Shattered ✓

F O R T Y - N I N E

Alexa

It had been four days since Ryder came home, and the overprotectiveness had only gotten worse.

"Guys, I'm not dying," Ryder groaned from the couch, shifting slightly as he tried to find a comfortable position. "I got stabbed, not paralyzed. You don't have to hover."

That was directed at all of us.

And, to be fair, he wasn't wrong.

Cameron and Zach had been on edge since the moment Ryder walked through the door, practically shadowing him like bodyguards. The twins, Justin and Jason, had barely left his side, taking shifts like this was a hospital ward.

Then there was Andrew and me.

And on top of that, Blake and Ethan.

They weren't even his siblings, but they had practically appointed themselves as his personal security team.

"You should be resting," Blake scolded, arms crossed. "Why are you even on the couch and not in bed?"

"Because I like having a social life," Ryder shot back. "You should try it sometime."

Ethan smirked but still looked annoyed. "If you rip your stitches, I'm not carrying you back to the hospital."

"Then don't," Ryder said, waving a hand. "I'll just crawl there myself."

Justin rolled his eyes. "You're actually insufferable."

"I know," Ryder grinned.

Despite all the bickering, no one actually left the room. It didn't matter that Ryder was home and stable—we weren't taking any chances.

And Ryder knew it.

"I feel like a caged animal," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temple.

"You are," I deadpanned.

He gave me a flat look. "Alexa, don't encourage them."

I smirked, but deep down, I was somewhere else.

I still hadn't heard from Elliot, Michael, or Jackson.

It had been days now.

Not since the night at the hospital. Not since we found out Elliot was being let go.

I hadn't reached out.

Neither had they.

And I didn't know what that meant.

"Seriously, though," Ryder said, dragging me out of my thoughts. "You guys need to stop treating me like I'm some fragile little thing."

Zach, who had been leaning against the wall watching everything, finally spoke. "You almost bled out on the back porch, Ryder. Forgive me if I'm not ready to act like that didn't happen."

The room went quiet.

Ryder's cocky expression faltered for half a second, and I knew that despite all his jokes, he hadn't forgotten either.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Fair point."

Ethan sighed and dropped onto the couch beside him. "You're lucky we like you."

Ryder grinned. "I'm lucky for a lot of things."

Blake scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Just—don't be an idiot and make us actually take you back to the hospital, okay?"

Ryder saluted. "Yes, sir."

Cameron shook his head but didn't argue.

I let out a breath, sinking into the chair across from them. Ryder was home. He was okay.