Author's Note: Oh my God, guys. I love this chapter. I seriously love it. It's like my fave. I think you'll all like it too. It's long because at first I didn't know what I should write, but then I got started and boom, just couldn't stop. This is the second to last chapter. :'(': See, I'm feeling conflicted. Which is why I have the sad/happy face. I don't know exactly how I feel about it being the second to last. But anyways, I hope you all love it. Ohhh, puh-lease check out that song. ---------->

It's perfect for the chapter. Towards the end of the chapter, actually. Oh and so I've done three things since the 10th when I last updated. Here they are: 1: I got Take Me Home. I love it. It's Heaven on Earth, for real. 2: I saw BREAKING DAWN PT. 2. Anyone else seen it? God, it was so amazing.

As we arrive at the hospital, a smile spread across my face. I don’t know exactly why I’m excited to be here at this hospital visiting children with orthopedic problems. Especially after the two weeks I spent at St. Paul’s when Ryder was in the accident. But I think that subconsciously I just want to feel more connected to Ryder, and I think that he bringing me to this place that he for some reason loves so much makes me have that feeling of connection. If that makes any sense at all.

          “You seem eager,” He notes, turning the car off.

I open my door getting out and say, “I am!”

          “Why?” Ryder chuckles, closing his door and putting his hands down in the pockets of his jeans.

After we left the courthouse, we went to Taco Bell - apparently Ryder really does love that place - and got a box of tacos. You know the purple box that has like a dozen tacos in it. Ryder’s so greedy though, he ate like ten of them and I ate two. Then we went back to the house and changed out of our sophisticated court clothes. It’s actually really hot today. I mean, yeah I know it’s California in the end of July, but today it’s way hotter than usual. I think the current temp is like 103.

I shrug, looking over at my boyfriend, “I don’t know.”

          “Just don’t go in their turning flips. You’ll scare them.”

          “And you said I’d make a great mom,” I say teasingly, recalling when he was sick and I forced the medicine into his mouth. It was his own fault for being uncooperative.

Ryder chuckles, and as we reach the front doors, he hits the button that automatically opens the door for the handicap people like in wheelchairs and stuff. We walk in and he gestures with his head towards the left, indicating that’s the way we go. We walk down the hallway; they’re eerily quiet. Except for a few children who are being pushed down the hall in wheelchairs by their parents or practicing walking with their arm crutches.

I follow Ryder, having no idea where anything in this hospital is obviously since I’ve never been here. We walk down the corridor for about fifteen or twenty minutes wordlessly as I look at Ryder out of my peripheral. I’ve taken notice that his hospital is really like…creative. On either wall in this everlasting hallway, there’s a mural. On the mural which I’m standing closest to there’s like a sunset or something and on the one by Ryder there’s an ocean and a bunch of underwater inhabited animals. You know, fish, sharks, all that good stuff. 

“Are we almost there?” I wonder.

Ryder nods, “We’re here actually,” He tells me, pointing towards a door.

          “Back there?”

          “Yeah, we have to go in and then sign in.”

I nod understandingly, walking towards the door. Ryder pulls it open, holding it open for two female nurses coming out talking animatedly. We walk in after them, and the door slowly shuts behind us. The two of us walk up to the desk and Ryder clears his throat to get the attention of the gossiping blonde women behind the counter and plate glass. They’re two of them, and they look like they can’t be any older than twenty-two, twenty-three.

          “Can I help you?”

          “Oh, that’s Ryder, Sierra.” The other blonde says, and I look down at her name tag. It reads, Elise.

The one called Sierra looks over at Elisa and raises her eyebrows as if to ask: ‘Okay, what do I do now?’ Must be new.

          “He’s been coming here for two years, we know him by name around here. And who might this be you have with you, Ryder?” The one called Elisa says.

          “This is my girlfriend, McKenna.” He says, putting his around my shoulder.

          “Aww, look at you finally getting tied down.” An old lady who’s sitting at a computer behind the desk says, smiling to herself.

Ryder chuckles, “Something like that. So can we go on back?”

The blonde Sierra nods her head, “Sure can. Have fun.” She calls after us.

          “You’re famous.” I tell him, as we walk away from the front door.

He shrugs, “Nah, not really. I’m only known here.”

          “What about school?”

          “What about it?”

          “I bet you’re really popular.”

          “Hmm,” He says as we arrive at a room where the mahogany colored door is shut. “Not exactly. I don’t really frequent parties and all that kinda stuff.”

          “Oh yeah?”

He nods, “Yup. Now, here’s my all-time favorite girl’s room.”

          “Favorite?” I say, jokingly crossing my arms in mock anger.

          “Aside from you of course,” He says, ruffling my hair up with his hand. He puts his hand on then handle, pushes it down and then the door opens a bit.

          “You can just walk in?”

          “I can in here,” He explains walking in.

I walk behind him, closing the door after us. He walks over to the bed, and I look down at the girl lying there, nearly motionlessly. She’s small, probably like seven maybe eight. She has a long but very thin brown hair that’s strung out around her, carelessly as if she fell asleep in the middle of brushing it. She’s small, very small and frail looking. And she’s super pale. Even more pale than Ryder was when he was in the hospital.

          “What’s her name?” I say quietly, going over to the side of the bed which is where Ryder is sitting on a chair at.

          “Faith, she’s seven.” He informs me, grabbing my hand and pulling me down on his lap.

          “What’s wrong with her?” I wonder. I was close on her age.

He clears his throat, “She’s got Leiomyosarcoma. LMS.”

I wrinkle my forehead in confusion. “You’re gonna think I’m stupid, but what’s that?”

          “You’re not stupid, only like three people I know actually know what it is.” He says, looking down at the little girl. “It’s kinda hard to explain, but it’s really rare. It’s like a malignant cancer of smooth muscle. It’s like 5 to 10% of this other cancer, so it’s really sporadic.”

          “So she has cancer? But it’s like a muscle cancer?”

Ryder nods, “Exactly.”

          “That’s so sad.” I say, looking down at her.

          “I hope she wakes up while we’re here. She’s so energetic though.”

I laugh quietly, “Really?”

          “Totally.” He says, nodding. “She’s like a seven year old Hailey.”

I raise my eyebrows, “Oh, I bet that’s something.”

          “It is. Though, not quite as sassy as Hailey was.”

          “Speaking of Hailey, it’s been forever since I’ve spoken to her. I wonder how she’s doing.”

          “She’s really happy, or so she was last night when I passed her in the kitchen. She and her boyfriend are back together.”

          “Justin took her back? After we drowned his car?”

Ryder nods, “Yeah. The kid’s kinda stupid. They may be up here later, actually.”

          “Why would they come?”

          “Justin’s little brother is here.”

          “Seriously?”

          “Yup, like two doors down.”

          “How old is he?”

          “Twelve, I think.”

I shake my head, sadly. “That’s horrible.”

          “Yeah, it really is. I’ve never been down there to see him, but Hailey goes with Justin sometimes. She said that the boy - Eric is his name - he’s doing really great, and his they’re gonna stop his chemo if they don’t see the tumor in a few days.”

          “That’s great,” I say softly, looking down at the girl. “What about her? Does she do chemo?”

Ryder shakes his head, clicking his tongue. “No. LMS is really resistant. It doesn’t react well to chemotherapy or radiation.”

          “So, how are they, you know,” I say, not saying the word.

          “Keeping her alive?” I nod, and Ryder replies with, “I mean, it’s a tumor, so they’re steadily removing chunks of it.”

The little girl’s eyes open slowly and she blinks a few times. She yawns, making a cat resembling that of a cat. Faith reaches her arm up, wiping her eyes. She looks over at me and her eyes light up as she spots Ryder.

          “Ryder!” She exclaims, her voice raspy.

          “Hey Faith, how are you today?”

She pushes the button on her hospital bed, making it come up so she’s in a sitting position. “I’m good! Today when my private teacher came, guess what happened.”

          “Hmm,” Ryder says, pretending to think for a minute. “Did you tell her about your zoo trip last week?”

Faith shakes her head, pushing her hair away from her face. “I got an ‘A’ on my spelling test!”

          “What!?” Ryder says, dragging out the word. “Good job Fay.”

          “Who’s she?” She wonders, looking at me the smile still on her face.

          “Faith, this is my friend McKenna.”

          “Hi,” I say, to her, smiling.

She smiles back and says hello back. “Ryder talks about you waaaay too much.” She says.

          “Oh does he?” I say, looking back at him.

He chuckles, his face going red. Faith nods, “Uh huh.”

          “What does he say about me?”

          “He says a whole lot. He says that you’re pretty and funny and nice and sweet. And he also said that he was go-“

          “Okay!” Ryder says, clapping hands together. “I think that’s enough, don’t you Fay? And don’t you remember wha that last thing I told you was, the last time I was here?”

Faith laughs, “Oh! That’s the thing I can’t tell her?”

He nods, “Right, so shhh.” He puts his pinky out and Faith locks hers around it.

They both look at me and Ryder laughs. “Alright, McKenna wants to meet everyone. Should we let her?”

Faith nods, “Yes. Yes we should.” She says, getting out of the bed.

          “Do you want me to get your wheelchair?” Ryder asks her.

She shakes her head, “I wanna walk.”

          “I know you want to, but did you doctor say you can?”

Faith shakes her head, looking down. “No.”

          “Aw Fay, don’t be like that. You know the rules.”

          “Okay,” She groans, crossing her arms and sitting down up on the bed.

Ryder goes somewhere and then comes back with a wheelchair that is pink in color. Cute. Faith sits down in it and Ryder pushes her down the corridor as we leave. We walk down the hallway for a short while - about ten minutes - before Ryder turns the wheelchair and walks into a new room. I guess you could call it a playroom or something. The walls are this very…bright shade of yellow. I guess they’re fans of murals here because there’s also in here. It has the name of the children’s hospital and a bunch of blue and pink handprints from past children.

In the room, there’s a large television mounted to the wall and it’s on some cartoon. That Ed, Edd, and Eddie one, I think. It’s been a while since I was young enough to watch The Cartoon Network. There are other children in here, only a few though. Five little kids, probably all Faith’s age or younger. Two of them boys, three girls. The four of them are sitting down on the floor in front of a little bead game. You know the kind I mean. Where you take the bead and slide it around the wood.

And sitting on the couch, watching the cartoons are two boys, they look as if they’re about, oh I dunno, twelve or thirteen, maybe. Ryder rolls Faith’s chair over to the group of little kids playing on the floor with the beads and stops. She gets out, sitting on the floor with them.

          “Ryder!” The four kids say in unison all standing up and hugging Ryder’s legs since they’re much shorter than him.

          “Hey guys,” He says as they eradicate themselves from him. “This is McKenna.”

          “Hi,” I greet them shyly.

          “Hi!” They all reply. Eager, very eager children they are.

          “How’ve you guys been?” Ryder wonders, sitting down on a chair beside the kids.

          “Good,” The blond boy says. Ryder tells me that his name is Max. “You didn’t come last week, Ryder! And we had this huge pizza party.”

Ryder looks sideways at me, because we both know that last week he was still in the hospital, but I think we both know he wouldn’t tell a little kid that he was in the hospital. Because then they’re ask why he as in the hospital and he’d have to tell them why or lie. I don’t think he’s prepared to do either one.

          “Aww Max, I’m sorry. I had to do something, and I couldn’t get out of it.”

Max frowns, “But you’ll come to the next one?”

          “I will. I promise.”

          “Can she come?” Max wonders, pointing at me

Ryder nods, “Sure, if she wants to come back.”

          “Okay,” The small boy says, smiling.

So we stay at the hospital for a good two hours, talking to the kids and things of the such. We took them outside to the playground in the back first. Then we brought them back in and went to the cafeteria with them to get ice cream. All except for Faith who can’t eat ice cream because she’s lactose intolerant. Ryder instead bought her a huge cupcake. I don’t know if Ryder wants children or not but I think that if he does have them in the future with his wife, he’s gonna spoil the hell out of them. Anyway, after we left the cafeteria, we came back up here played some board games. Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, Apples to Apples, and Guess Who. Right now, they’re playing Candy Land, but I opted out to play.

My phone rings in my pocket and I pull it out, answering it. “Hello?”

          “Hey,” Matt’s voice says.

          “Hey Matt.”

          “Haven’t talked to you in a while.”

          “I know.” I say, “Things have been kinda busy.”

          “I’m gonna take that to mean that you’ve gotten back with Reggie?”

          “Ryder.” I correct him, causing Ryder to look back at me questioningly as he moves his Candy Land character.

          “Matt.” I mouth, and he nods, going back to the game. “But yeah, you’re right. We’re back together now.”

          “Oh yeah? Cool.”

          “Yeah, so how have you been?”

          “Pretty good. There’s this girl…” He says, leaving the sentence hanging.

I fake gasp, “What? A girl, you found a girl who isn’t me? We must be living in a parallel universe.” I say, laughing.

          “Hardy-Har-Har. You’re so funny.” He replies.

          “I know, right? So tell me about this girl.”

          “Well,” he says, sighing. “I don’t know much about her yet. I met her at the movies. She’s sixteen, and she goes to school in Beverly Hills. She really funny though. Her name is Kaylee.”

          “Good for you, I’m happy.”

          “You’re happy I’m gonna stop hitting on you, you mean.”

          “Oh whatever, same thing.”

He chuckles, “Right. Well I just wanted to call and see how you’ve been and how you are.”

          “I’ve been great. Really great.”

          “That’s good, oh so when are you going home?”

          “I’m going back to Dallas on the fifteenth, I think.” I tell him.

          “Wow, that’s soon.”

I shrug, though he can’t see me. “Well it’s only the 25th.”

          “True, tell you what. You better come see me before you leave. Alright?”

          “You got it dude,” I tell him, impersonating Michelle Tanner from ‘Full House’ Man, I loved that show. I watch like every single rerun.

Matt laughs before saying, “Right. Talk to you later, McKenna.”

          “Bye Matt.” I say, hanging up the phone.

          “That was Matt?” Ryder wonders, looking back over at me.

I nod, “Yeah.”

Ryder scrunches up his face, “He still trying to get with you?”

I shake my head, “Nah, I don’t think so. Said he found a new girl. Kaylee.”

          “Good, it’s about time.” Ryder says as he stands up.

          “Are we leaving?” I ask him.

He nods, “Yeah, but not right now. Visiting hours aren’t over for another twenty minutes, and I still have to kick Max’s butt in Candy Land before we go.” He pulls his wallet from him pocket and says, “You wanna do me a favor?”

          “Does it involve moving?”

He nods, “Yes, not much, but some.”

I groan, but stand up. “Okay, what do you need?”

          “I want a drink from the soda machine.” He says, taking out two ones and giving them to me before sliding his wallet back into his pocket.

          “Any preference?”

He shakes his head, “Anything’s cool.”

          “You’re lucky you’ve got that sprain, otherwise I wouldn’t take pity on you.”

          “I’m not surprised.” He says, fighting a smile.

          “Yeah, yeah. Okay, now sit down my little handicap.”

He chuckles, but sits back down on the floor. I go and find the soda machine, which happens to be like on the fourth floor because the remaining ones didn’t work. I get Ryder a Dr. Pepper and on the way back down I run into Hailey who’s leaving out of a bathroom.

          “Hailey, hey.” I say, catching up to her.

          “Hey,” She says, “What are you doing here?”

          “Ryder finally brought me here. You know, to see the kids he comes to visit.” I explain.

          “Aw, that’s sweet. I’m here with Justin,” She tells me as we walk down the stairs. “We’re back together.”

          “Ryder told me. That’s great. But wasn’t he mad that we kinda you know, drowned his car?”

She nods, laughing. “Oh yeah, so pissed. But he got over it. Well, he’s getting over it.”

          “Well then that’s good.” I say, as we continue to walk down the corridor.

          “You know what I can’t remember after all these years?”

          “What?”

          “I can’t remember why you and I hated each other in the first place.”

I stop in my tracks, realizing that I can’t remember either. “You know what? Neither can I.”

          “I think it had something to do with like a park or something?”

“I can’t remember for the life of me.” I tell her, earnestly trying to remember why I’ve always hated Hailey.

Hailey laughs, “I feel like such a dumb blonde.”

          “Except, you’re not blonde.”

          “Right!” She says, which makes her laugh even harder and I join in.  When she catches her breath, she chuckles again. “Oh God, that’s funny. Eric’s room is down there, I’m gonna go.”

I nod, “Okay, I’ll see you back at the house.” I say, walking in the opposite direction and back down the room where Ryder is. When he sees me, he gets up from the floor and sits down in a chair, taking the drink from me with a thanks.

          “What took so long?” He wonders, curiously.

          “I ran into Hailey and we started talking.”

          “Ah, I see. Not surprised.”

I sit down beside him, crossing my legs as I look down at the kids. They’re playing Connect Four now. “Thanks.” I say to him.

          “What for?”

          “You know, for bringing me here.”

          “Oh, that. Sure, it’s no big deal.”

          “It is to me. I don’t know why you decided to wait so long to bring me, but I’m glad you did.”

          “Well,” He says, taking his hand and putting it on my thigh which is cover by my pants. “I just thought it was about time.”

          “You got that right.”

          “You ready to get out of here?” He wonders.

I nod, “Yeah, let’s go.”

          “Bye guys, I’ll be back next week.” Ryder tells the kids.

          “Bye!” They all cry out in unison and then go back to playing their games.

Back in the car, Ryder and I ride down the street with the radio on at a low volume. Background music, kinda. It’s getting kinda late, already 5:00 nearly. I yawn and look out of the window at the cars we pass by. Then I look back over at Ryder for a second before speaking.

          “Faith’s adorable.”

          “I know, right? She’s amazing.”

          “You seem to really like the kids.” I observe.

He shrugs, “I do. They’re some pretty cool ass people.”

          “Yes, of course.” I agree wholeheartedly.

          “But you’re cooler.” He says.

          “Like that Mike Posner song.”

          “Which one?”

          “Cooler than Me.”

          “Oh right. Well you’re cooler than them, not me.”         

          “Conceited, much?” I ask him, jokingly knowing that he’s just kidding.

          “You know this.” He says, smiling.

Not too long after that we arrive back at the house. There’s no cars in the driveway, or the garage which Ryder opens and drives into. I wonder where everyone is. It’s a Wednesday in the middle of the summer, after all. Ryder and I go in and he closes the door behind us.

          “I think we’re alone.” I say.

He nods, “It would appear that way. Anybody home?!” He shouts the last part through the house.

No one replies, and my suspicion that no one is home is proven to be true. “Ryder, I wanna do something.” I tell him.

          “What do you want to do?” He wonders, sitting down on the couch, putting his sprained ankle up on the table.

I lick my lips and sit down on Ryder’s lap, leaning in to him and pressing my lips against his. He leans into eagerly, kissing me back. He wraps one of his arms around my back, pulling me up into his lap.

          “You wanna do that?” He mutters against my lips, quietly.

I nod, “Yeah.”

          “You’re sure?”

          “I’m sure,” I tell him.

I stand up reach out for Ryder’s hand. He takes it and guides me towards the stairs, up towards his bedroom. He pushes the door open, pulling me in with him gently. Ryder gently kicks it closed with his foot and leans in to kiss me again as we stand in the middle of his room. Mere seconds later, we’re on his bed, he hovering over me. I kick my shoes off, letting them hit the floor with a light thud, then pull Ryder’s shirt over his head tossing it to the floor. He grabs the hem of my shirt, ripping it over my head, and throwing it down. I hear his shoes fall to the floor as I put my hand on the button of his jeans, undoing them, and pulling them and his boxers down, then he kicks them the rest of the way down.

          “You do have something, don’t you?” I ask, breathlessly as I slide down out of own jeans and panties as  he reaches behind me and unhooks my bra.

He nods, “Yeah,” He says, reaching over me into his bedside table. He pulls a condom package out and rips it open zealously. He slips it on with one hand then leans back down to kiss me. “You swear you’re sure?”

I nod and laugh quietly at him. He so obviously wants to, but he just wants to make sure that I do. “Yes.”

          “I love you more than anything.” He tells me, kissing down my neck as he gently thrusts in.