BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(113)

On the opposite side of the closed door, I hear Jax say, “Beautiful, you’ll explain all of that to me when I wake up, right?”

“Just as soon as I figure it out myself, babe,” she responds.

  - Nineteen -



JACE -

All day. I searched for her all day and found nothing. I’m embarrassed to admit the amount of times I have called her phone with no answer. With my head hanging low, I make my way back into Jaxon’s hospital room. The second I step inside, I immediately step right back out.

I shouldn’t even be surprised to see Em straddling Jax, but I guess I wasn’t expecting it in a hospital bed. It looked like only her shirt was off at this point but I hightail it out, just in case. After some giggling and shuffling around, Jax calls for me to come back in. I step inside and smirk at the two guilty parties sitting casually on the white hospital bed with coy looks on their faces.

“You were just in coma, you remember that, right?” I ask.

“Hey, they told me to try and get back to normal. I’ve got a lot of muscle to build back up.”

“I guess so,” I laugh.

“Where’s Audrey?” Em asks, while flipping her hair upside down and scooping the length of it up into one of those colorful hair bands.

I groan and shrug, making my way toward the chair nearest to his bed. I empty out my pockets and say, “I was hoping you would know. I took cold coffee to all of her classes today. Well, it was warm for the first forty-five minutes I carried it around. She’s not answering her phone, she’s not at home, and I can’t find Lane either.”

“Sorry, the last time I talked to her was when she brought the muffins up here for you,” she apologizes.

“What?” I gasp. “For me? She made those? You never told me that.”

“Would you have really cared at the time? She just wanted to help you in some way.”

“This really couldn’t get any worse. You and Jax are getting married, which I couldn’t be happier for you guys. You know that, right?” She nods her head and I continue, “Cole and Quinn are already starting their family. I’m just afraid I’ll be moving back to Texas without Audrey and she’ll disappear again, permanently.” I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. “I just had this whole fantasy about marrying her and building a house with her. Am I completely off my rocker?”

Em shakes her head back and forth and Jax questions, “Do you really think you would let her get away? After all these wasted years, would you really let that happen again?”

“I would chase her to the ends of the earth,” I reply emphatically.

“Alright then, case closed. You’ll find your girl, but you better give her a second to forgive your sorry ass,” he chuckles drowsily.

Em’s phone begins to vibrate on the table next to her and I stare, willing it to be Audrey. She notices my intense gaze and shakes her head when she reads the screen, indicating it’s not who I want it to be. With a defeated sigh, I take the seat nearest the window.

“Hello?” Em’s voice questions into the phone. Whoever is on the other line is somewhere loud, because I can hear the roar of a party from her phone’s speaker. I can’t make out what’s being said though.

“Uh, no, sorry I don’t have that, why...

Well, check her phone. Obviously she would have it...

Have you asked her...

Shit.”

Em’s eyes dart to me then quickly away. The hair on the back of my neck rises as I hear the one-sided conversation.