Promise Me Forever

(Still in Zacky’s POV)

“What do we do man?” Matt inquired as we rushed into the bathroom to check and see if Jade is alright.

“I don’t know. Should we take her to a hospital, or just take her home and see if she wakes up any time soon. She isn’t badly hurt that I can tell, “ I answered lifting her arm to check for a pulse, there was one, thank God.

“From the looks of it she probably just banged her head on something and was knocked out,” Matt suggested lifting her head off of the ground. He placed it gently on is legs and lifted her up into his arms, bridal style. “I’ll take her to your car. It’s probably best that she wakes up in a place that she is familiar with, your house, not the hospital. Just go get the others and tell them that there is an emergency and we have go to now.”

Matt carried Jade out of the bathroom and towards where our cars were parked. The steps going back to the beach were the opposite way, I took one last look at Matt’s retreating figure, Jades arms and legs also visible, and headed down to the water.

No one was in our spot when I returned. They were probably out in the water enjoying themselves, so I decided to pack up the things that were here and then get them out of the water and head back to my place.

The towels were the first to get put away, everyone’s bags were sitting out so I shoved them all into the right bag. There weren’t any open beers sitting in the sand, just a couple closed ones next to where Brian was. I tossed the bottles into the cooler and slammed the lid shut. The umbrella was easier to get out of the ground than it was to put it, it was out and folded up in just a matter of seconds.

After checking to make sure that I had everything up and ready to go, I looked out into the water trying to spot someone from our ground, and maybe they could get everyone else. “Hey,” I shouted waving my arms in the air once I sat Lacey looking this way. She turned and said something to the others before sending Johnny to see what was up.

“Go get everyone. Jade’s ex was here and she’s knocked out cold. We have to go, now!” I shouted, watching as his eyes went wide and he sprinted back into the water to tell everyone.

Val was the first to reach me, she just gave a sympathetic smile and grabbed her and Matt’s thing. “Matt’s getting Jade into my car, but she should be done by now. Do you want to come over and help me with her or are you guys going to head on home?”

“Well I don’t know about Matt, but I sure as hell am. Jade and I are going to be good friends, I can tell. And I want to be there for you and her when she wakes up.”

She flashed a smile and turned to walk up to the cars. The others were still heading to the shore, and I thought they might want to know what was going on.

I was surprised that no one asked, Johnny must have told them while they were swimming back. I trailed after everyone as they walked towards their vehicles.

Matt’s Charger was gone and Val was sitting in the front seat of my car. I sure as hell hoped that Matt didn’t do something to fuck everything up with her. They were good together.

I noticed that she wasn’t crying, that was a plus. “What’s up?” I asked slamming my door shut and turning the car on.

“Matt said that he didn’t want to come and he left. So, I’m going home with you, Jade is fine. Matt got her into the car fine. Don’t look back you’re driving, and I don’t think you want to hurt her more,” she explained.

I nodded and turned the volume on the radio up, Feel Good Drag by Anberlin was playing. “Zacky, what are you going to do if she doesn’t wake up?”

She got me there, that thought hadn’t passed through my mind yet. And truthfully I didn’t like thinking about it. I wouldn’t know what I’d do if she ever had to leave me. Either way. When I looked over to answer her, out of the corner of my eyes I caught a glimpse of Jade and I shrugged. She didn’t ask anymore questions after that.

When we were almost back to my house, I spoke,” When we get there, can you go unlock the door and run upstairs to the guest room and get her bed ready? And um, should we change her? She’s still in her swimming suit.”

“Yeah, and yes we need to change her, nothing is more uncomfortable then being stuck in a wet bathing suit. I can changer her in you want. Unless you’d think she’d be more comfortable with you doing it,” she answered, giving me a tough choice. But I knew that it would probably be best if Val did it.

“It’s okay. I’d like you to do it.”

I turned into the driveway and didn’t bother to put the car into the garage. I handed Val the keys and she walked up to the house while I got Jade out of the car. Her black swimming suit was still damp so I wrapped a towel around her and carried her inside.

Val was waiting for me upstairs, she had some sweatpants and a t-shirt laying on the bed, and I assumed that was what she was changing her into. I laid Jade down on the bed then backed up.

“I’m going to fix something to eat. Is there anything in particular that you want?” I asked leaning in the doorway.

“I’m fine with whatever you want. You’ve known me long enough to know what I like and what I don’t like, Zacky,” she answered turning back around to face Jade.

I turned on my heal and walked out of the room, going to find something good to eat.

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Val and I sat in the living room flipping through the channels to find, once again, that nothing was on. I groaned and threw the remote down on the couch next to me and throw my head back.

It’s been four hours since we got home and Jade still hasn’t woken up yet. We tried to wake her up by shaking her, but it didn’t work.

“Maybe we should take her to the hospital,” Val suggested grabbing the remote and turning the TV off so that we could leave.

“It’s probably the best,” I responded getting up so that I could get Jade and carry her down to the car once again. “Are you sure that we shouldn’t just call an ambulance, and say that she just fell and we got her in bed?”

“That’s a good idea. Because it’s going to look weird if we walk into a hospital surrounded by people carrying what looks like a dead body practically,” she answered laughing a bit just at the thought.

I ran into the kitchen to get the phone and dialed 911.

We should have done this at the beach, I though as someone picked up on the other line. “911, what’s your emergency?”

“My friend just fell and hit her head. She’s conscious,” I answered trying my best not to fuck up and let them know that it’s been five hours since the accident.

“We’ll send an ambulance right away,” she said then hung up.

I walk into the guest bedroom where Jade was laying and picked her up, needed it to look like she just fell. I laid her down on the couch, so that it at least looked like we moved her off the floor. “Val,” I said worrying that they wouldn’t think it just happened. “You need to start crying. Girls are always the ones that cry when their friends get hurt.”

“You’re an asshole you know that?” she asked then looked up, like she was thinking about something. The next minute she was looking at me with tears in her eyes and a few dripping down her cheeks. “Good?”

I nodded hen kneeled down by Jade’s head. Her face was getting paler than it normally was and her breathing was lessening. Something was terribly wrong, and the damn ambulance needed to get here fucking fast. “Oh my god,” I breathed.

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“Can I speak to who is here for Jade Millson?” a nurse asked coming from the hallway that they’d wheeled Jade down about an hour and a half ago. Val and I stood up, the others didn’t want to come but they wanted us to call if anything drastic happened.

She walked over to us and sat back down, we followed suit and Val looked like she was about ready to really start crying again.

“I’m sorry to inform you that…,”