Life Goes On (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 2 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Fifty-Four

❝promise (pronounced ˈprɒmɪs or prom-is), noun
a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc.❞

"Elle!" she said, bursting into the hospital room. "Ellie, where's Papa, honey?!"

Elle's eyes widened. "Mama?"

"Papa might be in danger, you have to tell me where he is."

"W-What? He told me... he told me..."

"What did he tell you?!"

"He told me... that you broke up. He said he broke up with you. And he kept saying, 'It's all over, Ellie. All the money is gone. It's all over'."

"No," she whispered. "Elle, you have to tell me. Did he tell you where he was going to go?"

She hesitated. "He made me promise not to tell."

"But he might have hurt himself!"

Elle looked pained. "I'm sorry, Mama. I can't break a pinky promise."

Ryan felt like tearing her hair out in frustration. "Please, darling. Please."

She shook her head. "No."

"Elle Lilliana, listen to me! He might have hurt himself! He could be in danger! Please, tell me where he went!"

"I-" She began to cry. "I can't tell you!"

Ryan sat down on the edge of the bed and whispered, "Please, my darling. Please. It's all I want. I promise, if... if you tell me where he's gone, then I'll marry him."

"Y-You'll..."

"I will marry him. I'll marry him, and then everything will be okay. But I need to be able to find him. I need to know where he is."

"Are you sure? You pinky promise?"

"I pinky promise," she said, hooking her finger around Elle's. "Honey, if you don't tell me... we might never see him again."

She closed her eyes and said it extremely fast. "He's at home."

"Home? But Grandpapa checked-"

"Did he know that there's a spare key in the left Converse shoe at the front of the house?"

Ryan froze, then hugged Elle so tightly that she probably accidentally cut off her airflow. "Thank you, Ellie. Thank you."

She ran to the front door of the hospital, and checked her watch. 10:43 pm. She had an hour to marry Hunter. If their wedding certificate read August the fourth, regardless of the absence of a proper ceremony... surely it would still count. And then Hunter would keep his job, Elle would have her treatment, and Ryan would be happy.

"Taxi!" she yelled, holding out her arm, and a taxi slowed down. She climbed in, panting. "I need you to get me to this address as soon as possible. Get me there in less than fifteen minutes, and I'll make it double."

Maybe she shoudn't have said that next part. The driver went so fast that the scenery outside was a blur. But she didn't care.

She was going to help Hunter for a change.

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Hunter was sitting in his room. He had ignored every single time that someone had knocked on his door. The past few times, it had been his dad. But now there was someone frantically knocking. There was silence for a second, then he heard the door unlock. He froze. He had forgotten to take the key out from inside the shoe.

He ran out into the hallway, and saw Ryan standing there. "Mr Hayes," she said quietly. "I was making sure you were alright."

"Why do you care, Miss Lockhart?" he asked roughly, and she winced, as though his words physically hurt her.