Simple Love Turned Complicated

Chapter 10 - compassionate release

Kelly's POV

"Ryder?!" Phoebe repeated.

"Wait, who's Ryder?" Jordan asked.

"I'll explain later Jord" I replied to which he nodded.

I stepped outside and talked with Ryder whilst walking.

"Ok so, I've got one question," I said.

"Ok, I think I know what that question is too." He replied.

"Prison?" I asked.

"Basically, the reason I came to see you was...I've been let out of prison for compassionate release." He paused.

I knew it was something bad, I could hear the sadness in his voice. I could see he was on the verge of tears.

"Compassionate release?" I repeated.

"Yes, um...It's where an inmate is released early for medical reasons, most commonly when they are...t...terminally ill" He choked.

"Wait...terminally ill...does that mean...no...you're..." I stopped as I felt a tear run down my face.

"Dying," He finished "yeh, Lung cancer."

"But...but...how?" I stuttered.

"I was sent to the prison infirmary a couple months back when I started coughing up blood, they sent me to the hospital and the doctors confirmed that I had lung cancer" He explained "The doctors said it was from continuous smoke inhalation, you know from all the shit I set fire to in the past."

"Yeh, I remember." I answered

"Anyways, so Jordan?" he said, noticing my tears and trying to change the subject.

"How long?" I asked avoiding the subject change.

"The doctors have given me 10 months." He responded with his eyes filling up with tears.

"10...months," I repeated in shock "But...but you can't...die."

"Ok, now...Jordan?" Again trying to change the subject.

This time I went along with it.

"Jordan is my boyfriend." I told him.

After our long walk and talk we headed back to Faye's house and I introduced Ryder to everyone but first Jordan.

"Hey, Jord can I have a word?" I asked.

He nodded and followed me into the spare room, where Phoebe and I were staying.

"Ok, I want to explain to you who Ryder is, and I thought it'd be best to do it alone just the two of us." I said.

"Okay" He replied.

"Right, Ryder is my ex we were in Uni together last year, however I made some pretty stupid decisions whilst dating him. One of which ended in my expulsion, a 3 month prison sentence and 6 months community service" I explained "It isn't one of my proudest moments but it's in the past, I moved to Northview University, met you and Phoebe and I get to start a new life."

He looked at me with a blank look and then looked at the floor. I couldn't help but sense his disappointment. But why was he so disappointed, it's not like he has a good past either.

"Jord, why won't you look at me?" I questioned "Jord."

He looked up but wouldn't make eye contact I could see the tears in his eyes as I tried to blink mine away.

"I...um I think...we should...take a break." he said between the tears.

I just looked at him, as he stood up and walked out the room.

"Jord, please." I cried following him.

He drove off in his car, I felt my legs give way as phoebe hugged me whilst I was collapsed on the floor crying. Ryder walked out to see what was happening.

"Kels, you ok?" he asked.

"you...you don't get to call me that anymore, this is all your fault, if you hadn't have turned up here out of nowhere. Then...then Jordan would still be here." I cried taking all my anger out on Ryder "Just leave. Ryder. GO!"

He handed a letter to Phoebe and then left.

Kacie came outside looking confused and came up and hugged me.

"Don't cwy," She told me "I'll be your fwiend."

I laughed and hugged her back.

Jordan's POV

"Hey, Jord can I have a word" Kelly asked

I nodded and followed her into a room away from everyone else.

"Ok, I want to explain to you who Ryder is, and I thought it'd be best to do it alone just the two of us." She said.

"Okay" I replied.

"Right, Ryder is my ex we were in Uni together last year, however I made some pretty stupid decisions whilst dating him. One of which ended in my expulsion, a 3 month prison sentence and 6 months community service" She explained "it isn't one of my proudest moments but it's in the past, I moved to Northview University met you and Phoebe and I get to start a new life."

I looked at her with a blank look and then looked at the floor. I don't know what to think. Why do I feel disappointed? I've made some stupid mistakes in my past too, but nothing bad enough to get arrested.

"Jord, why won't you look at me?" She questioned "Jord."

I looked up at her but didn't want to make eye contact I could barely see from the tears, trying not to let them fall.

"I...um I think...we should...take a break." I said between the tears.

I walked out the room and headed for the door to leave.

"Jord, please." She said as she followed me.

I got in my car and drove off, my eyes still filled with tears. I don't know where I'm going, just that I'm driving my car. My mind was racing, I picked my phone up and saw that I had 9+ missed calls from Alfie. I called him back, phone in one hand and the other on the steering wheel.

"Yo bro, where are you?" He asked as he answered the phone.

I didn't say anything, just sat there in silence for a couple minutes.

"Jord, you okay bro?" He asked, to which I still didn't reply.

I blinked away my tears but it wasn't fast enough and my vision went blurry for a second...

Alfie's POV

I got a text from Phoebe telling me something had gone down between him and Kelly, she didn't know what but it seemed serious, and explained how Jordan ran out and drove off in a state. I called him over and over again, each time he didn't answer, I started to get more and more worried. Until he phoned me back.

"Yo bro, where are you?" I asked.

He didn't say anything, I could hear him crying through the phone.

"Jord, you okay bro?" I asked, but he still stayed silent.

Suddenly I hear a loud Crash, then a muffled movement followed by a long horn that didn't stop.

"Jordan!" I shouted down the phone.

When I received no answer, the horn still beeping I hung up and immediately called an ambulance. I used the tracker app we had each other download to find and inform them of his location. Then I immediately phoned Kelly, and got in my car driving straight towards the hospital, trying not to think about all the possible things that could've happened.