Chapter 4: A Heartbreaking Discovery
Jace was nervous, more nervous than he had been in a long time. As he walked down the street, clutching a bouquet of wildflowers, his mind raced. He had done his fair share of impulsive, reckless things in the past, but this? Showing up at Juniper’s house with flowers felt different. It felt serious.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had bought flowers for anyone. But after the promise he’d made to her—his promise to change, to be better—he wanted to show her that he meant it. The old Jace would have scoffed at the idea of giving a girl flowers, but now? Now it felt like the right thing to do.
Jace checked his phone, squinting at the screen as he navigated through the narrow streets. Juniper’s house wasn’t far, and he was eager to see her again. The memory of their last conversation, sitting beneath the old tree in the park, replayed in his mind. Her smile, the way her eyes had softened when she said yes to going to prom with him—it made him feel lighter than he’d ever felt.
He turned into a quiet alleyway, a shortcut that would get him to Juniper’s house faster. As he walked, he couldn't help but smile to himself, imagining the look on her face when she opened the door and saw him standing there with the flowers. He hoped she’d be impressed, maybe even a little surprised.
But that moment of peace and excitement was cut short.
Just as he reached the middle of the alley, a cold voice echoed from the shadows.
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."
Jace froze, his heart skipping a beat. He turned slowly, his grip tightening on the bouquet as he recognized the figure stepping out of the darkness. It was Silas—the new leader of his old fraternity. And behind him, a group of his lackeys emerged, all with the same smug, threatening expressions.
"Silas," Jace muttered, his voice low.
"What do you want?"
Silas smirked, twirling a steel bat casually in his hand.
"Oh, come on, Jace. You didn’t really think you could just walk away from us, did you? Leave the frat, leave me, and pretend like it never happened?"
Jace clenched his jaw, his body tensing as he glanced around. There was no one else in the alley, no one to help him. He was outnumbered, and judging by the look on Silas’ face, this wasn’t going to be a friendly chat.
"I’m done with that life," Jace said, his voice steady but firm.
"I told you. I’m not part of the fraternity anymore."
"Yeah, we heard," Silas said, his smirk widening.
"Word gets around. You’ve gone soft, huh? All because of that girl. What’s her name again? Juniper?"
At the mention of Juniper’s name, Jace felt a surge of anger rise in his chest. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing.
"Leave her out of this."
Silas’ grin turned sinister.
"Oh, I don’t think so. You see, Jace, you walking away from the frat? That’s a problem. And problems need to be...handled."
Jace barely had time to react before Silas raised the steel bat and swung it with full force. The impact hit Jace’s side, sending him crashing into the brick wall. He gasped, the wind knocked out of him as pain radiated through his ribs.
"You think you’re better than us now?" Silas sneered, swinging the bat again, this time hitting Jace in the legs, knocking him to the ground. "You think you can just walk away and play hero?"
Jace groaned, struggling to push himself up, but the blows kept coming. Silas and his gang didn’t hold back, kicking and hitting him until he was barely conscious. The bouquet of flowers lay crumpled on the ground beside him, petals scattered like fallen confetti.
Through the haze of pain, Jace could hear Silas’ voice, cold and mocking. "You’re nothing without us, Jace. Nothing. And now? You’re just another loser who thought he could change."
The final blow came when Silas swung the bat at Jace’s head. The world went black as the bat connected, and Jace collapsed, blood pooling beneath him as his body lay still in the alley. 
Silas and his gang stood over him for a moment, satisfied with their work. Then, without another word, they disappeared into the shadows, leaving Jace broken and unconscious in the alley.
---
Juniper paced back and forth in her living room, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. Jace was late. She had been expecting him at least an hour ago, and while she knew he wasn’t always the most punctual person, something didn’t feel right.
She pulled out her phone and checked for messages. Nothing.
"Where are you?" she muttered, her worry growing with each passing minute.
Her mind raced with possibilities. Maybe he had gotten caught up with something, or maybe he’d just forgotten the time. But no—Jace had been so sincere, so determined to show her he was serious about changing. He wouldn’t just blow her off.
Unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong, Juniper grabbed her coat and stepped outside. She needed to find him.
The streets were quiet as she made her way toward the direction Jace usually took when he walked to her house. She called his phone again, but it went straight to voicemail. Anxiety clawed at her chest as she quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her ears.
As she turned the corner onto the narrow alley, something caught her eye. A figure lying on the ground. Her breath hitched in her throat as she realized who it was.
"Jace!" Juniper screamed, running toward him.
He was lying face down in the dirt, blood dripping from a deep gash on his head. His clothes were torn, and his body was bruised and battered. But what struck Juniper the most was the bouquet of flowers, still clutched weakly in his hand, some of the petals stained with blood.
"No, no, no," she whispered, dropping to her knees beside him.
"Jace, wake up! Please!"
Her hands shook as she gently turned him over, gasping at the sight of his pale, bloodied face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she frantically checked for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there.
"Help! Somebody help!" Juniper cried out, her voice trembling with panic.
Within minutes, her parents arrived, alerted by her frantic calls. They wasted no time, rushing Jace to the hospital. Juniper sat beside him in the back of the car, her hands never leaving his, silently praying that he would survive.
---
The hospital was cold, sterile, and filled with the hum of machines. Juniper sat in the waiting room with her parents, her hands trembling in her lap as she stared at the double doors of the operating room. Jace’s family had arrived shortly after, his parents and siblings pale with worry as they waited for any news.
The minutes dragged by, each one feeling like an eternity.
Finally, after what felt like hours, a doctor emerged from the operating room. His expression was grim, and Juniper’s heart sank.
"Is he going to be okay?" Jace’s mother asked, her voice thick with tears.
The doctor sighed, pulling off his surgical mask. "We’ve managed to stabilize him, but he’s in a coma. His injuries were severe, especially the trauma to his head. Right now, it’s too early to tell if he’ll wake up. We’ll do everything we can, but..."
The doctor didn’t finish his sentence, and he didn’t have to. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
Juniper felt a sob rising in her throat, but she forced it down. She couldn’t break down. Not now. She had to be strong for Jace.
"I want to see him," she whispered, her voice shaky.
The doctor nodded, leading her down the hall to the ICU. When she entered the room, the sight of Jace lying motionless in the hospital bed almost broke her. He looked so small, so fragile, with tubes and wires connected to him, the steady beep of the heart monitor the only sound in the room.
Juniper approached his bedside slowly, tears streaming down her face. She reached out and gently took his hand, her fingers brushing against his cold skin.
"You promised me," she whispered, her voice cracking. "You promised me you’d change. You promised me you’d be there for prom."
She squeezed his hand, her heart aching. "Please, Jace. Don’t leave me."
For a long time, Juniper stood there, her head resting on the edge of the bed as she cried softly. The bouquet of flowers he had brought her sat on the bedside table, a silent reminder of the boy who had been willing to change everything for her.
As the night wore on, Juniper stayed by Jace’s side, never letting go of his hand. She knew the road ahead would be hard, but she wasn’t going to give up on him. Not now. Not ever.