Chapter 54 Finn
FINN
The wait at the bar feels like forever. I keep looking at the booth trying to spot Alexis, but it’s shadowed and I can’t tell if she's in it or not. I chuckle, remembering her on stage belting out the lyrics to her song, totally off key, but somehow still working it. You know, up until now, I thought there wasn’t a single thing my girl couldn’t do.
Turns out, she can’t carry a tune, but somehow it makes me love her even more.
The bartender finally hands me our drinks as I turn toward the booth, and I spot her. She's still near the stage, half concealed by shadows. She turns away from someone looking pissed and throws her middle finger in the air as she walks away.
A heavily tattooed guy comes out of the shadows after her. The world slows as I watch in shock as he grabs her by her hair, pulling her backward. She yelps, reaching for her hair, but he brings a bottle crashing down onto her head.
Alexis crumples.
Dropping our drinks, I vaguely register the sound of glass shattering as people shout, liquid sloshing on them.
My eyes are glued to the horror unfolding across the room.
A small rail divides the bar area and the dance floor that is set down into the floor.
Leaping over the rail, I shove my way through the crowd, earning more than a few shouts as I toss people aside.
My only thought is getting to her.
People are pulling at the guy I now recognize as Jax from the file I had made, but he is feral. His hands close around her throat and I see red. The scream that rips out of me is more animalistic than man, and I'm beyond rational thought.
Fear floods my veins—he is going to kill her.
The sickening crack of her head on the floor reaches me a second before I plow into Jax. My fist connects with his face, once, twice, three times. Blood spurts from his mouth as I wind up for another hit. Hands are now pulling at me and I finally stop fighting, Jax lying limp on the ground.
Spinning to Alexis, my heart stops. She's lying still, eyes closed, with a halo of blood around her head turning her blonde hair red. Crawling to her, I lightly cup her face. “Lex, baby. Lex? Can you hear me? Please, baby, you have to be okay.”
It’s pure chaos around me, but I don’t see any of it. All I can think of is her. Fear spreads through my like wildfire, consuming my every thought.
The rhythmic beeping of the monitors is the only sound in the cold sterile room. Alexis and I came by ambulance, and I’ve had to fight tooth and nail to stay by her side. We aren’t related, and I’m not her emergency contact so they aren’t giving me much, but at least I'm here with her.
She looks pale and so small in the bed. I hold one of her hands in mine, alternating between staring at the monitors and watching her chest rise and fall, needing something, anything, to assure me that she's still here. Fear like I have never known grips my chest like a vice and I can’t breathe.
A gasp sounds behind me and I turn, finding Marcee in the door with one hand over her mouth as silent tears stream down her face.
“What happened? Is she okay? Oh my God, Lexie.”
I stand, going to my daughter and pulling her in close. Her emotions finally giving me something to do, something real, besides sitting and replaying every torturous second of the attack. The attack she faced alone, that I couldn't get to her fast enough to stop.
“We were at a bar for New Year’s and when I went to get drinks, Jax attacked her.
I got to her as fast as I could, but he was brutal in his attack.
I…I…” The adrenaline of the night is finally wearing off and I feel myself spiral.
Turning, I vomit into the trash can, purging the contents of my stomach.
Marcee stands sentry, rubbing my back through it.
With shaking hands, I wipe my face and straighten.
“I know our relationship has been hard on you, honey, but I can’t.
I can’t breathe. I need her to be okay.” My voice cracks and the dam that had been holding my tears back finally breaks.
Dropping my face into my hands, I cry. Marcee continues rubbing my back, just being there for me.
Once I pull myself together, we sit beside the bed together. I pull Alexis's hand to my lips for a quick kiss, before letting our hands rest on the bed.
“You really love her, don’t you?”
“I do, so much it hurts. I can’t lose her, Marcee. It would destroy me. I just…” Whipping my head to my daughter. “Wait, how did you know she was here?”
“I’m her emergency contact, so they called when she was admitted.”
“Marcee, please, they won’t tell me anything, only immediate family and her emergency contact.”
Suddenly flustered, Marcee stands. “Okay, okay. Yeah. I'll go to the nurses’ station and see what I can find out. You stay with her, I’ll be back.” I nod, not taking my eyes from Alexis as Marcee leaves.