Live Today (Live Today #1) (3 page)

“No! Don’t move him.” He said as he took his phone and called 911.

I was torn between staying with Will or with Jenna. Jenna was also unconscious but we had no clue if it was because of the drugs or the accident. “They are on their way.” Gabe says crying. “I will stay with Jenna. You go and stay with Will.”  I nod and run to the car. I try to talk to Will, but he never responds.

“Will. C’mon man, wake up.” I feel like my chest has been crushed into a million of pieces. “C’mon man. Come back to me.” I plead. Tears are flowing freely now as I look at my best friend lying lifeless in the car.

The double doors come flying open drawing me out of my memory. Immediately, we stand up as the bed is pushed our way. It’s Jenna. She’s still unconscious. Her doctor is following. “Mr. Munson?” He asks.

“Yes, I am Brennan Munson, I’m her brother. How is she?” I ask as Matt places a supportive hand on my shoulder. Gabe follows Jenna into her room.

“Your sister has suffered a severe concussion. We were able to wake her; however her blood levels are so high with cocaine and ecstasy, that she only stayed awake for a few minutes. Her scans came back normal. However, I am recommending she stay here with us until her levels are back to normal so we can assess her fully.” He says. “You’re lucky she’s still alive son.”

Extending my hand in gratitude, I say “Thank you so much doctor. She is all I have left.” He takes my hand and nods. “How, how is Will?”

He looks down at his feet before responding. “I am only authorized to notify family,” He looks into my eyes with sorrow. “Being that you were involved in the accident as well, I feel you should know. William has internal damages. He went into cardiac arrest while we tried repairing his injuries. We were however able to bring him back. He is in grave condition son. I suggest you say your goodbyes as soon as he comes back. It’s just a matter of time. I am deeply sorry.” He releases my hand and excuses himself before walking to the waiting room to break the news to his family. Immediately I fall to my knees.

A week later

I’m standing in front of the full length mirror in Will’s room. I stare at the man staring back at me as I attempt to button up the white long sleeved shirt that I have to wear today. The house has been quiet since we came home from the hospital. Hardly a word has been spoken since we listened to Will’s last words.

Jenna had woken up finally. Will told us he was waiting for her to come to. Once she was stable enough to move her, he insisted on having her in the same room with him. They laid there staring at each other and talking for hours. Sometimes they would look around the room before returning to one another. I would look at the people around the room. Not one of us was going to leave his side. The doctors told us it was a matter of time before his organs would eventually give out.

“Brennan” he said with his hand stretched out. All eyes were on me as I gathered the strength to stand up and walk over to him. His other hand was in Jenna’s. They hadn’t let go of each other’s hands since she had woken up the last time.  Slowly with shaking legs, I make my way between the beds. Instinctively, I take his hand in mine. A knot in my throat forms as Jenna sobs silently taking my other hand in hers. Will’s breathing is labored, but he still manages to speak. “Mom, Dad.” I close my eyes as I hear everyone’s shuffled feet surround the three of us. When I open my eyes and look over my shoulder to his mom, I notice everyone is holding hands for support.

He opens his eyes and looks right into mine. “Now listen to me. Don’t speak, just listen” He takes a few painful breaths between words. He looks over to his mom and dad and continues. “I think… I think my time is coming.” It takes all I have to look at him. A fresh tear falls from his eye and lands on the pillow under him. Silent sobs begin to fill the room. “It’s okay guys. I’m ready. Momma, I love you. Dad, promise to take care of her.” He pauses, takes a breath and gathers his thoughts, then looks between me and Jenna. “Brennan, bro, I know you made a promise not to let anyone go from your lives. But I am going to have to break that promise.”

“Jems,” He says as he squeezes her hand and looks her way “Remember what we spoke about that day on the pier?” She doesn’t answer at first, but then she nods. Her tears soak her pillow as he continues. “Good girl. Remember it always. Everyone in this room holds a piece of my heart with them. It is okay to cry. But I want everyone to promise me something before I go.” He takes another deep labored breath as he begins to look around to every set of eyes in the room. “After I am gone, I want no more tears, only happy thoughts.”

“Remember all the fun we had, remember the good times. It’s okay to remember the bad times too, but only if it brings out the good shit, um I mean stuff. Sorry mom.” He looks over to Gabe who was standing behind Jenna with his hand resting on her shoulder for support. “Promise me”, he makes eye contact with each and every one of them and waits until they all say they promised. He whispers to me to come closer.

I swallow down the lump in my throat as the tears are flowing and lean closer to where his and Jenna’s head lie together. “Will, no, don’t do this to me. I can’t…” I rest my head on their hands. He nudges my head up so I have to look up at him.

He cut me off like he always does. “I said listen, not speak.” He smiled before looking over to Jenna. “Jems?” she lies with her eyes closed for the last ten minutes or so. We knew she was awake because the tears that streamed down her face along with her sobs told us so.

“Jenna Munson, look at me.” She opens her lids and her bloodshot eyes make contact with his. He smiles and continues. “Bren made a promise. But he is going to have to break it now.” Her cry deepens as she cries shaking her head vigorously as he repeats himself.

“No” Gabe leans in, resting his forehead on her head while he holds her and shushes her. His chest rises and falls with sobs.

“I want you to make a special promise to me okay? Let it out when you need to. But after you do, I want you to promise me that you will talk to Brennan like you talk to me. You have always been my little sister, and I’ve been with you two from day one. Jenna, Brennan needs you more now than ever. He is going to hate himself for breaking his promise to you.” He turns to look at me. “Bro, you know you have always been my twin.” He tries to chuckle, but winces instead.

“Your promise to me is to stay strong okay? Stay true to yourself. Only good thoughts okay Brennan? She is going to regret us saving her, she already does. It is your job to reassure her that it was completely worth it. Protect her, buff her out, and let her shine.” I drop my head to our hands crying like a baby. I have no clue what he’s talking about, so I only nod. “I have no doubt you’ll find someone who deserves you. She will love you. But Bren?” he coughs.

“Promise me that when you meet her, you will let go of Jenna.” His eyes roam up to Gabe then to Jenna. “Let him go sis, but not until the time is right. Okay?” he asks. Jenna’s chest is rising and falling as she tries to catch her breath.

Nodding quickly, she whispers. “I promise” as she squeezes my hand. Will lets her hand go and places it on my head, caressing me. Fuck I should be the one holding him.

“It’s ok Bren.” he pats me on the head, then lifting it for his mom. She takes it, resting her other hand on my shoulder. “I love……….”

A slight knock on the bedroom door shakes me out of my memory. “Brennan?” Jenna says softly. I lift my gaze through the mirror and make contact with hers. Even bruised and battered up, she is still so beautiful. She stands in the doorframe in a simple long sleeved black dress. It’s not that it’s cold outside, so I’m assuming she’s trying to hide the scrapes and bruises on her arms. God I wish I could talk to her, but it’s still too soon. She takes a small step my way. “Brennan, let me help you with that tie.” She makes her way to me with her arms stretched out; her hands land gently on my shoulders. She looks at me through the mirror as her sorrow filled eyes meet mine. She does not smile, but she nods her head for me to turn. I follow her command. Immediately, she takes the tie that I have draped around my neck and begins to fix it.

“I didn’t know you could make a tie.” I said looking down at her fingers watching them do their thing.

“Will taught me.” She speaks softly. “I was watching him one day when he was getting ready for some interviews.” She pauses for a second to focus on the knot. Her eyes begin to gloss over at her memory. She blinks a few times to push her tears away.  “He said I may need to know how to do it someday.” She runs her fingers down the tie, and then takes a deep breath. She drops her hands to her sides, her eyes never meet mine, “There. You’re done.” Nervously she brings them together begins ringing her fingers together. “Well, the guys are downstairs and I have my bag ready.” She takes a step away from me.

“You know you don’t have to go Jenna.” I take her hands in mine. Today is not just the day I get to bury my best friend. Today is also the same day I get to ship my sister off to rehab shortly after. “The doctors only advised that you go, but you don’t actually have to.” I see the hurt in her face as she tries to smile.

“No, I have to.” She closes her eyes as if she’s still convincing herself. “Do you remember?” She takes a deep breath before continuing. I can’t help myself at this point. I pull her hands towards me until she’s engulfed in my arms. I just hold her tightly. This is the first contact I’ve had with her for a week. “Do you remember when Will and I were whispering, before?” I nod as I press my lips to her pretty blond head. “He made me promise him. He made me promise I would get help. He said it was not only for me, but for you too. And him.”

God it’s all so clear now. Before she was released, she was talking with the doctors about a discrete drug rehabilitation facility. She insisted we get her signed up as soon as we found out when the funeral was. “It is going to be okay sis. We are going to pick up where we left off, just like he asked us to. You just have to trust me okay?”

She tightens her hold on me as she cries. “I’ve always trusted you Brennan. You’re my guardian angel. And now we both have one with us everywhere we go.”

Now

“That’s not it Dumbass.” Matt spouts off to Drew who is trying to give him directions to the house.

“The hell it isn’t Matt” Drew says, pointing at his phone.

I open my phone up to look at the picture text Jenna sent me before we left. Then I look out the window. “Guys, the house is right over there.” I reach over and point to the house that sits three driveways down.

The house is in the middle of suburb Seattle. Jenna wanted a nice, quiet, normal life up here. That was one of her stipulations for moving her out of Los Angeles. She bought it sight unseen, but the realtor had said that she loved our band so much that she wouldn’t do us wrong. And by the looks of the house, she was right. It’s exactly the way Jenna described it.

It’s a homely, two story tan house with red trim. There’s a huge oak tree in the front yard with a wooden swing bench hanging from it. It holds a large window downstairs by the front door and three smaller upstairs windows. I’ll give you something about Jenna, she gets what she wants. Well, mostly everything.

“I got first bedroom pick.” Matt says as he runs to the front door.

“Fuck you man, I do!” Drew argues.

“I don’t care which room I get as long as it’s next to Jems.” Gabe calls out as he closes the door to the Escalade. Immediately, I turn around and walk towards him. He raises his hands in defense. “What? I was just kidding.”

“You better fucking be kidding Gabriel. You are still replaceable, remember that.” I turn around to see Matt and Drew laughing at me. I begin to shake my head at them, fuckers. They all think I’m stupid and have no idea what goes on between Gabe and Jenna, and I’ll be damned if anyone of these fucktards touch my baby sister under my nose. “I get first pick. Period. The master is hers. Then I don’t give a shit who gets what.” I finish as I put the key in the lock.

We made our way inside the living room. “Impressive Jenna” Matt said as he walked past the living room and took one step into the kitchen. “Bren, man, you have got to see this! Your sister is a God!” I follow him inside the oversized kitchen. Every piece of appliance is state of the art with granite counter tops.

“Guess she did you well, huh man?” I say as I pat him on the back making my way to the sliding glass door. “Looks like Jenna did the rest of us pretty damn well too. Check it out.” I slide the door open and step out into the back patio. Directly to the left of the door was an outdoor built-in barbeque bar. “Classic sis.” I say to myself.

“Oh, no way man! This is sick!” Gabe grins as he takes a seat at the lounge chair facing the pool.

“Don’t get too comfortable man, we’ve got a truck to unload.” I pull him out of the chair. “But not until after I pick my room first.”

As I’m waiting to hear from Jenna, my legs shake vigorously in our new living room. I knew this was a bad idea letting her drive from LA to Seattle alone. I sent her a threatening text this morning letting her know that if she didn’t respond, I would take no measures to look for her. I know she’s fucking with me, I should have made her take Matt, no Gabe, no what the hell am I thinking? Drew, I should have sent her with Drew.

After receiving a voicemail this morning, Jenna isn’t the only thing I’m worried about. Will’s mom called while we were driving here. The asshole that hit us is fighting his parent’s lawsuit and she doesn’t know how to deal with this. Just the thought of Jenna driving alone knowing there are assholes out there driving carelessly is increasing my anxiety level.