Same Mistakes

Chapter Twenty Six

Jayce had been off the ventilator for thirty minutes and that left me and everyone else to wait for the results. Justin sat across the room with Jayce, while I talked to Dani and Ryan. The support of my friends during this time amazed me. Mostly Dani, who had dropped everything at the bar and flown here. Things back home were probably hectic without us, but that was a problem to be dealt with when we go back right now my only concern was Jayce.

The doctors said that things were going great and if he kept up the work, he'd recover sooner than they expected. Ryan nodded his head towards Justin, who was now sitting next to Jayce.

"He feels guilty." Dani rolled her eyes, clearly not convinced but I nodded. Justin hadn't talked to me since earlier and I honestly didn't mind. I needed time to think through my relationship with him, without having him try to sway me one way or the other.

"I'm going to get a drink. You guys want anything?" Dani stood and Ryan and I shook our heads, allowing her to leave.

Ryan looked at me and smiled, "Kid's pretty bad ass. Like damn, you raised one sick kid."

I laughed and shook my head. Ryan had been trying to lighten my mood for awhile now and that was the only attempt that had actually worked.

Justin's Pov

Across the room Nadia laughed at something Ryan said and I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to be jealous of their relationship but I was because he was living out my life. I should be where he is, but instead I'm the one causing the pain she feels.

I looked down at Jayce, who could be waking up at anytime. Selfishly, I wanted to be the first person he saw when he woke up. I didn't want to now be seen as the bad guy to him, because though I'm an idiot I love him more than I love myself.

I kissed the top of Jayce's head and laid my head on his bed. Hailey leaned down next to me and smiled, "I gotta go do something, so I'll be back in a little bit if that's cool?"

"Yeah, you're good. I'll see you later, text me." She nodded and gave me a swift kiss that just felt wrong to me. Once she left I closed my eyes and exhaustion hit me as I closed my eyes.

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Someone shook me awake as I slowly opened my eyes. Nadia's face was happier than it had been since we ended up in the hospital, causing me to immediately look at Jayce. He looked the same, tired and hurt but this time his eyes were open and staring around the room.

His hand was in Nadia's as she spoke in a whisper to him, "Hi, baby. You're okay, mommy and daddy are here. Don't move now."

Jayce tried desperately to move into Nadia's lap but the IVs and Nadia held him down. He began to wine and look back and forth between the two of us.

"Daddy!" Hearing him cry for me even after everything I put him through almost caused me to break. Though, I knew he wouldn't remember what happened to him part of me worried that he might. But in his eyes all that mattered was that I was his dad.

After another minute, Jayce's doctor came in, giving him pain medication and giving Nadia and I a run down of what was going to happen next. Once everything calmed down Jayce laid in Nadia's lap, letting her read a book to him.

I silently held his hand, following along.

"Justin," across the room, Hailey waved me over, "I need to talk to you really quick."

"We're reading a book with Jayce." Hailey gave me a look from across the room that read 'now' causing me to sigh. Next to me Ryan patted my shoulder, "I can hold your spot."

I quietly scoffed at him, knowing that even though he was Nadia's boyfriend that meant nothing to me. Regardless to if I was in a custody battle for Jayce and the situation, he was my son.

"Justin." I sighed and stood up allowing Ryan to take my place and followed Hailey out of the room and into a room with vending machines down the hall, away from everyone else.

"Jesus, Jay, you stink. We should go to the hotel tonight and shower."

I nodded and glanced over the items in the machines, "Yeah, okay. What'd you wanna tell me?"

Hailey looked down, avoiding eye contact with me. I'd have to be a completely ignorant to not know what she was going to say, and although some might argue that I am ignorant. "What'd they say?"

She nervously fixed her hair and looked at me, "You don't actually wanna be with me do you?"

"If that were the case I would have already broken up with you" Not a complete lie.

"But do you love me?"

"Yes," My answer came without hesitation because that truth was I did love Hailey, just differently. But that didn't really matter now because I would have to love her just the way I love my family.

"I took a blood test, it came back positive." Tears sprang to her eyes and I tightly wrapped my arms around her. I never got this moment with Nadia when she told me because it wasn't the only surprise she had, but I lowkey wish Hailey had that surprise too.

Maybe that makes me a jackass, but at least with Nadia I could see myself parenting with her, I couldn't with Hailey. I could see a family and future with Nadia because I loved her differently than Hailey, and that sucked not just for me but for her.

My eyes slowly started to tear up with the realization that I would really have to tell Nadia now and then there would be no turning back. No getting her back.

I softly rubbed the back of Hailey's head, "We'll figure this out."