Chapter 137 - He Is A Monster

Lance

The drive is quiet. 

Not like I expected small talk and shit, but I am nervous as fuck. I don't know what I am expecting but I expect him to still be the Ford I know. "You don't have to be nervous." Elliot comforts me. 

I know Ford, he is a fucking fighter. Stronger than anyone I know; he will be fine. 

I know that but how much more can he take of all this. there is so much someone can take before they finally break, I just hope I get to him before he gets to his limit. Before I lose him completely. 

The car parks in front of the hospital. It is not even far away from their house—I am not calling that place home anymore. I don't belong there, and I never will. It is best for me to just let go of that part of my life. 

The name of the hospital is written in bold. It is here in plain sight and just a few hours ago, I couldn't get to it. John is a monster for doing this, but I am also glad I have this opportunity. The chance to see him again. I follow Elliot out of the car, and we walk to the reception together. My phone rings loudly that everyone's attention turns to me. there is a couple in the waiting area of the reception, and a nurse over the counter. I raise my hands up with an apologetic look ''Do you need to get that?'' he asks me concerned. 

I look at the ID and seeing mom's picture, I shake my head immediately. I don't feel like talking to her right now. I don't want anything to ruin this moment—the moment where I get to see him. a message shows up immediately the call ends and its from her. 

Mom: can you pick up? I need to talk to you. 

I roll my eyes because I was kinda expecting something like this. She said all those mean things to me and wants us to go back to the way we were. There is no way I can just forget everything. I walk back to Elliot at the same time stuffing my phone back into my pocket. He gives the reception lady his name and she smiles at him flirtingly. Elliot is a catch; he is handsome and rich. Who wouldn't want to be with him? Walking over to the counter she leads us to a door which in turn leads to a room. The room is empty, except for a table and four chairs on both sides. to me, this looks like a prison. It makes no sense to me. I still don't feel like he needs to be here. There is nothing wrong with him. 

I walk behind him as he sits down on one of the chairs, he looks up at me ''You gonna sit?'' he asks. 

I nod and sit down next to him. in just a couple of minutes, the wait seems like hours. We are both quiet. I don't know what to expect and I guess Elliot just isn't as worried as me. He is using his phone. My eyes are fixed to the only door in the room. The door he should walk into when he gets here. 

''What are you expecting?'' Elliot asks me finally. 

I shrug because I have been thinking about it. I don't know what I am about to see but I hope I see the Ford I know. The one that left me with promises. I hope it is not too late. 

''I just want to see him. I want him out of here.'' 

Elliot nods in understanding ''You have to be patient though. We didn't come here to get him out. There is no way we can do that easily.''

I know that. 

Fuck if I don't know. 

''Just talk to him, let him know that we are working on getting him out of here. No going off that, okay?'' he warns me. I don't know what he thinks I plan to do but the only thing running through my mind is seeing him. I don't even mind all the other things but making sure he is alright. I want to see a smile on his face, I want him to say my name, tell me that he still loves me. 

The door opens the second I take my eyes off it, quickly shifting my eyes back to the door. I see him…. finally, as he walks into the room. There is this look of disinterest on his face. he is dressed in a pair of white sweats and a plain white shirt. he doesn't look up as he walks into the room. My heart is racing against my chest. The fear that he wouldn't be there. I jump up from the chair and he looks up from the ruckus I just made. Our eyes meet instantly, and the recognition is there. His open wide as he runs to me immediately. I stand up and he is in my arms, completely oblivious to Elliot's presence. His grip is tight. This is everything I wanted when I came here. He is still the Ford I know; I can feel him against me. 

''You're here,'' he cries in my arms ''How are you here. He let you see me?'' he is talking to me but doesn't pull apart. I can't answer him like this because all I can focus on is his touch. We stay like that for a couple of minutes. I don't want to break free from him because I don't know when I will have this opportunity again. I don't want to cry, I need to be strong for him. he has always been the strong one in the relationship. The shoulder that I knew I could always cry on but now, after everything that happened in the span of one day. I see all the struggles he had to deal with. I see all the pain that I didn't even know was there. 

He needs me right now. 

I need to be there for him. 

He pulls away from me slightly, still in my arms and I see his face for the first time. There is a bruise on his cheek. It seems to be swollen. I don't even know how that even happened, but I want to kill whoever did that to him. I reach for him and he closes his eyes, not even flinching as I touch the bruise, wishing I could take all the pain he is feeling. I wish the tables could be turned. I wish he didn't have to go through this. I will gladly take all the pain away from him. 

''Hi,'' he breathes just as he opens his eyes again. there is a smile on his face. the genuineness of his happiness to see me. 

''Hi,'' I reply. 

''Hi,'' this time, Elliot interrupts us and I remember he is here. Ford pulls away from me, almost like a reflex. This would happen when we were still a secret, but it seems like he has forgotten that everything is out in the open. 

''Why are you here?'' he asks confused. Elliot just waves with a nervous smile on his face. maybe the whole thing is making him a little uncomfortable. 

The first look of uncertainty shows in his face ''He helped. Uncle Max called. He knows you are here.'' 

''Does dad know you are here?'' he asks facing me again. I shrug because Elliot didn't actually specify. Would he have let me see him if he did.?

''Yeah, he did. He said he didn't have anything to hide,'' he informs us. 

I roll my eyes. He has everything to hide. Maybe he just trying to cover his tracks. Make everything not as suspicious as it really is.

''That's bullshit,'' Ford interjects angrily. 

''Yeah, we all think so but there is no evidence to that. He must know that Grandfather is involved and he doesn't want things to escalate. This might just be his way of saying he is transparent.''

''He is not transparent. I didn't have any kind of episode. There is nothing wrong with me. I just want to be with Lance,'' he cries, slowly letting go of me and walking to the table. He sits down opposite Elliot, placing his hands on the table ''You have to tell Uncle Max that I can't stay here. They will stuff me up with meds and I will really lose my mind.'' 

''that's the plan, you know that. But we don't have any rights over you. He is the only one that does. At least until you are eighteen.'' 

He nods ''Remember what I told you that night?'' he asks. 

Elliot looks over at me, almost like he is letting me know what they are talking about. If it is the same thing that he told me, then it has to do with his mother.

''We can use that.. he is a monster.''