J

 

“I’ve been all over this damn hospital looking for you. I finally convinced an uptight nurse to tell me where you were.” Jules sets the coffee cups on the table and flops onto the couch beside me. It’s just after seven thirty in the morning. I never thought she’d be up and dressed at this time of the day.

 

“What are you doing here?” I ask, grabbing a cup of coffee, my third since I’ve been sitting in here. Hopefully, since it is Starbucks and not the hospital machine kind, I won’t feel like throwing up as soon as it hits my taste buds.

 

“Nan, I got you one, too. I, um…heard you guys have been here a while, no thanks to you. I can’t believe you didn’t call me,” she says, not meeting my eyes.

 

I turn to her and wait until she looks at me. “How did you know we were here?”

 

She sits back on the couch and looks at Nan for help. When Nan just shrugs, she looks at me. “Jesus, fine. I was at Asher’s when Cole called this morning. Okay?”

 

“Oh, my god, Jules. You’re sleeping with Asher?!” I say, a little louder than I intended.

 

“Well, I can’t say there was a lot of sleeping last night, but yeah, I guess you can say that. I don’t know if it was a one-time thing or what. We kind of left it up in the air. When he told me what Cole said, I knew I had to get here for you.”

 

I shake my head. She’s sleeping with Asher? I don’t know why I am surprised. She’s not hindered in her sex life at all. If she sees someone she wants, she goes after him. She lives in the moment, regardless of the possible outcome. We truly are opposite in every way.

 

Looking up at the clock, I see it’s almost time for another visit with my dad. There really hasn’t been any improvement in the last couple hours, but there hasn’t been any decline, either. “Nan, it’s almost time for a visit. Why don’t you take this one? I need to fill Jules in on what’s going on.”

 

She sits up straighter. “You sure, sweetie?”

 

“Yeah. I have gone in the last couple times. You go, but just tell him I love him.”

 

“Of course,” she says, heading for the door.

 

“You are out of your fucking mind,” I say as soon as the door to the waiting room closes. I turn and face Jules. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping with Asher.”

 

“J, seriously, it just happened. He asked me out to dinner and it just happened. Have you seen him? He’s gorgeous. I’d be a fool not to sleep with him.”

 

“What does Cole think?”

 

“I don’t know that he knows I was there, but it’s not like Asher said, ‘Hold on. Don’t tell me about Darren yet. I fucked Jules last night.’ He just listened to what Cole had to say, asked a few questions, and that was it.” She looks at her coffee in her hands. “You know, he thinks it was the DiMarcos who did this to Papa Bear.”

 

“Yeah, I know. When Cole left here, he headed to the shop to look at the bike, hoping to find something.”

 

“Cole was here?” she says, her eyes lighting up.

 

“Todd texted him after Nan called. They were both here. Don’t get your hopes up. It was nothing. He just wanted to check on Pop.”

 

“Then why was he here when you needed him the most?” Nan asks as she walks into the room. I spin around, not realizing her visit with Pop is over already.

 

“I… Nan… He…” I don’t even know what to say.

 

“I saw how that boy cared for you. He may be locked up tight, but he was the strength you needed to get through last night.”

 

“Nan, it’s not like that. He isn’t looking for a relationship.” I clear my throat. “Neither am I, especially now.”

 

She steps in front of me, putting her fingers under my chin, pulling my face up to look at her. “Don’t let your own fears get in the way of what could be. The past is the past. He isn’t Justin. He may not be the one, but don’t run from what could be. You deserve to be happy.”

 

With tears in my eyes, I nod as she rubs my cheek. What would I do without this woman in my life? I really don’t think I would have made it through the mess with Justin without her by my side.

 

She moves to sit back in the chair by the wall just as a family comes walking into the waiting room looking like I must have last night. Their eyes are filled with tears and they look devastated.

 

The doctor is supposed to be in to give me an update after he finishes his rounds. I bounce my leg while I wait, staring at the clock, trying not to make eye contact with the broken family. I have enough of my own shit going on to worry about them and their situation. Is it bitchy of me? Probably, but I don’t care. I try not to listen when their doctor comes in to tell them that the chances of the seventeen-year-old kid regaining consciousness isn’t good. Apparently, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was shot.

 

Jesus.

 

After the doctor walks away, Jules stands. “I need to go. I have a client at ten. I’ll be back later to check on you. Do you need anything?”

 

“No, I’m good. Thank you,” I say, hugging her. “Be careful, please. I don’t know what Justin and the DiMarcos are capable of.”

 

“I will. I love you. Give Papa Bear a kiss for me next time you go in.”

 

I nod and watch her walk out the door. I know her wanting to leave has nothing to do with her having a client and everything to do with the doctor coming in to talk to that family. She has spent more than her fair share of time in waiting rooms after her dad’s stroke. I am honestly surprised she even came here. I wouldn’t have blamed her if she didn’t. I know how much she hates hospitals.