leave it unspoken;

@vivid-dxceptions

Hope bit her lip as she took the coffee from him, feeling her heart practically drop at the nice gesture and the kiss on the cheek. This was awful… because it wasn’t like she didn’t care for him at all, of course she did! “Thanks…” She breathed. “Um, I… wanted to, uh, talk actually…”

Lauren glanced over and gave her a look. “Yeah, I know.” She sighed. “But the doctors say just a little longer…”

Jayce shrugged and shook his head. “Nah, nah, just makin’ conversation.” He chuckled. “What about you then?” Change of subject would be wise, he decided. “What you been getting up to, I feel like it’s been ages.” The town was going to shit but he had his own problems to deal with.

-

“Well let’s see where she is then.” Taking out his phone, he brought up the Find My app on his iPhone. “Looks like she is at work at the bookshop.” He handed his phone over to Jayce, without even thinking about it. "Honestly it is so screwed. Can I tell you something without you saying anything to everyone else?”

Brooklyn was reeling from this whole thing and right now she was intensely focused on Amelia’s phone and the pictures she’d found on it. Brooklyn frowned, raking her fingers up through her hair. “Um… okay… uh…” She was lost for words as she tried to catch her mind up to what was happening but she felt like she was working in slow motion or something. “Uhh… fuck, I don’t know.” She moved to her handbag, rummaging around in it to see if she could find any clues, picking out her phone in the process and making a face at all the missed calls and texts. “I think my mum is gonna go insane…” She looked up at her, clearing her throat. “I, uh… I guess it does….”

“I’ll do it.” Lauren hung up and rushed to find her keys, frowning deeply as she moved. What was going on? Her mind kept flashing back to the night she and Trevor had gone to the cemetery and realised Brooke wasn’t actually there… she was sure Eric thought she was insane when she’d showed up at his and Imogen’s place ranting about it but… she could barely think straight right now and she focused on getting her car started, not bothering to look at the missed texts on her phone right now, and drove to the hospital. She called everyone on the way, knowing she shouldn’t be using her phone but whatever, just a quick ‘get to the hospital’ message, and then she parked haphazardly and rushed inside.

Lauren didn’t really know what was happening with Jackie. She was still obsessed with Brooke’s death and full of grief but she was lonely. She was one glass of wine in when the phone went. She thought about ignoring it but she reached out and noticed it was Jackie. “Hey.” She answered, swirling the wine in the glass and watching it move around. “I hope you’re not driving.” But then Jackie said she wasn’t on the way and was at the hospital. She frowned, worried as she wondered what happened, but then she said Brooke and she froze, her whole body just went into shock. Lauren was silent for a long moment before she stood. “I–I’m on my way.”

Brooklyn didn’t know what the hell to think because she could barely remember anything. “God, I must have had a whole bar full of alcohol..” she muttered, rubbing her temples. She wondered how long this headache would last.

She looked down at her hand again, going quiet with a soft frown. This was… absurd, right? Brooklyn wasn’t sure what to say or do or think right now. She looked up when she heard Amelia again, frowning. “What do you…” She looked at the phone and her face filled with panic. “Oh my fucking god…”

“I think we both did..” And Amelia rarely if anything did not drink like that. It seemed like her own headache was going to last for her days and the redhead hated that. Hell she hated the fact that Brooklyn had the same headache probably. Maybe they shouldn’t have drank so much last night.

Alison smiled as she looked up at him, nodding. “Yep, all good to go.” She chuckled, grabbing her bag and swinging it up onto her shoulder. “Oh, really?” Ali thought about it for a moment and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. Should we order pizza or something?” She asked, grabbing the keys off the side and putting them in her bag. Truthfully, she wished she had the guts to ask if DJ wanted this to be… more. Because she did, but she was scared and didn’t want to lose him altogether, so she kept her mouth shut. “Let’s go.”

Setting: The Hospital

Day: New Years Eve

Brooklyn was pretty sure that her mum was going to kill her… probably her dad too at this rate. She had been very clear that she wasn’t going to stay out the whole night but this definitely wasn’t her bedroom. “Sore.” She murmured in reply, turning to see Amelia. She sighed, lifting a hand to her throbbing temple.

At the tone that she heard in her friend’s voice next, she turned to look at her. “What is–” She trailed off, eyeing the ring on the redhead’s hand. She frowned slightly, glancing down at her own and jumping up off the bed. “Oh shit!” She hesitated. “Did… did we make up some… joke last night…?” She frowned, staring at Brooklyn, tugging at the hem of her shirt as she sat back down. “I don’t know if I remember much to be honest…”

Amelia had no doubt in her mind that her mother was going to kill her as well. Both of them, she had never done anything like this before especially after telling them that she would be home. Wyatt was the one that always stayed out late and did things he shouldn’t. “Same.” And her head was pounding but they had more pressing issues apparently.