Broken Butterfly: Fallen Brook Series: Book 3

by Jennilynn Wyer

  “Fallon?”

  I’m sitting beside Elizabeth’s hospital bed. I’ve been clutching on to her hand for the past ten minutes, ever since I arrived. Ry called me after she was admitted, and I think I broke every damn law in the state of North Carolina getting here.

  “Hey, kitten.”

  She squeezes my hand and tremulously tries to give me a weak smile. Her eyes slowly bounce around the room and she lays her head back, exhaling gruffly. “I really fucking hate hospitals.”

  “I’m going to get you out of here as fast as I can. I promise.” I reach over and gently push her hair away from her face. “Please tell me that you remember who I am.”

  As soon as Ryder saw me out in the waiting room, he pulled me aside and freaked the fuck out. Elizabeth having another concussion or head injury could result in permanent brain damage, or she could lose her memories again.

  “Of course I do. Ohhh,” she says when she realizes why I asked. I give her a small smile and she tries her best to smile back at me through a wince of pain as she touches two fingers to her head.

  “Where’s Ryder?” she asks.

  “He stepped outside a few minutes ago to deal with your insurance. Julien and Elijah went to grab some burgers to bring back because hospital food sucks.” She chuckles and winces, her hand moving to her stomach. “Ry asked if Jay could go grab you some clean clothes from the apartment. Meredith started going rabid with worry, so I called Trevor to come deal with her.”

  Elizabeth’s hand reaches for her chest and gropes around frantically. Her hand bunches around the thin fabric of her hospital gown and a heavy breath escapes her lips, “Oh, thank God. I didn’t lose it.” I wonder for a few seconds what she’s going on about.

  She licks her dry lips and repositions herself. “Do you mind?” she asks, motioning to the cup of water with a straw in it. I hold it up for her to sip. “Thanks. So, what’s the prognosis.”

  “Don’t you want to wait for Ry?”

  “Fallon, just tell me. This isn’t my first hospital rodeo.”

  “Fair enough. Good news is, you only have a slight concussion. The drugs they gave you knocked your ass out. Because of your previous major head trauma and amnesia, the doctors want to play it safe and keep you overnight. You’re also going to be black and blue for a little while but nothing is broken, thank fuck.”

  “I was pushed, Fallon. Someone pushed me in front of that car.”

  Rage like I’ve never felt, more powerful than even that night, courses through me. It takes everything for me not to jump up right now and burn this fucking town to the ground until I find out who did this. Son of a bitch tried to kill my sunshine—my best friend’s girl—tonight and I will use every resource in my arsenal to make sure the motherfucker pays.

  “Fallon.” Her voice brings me back from the dark edge I was about to leap from. “Right before I was pushed, he said something. He said, ‘Told you I was coming for you, bitch.’ He said the same words that someone texted me and the same words that were written on my car. I’m scared, Fallon. All I keep thinking is He’s back. He’s coming for me. I can’t let Him win this time.”

  Fuck, am I crying? Goddamn it. I swipe angrily at the tears escaping from my eyes.

  “Kitten, the man from that night will never hurt you again. It wasn’t him.”

  “How can you be sure? How do you know?”

  I look at Elizabeth lying in the hospital bed; her appearance so tired and small; her face, neck, and arms bruised. The green orbs of her eyes gazing back at me with a mixture of fear and trust. She’s still the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.

  “I made you a promise.” I promised her that He would never hurt her again.

  At that moment, her hospital door opens. After stepping inside, Ry comes to a dead stop when he sees Elizabeth is awake.

  “Jesus Christ, baby,” he chokes, and I have to turn around to compose myself while he barrels over to Elizabeth and breaks down in racking sobs against her neck. “I was so scared, sweetheart. I love you so much. I thought I’d lost you. Please don’t ever forget me again,” he begs and kisses her face all over, careful not to hurt her.

  This strong girl who has more heart than anyone on Earth, comforts Ryder even though she’s the one in the hospital bed. She wriggles to make room for him to lie down beside her.

  “Shhh. I love you. I’m fine. Just a little bruised. Nothing serious from what Fallon has told me. I’m a tough chick. I’ve been through much worse, and I’ll always find my way back to you. I’m not going anywhere. You and me forever, remember?” Elizabeth tells him, caressing the side of his face.

  I step over to the hospital room window to give them a little privacy. I take out my phone and text Charles to direct him to get here as soon as possible. The police have been waiting for Elizabeth to wake up so they can get her statement. I’m also going to get her moved to a private suite upstairs since they’re keeping her overnight.

  “Need me to text Jay and Jules for you?” I ask over my shoulder.

  Elizabeth’s hoarse giggle has me turning back around. I cock my head at her to ask what’s so funny and she starts to laugh even harder, then groans. “Stop it, Fallon. I hurt too much right now to laugh.”

  I look at her like she’s lost her mind. “What the fuck did I do?”

  “The fact you would text Jayson for me, and that you contacted your brother. If I didn’t know any better, I think it was you who has a concussion.”

  “Smart-ass.” I smile and flip her off. She returns the gesture with a slight lift of her hand.

  “Babe. Think you’re up to answer some questions? There are two police officers outside who’ve been waiting. I’ve already given them my statement. Jay, Jules, and E gave theirs too.”

  “She’s not saying a damn thing until Charles gets here,” I argue.

  “Fallon, it’s alright. I can speak with them. It’s just questions, right?”

  “Perhaps Fal is right. Sweetheart, I saw what happened. I’m sorry I was too far away to get to you.” Ryder chokes up again. “The bastard got away even with Jay and Jules chasing after him.”

  “Kitten, you do realize that things have escalated to attempted murder, right?” Her eyes go big when understanding dawns on her. “So, we’re waiting for fucking Charles and that’s not up for a fucking discussion.”

  “Okay,” she says.

  One brown eye. One blue eye. The devil has come for me again.

  “Look at me Elizabeth! I need you to see! Don’t you see?”

  “No, I don’t see. I don’t understand. What do you want from me?”

  “All I ever wanted was for you to see me.”

  “I did see you, you bastard! You killed my parents. You abused and destroyed my sister before murdering her right in front of me. I saw the knife you used on my sister before you used it on me! You killed my unborn daughter! I saw everything!”

  He laughs at me. It’s such an ugly sound, one I never want to hear again as long as I live. “No, you didn’t. You never did.”

  A figure dressed in black appears from the mists of my dream and begins to circle me. Round and around until I’m dizzy with trying to track him. I can’t turn my back on Him. I won’t run. I’ll stand and fight. He’s taken too much from me. I won’t allow him to have anything more.

  “Then tell me.”

  “I can’t. You have to learn the truth on your own.”

  “You’re a fucking coward.”

  “You would never know. You never allowed yourself to see.”

  I feel another presence enter and every hair on my body rises. I can feel the hate and anger pulse around me, almost drowning me with its ferocity.

  “I’m coming for you, bitch!”

  I feel the shove from behind and the force of the impact as a car slams into my side. “No!”

  “Elizabeth! Baby, wake up!”

  My eyes open to see Ryder above me, his face pinched with concern.

  “Fuck,” I groan, reachin
g up to cup his face. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

  “How bad this time?” he asks me.

  Since being released from the hospital, I’ve been running on coffee. I basically had to beat all the guys off of me just to be able to go onto campus to complete my final exams. We leave for Seattle tomorrow. Wait, it must be tomorrow now. I glance over and see that it’s three in the morning. We have to be at the airport by nine. Fallon was not happy when I refused his offer to take one of his private planes.

  I refocus on Ryder. “Same as before,” I answer. I’ve been having these dreams every night this week, and every night Ryder has been there to make the nightmares go away.

  He settles down on top of me and kisses me sweetly. I crave his weight pressing down into me and he knows it. He’s trying to comfort me, to wrap me in his warmth and protection. My bruises have faded and there are only a few places left are still stiff and sore from where the car impacted my side. The police have been investigating but they still no leads.

  I’m distracted from my dark thoughts when I nuzzle my nose in the crook of Ryder’s neck. He always smells so goddamn good. My hands run down his defined biceps and slip over his warm, smooth skin to splay across his ribcage before holding on to his waist. His body is such a marvel and I am completely addicted to it; the need to constantly touch him every second of the day is overwhelming. I know Ryder feels the same way because of all the little touches and caresses he gives me too.

  I lean up to nip his bottom lip. “I want you,” I tell him and feel him harden against my stomach as his heartbeat and breathing increase. We’ve always been opposite poles of a magnet. Two souls that are only complete when together. Our bodies speak of our love without words. Our hearts beat only in tune with each other’s.

  Ryder links our pinkies together and raises our hands above my head. His mouth finds mine in a slow, delicious kiss. My breasts tingle against his hard chest. My body blooms and opens for him like a flower. He kisses each breast and each hard nipple, just like he kissed my mouth. Our fingers are still locked together as he slips inside of me and I sigh with pleasure.

  “You’re my home, Ryder.”

  “And you’re the love of my life,” he whispers back.

  Chapter 28

  Seattle

  Elizabeth Ann

  I’m surprised at how sunny it is today. I don’t ever recall it being this bright when I lived here for a year. If memory serves me correctly, it was mostly damp and overcast the entire time. It’s as if the heavens knew how hard this day was going to be for me and wanted to give me something beautiful to remember it by. The air is clean and fresh with a gentle breeze. Small, puffy dots of clouds sprinkle across the expansive archway of the azure blue sky.

  Following the directions Drew emailed me when I contacted him, Jayson and I walk hand in hand across the grass until we get to a large statue. Even in the dead of winter, colorful flowers in pale yellow, vibrant green, and deep burgundy surround the base of a sculpted fairy princess. The gray concrete of the little fairy girl with long flowing hair is so lifelike, I almost reach out and touch her uplifted hand. In her small open palm is a butterfly. I gasp aloud at the emotions assailing me and Jayson pulls me into his side, kissing my temple. I hand Jayson a roll of paper that I brought with us. He takes it and bends down at the placard on the side of the five-foot statue that sits atop our little girl’s grave. The thought of her tiny body buried under the earth that I am standing on just about brings me to my knees.

  Jayson has been deliberately quiet. I know he’s hurting as badly as I am. He unrolls the paper and holds it flat against the placard. I take out the piece of charcoal I brought with me and begin rubbing it over the paper with careful, meticulous strokes. Words appear as I drag the charcoal back and forth. The poem is not one of Hailey’s. I would have remembered if it was or would have found it in her binder of poetry that I have stored in the box in my closet. The coincidence of the symbolism of the butterfly is unnerving. How did Daniel and Drew know that the butterfly held a special meaning for me?

  ELIZABETH ANN

  Born and Died June 13, 2019

  Beloved Daughter of Elizabeth Fairchild

  Butterfly Angel

  In you I see the Butterfly.

  For though its appearance seems fragile, truly it is strong.

  Its delicate beauty permeates eternal,

  The rapid flutter of its wings symbolizes a true strength of heart.

  Ceaselessly it will struggle, far distances it will roam;

  Its soul forever seeking, searching.

  God painted its wings, kissed with colors so bright,

  It blinds with weeping honesty.

  So beautiful it is, the Butterfly,

  That each time and again as I dream of you,

  Your small hand in mine, your smile that lights up a room,

  The love that was swollen to burst inside of me for you,

  I know. I believe.

  Even though you’ve been taken from me—

  You go on. You breathe inside me.

  For every time I grow desperately lonely and long to hold you in my arms,

  My sweet Elizabeth Ann,

  I only have to glance up to glimpse the Butterfly.

  And I know you are with me,

  My ascending angel.

  Cascading tears flow down my face as the sentences take shape and my heart breaks all over again at the hollow feeling of loss in my heart. I think about Hailey’s “Broken Butterfly” poem as I touch the place on my side where my own butterfly tattoos live as a beautiful reminder in place of my tragic scars. My hand drifts down to my abdomen. I wonder if I knew she was growing in there when I was in a coma? Did she feel my love for her? Were my mind and body, even though damaged, able to give her love?

  Jayson lifts me up in his arms and cradles me against his solid form as we cry together.

  “Why, Jayson?” I sob into his chest, hoping to absorb some of his strength.

  I can feel him swallowing, trying to find the words to comfort me but not being able to do so. There is no answer as to why. Our baby was a victim of a deranged psychopath. I would have given my life in an instant if it meant saving hers.

  Gently lowering me back down, Jayson reaches into his pocket. “Daddy loves you, baby girl,” he whispers, kissing a locket just like the one he gave me, then placing it on the ledge of her gravestone. I try my best to dry my eyes but it’s futile. I doubt the tears will stop anytime soon.

  I kiss my fingers and place them on the mouth of the statue of the little fairy girl. “Mommy loves you too, sweet girl.”

  Jayson leans over to open the canvas bag we brought with us. He lifts out a large blanket and smooths it flat on the grass for us to sit on. Jayson’s parents are with Julien and Ryder back at the hotel. They’re going to arrive later to allow me and Jayson some private time alone with our daughter first. He hands me my guitar which I brought with me on the plane. Sitting down on the blanket, Jayson guides me down to settle between his outstretched legs.

  “Sing for our little girl, Liz. Let her hear her mommy’s beautiful voice,” he says, resting his face next to mine over my shoulder. I nod and begin to strum. It takes me several tries before I’m able to find my voice without getting choked up. I sing her the song that meant so much to me and Jayson. The song I sang to him that night in the backyard. The one he played at prom when he dropped to his knee and gave me his promise ring. So many memories and so much loss for such a short amount of time. As I sing, Jayson wraps his hands around my waist and settles them across my stomach like he’s trying to imagine Elizabeth Ann growing inside of me.

  “Do you remember my wish? The one I wrote you on the silver star?”

  I think of that night. About Jayson, the fairy lights, our tree, and the silver origami stars. How much I loved him. How much I wanted his wish to come true. “Yes, I remember.”

  “I think she would have looked just like you. Bright green eyes and pale blond hair.”


  “Silver eyes,” I tell him. “She would have had your silver eyes.” He hums as he pictures it. “She would have wrapped you around her little finger. Definitely would have been a daddy’s girl.”

  “You think so?” He chuckles and kisses my neck.

  “Oh, absolutely.”

  “We would have spent every summer at the beach so I could teach her to swim. Maybe put in a swimming pool in the back yard.”

  “I would teach her how to play the guitar and piano.”

  “And drums,” he adds. “Her voice would have sounded like tinkling bells when she laughed. She would be smart like her mom.” He smiles, kissing my shoulder, his hands gripping tighter around my waist.

  “And brave and strong like her dad.”

  “No Liz. You are the strong one. So much stronger than I could ever hope to be.”

  A sharp slice of pain hits me deep inside my chest. Pain caused by a life and dreams I once had that were all wrapped in and belonged to Jayson. Our love, our future, our children, our past. Everything Jayson would tell me he wished for. Jayson was my prince and I was his princess. All of it now gone because of one fatal night over a year ago and the fact that I had loved and will always love Ryder. I want to tell Jayson I’m sorry. I want to beg for his forgiveness. I want him to find a life of happiness and love knowing it will never be with me.

  I set my guitar down and turn so I can look Jayson in the eye. “Jayson, promise me that no matter what happens between the two of us, we will always come here on her birthday and spend time with our daughter.”