Wethering the Storm

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

It’s been three months since the accident. Three months since my beautiful son, JJ, was born.
We called him Jonathan Jacob for a day, and then Jake shortened it to JJ, and that’s what everyone has been calling him since.
I spent just over two months in the hospital recovering. Initially it was bed rest, letting myself heal. Then I started daily physiotherapy once my arm and hand had healed.
I also saw a counsellor twice a week. Dr. Kish recommended it. I may not remember the actual accident, but he said I’d been though a terrible trauma, and while I might not remember it on the surface, it’s still buried deep within me. Talking about the accident with someone would help.
And he was right.
I went through phases of emotions. One day I’d be on top of the world, feeling extremely lucky to be alive, knowing I could have died. Then the next day, I would be angry. Angry this had happened to me. Angry I had missed the birth of my son.
Then I had bouts of depression.
I wanted to stay positive and happy all the time, but when the black hit, there was nothing I could do about it.
And through all of this, Jake was right there with me.
The day they removed the bandage from my head, I sobbed. The scar on my head was red and angry, running a few inches back from my hairline, over my scalp, and a huge patch of my hair was missing where it had been shaved off for the surgery.
I felt hideous.
When I said this to Jake, he held me in his arms.

“We can always make a fashion statement out of it, sweetheart. I can shave a patch of my hair off too.”
“You wouldn’t suit the bald look.” I smiled through my tears.
“Nah, you’re probably right. But you do.” He took my face in his hands, brushing my tears away with his thumbs, the tip of his nose resting against mine. “You suit every look, Tru. You are beautiful to me right now. You are beautiful to me always, no matter what.”

Jake knew how much it bothered me, so once I was able to, once the scar had near to healed and my hair had grown back a little, Jake had a hairdresser come to the hospital and put some extensions in. Once she was finished, you couldn’t tell there was a scar unless you were looking for it.
Jake has done everything possible to help me get back to the person I was before the accident. Because of his help, I’m almost there.
I don’t sleep great. I suffer with nightmares. I have blinding headaches to contend with along with shooting pains in my right arm, and my right hand isn’t as strong as it used to be. But I’m lucky to be alive, and I make sure to remind myself of that every single day. It doesn’t take much, I just look at Jake and JJ and know how lucky I am, that I have everything in the world to be thankful for because I have them.
I haven’t spent a night away from JJ since that day Jake brought him into my hospital room.
Jake had JJ moved into my room. Of course, Jake was there with us too.
It became our home away from home. I even spent my birthday there.
Well, it wasn’t like I could go out celebrating, so Jake brought the celebration to me, and we had a miniparty with Mum and Dad, Simone, Denny, Stuart, Josh, Smith, and Carly. Even Susie and Dale were there. Tom was away, so he couldn’t be.
Jake had Pizza Hut brought in, and he bought me seven gifts to catch up to the twelve missed, then another to mark my actual birthday.
The seven gifts were a charm bracelet. The bracelet was one and six charms made up the others. Each one meant something to us—a slice of pizza, a little Eiffel Tower, a guitar, a cupcake, a piano, and a scroll charm inscribed with “Best Friends.”
My present for my actual birthday was diamond earrings from Tiffany to match my locket.
He put so much thought into my gifts. But that’s Jake. Where I’m concerned, he puts thought into everything.
The only downside to my party was the tension between Jake and Susie. It wasn’t noticeable to the others, but it was to me.
After everyone had left, I asked Jake what was going on.
He told me about the discussion he and Susie had right before I woke up from my coma. When he said “discussion,” I knew it was an argument.
It made my heart hurt for him, hearing what was said between them. I told Jake he needs to make some workable relationship with Susie because she’s JJ’s grandma. Kids are smart—JJ will pick up on the tension between them as he starts to grow, so they need to talk it out sooner rather than later.
I know he hasn’t talked with Susie yet, but he will, and soon, now that I’m back on my feet. I’ll make sure of it.
I don’t care what he says. He needs his mum.
I know that even more, now that I am one.
In the beginning with JJ, it was hard not being able to do the things a mother should for her baby, like change his nappy, bathe him, and soothe him when he cried.
I felt useless. And it frustrated the hell out of me.
I had to watch Jake do it all, but he made sure to include me as much as possible, and in truth, I loved watching Jake with him.
He’s so sweet and loving with JJ. He treats him like precious cargo. And no matter how many times I tell Jake not to let JJ fall asleep in his arms, to put him down in his crib, he still lets him. Our boy has Jake wrapped around his finger, and it warms my heart to see.
Jake is everything a dad should be and more. I knew he had it in him, and I made sure to tell him one night in the hospital.

“You’re really good at this,” I said over the sound of JJ wailing, while I watched Jake give him his first proper bath.
I couldn’t help—my arm was still set in a cast—so I sat by the baby bath, watching instead.
“I don’t know about that.” He gave me a quick panicked look. “I think I might be doing it wrong. He’s done nothing but cry since I started bathing him.”
“You’re doing it right. It’s just new to him, that’s all. He’s just telling you, quite loudly, that he’s not sure about this bathing business.” I gave him an encouraging smile.
“Yeah, and he definitely gets the loud from your side of the family.”
“Ha!” I laughed and gave him the middle finger.
“Did you just flip me the bird?” he asked, deadpan, rinsing the soap from JJ’s hair with water from the sponge.
“Looked like it.” I grinned.
“I can’t ever remember you doing that—what’s happened to my sweet girl?”
Getting to my feet, I grabbed JJ’s towel and handed it to Jake. “I don’t know if I was ever sweet.”
“You were. You still are.” He leant close and kissed me on the lips. “Except for when you’re flipping me the bird, that is.”
I stepped back, my lips still tingling from his kiss. “It must be all the time I’ve spent around foul-mouthed rock stars.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I hardly curse anymore. Not around JJ, anyway,” he said, grinning, as he wrapped the towel around him, swaddling him up in it.
“I’ve noticed.” I smiled, climbing up on the bed.
I’ve noticed a lot of things about Jake lately. He hardly ever smokes anymore. I think he’s well on his way to quitting completely. He never curses while JJ’s around, which is all the time.
Jake has always been in control of everything around him, but never relaxed…now he’s relaxed.
He has slipped into his dad role with perfection, and he hasn’t even realised it.
I watched silently in fascination while Jake dried JJ’s skin with care and precision, put his cream on for his dry skin, then put on his nappy, or diaper, as he calls them, and dressed him in the cute blue onesie that my mum bought for him.
Jake then brought JJ over to me with the bottle that he’d put in the warmer right before JJ’s bath, and laid him down on the bed beside me so I could feed him.
Like I said, he’s the perfect dad.
Jake sat with us, and we both watched in silence while JJ drank his milk. It didn’t take him long—he’s got a healthy appetite. Then about ten seconds later, with his belly full, he fell asleep.
Jake carefully picked him up and put him in his crib by the bed. Then turned the light out and climbed in bed beside me.
This was one of my favourite parts of the day. Of course, I love spending every minute with JJ, but I loved the quiet moment at night when it was just me and Jake in the dark, together.
“You’re so good with him,” I whispered. “You’re an amazing dad.”
“I’m only good because of you.”
“No.” I turned to him. “This is all you, Jake, and it’s about time you realise that. You are everything a dad should be to our son, and more. JJ’s lucky to have you.”
His arms went around me, and his lips pressed a kiss against my shoulder. “I guess I’m doing okay. But I’m the lucky one, believe me.”

Jake hasn’t spent a moment away from JJ and me since the moment I woke. He’s put everything into us.
He had Zane handle things at the label. What work he could do, he did at the hospital or at home when I was finally released.
The guys put a pause on working on the album, but I want them all to get back to finishing it soon. A world with no more TMS music wouldn’t be a world at all.
Tom even pitched in when Dina, Vintage’s manager, broke her leg skiing when they were about to go on a six-week tour across the States. That’s why he couldn’t make my birthday.
I was still in the early days of my recovery at the time, and it was stressing Jake to no end to find a new manager for Vintage he could trust, and Tom offered his services.
He’s never managed a band before, but he’s spent most of his life on the road touring.
Jake thought it was a brilliant idea. At first I thought it was because Tom was still trying to get in Lyla’s pants, but Jake said it was because he genuinely wanted to help. Then I felt bad for thinking it.
In all honesty, I’ve seen a different Tom of late since he got back from Vintage’s tour. Actually, he was a little different before he went away.
It’s like something has changed in him. The new Tom is freaking me out—he hardly ever talks about sex or the women he’s slept with. He still manages to make a crack about my breasts, though, to wind Jake up, so I know a bit of the old Tom is still in there somewhere, thankfully.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’d miss the old Tom if he changed completely and that Tom making cracks about the size of my breasts is comforting—weird thought, huh?
So anyway, I digressed a little—okay, a lot.
I’ve been out of the hospital for three weeks now, and we’ve settled into life at home with JJ, though I’m not actually at home at the moment. I’m at my old home, my first home, the currently blissfully warm Manchester.
Jake, JJ, Stuart, Dave, Ben, and I flew in a few days ago. Jake has some business to do here. It has something to do with the label, and he’s been a little vague about it. Why he’d have business in Manchester, I have no clue. It’s usually London.
Jake didn’t want to be away from JJ and me, so we came along. Not that I needed my arm twisted—I didn’t fancy being away from Jake either, and I’d take any excuse to come home, as it means being able to spend more time with my folks.
They came back home once I was released from the hospital. They had both spent so much time off work, and they had to go back.
I got so used to seeing them every day that I’ve missed them since they left.
But one person I don’t have to miss anymore is Simone.
The day after I woke from my coma, Simone and Stuart came to visit me, and Simone had some news.

Simone came bursting into my room, with Stuart close behind. She took one look at me and burst into tears.
“I don’t look that bad, do I?” I joked, knowing I actually did.
“No—I,” she hiccupped.
“Simone, I’m fine, I promise,” I reassured her.
She stumbled across the room, swiping at her tears, and plunked herself down on the bed, then practically threw herself on top of me, wrapping her arms around me. “I thought I’d lost you,” she sniffled.
I could feel her tears soaking through my nightie, and she was hurting my C-section scar. I didn’t say a thing. She needed to hug me, and I needed a hug from her.
“You don’t get rid of me that easy,” I said into her hair, holding back my own tears.
“Hey, let a guy in, will you?” Stuart joked.
Giving me one last squeeze, Simone moved off me.
“Hey, gorgeous.” Stuart sat on the bed beside me. I could see his eyes shining with tears. Seeing him looking at me like that made the tears I’d been holding in spill over. Stuart took my face in his hands and kissed me square on the lips. “You frightened the shit out of me, chica. Don’t ever do it again,” he whispered close to my lips.
“Cross my heart.” I smiled, making the sign over my chest.
“Good girl.” Rubbing my tears away with his thumb, he moved off the bed and sat on one of the chairs.
“Where’s JJ?” Simone asked, glancing around the room.
“Jake took him downstairs for his checkup in the NICU.”
“The little guy’s doing okay?” Stuart asked.
“He’s doing great.” Without fail, the thought of JJ brought a smile to my face.
“Stuart and I really wanted to come and see you last night, but Jake said you were exhausted from your folks visiting and all the tests, so he said we would have to wait until this morning to see you,” Simone said.
“I was pretty zapped,” I said.
I was knackered yesterday, but I think Jake put them off because he wanted some alone time with me, after having to share me for the best part of the day. And honestly, I wanted time with him too.
“Did you get the flowers I sent yesterday?” Simone asked, glancing around at the numerous bouquets of flowers and cards around the room.
“I did, and I got yours too,” I added, glancing at Stuart. “They’re gorgeous. Thank you.”
Stuart waved me off, in that way he does.
“Looks like you didn’t need any more, though, you’ve got tons,” Simone said, getting up from her seat. She started checking out the bouquets and reading the cards. “Holy f*ck!” she exclaimed, spinning on the spot, waving a card around. “Did you seriously get a bouquet of flowers from the president?”
I laughed. That had been my exact reaction when they arrived first thing this morning.
“Apparently, when you’re the fiancée of Jake Wethers and you’re in a serious car accident, it qualifies you for big-time flowers. I seriously doubt he ordered them himself, but it’s still really nice.”
“No kidding! Bloody hell,” she muttered. “I’d frame this card if I were you.”
“Oh, I will. I’ve already asked Jake to order me a frame.” I laughed. But I wasn’t kidding, I actually had.
I watched her put the card back in with the flowers and sit down in the chair by my bed.
“So how are you doing?” I asked, looking at the bandage on her wrist, noticing the yellow bruises on her face.
“I’m good.” She smiled. It looked a little forced.
“Simone…,” I pushed.
“Really, I’m fine. My injuries were minor compared to—”
It was at that moment she chose to brush her hair away from her face.
“Holy f*ck!” I said, reaching forward, grabbing her left hand. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Jesus Christ!” Stuart said, pulling her hand from mine to examine the huge-ass rock on her finger. “How in the hell did I miss this? I must be losing my touch!” He scratched his head.
“Oh my God! You’re getting married!” I squealed. I didn’t even care that it hurt my throat. “To Denny!”
“Yes.” She looked a little sheepish. “He asked me last night.”
“Arghh!” Stuart and I cried in unison. “This is awesome!”
“Yeah.” She looked down at her hands and started picking at her nails. Simone only does that when she’s worried about something.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, concerned. “You do want to marry Denny, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. I just…” She let out a sigh. “I just feel a bit shitty.” She looked up at me. “You’re here in the hospital recovering after being in a coma for a week, and I come to visit you…I just feel bad being excited about this.”
“Don’t be soft,” I chastised. “This is exactly the kind of news I need to hear right now. And you were in that accident too, Simone—you deserve happiness more than anyone I know. So come on, tell us. How did he ask?”
Her expression turned doe-eyed and I knew I had her. “After Jake wouldn’t let us see you, I was a bit bummed, so Denny suggested we go out for dinner.” She bit down on a smile, and I could see how happy she was. “We ate at an Italian restaurant near his place, and he was acting a little odd all night, but I just let it go. Then on the way back to his house, he suggested going for a walk in Echo Park. We walked for a bit, and then he stopped me up by the lake, got down on one knee, pulled a ring box out, and said, ‘I bought this ring a month ago, and I’ve been carrying it around with me ever since, trying to find the right way to ask you to marry me. The day of the accident, coming so close to losing you, I wanted to ask you then, but it seemed out of place with everything that was going on. But now Tru’s awake, I’m not waiting any longer.’ He took a deep breath and said, ‘Will you marry me?’ Then he popped open the box and pulled the ring out. I cried, and said yes.”
“God love that boy,” Stuart said as we both let out a dreamy sigh.
“Does that mean you’ll be moving here?” I asked, hoping and praying.
She grinned. “We haven’t really talked everything through yet, but yeah, I reckon I’ll be moving here.”

So thanks to the ever-gorgeous Denny, I get to see Simone practically every day.
And thanks to Jake using his contacts, he managed to help get Simone an interview for a top PR firm in LA, and of course she got the job.
She handed her notice in at her old firm and officially moved out here two weeks ago.
She and Denny are getting married this December. A winter wedding. I can’t wait! JJ is going to be page boy and I’m the maid of honor.
With the way things are looking, Simone and Denny will be married before Jake and me.
It’s funny how things work out.
Jake and I haven’t talked about when we’re getting married. In all honesty, we’ve talked about everything but, and I’m not really sure why.
Actually, talking is the only thing Jake and I have done since I got out of the hospital. We haven’t made love since before the accident.
Jake hasn’t made a move on me. But then, neither have I with him.
I guess I’m feeling self-conscious about my body after the accident and having JJ.
There was no way we were having sex in the hospital. I was healing, for starters, and toward the end, when I was almost better…well, it just wasn’t happening there. Now we’ve been home for two weeks. We kiss, but it has yet to go further than that.
I’m not sure why. Well, I know why on my part, but not on Jake’s.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.
But then, Jake has so much going, taking care of me and JJ.
I’m sure we’ll get back to that side of our relationship soon.
I have a lot to be happy about. I’m with the man I love, the man I was always destined to be with, and together we have the most beautiful baby boy this world has ever seen.
Speaking of my baby boy, I’m missing him at the moment.
He’s with my mum and dad. And I’m in a car right now, destination unknown.
You see, Jake has a surprise for me, and Dave is driving me to that surprise. You know what that means…yep, I’m blindfolded.
Dave is still my bodyguard and driver.
When I found out that Dave had spent the vast duration of the time I was in the coma guarding my room, I asked Jake to bring him in to see me.
We talked for a long time.
Dave blamed himself for the accident, which was crazy, and I told him so. There was no way he could have prevented the accident any more than me or Simone could have. The only one who could have prevented it is buried in a cemetery right now.
I would, and still do, trust Dave with my life.
That doesn’t mean that riding in a car is easy for me now, because it’s not.
It’s a challenge I face every day.
The first ride I had to take in a car after the accident was horrendous. It was the day I left the hospital. I was shaking with nerves. Even though I don’t remember the crash, just knowing I was in one was enough.
It took me nearly twenty minutes before I could muster up the courage to get in.
I sat in the back with JJ, who was in his car seat, while Jake drove us home. I focused on JJ the entire time. It felt like the longest car ride of my life.
I can’t remember ever being so afraid.
But I had to do it. I can’t spend the rest of my life fearing being in a car.
I’m slowly getting there. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still jittery every time I’m in a car. Just like I am now. But it’s getting better.
“How much longer?” I ask Dave from the backseat, fingers curled around the edge of the seat, my foot nervously tapping the mat under my ballet pumps. I know I sound like a whiny kid in the back of her parents’ car, but Dave is used to my angst. He understands it. He’s the only other person aside from Simone who does.
“Another five minutes at the most,” he replies.
“How long has it been already?”
“Thirty minutes. We’ll be there real soon, I promise. Try to relax. I’m taking it real steady, and I’m sticking to the speed limit. You remember what I told you?”
“That lightning doesn’t strike twice.” I exhale. It’s a motto Dave told me to remember while in the car.
“We’re golden, Tru. I promise you.”
“Okay.” I loosen my death grip from around the seat, trying to relax. “You definitely can’t tell me where it is I’m going?”
He lets out a deep chuckle. “More than my life’s worth.”
“Figured,” I grumble, folding my arms across my chest.
I’m so ready to find out what this surprise is and get back to JJ.
I haven’t seen Jake all day, or Stuart for that matter. They’ve both been quite absent since we arrived in Manchester. I’ve not minded, though. I know Jake is here for business, and I’ve kept busy with JJ and spending time with Mum and Dad.
I was expecting them back at dinnertime, but then I received this cryptic text message from Jake at three in the afternoon, telling me he has a surprise for me. I’m to leave JJ with my mum and dad, get in the car with Dave, put on this bloody blindfold, and he’d see me soon.
So here I am, driving to wherever my surprise is.
I lean my head back against the headrest and fold my arms in my lap, fiddling with my engagement ring. “Can you put some decent music on? This song is driving me nuts.” It’s some annoying boy band I’ve never heard of before. “Oh, but not Pearl Jam,” I add. “I don’t want to tempt fate and set that lightning to strike twice.”
“See, that was quite funny.” Dave chuckles. “You’re getting there.”
I touch my head where my scar is. “The only way to get through the bad stuff is to laugh about it, right?”
“Right.”
I listen as he flicks through the radio stations.
“Go back to one,” I tell him.
Dave jumps back a station, and Jake’s voice fills up the car.
“Through It All,” the song he sang for me in Copenhagen, the first night we slept together.
I always think of that night as the start of Jake and me, but in truth we started a long time ago. We started the very first moment we laid eyes on each other through our shared garden fence all those years ago.
It just took us a long time to get there.