Fall For Me

18

EDITED

18

Jackson's POV-

I know that not a single word could help Jaycee right now; instead of trying to talk to her, I hugged her tightly.

"Come on, baby. Let's get to the hospital." Jaycee choked out another sob and tried to stand. Her legs were practically jelly; if I hadn't caught her, she would have fallen.

"Can you try and get on my back, Jace?" More tears fell down her face, but she pushed herself on and held on as I walked her out.

We nearly literally bumped into Josh who was definitely fighting back tears.

"A-are you headed to... um see Claire?" Josh asked. I noticed the poor guys eyes brimming with tears.

I nodded. "Need a ride, man?"

"That'd be nice. Thanks." He mumbled. Josh followed me as I walked toward my pickup truck.

I tapped my foot impatiently as we stopped at a stoplight less than a mile from the hospital.

I looked to my right and saw Jaycee breathing at an unhealthily unsteady rate.

"Baby, breathe." I murmured and squeezed her knee. When the light turned green, I took my hand off of her knee to focus on the road ahead.

We arrived to the hospital and went straight to the receptionist desk.

"Clarissa Evans." I said.

"Are you direct family?"

"No...?" I said, then sighed.

"Sadly, no one else is allowed back yet."

I took Jaycee's hand and brought her to the sitting area.

"Jack," she cried. It broke my heart to see her like this. I motioned for her to stand up and, when she did, I pulled her on to my lap and hugged her.

"I know, it's hard now. It will be for a while. But, it will get better, I promise you."

"I don't want to wait." She whispered. In my hold, I felt her body shaking.

"Come on, guys." Josh motioned, completely emotionless.

Poor guy.

"You go back there with Josh, okay? I'm gonna call Matt and Caleb." We've all gone to school together all of our lives, I think they'd want to know.

"Thanks, Jack." Jaycee said quietly.

Jaycee's POV-

"Jace," Josh began.

"Please don't call me that." I muttered. I thought back to all of the times Claire has called me Jace. "Claire called me it all of the time." She started the nickname. It just didn't seem right to continue it when she's not even alive anymore.

"Jaycee, I'm going to tell you something and you can't tell anyone." Josh's voice was so pleading.

"Go ahead." Nothing could be worse, more surprising, cheer me up, or anything.

"Jaycee... Claire was pregnant." He said, barely audible.

"Josh..." I said taking a deep breath as more tears fell. "Are you telling me we lost more than one person that could've been very important in our lives?"

It all made sense now. The out-of-the-norm mood swings, crazy cravings, weight gain... Wow. I can't believe I couldn't connect the dots.

"Your kid?"