*****
Ava and Audrey headed to Liza’s apartment with her. Part of her wanted to be alone, but the other part knew she needed her friends. She stopped and picked up her mail before heading to the elevator. She rubbed her belly. Abigail. They’d decided on Abigail Kathryne Ivy. Jackie’s middle name was Abigail and Kathryne was her mother’s middle name. With everyone in his family having two middle names they had both agreed on Ivy.
“Lindsay and Ari are working, but they said they’d come by later.” Ava touched her fingers as she mentioned the names. “Terra’s on her way and Jackie said she’d stop by later.”
“You didn’t have to drop everything to be with me. I’ll be fine.” Liza pressed her hand against her belly. She loved her baby, but things would have been so much easier if things were different.
“We’re not leaving you alone.” Ava shook her head. “Not with everything going on.”
“The boys are planning an intervention for Julian. They want to make sure he gets the help he needs.” Audrey put her hand on Liza’s shoulder.
The elevator doors slid open and they headed to her apartment.
Liza unlocked the door and thrust it open.
A envelope sat on the floor, her named typed on it.
Ava swooped down to pick it up. Rather than waiting she opened the letter. “You’re being evicted? Why?”
Liza snatched the letter from Ava and read it. “Shit.” She dropped onto the couch. “He said he’d take care of it.” She dug through her mail to find her utility bill. She ripped open the letter only to find a shut off notice for November 12th. She held the bill out to Ava. “I’m being evicted and my utilities will be shut off tomorrow.”
“How did that happen?” Audrey sat down next to her. “Wasn’t Julian supposed to take care of this?”
“When I quit my job in August, he said he’d take care of everything. He knows my rent is due on the first of the month and I’ve given him my last two utility bills.”
“And he hasn’t paid for any of them.” Ava handed the bill over to Audrey.
“Even if by some miracle I find a way to pay for this today, what about the next two months? My lease is up in December and the plan was for me to move in with him after Thanksgiving, but after last night, no way. I have nowhere else to go. I’m going to have to call my parents.”
Ava pulled out her phone. “I’m calling Drew. They’re already having the intervention they can let him tell him what kind of fuck up he is.”
“No.” Audrey shook her head. “We can deal with this. I’ll pay your electric bill. Jackie and Terra are on their way over, between the two of them they should be able to get you out of your lease. We’ll go from there.”
“I can’t ask any of you to do that.” Liza looked down at her swollen belly. She still had a month to go and she already felt like a whale. “Damn it, I knew I shouldn’t have quit my job. Who’s going to hire me in my condition? What am I going to do after Abigail is born?”
“Let us help you.” Audrey rested her hand on Liza’s shoulder. “I know you don’t want to rely on other people. It took me two months to finally tell Jackie and Everett what happened with Jake and I, so I understand. Two months I spent killing myself trying to make ends meet to save a condo that cost more than two months salary as it was. I had no idea what I was doing and worked myself into a tizzy, rather than asking for help from the people who could help me.”
“But I won’t ask for their help!” Liza exclaimed as she stood and began to pace in front of them. “This is my problem. I got myself into this mess, I’m the one who needs to get myself out.”
Ava laughed. “Honey, the last time I checked . . . it takes two to make a baby. And no matter what crazy-ass excuse he comes up with, your baby is as much his responsibility as she is yours. This will be taken care of. I don’t care if I have to knock him on the head with a hammer.”
“Let me find out how long Jackie’s going to be.” Audrey pulled out her phone. “We’ll call the boys later and let them know what’s going on. He’s not even home from the hospital yet. If we give them a chance to talk to him before we throw this on him it may work better.”
Liza took in a deep breath and held it. She was so torn over how she should deal with this. She let out her breath and turned away from them. “Fine. If it’s what has to be done. I’m going to call my parents.”
“You’re making the right decision.” Ava stood and came over to stand next to Liza. She rested her hand on Liza’s shoulder. “I know you want to do this on your own, but sometimes we all need help.”
“And asking for help isn’t weakness,” Audrey added. “The three of us were all brought into this big crazy ass family and we need to stick together. Otherwise—”
Ava cut Audrey off. “We’ll all end up just as crazy as the rest of them.”
Liza felt the smile crossing her face and laughed. It was nice to know she had friends again.
Chapter Twenty
November 11th
A gentle shaking brought Julian awake. He looked around, blinking rapidly. His dad’s car.
“You stay put, I’ll go get Drew.” Everett touched his shoulder.
“I’ll make it.” Julian shoved the door to the car open, caught the door, and hoisted himself up.
Drew walked toward him. “You have no idea how much I want to punch you right now.” He moved his arm under Julian’s. “I gotcha. Let me help.”
“I don’t know if I can.” His legs trembled.
“Come on, one step in front of the other. If you can’t make it, you have four other brothers, a best friend, Dad, and Gramps all here to help you.” Drew shifted his body.
Julian accepted the added help and took his first step toward the house. “I don’t want to go in there.” His body ached, every muscle burned, and he winced with every step.
“Why? Everyone in there loves you and wants to help you. That’s why we’re here.”
“But you’re all here, because I fucked up.” Julian stopped, bringing Drew to a stop with him. “Thanks for coming to look for me.”
“You saved your own skin there, brother. That text you sent me kicked me into high gear. I was sitting in the baggage claim when I got your message.”
“What message?”
“You don’t remember?”
“Dude, the last thing I remember is going shopping with Liza on Monday. I came home grabbed a bottle of whiskey and haven’t been sober since.”
Drew cocked his head and then looked over his shoulder at Dad. “Where’d you get it all?”
Julian took another step forward, making his trek toward the house.
“Seriously.” Drew brought him to a stop and faced him. “I need you to tell me where you got the alcohol.”
Julian let out a deep breath. His stomach rolled and he gagged. He swallowed hard and put his hand over his mouth. “I have a guy who delivers. He doesn’t know me other than when I call, he delivers.”
“I’m gonna kill him.” Drew gripped Julian tighter. “Let’s get you in the house.”
Julian wobbled on his feet, but determination kicked in and he pushed ahead making it to the door.
Everett opened the door and the three of them headed inside.
Everyone turned and looked up when he came through the door. Concern, worry, and relief could all be seen in their expectant faces.
“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Blake hurried over.
Julian held up his hand, shrugged Drew off his shoulders, and walked the rest of the way into the living room. He sank into one of the chair and rested his head against it.
“How are you feeling?” Ethan asked.
“Think worst hangover ever, times ten, and then set your muscles on fire.” Julian peered around the room scanning the faces of the people he loved. Worry etched on each of their faces.
He rested his head in his hands. “I need help.”
“Well that’s a step in the right direction,” Gramps said.
&nb
sp; Julian glanced at him. “Thanks, Gramps.”
Jake leaned forward. “I know I’ve been out of the picture, but the last time I saw you and Liza you acted like everything was great, you were happy.”
“We were.” Julian yawned and rubbed his eyes. “I’m miserable. I’m not going to make it without her.”
“Wait? What? Then why’d you break up with her in the first place? You said you were happy. Explain it to the stupid guy here.” Blake gave him a half smile.
Julian chuckled bitterly. “The only stupid guy here is me.”
“Not a damn one of you is stupid.” Everett sat down on the couch next to Jake. “Misguided sometimes, but not stupid.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Julian scratched his cheeks. He wasn’t used to wearing his beard this long and it was starting to itch. Time for a shave. He turned his attention to Blake. “I was so drunk, I don’t even remember breaking up with her. It all began at the baby shower.”
“You hit full blown prick level at the baby shower.” Drew shook his head. “You and I were about to have words, but the girls got to you first.”
“Yeah – that was fun. I think every woman in the room wanted to slap me.” Julian scratched his cheeks. God he wanted to shave.
“You realize the guy you freaked out about was her uncle, right? I mean not her real uncle, but he grew up with her parents and she referred to him as an uncle.” Drew’s knee bounced.
Jake and Donovan sat next to each other on the couch.
Julian’s gaze darted between the two of them. “You two understand better than the rest. You know what’s it like when your thoughts start racing. By the time she came over to see me, I was convinced she was leaving me.”
Donovan nodded. “I get it. Been there more times than I care to remember. Crystal and I fought for years about my racing thoughts. She claims the divorce had nothing to do with the bipolar, but I’m not convinced.”
Jake rubbed his arm. “I get it, too. It wasn’t the same situation, but when I got in trouble my first thought was Audrey would leave me. There would be no saving the relationship. She’d take Cora away from me.”
“So you ran out on her first.” Julian nodded at least there were two people in the room who understood him. He glanced at his father, wishing he could make him understand.
“Yeah.” Jake shrugged. “I’m sure it doesn’t make any sense to the rest of you, but Donovan and I get it.”
“You’re right, Jake.” Blake turned his palms up. “How does leaving solve anything? Aren’t you losing her by leaving? Why would you risk both of you getting hurt rather than facing your problems together?”
“You’re all nuts.” Trevor shook his head. “How can either one of you say you love your women when at the first sign of trouble your gut reaction is to leave? You don’t hurt the person you claim to love the most over a perceived threat.”
“In my mind, the trouble was real. My thoughts scattered every which way and by the time she came to see me, I was convinced she would leave me. So her giving me the ring back, vindicated my thoughts.” Julian rubbed his neck. “Yeah – it was stupid, but in my brain it made sense.”
“I agree.” Jake opened his hands. “What I did was stupid. I couldn’t come home right away, but I spent the entire year wondering if I could have done something different.”
“Now that we’ve established I have messed up kids, where are we taking this conversation?” Everett winked at Julian. He patted Jake on the back then reached around him and did the same to Donovan.
“I think genetics had a thing or two to do with some of that.” Gramps fixed Everett with a glare.
“Never denied it did I.” Everett agreed.
Julian raised an eyebrow.
“I think what your dad’s trying to say is, how can we help you get better?” Ethan leaned forward. “We want you to be healthy, Liza wants you to be healthy, but you can’t do that and continue drinking.”
Julian nodded. “I thought about admitting myself for a seventy-two hour hold.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be enough.” Drew stood and began pacing across the room. “I think you need the full blown twenty-eight days.”
“T-twenty-eight days?” Julian threaded his fingers together behind his neck. Rehab. Being away from everyone for twenty-eight days. “I can’t Drew. Liza’s due in a little over a month. If I left now, I’d barely be back in time. What if she delivers early?”
“The birth of your child is important and I want you to be there to see it.” Drew stopped pacing and stared straight at Julian. “But if you don’t get your act together one of two things is going to happen. You’re not going to be there for your daughter because Liza’s going to kick you to the curb. Or you’re not going to be there for your daughter because you went on another bender and didn’t make it out.”
The intensity on Drew’s face with his vision of the possibilities, scared the living shit out of Julian, because he knew it was true. He huffed. If he continued down the path he was on he was bound to end up in the morgue.
He went through the events of the day, from waking up in the hospital, to Liza walking out, Dad and Gramps calling him out, and now this. Everything suddenly clicked. “How am I going to make it through rehab. They’re not going to let me have all my medication. The pot’s an out and that keeps me from going psychotic.”
“You haven’t been reading your emails?” Ethan pulled out his phone and began messing with the screen. He strode across the living room and handed Julian the phone. “Dad talked to Dr. Marcus, they’ve been working together to take the research you started and make it a marketable drug.”
Julian looked down at the phone and scanned through the email between Vince and Dr. Marcus. “He thinks it will work?” His heart was racing at the possibilities.
“Dr. Muller is on his second round of clinical trials at the Yarrow Center. Your research brought the drug into being. Your research is the key to your recovery.” Ethan took his phone and smiled at Julian.
Julian sat back. Had he really made this all possible?
“We knew Liza was right for you when every time you two fought you’d end up at the lab,” Gramps said.
“You were ready to give up research after Whitney left you. It’d only been a month before you met Liza you even took the contract from Vince. You never let your clients down, but as far as moving forward in your research you were stagnant.” Drew rested his hands on Julian’s shoulders. “This is it, Julian. This could be the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.”
“I guess I need to tell Liza I’m going to rehab.”
Drew’s phone chimed.
All eyes were upon him. “Sorry, it’s my . . .” He glanced around the room. “It’s Ava. I told her to text me if anything came up.”
Julian watched his brother. My what? Drew and Ava were hiding something. “Would you have her tell Liza I love her?”
Drew rubbed his fingers over his eyelids before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Julian how long have you been have you been drinking on a regular basis?”
“About a month or two.”
“Did you happen to forget something in those two months?” Drew let out a heavy sigh.
“I don’t think so. I’ve been working a lot and drinking a lot. Why? What did Ava say?”
“Liza’s being evicted and her utilities will be shut off tomorrow.” Drew showed Julian the text message.
“Fuck me.” Julian brought his hands to his head. “I spaced it. She’s going to kill me.”
Ethan looked over at Drew. “If you can get the account numbers, I can set it up as an automatic deduction and we’ll get the money out to the company before the day’s out.”
“Mom’s over there now, she’s already handled the money issue.” Drew shoved his phone in his pocket. “The problem arises of where’s she going to live?”
“If it’s a matter of paying her rent, I can cover that.” Julian flipped his hands over. Her landlord should let her stay if he caugh
t up on the payments.
“Her lease ends December 1st. Mom said she could get her out of it two weeks early, but she still doesn’t have a place to go.”
“Yeah, she does. She can move in with me. It’s the least I can do after what I’ve done.” Julian paused. “I guess that puts rehab on the back burner. I don’t want her staying there alone.”
“You need to go to rehab.” Drew handed his phone back to Julian. “I suggested to Ava that Liza move in with you.”
Julian read Ava’s message. Ha ha. Liza says, no way in hell is she moving in with him. I think she’s on her last straw.
He started to hand the phone back to Drew when the next message popped up. He read Drew’s first. Think there’s a chance for the two of them?
She’s had it with the drinking. I think his only way is to get help. Serious help.
Julian handed the phone back to Drew.
“Not what you wanted to hear?” Drew read the message.
“Helps cement the need for rehab.”
“I take it she didn’t go for moving in with you?” Everett asked.
“Her exact words were ‘no way in hell’.” Julian looked over at his father.
“Well, I may have a solution to part of your problem.” Everett made a sweeping gesture. “I have this big empty house here. Your mother texted me when Liza first got the news. We’ve made the offer for her to stay with us until she decides what she’s going to do.”
“That would be great. I’d feel a lot better about going to rehab if I knew she was here and looked after.”
“Looked after?” Everett raised his eyebrow. “Boy, she’d smack you in the head if she heard you talking about looking after her. That woman is independent as they come. She can handle herself and you’d best learn that before she leaves for good.”
Julian laughed. “It’s one of the things I love about her, but also what drives me nuts.”
“Because you’re still trying to control her. You have to let her be her. She loves you and maybe not today, but most days wants to spend the rest of her life with you. She made that choice.” Everett clapped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up? You need it. If you’re all right with it, I’ll give Dr. Marcus a call and can get the ball rolling.”
If You Only Knew (And Then Came Love Book 1) Page 34