Wildcard: Volume One

**

By Tuesday, I am ready to kill myself—and it’s only been three days. There is no way in hell I’m going to be able to lay around and do nothing for another three-and-a-half weeks. The only saving grace is I get to leave the hospital today. I’m also actually looking forward to seeing my parents.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my family—but I love my independence more. Mum has a habit of treating me like I’m still her baby, and Dad is forever having a go at me for not fully embracing my talent. He’s a big shot scientist who I’d been trying my whole life to please. Until I just stopped trying because I knew I’d never be good enough.

I groan as I think about all the shit Hails is going to give me. Younger than me by seven years, I know my sister will take full advantage of the opportunity to embarrass the hell out of me. It will be like Christmas come early for her, and I was beginning to regret how seriously I’d taken my role as older brother when we were growing up.

Yep, I’d dished up my fair share of shit to her, and she was the type of person who didn’t forget. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a notebook full of incidents she needed to pay me back for.

Like the time I covered her and her friends in honey as they slept in the living room: they woke up that morning covered in ants. Or the time I’d scared her boyfriend so bad that he’d wet himself in front of a whole bunch of kids when I was picking her up from school.

Yep, she definitely had cause for retaliation.

I’m dressed, lying on the bed and ready to leave, when my parents arrive. Mum rushes over and hugs me while Dad starts carrying my bags down to the car. Hailey gives me a quick hug and then sits down and pulls out her phone. I laugh, and she shoots me a dirty look.

“You think just because you broke your arse I need to give up my social life?” she sniggers.

“Hailey,” Mum warns.

“What?” she protests. But she slips her phone back into her pocket. “Is it true how you did it?”

“Hailey,” Mum snaps again.

“I’m just making conversation. Geez.” She stands up and storms out of the room.

“Sorry, she’s a hormonal teenager,” Mum explains.

I chuckle. “She’s not much different to her usual self. How are you guys? Sorry to drag you all the way over here.”

“Oh stop it, Ryder. We’re your family. Of course we’re here. Can you walk?”

“Not very well. I can sit in the chair, so long as I sit on my side.”

Mum wheels the chair closer to the bed, and I manoeuvre myself onto it. I stifle a groan as the pain shoots down both my legs like an electrical current.

“Okay, let’s go,” I say, gritting my teeth.

**

Fresh air has never felt so good. But what I wasn’t prepared for was the huge number of reporters waiting at the entrance for me. I plaster a smile on my face as Mum tries to push her way through the crowd.

“Ryder, is it true you broke your back while having sex with four women?”

“Ryder, are you really off your feet for the next year?”

“Mr Stevens, do you regret any of your behaviour last Friday night?”

I know that voice. I look over and see Anna. She grins at me and I narrow my eyes. My jaw tenses as I force myself to look straight ahead. Mum gets us to the car, where Dad is waiting to load me in. I ignore the questions being fired at me, slamming the door shut as the cameras continue to flash.

The last thing I see as we drive off is Anna’s face and that damn cocky grin.

Chapter Five

Hails dumps a bag on the bed beside me, making sure I know how much it’s putting her out to wait on me. “What do you want with all this, anyway? You’ve never given a shit about your fans before.”

I reach into the bag and pull out a letter. “Yeah, well, things change. Besides, what else am I gonna do?” I protest.

She giggles and walks out, leaving me alone. I switch off the TV and begin going through my mail. It’s all the same shit: Ryder, I love you. Ryder, you’re amazing. Marry me, Ryder. This was why I stopped reading my fan mail in the first place. I’m only twelve letters in, and I’ve already received three marriage proposals and two pairs of panties. Picking up the bag, I toss it to the floor and swivel myself onto my other side.