“So wait… Arianna is getting hunting lessons off of Danny now?” Jess asked. I was sitting next to her hospital bed, closer to her feet than her head. She preferred me further away and as long as I got to see her, I wasn’t complaining.
“She sure is… I didn’t want to teach her my ways for obvious reasons…” I trailed off, letting her figure out what I meant by herself. When she gave me a small nod, I continued. “Well, I figured she could make a friend while she’s learning. She doesn’t have any and I think it would be best if she knew how to communicate properly before she has to start interacting with people on a regular basis.” I explained.
“You seem to have put a lot of thought into this.” Jess said softly and I gave her a small nod. I felt as if she was angry or upset with me for making all these decisions without consulting her first… Maybe I should have asked her opinion…
“Is there something wrong? I can stop it immediately if you wanted.” I offered. She shrugged, which only made my nerves worse. I didn’t want to do anything to piss her off. The nurse had warned me that she might be a little easy to anger due to the sleeping medication they give her.
“No, I’m fine with it,” She said, giving me a reassuring smile. I released a gush of air and then smiled when she giggled at my actions. “I’m just thinking… You know history repeats itself, yes?” She said, a hinting smile presenting itself on her face. I chuckled.
“You honestly think that our friendship is going to be re-enacted by our daughter and one of my best friends?” I said in disbelief. I must admit, it could happen. “Come on babe, I really doubt it. You should have seen how hard to get she was acting towards him. He’ll get the message that she’s out of reach.” I said whilst laughing.
The sound of her laughing with me just made me want to cuddle up to her on the small hospital bed and talk like how we used to before all this shit happened. “Did you tell Danny that she was our daughter?” She asked, before a small knock sounded at the door.
“Nah, I didn’t bother. I was actually curious to see how long it would take him to figure it out for himself…” I said with a laugh. She giggled before directing her attention towards to opening door. Both of our laughter died down when Jess’s dad entered.
I couldn’t stop the small growl that ripped through my throat at the sight of the bastard that did this to one of the two girls that meant the world to me. The resemblance that he had to Jess didn’t soften my anger towards him, even though it probably should have.
“I know you two probably don’t want to see me… but I want a chance to see my daughter before she has a chance to avoid me again for another 16 years…” He said, letting himself further into the room. I felt Jess tense up under the blankets which made me get defensive.
“So you think it’s fine for you to force her into seeing you since she can’t get up and leave?” I asked, standing up and getting in his face. I was a good few inches taller than him, and it was obvious that it made a difference. He took a few steps back.
“Well, no; but I just wanted to apologize. I know I’ve been a shit father-“
“You’ve been a LOT worse than just ‘shit’.” I interrupted. He looked up at me, obviously pissed off with my behaviour.
“But I do care about you Jess.” He finished. I looked back towards Jess, giving her a chance to accept his apology. Slowly, she shook her head and I caught sight of the tear dripping down her pale cheek.
“You’ve got to leave.” I said flatly, not giving him a chance to offer a rebuttal before leading him out through the door he came in only moments ago. He left without hesitation, but it was obvious it didn’t sit well with Jess.
As I turned around, she wiped her tears from her face before giving up and sobbing more. As much as I wanted to comfort her, I knew she wouldn’t want it. I kept my distance until she beckoned me over.
*Jess’s P.O.V*
I couldn’t take it anymore. I broke down. That man, who was supposed to be a figure for me to look up to in life, betrayed me. I started sobbing as Andy stood up to him. I felt safe around Andy. He was always there to look out for me.
As Andy pushed him out of the room, I tried to clear my face in hopes that I looked somewhat emotionally stable. I could tell that wasn’t the case though, as Andy’s face said it all. He looked pained, as if my suffering hurt him.
Beckoning him closer, I don’t know what I was thinking. I needed comfort and he was as good as I was going to ever get. I missed his warmth, the feeling of being safe; even his smell. He was everything to me, so why was I pushing him back?
“I’m sick of pushing you away. I want you by my side.” I whispered almost inaudibly but I knew he heard me. He offered me a small smile, maintaining his slow speed as he walked closer to me beside my bed.
“You’ll always be by my side.” He whispered back. The tears just wouldn’t stop. He was being so sweet, so romantic, so fairy-tale-like that I just couldn’t stop the tears. Although they were happy tears, they still held pain from the past and pain from pushing him away for so long.
He stood beside me, looking down at me before reaching for my arm. I didn’t know what he was doing and I felt an urge to pull back, but I ignored it. I trusted him; more than anything.
“Tell me if you’re uncomfortable, ok? I never want to push you.” He whispered, a soft look in his amazingly blue eyes. I nodded as he ran his fingertips over the skin of my forearm, leaving goose bumps in their wake. His smile alone reminded me of the times we spent together as children. As much as he has changed growing up, his smile and soft, friendly and forgiving eyes did not. They still reminded me of the little boy I fell in love with.
“Come closer.” I told him with a smile, pulling his shirt closer towards me therefore pulling him into my reach. I sat up gently, slowly even. I began playing with the ends of his hair. The moment felt as if everything was frozen apart from us, and we had all the time in the world. It didn’t feel weird, but if anyone looked in through the windows, it definitely would have been; plus one for the mental ward population.
I grabbed a long piece of his hair, using that to pull his face closer to mine before lightly brushing my lips against his. It felt familiar and safe, completely the opposite from what I had imagined a week or two ago. He pulled back slightly, leaving me disappointed.
“Are you sure you’re ok with this?” He asked quietly, looking me in the eyes. He was very close to me, yet I didn’t feel a hint of danger. As I nodded, I pulled him closer again. My lips found his as if it was second nature. My fingers played in his hair as we kissed softly, not daring to take it further than a simple peck.
It had been much too long since I had shared an affectionate moment with the boy – now man – I love. No matter what happened during the duration of our lives, I would always crave for these moments.
A/N: Thank you guys soooo much for reading! I apologize for taking ages on this update! I've been in Sydney visiting family, and plus, I've got fake nails on and it's sooooo hard to type with them lol
Thank you guys so much! Love you!
~ Jess <3
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Beautiful Desires (FLAL Sequel)
Fanfiction(Sequal to Friendship Lasts A Lifetime) *Explicit Chapters* Jess and Andy continue in their adventure, but when shocking news threatens to cause a rift in their relationship, will they sort it out?
