Sucker For You Too |Jonas Brothers| Sucker For You Sequel

37

It had been a few days since the doctors gave us the news about Joe.

Slowly, they had been weaning him off of the sedatives and taking him out of the medically induced coma. But there had been no change yet. They said it could be days before he woke up.

I sat beside his hospital bed, searching his features for any sort of movement. His face was still bruised, but he looked more like himself now. Like the Joe I knew and loved.

Everyday it seemed like his black curls fell further down his forehead. I was always sure to move them out of his face when they fell down.

A knock on the door startled me as I pulled my hand away from his face. I glanced at Nick who walked in, holding a bouquet of flowers.

I raised an eyebrow at him curiously as he set it down on the windowsill, the rainbow colored tulips bouncing in their vase.

"Who are those from?" I asked him.

A smirk snuck across his lips, "Jenny."

I laugh softly, "of course."

"How does she even know?" He questioned as he took a seat at the end of Joe's bed.

"I actually ran into her here at the cafeteria. She's present, like really pregnant."

"Is that so?" Nick asked, although I could tell by his tone that he truly didn't care, "good for her." I watched him search Joe up and down before looking at me, "any change?"

I shook my head with a frown. He nodded, and the two of us sat with Joe for the rest of the afternoon.

~*~*~*~*

The aroma from my parent's kitchen hit me as soon as I entered the front door. I knew it was just another meal she planned of one of my favorites, trying to coax me into eating. I tried to tell her it didn't matter what she made, that my stomach was now the size of a pea. But she didn't care.

"Smells like Italian." Nick joked as he walked in from behind me. He grabbed my coat from me and proceeded to hang it up beside his on the rack.

"Lasagna, I assume." I muttered as he followed me into the kitchen. My father was just setting the last dish onto the table. Every night, they made us food, making sure to set up a spot for Nick.

"Hey guys." My mother said from in front of the stove, "just in time for lasagna." She said with a grin. I glanced at Nick, who gave me an amused smile.

"Smells great." Nick told her as he took a seat.

"I've gained about ten pounds this week." My dad muttered as he watched my mother scoop a large helping of the pasta onto his plate.

"Oh hush." She said.

"We used to just eat sandwiches or something quick." He laughed, "now you've been cooking three course meals."

I held my hand out to stop her from scooping a larger portion onto my plate, "Really mom, you don't have to cook for me."

She frowned, "Your skin and bones."

"I'm fine, I promise." I said as I stuck my fork into the hot food.

"You better make sure she eats enough during the day." My mom points her serving spoon at Nick who raises his hands up in surrender.

I shook my head at her and laughed, "leave poor Nick alone."

After dinner, Nick and I took Molly for a walk. It was an oddly warm night for January, and Molly was more than happy to stretch her legs. Running as far ahead as the leash would let her.

The sun was just starting to set, and the street lights were beginning to turn on as we walked through the neighborhood, the one where the three of us walked often as kids. Especially Joe and I.

"A lot of memories here." Nick said, as if he was thinking exactly what I was.

"Yes. For sure."

"I always wanted to get out of here. But being in California hasn't been what it was cracked up to be."

"It's a lot different, I'm sure."

He shoved his hands inside his coat pockets and sighed, "I was stupid, thinking I'd be happy there."

"It's a good college, it made sense." I said.

"But look what I lost." He sighed. I wasn't sure what to say to him. It was obvious that California came between us, but that wasn't the only thing that tore us apart.

"You did what you thought was best for you." I tried to find my words carefully.

He stopped walking. I came to a stop a few steps ahead and turned to him, his expression sad, "exactly. I only thought of myself. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

"Yeah?"

"I want to make things right with Joe. I just hope he will forgive me."

I rested my hand on his shoulder, "he will." I tried to assure him. Because if I knew one thing about Joe, it's that he would be more than happy to make amends with his brother.

When we got back to my parent's house, I ran upstairs to take a shower while Nick hung out with my parents, watching television.

I was just about done brushing my hair when Nick and Molly came in for bed. Nick sat down on the edge of his air mattress as I set my brush back down on my vanity. I spun in my chair to face him as he pat Molly on the head.

"I never thought I'd be practically living with you and your parents." Nick laughed.

"I feel like a teenager, being here like this." I admitted although I found it comforting, in a way.

Nick nodded, "so do I. Hey I'll be right back." He got up and grabbed his pajamas and headed into the bathroom.

It wasn't long before I heard him talking from behind the door. He must have gotten a phone call. I glanced at the time, and it was almost eleven o'clock. My stomach sunk. It always worried me, getting a call late at night.

The door opened abruptly. Nick wasn't in his pajamas, he was back in his regular clothes and he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"Joe is awake."