"Love. Lets talk about love. Is it anything and everything you hoped for? Or does the feeling haunt you?"

• • •

A large crash erupts outside of the room. Screams follow and his hands fall from my bare waist. He looks at the door, lifting me off of his lap.

We both rush to find our shirts, I groan at how we were interrupted but I can't shake the subtle feeling of relief.

We run out the door to the scene of frat boys fighting on top of the pool table. Suddenly the lights turn on and police sirens sound from outside the house. Everyone starts running everywhere, chaos breaks out.

I run to find my friends, forgetting to get Reggie's number. Part of me doesn't even want it anyways.

I run out the back door, not even thinking about where I'm going. I run in one of the crowds and hop over the fence. Luckily I find Mya once I'm in the crowd who hopped over.

We all start running again when we hear the officer's radios. We hop over another fence and run down the street, I accidentally drop my phone. Quickly picking it up I try to catch up with everyone else.

Mya and I eventually catch up with Micah, hopping in his car and he drives off. He goes a back war to dodge the police. Once I get in the car I see that my screen is entirely cracked and I cuss to myself.

My mom's name flashes across my screen and I debate on whether to answer it. Eventually I decide to, telling her everyone in the car to hush.

"Hello?" I answer, trying my best to seem sober.

"Daisy!" My mom says in a distressing tone. "You have to come to the hospital, Mr.Ricci's been shot." I can hear the tremor in her voice. Her words almost drain the alcohol out of my system.

"What?! Ok, ok. I'll get there as soon as I can." My stomach drops, feeling nauseous all of a sudden. I worry for Mr. Ricci but there's one person I truly can't get off of my mind. Jacob.

• • •

Micah and Mya drop me off at the hospital Mr. Ricci is in. I frantically run through the halls, searching for the waiting room. Once I'm in I see my mom and her boyfriend but not Jacob.

"What happened?!" I ask after hugging her.

"I'm not sure. Nobodies told us anything, Jacob knows but I'm not sure where he is." She says worriedly.

I run back out of the hospital to look for Jacob. He couldn't have gone far, I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid. I scan the parking lot for his car, which I find but he's not in it so he has to be here.

My adrenaline is through the roof. I start to get so frustrated with not being able to find him that I end up going behind the building on accident.

But to my surprise Jacob is sitting there with his head in his lap. I slow down, feeling anxious as I walk over to him. I sit down next to him, tapping him on the shoulder gently.

"It's me." I say and he slowly looks up towards me. I've never seen him like this and I try to hide my shock. His eyes are red and swollen. He's probably been crying for hours but I can see the anger behind his eyes still.

He doesn't say anything just looks at me. It seems like he was about to speak but I cut him off by pulling him into me. I can feel him start crying again, it makes the lump in my throat grow larger. I wanted to cry but I knew I couldn't if I wanted to be there for him.

"I can't lose him Daisy. I ca... I just....I can't-" He struggles to speak.

"It's ok. Just let it out. You aren't gonna lose him. He's gonna fight for you, I know he is." I try to calm him.

We sit in this position for a while but when he feels me shivering, we go inside. We go to the cafeteria which is empty at this time. Almost everything is closed but I don't think I could eat if I tried. We sit down, in silence until he speaks.

"I should've killed him."

"Who?"

"Marco. He came in all high and shit. I guess he was talking to my dad a few days ago and they got into it," I listen intently. Though he probably didn't feel like talking I can tell what happened was weighing heavy on him and he needed to tell someone he trusted what happened.

"I.....I didn't know. I don't even think my dad knew. How could he have....." He trails off, staring at his hands on the table.

"Knew what?" I put my hand on his and he looks back to me.

"My dad..... he never told me that, the...the reason my mom left was because she had to. She never abandoned me....", his voice begins to shake again, "she had dirt on Marco and he was trying to force my dad back into working with him again but my dad told him he was done with crime."

He takes a deep breath.

"I guess one day he called to talk my dad back into business again and she told him that she could turn him in without incriminating my dad. So he got mad,.... took a hit out on her." I gasp, genuinely horrified by the words coming out of his mouth. "That's when him and my dad really stopped talking. Then one time someone got too close, they figured the best thing to do was to send her away. He....fuck!" He yells, slamming his fist on the table. It makes me jump.

"So then what happened today?" I ask trying to fill in the blanks.

"He was high as fuck, came to our house unannounced. Talking all crazy and shit. Fucking psycho. He was mad because a bunch of us were starting to get worried about him running stuff. We all know he's the one who took out the hit on our old boss. He was falling apart everyone could see it. Money hungry, power hungry, he was losing his fucking shit."

He continues, "Some people were talking about leaving or trying to get rid of him but I was thinking about getting out. Someone told him. Maybe that was his breaking point? I don't know."

"Don't blame yourself for what happened. Please don't." He looks me in my eyes for what feels like the first time all night.

"My dad told him to leave. They started going at it. Then he said....he said." He takes another deep breath. "He said he should've finished the job. He had her...... he, he had her killed. My mom. Somehow he got to her." He starts crying again, standing. He starts to pace.

"Hey....." I can tell he's getting worked up.

"He took her from me twice! Twice! And now he's trying to take my dad too! I wish it would've been me that fucking killed him!" He flips a chair over. Causing some people to peak into the cafeteria.

"Jacob! Jacob, please come sit down." He runs his hands down his face, still pacing. I pick up the chair and guide him back to it once he puts his hands back down.

"Why didn't I just listen to my dad when he said stay away from him. You were right. I didn't have to go into that life, I chose to. I always blamed my dad for everything. I felt like the only way to get back at him.......I. I've lost so many people in my life, I can't lose anymore people. I don't think I can take it." He breaks down again and this time I can't stop the tear from falling. I get up, holding him.

"I'm so sorry baby. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." I grab his face, making him look at me. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

My phone begins to ring and it's my mom again.

"Hey the doctor has an update and she needs Jacob here to give it." She says, I can hear the nerves in her voice.

We walk back to the waiting room. I hold his hand in mine, squeezing to let him know I'm still there. The blonde nurse in blue scrubs holds a clipboard in her hand, taking to my mom and her boyfriend.

"Are you the next of kin?" She asks.

"He is." Alonzo answers, I'm not sure Jacob would have been able to. He starts squeezing my hand.

"He's I'm stable condition. He's still asleep but he should be awake in the next few hours. If you all want to come back later he should be awake then." She says. You can physically feel the mood between us four lighten up.

"I'm gonna stay. Can I go into his room?" Jacob asks.

"We have to get him set up in his new room but I'll send someone out to take you up when we're done." He nods his head.

"I'll stay with you." Alonzo says.

"You don't have to." Jacob says, sitting down.

"No. I'm staying. I refuse to leave you here alone." Alonzo pats Jacob's shoulder. I can tell he's in a better mood. Tired but better.

"Well. I think Daisy and I should come back tomorrow. But we will be here, as soon as we can." She says and grabs her coat.

"Hey." I grab his face. "I meant what I said, ok. We'll be back." I kiss him on the cheek. Walking away feeling emotionally drained but also content.

"Wait." He pulls me back but my mom and Alonzo are out the door.

"Oh I think he's just walking us to the car."

"I know." He says pulling me in to kiss me. It was gentle, sweet, caring. Something I had longed for. "I love you."

"I love you too."

• • •