Reckless (31 page)

“What the hell is going on in here?” A young man comes running in towards Ava. “Ava, what happened? We have been looking for you!”

I back away, realizing he knows her and was obviously sent to find her.

“He’s gone, Dillon.” Ava mumbled, completely broken.

“What?” Dillon asked, glancing up at me suspiciously.

Suddenly the hospital staff comes rushing in to Ava, fighting her and trying to get her hysterics under control.
Good luck.

Sean

They have me strapped in to the point I can barely move. I force Ava’s image out of my head so I can concentrate, it won’t be the first time I have to do it, not that it is easy for me to do. The engine roars and I smile, feeling the excitement of it all take hold of me. I wait for the signal and I take charge, adrenaline flowing through my veins from the start. I hit the ramp and feel it, it is perfect. The adrenaline races as I feel the success of it. I pump the breaks to slow down to make my turn away from the semi but nothing happens. I keep pumping as the car speeds with no response to my attempts to stop it.
Fuck!
Thinking quickly, I make a decision to aim for the barriers. I turn the car just before impact so I hit from the passenger side. The car flips upside down, crumpling and jerking my restraints from the car. Pain instantly shoots through me as the world begins to burn around me. I can’t tell what is happening, or even see where I am. It is all a massive nothing, except for the screaming. Deafening screams. Ava’s screams. My sudden recognition to her stirs me to try and find her, but I am unable to fight off the heaviness keeping me from her.

There is a pacing noise echoing around me. My eyes open as I move towards the noise. “Ahhh Shit!” I cringe.

“Stay still Sean, you cracked some ribs.” Ethan said, hovering over me.

I grimace and hold my head. “My head is killing me.”

“I will see if they can get you something for it,” he said before leaving the room. I adjust my bed to better search the room. “She’s not here,” Ethan said, entering with two pills and some water.

“She who?” I asked, downing the pills he retrieved.

“I am assuming you’re looking for your wife? Or did you hit your head so hard you forgot all about her?”

“No, I didn’t forget about her, but I am surprised she isn’t here. Is she that mad at me?” I asked, a little worried about what kind of wrath I will encounter.

“No, she has a room of her own.” I look up at him. “She became hysterical when she saw you crash and passed out. They rushed her in soon after you.”

I fall back into the bed, grasping my face with my hands, “Damn it. I told her! This is why I told her to go home.” I punch the bed forgetting about the pain. “AAAggughh!”

“Yeah you told her alright, you both have issues of stubbornness.”

I roll my eyes at his unnecessary comment, “So is she okay?”

“I don’t know,” Ethan said, avoiding my eyes.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“They rushed you both in and somehow they have lost her somewhere.” My confused expression must have begged for more explanation. “She was supposed to be in a private room next to you. Somehow they have misplaced her somewhere else in this place and no one seems to know where she is. It’s incredibly frustrating, to be honest, but we’re looking for her. They told Randy, when they brought her in, that they thought she would be fine if they could get her to rest.”

“I feel better after hearing that, but would still like to confirm it. So when can I leave here?”

“Not for a few days at least, you have a concussion and they are taking it pretty seriously considering the stupid stunt you just did.” I glare at him from the corner of my eyes. “So you’re talking to me again?”

“No, get out,” I said, leaning back into my bed.

Ethan laughs, “You know you would miss me.”

“I can’t if you are always around.” Ethan leans back in a chair, his smile pissing me off even more. “Are you just going to sit there all day?”

“Mom told me to stay with you.” He says, waving his hands innocently.

“Mom told you? Great, now you become the obedient son.”

“You know what prick? You really need to get over it!” Ethan yelled at me. I try to roll away from him but my ribs scream at me to stay put. “I am sick of this. I understand you being angry for a while, but it’s reached a point of absurdity. Yes, I screwed up and I am sorry for that. It’s not like Rebecca is important to you anymore.”

“I don’t even care about Rebecca.” I snap.

“Then what is it?”

“That you didn’t come to me. You didn’t come to me and tell me that you were having problems.” I said, looking away from his judging eyes.

“I didn’t want to get you involved. You were dangerously close yourself to crossing a line if I recall. The last thing you needed was being around me and both of us falling deeper into trouble. I didn’t talk to anybody, Sean. I was scared and I didn’t want to be judged.”

“I would have never judged you, and I would have listened to whatever you had to say and helped you, however I could.”

“I know that, Sean.”

“Then why did you hide from me?”

“I didn’t hide from you, I thought I was protecting you.”

“Well maybe you should stop protecting me and let me help you.”

“That’s just it Sean, no one could have helped me - but me. If it wasn’t for Abbey kicking me to the curb, I might have never snapped out of it.”

“Abbey broke up with you?”

“Yes, she did. Worse day of my life, she didn’t even look back. She told me she never wanted to see me again because she didn’t want to be with someone that couldn’t respect himself.”

“What did you do?”

“I did what we Grant boys usually do, I assumed she was the crazy one and that I didn’t need her.” I laugh, and he follows. “Yeah, I lasted about a week before I went back to her begging. It never worked of course. I finally went to Mom to get her to help me and she told me no. I couldn’t believe it. She sat us up and she wouldn’t even help me get her back?”

“Judging from the ring on your finger and the two kids, I assume you came up with something.”

“I checked in somewhere to work out my issues. Hard as hell, but I finally woke up and realized it’s not all about me.”

“It’s not?” I mocked him.

“No smartass, and it’s not all about you either. You and that stupid stunt, you didn’t think about anyone but yourself.”

“I needed to do it.”

“No you didn’t, it didn’t make the film any better. You only wanted to be able to say you did it, that you are the official badass of Hollywood. I knew you wanted to do it from the beginning, and then I stupidly challenged you on it and you forgot all about your wife, your daughter and your baby on the way.”

“I knew it was going to be okay.”

“No, you didn’t, and it didn’t matter if you did. Because no one else did.”

“It was an incredible adrenaline rush though,” I said, watching Ethan shake his head at me.

“Well enjoy it, because when Ava gets a hold of you I’m pretty sure you will be groveling for the rest of your life.” He nods, feeling good about his prediction.

“It’s not going to take that long,” I shrug. “Ava gets mad but she doesn’t hold onto things like that. She probably has already forgiven me. I am injured. She will be so happy that I’m okay that she will forget about her anger.”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

The door to my room opens and my mom walks in carrying bags. “Oh good, the fool is awake,” she said.

“Mom?” I snap at her as she comes over to kiss me on the forehead.

“I went out and bought you some pajamas, and a toothbrush and …”

“You did what?” I said, looking at the things she is laying out on my bed.

“Now Sean, you are not going to stay in this hospital in that. All these girls are drooling, just waiting for you to get out of that bed and show your ass to them.”

I laugh, “But Mom, I have a damn nice ass.”

“Don’t curse at me Sean, I’m your mother.”

The door opens again and Randy comes in with Dillon following close behind. With food and drinks in their hands, they both come in and sit down. Immediately they adjust a table and some chairs so they can eat comfortably. “Just come in and make yourselves at home boys.” I hold up my hands looking at Ethan.

“Thanks,” Dillon called out as he chomps on some chips.

Randy leans towards me in his chair, “So Sean, I heard the jump looks incredible.”

I sit up, excited. “Really?”

“Yeah, aside from you crashing the car into a million pieces and it bursting into flames, it was a complete success. But that part was pretty cool too.” Randy nods happily.

My mother snaps her fingers at us and we both take notice. “I do not want to hear anymore talk about that damn stunt! Do you understand me?” She yelled at us, tensing her fists on her hips.

“Yes ma’am,” Randy cowered from her.

“Sean?”

“Okay mom, settle down.”

“Good, now I am going to go help Abbey by picking up your daughter and taking care of your dogs too.” She kisses me as she tries to straighten my hair. I look over at Ethan as he fights his laughter. “Now you put those pajamas on I bought for you Sean, don’t make me come back here and dress you myself.”

“When did I revert back to five years old?” She glares at me. “Fine mother. Thank you.”

She kisses Ethan as she does me, straightening his hair too. “You need a haircut Ethan.”

“Yes mother.” I look away at Randy and Dillon, who are biting their lips trying not to laugh. Luckily, they are next. She approaches Randy and Dillon, finding something to straighten or fuss about each one of them. When she finally leaves, we all laugh at each other, moving our straightened-up selves back into dishevelment.

“Your mom does realize were out of grade school now, right?” Randy asked.

“I don’t think so,” I said, sinking back into my bed.

Ethan gets up, and digs into the bags she left. “Okay Sean.”

“Okay what?” I asked him, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Let’s get you changed.” He holds out pajama pants in front of me.

“Are you serious?” I laughed.

“Yes, I’m serious. You know she will come back and do it herself otherwise, and that won’t be pleasant.”

“Fine,” I said through my teeth. I struggle out of bed, feeling the pain in my ribs. Ethan holds out the pants, low enough for me to step in. “Lean on me and step in,” he said as I glared at him.

Randy and Dillon immediately begin laughing uncontrollably. “This is stupid Ethan!”

“What do you want me to do?” Ethan said huffing.

“Give them to me and let me put them on myself,” I said jerking the pants away from him.

“Alright, I am only trying to help.”

“Don’t,” I said, struggling to try and put them on myself, but my ribs are taped so tight I can hardly move.

“Nice ass Sean,” I look back at Randy winking at me.

“You would notice, bitch.” I said, shaking my head.

“Hey, this is cool, I always wondered how a celebrity puts on his pants. Apparently it’s with his ass out.” Dillon laughs.

“Dillon!”

“Yeah Sean.”

“Why are you here?”I asked him.

He shrugs, “My flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning, so I thought I would hang out with you until then.”

“Well go somewhere else, you’re starting to annoy me.”

“Where do you want me to go?” He asks.

“Dillon,” I cringed.

“Why don’t you go see if they have located Ava?” Ethan interrupted my frustration.

“Why are any of you here bothering me, when you could be looking for my wife, who you managed to lose?”

Dillon and Randy get up, still snickering to themselves. I wait for them to leave before I try to get dressed again but Randy pokes his head back in. “Hey Sean?”

“What?” I sighed.

“I like your jammies,” Randy laughed before running out.

“Fucking assholes, I swear. I’m the one injured and they’re laughing.” I mumbled. “Shit!” I can’t get it.

“Do you want some help now?” Ethan offered, smiling when I hand over the pants.

“Yes, but not a word of this to anyone.” He snickers as he holds them for me. “Ethan.”

“I promise, Sean.” He stresses, but I know he is fighting laughter.

When I finally get dressed I crawl back into bed, trying to relax.

“Do you want to watch TV? I want to catch the stock reports,” Ethan’s voice fades into the background as I close my eyes drifting off easily.