The Flashbacks

Chapter Twelve: A Terrifying Night

Elyse's POV

I brushed my hair out and looked at the outfit I bought in the mirror. I was nervous but also excited. I glanced over at the clock. It was 8:30, the boys would be home any minute now. I was actually kind of shocked they weren't. My phone buzzed on my nightstand. I smiled when I saw it was Ethan.

"Hey, are you guys on your way home?" I looked in the mirror and brushed out my hair with my fingers again.

"Elyse, I need you to sit down and not freak out." Ethan's voice was too quiet. I didn't like it. I sat down slowly and tried to focus on my breathing.

"Ethan, what happened to Alex?" I always knew what could happen, but I wasn't ready to lose him. I couldn't lose him.

"He was shot tonight, but he's alive. He's in surgery right now. He was shot in the shoulder. The doctors said he's most likely going to be okay." Ethan kept his tone as calm as he could.

"What hospital? I'll be there as soon as I can." I immediately jumped up and started putting on jeans. I pulled one of Alex's t-shirts over my head and tucked it in. Tears were already streaming down my face.

"Saint Anne's. They said he could be in surgery for a while. You should take an Uber, El. I don't want you driving while you're this upset." I knew he was concerned about me.

"I'll call Steph to see if she can take me. That way I can also check if Luna can spend the night. I'll let you know when I'm at the hospital, E." I swallowed the huge lump that was in my throat.

"Okay, be safe. I love you." I could hear him starting to break down on the other end of the phone.

"I love you, too." I grabbed my purse and dialed Stephanie's number, rushing out of my bedroom. I grabbed my hoodie off of the back of the couch and sat down on the porch, waiting for my best friend to come and get me.

Steph's POV

Elyse and I rode up to the 8th floor in silence. I hated seeing her like this. She sobbed so hard in the car that she wasn't able to speak. When she got off the elevator, she immediately rushed to her brother. He had blood stains on his uniform. I knew that broke her heart even more as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"It's going to be okay, El, I know it will." I could hear him whisper to her as he rubbed his back. "He's in there." Ethan nodded his head to one of the rooms. Elyse nodded her head slowly and Ethan let her go so that she could go see Alex.

"Are you okay?" I asked Ethan, reaching for his hand. He intertwined my fingers with mine and we both sat down. He held both of my hands in his and I watched as silent tears started coming down his face. "Oh, baby." I wrapped my arms around him and he rested his head on my shoulder while crying.

"He has been my best friend for the last 13 years. He's talked about marrying my sister for as long as I can remember. I tried to use pressure to keep him from bleeding and I watched when his eyes closed. Tonight was one of the scariest nights of my life. I can't believe I almost watched my best friend die." He was so vulnerable right now. I stroked his hair softly and rested my cheek on the top of his head.

"He's alive. I'm sure you helped save his life. Everything is going to be okay, just like you told Elyse." I hated seeing him like this, but I also appreciated that he was being so vulnerable with me.

"He's awake." Elyse poked her head out of the room. "He's asking for you." She told Ethan. Ethan quickly wiped his tears, not wanting Elyse to see him crying. He got up and held my hand, guiding me into the room with him.

"Hey, man." Ethan smiled and I could see how hard it was for him. "You had me scared for a minute there." He ran his hand through his hair. I stood back a little, not wanting to intrude on their moment. Elyse sat in the chair on the other side of his bed, holding his hand.

"You didn't think I was going to give up on you that easily, did you?" Alex's voice was weak but seemed stable.

"I'll let you get some rest, man. You or Elyse can call if you need anything at all, okay?" He asked and Alex nodded his head just slightly. "You good here?" He asked Elyse and she smiled. I could see the tears were still in her eyes, but for the most part, cleared up.

"Thank you for helping save my life. I'm lucky to have you as a partner." Alex cleared his throat and Elyse jumped up to grab his water cup and help him drink.

"Trust me, I'm the lucky one," Ethan whispered. "Seriously, call me if you need me." He told Elyse before grabbing my hand again and walking out of the room. "Spend the night with me tonight?" He asked me. "I just don't want to be alone." I could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"Yeah, of course. I'd be happy to." I kissed his cheek and he smiled a little bit at me. I hoped he would be okay and continue to talk to me if he wasn't.

I went to the hospital the next day to bring Elyse a change of clothes. Ethan had to go into work to fill out some paperwork, but then they were going to give him a couple of days off and make him go to therapy. I knocked softly on the hospital room door and peeked in when I didn't hear anything. Elyse was curled up next to Alex in the bed. His good arm was wrapped around her. I put the overnight bag on the chair and smiled slightly. I stopped moving when I noticed the ring  on Elyse's finger. Both hands went over my mouth because I had to stop myself from gasping. They were engaged. Elyse stirred in the bed and opened her eyes slowly. I smiled at her and pointed to my ring finger. She smiled slightly and put a finger to her lips before getting out of bed slowly, not wanting to wake Alex.

"Are you two engaged or is it just a promise ring?" I asked once we were out in the hallway. I just wanted to be sure.

"We're engaged." She tucked some hair behind her ear and took the coffee that I offered her. "It was his grandmother's ring. Since he was the first-born boy, his mom gave it to him when he turned 21 to give to the love of his life." She looked down at the ring. "I mentioned to Alex last night how I'm so terrified to lose him and that even after the abuse I've endured, I could see myself marrying him. We decided last night that we didn't want to risk waiting anymore." She shrugged her shoulders. "Alex is the one. I know for sure this time."

"I'm happy for you. Congratulations." I gave her a tight hug. I was genuinely happy for her. I could tell she was nervous about it being too soon.

"Thank you. We're going to go to the courthouse as soon as he's healed. I would love for you to be there. We're going to ask Ethan to come too, of course." She glanced into the room to make sure Alex was doing okay. He wouldn't be going home until tomorrow.

"Of course, I'll be there. Is there anything else I can do for you today? I know Alex won't be coming home until tomorrow." I ran my hand through my hair and she took a deep breath.

"Could Luna possibly stay with you for a few days? I don't want her jumping all over Alex while his shoulder is healing." She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah, of course. I'm sure Jax will be happy to have her around. I'm going to go check on Ethan. I'm sure he'll be back later." I was positive that Ethan would be back later. I could hear him mumbling in his sleep about Alex. He was worried about his best friend.

"Okay, please let Luna know that Alex and I are okay." She opened the door so that she could go back into the hospital room.

"Yeah, of course. I'll bring you lunch later. You can of course call me if you need me." I smiled as I headed out of the hospital. I had no idea I would find such the perfect little family after leaving the one I had.