ways of showing it. We’re all stubborn, we all like to do things our own way, and we all fuck up somewhere along the line because of these traits. But we all bounce back. Because we’re Maxwells. It’s who we are. We never give up.”

  I’d never heard my father speak this way before.

  “You’re not usually this vocal, you know. What happened?”

  He laughed. “Cancer happened.”

  “Oh Pop, I’m so sorry.”

  “Why? I’m doing well. Look at me. I’m even getting my stomach back again,” he said and laughed.

  “How are you so optimistic?” I asked. I certainly didn’t feel that upbeat.

  “As I said, I wasn’t in the beginning. But I bounced back. It gave me a new way of looking at life. And it showed me what was really important. Family, for example. That’s the most important thing ever.”

  “Pop, they say I can’t fight again,” I said suddenly. “But I really want to do this one fight. Just the one. The guy is talking trash about me like you won’t believe. He is telling the world that I’m too scared to fight him. Which is just absolutely ridiculous. I don’t want anyone to feel that way about me. It’s not fair. What do you think I should do? If you were in my position, you’d fight, wouldn’t you?”

  My father shook his head. “I wouldn’t fight. Family is important, Ryan. The media is not. What this opponent thinks of you is not. But we are. If you don’t want to stop for yourself then at least do it for us. I love you, Ryan. And I won’t let you fight. It’s not up to you anymore. We’re all taking a stand for you. What’s the point in fighting if you might die?”

  “But I could die anytime, Pop.”

  “Yes, but the probability of you killing yourself with this fight is much higher. And we both know it.”

  I nodded. There was nothing much else I could say to that. He was right, and we both knew it. Also, I was used to not listening to anyone when it came to their advice. But my father’s words had always carried more weight than anyone else’s.

  And just like that, I knew what was going to happen. I wasn’t going to fight.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Blaire

  “You sure you can’t stay?” I said to Reed that morning. We were waiting outside for the cab to collect him and Trinity.

  “I wish I could. I have an urgent meeting today that I have to be back for and a whole lot of patients waiting for me.”

  I nodded. “I really appreciate you coming. I know how much it meant to Ryan too. But it was great not being home alone.”

  “Anytime, Blaire. I’m glad he has you here.”

  I looked down and saw Trinity looking down. She looked sad. I kneeled down and saw that she was crying.

  “Oh, Trinity, why are you crying? You’re going to go back and see all your cool friends. I’m sure they miss you.”

  She nodded. “But I want to stay here with you. It’s not fair that we have to go back.”

  “How about we make a deal?” I said.

  She looked up, interested but not entirely too sure whether she should believe me or not.

  “A deal?” she asked. Her voice was small and timid.

  “Yeah, how about we make a deal to at least see each other once a month?”

  “Really?”

  “Of course. And if you can’t come here, then I’ll come and see you.”

  “Yes! That would be so cool.”

  “It can be our monthly sister meeting.”

  She grinned. “That’s twelve times in one year.”

  “Whoa! You’re smart. That’s hundred percent correct.”

  I stood up and looked at Reed. “I’m not just saying that to make her happy, by the way. I would love to come and visit often. I hope you don’t mind me just inviting myself like that.”

  He grinned. “Of course I don’t mind. And I want her to see her uncle too. I appreciate this, Blaire,” he said.

  The cab arrived seconds later, and I waved to both of them until the car was no longer in sight. When they were gone, I looked around and quickly got into my own car. Even though I knew that my stalker was no longer around, I still felt nervous when I was alone.

  The police had called me the other day with news. The stalker was a man named Peter Dorrington. He was forty-eight years old, an accountant for a well-known firm, and a loner. He had no friends or family that any of his work colleagues knew of, and when they found out what he had done, they all said that they weren’t surprised. They all agreed that there was something off about the guy. He had a bit of a thing for celebrities, and his crush on me had started when he had discovered that I lived nearby. Once he knew where to find me, his obsession had grown and grown. Colleagues said that he talked about me all the time, as if he knew me personally. He decided that he wanted to marry me, and when he thought that I had married Ryan, he went completely insane. He figured if he couldn’t have me, nobody should. Thankfully, with all the evidence stacked up against him, he had been put in jail, and when he would eventually get out years later, he would not be allowed near me. The thought comforted me.

  But I didn’t want to think about Peter Dorrington anymore. I wanted to see Ryan.

  When I arrived at the hospital, I fo
und Ryan sitting up in bed and eating. The color had returned to his face, and his eyes were sparkling. He looked much stronger and more comprehensive than he had the last time that I had seen him.

  “Hey, Sunny,” he said the moment he saw me.

  “Hey, Ryan. Man, you’re looking good.”

  “I am?”

  “You are. You look so much stronger. Ooh, what are you eating?”

  “Some ham sandwich. It’s delicious. I can’t stop eating. The nurse said that she had never seen anyone eat as much as I do. I think I’m still trying to make up for the day that I was in the coma. I’m a bit of a guzzler now.”

  I laughed. “Nothing wrong with that. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been stress eating too.”

  “Ah, I see we are finally working toward our plan of not working and just getting fat. Although, you look like you’ve lost weight,” he said and frowned.

  “Yeah, I might eat more when I’m stressed, but I also lose more weight. But I’m feeling less stressed now that I see how healthy you’re looking. Oh, and Trinity said I must tell you to come and visit soon. She and I have planned a monthly meet up. Poor girl, she was so sad to leave.”

  “She loves you,” Ryan said.

  “She’s the sweetest thing. Pity they had to leave so early.”

  “Yeah. Reed is a busy man, though.”

  “So, how are you feeling?” I asked.

  “Blaire, I’ve made a decision about the fight.”

  I gulped. I had been nervous about this moment. If he told me that he was still going to fight, which I knew was highly possible, I wasn’t sure how I was going to react. I’d be angry. I’d be hurt. I’d—

  “I’m not going to do it.”

  “What?” I asked. I had not expected him to say that.

  He sighed. “You’re all right. It’s not just me that I have to think of. It’s all of you. And anyway, what’s the point in fighting someone just to prove a point? If I die or end up in a state much worse than this, then what point have I really proven?”

  I leaned in and kissed him. “Oh, Ryan. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I’ve been so worried that you were just going to go ahead and fight, anyway. I know how stubborn you are. I’m not sure what I would do without you.”

  He laughed. “Why is everyone calling me stubborn these days?”

  “Because you are,” I said. “Who else has said that?”

  “Actually, someone that I want you to meet. He should be here any minute now.”

  Ryan wanted me to meet someone? This was news to me. “Who is it?” I asked.

  “You’ll see,” he said and grinned.

  I was just about to ask him again when I heard a knock at the door. I turned around and immediately knew that I was looking at Ryan’s father. The resemblance was uncanny. The Maxwell family were all unique, but there was an undercurrent of similarities that was impossible to ignore. I felt nervous seeing him there. I hadn’t had the chance to prepare myself for the meeting. Did I look okay? Was he going to approve of me? Was he going to be angry that I was the one that got Ryan in this position? A million thoughts were running through my head when I stood up to greet him.

  “Pop, this is the lovely Blaire that I was telling you about.”

  “Oh, Blaire, it’s wonderful to meet you. I’m so sorry to hear about what happened. I hear my son was quite the heroic one,” he said proudly.

  “POP!” Ryan groaned.

  I beamed at him. “He was indeed. I’m honestly not sure what I would’ve done without him. And it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Pity about the circumstances.”

  “You are just as beautiful as Ryan said you would be,” he said.

  I blushed, and Ryan groaned again.

  We sat down, and the two of us immediately started talking. As it turns out, Ryan’s father was very easy to talk to. Ryan told me that he was a closed book, but this was not the person that was in front of me at all. This guy was a happy, talkative man who seemed to only want the best for his children.

  “I hear you run a bike shop,” I said to him.

  “Oh, don’t get him started. He’ll be talking motorcycles all day,” Ryan said.

  “Ignore the invalid,” I said to his father. “I’m interested.”

  “Ooh, I like this one,” his father said and immediately launched into his tales. He told me all about his shop and his other son who worked with him. Then he told me about the motorcycle club and how at one stage the whole family was involved.

  “Now they’re all out there living their own lives. I can’t blame them of course. But it was nice to have them all together at one time.”

  “That’s the place where they all got those nicknames, isn’t it?” I asked when a memory came flooding to the of my mind.

  He grinned. “Oh good, Ryan has been telling you about it then. Yeah, those damn nicknames. You know, some of those kids still call each other that. Ian is the worst. Everyone walks around calling him Gunner. What a stupid name.”

  “Everyone calls you Pop,” Ryan added in.

  “And how many times have I tried to get you boys to call me Dad? Too many times to remember.”

  “Doesn’t Ian call you Dad?” Ryan asked.

  “Strangely enough, he does. He’s always insisted on it.”

  “Well, you’ll always be Pop to me.”

  I grinned. “So, tell me more about Ryan as a child,” I said.

  “Oh no, are you two really going to just sit here and talk about me? You do realize that I’m the patient, don’t you? Which means you should be talking to me, not about me.”

  I looked at his father and laughed. “Do you hear a noise?”

  He chuckled. “I thought I heard something. Must be a fly. So, you want to know about Ryan? He was always a little shit,” he said, and we both burst out laughing.

  “HEY!” Ryan exclaimed.

  I liked Ryan’s father. He was easy to talk to and seemed to care deeply for Ryan in a way that went much further than most father-son relationships. I think it had to do with the fact that his wife had died so many years ago and that he’d looked after those kids alone. I also knew that he had gone through a few years of alcoholism and hadn’t treated the kids as he should’ve. The feeling of guilt that he felt was obvious, which was why he now tried so hard with them. He was a good person, and I was glad I got to meet him.

  “Well, I better get going. It was good to see you both. I just wanted to come and meet the lovely Blaire.”

  “Let me walk you out,” I said to him. Then I leaned over and kissed Ryan on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Ryan and his father said their goodbyes and I walked him out to his car. As we got there, I turned to look at him.

  “Did he tell you that he’s not fighting anymore?”

  His father nodded. “He did. Thank goodness. I was so worried when I heard that he wanted to fight that idiot. What does he call himself? The Prowl or something.”

  “Yeah, The Prowl. And I agree with you; he’s an idiot. I honestly don’t know why Ryan cares so much.”

  “Ah, well, you know what Ryan is like. He’s determined to prove a point. But I think this whole thing has finally made him realize how serious it is. I actually don’t think he realized it before. So, in a weird way, you sort of saved his life too.”

  I smiled. “That’s kind of you to say. I’ve been feeling so bad that he put his life on the line for me.”

  “I think that boy has fallen deeply in love with you, Blaire. It’s clearly written all over his face.”

  “You think?” I said. I could feel the sun on my face, but that wasn’t the reason why my face felt so warm.

  “Oh, I know. And you love him too?” he asked.

  “He’s the best man that I’ve ever met.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Ryan

  It was so good to be out of the hospital, especially since I got to spend the night with Blaire. She didn’t have to stay with me anymore, bu
t she said there was no chance that she was going home that night when she could spend the night with me instead. I woke up to her wrapped up against me.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go now,” I said. I turned around and kissed her. “It feels so good to be next to you right now. A little too good, in fact.”

  “Do you have to?” she asked. “Because I could think of a lot of better things that we could be doing.”

  I nodded. “Trust me, I can think of a few things myself. But yeah, I have to go. I need to get this over with.”

  I had a press conference planned for that morning, and I was dreading it. Although, at the same time I just wanted to get it done once and for all. It was like pulling off a band-aid: the quicker I got it done, the better.

  “You’re going to be fine,” Blaire said. “I’m proud of you for doing this you know.”

  I smiled. “I know.”

  “How are you feeling about it all?” she asked.

  I thought about it for a second before answering her. “I’m feeling fine. You know, it’s weird. But now that I’ve decided I want to do this, I’m actually okay with it. I think making the decision was the hardest part. Once I made the decision, everything seemed to fall into place around me. I feel like I’m doing the right thing. And, I know it’s made you happy, and that makes it worth it.”

  “You’re pretty romantic when you want to be.”

  “Oh no! Look what you’ve done to me. Okay, I better go before I start losing my manhood.”

  She giggled. “You could never lose your manhood. Have you even seen yourself in the mirror?”

  I laughed. “I really wish I could stay. You’re way too cute this morning, and wonderfully complimentary. It’s not a bad way to start the morning.”

  I got out of bed, hopped into the shower, and tried not to think about Blaire. I hoped she wouldn’t join me because if she did, I knew I’d be late. Thankfully she seemed to realize that too. I got changed, said my goodbyes, and headed home.

  The moment I got to the training facility, Nick came straight over to me. We hadn’t seen each other for a while, and it was nice to see him again. I hadn’t realized how important it was to have Nick in my life until then. He’d been through all this before. He knew what I was going through.