Call You Mine

by Claudia Burgoa

  “Okay, let me go and see if they can update me.”

  I make my way to The Lodge and enter the room where Vance is, staring at the screens.

  “Are you okay?”

  He shakes his head.

  “Can I help you?”

  He turns around and stares at me for a few beats before he speaks. “Your dad had me talking to a therapist for an hour. She said, ‘Call me when you’re ready for your next session.’”

  “What is wrong with that?”

  “I was hoping she’d say I’m good to continue with my life and we won’t meet again,” he answers. “I don’t think she believes I’m fine.”

  “Are you?” I arch an eyebrow. “You killed the man you loved.”

  “No, I didn’t. I thought I loved him.” He pauses, taking a big breath. “I had a choice, him or my brother. When I pulled the trigger, I knew the answer. Beacon comes first. There was no hesitation, only anger. He was trying to kill my family. Yes, they’re fucking annoying, and most of the time I want to punch them, but they’re mine.”

  “It seems like he wanted to finish Beacon before he finished you. Why?”

  “Beac is my baby brother. I’m protective of him, even when it looks like I can’t stand him. Mom always said, of everyone, he got the worst hand. His mother and father abandoned him.”

  I want to tell him that maybe he could’ve reached out to him years ago. It’s not the point, though. A lot of things were done that affected them all. Bringing them up doesn’t make sense. That’s something they have to fix between them.

  “What’s happening?” I signal toward the monitors. “They are moving in today?”

  He nods.

  “Nathan and Lang have been scouting the place from the air. Beacon and Seth will plan their move based on the data we gather.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened last night,” I repeat.

  He gives me a sad smile. “Maybe that’s why the therapist wanted to see me again. I’m either numb or I really don’t give a fuck about it.”

  “Maybe it’s both. You’re compartmentalizing everything.”

  His inquiring gaze reminds me of Beacon. I smile and explain to him, “Sorry, my grandfather and my aunt are therapists. You learn a term or two along the way.”

  I yawn. He shakes his head.

  “Go to sleep. Everything will be fine.”

  “Call me, okay?”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Grace

  The Organization’s cleanup crew arrives around nine in the morning. They sweep through the entire estate, clean the scene—and the spattered blood—and secure the area. Dad hires a crew to clean the debris of the studio. There’s nothing to save.

  Vance and I go through the tunnels to check on the bunker. Other than some fallen objects, including frames, everything is fine.

  We try to have a normal day, but I can’t be still. Not knowing what’s happening to Beacon is killing me. It’s around eight when Blaire hands me a pill. “Here, take this.”

  “I don’t want anything.”

  “Listen, either you take it, or I’ll try it cartoon style,” Leyla demands.

  “How is that?”

  “You know, I bang your head with a pan and hope for the best,” she says.

  “I’ll sleep when he’s back home.”

  Blaire gives me a glass of water. “You’re too stressed to try to sleep. You’ve been awake for more than twenty-four hours. I’m three weeks from popping out this child, and I can’t be nurturing you while focusing on my current patients and worrying about this little one.”

  “That’s low even for you, Blaire,” I say, but take the pill. “If I can’t sleep, it’s your fault. If he arrives before I wake up, it is your fault.”

  “Go to bed, Grace.”

  I head to one of the guest bedrooms at Tucker’s house. Mozzy follows me and snuggles himself against me.

  “Meow,” he says.

  “I know, he’s coming back. They were going to start in a couple of hours. He might be home after midnight.”

  We both close our eyes and fall asleep.

  “Grace,” Dad’s voice comes from somewhere, but my eyes are so heavy I can’t open them.

  “Gracie,” he insists. “It’s Beacon.”

  I open my eyes immediately and spring out of bed. My heart is racing fast. “What do you mean?”

  Vance is next to him, ashen-faced and worry-eyed.

  My body freezes, and I feel as if all the air in the room has been sucked out, and I can’t breathe. “What happened to him?”

  “He’s going to be fine. They’re flying him to Saint Francis Memorial in San Diego,” he explains.

  “What happened?” I insist.

  “He got into a fight on a roof. It was a one-story fall, but he’s badly bruised. We’re heading to San Diego.”

  “Let me change,” I say, going to the bathroom, washing my face, brushing my teeth, and putting on a clean set of clothes.

  We leave promptly in two separate helicopters since all the brothers are coming—along with the lawyer. I don’t understand why we’re bringing him, but I didn’t ask. After Dad gave me the news, I haven’t been able to speak. I’m focusing on Beacon. He has to be all right. The flight to Portland feels eternal. When we board the plane to San Diego, I text the guys.

  Grace: How is he?

  Mane: I don’t know, G.

  San: He’s sleeping. The EMT gave him something for the pain and fixed him up the best he could so we can transport him to San Diego.

  Grace: How far away are you?

  San: Thirty minutes.

  That’s too long. I don’t want to think about what can happen during transport. Maybe if they tell me how he got hurt, I can deduce if he’ll be fine—not that I’m a doctor, but I’ve seen my fair share of accidents.

  Grace: Was he wearing his armor?

  Fish: Great, she’s trying to solve a mystery. It was a casualty. He did everything right. He’s going to be okay.

  Grace: I might feel better if I know what happened.

  Mane: He got into a fight, fell from the roof. The armor couldn’t protect him from the blade—or the fall. I think he lost blood—and he couldn’t move.

  Grace: What do you mean he couldn’t move.

  San: We don’t know, G. As you know, we’re not trained medical professionals.

  Grace: Any other casualties?

  Mane: No, only him. We tried our best to cover him, but I swear he was the fucking target. I can tell you that they paid for what they did. Also, there’s nobody left to tell the story of what happened. Seth’s going to need a fucking therapist.

  Grace: Why?

  Mane: He feels responsible for what happened to Beac. I keep explaining to him that it wasn’t his fault.

  Grace: There’s more to it, isn’t there?

  Mane: One of his guys was playing double agent. I bet they offered him a lot of money while they had them captive.

  San: I know this is a fucking hard time for you because it’s killing us too. However, I want you to stay positive. He’d say just go and party until he’s out of the hospital before he joins you.

  Mane: He would say that.

  Lang: Turn off the fucking phone!

  Grace: Look after him. We should be there soon.

  Mane: You got it.

  “He’s going to be fine,” Hayes announces when we arrive at the hospital, and he marches toward a door with a big sign that reads, Personnel Only.

  During our flight, he was in one of the office spaces on the phone. Unfortunately, he was in the soundproof area. I couldn’t hear anything.

  “You think they’ll let him inside?” Pierce asks no one in particular.

  “I made a few calls,” Dad answers. “Plus, he’s one of the best orthopedic doctors in the world. It’d be stupid not to let him at least assist.”

  “Isn’t there a rule that says doctors can’t treat their family?” Henry asks.

  Vance glares at him. “Stay fucking pos
itive for once.”

  Everyone stares at Vance for a second before Mills asks, “Why does he need an orthopedic doctor?”

  “He might’ve broken his back,” Dad answers. “We don’t know much. For now, we’re heading to the reception desk to ask where you’ll be donating blood. He lost a lot.”

  Henry squeezes my shoulder. “He’s going to be fine. Did he ever tell you about that time when he fell from the tree?”

  “No,” I whisper.

  “Fuck, he scared us.” Pierce sighs. “I thought Dad was going to kill us.”

  Henry’s hand gestures how Beacon fell from one of the tallest trees and landed on his back. “Like a flipped pancake,” he says. “He didn’t open his eyes for a long time. Hayes ran to get our grandmother and father. We were all staring at him, and suddenly Beac opened his eyes and started laughing.”

  “He’s made out of rubber.” Mills grunts. “I swear he’d fall, bump into things, and do so many stupid things. Nothing happens to that kid.”

  “It’s going to be like that,” Pierce’s voice is almost broken. “Fuck, it has to be like that.”

  Vance nods, holding the bridge of his nose.

  Everything at once finally hits me, and I begin to cry. Dad takes me into his arms and gives the brothers some instructions before taking me away.

  “He’ll be fine,” Dad assures me. “We called all the best specialists I know. They’ll be here soon.”

  “Dad,” I hear Seth’s voice.

  “How is he?” I ask.

  “I haven’t heard anything,” my brother answers and gives me a hug. “I’m so fucking sorry. This…I should’ve let them die.”

  “Tell me we did something good,” I ask, sniffing.

  “We weakened a cartel. I probably have to go back and finish them all. We erased our tracks, though. For all we know, they think it was the assholes they hired who tried to play them.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Dad suddenly says.

  “Why does it feel like it?”

  “Because you’re a perfectionist,” Dad answers. “I need you to call the therapist soon.”

  I look at Seth. “Beacon would be upset if he heard you.”

  “I’m praying that he gets up and kicks my ass.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t handle it if…”

  Just when I thought the waterworks would stop, I start again.

  “He’s going to be fine, Gracie,” Seth assures me.

  The only update we get from Hayes is that Beacon will be in surgery for several hours. Dad always has a way to make sure that everyone is taken care of during an emergency like this one. A few hours after we arrived, we’re in a private waiting room. My family, including Mom, is here.

  I don’t like what she says when she hugs me. “Your grandfather called Janelle.”

  “Why?”

  Grandpa Chris glances at me and opens his arms. “Come here, Gracie.” He hugs me. “I’m sorry this is happening. We’re all praying for him. He’s a strong man. He’ll come through.”

  “You called Janelle,” I say in an accusatory tone.

  “No, it was Gabe who did it.”

  “Throw me under the bus, rock star,” Grandpa Gabe complains and takes me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Gracie. I don’t know what to say. Just, we’re here for you.”

  “Thank you, but why did you call her?”

  “It might be a good time for them to get closure,” Grandpa Chris explains. “If one of my kids had an accident, I’d like to know, even if we were estranged.”

  This feels surreal, like a funeral. I shake my head and leave the room. I can’t deal with closure, grief, or pain.

  “He’s going to be fine,” Mane assures me as he catches up with me. “It’s Beacon fucking Aldridge.”

  “He’s right.” Seth hugs me.

  When I turn around, I notice that the guys and my brothers surround me.

  “I know you want to run away, but it’ll be best if we all stay in the waiting room—waiting,” Seth suggests.

  “His mother is coming. She’s going to make a scene.” I blow out some air as I try to calm myself. “He doesn’t like when people air out his private life.”

  “I’ll make sure she behaves,” Seth promises.

  “Just picture it,” Nathan says. “In a couple of hours, you’re going to see him, and his first joke is going to be about his broken back and sex.”

  “Don’t be crass.”

  He grins. “At least I made you less sad and a little raggy.”

  I wish I could joke like them. They don’t see the big picture. According to the guys and the EMT, Beacon couldn’t feel his arms or legs. He couldn’t move his hands. How is he supposed to create music? His life is making music. It’s what he loves the most.

  “Come on, Mom is worried about you. She has lunch and snacks, so you can munch while we wait,” Seth says, pulling me toward the waiting room.

  The moment I enter, I smile. Beac would love this. His family is here. The band, Dad, my brothers, and my grandparents. Some of my cousins came earlier. Tucker has been texting Seth, asking for updates. Jacob and Aunt Pria were in New York when they heard about the accident. They’re taking a plane, and some of my cousins are coming with them.

  Most importantly, his brothers are here.

  Dad approaches me. “You should take a nap.”

  “What went wrong?” I ask one more time.

  He shakes his head. “They did everything right.”

  “But?”

  “You don’t expect that the people you are trying to save will turn on you.” Dad lifts his gaze, focusing on Mom, then Grandpa Chris. He takes a big sip of air. “He’ll pull through. He’s a fighter.”

  “I wish I could be with him.”

  “Do you want me to request access to his room so you can take a nap?” He sounds like Blaire. She hounded me until I took that pill, and now…I woke up to the worst news ever.

  If I go to sleep and—Don’t think about it, Grace. He’s going to be okay.

  He has to be fine.

  I want to scream to everyone, to no one in particular, “How could you let this happen?”

  Of all the people in the world, he’s supposed to be the one to stay—forever. Out of all the people in the world, he was meant for me. He’s meant to be my exception.

  He promised me he’d never leave me again.

  “He can’t leave me,” I sob again.

  “He’ll be fine.”

  “Why is it that I feel like he’s leaving?”

  “Grace, you need to rest,” Dad insists. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

  I stare at him with watery eyes. He looks blurry, but I can feel his worry—for me, for Beacon. “If Mom was in the operating room, would you be able to sleep?”

  He shakes his head. “I’d try to be in the operating room,” he answers sincerely.

  “If it was me, Beacon wouldn’t be napping.”

  “No, he’d be pacing outside the doors trying to figure out how to get in and make sure the doctors are doing everything right,” he answers, and I hear some regret in his words. “He’s always wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

  “I can’t just take a nap,” I conclude.

  “He loves you. I don’t think I realized how much until he said fuck it and was done with my rules. I was talking to your mom about everything he’s done, and…he’d give his life for you.”

  I send a silent prayer to God, to Beacon’s grandparents, to his brother, to anyone who can hear me. Save him.

  Hold on to my fingers, Beacon. This time don’t let me go. Hold onto my heart and soul, Beac.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Beacon

  The last thing I’m going to remember is begging Mane to call Grace and him saying, “Dude, hang on. It’s going to be okay.”

  He could be right or not. I felt nothing. I wasn’t in pain, so maybe I was dying. I can’t find any other explanation as to why I’m back in Baker’s Creek, sitting in the t
allest tree next to the lake.

  “Fucking Beacon. Get down from there,” I hear the voice and look down.

  I smile at Carter, “What are you doing here?”

  “Someone had to come and find you.” He points at the branch. “Didn’t you get it the first time? You’re going to fall down and get hurt.”

  I pat the spot next to me. “We’re older. It’ll be okay.”

  He shakes his head, climbs up, and sits beside me.

  “Every time I hid, you were the one who found me.”

  “It wasn’t hard. You chose the least obvious places. I just had to think, ‘Where the fuck would Beacon go?’”

  I laugh. “Such an enlightening philosophy.”

  “Remember that when you have children,” he suggests. “Think, ‘what would I be doing if I was his age and my parents or siblings annoyed the fuck out of me?’”

  I look at him. He looks less…sick than the last time I saw him. “You look good.”

  “Better than you.”

  I look at my body. It’s fine. I can wiggle my fingers and move my legs. Then, I remember that I have to go back to Grace. I don’t know where she is—or where I am at. “I can’t be with you. I need to leave.”

  “Who invited you to stay?”

  “Why am I here?” I ask, confused.

  “You missed me?”

  “I always do, fucker.” I push him, but he doesn’t move.

  “I’m still around. You just don’t see me.”

  I snort. “So, what? You’re spending your eternity haunting us?”

  He laughs. “Not at all. Again, you shouldn’t be here,” he insists.

  “So, where am I supposed to be?”

  He shrugs. “I…I don’t know.”

  “I thought you’d know everything since you know, you’re dead.”

  He laughs. “I’m busy watching over you assholes—not haunting you. I haven’t had time to learn more because my stupid brothers keep fucking around. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get Blaire and Hayes back together?”