Falling In Love with a Bad Boy !

Chapter 26 - Battered, Beaten and Bruised!

Annabeth's POV💖

Right now I was in a car with Colton, on our way to Ryder. I had to go into my house and pretend to go to bed, which was a difficult task considering how my mum wanted to know each and every detail of my so-called date with Dylan. I made it sound amazing and exaggerated our kiss to sound like it was something out of a dream and then I somehow escaped from her by faking a migraine and she told me herself to get an early night. I could still hear her shrill voice " Must be all the excitement of having kissed Dylan, you good girl you" Once I got to my room I quickly turn the lights off, and without bothering to change I climb down my window and make my way to Colton who was outside waiting in his running car. 

Colton was yet to tell me anything about what happened so as soon as I was in the car I turn to look at him as he was driving " What happened? " I stare at him worriedly. He turns and gives me a quick look  "Well, while you were on a date with Dylan, Ryder, and us, we went to meet James". 

I rolled my eyes at Colton " Colton it wasn't a date, I didn't have a choice but to go with Dylan, it's a long story, you won't understand, but that's a topic for later, tell me what's wrong with Ryder and who's James?" My heart was beating 100 miles per hour and the fear and nervousness of what could have happened to Ryder would make me puke any second. 

"Well," Colton continued "James is someone that I'm sure Ryder would rather you didn't know... Anyway, we had a takedown" He looked at my perplexed expression "Umm.. a fight with a guy to get even....anyway long story short, we got jumped and Ryder wouldn't give up like always... so he's pretty badly beaten and he's at mine, he was asking for you when he kept coming in and out of consciousness, so I thought it made sense if you came...plus Bryan and I need you to have a chat with him once he's awake, you know... about the whole fighting thing and to be calm" 

I shook my head  "He's not going to listen to me Colton, he said he wouldn't fight for two weeks... he promised me and yet look at him today" 

Colton glared at me " The only reason he broke your stupid promise because he saw you and that idiot Dylan together hugging at practice earlier... look... " Colton looks at me impatiently "Ryder's always had difficulties reining in his aggression, he needs an outlet and when he saw you today with Dylan he lost it..." He looks at me again "Ryder is complex...I can't tell you much more, it's his story to share, so yea it was between either beat Dylan to a pulp or go beat someone else" He looks back at the road and continues driving. 

I turn to Colton again " How bad is it?" I whimper. Colton looks at me again "It's pretty bad" I shake my head, my lower lip quivering my fists clenched together knuckles white. Colton looks down at my fists and back at my face, his tone softening a bit " Don't worry he'll pull through, Ryder's always been a fighter" 

Colton turns into one of the shadier neighborhoods and he pulls up in front of a double-storeyed house which doesn't look too bad in comparison with the rest of the houses in the locality. He gets out of the car and waits for me to exit. "This way" he jerks his head and I follow him. 

We go to the back of the house and I see stairs that lead directly to the second floor. I wanted to ask him who lived on the ground floor but this was not the time for small talk. I quickly clamber up the stairs behind him and watch as he unlocks a door and steps in. The interior of the room that we stepped into was plain. Plain gray walls with plain furniture. There was a table in the center of the room which was set up like a makeshift hospital bed with IV drips connected and I could see Ryder sprawled unconscious on it. My legs give away seeing the condition that he is in, his face was badly bruised and his chest had what looks like a stab wound that an elderly woman was currently stitching up. 

Before I hit the ground Colton holds me up and steadies me. I turn around and look at Colton worriedly "We need to fucking take him to the hospital". Before Colton can respond Bryan's voice comes from the couch "We cant Anna, what we do, what he does.. it's all illegal, we go there we get put into jail, and chances are we get stabbed in prison and we all die"

Tears start falling down my face as I moved closer to Ryder. The woman who was stitching him up looks up at me, she was roughly around 55-60 years of age I would think.  "You Anna?" she questions with her brow lifted. I nod my head petrified. She gives me a small smile " He's been asking for you when he comes in and out of consciousness..Here" she holds out a damp cloth, can you wipe his face down" I nod my head and slowly start cleaning his face. I hear a clanking sound and see the woman had finished the stitches and she put a bandage on the wound. She checks the drip on him and opens a bag and takes out a cocktail of medicines that she gives Colton, explaining to him how many and when to give him. Judging by the way everyone was acting I was pretty certain that this had occurred if not once then many times before. 

She turns around and beckons me to her. I walk to her and she pulls me to a corner and gives me a tired smile while studying my face closely. " My name is Crystal, I am Johnnys wife - his coach" I nod at her while she continues, " He told me about you, that Ryder had met someone and that he was going to change. Look, I know he's rough around the edges but he's a good kid and ..." she chokes on a sob tears streaming down her cheeks " He is the closest thing we have to a son, I don't want to have to bury him... I can't..please don't give up on him...please save him...I know it's too much to ask you and I don't even know you well...but I am being selfish.. .just help him" She turns around to leave and I grab her hand. She looks at me and I draw her into a hug. "I will try, I promise.." I whisper and she pulls back a look of gratitude in her eyes. 

 She starts to leave and when she gets to the door she looks at Colton and Bryan ''Let me know when he wakes up, he should be fine, but in a lot of pain, so don't forget the medicine. And..." she pauses for a second "I don't want Lilah to find anything out about this" The boys' nod in agreement and she opens the door and leaves shutting it behind her.

I look at the boys  questioningly "Is Lilah coach's daughter?'' Colton nods his head in agreement but doesn't say anything more. Both he and Bryan look tired and in a bad shape but not as bad as Ryder.  I go back and pull a chair and sit by Ryder, holding his hand in mine wishing and praying for him to wake up quickly. 

I don't know when I fell asleep but I was awakened by a sound. I open my eyes disoriented and then realize that I had fallen asleep next to Ryder holding his hand, my head resting on the table next to his face. As I raise my head I make eye contact with the most beautiful brown eyes that I thought I wouldn't ever see again. " Ryder" I whispered. 

He smiles at me softly "Hey princess, fancy seeing you here, you missed me? " he croaks out. The tears started flowing down my cheeks" I swear to God if you ever...ever do something like this ever again I will personally beat you to pulp and kill you" I glare at him through my tears.  

He snickers and then grimaces in pain " I think you're supposed to give me some anti-pain medication" I wipe my tears and on an impulse, I lean forward and kiss both his eyes and the tip of his nose, and then gently his mouth. "Hold up I'll get you some pain relief" I smile at the surprised look on his face when he got my kisses almost as if he did not expect it. 

I hear him snicker from the table as I turn around " I think you've already given me some relief" I smile and shake my head and walk over to wake up Colton and Bryan who was curled up on the couch fast asleep.