23. Chapter 22
Ivy
“You’ve been avoiding being here at certain times of the day,” I accuse Raya as I watch her gently stroke my son’s hand, and she smiles slightly, not denying it.
“Yep, the less contact I have with your brother, the better because honestly, I’m ready to punch him,” she admits, and I chuckle.
He should be returning to the club right now, which is only when Raya shows.
Since he basically called her a patch chaser.
Something I wasn’t privy of hearing otherwise I would have punched him in the face.
Then he accused her of trying to upset daddy…
She won’t speak let alone look at him if he’s in the vicinity though you can still see the crush that she’s carrying for him.
Her body lights up when he’s near, something she refuses to admit, and I get it—I do.
No one wants to admit crushing on their bully and that is what my brother is mainly because he’s also crushing on her and doesn’t want to admit it.
What would he say when he finds out her stepdad is the club's lawyer?
“Hey Raya,” I say, and she hums, and I state, “make sure I’m around when Venom finds out Gregory is the club’s lawyer, it’ll be hilarious, and I could do with a laugh.”
She looks up at me with a massive grin before the door opens, and her grin slowly dies as her eyes widen, and I recognize the look instantly on her face.
Uh oh.
Guess Cale decided to stay a little longer today?
“You’re supposed to be on your way to the club.” she mutters, but not quietly enough because my brother replies, “Good to know you’ve been avoiding me, kitten. We’ll discuss that later, shall we?”
I bite my bottom lip to stop the laughter from escaping at Rayas's shocked, angry look.
“Hey, sis,” Venom says and I look at him and send him a small smile before he looks at Hudson. His eyes go to where Raya is touching him, and I don’t know if he realizes it, but his look softens.
Four months tops, he’ll make her his, I know it but he’ll have one hell of a fight. Raya has one mission on her mind and it is not being his old lady…
“How’s he doing?” he asks as he gently moves some loose strands of my hair behind my ear.
“His ECG came back clear,” I admit, and he smiles.
Dr. Asshole was shocked to say the least when he got the results and his lungs are improving.
“That’s awesome, little doll,” he says then looks at Raya, who is purposely ignoring him, then looks back at me and asks, “Is there any chance you can get Raya to watch him and come with me?”
I swallow hard, look at my son, and mutter, “I don’t leave him during the day.”
My brother hums but gently cups my jaw and gets me to look at him as he kneels before me, his eyes teary.
“He’s awake,” he whispers, and my mouth parts in shock while Raya gasps and confirms, “Really?”
My brother looks at her and nods before looking back at me.
I think I’m in shock, I-I, he’s awake?
“Little doll, he has short-term memory loss,” he admits, and my tears fall as he states, “The last memory he has is you and him at the diner, you were nineteen.”
No, no, no.
I turn my head and look at my son as a sob releases, and Raya quickly says, “Venom,” and he replies, “I’ve got her, kitten,” before he takes me into his arms, and I sob.
“W-What do-do I tell him a-about Hudson?” I sob, clutching my brother's cut as I look at my son.
“Nothing,” he whispers, “not just yet. He’s missing five years of his life, and we don’t want to send him over the edge, so for now, we tell him nothing and see what he remembers when he sees you, alright?”
My body shakes as I cry, my emotions too much for me to handle, the relief that he’s awake, the pain that he doesn’t remember anything, that he doesn’t remember his son, us…
“He’s asking for you, little doll,” my brother whispers, and I nod, keeping my teary eyes on my son.
“I’ll stay with him,” Raya says. I nod again as Cale pulls back, grabs my hands, and helps me stand.
I take deep breaths as he wipes my face.
Then, with a quick look at Raya, he guides me out of the quiet room and down the door that separates the babies and the elevators all while my mind scrambles to understand our new reality, a reality that wouldn’t have happened if I had just opened my damn mouth.
My heart pounds as we near Jax’s room, and my breathing picks up with fear and apprehension, causing Cale to tighten his hold on me where his arm is over my shoulders, but he doesn’t say anything, knowing nothing will help me right now.
I don’t think I would have moved if he hadn't held or guided me down here.
Slowly he opens the door, and Blade, Luna, Pitbull, and Jessica come into view, all looking at me with smiles as my eyes go to the man sitting up in bed, looking exhausted yet amazing despite being in a coma for four months.
My tears fall fast and hard as we lock eyes.
He gives me a slight lopsided smile, though I don’t miss the wince, and I take in a breath.
He’s still in pain?
“Hey cupcake,” he rasps, his eyes taking me in, not the nineteen-year-old he remembers, and I can’t stop my reaction.
I raise my hand and cover my mouth with the back of it as sobs releases and concern erupts from his face as he lifts his right arm and says, “Come here, Ives,” but I shake my head, my body shaking, my head unable to comprehend that he’s here, that he’s talking.
He’s awake, he really is awake…
“Venom,” Jax snaps when I don’t move and my breathing accelerates, and my brother moves to push me into the room. With one little push, my legs finally listen to my heart, and I move quickly.
I run over to Jax and climb on his bed before putting my face into his neck and I sob, all the pain and heartbreak over the past four months pour out of me as relief takes center stage that he is finally awake.
While he may have some memory loss and that I have no idea how to explain everything, explain his son and how he still may not survive, Jax is awake, he’s here.
Jax wraps one arm around my waist while threading his fingers into my hair, underneath my messy bun, whispering, “It’s okay, cupcake, everything is okay,” repeatedly and I sob harder, causing him to place his lips to the top of my head and inhale.
“Let’s give them some space,” I hear my brother rasp, his voice full of emotions, before a few kisses land on my head. I don’t look up. Instead, I burrow tighter into Jax as footsteps echo and the door shuts.
He’s really here, he’s really awake, I’m not dreaming.
My body shakes, and my emotions drain me, causing Jax to hold me tighter and mumble, “I’m okay, cupcake. I’m okay.”
“Four months, Jax, that is a long time without my best friend,” I choke, and he kisses my head again and mutters against my hair, “I know, I’m sorry.”
I sob, my tears falling, soaking his chest as I hold him tighter and close my eyes, finally feeling at home after so long.
“How long has she been asleep?” I hear whispered, a whisper I know to be Viper’s as I slowly wake, but keep my eyes closed, not wanting to move.
For the first time in months, I feel safe .
Jax’s chest rumbles against me, soothing me as he mumbles, “About an hour. She cried herself to sleep and I felt fucking useless.”
Viper sighs, “She’s been emotionally wired for months, brother. You’re her person, but you were in a coma, and she blamed herself. She tried to stand in between you and the fucking bullet.”
“I know,” Jax murmurs, “Luna mentioned it and I am getting little snippets of it but none of it is making sense and the more I try to remember the more my fucking head hurts.”
“You need to let the memories come naturally, Jax. Don’t go hurting yourself,” Viper says lowly.
Jax hums before I feel his fingers gently glide up and down my spine, and I burrow even deeper into him.
“It’s hard, brother, I know she’s hurting and somehow, I think my remembering everything will come easier to her,” Jax admits, and my bottom lip quivers.
He hasn’t been out of a coma for more than a few hours after four months, missing five years of his memories, and he’s more concerned about me…
Again, regrets hit me hard.
“I understand it’s hard brother but, you need to give it time and when you do get your memories back, be understanding,” Viper replies before I hear rustling and he rasps, “I’ll let you get some rest alright, I’ve got someone to go see but I’ll check in later.”
“Alright, brother, ride easy,” Jax mumbles before I feel a kiss on my head then hear footsteps and the door shutting. Jax says, “He’s gone, cupcake. Are you going to open your eyes for me?”
I sniffle and shake my head, replying, “No, because then we need to talk, and right now, this is the only place I want to be.”
I feel him press a kiss to my head before he mutters, “Okay, we’ll just stay like this then. We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”
I sniffle and nod as I tighten my hold over his stomach before I press my nose into his neck. I inhale but instantly hate that he doesn’t smell like him, he doesn’t smell like home, he smells like the hospital.
How am I going to tell him about Hudson?
How am I going to tell him my immaturity and actions over the years are what caused all this trauma?
He’s going to hate me when he remembers.