accomplice | ethan dolan

twenty four

"i'm so excited to go home" i say, packing the last of my things into my bag.

"me too" ethan mumbles while dressing lucy, getting her ready to finally leave the hospital.

the doctors kept lucy and i in hospital for observation. we've been here a week now, and ethan hasn't left my side once.

he has slept on an armchair beside my bed this whole time and took most of lucys night feeds, so that i could rest.

"would you mind if visit noah before we leave?" i ask him hesitantly.

"go ahead, i'll get lucy ready and wait here for you" he says.

i know ethan hates noah, especially after everything that happened with the changrettas, but he knows noah is still important to me and respects that.

noah was shot twice during the drive by, and doctors almost lost him in surgery but they managed to save him. he's stable now and will be coming home from hospital in a week or two.

"jade" noah smiles as i come into his room, this is only my second time seeing him since the shooting.

he was unconscious the first time.

"how are you?" he asks.

"i'm good. i'm going home today" i tell him.

"and how's lucy?"

"she's good too, considering everything that's happened"

"the changrettas will pay for this" he scoffs.

"no noah, enough" i snap.

"we can't let them away with this!"

"we can and we will"

"they shot us"

"i've been struggling to hold my own daughter thanks to a bullet wound in my shoulder, i don't need the reminder" i scold him.

"exactly why we should do something about it" he mutters.

"exactly why we shouldn't or the next bullet will be in my head!" i yell after getting frustrated, "is it the drugs the doctors prescribed you or do you have your own stash in here?"

"what?" he glares at me.

"you were high killing both changrettas, you were high when you were shot and i wouldn't be surprised if you're fucking high now!"

"jade" he sighs, "i'm really sorry about what happened but-"

"enough of your bullshit" i cut him off, "you put my life and my daughters life in danger! i'm starting to think if i had just told zack you were addicted to drugs, none of this would have ever happened" i admit.

"you can't tell zack" he suddenly looks worried.

"just stay away from me and my family" i warn him.

"you're not being serious are you?"

"i can't put my daughter in danger. i care about you noah but enough is enough"

"i'll sober up, i promise!" he says as i turn to leave his room.

"i'll believe it when i see it" i scoff before slamming the door behind me.

noah will always have a place in my heart, it's just the way i am, but i have to realise that every decision i make now affects my daughter.

noah is a danger to her, and always will be as long as he's taking drugs.

"how did it go?" ethan asks when i come back into my room.

"i told him to stay away from me" my voice cracks, "i'm sorry i'm upset about him. there's no feelings involved, i just feel like i'm letting him down you know? when he needs me the most"

"how many times do i have to tell you?" he says as he straps lucy into her car seat, "you never have to explain yourself to me, i trust you completely. you have every reason to want to help noah, but you're putting us first and that's okay" he calms me down.

"how did i get so lucky?" i smile.

"how did i?" he retorts.

the nurse comes in for a final checkup before giving me the all clear to go home. ethan carries the bags and lucy in her car seat, refusing any help from me.

"welcome to the world baby girl" ethan whispers to lucy as he straps her car seat into the car.

it's crazy that she's a week old and this is her first ever time outside.

a twenty minute drive has never felt so long, but after what feels like a lifetime we arrive.

i take lucy out of her car seat and carry her inside where we find grayson, bonnie and zack.

"welcome home" they smile as they stand in front of congratulations balloons and a cake.

"you guys really didn't have to do this" i smile,

"we wanted lucy to know how important she is" zack says as he takes her from my arms, "and how we love you so much" he speaks softly to her but she instantly starts crying.

"you're holding her wrong!" grayson claims as he takes lucy in his arms, "now lucy, you're with your favourite uncle" he tries to calm her down but she continues to cry.

before i can do anything about it, ethan takes lucy in his arms. without even trying, lucy stops crying.

"he's good" bonnie laughs and i nod proudly.

"i'm just going to get changed" i tell them before going upstairs.

my room looks completely different now with lucy crib, her wardrobe and toys. keeping lucy was such a last minute decision, zack and grayson had to buy everything while ethan and i were in hospital.

i quickly get changed into some pyjamas and just as i'm leaving my room i notice an envelope sitting on my pillow.

i take it with me and read the card as i'm walking downstairs.

"is this some sort of sick joke?" i snap coming into my kitchen.

"what's wrong?" ethan asks me as everyone looks at me confused.

"congrats on your little girl, we'll be sure to pay her a visit soon. best wishes, the changretta family" i feel sick as i read the card to them.

"what the fuck?" zack takes the card to read himself, "where did you get this?"

"it was on my pillow upstairs" i gulp.

"they wanted us to know they can get into our house" ethan tenses up as he hands lucy to bonnie.

"they already shot us what more do they want?" my voice cracks as ethan pulls me into a hug.

"they won't hurt you again, i promise" he whispers.