When You Start to Miss Me: A Romantic Suspense (Wildflower Romance Book 3)

by Stacy Claflin

  Silence settles between us, then two nurses run by speaking in medical code.

  “Who’d you lose?” Jaiden asks. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  My chest tightens. I flash back to the two worst times of my life. Two funerals, two people taken way too young. Two people I couldn’t have loved more if they were my own flesh and blood.

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Jaiden’s voice brings me back to the present.

  My heart thunders. I try to swallow down the lump threatening to explode out of my throat. “My brother’s best friend, who at the time was my hero.” Tears mist my eyes, my voice cracks. “Not that I ever expressed that to him. No, I was too cool.”

  “I bet he knew.”

  I shrug. “He wasn’t the only one.”

  “Who?”

  “I also lost a niece.”

  “A niece?” he exclaims. “She had to have been young.”

  My voice catches in my throat for a moment. “Yeah, she—”

  Jaiden swears.

  “What?”

  “Malia’s parents headed this way.” He grabs me and yanks me into the room before I can look for them, not that I would recognize them.

  “Should we warn her?”

  He pokes his head out into the hallway and breathes a sigh of relief. “No, they’re walking the other way, talking to a doctor.”

  “But they’ll be back.”

  “Hopefully not right away.” Jaiden glances over at Malia. “Stay with her. I’m going out into the hall.”

  “Thanks.” I step closer to her and gently place my hand on her back, half-expecting her to push me away since she wanted to be alone.

  Instead, she collapses against me, shaking and sobbing.

  My heart breaks into a million pieces. I hold her close and rub her back, kiss her hair. “I’m right here, Malia. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She clings to me all the more.

  I hate that I can’t do anything for her pain, but at least I can be here for her.

  Maybe it’s a small comfort if she knows she isn’t alone.

  I guide her over to the chairs and help her sit. She continues leaning on me and crying. I run my hands through her hair, rub her back, and whisper to her. I’m not sure if it does any good, but I’m going to try with everything I have.

  Jaiden’s voice sounds outside the door. His tone is sharp, he’s arguing with someone. Two someones.

  Malia groans. “My parents are both here.”

  I kiss her cheek and try to hear what they’re saying outside the door but can’t make out any words.

  “You’re finally here!” A tall slender woman with salon-blonde hair hanging nearly to her waist stands before us, her perfectly manicured brows drawing together. She turns her attention to me. “And who are you?”

  “I’m Lincoln, her boyfriend.”

  Her mouth forms a straight line. “Haven’t heard of you. Just the flavor of the week. Get out. This is for family only.”

  I straighten my back. “I’m here for Malia.”

  “You’re not family.” Her eyes narrow. “And you never will be. Get out!”

  Malia jumps up. “You can’t make him leave!”

  “Watch me.” The woman steps toward me. “He doesn’t need to be here in Holden’s room.”

  I leap to my feet, and Malia steps in front of me. “He’s here with me, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  She puts her hands on her hips and she nears her daughter. “Watch me.”

  “If he leaves, then I leave!” Malia’s voice wavers.

  I glance around for Jaiden, but he must still be in the hallway with Malia’s dad. I clear my throat. “I can step outside the room to give you a moment with your daughter.”

  Malia puts her arm around me. “If he goes, I go.”

  The woman’s expression tightens. “Why are you doing this, now of all times? Look at your brother! All because of you.”

  Her words aren’t directed at me, but they feel like a slap to the face nonetheless. A fire burns deep within me. “You’re blaming this on Malia?”

  “Of course I am! She’s supposed to keep him in line.”

  “He’s an adult!” I step around Malia and glower at her mother. “She’s a student, trying to build her life. Cut her some slack, and if you’re going to blame anyone—blame yourself! You’re his parent.”

  She gasps. “How dare you? You know nothing about our family. Get out!”

  “I don’t have to know anything about your family to see fifty layers of dysfunction. Something drove Holden to become an addict, and it sure as hell wasn’t his sister!”

  “Are you blaming me?”

  “If the shoe fits.”

  Her mouth falls open, and the silence in the room would be deafening without the machines in the background. “How dare you!” She raises a hand toward me.

  Malia jumps in front of me and shoves her mom’s arm. “Mother!”

  She slaps Malia across the face.

  I can hardly believe my eyes. It takes every ounce of my self-control not to strike the woman.

  Jaiden walks in with two men, one who looks like an older version of Holden but with Malia’s eyes and the other in a white lab coat.

  “What’s going on here?” demands Malia’s dad.

  I keep my attention on the doctor. “This woman just struck Malia.”

  He tilts his head. “She hit her?”

  Malia’s mom gives me a look that if it could kill, I’d be dead on the spot.

  I nod. “Yes. Right across the face. See? Her skin is red.”

  “Let me see this.” The doctor steps closer and examines Malia’s skin. “Your mother did this?”

  Malia glowers at her mom and nods her head. “Yes.”

  “I have to report this.” He turns to Malia’s mom. “You need to stay right here.”

  Her face reddens, and I expect to see smoke come from her ears.

  I put my arm around Malia. “We should go.”

  The doctor shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to wait. I have to get a report from you two first.”

  “We’ll wait in the hall.” I kiss Malia’s forehead before leading her toward the door.

  Before we reach the door, her dad blocks our path and stares her down. “You’ve just made a huge mistake.”

  She shakes in my hold. “Meaning?”

  “You’re no longer welcome in our house. Get your things and move out. And don’t expect us to pay a dime of your schooling next year. You’re on your own for that. Consider yourself lucky because this year is already paid off.”

  Malia shakes all the harder. “What about Belen?”

  His brows furrow. “You don’t need to worry about either of your brothers. That should make you happy. Now you can live completely selfishly, never having to think about anyone but yourself.”

  “Are you crazy?” I snap. “Malia doesn’t think of herself ever! She spends all of her time worrying about her family.”

  “The fact that she has another boyfriend proves otherwise.”

  “Come on.” The doctor ushers us into the hall.

  Chapter Twenty

  Malia

  Everything is surreal. I have to be dreaming, but I’m not. Jaiden, Linc, and I are all packing up my things. My parents are being held at the jail for assaulting me—Lincoln and Jaiden told the officers about my dad hitting me the other night. But given that my parents have twenty-four-hour access to their attorneys, it won’t be long before they’re out.

  And heading home.

  I throw things into boxes faster. Thankfully, there were piles of them in the garage. It’s like my parents were eagerly awaiting this day. Or for Holden to move out. It’s anyone’s guess.

  Belen yells from his room.

  “Is your brother okay?” Linc asks.

  “Just playing his video game.” What’s going to really make him mad is when the social worker shows up to evaluate him. If my pa
rents aren’t back by then, they’ll have to take him away from here. I have no idea if he’ll go to a psychiatric facility or to foster care. I’m guessing a facility because of his special needs. I don’t know which would be better. I’ve heard horror stories about both.

  Ding-dong!

  I groan. Belen is going to freak out. He hates strangers, and he really hates any break in his routine.

  “Want me to get the door?” Jaiden asks.

  “Yeah.” I set whatever’s in my hand into a box. “Try to keep them downstairs. It’ll go a lot smoother if I can get my brother downstairs. If they come to his room …” I shudder at the thought.

  Jaiden gives me a hug. “If anyone can keep the social worker downstairs, it’s me. I got your back.”

  He disappears before I can respond.

  Lincoln tapes shut a box and turns to me. “What do you need me to do?”

  I wipe sweat from my forehead. “Can you pack the rest of my books? Then that shelf by the window? I really need to get Belen downstairs in a good mood.”

  “I can do that. Anything you don’t want me packing? I don’t want to get into anything you don’t want me to see.”

  “No, but thank you.” I squeeze him tightly. “You’re the best. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

  He cups my chin. “I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.” Then he gives me a kiss that makes me want to disappear with him and never again have to face the realities of life. But he pulls away all too soon. “Take care of your brother. I’ve got this.”

  I’m too choked up to speak, so I hurry out of the room and try to collect myself before facing my youngest brother.

  He’s still at his computer, headphones on, giving me another moment to pull my thoughts together before needing to interrupt him. I wait a moment, hoping his round will be over soon. If I don’t have to pull him from a match, this will be so much easier.

  My heart pounds like a jackhammer. I take a deep breath and step into the hall, listening for conversation. Jaiden is explaining Belen’s quirks to the social worker.

  That at least gives me a little time. Not enough. I could have a week, and it wouldn’t be sufficient for preparing my brother for what’s about to happen.

  He’s going to have a meltdown.

  There’s no getting around it. I can try to minimize it, but it’s going to happen. And no matter how this night ends up playing out, it’s going to be the last time I see him for a while.

  I hope this ends better than my last conversation with Holden. And that I get a second chance with both of them. Belen has a memory like a steel trap. If I’m here when he gets taken away from home, he’ll hold it against me for years. Decades, even.

  “Yes!” My brother throws his fists into the air. “I won at solo!”

  At least he’s in a good mood. I couldn’t ask for a better starting point. “Great job!”

  He turns to me, his eyes wide. “I won at solo!”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “I’m going to try again.” He turns back to his screen.

  “Wait.”

  He waves me away.

  “Belen, let’s take a break.”

  He turns to me and frowns. “No.”

  My stomach knots. “You just won. Let’s celebrate.”

  “I will. By winning again.”

  My mind races. Need to think of something to convince him. “Ice cream!”

  He tilts his head. “Ice cream?”

  “Yeah. Let’s celebrate your win with ice cream.”

  “Okay. Bring me some rocky road.”

  I play with a fringe on my shirt. “Help me get it.”

  “No. I want to play.”

  “You can have sprinkles.”

  Belen turns back to his screen. “You put them on.”

  “It isn’t really a celebration if we’re up here.”

  “Bring the ice cream up here.”

  I knew it wouldn’t be easy. “Jaiden’s downstairs. He can celebrate with us.”

  “I want to play my game.”

  “Did you hear about Holden?”

  Belen turns to me, obviously confused by the sudden change in subject. “Huh?”

  “Holden,” I repeat.

  “He was mean to me.”

  “Join the club.”

  “What club?” Belen takes off his headphones. “Do they have games?”

  I should’ve known better than to say anything to him that wasn’t literal. “Yeah. Let’s talk about it over ice cream.”

  He frowns. “Downstairs?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is Dad home?”

  I shake my head no.

  He looks deep in thought for a moment. “Okay.”

  Relief washes through me. We’re a far cry from getting him outside with a stranger, but we’re getting closer to the front door. “Come on.”

  Belen picks up his ratty blanket that he carries when he’s nervous.

  Great. That means he knows something’s going on. I swallow and give him a big grin.

  He clings to the blanket.

  But he does follow me into the hall.

  When we pass my room, he skids to a stop. “What’s going on?”

  Why didn’t I think to close my door before going to his room? He’s either going to freak out because Lincoln is in there—a stranger to him—or because most of my stuff is now in boxes.

  “I’m, uh, redecorating.”

  His lower lip sticks out. “With boxes?”

  “You said rocky road with sprinkles?”

  Belen puts his hands on his hips. “Are you moving out?”

  I take a deep breath, and have several heart palpitations. “It’s—”

  “Who’s he?” My brother jumps up and down, his eyes darting back and forth.

  I just want to lean against the wall and disappear.

  “Who’s he?” Belen waves his hands frantically.

  “That’s my friend. His name is Lincoln.”

  “Is he taking you away?” He stomps his feet, looking back and forth between me and my room.

  Lincoln steps out into the hall with a friendly smile. “You must be Belen. Malia’s told me so much about you.”

  My brother makes a bird-like noise and goes back to jumping. “Stranger!”

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath before looking back at Belen. “He’s a friend.”

  “Stranger!”

  All progress has been lost. At any moment, my brother is going to flee to his room and probably lock himself in. It won’t be the first time he empties a shelf and shoves it in front of the door.

  Jaiden and a lady in her thirties appear at the top of the stairs.

  “Stranger!” Belen screams at the top of his lungs.

  My ears ring.

  The social worker introduces herself, but my brother hollers as soon as she speaks.

  Lincoln steps next to me and says something, but the only thing I can hear is my brother’s screeching, which is getting louder by the moment.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Lincoln

  My entire body aches as I plop on the grass next to Malia. I put my arm around her and kiss the back of her neck. She leans against me and shakes. I rest my other hand on her knee, and a tear lands on it.

  “Belen’s going to be okay,” I assure her.

  “He kept screaming that he hates me.”

  I trail kisses along her neck, stopping close to her ear. “He’s confused, that’s all. I could see the love in his eyes behind the fear. He didn’t understand why you were letting the social worker drive him away.”

  She nestles herself closer to me.

  I pull her onto my lap. “It’ll be better for him there. He’ll get the help he needs, and he won’t have to face your parents’ anger when they come home.”

  Malia looks at me, tears shining in her eyes. “Everyone in my family hates me. I’m a mess.”

  “No, they are the screw-ups. Not you. Your parents and Holden have all put themse
lves where they are. None of that has anything to do with you.”

  “I should’ve been able to do more for Holden.”

  “Nope.” I shake my head. “He’s an adult.”

  “What about Belen? He’s a kid, and without a full understanding of life.”

  “He’s your parents’ responsibility, Malia. And besides, he’s probably the lucky one since he doesn’t know what’s going on.”

  She frowns. “He knows enough—a lot more than people give him credit for.”

  “I’m sure he does, but I still think he’s better off where he’s going. They’ll actually help him. Your parents will only make things worse.”

  Malia takes a deep breath. “They’re going to be so furious. Between Holden being in the hospital, them being arrested, and now Belen being taken to a facility—those are all things they’ve been working so hard to avoid. They don't want anyone to know what really goes on in those walls.” She points toward the house.

  I hold her as tightly as I can without hurting her and kiss her neck. If only I could think of something to convince her none of this is her responsibility.

  Jaiden trounces out. “I got the mess in the living room cleaned up. What are we going to do with your things?”

  Malia groans.

  He sits next to us, Malia still on my lap. “The offer still stands for you to stay at my place.”

  She shakes her head no. “I’m not taking your bed.”

  “I told you, the couch is comfy. I don’t mind.”

  “What about Raven or Samara?” I ask. “I’d offer my place, but I don’t want to do that to you. My roommates are pretty loud.”

  Malia rubs her temples. “I don’t know what to do. My parents might be held overnight, so I could stay here then figure something out in the morning. Maybe they’ll even change their mind. There’s no way they’re going to want to stay here together without anyone else. They can barely stand each other.”

  “Is that something you want to risk?” Jaiden asks. “Being here when they get back?”

  She doesn’t answer right away.

  I lace my fingers through hers. “We’ve got all your stuff packed. All we need to do is move it.”