BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(90)

My hand flies to my mouth to cover the gasp. “Oh God! Where are you, Cole?” I shout.

The second I yell his name, I have everyone’s full attention. I repeat Cole’s words out loud, “UCLA Medical Center.”

“The hospital?” Quinn asks in a confused tone. “What’s wrong with Cole?” she panics.

Cole continues yelling in my ear, I have four sets of eyes on me that want more information, and I still don’t know what is going on.

“It’s Jaxon,” I whisper.

“Give me the phone, Audrey,” Jace bites out harshly.

“Jaxon’s hurt,” I continue.

Em’s whole body locks up and the red plastic cup she’s holding slips from her hand, crashing to the ground and causing a wild splash at our feet. Jace lets out a string of curses and takes off at a dead sprint toward the parking lot. Sand flies out from under his feet in his hasty retreat.

Once it clicks, the rest of us look at each other and start to run for our cars as well. At the same time we reach the parking lot, Jace’s black Camaro is roaring out onto the main road.

“Girls. In my car. Now. None of you are driving,” Lane calls toward us.

Thank God for him because I don’t think we even remember where we had parked, let alone how to start the car. We swiftly scramble into his black SUV and Lane peels out in the same direction Jace is headed.

“Audrey, what did Cole say?” Em’s small voice asks from the backseat.

“He didn’t tell me much. I think we should wait until we get there to find out everything from a doctor,” I respond, trying to detour her.

“I just need to know what he said.”

I let out a sigh. “The only thing he told me was that Jaxon got hurt at practice and that...they couldn’t get him to wake up...”

I turn back in time to see her flinch and grab onto Quinn’s hand tightly. Lane softly curses and continues trying to drive as fast as he can without getting us pulled over. It takes thirty excruciatingly long minutes to get to the hospital. I can’t even begin to imagine everything that is running through Em’s head in that amount of time.

Lane pulls up to the drop-off to let us out, and I spot Jace’s Camaro parked haphazardly in a fire lane near the emergency room entrance. Quinn, Em, and I hop out and they rush inside. Lane steps out and finds an employee staring begrudgingly at the Camaro. When he sees Lane begin to leave his car, he starts shaking his head and telling him he needs to move it immediately.

“Chill, I’m going inside. I’m gonna get my buddy’s keys and I’ll move both cars. Calm down,” he says, in a tone that doesn’t allow any argument.

I’m the last of my friends to enter the emergency room and the scene is overwhelming to take in. I immediately spot my boyfriend’s large frame towering over the receptionist. I can only imagine what she’s thinking as he growls out commands at her. She probably doesn’t know whether to cry or slip him her number for later.

Lane walks up and grabs Jace’s keys from his pocket without even a sideways glance from him. Jace isn’t paying attention to anything besides getting to where his brother is.



JACE -

“Jaxon Riley,” I repeat for what feels like the hundredth time to the brainless girl at the front counter. “He’s my brother. We look exactly alike. Can’t miss him. He was brought in by...ambulance,” I swallow the last word painfully.

“I’m not seeing a Jaxon here.”

“Well try again, ma’am! Jaxon Riley. J-A-X-O-N...” I begin to spell harshly.