Kiplyn found out an hour later, that she was severely dehydrated from all the vomiting and had to stay in the hospital overnight for observation. She was overwhelmed by everything that happened, and very confused. She carefully got up and made my way to the bathroom. As she sat down, she realized she still didn’t feel right, but it was different then it was earlier. Upon inspection, she realized there was blood, and a lot of it. She was instantly overcome with so many different emotions, she didn’t know which feeling was stronger. She started to sob.
Patrick came rushing in the bathroom when he heard the first sob rip from her chest. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked. Kiplyn couldn’t get a word out. He looked down at wheresheI was staring and instantly knew what was wrong. He turned and left the bathroom, rushing out to the nurse’s station to get a nurse.
A few minutes later, the nurse on duty came in. “Let’s get you cleaned up sweetie,” she said calmly. She started the shower for her and helped me undress. Neither of us paying attention to the fact that Patrick was standing nearby and was watching everything unfold, or undress, as it was. Kiplyn looked up and saw his reaction as his eyes raked over her nakedness. He was seeing firsthand all the bruises that covered Kiplyn’s body from Mr. Williams. The look on his face was one of pure disgust. Any feelings he had for her were gone once he saw all the bruises. Up until this point she had made sure that she kept all of that covered so he couldn’t see it. And she wouldn’t have to see the look of pity and disgust that she was currently seeing in his beautiful features. The nurse realized that Patrick was watching and closed the door, so he could no longer see.
kiplyn spent a long time under the hot spray of the water. Probably too much time, but she couldn’t make herself get out and face Patrick again. She couldn’t handle seeing the look of disgust in his eyes. It hurt too much the first time, seeing it again would just crush her.
When she finally got out of the shower and dressed, she entered an almost empty room. She was greeted by another nurse that was there to take me to ultrasound. They wanted to figure why she was bleeding. Kiplyn sat down gently in the wheelchair she was offered. Silently tears rolled down her cheeks. Patrick had left without a word. She knew he was disgusted but thought he would have at least said good-bye.
Kiplyn was returned to her room half an hour later, with the knowledge that she had miscarried. She had so many emotions. She was conflicted. On one hand she was happy to not be carrying his child, but on the other, she was saddened by the loss of HER child. How could she be sad about a child that she wasn’t ready for with a man that disgusted her?
Donovan was sitting in the chair, that Patrick once occupied. He had a very concerned look on his face, but she wasn’t sure why. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” he asked quietly. She shrugged her shoulders because she didn’t know how to voice her feelings. There were too many to feel, let alone explain. “Patrick needed to go for a walk and asked if I would sit with you until he got back. I hope you don’t mind,” Donovan said. At this point, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, or about anything. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes without a word to anyone.
Kiplyn awoke sometime later to hushed, but serious voices. She sat up gently and noticed that Patrick was back and seemed to be arguing with one of the doctors. “Ms. Kavanaugh, Mr. McDonnell here says he has permission to be here with you. Would you like him to leave?” asked the doctor sternly. She shook her head, “No, he can stay if he would like.” Then she turned over and faced the wall, not saying anything else. The doctor left the room without another word.
A short time later, the nurse entered with a food tray. “You can take it away. I’m not hungry,” and turned away from the nurse. She silently nodded and left the room but had set the tray down on the table anyway, in hopes that Kiplyn would eat.
Patrick walked over to the side of the bed, pulled the blanket back and crawled in next to her. She scooted over so he could have some more room but didn’t say anything. “Why are you here?” she asked Patrick. He took a deep, shaky breath, “I want to be with you, wherever you are,” he said simply. “Then why did you leave?” she asked confused, not wanting to show her true feelings. “I was angry at what I saw, and didn’t want you to see me that way,” he explained. She didn’t know what to make of his confession. “I don’t want your pity,” she snapped. “I can take care of myself!”
Patrick turned her face toward his, pressed his lips to hers, and gave her the sweetest, most searing kiss she had ever had. Kiplyn instantly melted into him, urging him to continue. What was wrong with me?! This was not me. I was focused on school, not on being kissed. I didn’t want the kiss to ever end though. Finally, Patrick pulled away, “I’m sorry I left like that.”
There was a knock on the door and then Officer O’Neill made an appearance. “Hello, Ms. Kavanaugh, I’m sorry to interrupt but I wanted to discuss a situation. Could we get some privacy?” he asked staring directly at Patrick. She felt Patrick stiffen next to her, not wanting to go anywhere. “He can stay,” she said, staring Officer O’Neill in the eye. Taking a deep breath, “Mr. Williams was let out on bail this morning. I wanted you to be aware,” he explained, not looking pleased.
We all spoke for a few more minutes about the situation. Officer O’Neill left his card, letting her know he was available any time if she had any questions or concerns. Patrick sat next to her holding her hand and running his thumb over her knuckles. There was a comfortable silence between them. Just enjoying each other, with no expectations.
Kiplyn was released later that day from the hospital. Patrick drove her home and got her settled on the couch. “Are you hungry, baby?” Patrick asked as he was walking toward the kitchen. “A little bit,” she said with a yawn. Patrick returned a few minutes later with a sandwich and a glass of milk. “Eat as much as you can,” he said as he placed it on the coffee table in front of her. She ate in silence for a few minutes. “I need to tell you something,” she said staring him directly in the eye. “What’s up, baby?” Patrick asked sitting next to her.
Taking a deep breath, she swallowed hard. “I am not sure what you know about the hospital visit. But they told me I had a miscarriage,” she explained, as a sob ripped through her chest. I wasn’t sad because I lost that awful man’s baby, I was sad because I lost mine! Patrick scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her. “I am here for you, no matter what you need, sweetheart,” Patrick explained. She didn’t know what to think about that statement. “Why are you so good to me?” she asked. “Because I have realized over the short time that I have gotten to know you, that there is no place I would rather be, than with you,” Patrick explained. Again, she was at a loss for words, so she did the only thing she could think of. She kissed him.
After several minutes, the searing kiss finally ended. Patrick cleared his throat and slowly backed away. “If you keep kissing me like sweetheart, I will not be able to control what happens,” Patrick said with a grin. He scooted himself over slightly on the couch so there was a little room between them. She found herself saddened by the space. What was going on with me? Patrick chuckled, “there is no place I would rather be than with you, but I need you to heal first. I don’t want to hurt you,” he explained. Kiplyn sighed and nodded in agreement. As much as I wanted something to happen, I was not sure exactly what I wanted to happen.
CHAPTER 8
The next several days passed in a blur. Kiplyn had a doctor’s note since she was missing school. Her uncle was working at the pub until she was back to full health. If Patrick wasn’t at home with her, then Donovan was. She was never home alone, and she was not allowed to answer her phone. Kiplyn had to let the answering machine do its job.
By the end of the week, she was grouchy. Kiplyn was tired of being cooped up in the house. She was starting to feel a little better each day, and more like myself. Donovan came out of the kitchen, handing her a cup of tea. “Thanks,” she said not really looking at him. “You alright, beautiful?” Donovan asked. Nodding, “yeah,
just tired of being cooped up in this house. Sorry if I have been unbearable lately.” Donovan chuckled, “well I think I may have something that will help with that.” Without another word he went to the front door and opened it, which was odd because she didn’t hear anyone knock.
Shauna poked her head around the corner. “You all done with being a homebody, babes?” Kiplyn couldn’t believe my eyes. She jumped off the couch and ran toward her, wrapping her in a hug, and burst into tears. Shauna gently aimed her back toward the couch and sat down with her. She sobbed and blubbered for what seemed like forever. Shauna never said anything, she just listened. Kiplyn found herself growing tired from all the crying. She found it even more difficult to keep her eyes open. Eventually exhaustion won!
She woke up some time later to the smell of food coming from the kitchen. She unwrapped herself from the blanket that she was covered with. She slowly made my way toward the kitchen and found Patrick talking to Donovan while he was cooking. “Feel better, sweetheart?” Patrick asked. Kiplyn looked around slowly, realizing that Shauna was not there. “Sure,” she said, feeling like a horrible friend for falling asleep and not visiting with her. Patrick came over and placed a kiss on my forehead. “Shauna will be right back baby, she just ran to the store to get some drinks,” he explained with a wink. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down and placed a kiss on his cheek, “thank you so much. I felt like a horrible friend for falling asleep.” Patrick tilted her head up and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Have you not realized that I would do anything to see that smile on your face?” he asked.
“If I didn’t see this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it,” Shauna said with a giggle, pointing at Patrick with his arms around her. Kiplyn felt the heat creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She gently placed her head on Patrick’s chest. She couldn’t believe she was saying this. How embarrassing! Patrick chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
Shauna shuffled around them and started putting away the things she bought at the store. “Don’t be embarrassed Kip, I am happy for you,” she said with a grin. Kiplyn sighed contentedly at the sight of the most important people in her life. Shauna had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, but Patrick and Donovan were new. She realized in that moment though she couldn’t see her life without any of them in it. The thought startled her. She had no right to bring them into my mess of a life. It wasn’t fair to them, especially if I truly cared about them the way I knew I did.
After they ate dinner, Patrick ushered her upstairs and into the bathroom. Once inside, she was overcome by the smell of lavender. Patrick had run a bath for her. The steaming water with lavender looked so inviting. She turned around and looked into his bright blue eyes and couldn’t stop the tears from filling my eyes. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked running the pad of his thumb under her eyes catching the tears that were falling. Sniffing, she explained, “I can’t believe how much I have come to care for you and your brother over the last few weeks. But because of that I can’t keep pretending. I cannot ask you to put your life on hold because my life is such a mess currently. That isn’t fair of me. You have been so good to me and it wouldn’t be fair of me to bring my drama into your life. But I also cannot see my life without you in it. I know that is selfish, but it’s how I feel.” Patrick chuckled, “If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be here. If you haven’t learned by now, before you I never stayed with anyone for any length of time. I didn’t want to be with anyone for any length of time. Now I don’t want to be anywhere else but with you.” Kiplyn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t say anything, she just stood there staring into his eyes. Next thing she knew Patrick was stepping away from her and walking toward the door. “Take your bath and relax. I will be downstairs when you are finished,” he explained as he closed the door behind him.
Kiplyn headed downstairs after her bath and was met by absolute silence. There was no one here. She looked around the house and there was absolutely no one here. It was odd to have the house to herself, but if she was being honest with herself it was nice. She hadn’t had anytime to herself lately to think about everything that happened over the last few weeks. There was always someone around. She headed into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and that is when she saw it. There was a note on the fridge.
Hey Baby, I know I said I would be here when you got out of the shower. I am sorry that I am not there with you, but there was something that came up at the shop that I needed to take care of. Relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Be home soon! Love, Patrick.
Kiplyn made her cup of tea and planted herself on the couch in front of the television. She flipped through the channels until she found herself unable to concentrate on what was on the screen. She found her eyes growing heavy. She didn’t fight it though, she let herself fall into a deep sleep.
She awoke sometime later to Patrick gently placing her in bed. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” Patrick whispered as he climbed into the bed behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer into his chest. They both lay there in the dark and quiet, not moving. It was peaceful, but she was no longer tired. She ran her hand over his hand and realized he stiffened. She reached over to the bedside table and turned on the light.
“What happened to your hand?” she asked, looking down at his busted-up knuckles that were cracked and covered in dry blood. Glancing up at his face, she then realized he had a busted lip and a black eye. “What happened to you?!” she all but screamed at him. Patrick gently brought her hand to lips and kissed it, “I am perfectly fine baby. You don’t need to worry.” she gently ran her fingers over his busted lip and leaned in to kiss him. The kiss started out gentle, but quickly turned into something much more. Everywhere he touched seemed to be on fire. She didn’t ever want it to end. She found herself getting dizzy at the all the feelings building up inside her. Feelings she had never felt before, feelings that scared her, but feelings she never wanted to end.
“Please don’t stop,” she whispered. Patrick gently kissed from her ear down her neck, causing her to shiver. Patrick backed up slightly, so she took that moment to slip her shirt over my head. With that she heard a growl low in the back of Patrick’s throat. “You have no idea what you are doing to me,” he said through gritted teeth. With that confession, she began to slip the shirt back over her head, thinking she had done something wrong. Patrick took the shirt from her hands, grinned, and tossed the shirt across the room. “You won’t be needing that anytime soon,” he said as he began placing kisses wherever his lips landed.
The next few hours went by in a similar fashion. Kiplyn never wanted this night to end. “You alright, sweetheart?” Patrick asked, concern etched in his face. she nodded, “I am perfectly fine, but I would be even better if you stopped talking and continued what we were doing,” she said with a giggle. Patrick chuckled and continued kissing her.
She woke the next morning and was happy to see that Patrick was still asleep next to her. She gently slipped from under his arm and quietly made her way to the bathroom. She needed to shower and loosen up these achy muscles. Her entire body felt like she had worked out for hours. She had muscles that ached where she didn’t even know she had muscles. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. She wanted to never lose this feeling, she wanted to feel this way every day for the rest of her life.
As she made her way downstairs to the kitchen after her shower, she realized that someone was in the kitchen. She made her way toward the kitchen trying to be as quiet as possible. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Patrick standing at the stove making French toast, shirtless. Without turning around, he pointed to a freshly brewed pot of coffee. He knew me so well already. I loved my tea, but coffee was my lifeline in the morning.
Kiplyn sat down gently at the table, trying not to wince at the soreness in her muscles. Patrick noticed however, and instantly became concerned. “Are you okay,” he asked. She nodded, “Yes, just a
little sore from….um…. last night.” She must have turned red because he chuckled. He walked over and placed a kiss on my forehead. “I enjoyed last night, very much,” he said with a wink. “Me too,” she said with a smile. She was telling him the truth too. I was considering it my do over, for lack of a better word.
They sat quietly eating breakfast. Kiplyn looked at his hand, “what happened?” Blowing out a slow breath Patrick pinned her in place with his crystal blue stare. She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. “I took care of something that needed taking care of,” he stated flatly. Before she could respond Donovan entered the dining room and looked just as bad as Patrick. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “What happened to you?” she asked, hoping to get a real answer from him. Donovan just chuckled, “took care of something that needed taking care of.” With a huff, she got up from her seat, and placed the plate in the kitchen sink.
Kiplyn knew that she wasn’t going to get anymore answers from either of them. She knew that they would only tell her what they wanted her to know, whether it was for her safety or piece of mind, she didn’t know. Kiplyn had learned that these two stubborn, hard-headed men, would do anything for her. She loved them both very much, but both in very different ways, of course. She couldn’t see her life without them in it.
Kiplyn went upstairs to get dressed. As she was taking off her sleep shirt, her bedroom door opened. She turned to see Patrick had stopped dead in his tracks and was just staring at her. She quickly covered herself back up, realizing he could still see bruises. He quickly walked over and removed her shirt. He picked her up and she instantly wrapped her legs around his waist, and she found herself being tossed on the bed. Patrick was above her, in the blink of an eye. “You will not be ashamed of your body!” Patrick growled. She couldn’t say anything, so she just nodded. His lips crashed onto hers in a searing kiss that she felt from her head all the way to her toes. A slow moan escaped before she could stop herself, which seemed to just urge him on. Before she knew it, neither of them had a stitch of clothing on.
Remember When.... Page 5