by K E Osborn
Alana walks in fully closing the door behind her then she steps up to my side. Silence falls over my room. “Oh… you were?” she queries tilting her head toward Mercs.
Mercs nods as Alana tries to hide her smile. “I think it’s for the best. I haven’t told anyone, especially not Luke, but Trent, the bassist… he gave me the creeps. He used to look at me weird, all the damn time. Let alone the fact that Jett was an arrogant son of a bitch,” Alana huffs out making my brows raise in surprise. She rarely talks down about anyone, so to hear her say something bad about not one but two people in the same sentence means she really doesn’t like them.
Mercs shakes his head. “I knew that whole band was trouble, not just the fucking douche lead singer. I’ve had my own dealings with them. They’re all scum if you ask me. I’ll be glad to see the ass end of them. Especially if it means I’ll feel like you’re safer, Effa,” Mercs declares gripping my hand tighter.
Glancing at him, I nod. “I’m so glad I’m never going to see Jett Jones again. Hopefully, I won’t be in here too long, and my recovery won’t be dramatic. The tour can get back up and running, and we can grab a new opening band without too much hassle. I guess, somehow, Luke’s arranged a press release regarding Swift Division?”
“Yeah, as far as I know, it’s already been done. Some crap or other about one of the band members having personal problems. And with Jett’s arrest, there’s going to be all sorts of fall-out for them. Pretty sure Swift Division will be last year’s best thing.”
Alana steps up closer to me. “Eff, I love you. I love how dedicated you are to the tour and to the fans… but, you literally just came out of a coma. Your heart stopped beating. You stopped breathing. Give yourself a moment to recover. Okay?”
Exhaling, I look to Mercs who furrows his brows and nods like he’s thinking the exact same thing Alana just said. His pale face and tired eyes tell me he’s been overly worried about me, and I hate that I did that to him, to everyone. I need to take a moment to get better, so I don’t cause more damage to myself and cause them any more worry. “Okay, I’ll take the time to rest… but not too much. I don’t want the fans turning on us.”
Alana snorts and shakes her head. “They won’t turn on us. They’re already flocking on our social media pages, sending you words of love and positive healing vibes. The E Channel even did a special on us last night for six hours, playing all our songs, concerts and interviews in a show of support. We’re kinda hot gossip right now, Eff. If anything, it’s only made us bigger news around the world. But please, don’t nearly die on us again just to gain attention.” Alana giggles.
“Noted! But it’s great that they’re showing our stuff. Sorry, I scared you, though, sis. Sorry, I scared you both.”
Alana sniffs then clears her throat, like the emotion might be getting to her as she slides her hand into mine. “I love you. I’m just so glad you woke up. We both are… we all are.”
My stomach sinks slightly at the thought that I could have left all of my family and the people I care about behind. The thought makes me tighten my hands holding Mercs and Alana’s hands, and they both look at me with such adoration in their eyes. I’m so fucking lucky to have them.
“So, how did you go meeting Dad?” I ask turning to Mercs.
His lips turn upward, and he shakes his head. “Well, that was fun. Let me tell you all about it.”
One Week Later
I’ve been going through my rehabilitation in the hospital over the last week since I woke from my coma. Everything’s been going pretty much to plan. All my motor functions are normal. My memory apart from that night is intact, and I’m able to walk longer distances than the doctors think I should be able to at this stage in my recovery. All in all, I’m doing really well. I do fatigue, though, which has me worried, but I’m only a week out, so I’m sure that will get better. The doctors are saying it’s going to take me possibly two months to gain my strength back to full fitness. So our concert tour looks like it’s going to be even more delayed than I was aiming for. I was hoping I’d be back on tour in a matter of weeks, but that seems unlikely at this point.
Nevertheless, my progress has astounded the doctors. I’m not a quitter and all my positive healing vibes I’m giving myself seem to be working. Plus, having my dad and Livvy here is really helping. There’s nothing like having the energy of your parents to help push you along.
Today is a good day. Today I’m being discharged from the hospital. Our plans aren’t entirely mapped out, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Somewhere to go for some healing time for me and somewhere for everyone else to keep things progressing.
The door to my room swings open and I glance up to see Mercs walk in with a bunch of flowers and a giant rainbow balloon floating from the top. I giggle, shaking my head as I finish folding the last of my clothes into a bag and spin to face him as he steps up to me placing the box of flowers on the tray and leans in kissing my cheek. “Happy coming home day, baby.”
I turn my head to kiss his lips briefly, his slight stubble tickles the edge of my lips as I smile and take in a deep breath, reveling in the fact that I’m actually going to escape this hospital. “And where exactly is home going to be? It’s not like we have somewhere to go, Mercs.” I giggle.
He clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth and tilts his head like he’s in on a secret. “Ah… my sweet, this is where you’re mistaken.”
Furrowing my brows, I place my hand on my hip tilting my stature. “Are you saying we have somewhere to go? Like you and me, or all of us?”
He smiles and leans past me picking up my bag from the bed. “Well, you and me have somewhere nice to go. The others… they’ll be in the same town, just in a different building to us.”
“Same town? Mercs… where are we going?”
He reaches out for my hand, his fingers interlocking with mine, sending warmth through me and a tingle down my spine, the one I always get when he touches me. “You’ll see. But c’mon we better go. Everyone’s waiting.”
Reaching for my flowers with my free hand, I grab them just in time before he walks with me and out into the corridor, where all the nurses are waiting for me with a wheelchair. I smile as they all watch me leave with Mercs, thanking them individually as I’m wheeled out through the halls of the place that helped keep me alive. I’m so grateful to all of them.
We arrive at the sliding doors to leave the hospital, and I turn looking back one last time.
“Thank you all so much,” I call out.
Slowly getting up from the wheelchair—I don’t want the paparazzi taking photos of me so incapacitated—Mercs wraps his arm around my shoulders and walks with me out of the hospital to an awaiting stretch Hummer. An array of flashes and cheers echo from the right as I turn to see a cordoned off area where some paparazzi are being held back by security. I give a small smile and a wave to let them know I’m okay as I slide into the Hummer with Raoul by my side. As I slip into the car, a general cheering resounds, and I look around to see everyone here. My band, my parents, Tank, Jay, and Luke. Mercs follows me in, and I move along so he can slide in next to me.
“Welcome back, baby girl,” Dad calls out as he smiles so wide at me it’s infectious.
“Thanks, Dad, it’s nice to be feeling more like myself.”
He wraps his arm around Livvy and pulls her close to him in a loving way that warms my heart. “Well, it’s nice to have the whole family together again… plus, a few stragglers.” He chuckles elbowing Luke in the ribs, making Luke glance at him from his cell that he was busy texting on.
“So, I was just finalizing the last of the detachment notice for Swift Division. It’s all official. They’re no longer a part of the tour. It was easy canceling their contract, and in the end, the financial arrangement that was made was forfeited by Jett attacking Cooper. So, now I have to try and find a replacement that can step in, with short notice, and without knowing an actual reactivation date... Fuck,” Luke murmurs the last word u
nder his breath.
Mercs places his hand on my knee giving it a light squeeze for comfort, but it doesn’t help as my dad rolls his eyes and places his other arm around Luke’s shoulders pulling him into his side. “Lucas, my boy. Lighten up. Life’s not that dramatic. God, you’re wound so tight. You need to let some of that blueness out of your balls, kid, or it’s going to build up so much it’s going to burst right out of your head…” he pauses for dramatic effect, “… and I don’t mean the head on your cock.”
Everyone chuckles while Luke groans and Livvy smacks Dad on the chest. Alana looks out of the window, a slight shade of pink flushing her cheeks.
“Thanks for the ever enlightening pep talk, Donny,” Luke replies, and I snort.
The Hummer starts, pulls out and heads off down the street.
“So, is someone going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask.
“Apparently, it’s a surprise,” Andi calls out.
I furrow my brows and peer at Mercs who’s sitting back in the seat with a giant smirk on his face. “And you all know where we’re going?”
“Yep,” they all reply making me groan. I fold my arms over my chest like an errant child annoyed at the world.
“Just sit back and enjoy the ride, it’s not that far. Relax, baby. You’re gonna love it. I promise,” Mercs chimes in and the sparkle in his eyes reassures me. It lets me know that whatever they have planned, I know it will be for the best.
So I sit back, relax, and wait for my arrival at destination unknown.
Chapter Seven
EFFA
As we head further out of Pittsburgh, I get a slight inkling as to where we might be headed. But I don’t want to get my hopes up. It’s not until I see the sign saying ‘Welcome to Ligonier’ that I smile so full I feel like I might burst.
I turn to Mercs placing my hands on his chest and grin at him. “Are we staying with Gran and Kiera?” I ask as he chuckles with a slight nod.
Excitement fills my body as I bounce up and down on the seat while everyone laughs at me, as I sway my head back and forth and Mercs chuckles. “I thought you’d like this idea.”
My head snaps toward him. “Like it? I love it! Dad and Livvy get to meet Gran and Kiera. This is amazing.”
“Everyone gets to meet them. They’re all staying at the Inn at the end of the street. So they won’t be too far from us, and we’re only one hour from your specialists in Pittsburgh for your appointments.”
“This is just too perfect.”
“They better have Wi-Fi that’s all I’m saying,” Kristy blurts out and I smile at her.
The Hummer pulls up out the front of Gran’s home, and I’m definitely excited. “We’re here,” I call out, and everyone laughs at me.
“Okay, baby girl, you go in with the kid and get settled, we’ll all catch up with you later once you’re all acquainted again,” Dad instructs, and I pout. “Oh… don’t pout at me. We don’t want to overwhelm them with all of us just yet. You go and settle in, and we’ll see you all tonight for a welcome home dinner. Okay?”
I nod and smile as Mercs grabs my bunch of flowers and starts to move out of the Hummer as Dad reaches out grabbing his arm. “You watch her… like a hawk. You see anything, anything at all that needs medical attention, you call or get an ambulance. You hear me?”
“Dad,” I berate.
“You hear me?” he reiterates and Mercs nods.
“Yes, sir.” Mercs’ face is stern, not full of fear or contempt, but of determination. Like he’s one hundred percent on board with the idea of watching me like a hawk. I should have known, but I guess it’s nice to know that they’re on the same page. It’s nice to know they agree and aren’t at each other’s throats is more like it.
“Have a great time, honey. We’ll see you tonight,” Livvy chimes in, blowing me a kiss.
“Love you all,” I announce.
Mercs and I slide out of the Hummer, where Raoul meets us. He grins as he walks us toward the door of Gran’s home. “Your luggage will arrive shortly. It’s coming separately. If you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be only a phone call away and I’m just down the street. I don’t anticipate anything happening while we are here, but I have Cooper coming down too… just in case.”
Smiling, I reach out patting his arm. “Thank you, Raoul. What would we do without you?”
He weakly smiles as we reach the door, and Mercs rings the doorbell. Not ten seconds later the door opens to a small scream, and I jump back with a shock as I snap my head to the door to see Kiera bouncing up and down in the doorway. She looks tired but overly excited to see us as her smile is wider than I’ve ever seen.
Kiera lunges forward wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace and swaying me from side to side. “Holy shit! I’m so happy you’re okay. You scared the hell out of me,” she sings as I fling my arms around her holding onto her as tight as I can manage. But even walking from the car to here has me a little tired.
“I’m sorry I scared you, Kiera. But I’m glad I’m here, and I get to see you again.”
“What the hell is all this screaming?” Gran calls out as she rushes down toward the front door. Then she spots us and gushes about herself as she hurries, arms out and heading for Mercs. “Oh… I see now. Come here you two. I’ve missed you. And you scared us half to death,” she blubbers wrapping one arm around Mercs, the other around Kiera and me, and we all fall together in a group hug. I giggle feeling like this is my other family, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.
“Okay, I can see you’re all set here. I’ll get back to the Hummer. Call if you need anything, Effa,” Raoul announces walking back to the car.
“Thanks, Raoul,” I say with a kind smile.
I know he feels guilty about what happened—him leaving me and effectively letting Jett get to me—but it wasn’t his fault. He has to know that.
Gran begins to drag us inside the house and Mercs shuts the door behind us.
“So, tell me… are you really doing as well as Kaden says you are, sweetheart?” Gran asks as we head past the stairs into the kitchen on the right.
I smile and nod. “I think so. I’m a little tired all the time, but the doctors say that’s to be expected. Other than that we haven’t noticed anything other than lethargy, which they think should come good after a couple of months rest.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here for. Rest and recuperation. You take as long as you need here, Effa. The longer you and my boy are here the better I say,” Gran beams with a wink as she walks over to the kettle.
I glance to Mercs who places my flowers on the bench with a sly smile.
“So, who was that hot French guy?” Kiera asks.
Mercs’ eyes shoot open, and he starts shaking his head frantically while I laugh.
“That’s Raoul. He’s my security guard. He’s super-hot, isn’t he?” I tease.
“Wait! What?” Mercs blurts out, looking to me furrowing his brows as Kiera and I both laugh. I wink at Mercs as he continues shaking his head. “Kiera, no… No. Just. No.”
She scoffs and waves her hand through the air as she walks off toward the stairs. “Pfft, you’re my older brother, not my boss…” She turns around. “Is Raoul single, Effa?” she calls out, and I giggle as she shifts back and starts up the stairs.
“Do. Not. Answer. That!” Mercs stipulates.
“Yes!” I call back.
Mercs groans, placing his head in his hands while Gran chuckles, pouring the water into the kettle and puts it on for us.
“Let her be, Kaden, she’s only young. It’s nice to see her crushing on a man,” Gran encourages and I nod matter-of-factly.
Mercs shakes his head, lowering his voice. “She’s also very sick and doesn’t need the distraction.”
Furrowing my brows, I reach out touching his arm. “Sometimes a distraction from a negative turns things into a positive. Let her have her crush, Mercs, it won’t cause any harm.”
He snorts. “Until he breaks her hea
rt and sends her spiraling downward into a pit of black despair. Oh… fuck no.”
I glance to Gran.
“Wow! Your faith in mankind is astounding there, sweetheart,” Gran hums, and I chuckle as the soft click of the kettle being turned on filters through the room.
“There’s no man alive that would be good enough for Kiera, right Kaden?” I ask.
He looks up to the ceiling as if he’s thinking and then looks back to me nodding with a smirk. “Yes, you’re right. She can never date. I’ll make that official when she comes down.”
“Who needs an overbearing father when you have Kaden Mercury,” I jest and he purses his lips. Gran chuckles as the doorbell sounds again and we all look toward the front door.
“That will be our luggage. I’ll get it and take it up. You stay right where you are and relax,” Mercs orders leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
I smile as he stands and rushes off to the door. Turning back toward Gran I watch as she pours the boiling water over the tea bags in the mugs.
It’s so good to be back here. I wish it were under better circumstances, but nevertheless, I’m glad to spend more time with them.
“I’m sorry I scared everyone. I know you must think less of me for what happened—”
She raises her hand up in a gesture to silence me. “Stop right there. Now, why on earth would you ever believe I’d think less of you, sweetheart? What Jett did to you was reprehensible, and in no way did you ask for it, if that’s what you’re thinking. So get that thought out of your head, right now. Kaden told me a little of what was happening with Jett and you guys and, from the sounds of it, Jett was going to find a way to manipulate you whatever way he could. You did not have a part to play in what happened to you Effa.”
Swallowing hard, I sigh. “What if I led him on somehow? Made him think that I wanted him.”
Gran reaches over the counter and grabs my hand. “Effa, I know you. I know you embrace everyone and see only their good. I’m sure Jett felt that sense of love from you, but he turned that and made it into something sinister, and that’s on him, not you sweetheart. No one else has tried to take advantage of your generous heart in such a heinous way. It was only him. He’s the bad guy in this scenario, Effa, not you. Thinking like this... it will tear you up. Trust me when I say, the way you open your heart to everyone is delightful, and you should not for one second change who you are because of one insignificant person.”