"Where are we taking you?" Bryce asked, hopping into the driver's seat.
"Um, uh, take me to Jeff's house. Maybe he stopped there for a little bit."
"You didn't think to text his mom?" Justin questioned, turning in his seat to face me.
"Sorry, Justin. I didn't think to! My first thought was to call him, and then to see if Bryce knew if he was going anywhere after practice!" I took a deep breathe in an attempt to calm myself down. Within 10 minutes, we were parked along the curb in front of Jeff's house. I got out of the car as fast as I could, my swollen stomach slowing me down. I knocked on the door, praying that he would answer. The twisting of the door knob got my attention, making time frozen.
"Emily, hi, how are you?" I love Jeff's mom, but I was so upset when he didn't open the door.
"I could be better, is Jeff here?"
"He isn't with you?" I shook my head in reply.
"He had practice and then he was stopping at the deli, he never came back and I'm so scared. I need him to come back, I need him to be okay, I need him by my side. I can't do any of this without him."
"Emily, you need to breathe, come sit. I'll call Jeff right now, okay?" I nod and let her go towards the kitchen. A knock at the door startles me. I make my way over to the door, not wanting to open it, but I do anyway.
"Ma'am, is this the home of Jeff Atkins?"
"It is. He's my boyfriend...what happened?"
"I'm afraid there's been an accident."
"No, no. This can't be happening. Is he alive? Please tell me he's alive."
"You should come with us, ma'am."
"Emily, who's at the door, dear?" I hear his mom ask, an involuntary whimper escaped my lips. A great sob escaped my lips, as I covered my face with shaking hands.
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"Oh, no." She mumbled, her eyes lining with tears.
"Ma'am, can you come with us?"
Jeff's mom instantly grabbed her phone and my hand, leading me out the door with her. I instantly texted Justin, telling him and Bryce to follow the police.
____
"Family of Jeff Atkins?" A nurse calls out, stopping just before a crowd of people in the waiting room. We all stood up, making our way over to her.
"He's alive, he has several scrapes and bruises, as well as a mild concussion. His left leg is broken and is being treated right now, the person who hit into him is currently in surgery. He's conscious, he's asking for an Emily Foley?" I exhale shakily, extremely relieved he's alive.
"Go ahead, sweetie. We'll all be here when you come out." Jeff's mom states. I nod and thank her, following her to his room. I knock lightly, entering the dimly lit room. My cheeks were still wet, black marks trailing down my faces, clearly revealing that I left on mascara from yesterday. I sat next to his bed, gently grabbing his free hand.
"Hey, baby." His whispers, barely audible.
"You scared me." I mumble, my voice breaking.
"Hey, come on. No tears. It's okay. You're safe, the baby is safe. It's all gonna be fine."
"How do you know? You went to practice and then the deli and you never came back. I was so scared, Jay. I thought you weren't alive." I sniffed, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.
"I promise you, that I will do everything in my power to be safe. I did everything right today, okay? I looked both ways before turning, I had my seatbelt in, I did everything right, but something still happened. We're all going to be okay. My leg will be healed by the time the baby is born, I should be 95% better. In a month, everything will be better than it is now. I'm not going anywhere, not now, not ever."
"You better not." I sighed, gently kissing his cheek. "The baby hasn't stopped kicking since I woke up. I don't think it likes you being gone or being hurt." I stroke the side of my stomach with my thumb, soothing the kick sensation a little. Jeff's arm reaches out, resting his hand on top of my bump, the baby instantly kicking towards him.
"Once I get out of here, I'm not leaving your side."
"Jeff, don't. You should try to get into the major leagues. That was your dream."
"This has been my dream, Em. I'm dating you, and we're having a baby. My life can't get much better than this right now." I gently squeeze his hand, a small smile coming onto my face. "I love you, Emily Foley."
"I love you, Jeff. And I'm glad you're okay. Now get some sleep my love."
