To Deal With It

chapter sixteen

“Better,” I praised him, and he took off with one last wink for me. I sighed then hopped into the school, where a couple school friends swarmed me. Casey, one of my first friends, gasped, “OMG, what happened to you, Jay?”

“And who was that stud muffin outside?” Ally, my second friend, squealed, and so many other questions came after that. Damn it. I just wish I could be at the warehouse. Anywhere but here.

Declan pov:

“Late, I see, half bro,” Ethan informed me as he joined my side as I made my way to the mechanic’s turf of the place. I shrugged, and Ethan shook his head at me. “You better have a good excuse.”

“Late?” Toni questioned me, and I nodded. Toni shook his head while laughing. “Prepared to be lectured.”

“But I do have an excuse,” I told Ethan matter-of-factly, and he gestured for me to go on. “I dropped Jay at school.”

“That’s it?”

“Yep.”

Ethan sighed, “Well since she has a broken leg, I’ll take it. You don’t get a lecture.”

“Thank you?”

“Yes, thank you,” Toni remarked, and I sighed. Ethan noticed too. “Something on your mind, half bro?”

“Jay’s graduating at the end of this week,” I told them, and Ethan laughed while shaking his head. “Are you serious? Damn it. I wish she had told us.”

“How come?” I inquired.

“Because she’s like my sister,” Ethan explained to me like it was obvious. Well, I guess it was. Toni nodded in agreement. “I’d like to see her graduate. Ha, wonder how she’ll look in cap and gown.”

Ethan chuckled at that while nodding. “Hmm…maybe we could throw a graduation party. She’d like that, right?”

“Jay use to love to party,” I notified him, and he nodded. “I think that’s what we should. Maybe make it a surprise too?”

Toni and I nodded our agreements, and Ethan started going things through me, Toni, and MJ since we were all closet to her. When we finished, Ethan reminded us, “And it’s a surprise, so don’t bring any of it up, okay?”

“Okay,” we agreed. But honestly, I think Jay would want us to not say anything anyways.

Toni pov:

I heard a really heavy sigh and something dropped loudly as the sound of crutches moved around me. A familiar voice muttered miserably, “Hey Toni.”

I slide out to see Jay getting her stools set up, and she looked so frustrated that I queried, “Something up, Jay?”

She pondered for a moment then shook her head. “Just stupid school stuff. Final exams and whatnot… But I do have something to ask you, Toni. It’s important.”

“Not important enough to ask me,” I heard Ethan’s offended voice whine. Jay rolled her eyes as I jumped up back on my feet. “Fire away, Jay.”

She bit her lip, probably wondering how to phrase it. “You love Suzy, right?”

“Of course I do! It’s kinda the whole reason I married her,” I couldn’t help but laugh. Jay’s cheeks turned just a bit red as she shook her head. “I know. It’s just…  How did you know you loved her? How did you know you wanted to tie yourself to her with the three words?”

“Oh my God, you love Declan, don’t you, Jay?” Ethan mocked her with a grin on his face. She glared at him, and Ethan laughed harder. “Oh my God. You’re in love! Jay’s in loooooove! Oh God, that’s too good.”

Jay’s fist flew, nailing Ethan’s jaw, and she snapped at him, “Shut up, you nosy little dick!”

While rubbing his jaw, he muttered, “Damn, he’s got a load to put up with.”

Jay smacked him upside the head and glowered at him. I waved him away then looked at Jay. “Is he right?”

“I think so,” she mumbled. “But I’m afraid.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You? Afraid? Of what?”

Jay sighed, looking at the car next to us. “Everything I’ve loved has disappeared. My parents, my siblings, my grandparents, my good uncle… I’ve even lost a part of myself… And I’m afraid what will happen if I say…you know.”

“Jay, do you care about Declan? Do you really care about him?”

“Of course. It’s why I’m afraid. I…I can’t imagine life without him.”

“Then nothing else matters. Have you ever heard the saying: love conquers all? It means you and Declan will be able to deal with anything. Especially since you two are fighters.”

Jay smiled at me warmly then embraced me like we were related. “Thank you so much, Toni. That’s helps, a lot.”

“Anything for a sister like you.”