I woke up to the worst headache known to man. My mouth tasted like some scruffy animal had taken a crap in there and my stomach swirled around nauseously. I sat up straight, only to regret it when my brain started to pound against my skull.

My eyes drifted over the familiar pool house. There was a pool table in the center, with an air hockey table at the far back. The fridge in the kitchen was always filled to the brim with junkfood and alcohol.

This was known as the drunk-pad. Whenever one of us got too drunk to go home, Layton would let us crash here until we sobered up. I was unceremoniously dropped on the couch, still wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday.

The front door opened and Layton stepped through. "Morning Sunshine, how are you feeling?"

I groaned. "Like I'm hungover."

Memories of last night flicked through my head and I cringed. I dropped my head into my hands. "You could have at least carried me to bed, Lay. You of all people know how much this chouch sucks."

Layton laughed. "I did put you in bed. Twice. You kept getting up to go back to Chloe's house. Eventually, you passed put on the couch and I thought it better to let you sleep it off."

I made a strangled noise in the back of my throat. "God, why didn't you take me home?"

"So your mother could kill you?" Layton asked raising an eyebrow.

I nodded my head. "Good point." My head dropped to the back of the couch and I rubbed my hands down my face. "I really fucked up this time, didn't I?"

"Well, it could have gone better. If you were sober."

I laughed. "No, I think if I was sober I wouldn't have gone at all. This is so messed up."

Layton sat down on the couch next to me. "Why did you go? I mean you said it was a fling and it was over, so why go there pissed out of your mind?"

My jaws clenched and flicked my gaze away from Layton. "Doesn't matter now. It's over."

Layton laughed. "See that's what you don't get."

I frowned at him and Layton continued. "A woman like Katelyn doesn't just walk away. She takes everything with her and you're left wondering if you were ever truly happy without her."

I raised my eyebrows. "I get the feeling we're not talking about Katelyn anymore?"

"Different people, same scenario. The thing is, I let Megan go. Back then, I was just a dumb kid who didn't know what I had. Don't be an idiot, Lucas. If she's worth it, you have to hold onto her."

I nodded my head, but kept quiet. In my mind, I tried desperately to grasp onto the person I was before Katelyn walked into my life. But he was nowhere to be found.

My excuses for not being with Katelyn seemed stupid now. Although I wasn't ready to face what was standing right in front of me.

Layton walked to the front door and turned around just  efore wlaking out. "Also, take a shower, you reek of two-day-old whisky."

I flipped him the bird and he laughed before walking out. Layton wasn't wrong though, I did need a shower. And a toothbrush.

After taking a long hot shower, I brushed my teeth, and dressed in the clothes Layton always left in the pool house. When I walked back into the living room, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Chloe and Layton were both waiting at the front door, talking in hushed whispers. They stopped as soon as I walked in and my apprehension doubled, when I saw the tears in Chloe's eyes.

Layton also had a grim look on his face but he was keeping himself together, far better than Chloe.

"What happened?" I asked but as soon as the words left my lips, my heart started to pound in my chest.

Chloe started crying and Layton took a step towards me as if he was approaching a dangerous animal.

"Lucas, I need you to stay calm." Layton said before reaching out both hands in a bid to placate me.

My ears popped as if someone had pushed my head under water. "Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on, right now!" I screamed and both Chloe and Layton froze.

Chloe placed a hand over her mouth and nodded her head to Layton.

Layton gave a slight nod before speaking, and God, did I wish he didn't. "It's Katelyn, she's been in an accident."

"Lucas, you have to slow down!" Layton screamed with white knuckled grip on the dashboard.

I slowed down and took another corner before pressing the gass petal down into the floor. The car surged forward, throwing the three of us back into our seats. My mind raced as hard as my heart.

All I needed, were those few words from Layton to throw me into high gear. I kept praying that she was safe. I tried asking Chloe what happened but she didn't know much. The hospital wouldn't tell her anything because she wasn't family.

Fuck that!

I would turn that entire hospital upside-fucking-down if they didn't tell me what was going on. I kept going back to the night we got the call about Justin, by the time we reached the hospital, it was too late. Justin was already gone.

No! Not this time.

Everything flew to the back of my mind and I focused on the road. I took the corners so fast the wheels left the road.

Layton and Chloe kept quiet but I saw the looks they were both throwing me. And they were right, my facade was cracking.

We pulled into the hospital's emergency parking area, and I flew out of the car before it was fully in park. Without bothering to close the door I rushed inside.

I ran up to the receptionist desk, starteling the young nurse behind the counter. "Katelyn Davis, is she here? Is she okay?" The questions flew out of my mouth at lightning speed.

The flustered nurse typed in a few key words on the computer before flicking her eyes back to me. "Are you Michael Davis?"

"No! My name is Lucas, I'm a friend of hers. Is she okay?" My voice boomed in the hollow space and the nurse started.

"Sorry sir, I'm... not allowed to give out patient information to anyone but Mr. Davis."

I slammed both my fists down on the counter and the nurse jumped up. "Just tell me if she's fucking okay!"

"What is going on here?" Another woman walked out from the back with a stern look on her face.

"I just want to know if Katelyn Davis is fine, please."

"Are you family?" The plump woman asked placing a hand on her hip.

I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. It was taking every ounce of self control not to flip this table over and try to go find her myself.

"She doesn't have family in Silver Point. She's been staying with me for the summer."

"Okay, well you'll have to wait for her brother, we called him. He's on his way."

Chloe and Layton rushed in behind me. "Lucas, what the hell man. You left the truck running."

I ignored him as the stuborn woman turned to the back of the room to leave. "Hey! I asked you a question."

The woman turned around and walked around the desk, stopping a step in front of me before pushing her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "She's with doctors now. They're running some tests."

I opened my mouth but the woman held a hand up. "She's stable for now. I can't give you anymore information than that. So, you can wait in the family waiting area."

When I tried to open my mouth again the nurse shot me a look and stuck her finger in my face. "And if you make one more sound, I will throw you out of my hospital, we clear?"

I nodded my head and the nurse walked off. I numbly followed Chloe and Layton to the waiting area and fell into one of the seats.

Seconds later, I was back on my feet, pacing back and forth. The seconds ticked by painfully slow until I thought I would walk a trench in the floor.

Chloe jumped up from her seat. "I'm going to get us some coffee."

"She's going to be okay, Lucas."

I ran my hand through my hair. "She has to be," I said dropping into the chair. "If anything happens to her..." my voice broke, and for the first time since Justin died, I thought I might be close to tears.

Layton put his hand on my shoulder and I hung my head down. "She's going to be fine."

Those long senconds turned into hours. By the fifth cup of coffee Chloe shoved in my hand, I was ready to run through this hospital and to hell with anyone who got in my way.

My mind drifted to the things I never said, the things I was too scared to say, and now I might  ever get the cnahnce. If my reasons were stupid before, they seemed even more so now.

All this time I wasted on thinking, instead of just doing what felt right. I made a vow, there and then, that I would tell Katelyn exactly how I felt. No matter how silly ot inconsequential it sounded. I would tell her anything.

The hospital doors swung open and Michael rushed in, eyes wide and frantically searching the waiting room. I rushed up to meet him, just too damn happy that the dressed penguin was finally here.

He met me halfway. "Is she okay? Have you seen her?"

I shook my head. "They won't let any of us see her. We've been waiting for you. They did say she was stable."

Michael turned on his heel and rushed up to the counter. "My sister, Katelyn Davis? She's been admitted here. I want to see her doctor," Michael said as the nurse dawdled behind the counter. "Now!"

"Of course, we'll call him tight away, Mr. Davis," the nurse said before rushing off.

I gave Michael a look and he just shrugged. "Years of working the boardroom and you learn a thing or two."

"Must be the suit."

Michael gave me half-hearted smile before wringing his hands together. He didn't look quite so confident as mere seconds before, he looked terrified.

I just wanted to see her, to count every hair on her head just to be sure she was safe. The waiting alone, would be the death of me.

An older man walked up to us, dressed in a white coat. "Mr. Davis?"

Michael and I both rushed forward, startling the doctor.

"I'm Michael," Micheal said before flicking a gaze over to me. I don't know what he saw in my eyes but he turned back to the doctor. "This is my sister's boyfriend."

Michael cut me a look and I just knew we were going to have a real heart to heart after this was over. But right then, I couldn't care less.

The doctor nodded his head. "Okay. Your sister sustained some injuries, most of it was to her left side. We sent her for all the necessary scans, as per your request. Aside from three broken ribs and some bruises, she's going to be just fine. She's very lucky."

Michael and I both sighed out in relief. But it was short lived because I knew, I wouldn't settle down until I could see her and make sure she was fine.

"Can I see her now?" Michael asked before I could.

"Sure, she's a little sedated, so I can't guarantee her reaction, if any at all." The doctor said before leading Michael away.

Chloe and Layton were there in an instant and I relayed what the doctor said. Seconds later Chloe was bustling off to get more coffee.

I was sitting in the waiting room, staring into the empty coffee cup.

"Do you want more?" Chloe asked sitting next to me.

I closed my eyes and chuckled. "Chloe, if you bring me anymore coffee, I won't be able to sleep for at least a year."

"Sorry," Chloe said hanging her head. "It's just being back here, it brings back some memories."

"I know."

Just then, Micheal walked aroun the corner and motioned for me to follow him. I shot out of the chair and ran part the nurse's station. When I reached him, Michael didn't wait for me to catch my breath. "She wants to see you. But I'm not even sure she knows where she is right now. She just keeps mumbling your name."

He didn't look too happy about that fact. I was fucking ecstatic! She wanted to see me. After everything she's been through and she wanted me.

"Can I see her?"

"Have you ever tried saying no to Katelyn?" I shook my head truthfully and Michael nodded his head. "Okay, follow me."

We walked down a sterile looking hallway and Michael let me towards a set of wooden doors. When we found Katelyn's room, Michael stopped and let me walk ahead of him.

But before I could walk through the door Michaelspoke behind me. "Just so you know, we are going to have a nice conversation when your done in there."

I stopped and turned to face him. Micheal could probably do a number on me, he was at least a head taller and broader in the shoulders, than I was. But I wasn't going to back down. I spent too long letting stupid shit keep me away from Katelyn and I was done.

"Whatever you say."

I turned back to the door and walked in before soflty closing it behind me. The room was dark, safe for the light flooding in fron the small bathroom. My eyes immediately landed on Katelyn and I felt every stupid idea float out of my mind at the sight of her.

The left side of her face was a big purple bruise, her left eye was completely shut. The crisp white sheets were pulled around her body and her dark hair sprawled over the pillow. She looked so frail, so easy to break and all I wanted to do was crawl into the bed with her and hold her.

A vice squeezed around my heart and my breath lodged in my throat. Something shifted inside me at the sight of her.

I walked to the seat next to her bedside and sat down before taking her hand in mine. Her skin was warm in the palm of my hand and I had no idea why that made me feel relieved.

Katelyn's eyes were shut, the steady rise and fall of her chest told me she was still breathing. I didn't want to wake her, so I just sat there in the dark room, clutching her hand in mine. With the day slowing down, and Katelyn safe, the emotions I kept bottled up assaulted me from every side.

As much as I hated it, tears brimmed in my eyes. I didn't cry when my dad died, I was stupid and reckless, sure. But I never cried. With Katelyn, it felt like someone was ripping open my chest and the pain was unbearable.

"Lucas?" Katelyn asked in a soft voice. Her head turned to me and a ghost of a smile played on her lips. "You're here."

Katelyn closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. I placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Princess."