Coney Island

Chapter 15

A/N This chapter is long! It's also my least favourite I've written. I was going through some stuff and I guess it bled through into my writing, so sorry about that 😐 but thank you for all your support. I adore you all 💙
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'She isn't up to being interrogated right now.' Taylor's voice sounded far away and I struggled to sit up due to an invisible force that kept pushing me back down. 

I tried to open my eyes but the throbbing in my skull forced them to shut again. 'Karlie, will you just keep still.' That was Joe's exasperated voice I could hear. 

The scratchiness of his tone only made my headache worse and I took a deep breath before I tried again to open my eyes. It was a struggle, but I managed to crack one open. 'What happened?' I asked as I squinted up at Joe who looked down at me with a worried frown and red-rimmed eyes. 

'You passed out- no don't.' He put his hand on my shoulder to push me back down, but it was too late, I had already managed to pull myself into a sitting position. 

Joe sat down at the end of the bed before he reached over and grabbed a glass of water from the side table. 'How long was I out?' I asked as I took the glass from his hand. 

'Take this. It will help with your headache,' He said as he passed me a pill. 'You were out for about four hours. You hit your head on the vanity. Taylor freaked out and rang her doctor. He said you have a mild concussion and need plenty of rest,' He replied before he took the glass back. 

I was about to ask where Taylor was but she walked through the bedroom door just as I opened my mouth. She didn't look at me but instead focused her attention on Joe. 'I freaked out? You were hysterical.' she moved closer to the bed and smirked at him. 'Look at him, he's been crying. He thought you were a goner.' She pointed at Joe whose cheeks held a light dusting of pink. 

Well, that explained his red, puffy eyes. 'I'm fine,' I said, though I certainly didn't feel fine. 'Where's Hugo?' 

'You cried too,' Joe grumbled towards Taylor, 'Hugo is with Scott and Andrea downstairs. He was a little shaken, but once we assured him you were okay, he bounced back to his usual self.' 

I let out a sigh of relief. My baby boy was okay. It amazed me every day how resilient he was. After everything he had been through, he was still my little ray of sunshine and I prayed that would always be the case. 

'Of course, I cried. She's my girlfriend and the love of my life. Who would I write songs about if she died?' Asked Taylor with a hint of amusement that brought a small smile to my face while Joe rolled his eyes at her dark humour.  

'Yeah, well, she's my…' He paused as if trying to figure out what I meant to him. 

Taylor raised her eyebrow. 'She's your what?' She smirked. 

'My best friend? Like a sister to me?' He sounded very defensive. 'I don't know exactly what she is, but I do know that she's family, and I don't want anything to happen to her. She's been through enough.' His voice broke towards the end and it caused a lump to form in my throat. He really cared about me. 

Taylor's face softened and she took a seat on the bed with us. 'She's okay. We're all okay,' she said gently before she wrapped an arm around my waist and then took Joe's hand and pulled him towards up so we could all have a much-needed hug. 

We stayed like that for a few minutes, all needing comfort after everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. 'The police are outside the bedroom door, but I've told them you're not up for questioning,' she informed me once we pulled back.