Love Led By Loss

Chapter 22

"Babe, I've gotta go to the airport now. Jimmy's flight will be landing soon." I stood up out of my chair.

It had been a whole week since my brother came home. We hardly ever left the hospital. I usually left for school with Josh when Brayson leaves for work.

Yeah. Brayson still worked. He didn't get fired from the publishing company. I guess they told him that the 'felony' wasn't something that was big and bad enough for him to get fired.

My grandma left to go back to California the day prior. Of course she didn't leave without visiting Xavier.. Or lecturing Bray.

"Is Connor here yet?" Xavier asked me sleepily, "I still want him to ride with you."

"I'm going to meet him outside, just like you requested." I paused a second, "You know I think you really need to let the other guys visit you. It's been a week sense they've seen you.. They really miss you Zaves."

"I know... But they can't visit me. I don't want them to be around me when I look and sound like this..." Xavier was almost crying, just like any other time I tried to get him to talk to the guys about coming to visit him. "Anyway." He suddenly sucked in, "You should be going. They will be taking me for treatment in a few minutes, plus your brothers plane lands in the next three hours."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Xavier had his second round of treatment that day. I didn't want him to be sick like he was last time. Espeacially when I couldn't be around.

"Babe, I will be fine. You just worry about getting your big brothers picked up on time." Xavier sat up on his bed.

I smiled and leaned down to give him a small kiss.

"Have fun. And please promise to drive safe." Xavier whispered to me before giving me another soft kiss.

"I will. Call me if you need anything. Promise baby?" I asked turning to walk towards the door.

"Brayson and Josh will be here. So I promise that one of us will call you." Xavier said, "Now you really need to get going or you will be late."

"Okay.. Bye Babe." I smiled "I love you."

"I love you too!" He yelled after me as I walked out the door.

I found Connor waiting for me in a Mini Van, parked right out in front of the hospital. He was texting somebody, so he didn't even notice that I was there until I slammed my door shut.

"Oh Gosh! Sorry I didn't even see you or hear you!" Connor looked up at me through the corner of his eye.

"It's fine." I smiled.

If you were wondering, this was the first time that I had been completely alone with Connor since the time that Brayson beat the crap out of my dad at his mom's cook out.

"Can I please just ask how your mom is doing?" I asked breaking the silence that I didn't realize we were sitting in.

"She's fine. They are getting a divorce. You're dad got sentenced to 15 years to life. I think." Connor explained. "I guess that the judge found out about your childhood."

"I still feel bad that all of that even happened. If I would have known that your mom was with my dad, I would have warned you." I told Connor as he put his phone away.

"Trust me. It's fine. My mom told me that she had an idea that he could be violent when he got mad enough. But she didn't think he would ever be the way he ended up being."

"Do you know if he has ever hit her the way that he used to hit us?"

"Yeah. Which is why I'm going to tell Brayson thank you. If I would have known during their fight, I could have joined in. Brayson and I could have tag teamed up on that Douche."