The Ryland Boys
Chapter 15

Lifting my head up, I eyed Mason who was watching tv. It was dark and everyone was asleep.

Benson had gone home with Lucas, Alison was asleep in the chair laying her head on Carters bed. Lindsay was gone and Jax and Carter where fast asleep.

He looked to me smirking “They said you kept calling for me.” He said staring at me.

I pulled out the whiteboard writing ‘I thought you were going to bleed out.’ I showed it to him and he smiled soft “Me too.” He said.

Wiping the board I wrote ‘I wasn’t okay until I knew you weren’t bleeding out dead.’ I turned it to him.

He smiled softly I wiped the board ‘at least our last meals would’ve been good’ I turned it to him and we laughed both in pain from the laughter.

I held my rib and he held his stomach.

‘Sorry about your truck’ I wrote him.

He furrowed his eyebrows “Sorry about your neck. Did you know it was a semi that hit us? We technically should be dead but since my trucks been modified to withstand big hits it wasn’t as bad.” He said and I eyed him ‘If we took another car wed be dead.’

He nodded.

Pondering it I looked to Carter. “The other drivers are dead.” He said softly.

I looked to him sad ‘How many?’ I wrote.

“The semi was a tired truck driver, the red Toyota was a mother with her thirteen year old son and the sporty car that Han Solod you was a teenager driving drunk.” He said sighing.

I placed a hand to my mouth trying not to cry.

He nodded “My dad paid to keep our names from any papers and magazines. He doesn’t want that publicity.” He said looking to me.

I stared at Jax asleep “Did you know he was fighting Lindsay?” Mason asked.

I nodded “He would’ve died in a bad mood.” Mason said sadly.

Looking to him I smiled softly writing down ‘But he didn’t. Can’t wait to be back in bed.’ I turned it to him and he nodded “Me too. I’ve had blue balls for a while now and I can’t do anything about it.” He laughed hissing and holding his stomach.

I laughed writing ‘I’ll go to sleep and let you do your thing.’ I turned it to him and he gave me a wink.

Wiping it off I shut my eyes and let sleep take me over.

Opening my eyes I looked up at Lindsay ontop of Jax, they where making out and it was barely lit in the room, darkness filling the windows. Still nighttime. She tried to keep her laugh quiet hushing herself and him.

I looked to Mason who was asleep, Alison was sleeping by my bedside now and I smiled at her before looking to see Carter asleep too.

Looking back at Jax and Lindsay I felt weird and shut my eyes trying to go back to sleep.

“Why are you being so weird lately?” Lindsay asked him.

Jax sighed “Its a hospital room Lindsay, come on.” He said sounding tired.

Lindsay laughed short “Oh come on, just one round. Don’t be such a prude. It’ll be like sophomore year again.” She said laughing.

“Lindsay, the rooms full of my family. Come on, knock it off.” Jax said following a ruffling sound.

She laughed “You afraid your girlfriend might wake up and see?” She asked him.

Oh s**t that’s me, keep the heart steady, keep it steady. It’s monitored Norah, keep it steady.

“I don’t know why you hate her so much.” Jax said to her, it grew silent “Jax she’s in love with you. Everyone knows it, why don’t you?” She asked him.

Steady that f*****g heart beat Norah.

Taking Alison’s finger I placed mine over hers and quickly moved the monitor to her finger feeling my heart racing wild.

“You lecture me every time I say something to her, you’re always defending her, you want to know why? Because you have feelings for the little tramp.” Lindsay whisper shouted.

The silence in the room grew “I do.” Jax said softly. “I care about her. I don’t love her, but I care about whether she’s okay or not.” He said to Lindsay.

I’m so happy I took the heart monitor off my finger, my heart beat would’ve signaled them for a damn heart attack.

“You f****d her that night in the tub didn’t you?” Lindsay asked.

Jax sighed “For the last time, no, we didn’t do anything but talk.” He said annoyed.

“You’re just going to end up crawling back to me anyways. You always do.” She said angry.

“For the love of God Lindsay, Im not f*****g Norah. I’m not going to f**k her either. Even if I did you-.” He stopped talking

Oh s**t, he’s going to say it.

She scoffed “What’s that supposed to mean? ‘Even if I did'” she repeated aggravated.

Her footsteps hitting the ground told me she stepped off him. “What’s that supposed to mean Jax?” She asked with a bit of a shake in her voice.

“I just mean that you’ve f****d up before so why would you care?” He tried to fix it but I guess he wasn’t going to tell her about him knowing about Cory.

She shook her head “Oh so if I go f**k a guy right now, say Mason, you can go f**k Norah?” She asked shoving his chest.

Jax rubbed his forehead “You’d f**k Mason?” He asked her watching her nod “Oh yeah, I’d f**k him better than I ever f****d you.” She said in anger.

Okay, there’s a lot of things that are considered ‘Rule breakers’ in serious relationships and saying you’d f**k someone’s sibling is possibly the worst possible thing you could say.

Oh shit….it grew quiet and then she sighed “I’m sorry Jax, I didn’t mean that, I was just-” she was cut off quick.

“Get out. Just please. Get out. Go.” Jax said with a shaky breath.

Lindsay’s footsteps hurried out the door followed by her cries.

Jax’s cry filled the silence and I knew he needed privacy so I kept myself silent.

After a good ten minutes, I thought he’d gone to sleep. I would’ve needed a nap after that much emotion.

The sound of flat lining came and I opened my eyes to see Jax pulling his IV out and try to stand. He held his thigh cursing. I stared at him and watched the nurses rush in.

“I’m okay, I’m fine. Go.” He said to them.

I watched them walk out hurriedly.

Jax went to stand again and fell back to the bed.

“F**k.” He muttered.

Unscrewing my IV and pulling my drip out, I moved slowly getting out of the bed. Walking over to him slowly, I stood in front of him and he looked from my toes up my legs and at my stomach “Go to bed.” He said sounding still frustrated.

I tipped his chin to look to my face, wiping his tear I ran my hand under his arm and helped him stand up gesturing to take it slow.

As he slowly stood, I smiled softly “pee?” I mouthed.

“I’ve got it, go to bed.” He said going to walk but his leg buckled and he cursed.

I held him tight.

He began breathing heavy.

I placed my hand to his chest breathing in deep and letting out a slow breath.

As he did the same, we repeated it a few times and I walked him to the bathroom placing his hand to the rail on the wall.

Walking out the door I shut it and waited outside.

The flush came and then the water and then the door opened.

He was dragging his leg and hopping.

I went to his left side under his arm walking with him back to his bed “You get a good show?” Jax said quietly but bothered.

Laying him slowly to bed, I sighed going to my bed and grabbing my board walking back and siting by his bed I wrote ‘It’s hard to not listen when you’re in a room together.’ I wrote watching him stare at me.

Jax sighed and I wrote ‘Your fight is kept secret with me. I won’t tell anyone about tonight. Get some rest.’ I showed it to him and he read it furrowing his eyebrows.

His eyes moved over my lips and then my eyes “Every boy and man who ever let you slip from their fingers was an idiot.” He said softly.

I rolled my eyes writing ‘Don’t be so sweet just because I saved your a*s.’ I turned it to him and he read it over twice.

“I mean it.” He said furrowing his eyebrows.

Writing on the board I laughed ‘You’d leave after no s*x too.’ I pondered it before showing him it.

Jax eyed it the words “There’s always my hands.” He said laughing, I laughed soundlessly and hissed holding my rib.

“Go to bed Norah, before you break another rib.” He said leaning back.

I smiled at him holding my thumb up.

He nodded and held his thumb up “I’ll be good. Go to sleep.” He said.

I nodded and headed to my bed laying in slowly and screwing back in my IV and putting the heart monitor back on my finger before going to sleep.

The whole night went like that, waking up, going to sleep, someone crying in pain, a monitor heart rate going up, it was just a long night.

When morning finally did hit us, the guys ate their breakfasts and I ate a smoothie because no solid foods for the next five days. God this is going to be depressing.

Alison was with Jax opening his utensils and what not because of his broken wrist. He hasn’t said much since last night, there’s a ‘yeah’ ‘no’ ‘Don’t’ and ‘sure’ but you could tell he was heart broken.

No matter how much she hurts him, he is in love with Lindsay, I don’t know how, she’s literally the anti christ.

Carter was released first and sent home gleefully telling us all “I get a nice hot shower and comfy bed.” Jerk.

A couple hours later, Jax was released, they had to do some MRIs on his skull and check his heart rate again but he was good to go and left on crutches as well.

Poor Jerry was making trip after trip to the hospital to get us and take Alison home to shower.

Mason waved a small wave to me and I waved back laughing and holding my rib.

The doctor came in and looked to me staring at a clipboard “You’re going home Norah, but I advise that you don’t go running or doing any vigorous workouts for the next six days.” He looked to me and furrowed his eyebrows “No carrying anything over fifteen pounds, no s*x, no swimming, no sports and try not to take a bath unless someone helps you. Lowering yourself into a tub will only cause more damage.” He said flipping a page.

I signed the paper as he held it to me and I smiled cheerful.

As he left, some nurses came in and began unhooking my IVs and drip. A nurse handed me a pair of dark blue pajama pants and a white T-shirt with some fluffy socks. I slowly got off the bed and she closed the curtain around my bed.

“I can’t see you changing but the thought of you naked behind that curtain is turning me on.” Mason said laughing and then hissing.

I smirked and took the hospital gown off, pulling on the cozier clothes and pulled the curtain back around carefully to avoid hurting my rib.

Walking to Masons bed, I smiled down at him and leaned into the side of the bed. Tapping my heart twice, I dropped my eyes and moved them back up to him.

“You love me?” Mason asked grinning.

I smirked, standing up I began walking out the door “Wait, Norah! You love me?” He called out.

A nurse handed me my purse that was actually shredded and tattered. I looked inside relieved as I noticed my wallet.

She smiled “Be safe out there hun.” She said and I walked out the double doors feeling stupid with this damn neck brace.

Alison was talking to Jerry and looked behind her to me and smiled.

I got in the car with Jerry and Alison waved bye heading inside.

“You really are winning our hearts day after day Norah.” He said giving me a gentle smile. “I’ve raised those boys like they where my own. I don’t know where I’d be without them.” Jerry said shaking his head.

I smiled and buckled my seatbelt.

We drove to the house and I headed inside with Jerry. Going up to my room I opened the door shutting it behind me and tossing my tattered purse on the bed.

Unhooking the neck brace, the pain of my neck rippled down my shoulders and I took a steady breath.

What an absolutely emotional forty eight hours this has been.