Can I Make It Through?

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

9:38 am

I woke up with Austin lying next to me on the couch with his arm around me and his legs crossed on the ottoman. I snuggled into him, and then heard keys being turned in the lock. Sh!t! He slept over! Those are probably my parents, and now they're going to be really pissed at me. I nudged him awake, and he looked up at me smiling.

"Good morn-" he started, but I was pushing him up off the couch to the back door.

"I heard keys in the lock, so you need to leave. Now," I whisper demanded.

"Whoever just came in the door obviously saw my truck, and already knows I'm here, so I can just say that I arrived five minutes ago for breakfast," he whispered back putting his arms around me as Casey walked into the room. How did he get in here?

"Casey? What are you doing here?" I said pulling out of Austin's embrace. Thank God Casey wasn't my mom.

"Good morning to you too," he said sarcastically,"but I think the better question is what is he doing here," he said pointing at Austin.

"Well I invited him over for breakfast. How did you get into my house?"

"With a key, silly girl," he said.

"And may I ask where you got this key?" I spat. I was pretty mad, but I can't help it. Casey and I have never been on the same team, and him just barging in here is NOT helping.

"Does it really matter? We're family, so I think I should be allowed in my own cousin Jessica's house, don't you think?" he said, directing the question at Austin.

"I'm gonna go make breakfast. Are chocolate chip pancakes okay Jess?" he asked ignoring Casey's question. He either did it because he didn't want to be in the argument, agreed with Casey, or agreed with me. Hopefully he didn't agree with Casey.

"Yummy, I'll help," I said leaving Casey stranded in the living room. I locked the doors to the living room as I left so he couldn't get out, and it made myself chuckle on the inside. I could hear Casey yelling through the walls telling me to let him out, but sucks for him because I'm not quite ready for that.

"Jessica! Let me OUT!" he screamed.

"Sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," I mumbled.

"Okay Jessica, I think we got off to the wrong start yesterday. Sorry for handing you my apple, and gloves, and..." he kept going on and on about what happened at the hospital and it was getting kind of boring to listen to so I backed further away from the living room. Oh my God, the hospital. I forgot. I thought I dreamt it all: the warehouse, the fight, the crash. It all came back to me now and I slid down the fridge and pulled my knees up to my chest. How could I forget? I need to see him.

"Hey, Austin? When we're done making breakfast, can we take it to-go to the hospital? I think I'm ready now," I said.

"Absolutely," he replied, and looked over his shoulder smiling and saw me sitting down. He walked over to me and held out a hand to help me up. I took it and he pulled me close and kissed me gently for a couple of seconds before hugging me and turning around to make the pancakes. After about ten minutes, we had everything ready to go, and we hopped in the truck ready for a twenty-five minute ride to Jackson West.

"You don't have to answer this, but what happened to your brother yesterday to put him in the hospital?" Austin asked. The only thing I had told him was that Spencer's-my brother's-car had flipped.

"You know, his car flipped over on the side of i-86 South," I said trying to sound casual.

"But what happened before, that had you all shaken and beaten up?" he asked, truly curious and worried.