"You look exhausted Loges. Why don't you get some sleep?" For the first time since I first saw him lying in his bed, bandaged and broken, I looked away from Kendall and smiled. James walked into the room, holding two coffee cups, with Kendall's mom right behind him. I sat up straight and let James stand beside me, handing a coffee cup down to me. "Black. Just like you like it." I smirked taking a quick sip and looked across the bed to Jennifer who was also sipping from a cup, looking at her son, as she sat down in her seat. "My dad took Katie home, so she could get some sleep since she has school tomorrow. But he asked me to thank you for being here. For me. For us." I nodded and looked away fast, just as Jennifer looked across to me. "Also…" James quietly pulled a chair up next to me and sat down hard pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I got ahold of his boss…when they found out Kendall was in an accident while he was on his way to work, they asked if they could do anything for us. I said I'd let them know." I heard Jennifer shift across from us and looked down at my lap holding onto my Starbucks cup.
"Everyone who knows him has been so sweet. I don't know what I would have done with myself or Katie if we didn't have this support." I glanced up smiling small and she smiled back. "When he wakes up, he is going to be so happy to see you. You would not believe all the texts he's sent me since Friday night." My smile fell, and she leaned forward putting her hand on Kendall's. "He promised me, just like I hope he promises you, he's going to quit. The drinking, the smoking…the drugs. All of it. He was devastated seeing you walk out." I quickly raised my left foot and set in on my right knee and swallowed hard knowing they were both looking at me, waiting for me to say something. Probably about how I hated him and glad he was here. But I didn't. Because none of that was true. And neither of them knew about me coming in here, him waking up and me telling him I loved him, and I wanted him back. "I know this won't help but I do believe him going to see his scumbag father is to blame for his slip up."
"I know." We locked eyes and I furrowed my eyebrows remembering hearing Chris say something to me when I first got to the hospital. "David, who I work for now, told me they had a long talk. He said his dad told him quite a few things to make him do what he did." I couldn't miss Jennifer roll her eyes and sit back casually sipping her coffee. "If you don't mind me asking…did Kendall go to prison because he was helping his dad?" She nodded, lowering the cup from her mouth and set the empty sounded cup on the table by Kendall's bed. "And is dad now running a huge drug operation?"
"From what Kendall told me…and from the nasty death threats I've been getting from Donald, yes." My stomach turned as I pushed myself up a little and raised my coffee to my lips. "His father is a bad, bad man. His life was garbage from the minute he left the Navy and blamed everyone around him. Including his first child. Kendall was never good enough for him, and convinced him from a very early age, he was worthless." She paused sighing softly as she reached up and brushed hair back on Kendall's forehead. "I've begged and pleaded with him to never see his dad again, but he has this sad, sad need to help everyone he comes into contact with. When he realizes he can't help everyone, he spirals?"
"Is that what happened between him and David?" She turned to me quick and I sat forward. "He didn't ever tell me about any of his ex's. He really didn't tell me a whole lot. I think I blame myself for that…because so much has happened to me lately, I was sort of selfish." Quickly she reached over her sleeping son and grabbed my arm. I gave a small awkward smile and raised my arm letting her intertwin our fingers together.
"Kendall needs to help everyone he comes into contact with Logan. You made me feel like he had a purpose again. Like he was worth something, at least to you." My smile fell, and she squeezed my hand. "I know our pride stops us a lot of times, but just once Logan, if you end up going back to him Logan, let him know you need him and want him to help you." I nodded slowly as she sat back in her chair and I kept my hand on Kendall's bed. "I'm going to call Katie, and make sure she's alright. I'll be right back boys." I nodded, standing up along with James as we watched her stand as well. We remained standing in tell the door to his room was shut. I carefully set my coffee cup on the table by his bed and gently sat on his bed, looking down at his cut up face, eyes closed tight.
"You doing okay?" My right shoulder was gripped tightly, and I shrugged gently rubbing my hand on his chest that was wrapped in cast. "I wanted to say sorry for coming into your dorm earlier tonight. I was freaked out…I wanted to hear from you, everything was going to be okay." I glanced over my shoulder too see my best friend looking down at me, guilt washing over his face. I turned carefully still sitting on the bed and reached out. I roughly pulled him into me and hugged around his broad body, wrapping my legs around the back of his thighs.
"I should be the one saying sorry. I was also freaked out and ignored your feelings because I didn't want to have to see him like this because I knew it would break me down." He sighed hard over top of me and put one hand on the back of my head, while the other rubbed my back soothingly. "I love him James. And I'm on the fence on whether that's a good thing since I've only been with him for what…a couple months?"
"My mom always used to tell me love is never wrong. It can be scary, But not wrong." I turned my head to shoved my face into his chest, closing my eyes hard. "Hey…I think he's waking up." I pushed away fast from James and turned back to Kendall feeling my heart swell. "I'm going to go get Jennifer." I nodded sliding off the bed and bent down fast getting close to his face. I set a hand on the side of his face and smiled seeing him stare up at me, blinking lazily. He no longer had the tube down his throat, but he was still attached to an oxygen tank. He started to raise his hand and at first, I thought he was going to try to take the breathing tubes out of his nose, but he gently set his hand on my face and closed his eyes shaking his head softly.
"I thought I dreamt you were here." His voice was scratchy and horse. I quickly leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose gently. "Can I have some water?" I pushed up slowly and nodded reaching over him to the other side of his bed for the jug of water, and a foam cup. "Are you the only…one here?" I could hear the pain in his voice form his breathing and quickly poured the water setting the jug down on the table beside me. I carefully put the cup to his lips and he raised his head a little as I slowly poured the water into his mouth.
"No. James and your mom are here." He closed his eyes swallowing hard, and I took the cup away from his mouth setting it on the table beside the jug and quickly sat back down on the bed letting him put his arm in my lap.
"So, you met my mom?" I nodded watching him try to wiggle his way up into a seating position and sighed.
"Just lay down babe." He groaned, giving up and laid back raising his other hand, to push the hair off his forehead. "How's the pain?"
"Pretty basic right now." I nodded casually linking our fingers together making him squeeze around mine. He turned his head towards me and gave me a little smile. "Can I have a kiss? Make the pain go away?" I chuckled nodding as I leaned down to him. I softly put my lips on his and let him raise his hand to cup the back of my neck. I pushed hard into him and closed my eyes squeezing the hand of his, I was still holding. My other hand reached out and set on his chest as he moaned into my mouth. I think we would have made out until we were blue in the face but a door opening behind me made me shoot up from my spot on the bed and cover my mouth, wiping it. I stood beside his bed letting him wrap his arm around my waist as his mother and step-brother walked to the other side of him. Jennifer threw herself down onto her son and I swallowed hard keeping my hand over my mouth looking at James. He was grinning big at me. I grinned back lowering my hands and grabbed his hand that was resting on my hip, while his arm rested over my butt. "I heard you finally met the love of my life." My heart burst hearing Kendall's deep raspy voice and watched Jennifer stand up straight, smiling big at me.
"I did." I blushed looking down to Kendall who was smiling small up at him mom, his eyes closed. "I think before he just lets himself in, you should know someone else is here to see you." I glanced back to Jennifer who gave me a sad smile. "David heard from a few friends of yours. He wanted to come by and check on him." I sighed hard and shrugged looking back at Kendall who rolled his eyes and turned his head to me.
"Isn't there a way, I could put him on some list, so he can't come in to see me?" I giggled letting Kendall pull me down to him gently. I put both hands on his face and heard the door to his room open. My brain, acting on nothing but love, told my mouth to move forward, and kiss the life out of him. So, I did. I heard a throat get cleared, but quickly pushed my lips into his and kissed him with everything I had. He moaned quietly into my kiss and I gently bit down on his bottom lip. He opened his mouth and I swiped my tongue inside making his other arm wrap around my back and run up to the back of my hair. He tugged gently, making me pull away from his mouth, but stay very close to him, keeping my hands on his face. "David…" I sighed tracing over his bottom lip with both of my thumbs and he but his head back, closing his eyes.
"How you doing Kendall? I can see your in great hands right now." I slowly turned my head and forced a smile to David who was standing beside Jennifer who was busy on her phone. "Just wanted to come check up on you man…and let you know Logan, if you need to take some time to be here with him, just let me know." I slowly stood myself up straight and frowned.
"Are you serious?" He smirked and nodded walking forward gently putting a hand on Kendall's unhurt leg. I looked down at it and looked back up at his face quick. "He's going to be in and out of sleep the next couple of weeks. I think I can come in for my shifts still." He raised both eyebrows as I removed one of my hands from Kendall's face and locked our fingers together. David nodded slowly and looked away from me for a moment, to look down at Kendall. I tensed up, feeling jealousy rattle a cage inside my chest, warning me if this guy did one more thing…if he touched Kendall, looked at him or said one word, I was going to lose it. "Thanks for coming to check up on him David." David looked back up to me and nodded slowly taking his hand off Kendall's leg.
"I'll see you tomorrow Loges. I'll have a coffee for you. And prepare to take notes." I smirked and nodded as he gently touched Jennifer's arm. She turned up to him quick and leaned into him, kissing his cheek, as he did hers. When they separated, He gave a nod to James and walked to the door stepping out slowly. I watched the door close all the way and breathed in hard glancing back down to Kendall who was smiling up at me, in a very cocky way.
"You're cute when you get jealous." I raised an eyebrow gently sitting on his bed next to him, turning my body in a way that I could see Jennifer and James. "He's an ex. That's all. A shitty one at that." I slumped a little in my seat and let Kendall wrap his arm around my stomach pulling me closer to him. Avoiding his casted leg, I raised both of mine and bent them at the knees holding both his hands, in both mine. "I should tell you something…the other night, when David came over we got really lost in our conversations and had a few drinks…he made a move." I froze turning my head down to him, but he quickly let my hand go and raised his up to my face. "I pushed him off and said I didn't want to go down that road again, and he left in a huff. I just thought…if were going to pick things back up, you should hear shit from me before your imagination runs wild." I rolled my eyes turning back to see James smirking at us from behind his coffee cup. "I've missed you." He whispered it into my neck, and I don't think either James or Jennifer heard him. I shivered into the whisper and sunk down into the bed getting closer to him. Once I did, his lisp attached to my ear and I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry about all the shit I said the other night." I nodded playing with his fingers in-between mine and yawned quietly. "Will you stay the night?" I opened my eyes, seeing Jennifer smiling big at us, looking rather happy. I chuckled and nodded again making him squeeze tighter around me. "Will you give me a sponge bath?" I laughed loudly turning my head and shook it reaching up to grab the side of his face. He pouted his bottom lip out and I smirked kissing him quick.
"I'll let the nurse know we're going to need another cot in here." I eyed Jennifer as she stood up and turned walking to the door. She left, wrapping her deep red cardigan around herself, leaving the door wide open.
"James…can you give us a minute?" He chuckled and nodded, standing up stretching his arms over his head.
"I actually was going to head out. You are in super good company tonight and I don't really want to watch you stick your tongue in my best friend's ear." I blushed watching him walk to the other side of Kendall, and get take his hand, doing the bro hug type thing. "Let me know if either of you need anything. I work tomorrow so I'll stop by before my shift starts." We both nodded as James stepped back quickly pulling his keys out of his jeans.
"By buddy." He waved over his shoulder as he walked out of the room, closing the door softly. "So…you wanna tell me about you and David? And why he hates you but has no problem eye fucking you?" He laughed loudly pulling me tight into him, kissing onto my neck softly. "Ken…"
"I fucked up when I was with him. I cheated on him and got into some drugs. He wanted to help me get through it and tried to control me. I told him to fuck off, and we broke up. That's all." I closed my eyes, turning slightly into him, letting him kiss on my neck again. "He likes to think I was the only bad guy in that relationship, but he was just as bad as me. And I dumped him…not the other way around. Don't let him fool you. He's really smooth."
"Super-hot too." He pulled away from me quick and I looked down at his face shaking my head. "I think I have a really good chance of moving up high with him. At the bar. I like it there. It's a lot of work but I like it. And I want you to be okay with it."
"I am. I just don't trust him." I rolled my eyes pulling him back into my neck where he started to suck and lick on it again. "You'll tell me if he does anything stupid?" I hummed a low response running my hands through his hair kissing his forehead. I wasn't sure what he meant by stupid but decided to keep his comment about if I was older, I'd have him wrapped around my finger, to myself. Having Kendall back in my life, meant my life could go back to normal. I really hoped David didn't ruin that.