Elle.

The next morning I woke up with sun shining in through an open shade and blinding me. I huffed and rolled off the couch to pull it shut but stopped when I noticed an empty glass with a note on the coffee table.

Sorry I left without saying goodbye, Arabella called me to say we were leaving so I had to go. I love you so much Elle, I hope you know that. Oh and thanks for this glass of OJ. By the way I think you should check your phone messages.

I was crying by the end of it and had to wipe my nose with the end of my pajama sleeve. Without a second thought I slide my feet into my house shoes and headed for the door. I looked across the street at the empty house and then at the end of the road. I swear I saw Arabella’s red BMW M3 convertible but as I ran down the road I never seemed to catch up with it.

I wiped at some more tears as I turned around to head back to my house. Only then did I see one of my neighbors’s was mowing his lawn and staring coldly at me and another was trimming his hedges giving me an odd look. Both looks shot straight to my heart as I ran back to my house.

As Jude wished I immediately checked the voice mail on my cell phone and then the house phone. 34 missed calls from Ryan on my cell phone and 1 one the house phone with a message attached. ”Elle, this is Reni. You should be home by now if you actually left when Zach told you to. In case he failed to inform you Ryan is in the hospital and you need to get down here. I expect you to be getting dressed right now and getting your ass in a car and to the hospital. This is serious Elle.” And then the phone hung and the machine asked if I wanted to hear the God awful message again.

How could I forget that Zach told me Ryan was in the hospital! That was the whole reason Jude and I left New York. My terrible morning just seemed to be getting worse. I high tailed it up to my room and threw on the closest hoodie I could find and a pair of jeans.

I wiped at my eyes again as a new wave of tears hit me as I thought about my dad and how thin he had become. How could I be so selfish and leave him when he was sick? I shook my head to try and rid myself of bad thoughts as I grabbed my keys and flew out of the door.

His car was still parked in the driveway and I was thankful for that. As I sat in the driver’s seat I put on the sunglasses that had pretty much become mine. My eyes flashed to the review mirror and I noticed how much I looked like him. I took a deep breath to try and steady my breath as I grabbed my cell phone.

Uncertain of the hospital I tried calling Reni but got no answer. After the second call a man’s voice picked up. “Hello?”

I didn’t actually realize it wasn’t Reni when I said, “What hospital is he at?”

“West Hills Medical Center.” The voice answered and I realized it sounded familiar but I didn’t put any though to it as I hung up and hit the gas pedal. Twenty-seven miles later I was pulling into the parking lot and walking up to the front desk.

“Can I help you sweetie?” The too-tired nurse asked without looking up from her laptop. Her voice droned on as she continued to type.

“I need to find my dad. Ryan Ross, he’s a patient here…he has cirrhosis of the liver. And he’s gotten worse.” I could stop talking as my ways rambled together but the look she shot me finally stopped the words from spilling out.

With a few clicks of her mouse and more typing on keys she simply said “Room 503.” And went back to the previous task she had.

I nodded and head down the hallway with rooms 500-600. On the left side of the hall room 503 sat with the door slightly cracked. I knocked anyways and heard a feminine voice call “Come in, Elle.” I pushed the door the rest of the way and saw Reni sitting on a couch with Pete and Bronx in a chair opposite of them. Only the latter smiled at me the others simply looked at me.

The man in the bed did not look like my Ryan. He was pale and too thin, but he smiled the same smile he had since I knew him. “So you finally came back? Did you have fun?” His voice was quiet and I cried harder until something like a sob broke free. “Hey, don’t cry okay? Come here.” He motioned for me to come closer until I was sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’m not dead Elle, I just fell.” That caused me to notice the huge dark purple bruise on his fore arm.

“I’m so sorry Ryan.” I sobbed as I fell against his chest. I moved when I heard the wince and notice him rub his collar bone. “This is all my fault.”

“No it isn’t, baby. You didn’t push me, I fell,” He looked at me and tried to smile as he let a hand slide through my hair. “Now tell me, did you have fun in New York?”

I shook my head back and forth. “No, I shouldn’t have even gone. I missed you.” I laid my head back down carefully and Ryan played with my hair some more.

I barely heard Bronx when he spoke up. “I told them about seeing you, Elle.” I shook my head into Ryan’s chest and closed my eyes.

“You’re in a lot of trouble when I get out of here, Eleanor.” Ryan tried to sound stern as a nurse came into the room.

“Visiting hours are over.”

I looked up, shocked. “But I just got here.”

“Sorry, Mr. Ross needs his rest or he won’t get better.” She gave me a I-don’t-give-a-shit look. I sighed and got of the bed to follow the rest of the guest out of the room.

Once I was properly out Reni turned on her heels to glare at me. “How dare you do that to your father? You can’t just leave when someone is sick, Elle!”

“I’m sorry Reni, it was something I had to do. Why didn’t you tell me you were married to my uncle?” I questioned back.

“Because we’re divorced.” She frowned and crossed her arms.

I rolled my eyes and shot back. “But you told me at the coffee shop that you were engaged. That it had happened just a few weeks before that. And you seemed happy about it.”

“We had just gotten divorced actually…and I was happy about it at the time. I didn’t tell you about him because I knew this would happen.” She waved her hand about and I assumed she meant me running away to New York.

“At the time? So you aren’t now?” I smirked a bit as I sat next to Bronx in one on the waiting room chairs.

She gave me a pleading look as she whispered. “I miss him.” I could tell how much it hurt her so I nudged her and mumbled “Well he misses you too. Give him a call.” She smiled and sat next to me on the opposite side.

I directed my gaze to Bronx as I started talking “When you left New York to go home-“

“I didn’t go home. I wasn’t even supposed to leave when I did. Dad called me and I was on the next flight to L.A, I should’ve called you.” Bronx sighed as he tried to grab my hand but I kept it in my lap.

My mind flashed back to Jude and I pulled my cell phone out of the pocket of my purse to call him.

I’m sorry the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service.