by Ciara Shayee
“I’ll just go and ask somebody. The people we saw before might have been getting off a different plane.”
It’s a weak suggestion and I know it. Still, Dad nods stiffly, rubbing his neck. I bite back a grin, recognizing my own nervous tick, and wander off in search of somebody who might be able to tell us what’s going on. Finally spotting someone in a uniform, I plaster a friendly smile on my face and jog over.
“Hi there. I was just wondering, is there any way—”
The sudden vibration of my cell in my pocket cuts me off. The airport worker smiles and waves at me to answer it. “It’s okay, Sir, take your call. I’ll wait.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, exhaling deeply when I see Piper’s name on the screen. “Piper, hi. Weird question, did Sully get to the airport okay earlier?”
A cold ball of dread and confusion bulldozes its way through my chest and into my stomach as I’m met with sounds I don’t expect. Sirens and muffled chatter. An unfamiliar male voice.
Piper?
“Hello, is this…KP?”
“Kellan Patterson, yes,” I snap, my stomach twisting. “Who’s this?”
“My name is Collin, Sir. I’m an EMT based out of Jackson Bay—”
“Why have you got Piper’s phone?”
Fear slithers through my veins just as Dad’s hand lands on my shoulder, spinning me around. Tunnel vision takes over, blocking out everything but him and the voice on the other end of the phone. Dad is frowning, asking what’s wrong, trying to piece together the few things I’ve said.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, Sir, but there’s been an accident and I was wondering if you’d be able to help me with some details.”
*
The seatbelt is too tight, the air too thin. I feel claustrophobic as I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes. Tipping my head back against the headrest, I can vaguely hear the flight attendant beginning her safety briefing over the rushing in my ears.
This can’t be happening. It just can’t.
It feels like a million ants are crawling over me as I remind myself to keep taking deep breaths. It’s necessary if I want to stave off the panic attack that’s been hovering on the horizon ever since the EMT admitted that he was at the scene of a road traffic accident involving the four most important people in my life.
Piper, Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo.
It’s taken six hours and a whole lot of soul-searching, but I’ve finally been able to admit that although I love Willow and always will, I need to learn how to move on. I’ll miss her forever and I’ll always be devastated that she’s not here with me, but Piper and the boys are my future. I can’t live without them. Not for another day.
When this plane lands, I’m going straight to the hospital and telling Piper that, too.
We need to have a conversation and get everything out in the open, but I want her to know I’m done hiding, I’m done keeping us a secret. I don’t know how her family is going to react, but I’m willing to see where the chips fall if she’s willing to take a chance on me.
Not knowing what I’ll find when I get to the hospital is a festering wound that throbs every time I think about it.
All the EMT would say was that all four of them were being loaded into ambulances and taken to the hospital. I asked about Max, too. He seemed unhurt but was being taken to the nearest veterinarian by the police to be checked over.
After giving him Carson and Bethany’s numbers and guiltily admitting I have no idea if the boys or Piper have any allergies to medications, I hung up and blindly followed Dad as he got me booked on the first flight back to Florida.
“Bro, are you okay?”
Breathing slowly, I turn my head to nod stiffly at my brother. Sullivan finally showed up just after the call that yanked the rug from beneath my feet. His baggage got lost somewhere in transit and he was speaking to someone from the airline about locating it, which was why he took so long. Dad had just caught me as my knees gave way when Sullivan jogged up to us.
“I can’t lose them,” I croak, the words tasting like acid on my tongue.
Sullivan’s brows are furrowed but he reaches over, grabbing my hand. “Listen to me, big brother. Whatever happened, Piper’s gonna fight it. She’ll be fine, and Jax, Finn, and Arlo will be, too. I bet she’ll be waiting to kick your ass for cutting your trip short as soon as we get to the hospital.”
As much as I want to believe him, I can’t help but picture all the worst-case scenarios. I can’t help but picture them all bloody and hurt while I’m thousands of miles away.
“Hey, listen to me, bro,” Sullivan urges. “You love them, right?”
Nodding, I blink back tears. “Yes.” It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud, but he’s the only one who knows about us. Being able to admit it lifts a huge weight off my shoulders.
His lips kick up in a lopsided grin. “Then believe in them, yeah?”
Managing a weak smile, I squeeze his hand and nod, focusing all my energy on staying calm. We have just over four hours on this plane, an hour layover, then an hour from Atlanta to Jacksonville before another hour driving to Jackson Bay—assuming they haven’t been taken to the bigger city hospital.
I need to keep a cool head. “Thanks, Sully. I’m glad you’re coming with me, little brother.”
“Ah, it’s nothin’.” His eyes crinkle with mischief. “Anything to get out of a week with the ‘rents.”
Lightly cocking him on the shoulder, I huff a half-hearted chuckle and settle in for what will doubtlessly be a painful flight.
*
After quite possibly the longest eight hours of my life, Sullivan and I finally climb into my car as the sun begins to rise.
“Should you be driving?” he asks, eyeing me with trepidation as I whip the car out of its spot and turn it toward the exit.
“I’m fine, Sully. I just need to get there.”
“All right, but if you get tired, pull over and I’ll drive. Promise me.”
“I promise,” I say through gritted teeth, reminding myself that he’s just being sensible. He’s right to be cautious—I’ve been awake over twenty-four hours at this point. Ordinarily, I’d take him up on his offer, but not today. I’ve been trying to call Carson and Bethany since we landed, but neither of them are answering. My next port of call would be Rosie, Everly, or Sebastian, but I don’t have any of their personal numbers.
I know who might, though.
“Can you call Brayden? My cell is in the pocket of the backpack on the backseat.”
“Sure.” It doesn’t take Sullivan long to get my cell and pull up Brayden’s contact details, holding it up between us. “I’ll put it on the speaker.”
We listen to the ringtone for what feels like a lifetime. We’re out of the airport limits and on the journey home when Brayden finally picks up. I’ve got a few minutes before we hit the interstate, so I need to know where to go.
“Hey, man. I take it you’ve heard?”
He knows.
“You know…what happened? How are they?”
Brayden says something quietly, presumably to Ashley, before there’s a click and his voice gets a little louder. “I don’t know much, just what Bass told me. We were at the gym when Carson called on his way to the hospital. It sounds like they were on their way to Jacksonville and they got hit by another car. I’m not sure how it happened, but that’s all Bass said before he rushed out the door. Ash spoke to Bethany late last night and she said they were all being admitted to JBH.”
So they’re at Jackson Bay Hospital. That answers that question. I press a little harder on the accelerator.
“Are they…” okay, together, alive?
“KP, man, I wish I knew more, but I don’t. Have you tried calling Carson or Bethany?”
Explaining that I’ve tried both of them, I’m relieved when he says he’s texting me Sebastian’s number. I hear Ashley’s faint voice before he says she’s sending me Rosie’s and
Everly’s, too.
“Thanks, Bray. Tell Ash I said the same.”
“Will do. Tell them we’re here to help if they need anything, all right? And the same to you. Where are you?”
“About to jump on the 95.”
“All right. Drive safe. If you need pickin’ up, call me. Don’t drive like an ass.”
Snorting, I tell him I have Sullivan with me, promising to be safe and keep him updated.
Then it’s just the interstate, the sunrise, and my fingers anxiously drumming the steering wheel as my racing heart prays its missing pieces are still beating.
*
“Fitzgerald. I’m looking for Piper Fitzgerald,” I pant, slamming my hands on the reception desk. Sullivan is parking the Jeep; I jumped out at the main entrance, unable to wait any longer.
The receptionist blinks at me, wide-eyed, before asking for a name. “Kellan Patterson.”
“Oh! I’ve got a note for you.” She moves all the papers around on her desk, thoroughly testing my patience, before mumbling “got it” and waving an orange Post-It at me. “Mrs. Cross was here not long ago. You actually just missed her, but she asked me to give you this.”
Almost snatching the note from her, I send up a heartfelt thanks for Ashley.
Second floor, room 1506. Take a deep breath. Ash xo
“Thank you!” I’m running toward the elevator before the receptionist can say a word. When the doors don’t open within a couple seconds, I shake my head and turn to the stairs instead, relying on pure adrenaline to push me forward even though my legs are screaming, my body heavy with exhaustion. I try not to think of what I’m about to find, but it’s impossible not to.
I’m aching limbs, panted breaths, and stinging eyes, the bitter taste of sour memories burning the back of my throat as the antiseptic smell synonymous with hospitals fills my lungs.
I’ve been here once—to see Ivy when she was born—since Willow died; now I’m sprinting to the very same floor where she took her last breath. The sick irony is not lost on me.
When the door slams open on the second floor, a few doctors and nurses look my way in surprise, but it’s the familiar face I immediately spot that draws my attention.
Kerstin.
“Mr. Patterson, are you all right?” she asks, her face the picture of concern as she hurries over, resting a hand on my shoulder when I bend over, sucking in deep breaths with squeezed-shut eyes.
“Piper Fitzgerald,” I pant, white spots in my eyes. “Piper…I’m here for Piper and her boys.”
“KP?”
My head snaps up, the blood draining from my head at the look on Rosie’s face. She looks shattered, her eyes rimmed red and her hair a mess around her head. She’s always immaculate, never a hair out of place. Not today.
She looks wrecked.
“Rosie…”
Her composure crumples, and my heart stops.
Twenty-seven
Kellan
There’s barely any strength left in my body, but I make it over to her, wrapping her in my arms and resting my head against hers as the tears spill over and she buries her face against my chest. Her hiccupping sobs tear at me like a knife through butter, every second that passes breaking my resolve not to shake her until she tells me what’s going on.
“They’re all alive,” she whimpers, her cries quieting. My eyes pop open. “God, it was so scary. Mom called me at work…they had to be rushed here.”
Squeezing my eyes shut again, I feel hot tears burning my cheeks.
They’re alive.
I can take anything else as long as they’re still here, still fighting. Anything else, we can deal with.
“But they’re okay?” I croak into her hair, holding her tight.
“As okay as you could expect,” Rosie sighs, pulling away to wipe her cheeks with the too-long sleeves of what I’m guessing is Carson’s or Sebastian’s sweater. A frown tugs at her brows. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Utah?”
Before I have a chance to answer, the door to the family room swings open and a head of dark hair pops out, red-rimmed gray eyes widening when they spot me. I instantly drop to my knees. I don’t care about the pain that shoots up my legs when they hit the floor or the way my voice catches on Jaxson’s name as he barrels into my chest, promptly bursting into tears. I don’t pay attention to Rosie’s choked cry or Kerstin quietly suggesting we move this into the family room.
My boy needs me.
Carefully pushing him back, I cradle his face in my hands and wipe tears from his rosy cheeks as I search him for signs of injuries. He has a butterfly bandage on his jaw and another around his forearm.
“Are you okay, buddy?” I ask once I think I have a handle on my emotions. He needs me strong. He doesn’t need me to bawl over him like I want to right now. “Where are you hurt?”
He hiccups a shuddering breath before steeling himself, still clinging to the fabric of my sweater. “J-just my arm and here,” he points to his arm, then his jaw. “My neck is a little sore but the doctor s-said that’s normal.”
“KP,” Rosie murmurs, nodding at Kerstin, then the family room. “Maybe we should…”
Looking around, I see we’ve earned ourselves quite the audience. I don’t particularly care, but Jaxson is uncharacteristically shy, burying his face in my shoulder. “C’mon, bud.” Mindful of his arm, I scoop him up and follow Rosie, unsurprised to find half of the Fitzgerald clan camping out on uncomfortable plastic chairs.
Carson, Bethany, Everly, and Rosie are all here. The latter two are fast asleep, Everly’s head resting on her brother’s shoulder, a big blanket draped over both of them.
“KP! What are you doing here? We didn’t want to disturb your vacation or we would have called you.” Bethany hops up, throwing her arms around me and Jaxson as he sniffles against my neck.
“I spoke to the EMT yesterday,” I admit. “I called Piper’s phone just after they got her out of the car. One of the EMTs called me back to get contact details for a next of kin, then I got on the first flight back.”
Frowning, Bethany blows her nose on a tissue Carson hands her. “They didn’t say anything.”
Stretching with an audible pop of his shoulder, Carson winces and steps closer to wrap an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “We didn’t see the EMTs, love,” he reminds her. “They’d already handed her over to the ER when we got here.”
“True,” she murmurs, reaching for Jaxson. “Come here, sweetheart—”
“No!” he snaps, new tears streaming over his cheeks. “I want Easy.”
Still frowning, Bethany nods and hugs Carson, eyeing her grandson speculatively. “Okay, Jax, sweetie. That’s okay.”
“So what, um…” Rubbing Jaxson’s back, I blow out a deep breath. “What happened? Where’re Piper, Finley, and Arlo?”
Wiping her eyes, Bethany motions for me to sit. “Finley and Arlo are downstairs in the cafeteria with Little Grandma. They have minor cuts and scrapes, mostly.” Her eyes fill with tears. She presses her face against Carson’s shoulder for a moment before composing herself. “They think Arlo might have a fracture in his right ankle, but it was too swollen last night to tell. They’ll look again today. We haven’t got the full story yet, I don’t think, but the boys say they were driving through an intersection and the other car came from nowhere to hit them in the front on the driver’s side.”
Jaxson flinches in my arms, burying his face in my neck.
Christ. I feel sick just thinking about it, but of course, it’s all I can think about.
The squeal of brakes. The crunch of metal. The shattering of glass.
Screaming.
I hold Jaxson tighter, trying to remember that he’s already hurt so I don’t make anything worse. He’s clinging to me just as tight, though.
“Why hasn’t Piper told you what happened?” I ask, my eyes jumping between Carson, Bethany, and Rosie.
“She hasn’t woken up
yet,” Carson finally breathes, the pain in his eyes crushing my hope as every thought flies from my mind except one.
Not again.
“She hit her head pretty hard. The doctors have run some tests and they did some scans overnight, but the swelling…” His eyes dart down to Jaxson in my arms. “It’s just a waiting game.”
Carson’s voice sounds like it’s coming from underwater, my ears and throat closing up like it’ll protect me from this.
I’ve heard those words before. I’ve played that game and lost. It’s the very worst kind of déjà vu and my fragile heart can’t take another defeat.
“C-can I see her?” My voice is barely a whisper, my heart beating a shallow rhythm as all the adrenaline that’s been keeping me going drains from my body.
I can see the confusion taking hold, the wondering in Carson’s and Bethany’s eyes, but it’s Everly’s voice that draws my attention.
“I’ll take you to see her,” she offers quietly, careful not to jostle Sebastian as she extricates herself from the blanket and gets to her feet. Running her hand through Jaxson’s hair, she asks him to do her a favor.
“What?” he whispers, eyeing her with suspicion.
“I think Nana and Papa are hungry, but they won’t do as they’re told and go get some food. Do you think you’re responsible enough to make sure they go and eat?”
Torn between wanting to stay and wanting to be in charge of his grandparents, Jaxson finally sighs and leans back. “Okay. C’mon, let’s go, Nana and Papa.”
The fact that he refuses to be put down and insists on being passed from my arms to Carson’s doesn’t escape any of our notice, but none of us mention it. I watch with a frown as Carson carries him out of the room with Bethany right behind them.
“Come on,” Everly says once they’ve gone, Rosie opting to stay with their still-sleeping brother.