Rivals 🌈 ✔

76 - A Smile and a Tear

The days blended together. Juice left Raine's side as little as possible. Even though he was not a reader, he'd asked Skye for a book. She'd given him The House in the Cerulean Sea, a light-hearted feelgood fantasy with—surprise surprise—a slow-burn romance between two men. One of them ran an orphanage with a few children with special powers, and to see the very different characters form a real family made him long for a family of his own, with children who—like Sasha—could no longer be with their biological parents. Especially because he'd never known a safe haven in his youth, he very much wanted to offer it to others. The book kept the flame of hope going in his chest.

Yet, nothing changed about Raine's condition. Doctors walked in and out to check on all sorts of things. Juice only left the room to go to the toilet, or when Skye took him to the cafeteria or outside to get some air. He endured it impatiently; he wanted nothing more than to return to Raine so he wouldn't wake up without him.

Or worse, die.

However, his boyfriend was not alone at such times, as his father, sister, and niece also regularly stopped by. The Mayans no longer showed themselves, now that the Sons seemed to think Raine was dead. They considered it dangerous to hang out in the hospital, and Juice was glad he no longer had to tolerate Esai's presence.

Juice stretched his back slightly as he turned a page. He was half-sitting on the hospital bed. He liked being this close to his friend, but it was not a very comfortable position. He was just about to turn another page when Raine's hand moved, slightly grazing his knee. Immediately, Juice lowered the book.

"Raine?" He leaned closer to his friend. His eyelids were still closed. Had he imagined it? Maybe he wanted it too badly. He pressed his lips together—and then Raine's eyelids fluttered. "Raine!"

His enthusiasm caused him to slip off the bed. Immediately he rammed the alarm button. He folded his hand around Raine's upper arm, careful not to squeeze too hard, and leaned towards him.

"Hey. Finally." A haze of tears clouded his gaze. "Can you—can you hear me?"

Two seconds had never lasted so long. Dozens of scenarios raced through his mind—that Raine did not remember him, or that he now had the mental capacity of a toddler. Raine nodded slowly, raised his bandaged hand and placed it against Juice's cheek. He wanted to say something, but the tube in his mouth prevented him from doing so. The look in his eyes changed. Although it had been unfocused before, it was now shooting in all directions.

Juice put his hand over his friend's. "You've been in a coma. For a week." With his free hand, he wiped away a few tears. "But—but you're all right now. That's all that matters."

Behind him, the door opened. Nurses rushed in and pushed Juice away. He laughed and cried at the same time. He didn't want to leave the room, but there were others waiting anxiously for a phone call. Once he entered the hallway, he called Mouse right away.

"He woke up," he said before she could even greet him, leaning his shoulder against the wall, his legs feeling like jelly. "He recognized me. They're going to run tests now, I think." A smile of pure relief crossed his lips. "But he's conscious. We haven't lost him."

"I'm so happy for you, baby." The next thing she said, sounded from further away; apparently, Sammy was still with her. "We're coming."

They were there before the doctors were finished with Raine. Now that his worst fears had slumbered, Juice could handle that. He greeted his best friend with a hug and then embraced his future sister-in-law. She looked pale—and Juice knew he didn't look any better.

"I'm so incredibly relieved." Skye hugged him again and then grabbed his hands. She looked at him with a serious expression. "But there's something you need to know."

Juice cursed internally. If more shitty news was coming, then... he didn't know what he was going to do.

"I told Jax that Raine was dead, that night he was brought in here. So they would leave you alone."

"Okay." Juice shrugged. He really didn't care about the club anymore.

"They've been looking for you ever since, Juice. They've been at the door a few times, Tig even forced his way inside once to check if you really weren't there. They call you a traitor."

Juice snorted, "Right. I am a traitor. Well, let them think whatever the hell they want. As soon as Raine can leave the hospital, I'm gone. I hope the IRA will blow their heads off. All of them."

Skye bit her lip. The concern radiating from her face annoyed him.

"They practically killed him, Skye. If Ezra hadn't happened to be on that property, I would have lost him. Then he'd be dead." He shook his head, bitterness already filling his pores. "And now they're whining about a bullet in Chibs' leg? Or do they still believe I told Raine about that cursed warehouse? Don't they think what they did to me was punishment enough? How fucking sick are they? I'm ashamed that I was ever part of that club."

Skye squeezed his hands. "I get it, honey. I'm not saying you should forgive them. I'm warning you. If they find out Raine is still alive—and that you're here—they'll hunt you down. And I know it's the anger talking right now, but you can't kill them. Then you'll end up behind bars and you still won't have a future with Raine."

Juice breathed in and out heavily.

He didn't want to think about this. He wanted to go back to the safety of Raine's room, he didn't want to waste any thoughts about his former club; about those sick bastards. He didn't want to be afraid of losing his fiancée anymore.

He just wanted this all to be fucking over.

. . .

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