Why You Shouldn't Lend A Bad Boy Your Clothes

Chapter 35

There were voices right next to my right ear. What were they thinking, talking so loudly when I wanted to sleep? What were my parents doing in my room, anyway? They hadn't come in here ever since they had seen the video.

When after a few seconds they still didn't stop talking, I let out a quiet groan.

They fell silent immediately, then I heard my mom's voice again, even closer to my ear now. "Is he awake? Jules, baby, can you hear me?"

Why wouldn't I be able to hear you? Why are you calling me baby? Why do you sound so worried? You don't worry about me anymore.

"Come on, honey, open your eyes. Look at me."

A cold hand ran through my hair, finally startling me awake. My eyes opened reluctantly, blinking into the bright light.

There was too much white in this room. The walls, the curtains, the sheets, all of it was hurting my eyes.

It took a few seconds for me to realize that I was in a hospital.

"Mom?" I muttered and looked up at her ashen face.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her quivering lips pressed into a thin line. She looked at least ten years older right now. "Jules," she breathed and pressed a wet kiss onto my forehead. "God, I was so worried about you."

My head felt too heavy when I lifted it to catch a glimpse of my father, who was sitting in an armchair by the window. He looked just as tired as my mom, but instead of relief, there was irritation evident on his features. For a second, I wondered why he was wearing a suit, but brushed the thought off as unimportant.

"What happened?" I rasped.

"You wrecked your mother's car and interrupted my business meeting, that's what happened," my father snarled.

I winced and sank back into the pillows to hide from his angry stare.

"Andrew," mom snapped. "Now is not the time." Her tone was softer when she turned back to me and said: "You got into a car accident. You hit your head on the steering wheel, so you have a mild concussion and a small cut on your forehead, but nothing worse. We can take you back home after a quick check-up, alright?"

I nodded numbly. Something was off. How had I gotten into a car crash? As hard as I tried, I couldn't remember anything that had happened last night. I knew that I had been going out with Hunter, but-

"Hunter," I choked out and gripped my mother's arm. "Mom, where is Hunter? Is he alright?"

Mom's reassuring smile slid from her face as soon as I spoke his name. Her voice was strained when she shortly answered: "He's fine."

"Not for long," my father said. "When I get my hands on that bastard-"

"Dad, no. It wasn't his fault!"

"You're right. It's yours. This is what you get for acting against our rules."

I didn't have the energy nor the will to argue, so I just turned my head and stared at the ceiling in silence.

Mom inhaled sharply and spun around to face my father. "Don't say such things. You don't really mean that."

When he just stared at her, unyielding and unaffected, she took his arm and led him out of the room.

As soon as the door fell shut behind them, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. My mom's suddenly new-found affection was almost as unsettling as my father's repulsion. At least I was used to the latter.

I didn't have much time to dwell on my thoughts as only two minutes later, the door opened again. A small gasp fell from my lips when I saw who was standing there.