Forever & Always (A Ross Lynch Love Story)

Chapter 15: Nothing Even Matters

Chapter 15

Nothing Even Matters

Carly and i went out on glimmer and Greyson and raced around our property -- Greyson and i won most of the time.

We spent probably somewhere over five hours running around, then we went back up to the house. James rushed out to greet us.

"Jordan!" he grabbed my shoulders.

"What?" i giggled, thinking about Carly's horrible joke that she had just told me.

"Jordan," he repeated. He sounded very worried.

"What?" i asked again, this time a little more serious.

"It's... It's Ross."

"What?!" i grabbed his shirt.

"he was eating lunch at some place with Rocky, and then some masked guy ran in and started shooting. Rocky's okay. Eight people were killed, seven wounded..."

"Ross. What about Ross?" i clutched at James's chest, suddenly filled with a sense of dread and horror. "What about Ross?"

"Ross," he stopped for a second.

"WHAT JAMES?" i shouted, my nose inches from his. I was shaking, and if it wasn't for James's tight grip on my shoulders still i would have already crumpled to the ground.

"He's not dead. But he's badly injured. They're... They're not sure he's going to make it, Jordan."

This couldn't be happening. This morning Ross had been fine. I had talked to him. Seen him. He had been fine. James was just trying to scare me. One of those stupid pranks.

But i knew that James would never joke about anything so serious as this; nor would he even ever TRY to prank me about anything.

My body sagged and i wouldve fallen to the floor, had James not hooked his arms around me. He dragged me into the living room and gently put me down on my air mattress. I sat with my head in my hands bawling for the next three days, refusing to eat or drink.

Carly kept reminding me that Ross wasn't dead, just hurt.

It didn't help.

Ross was going to die. He was going to die before i could see him again. Sobs wracked my body.

The next morning i woke up with my face glued to my pillow from my tears. I tore my face off and sat up wiping my nose. Carly's family and my mom were surrounding my bed in a tight circle. It reminded me of the day in the hospital... And Ross... "You need to start listening to me," he had said. A tear trickled down my face. And then he had kissed me.

The thought of never feeling his lips against mine or hearing his voice again was too much.

I should've clung to his legs and made him keep me that day at the airport -- then we could at least be dead together. I shut my eyes tight. I felt something on my cheek and looked up to find Brenda rubbing it softly with her thumb.

"Love hurts," she whispered.

That was the nicest thing shed ever said to me -- EVER. I sniffed and my mom took advantage of my pause in crying.

"Jordan.. Honey, we've decided that we are going to send you to visit Ross. Stormie and mark said that you can stay with them."

It took a minute for it all to register in my brain. I was going to visit Ross.

My heart leapt.

"really?!" i almost shouted; but my voice was almost gone from crying so much.

"Yep! And me and Brenda--" Started Carly.

"Brenda and I!" her mom corrected her.

"Brenda and i are coming with you!!" Carly yelled. "We're leaving tomorrow!"

"TOMORROW?!" i shout-croaked.

"Yup! We have to pack!!" Carly grabbed my hands and started hopping up and down.

I slowly got up and Carly started dragging me upstairs when my mom said, "FIRST, Jordan is taking a shower!" she gave me a I'm-so-grossed-out-by-your-hair look, and i ran up the stairs.

After my shower Carly, Brenda and i immediately started packing.

"We're staying for three weeks, so pack a lot!" Brenda giggled, jumping into my room. Her giant suitcase was bulging. "Better to have it and not need it, than not have it and needed!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Jack and Jill quote!" she squeaked. Then she ran away again.

Carly and i finished packing before dinner, then josh came up with a large pepperoni pizza for the two of us. He smiled, put it down in front of us, and after a moment's hesitation he plopped down next to us. "I'm gonna miss you three," he said after a while. He took a big bite of his pizza. "Don't tell Brenda i said that..."

Carly and i laughed and the three of us ate the rest of our meal in silence.