by P. J. Belden
“Man, I’m so happy for you! Come on we’re going to lunch to celebrate.”
Checking my watch I see that it’s after one already. Kayla said to come up after noon.
“Come on bro. You’re marrying her. You can come to lunch with me and get back to her.”
“Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”
Lunch was eventful and funny. Nate hit on every waitress there. I told him not to say anything because we hadn’t told anyone and I wasn’t sure when Kayla wanted to tell anyone. We talked for a while and by the time we left it was almost three o’clock. I didn’t regret spending time with Nate. He has been like a brother to me. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here right now. We drove to the clinic where he got out and got in his car and left. I walked inside the clinic. Jenny came running at me full bore.
“OH. MY. GOD.”
“What’s going on, Jenny?”
“Kayla, she’s… his…”
She didn’t have to finish her sentence, I heard Kayla scream. I bolted for the door and tried to open it. It was locked. I kicked and kicked, but it wouldn’t open.
FUCK!!!
I could hear things breaking and Kayla screaming and my only thought was that I wasn’t going to make it to her. My chest tightened and for the first time in my life panic took over and couldn’t think clearly. Somehow, through the panic, the voice in my head said to call Nate and go to the glass doors. I screamed at Jenny.
“Call Nate! Tell him to get his ass here now!”
Running out the side door and through the dog park, I leaped over the fence. When I arrived at the glass doors, what I saw knocked the breath from my lungs and almost knocked me off my feet. There was my beautiful angel being thrown across the room, hitting the table, and falling to the floor. He was an asshole before, but he was about to be a dead fucking asshole for EVER putting his hands on what’s mine.
Without thinking a second further, I ran full force at the glass door and broke through them. I could feel the glass cutting into me as I smashed through the door, but no pain registered. The only thing I was focused on was my sunshine and making sure I saved her. I headed straight for him. His head shot up to mine and a look of panic crossed his face when he met my death glare.
“You fucking asshole!” I screamed as I landed the first punch in his stomach.
He grunted out, but I wasn’t even close to being done. Bringing my hands to his head, I brought his face down to meet my knee - hard. He fell to the floor and I kicked him repeatedly. At that point, I didn’t care if he lived or died. The only thing that kept running through my head was the image of Kayla’s body being thrown.
“What’s wrong fucker! Can’t fight back?” I screamed as I kicked him in the chest. Continuing to kick, I screamed some more at him. “What, is it because I’m not a woman?”
I bent down and grabbed him by the face.
“You touched the wrong fucking woman. You touched my woman. Regret that now don’t you, you sorry piece of shit!” I punched him again and he was out cold.
My attention immediately went to Kayla. I was afraid to touch her. Kneeling next to her, I moved the hair out of her face as I said, “Oh God, baby. Hang on sunshine the ambulance is almost here.”
As I got the hair out of her face, her eyes were shut. I touched her face gently. It was already swollen. Tears pooled in my eyes and spilled over. Had I been too late? I felt her neck for a pulse. There was a small one. Here was my beautiful angel—my sunshine—beautiful as the morning sun and she lay there on the ground at my knees, bleeding, and there was really nothing I could do to help her.
My dream suddenly came back at me full force. I couldn’t lose her. There was no way I was losing her yet. We barely had any time together. It wasn’t enough - not even close. I wanted so badly to pick her up and hold her, but without knowing how bad she was hurt, I just didn’t want to make matters worse.
“I’m so sorry. I should have been here. Please be okay. Please. I love you,” I sobbed.
Nate burst through the door. “Fuck! Where is the son of a bitch!”
I pointed, but said nothing, still staring down at my life and wishing it were me instead of her. I would gladly switch places with her because if I were to lose her, I couldn’t survive without her.
Vaguely, I was aware of someone moving me out of the way. It was the paramedics. Seeing them work on Kayla snapped me out of it and I was immediately alert to my surroundings and asking questions.
“Sir, you need to be seen yourself. You have some bad cuts.”
“No! I’m fine. I want to know how my fiancée is!”
“I’m sorry Sir, but we can only talk to her spouse or family.”
They moved her out on the stretcher and I was running after them. When they got out the door, Nate grabbed me and pulled me back. I fought against him with everything I had.
“Damn it Nate! Let me the fuck go! I need to be with her!”
“Man, you can’t go with her. Let me take you in the car.”
The ambulance pulled off with Kayla in the back and I sagged into Nate’s hold in defeat. I nodded my head and he helped me to his car. My eyes burned with unshed tears. I kept trying to tell myself that she would be okay, that I got there in time. But it didn’t ease the pain or heaviness in my chest.
“She’ll be okay, Jay. Keep telling yourself that.”
“If I hadn’t gone to lunch, I would have been there.” I murmured. “Oh God, I have to call her family.”
“I already did on my way over. They are probably at the hospital now.”
“I failed them. I failed her. I didn’t protect her.”
“STOP! You have done everything to protect her! You have done it all, Jason! Kayla knows that!”
When we pulled up to the hospital, I was out of the car before Nate could even stop. When I made it into the emergency room, Kayla’s parents and siblings were already there. I felt the tears when they all looked at me. Larry walked up to me. I braced myself for yelling. There was no way to prepare for it, but I know I deserved it.
“I know I let you down. I’m so sorry. If—”
“Stop, son. You got there. What I want to know is who the fuck did this to my daughter?”
“Wait, you’re not mad at me for not protecting her better? For her being hurt?”
“This was not your fault. You didn’t do this to her. But I’ll say it again, I want to know who the fuck did this to my daughter?” he bellowed.
I was just about to answer when a nurse came out. She talked briefly to Larry. When she left, he walked over to me and took my hand in his held it tightly. The minute I felt it press into my hand my knees buckled and I fell to the floor. In my hand I held her engagement ring. I started to cry.
“We were so fucking happy last night…” I sobbed.
“I know, son. You will be again. She’s going to be just fine and be back to her ‘I’m in love’ self. You’ll see.”
Right then, in my moment of pain, I just couldn’t see that. All I could see was her hitting the table and falling to the floor.
“I take it by the ring you asked my daughter to marry you?”
I nodded my head.
“You will make a mighty fine addition to the family,” Jane smiled through her tears.
I stood up on shaky legs and tried to pull myself together. The ache in my chest just won’t go away. My stomach turned again and again. I felt a little dizzy. Shaking my head, I tried to focus on what was being said to me.
The sounds fading in and out and I couldn’t understand a damn thing that Larry or Eli was trying to say to me. I stumbled backward as Nate came up. I thought I heard about something bleeding or something, but I wasn’t sure.
The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed. I shot up in the bed and tried to get out of bed, but someone stopped me.
“Dad? Mom?”
“Yes, son. We got here not long after you passed out. They had to stitch you up pretty good. Nate went home and got you some
clothes.”
“How long have I been here?”
“A few hours.”
I was out of the bed before my dad could stop me again. Once I found my change of clothes, I changed and was heading of the room in search of news on Kayla. My dad stopped me at the nurse’s desk.
“She’s in the ICU. Come on son, we’ll take you up there.”
The elevator ride seemed to take forever. I just wanted to be with Kayla. My foot bounced as the need to move faster ran through me.
It would have been a hell of a lot faster if I would have taken the stairs.
My father looked like me, only thirty years older. His hair was more gray now than dirty blond, but he still knew how to calm me when I needed it. No one really said a word on the ride up, which may have been worse than them trying to talk to me.
Finally arriving at the ICU, I waited for them to ask the Williams’ if I could be back there. Another excruciating wait that in reality probably took mere minutes. When I was finally led back to Kayla’s room they all stood outside the door, Larry holding Jane and one of the twins. I couldn’t tell them apart.
“H-how is she?” I said just above a whisper.
They turned around and looked at me. Jane’s eyes filled with tears and she hugged me. She held me for a bit, no one was saying anything and I didn’t know how to take it. She finally pulled back and smiled at me and kissed my cheek before turning and walking back to her husband.
“Jason, who did this? Who has done this to my daughter?”
“It was Captain Dale Day, Sir.”
Everyone froze and stared at me. I could see the looks on Eli and Larry’s face. They had been looking into him trying to get proof. Nate and I were doing the same thing. Maybe that was what caused him to snap. It occurred to me then—not that I cared—if he was still alive.
“How much damage did I do to him?” I said grimly.
“He’s not in as bad of shape as Kayla, but you still did a number on him,” My dad said.
“Good. Please tell me about Kayla.”
Larry told me about the surgeries and her crashing several times on the table, and that now they were just playing it by ear on what happened next. I turned and looked in her room. My chest tightened and I could hear her laugh echoing in my head; I could see her smile, feel her kiss. Without looking at anyone, I spoke.
“May I go in and sit with her?”
“Of course.”
I said nothing else; just moved into the room. My focus was on Kayla and Kayla only. For however long it took, I was not leaving her side. I didn’t care what they said. There was no way I was leaving her - not now, not ever.
The days passed in a blur and before I knew it, a week had passed. Nate came into the room. He had a huge smile on his face. Glaring at him, he dropped his smile.
“I don’t see what is worth having to smile over. Kayla is still not waking up.”
“What if I told you that we got Alex?”
My head whipped over to him.
“What?” I breathed.
“Yeah, bro, we got him. Dale sang like the fucking rat that he is. He told us where to find him and everyone involved. Be glad that this happened because had Dale not gotten to her first… man it wouldn’t have been pretty.”
“I’m supposed to be glad that this happened?” I hissed.
“Not what I meant, Jay, and you know it,” he snapped back. “Anyway, I wanted to bring you some food and see if I can’t convince you to leave the hospital for a bit and get some fresh air.”
“Nope.”
“You look like hell. You’re going to scare her when she wakes up.”
I didn’t care. I hadn’t shaved in a while and took a quick shower in the room down the hall. I didn’t want to be gone when she woke up.
If she woke up.
“I don’t care. I’m not leaving her side.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
~KAYLA~
I felt funny. I was stiff and felt like I had been sitting a long time because of that numb stinging feeling you get. I tried to move, but my body wasn’t responding to me. I could hear noises in the background. Beeping. Yeah, there was beeping in the background.
I felt a hand on mine. Again, I tried to move but my body would not respond. I couldn’t squeeze the hand holding mine or even turn my head.
What the hell was going on?
Another noise filled the room, talking. Jason.
“I’m so sorry, sunshine. I wasn’t there to protect you. Please wake up and I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how much you mean to me. I will never let you down again. Wake up for me, baby.”
The sound of crying filled the air and I felt like my heart was breaking. I willed my eyes to open, but they weren’t listening. Why wasn’t my body listening to me? Why couldn’t I open my eyes? Suddenly, I felt so tired and my brain began to shut off again. The last sound I heard was Jason’s crying and felt his tears on my hand.
@~^~ @~^~ @~^~
That annoying beeping filled the room again. Why was I always met with that incessant beeping? I tried to move again, but nothing happened. What the hell was wrong with me?
“Sunshine, if you can hear me. I need you to fight. I need you to keep fighting. Wake up for me, baby. Let me see those beautiful blue eyes of yours. Let me hear that sexy laugh of yours. Please fight. I can’t live without you.”
I wanted to wake up. It wasn’t for lack of trying. My fucking body wasn’t listening to me. I tried to move my arms, my legs, my head but nothing worked. Nothing moved no matter how much I tried. I could hear the heartbreak in his voice. I wanted nothing more than to wake up and put an end to it all, but I couldn’t get my body to respond! Slowly, I started getting heavier and heavier before the darkness closed in again.
@~^~ @~^~ @~^~
I ‘woke’ again, but this time it wasn’t the beeping I heard first. It was still there, but the first thing I heard was Jason’s amazing voice. It sounded dry and tired.
“I don’t see what is worth having to smile over. Kayla is still not waking up.”
“What if I told you that we got Alex?” That was a familiar voice too… Nate.
Wait, what? They caught Alex. I’m free. Now if I could just move…
“What?”
“Yeah, bro, we got him. Dale sang like the fucking rat that he is. He told us where to find him and everyone involved. Be glad that this happened because had Dale not gotten to her first… man it wouldn’t have been pretty.”
They caught him. He wouldn’t be coming after me anymore.
“I’m supposed to be glad that this happened?” Jason hissed.
“Not what I meant, Jay, and you know it. Anyway, I wanted to bring you some food and see if I can’t convince you to leave the hospital for a bit and get some fresh air.”
“Nope.”
“You look like hell. You’re going to scare her when she wakes up.”
“I don’t care. I’m not leaving her side,” Jason said, his voice full of sadness.
It broke my heart. I moved my toes and had success. I screamed with joy on the inside. It was about fucking time.
“Go. Home. Jason.” I breathed.
I opened my eyes and saw Jason staring at me wide eyed. He continued to stare and a tear rolled down his cheek. My heart broke for him. I knew the one thing I wanted to tell him.
“I… love… you.”
Another tear rolled down his cheek. I was beginning to wonder if he could even move. He looked so lost and shocked. Suddenly a smile broke out on his face and he was next to me on the bed hugging me. I groaned in pain. He lightened his hold.
“I love you so much sunshine. I thought I lost you. I thought… I love you so much.”
Raising my hand seemed to be a feat in itself, but I laid my hand on his cheek for a moment before it dropped. Tears rolled down my cheek just as they did his. We held each other for long moments before he pulled back and kissed me tenderly.
Soon the room was full of my famil
y. Everyone was talking a million miles a minute while the doctors and nurses checked me and updated the room on my ‘condition.’ My head was spinning with all the information and the things that everyone was saying. Jason sat on the bed with me. I moved over to him before the pain stopped me. He cuddled me the rest of the way. I closed my eyes and just listened to everything around me.
“It’s great news that she is improving, but I don’t want her going back to that place of hers alone.”
“I’m moving to Jason’s,” I replied sleepily.
“You are?” Jason asked.
“Mmmm Hmmm,” I sighed.
Everyone kept talking about getting me moved out of the ICU and moved into Jason’s. My life was being figured out for me, but right then, I was too tired to care. I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep in Jason’s arms where nothing else existed, but him. The voices around me started to fade until there was nothing, but a small hum in the background. Nothing intelligible, but just a soft, comforting noise and it lulled me to sleep.
“Get your fucking ass over here now! If I come to you, you will regret it!” Alex hissed.
“I’m going to regret it no matter what. I think I’ll postpone it for a little bit longer.”
He was moving toward me quickly. I threw the cup at him and hit him in the head. In my mind, was doing the happy dance for having such good aim. Having so many brothers came in handy sometimes. I had sat some many summers watching them play baseball that I could throw a perfect pitch by the time I was eight. Who would have ever thought it would come in handy?
Alex held his head where the glass had hit him. I knew that was going to cost me the minute he got his hands on me, but I was hoping that for once, I just might be able to get away. When he pulled his hand away from his head, I could see the blood. It served him fucking right! Karma’s a bitch, bastard.
I held another glass in my hand and threw it. The glass hit him in the mouth because he tried to move out of the way. Honestly, I didn’t care where it hit him as long as I got a chance to get away from him. I kept throwing glasses and hitting him in the head, chest and even one almost knocking his family jewels out of business for a while. I reached for another glass and my hand came up empty. I turned to see that all the glasses were gone. In that moment that I turned my head, he caught me. I screamed and struggled to get away.