Page 36 of Always. Forever.

Cash mostly sleeps and barely talks to me when he isn’t, which is nothing new, but he’s shut himself away from everyone. Bohdi included. He’s in his own world, staring at Jace all day. We all are.

I’m sure I’ve seen his eyes flicker, but I think it’s just my hope.

Bridget gives me a kiss on my cheek.

“I’m going to go home, freshen up, and grab you and Cash some more clothes, okay? I will be back a bit later.” She smiles as she strokes the top of my head.

Cash is still just staring at Jace. He doesn’t even pay Bridge a minute of attention. I smile at her and say, “Thank you.” She glances at Cash and then back at me with a tight smile.

Once Bridget has left, we sit in silence, staring at Jace. This would probably be uncomfortable for most people, but I’m used to the silence with Cash. I’m used to him treating me as if I don’t exist most of the time. When I realized it was Jace lying in the bed and Cash held me, I was shocked to say the least. Come to think of it, I don’t think he has ever hugged me before, but I think that was just an in-the-moment thing. He has sure kept conversation to a minimal since. I don’t care though; all I care about is Jace getting better. I just wish Cash would make this ordeal easier by being a normal human for once in his life, and not the moody, rude asshole he is to me. You would at least think he would put aside whatever hate he has mustered up for me while the person we both love more than anything is lying in a fucking coma in a hospital bed. The more I think of it, the angrier it makes me.

Just as I’m about to spew my hate at him, he stands up and walks out. No “I’ll be back in a minute,” or anything.Fucking asshole.

I place my hand over Jace’s, allowing his warmth to seep into my body, there is nothing in this world that could calm and ground me as much as Jace’s touch. I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath and just feeling. Taking in the feel of Jace’s skin, the smoothness of it, I glide my fingers through every dip in his hand, then turn his palm over and place my fingers between his, holding his hand. I open my eyes to our joined hands and look up. His face is still wrapped, but they change the dressings every day. At least I can still see glimpses of his beautiful face.

“My beautiful boy,” I whisper out. Early hours this morning, when I couldn’t sleep, I searched information about comas, and it has been highly suggested you should talk to them. They say they can hear you, and some people have even said it can speed up their recovery process.

“Hey, baby.” I get up close to make sure that if the chance is there, he can hear me.

“I miss you so much, Jace. Please come back to us. We all need you right now. Your dad is being an ass.” I laugh out. “I know you would be finding an excuse to stick up for him right now and tell me not to take it personally. Even though we know it is personal,” I whisper with a smirk.

“Bridge and Boh have been here daily. Just chilling with us. Waiting.”

I graze the bit of his cheek that is showing and then rest my hand on his chest.

“I have been inundated with calls and texts from the boys, and hundreds of other people, you won’t believe how loved you are. I mean, who can blame them. You’re one of the most precious souls I have ever encountered,” I say with a lump forming in my throat.

“Please. Please come back to us, Jace. I don’t know how long I can stay like this. Without you. I need to feel your touch. I need to see your beautiful blue eyes shining back at me when I walk in the door. I need to hear you calling me your Ry Bear. Please, Jace. Please.” I break out into sobs and rest my forehead on his chest, wishing for a miracle.

“If I could swap places with you, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would take every bit of pain you encountered just to see you smile again.” I cry into his chest.

I turn my head, laying my cheek against his chest, facing the door. I open my eyes and am startled seeing Cash standing in the doorway with a collapsed posture, as if he has a weight of grief pushing him down. He looks down at the floor and turns around, walking back out of sight.

I sigh, turning my head and kissing Jace’s chest before standing and wiping my tears away. Taking my position back on the chair next to the bed, I hold Jace’s hand. As long as I can look at him and touch him, I will hold every bit of faith I have that he will come back to us. He has no choice, he has too. I lay my head down on top of our linked hands and close my eyes. Feeling somewhat content with Jace’s hand in mine.

Sometime later, I hear my name being called. I open my eyes and do the first thing I do every time I wake up, I look at Jace, hoping I will see the blue staring back at me. Each time, it never happens, but I hold hope it does one day soon.

“It’s just me, Ry,” Bridget says.

Bridget is standing there with Boh. I hear voices and peer around Bridget to see Cash talking to a doctor, and it’s not the same one as earlier.

“The doctor is here to say they have Jace’s results back. He wants to speak with us.” Bridget peers into my eyes, giving me a tight-lipped smile that tries to give hopefulness, but her unshed tears that are hovering, waiting to fall, show anything but hope.

I feel better after speaking to Jace earlier. I have all hope this is going to be good news. I can feel it. I get up and straighten my top.

“Okay, lets go.” I smile at Bridge while grabbing her hand and walking toward the doctor and Cash. The doctor appears tired. I can’t imagine how hard their job must be, and the stress it must cause on them.

“We will talk about Jace’s results in another room, please follow me,” the doctor says as he turns around and walks out. We follow him and sit down in the next room.

There are two chairs at the front, Cash sits down in one while Bridge and Boh offer the other chair to me. I sit down while Bridge and Boh stand behind us. The doctor offers to go and grab more chairs but they decline. He looks down at papers, then back up to each of us.

“As you are aware, we have been running various tests on Jace.”

We were asked to leave the room on a couple of occasions so they could run tests. They had to do physical tests and also wanted to do electronic tests. Cash and I were trying to find out how they went when they let us back in the room, but they wouldn’t tell us anything then. They said they needed to wait for some further results.

The doctor’s chest rises as he takes a deep breath. “Jace had extreme trauma to his head and was not breathing for a long period of time. This caused significant brain damage.”

“Spit it out, doc. What are you trying to say?”

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