The Dare

Chapter 34

Alex's POV

"You're finally discharged. Now get the hell out of here." Kate laughs and I laugh with her. I had been here for a week now and I was recovered enough to be discharged. I am on a wheelchair now though which is a bummer.

"Can't wait to go outside. Any second longer in here and I will go crazy." I give her a small smile and go in for a hug, which was quite hard considering I was in a wheelchair. Over the week she has become one of my friends and she is the only thing I am going to miss from this dreadful place.

"Thank you for everything." I pull away and she has a small smile on her lips too.

"No worries."

"Bye." I wave and she mirrors me. Nick starts pushing my wheelchair and soon I feel a burst of fresh air and I take a deep breath. "Finally!" I yell out and get a few weird glances but I don't care.

"Only you could be this embarrassing in a wheelchair." Nick laughs and I turn to see him shaking his head.

"You didn't have to spend a week and a half in a hospital bed eating boiled vegetables. So I get to be embarrassing and you have to deal with it." I give a sweet smile and turn back around. Never did I think I would appreciate the nature this much.

Nick came to get me because no one else was free. Mum and dad were working on a case, J and Fallon were out of town celebrating their 2 month anniversary an Axel and Adam were having a brother bonding session.

"Let's get you home." He brings me out of my trance.

***

Nick parks up the car and quickly gets out to get my wheelchair. I just sit and wait for him to come by my side. He picks me up and puts me in the chair. I was literally getting spoonfed.

Dring

"Stop it, idiot. My hair is already a mess, don't need it looking like a birds nest." I swat his hand away and just in time, the housemaid opens the door for us.

"Hello, Alex and Nick."

"Hey, Kassey." We greet her and walk-in. Well, Nick pushes me in by walking but I can't be explaining that the whole time now. "Now take me up to my -"

"SURPRISE!"

"Fucking hell!" I yell out and take deep breathes. That scared me like shit.

"Language!" Mum yells and I just laugh.

Mum, Dad, Jack, Fallon, Aunt Mel, Uncle Matt, Harvey, Janice, Axel and Adam were huddled around the living room. There were balloons stuck around the room and a chocolate cake in the middle.

"Sorry, Mum."

"Welcome home Alex!" Dad says and I smile at the effort put in by everyone here.

"Thank you," I say quietly and Nick pushes me forward.

Everyone comes and hugs me lightly because of how fragile my ribs are at the moment. At this moment I regret jumping because I can now see that if I went, all these lives behind me would end too. I dismiss the thought as soon as it came and decided to enjoy the whole surprise party without any sadness.

Nick takes me to next to the sofas and everyone takes a seat. We play 'Home Alone' and everyone quietens down to focus on the movie. I glance around as the movie starts and see the happiness and regret of everyone's faces. The guilt returns within me and now I feel like jumping was the worst option. Kate was right.

But behind all this, the kiss with Dylan was still having its effect on me. Every time I thought about it, my heart skips a beat and I feel tingles through my whole body. I felt guilty as fuck though because even though Axel's kiss has a different effect on me, it is nothing like the one I just had.