Holy fuck.
I looked around me.
I could hear a voice over the loud beeping of the very bright room I was in.
Damn, did I die?
Is this heaven?
I did not expect to end up there.
Do they let you smoke in heaven?
"I'm surprised his condition is not worse." Dad? Damn, he made it too? They just let anyone in.
"He's pretty strong," a guy said.
"I guess. Their having him on all this bullshit for the past week is going to kill our family," my dad said.
Maybe I wasn't dead.
"He's getting better, though."
"How do we know? Just because they told us. Fuck. My wife and I can't afford his medical bills, and our dumb-ass insurance is going to barely cover the medicine he's going to be on for the next year, let alone the next several years," my dad said.
Eliza and Brandon were both sleeping in the chairs they had in my room.
"I think just planning his funeral would be cheaper. Just tell them and my wife that he died in his sleep. Save us the debt," my dad said, sighing.
Ouch, that hurt. I'm glad I'm wanted and loved, I guess.
"I'll pay for it."
My dad looked up at the giant man.
"At what cost?"
The guy smiled.
"At what cost?" my dad repeated.
"Let me get to know him."
"Why? Are you going to kill him?"
"Isn't that what you wanted?" I butted into their conversation, and my dad jostled back.
My heart stings a little bit more than normal when I look at him.
"Son-."
"Save it; I heard you already," I said. I looked down at my arm. It was in a cast, and my leg was also in a cast.
"Brandon. Eliza," I called out, and I watched as Brandon shifted. If y'all don't wake your stupid asses up.
I looked back at my dad.
"Don't tell your-."
"I won't," I said, slumping back. My heart actually hurt knowing he lowkey wanted me dead so they wouldn't go into debt.
"You okay?" The giant man said this as he sat on the bed and looked at me with a warm look.
"Uh, yeah. Didn't your right-hand man shoot me?"
"No, rival. If anyone under me laid their hands on you, they would be dead."
Okay, bucko, back up. It's not even that serious. I still don't even know who you are.
"Weirdo," I mumbled, and he smiled at me.
He looked back at my dad.
"I'll pay for all of his medical bills. This visit, whatever other follow-ups he needs. And the medication he will need, not just for a year but for the next several years, but Ryder will have to agree to spend time with me. And get to know me personally," he said, then looked back at me with a warm smile.
"You're a loser, dude," I said, and the giant man laughed. Who wants to blow all this money to hang out with an unemployed high school dropout? A weirdo, that's who.
"If you are going to use him as your whore, it's a no," my dad butted in.
Didn't you want me dead?
"It's not that, unless he wants me to." who does this old man think he is? I gave him a look and he laughed
"It isn't just a business transaction; I want to get to know Ryder and explore the possibilities we have together. Or if you refuse-." He smiled at my dad.
"Remind me where you work again."
Sinister ass, freaky ass, smile.
"Uh, why?"
"Tell me where you work; it's a simple question," the guy snapped—damn temperament issues.
"Caruso enterprises."
"Who's the CEO?"
"Uh, Dominic Caruso."
"And what's my name?" The guy said that and laughed.
"Oh."
"Smart cookie," he said, turning his attention back to me. His smile was warm again.
"If you refuse, you will lose your job, simple as that. Not only will you have all of his medical bills, but you will also have no job and be fully reliant on your wife's flower shop, and I take it you don't want that," the giant guy, whose name is Dominic Caruso, said.
My dad sighed.
"Ryder!" I turned around as Eliza fully jumped on me.
"Hi little shit," I said, rubbing her back as she hugged me.
Brandon walked over and smiled at me.
"You want to hug too?" I asked, and Brandon nodded and came and sat down on me and hugged me.
Awe, my heart hurts.
"I thought you died," Eliza said, crying.
"Dad wished I did," I said, laughing, and I got daggers stared at me.
"Why would you do that?"
"Do what?" I asked Brandon.
"Fucking almost kill yourself," he said, and he hit my stomach.
"It would have been cooler if I died," I said, laughing, and I got two death looks.
"My fault."
"So, what's it going to be?" The guy said this and looked at my dad with a sinister smile.
"What's happening?" Eliza asked.
"About to get my life signed away like I'm in a mafia Wattpad romance. Expect it's not a mafia romance, and it's not Wattpad, just my life on the line," I said, and Eliza laughed but turned her head towards the guy.
"Dad, just do it; it's not that serious," I said, and he looked at me.
He sighed. "Okay, you can have him."
The guy smiled.
"Great decision; I'll put a good name in for your raise," he said with a smile and went back to me.
He gave me this freaky look.
"There's that freaky look again; back up, robo daddy; just because he's up doesn't mean shit," Eliza said.
He put his hands up. "I know. I know."
Huh? What is even happening?
"You guys, come on, you still need to go to school," my dad said, and the two of them looked irritated.
"Don't start ditching; y'all will end up like me," I said, laughing, and they sighed.
"Thank you for, uh, saving us, I guess," Brandon said, and I nodded.
"Anytime," I said, patting his head.
They awkwardly got off of me and shuffled to the door.
"Have fun at school," I said, and I got a middle finger thrown at me.
"Careful, robo daddy might shoot you," Eliza said to Brandon, and the three of them were gone.
"You good? You look like you are all hazy," I asked.
"Oh, uh, yeah." He was not good.
"Hospitals just bother me," he added.
"But you've been here since I got admitted?" I asked and he nodded.
I felt my heart skip a beat.
Hey now, hey, what is wrong with you? My heart is definitely slowing down or something.
"You can leave if you want," I suggested, and he shook his head.
"I'd rather stay with you."
Oh, sweet, I feel my teeth rotting from how sweet he was.