-Jax-
I'd hated to leave Nic at the hospital all alone, but we were told to go home for the night. I was scared for Nic... He'd told me over and over again that he didn't want to hurt himself, but I feared he would not be able to make good decisions if he started spiraling again... At least he was at the hospital... They wouldn't let him leave or hurt himself... I hoped...
But tomorrow they'd consider letting him come home with us. They just needed to make sure he was able to come home, and there were no complications. They'd make sure his medication was working, and he'd recovered from the surgeries well.
I needed him next to me...
I couldn't get rid of the images of his lifeless, bloodied face... I'd thought he would die. He'd looked so horrible right after the accident... And I could still smell his burned skin...
I shook my head, reminding myself he was fine. He was alive, and his injuries would heal. He would come home soon, and everything would go back to normal. We'd have the happy life we were supposed to have. He'd be right next to me again, just like it was meant to be.
I couldn't wait...
I just wanted us to be happy again...
I was supposed to go to bed early, but instead, I found myself kneeling next to the large plastic bag, pulling my beautiful dress out of it. And fuck, it smelled bad...
"Oh, no..." I muttered when I spotted a piece of torn fabric.
Carefully, I got the dress out of the bag, and stopped to study the damage. Thankfully, there wasn't a lot of it, but I wasn't sure if Jessica's mom would be able to fix it. I was still going to ask. Even if it couldn't be fixed so I could still wear it, I wanted to fix it so I could still keep it.
It was my first dress, after all. The dress my boyfriend bought me. The dress that was fitted just for me.
I spent the next hour trying to wash it in my bathroom. I was careful so I wouldn't damage it even more. Once I was done, I hung it up to dry, and spent a long time staring at it.
It was still so beautiful...
My beautiful dress from my gorgeous boyfriend... One day, I'd wear it just for him.
Finally, I went to bed. I couldn't really close my eyes at first, but it was easier to fall asleep when I focused on happy thoughts and good memories I had with Nic, and soon the new day arrived. I hurried out of the bed, used the toilet, and took a quick shower. I hardly even remembered I was supposed to go to school that day as I hurried to get dressed and ask Pop to take me to the hospital. Thankfully, my fathers didn't have anything against it, except that I had to eat first. Which was a fucking pain in my ass because I was getting too anxious to eat, but we reached a compromise, and I was allowed to eat my sandwiches in the car.
I just wanted to get to Nic...
I just couldn't stop fearing he wouldn't be there anymore...
We arrived at the hospital an eternity later, and Pop told me to call him when I needed him to come pick me up, or if there was any news about Nic getting discharged. I promised to call him and told him goodbye before entering the hospital and heading to Nic.
My anxiety and nervousness grew the closer I got. I wanted to run the last steps, but forced myself to keep my cool. I even tried to open the door slowly and not just slam it in.
And there he was... Right where I left him. His eyes were closed, and he looked peaceful in his bed, under his covers... He looked a little better now. At least his face wasn't as pale as the day before.
"Nic...?" I spoke softly, and he immediately opened his eyes and searched for me.
And he smiled when our eyes met.
"Hey baby..." he whispered, already getting emotional.
Just like I was...
"Good morning," I said when I sat down on his bed.
"Morning," he breathed out, still staring at me, still smiling.
I reached to touch his face carefully. He had a bruise around his left eye, so I was careful when I caressed his cheek.
"How are you feeling?" I whispered.
"Better," he breathed out. "I was waiting for you..."
"Now I'm here," I told him. "And I won't leave until the security drags my ass out."
He laughed lightly at my words, then quieted down to stare at me again.
"How are you?" he asked. "Does your arm hurt?"
I glanced at my cast. "It aches a little. My ribs, too, but I'm on very happy pills, so..."
"I let you get hurt..." he mumbled, his smile fading. "I caused it."
"How could you have guessed I'd fall off the fucking bridge, huh?" I asked gently. "It was a freak accident. You just wanted to make sure I'd get home safely."
"But–"
"Nic," I said sternly. "Let's not. I just want to be happy again. Happy with you. Happy that I didn't get you killed."
"You didn't do–"
"See?" I said, interrupting him. "We could keep going on about what happened. And what happened was that things went to shit. Things went horribly to shit, but we are both still here. We have a new chance to be happy."
He stared at me, and I could tell he was unable to let go of his guilt.
"You know...?" I muttered as I carefully lay down next to him and rested my head on his shoulder while he put his arm around me. "I'm glad you accepted the bet."
"What...?"
"As immature as it was... It brought us together," I said. "I... I can't be mad about it."
"But I hurt you..." he said.
"Would you have asked me out if it wasn't because of the bet?" I asked.
"I... I mean, I can't say for sure, but... I fell for you so fast... Maybe I would have," he said.
"And would you have tried again after I hit your head on the desk?" I asked with a chuckle.
"I, uh... Hmm."
"I think not," I said. "So... You didn't give up on me because of the bet. You got through to me because of it. I don't think we'd be together if you hadn't accepted it. I can't be mad. I'm not mad."
Nic breathed out. "I still am mad at myself..."
"Don't be," I said. "Or we'll never be able to move on, and I want us to move on. I just want to be happy."
"And I will make you happy," he said, pushing himself up to see my face. "I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. I'll do everything right this time. I'll be the guy you deserve."
I smiled at him. "Then everything is all right."
He didn't lay back down. He continued staring at me with a slow smile appearing on his lips. Those lips sure looked inviting... I pushed myself up to kiss him shortly. His warmth and scent surrounded me. It was so familiar... It was right.
"Let's just be happy again," I whispered. "Please."
"Of course. Anything you want," he purred, and lay back down to pull me into his arms. "Being happy with you is all I want."
"Good, because it's all I want, too," I told him, hugging him gently.
I knew we wouldn't just forget everything that had happened, and we would need to do a lot of talking, probably with a professional, but right now, I just wanted to enjoy having him back in my arms.
I just wanted to hold him forever...
But I was not let to hold him forever... His mom arrived an hour later, and not long after that, his doctor came to visit him. We all listened carefully while he told us about what would happen next.
Nic's fractures were expected to heal well, but his broken legs – his right one being much worse than the left – would need extensive physical therapy, and would require the use of a wheelchair at first. His burns would need daily treatment and close monitoring as well. But Nic's medication was working well, he had no spinal or brain injuries, and he was otherwise in a healthy condition, so they were willing to discharge him if his needs were met at home.
"We have a completely wheelchair accessible house with a lot of necessary equipment," I said. "My father is a wheelchair user, too. And we already know a lot about treating burns," I added, showing my arm.
"Then I believe Mr. Gabriel is in good hands," the doctor said. "I'll be back in the afternoon to see if we can get you home today."
"Thank you," Nic's mom said, while I turned to Nic.
"I can't wait to take you home already..." I told him, brushing my hand through his hair while the doctor left the room.
"I can't wait to get out of here," he agreed. "So... You're not mad at me for asking Mom to buy your house? I mean... It breaks my heart thinking you'd have to lose your home, and now... With my ass needing a wheelchair too..."
But I didn't have any time to answer him.
"Actually..." his mom said, stepping closer and looking at me. "Your father and I met this morning right before I came here. We had a long talk about your house, and... We agreed that I'm not buying it."
"What?" I asked, my stomach dropping.
No matter what I'd said, I'd very much liked the idea of Nic's mom owning our house and letting us stay on rental. It was the second-best option, and I'd been fine with that.
"I'm sure your fathers would've wanted to be the ones to tell you the news, but... They will keep the house, and I will pay them rent for letting Nic stay with you," she said with a gentle smile.
"Really?" I asked, staring at her.
We weren't selling the house...?
She nodded. "I felt like this solution would make the most sense."
I broke out in a smile, but then realized something.
"Pop didn't say anything when he dropped me off this morning," I said, pouting jokingly.
She laughed and touched my arm. "We decided it is best to leave you two out of it until we reach an agreement."
I nodded slowly, then smiled again. "So... We're not selling the house, after all?"
"No. Not as long as I can help it," she said.
It was a huge weight off my chest... I turned to Nic, who was smiling as well, and he reached for my hand. His fingers were warm when he gently wrapped them around mine.
"Everything is going back to normal," I told him.
"Yeah," he said, looking just as happy as I felt.
"I'm assuming you guys don't mind if I go run some errands?" his mom said. "You get to spend some time alone."
"Yeah, that's fine," Nic told her. "But I... There's something I wanted to ask..."
"Yeah, what is it, honey?" she asked.
"Has Dad...?" he muttered, but his eyes turned cold.
She let out a breath. "He did want to come see you, but... I don't want him here. Not with his attitude..."
And we all knew what she meant by that.
"So he's angry at me," Nic said, his voice hard. "Let me guess. He's mad because I'm wasting my time here while I should be studying? That I'm wasting my chance to get into Yale?"
"Along those lines, yes," she said. "He thinks you chose to ruin your life and his reputation by crashing the car on purpose..."
"Yeah, he's not welcome here," I said harshly.
"Agreed," she said. "I still can't believe that's the man I married..."
"He sure was good at hiding his true colors for years," Nic said.
She only sighed as a reply. "At least he won't be in our lives for much longer."
Nic didn't say anything to that. I knew he wished he could have a father, a good one, but I hoped he was finally ready to cut ties with him. That man... He would only keep ruining everyone's lives he they let him stay.
"Anyway, I'll be back in a few hours," his mom said, trying to cheer up.
"Okay. Can you bring us snacks or something?" Nic asked.
"Of course, sweetheart," she said with a smile, and left.
"Snacks, huh...?" I mumbled with a chuckle and climbed on the bed with Nic.
He scooted over a little to give me more room, then wrapped an arm around me when I curled up against his chest.
"The food here doesn't taste the greatest," he admitted.
"Don't worry. Once we get back home, you get all your favorite foods," I promised.
He didn't reply to me, so I peered up at him. He was just watching me with a smile on his face.
"What?" I asked.
"I just... Can't believe I get to go home with you..." he murmured.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," I said truthfully. "Our house is perfect for you right now."
"That's not what I mean... I thought... I thought it was over between us... That I'd ruined the best thing that has ever happened to me..." he said with pain in his eyes. "That I ruined something so perfect..."
I smiled at him. "You didn't. It was just a stupid decision, but it brought us together. And... If I'm being honest, I blame your father."
"He did not tell me to accept the bet," he muttered. "That was me."
"No, but in my opinion, he might as well have," I said. "He put you through so much emotional abuse and forced you to live under constant stress..."
"It still doesn't make it right, no matter what I was going through," he said.
"Maybe, but I want you to know I'm not mad, and you didn't ruin anything," I said gently.
He let out a deep breath. "Good... Because I don't want to lose you. You are so perfect. And I love you so much..."
"I love you too. And we are perfect together. I am not throwing that away," I told him. "And this time, we can be even better together."
"Yes," he said softly, and pushed himself up to see me. "I promise, no more lies. I... I feel so much lighter now..."
I touched his face. "That's what a clean conscience does."
He nodded and sat up while I stayed lying down. He took my hand in his and kissed my fingers. I was glad to see he chose to let himself be happy again.
"I did fall for you fast," he said quietly. "Like, really, really fast. And... When I realized I had feelings for you... It fucking hurt. I felt like shit for lying to you. The bet was giving me worse anxiety than my dad ever did. So... I told my mom about what I did. I begged her to give me the money so I could pay my way out of the challenge. She took it from my trust fund... And I already felt so much better after I paid them... But I knew I still had to tell you, but I was a fucking coward... The longer it took for me to find the guts, the worse it became again. But when you tried to tell me you loved me, I knew I couldn't let you without telling you the truth first."
I listened quietly while he spoke, and when he fell silent, I smiled at him.
"At least you did it in the end," I said quietly. "That means so much to me, and it's one of the biggest reasons I forgave you.
"Really?"
"Yeah," I said, then hesitated. I did have questions... "Can I ask...? Why did they choose me?"
"Because... Because I, the stupid fuck I am... said that I could make anyone fall in love with me," he said.
"Oh... Ah, I see now..." I muttered.
So it wasn't because they wanted to hurt me... I was simply the worst possible option in the entire school. Of course they'd pick Jax the Snake.
"I don't think anyone thought I'd actually accept the challenge..." he said.
"Yeah, they really didn't," I said, laughing a little.
I could actually laugh at the whole thing... And Nic smiled at me.
"So who was it?" I asked. "Who knew about it?"
"It was Caleb... One of Daniel's friends who came up with the challenge. Jessica and Daniel were there, and trust me, they wanted to tear me a new one when I accepted it... Especially Jessica. She did not stop making sure how big of an idiot I was the entire time..."
"Sounds about right. But... I stand by my words," I said quietly, and he frowned. "I'm glad you accepted it. We wouldn't be together if you hadn't."
"A silver lining, huh?" he breathed out.
"Yes," I said, touching his arm. "I like the person you turned me into. I like being happy instead of angry and hateful. And you've helped me so much with how I see myself..."
"I like the person you turned me into as well," he said quietly. "You've kept me sane this entire time... And you helped my entire family see the snake within us."
"See? We really are perfect together."
"Yes," he said, kissing the back of my hand again, then lay back down next to me. "I love us together," he whispered.
"So do I," I whispered back, and kissed his lips. "And I love you."
"I love you too," he said with a gentle, happy smile.
We were meant to be. I knew that in my heart. It felt so right.
"You know... I always thought my life was perfect," Nic said, touching my face. "But it was far from perfect. Until now."
"Yeah?" I murmured.
"Yeah... Now my life is perfect. With you in it," he whispered, and kissed me.
I smiled when I kissed him back. He was right. As long as Nic was in it...
My life was perfect.
Thank you for reading!
I'm so happy I decided to re-write this story, it was so much fun to redo a story with two of such beloved characters from my early days as an author <3 Now I think they have a story they deserve <3
If you are one of the people who read the original version, I hope you enjoyed this new version!
See you in the next book!
Dolly G