Sugar, Spice and a pinch of Fantasy

Chapter 20

I push his slightly damp, black hair out of his face and smile at how innocent he looks.

                   “You know Haden, you always seemed invincible to me. Yet, here you lie, looking so broken,” I whisper, taking his hand.

It’s not like I expect an answer or anything, it just felt really natural to talk to him like this. Plus, there were some things I just needed to say out loud to someone else, whether or not that person was conscious.

                   “I nearly did something really stupid today. I was about to run away with Carter. It sounds so ridiculously idiotic now. But I think I love him, Haden. He frightens me sometimes, and I never truly feel perfectly at ease with him the way I feel with you and Matt and Alex. But I feel drawn to him, almost as if it’s against my free will. I’m afraid Haden,” I confess, leaning my head against his arm, trying to comfort myself.

***

                   “She must be wiped out,” a voice murmurs somewhere far away.

I open my eyes, trying to figure out where I am.  I’m in this white, austere room, sitting in an incredibly uncomfortable plastic chair.

I sit up and stretch. And then everything comes back to me. Somewhere between feeling sorry for myself, I must have fallen asleep.

                   “Hey sleepy head,” Alec greets, smiling warmly at me.

                   “Hey,” I mumble back, yawning. “How long have I been out?”

                   “Can’t have been very long. I just got back from lunch and Alex just walked through the door,” Matt murmurs, grinning slightly.

                   “Oh good! I thought Haden might have woken up,” I mumble, my eyes fluttering close once again.

                   “Haden did,” Haden answers, making me jump up in shock. “Was extremely shocked too, by the way”

                   “Haden!” I screech, throwing my arms around him.

                   “Hey kid!” he murmurs against my shoulder.

                   “Are you okay? Does it hurt?” I ask, not sure what I could do to make things better.

                   “I’m fine. Don’t worry. My stomach hurts a little, but I suppose that’s what you get when you get 12 stitches, right?” he jokes, trying to soothe me, I think.

I nod my head and sit back down on the chair, once again taking his hand. He smiles warmly at me, before turning his attention back to the guys.

                   “Jess, what happened earlier on?” Alex asks, his face tensed.

                   “Don’t be mad at me,” I beg quietly.

Only once the guys promise that they won’t be mad at me do I lift my head up to answer them.

                   “I was running away with Carter,” I mumble, barely audibly.

                  

                   “What?!” Haden shouts, sitting bolt upright, before collapsing back down, a light sheen of sweat on his brow.

Nobody seems to care though. Nope, everyone’s too busy being mad at me! So much for that promise!