A man was talking to him in a quiet subdued tone.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, Scotty…” he whispered, his voice wavering as though he were crying, forcing the words out. “I swear that’s gonna change if you make it…”
Scott slowly opened his eyes slightly, just enough to try and see who was talking to him. He didn’t recognize the voice. But all he could make out was a blur and a shadow.
“Nurse! He’s awake!” the visitor called, rushing out of the room.
As his vision began to clear, Scott realized he was in a hospital, that every breath he took felt as though he were being stabbed. He couldn’t move his one arm and leg.
The crash came back to him in quick flashes. So did the party. And Brook.
His thoughts were interrupted by a doctor coming to his side.
“How you feelin, Scott,” the doctor asked with a smile. “We weren’t sure we’d ever get to talk to you again, ya know.”
“I feel horrible…how long have I been out?” Scott groaned, trying, unsuccessfully to sit up.
“About thirteen or fourteen hours. Do you remember what happened?”
“I wrecked my car…who was just here? Who was talking to me?”
”He said his name was Keith…your older brother.”
Hayden returned to the kitchen after making sure that Brooklynn was safely in her bed. He was greeted by a questioning stare from Taylor.
“I can explain,” he told her seriously.
“That would be nice. Let’s start with why you never told me…followed by why you lied to me,” she answered.
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“You told me Kali was your first!”
“I never told you that…you assumed it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me!”
“Brooklynn and I decided to keep it between us so things wouldn’t get weird.”
“I was your best friend…I have a right to know these things even if they’re supposed to be a secret!”
“And I was starting to have feelings for you…I thought if you knew it might lessen my chances with you even more.”
“Why Brook? I mean…what…how…” she stammered desperately.
“You make it sound like we committed some bizarre act of blasphemy,” he laughed lightly. “We were curious, we were friends…Brook was always cute…it was ideal for the time.”
“I just…you guys were my best friends—both of you…and you never told me…and…oh…EW!...I’ll never be able to sit in the same room as both of you without getting creeped out!”
“See? This is why we never told you,” he told her with a smile. “We knew you’d act like a four year old. Even now, after I sit and tell you how mature you’ve become, you’re acting like a four year old.”
“It’s just weird, Hayden…”
“How is it weird? You and Sam were having sex and it never bothered Brook and me.”
“That’s different! He was my boyfriend…we were in love. You two were sitting around being bored one night and decided that sex sounded more interesting than Monopoly,” she reasoned and Landon burst out laughing and had to leave the room. “You were thirteen for God’s sake…I didn’t even think about sex at thirteen…we weren’t even out of middle school at thirteen…”
“Yes we were it was the summer before freshman year,” Hayden argued.
“But still….thirteen?!”
“I was twelve!” Landon called from the living room.
“Aren’t you supposed to go back to work!” she asked.
“No,” he came back in, now fully recovered. “They said I could take the night off to help Brooklynn the Lush.”
Hayden smiled with a chuckle.
“Have you heard anything new about Scott?” Landon questioned, suddenly serious as he claimed Brook’s empty chair.
“No…but Mr. Lowman’ll call if something happens,” Taylor sighed.
“How bad is he?” Hayden asked cautiously.
“Bad. He’s been unconscious since it happened. Can’t breath on his on his own. Broken bones, bruises…” Taylor explained.
“Do they know if he’s gonna make it?” Hayden pressed.
“They don’t know anything for sure right now,” Landon answered solemnly.
Just then Draco started calling for his mother and the phone began to ring.
“Can one of you boys get that while I grab him?” Taylor asked, already halfway into the living room.
“Mommy, play!” Draco pulled himself to his feet with a smile when he saw her.
“Hey punkin,” she smiled back as she picked him up. “Let’s go see Uncle Hayden and Landon.”
He didn’t reply, only hugged her around the neck.
Taylor walked into the kitchen with Draco just as Hayden was hanging up the phone.
“That was Mr. Lowman…Scott’s awake. He was asking for us.”
“Hey guys,” Scott smiled, now sitting up, as his friends walked into his room.
“How you feelin, buddy?” Hayden walked up to his friend and lightly hugged him.
“Like shit…but that’s to be expected when one totals their car like an asshole,” he joked. He then noticed Draco on Taylor’s hip. “Hey little buddy!”
“Scott!” Draco grinned, holding his arms out to him.
“Lemme see him, Tay?” Scott asked.
She nodded and set Draco down on the bed with Scott. “You be easy…Scott has lots of boo-boos and you don’t want to hurt him or he’ll cry,” she warned her son.
Draco carefully moved close to Scott and kissed his cheek. “Kisses make all better!” he told him proudly.
“Yeah, I’m all better now, thanks,” he laughed as he put an arm around the baby, then turned his attention to the adults. “What…no Brook to throw herself at me, profess her undying, ever growing love, and try and convince me that being so close to death should’ve made me realize how much I truly love and pine away for her?” he joked.
“No…she was so upset about what happened to you that she drank herself into a stupor and passed out,” Hayden answered stiffly, wiping the grin off of Scott’s face.
“Oh,” he replied uncomfortably.
“Can I have a few minutes? Just to catch up?” Hayden requested.
“Sure,” Landon agreed.
Taylor nodded silently, then took Draco (who protested for a moment until Landon promised to buy him candy from the vending machine) and they left the room.
“So what’s up?” Scott asked. “How you been?”
“Okay…things been okay with you?” Hayden replied taking the seat next to the bed.
“Been better, been worse…you know how it goes.”
“What happened with her? I mean…I know it isn’t really my business since I’m not around, and you and I aren’t really that close…I just ask because she’s a complete wreck and in all the years I’ve known here, I’ve never seen her lose control the way she’s losing control now.”
“I just…I fell out of love with her. It happens. Don’t you think it’s better that I hurt her a bit now and be honest as opposed to lie to her for a bit and hurt her much worse later in life? And then last night at that party…I question myself. I questioned if I was truly over her. She looked amazing…and one thing led to another, and it went too far. And she’s right—I wasn’t angry at her—I was angry at myself for wanting her, for giving in, for…enjoying it so much that for a split second I considered begging her to take me back. And then I realized that doing so would only hurt her more. Because for as much as I want her, I don’t love her,” Scott confessed. “And I know I’m going to be considered the asshole or the prick because of the way I’ve been treating her, but I honestly don’t know how else to deal. I can’t be friends with her—though I want to be—because every time I try and talk to her she’s either drunk or trying to talk me into ‘one more try’ or a combination of both. I’d rather her hate me than try and tell her for the billionth time that it’s over. For good.”
Hayden was taken aback. Clearly Scott was miserable with the way things had turned out but hadn’t been able to vent until that moment.
“Sorry for just…spazzing…nobody bother to ask how I felt before now,” Scott smiled.
“It’s cool, I understand.”
“So…what’s it like seeing Taylor again? Knowing that she’s available for good?” Scott asked with a sly grin.
“I haven’t figured it out yet. She still takes my breath away, and I know I still have feelings for her…I’m just not sure how deep those feelings still run.”