“Family, Parker,” she whispers. “You’re my family.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and look off.
“What did she mean about a villain?” Sara asks again. “It sounded like she meant—”
“Come on, Ma. We don’t need to worry about that right now.”
“Mrs. Monroe?”
All our heads jerk to the doorway we didn’t hear open with all the commotion.
She grips Nate’s arm. “Yes?”
“Your daughter is all set up in her room now,” Dr. Bennett tells her, and a small smile finds his lips. “She’s also woken up.”
Sara breaks down, her head dropping into her hands, and moisture fills my eyes. I swallow to force it away, but fuck.
She’s awake.
“If you hurry back, you might catch her before she’s out again. She’s on some heavy medications to keep her pain tolerable—that, and her body is exhausted. But please, only two at a time until the nurses finish up, should only be a few more minutes, but even then, it’s still only immediate family for the first twenty-four hours.”
Sara rushes forward and goes to pull Nate along with her, but right then, the elevator doors burst open, and Ian Monroe, Nate’s dad, charges down the hall.
“Sara!” he shouts, his eyes wide and panicked when he sees the doctor standing there, fresh tears running down his wife’s face. “My baby girl…”
“Honey, she’s awake,” Sara cries, her body shaking with her tears of relief.
Ian blows out a hard breath, his eyes wet and red. He yanks her into him, and their bodies mold into each other.
“Mrs. Monroe.”
“Yes, sorry.” She pulls back, and Ian wipes her cheeks. “We’re coming.” She turns to Ian. “We have to hurry if we want to catch her awake.”
Ian nods and doesn’t move his arm from his wife’s middle as she starts walking. He looks over the room, nodding at everyone, clamping a hand on Nate’s shoulder as he walks by.
When they walk through the door, everyone starts hugging and crying in joy.
Nate pulls Lolli in, squeezing her tight, and I close my eyes, my body fighting for relief among the chaos.
“Oh!” Ian shouts, and we glance to the door just before they close. “I brought a few others along, thought you could use ’em right about now.” He tips his chin before disappearing, and all heads turn toward the elevator.
Austin, Nate’s best friend, smirks, and Nate laughs, rushing toward him for a bro hug.
When I look to Lolli, I find she’s just standing there, frozen, and then her eyes shift to mine.
My features soften, and a crease forms between her eyes.
“You went to see her, didn’t you?” she asks me in a whisper. “When you were in Alrick? She never would have come if not.”
“Soon as Kens dropped me at my house.”
“Why?”
I shrug and offer her a gentle smile. “Family, right?”
Tears fill her blue eyes, and she nods, looking past me.
Lolli swallows and then smiles a bit. “Hey, Meems.”
“Hi, Lolli,” Mia whispers back.
Both girls start crying as they step forward to hug each other.
I excuse myself and head for the private room Payton was in earlier.
I lie back, stare at the ceiling, and refuse to accept an ending that doesn’t give me my nightingale.
I hear them as they step up to the door and quickly close my eyes.
I can’t face them yet. I have no clue what to say.
They think I lost a baby. They were hurting for me for this reason when I left them, and now, here they are, hurting even more. Having almost lost their daughter because I was too weak to walk way before Kellan grew overly calculating.
I hear my mom’s soft sobs and my dad’s calming comfort. I picture him holding her close, trying to take her pain.
“We missed her,” my mom whispers. “She’s asleep again.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Monroe, but expect her to come in and out. At least over the next few hours.”
“Did anyone explain what’s happened to her? Do we know if she remembers?”
“She remembers. She was completely coherent when she awoke. Exhaustion sets in to help the body heal when a traumatic event occurs. As far as the … condition of the other passengers, no, ma’am. We didn’t quite get to that.”
I fight to keep my expression neutral but can feel my brows pinch slightly, my already tight muscles constricting even more.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” my mother whispers, and I wish she could pull me into a hug. “We’re here. You’re okay.”
But am I?
I’m tied to a man I hate and can’t leave. I slept with a man I love but can’t have.
And I have no idea how to fix it.
So, I play the helpless coward I am and lie there, still, until the blackness takes over again.
“I got a call from the general manager of the Tomahawks, and it seems a petition has gone out,” Al tells me and Lolli. “They’re voting on having you removed from the board, Miss Embers.”
“Al, stop calling me Miss Embers. And what the fuck does that mean? Can they do that?”
“It means you’ll be pushed off as another silent investor, but decisions—the parts where I come in and what we’re set to train Parker in—will no longer be in your control.”
“I own fifty percent of the fucking team. I have the most shares, the most invested. This is my fucking team, Parker’s future.”
“I know, which is why I asked for a meeting before voting happens. But I need you to understand that, if they decide to vote and it comes down to a fight, your age and decision in bringing in Mr. Baylor will work in their favor. Nothing against you, son.” He looks to me. “But, in a greedy man’s eyes, you’re nothing but a boy.”
“I understand.”
“Well, I fucking don’t.” Lolli frowns. “Fifty percent, Al. My grandpa worked years to get half of the team for this reason. I might be young, but I feel this sport in my blood. And Parker is the only one who can keep that passion and still make the right decisions; I know it. I won’t let this happen.”
“I know, and like I said, I’ve called a meeting for Thursday.”
“It’s Saturday.”
“It’s the best I could do, the only time everyone could be there.” He sighs and offers a small smile. “We’ll figure it out. Try not to worry too much.”
“Right,” Lolli whispers and moves to stand. She turns for the hall and disappears.
Al is slow to stand. “Hate having to tell her things like this, but it’s best she have a warning, just in case.”
I nod. “I get it. Thanks for coming by, Al. And for taking care of all the paperwork for Payton. She’ll be much happier here.”
Al smiles at that. “You’re welcome. And that was all Miss Embers’s idea.”
“I know.”
“Get you some sleep if you can, son. I’ll call you guys if anything comes up.”
“Night, sir.”
Not five minutes after Al leaves, the double doors open, and Nate walks out.
He drops in the chair beside me, letting his head back to hit the wall behind us. “She’s faking it.”
My head snaps in his direction, but only his eyes slide to mine.
“Kenra. She’s not fucking sleeping, man. Her reactions give her away every time. My parents are too freaked out to see it, so I sure as hell didn’t point it out. But she’s awake, Parker. And she won’t fuckin’ open her eyes and give them peace of mind.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive.”
When my forehead creases, his gaze narrows.
“My mom’s fucked up, dude. Dad’s fucked up even more ’cause she is. Kenra needs to open her eyes and show them she’s still here.” His eyes flit between mine, and suddenly, he hops up and starts back for the doors. He glances over his shoulder. “Come on.”
I pop up, my muscles tight, and hurry behind him. “They s
aid, immediate family only.”
“Yeah, well, I’m done seeing my mom cry helpless tears.”
I freeze two feet from the door, and he turns to face me.
He throws his arms out. “What? Why are you stopping?”
“Why do you want me in there?”
He frowns. “Because, man, I know she’ll open her eyes for you. She won’t be able to help herself.”
My throat goes tight, and I glance off.
“I see it now, Parker. You and her. I get it. And I need your fucking help,” he says low, and my eyes shift back to his. His shoulders sag as he stares. “I don’t know what happened when you guys left or why she went with Kellan when he showed up. I have no fucking clue, and to be honest, I’m kinda pissed at her, which has made this whole thing harder for me. I know seeing her won’t be easy on you, and it’s probably a real fucking bad idea for it to be in front of my parents, but … I need you, man. Please.”
“I want to. More than fucking anything, I want to go in there and see for myself that she’s okay, that she’s alive. But you gotta know … they won’t understand, Nate. It might be worse for them.”
“She’ll open her eyes, Baylor, and they’ll be able to breathe.”
“I’m not gonna fight you on it. I want in there too damn bad. If you’re sure.”
His eyes flit between mine, and he nods. “Let’s go inside.”
When he spins to hit the button on the wall so that the nurses can open the doors, I step beside him.
We step through, and the woman looks between the two of us.
“My brother,” he tells her.
Her eyes tighten around the edges, but she waves us on, and not ten feet later, we’re standing in front of room 237.
A blinding pain starts at my ribs and spreads through my chest as I stand there, shaking my limbs out. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, looking to Nate.
“Come on, man,” he whispers, having to force me feet the rest of the way in the room with a grip to my shoulder.
My eyes instantly land on her, and my muscles grow stiff, a cramp forming in my jaw from the pressure of my grinding teeth. She has a thick bandage around her head and a few small cuts on her cheeks, bruising at her collarbone, and a cut lip.
Nate’s parents swivel around, but I don’t glance their way. I slowly step to the opposite side of her.
Nate quietly cuts his dad off when he goes to speak and whispers something I can’t hear over the pounding in my ears.
I carefully lower myself onto her hospital bed, sitting so I’m facing her as she lies there.
I watch her closely, not saying a word, and the crinkles at the edges of her eyes grow more defined.
She is awake.
I take a deep breath and cut my glance to Nate then Sara, her wide eyes flying between me and Kenra. And then I look at Ian, and he stares hard before giving a curt nod and looking to his daughter.
I turn back to Kenra, leaning forward a little. The closer I get, the more my pulse spikes, and her chest rises.
She feels me.
I lean in, bringing my head closer to hers until I can whisper near her ear, “Open up, baby …”
Sara gasps lightly, so I pull back to look at Kenra’s face.
Her eyes are clenched tight now, a tear slipping from the corner, but before it hits the pillow, I wipe it away, and her eyes pop open, locking with mine.
I get choked up and swallow hard. Her big brown eyes are full of heartache and remorse. Sara instantly starts sobbing, and Ian chuckles through his emotions.
I drop my head to her shoulder without giving her my weight, and she shifts slightly, so her lips brush my temple.
I shift again to see her, and her lips start to tremble. It’s a sight I can’t stand to see, one too strong for me to stay strong, and everyone else fades away.
It’s only me, desperate to save her, and her, wishing I would.
So, I ease her the only way I know how in this moment—by shifting closer and cupping her cheeks in my hands.
Instantly, her muscles relax, and her eyes flutter closed on a shuddered exhale.
I kiss her. Simply. Softly.
Slowly.
When I touch my forehead to her bandaged one, she finally speaks.
My name falls from her lips, and I hate how helpless it sounds, but I love that she said it just as much.
Her eyes cut to the right, so I pull back, moving to sit up, as she stares at her parents, who sit there with frowns and frozen expressions, but they quickly snap out of it when Kenra croaks, “Mom, Daddy.”
Her mother starts to sob and I look away, catching Nate and now Lolli standing behind them. She winks and tucks into Nate’s side while he slightly tips his chin in thanks.
I move to stand, but her hand that lies still at her side quickly shifts to touch me, asking me to stay, so I do.
“Kenra, baby, you’re awake,” her mom cries. “Are you okay? How do you feel? What can I do, baby?”
“I’m okay,” she whispers. “Sore but okay.”
Nate and Lolli step forward, and she gives a weak smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Nate frowns, and Lolli gives a small side smile.
“Should we get a doctor?” her mom asks and moves to push the Call button on the hospital bed.
Kenra lifts her hand the best she can in her exhausted state. “No, Mom, wait …” She trails off, looking between her parents. “Tell me about the others. Where’s Kellan and Deaton?”
When my body grows tense against her, her eyes fly to mine, and she frowns instantly, her gaze flying back to her mom, fresh tears building. “Mom?”
“Kellan was rushed to surgery, but we’re pretty sure he’s out now. His mom hasn’t come out of the room for us to ask, and the doctors refuse to share information since we’re not technically family. I’m so sorry, baby.” Sara cuts a quick glance my way.
“Deaton,” Kenra rushes out. “Where’s Deaton? Did they let Payton see him? He needs her in there. He hates his family.”
“Honey …” Sara’s voice cracks, her head tilting, as tears take over, and Ian wraps his arms around her from behind.
“No,” Kenra whispers, shaking her head. “Mom, say no.”
“He died on impact.”
A harsh breath of disbelief leaves Kenra, and she starts sobbing, burying her face in her hands. “It’s my fault.”
“No, honey—”
Her eyes flash back, and Sara stops talking, slightly confused.
“It is. We were fighting, Kellan and me, and I pushed the wrong buttons. Kellan jerked the car, trying to get to the side to pull off, and lost control. It was my fault.” Kenra’s eyes flash back to mine, and her lips tremble. “It’s my fault … and now, Payton—”
“Stop,” I whisper, moving closer. “Don’t even think it. Don’t make excuses for him anymore, Kens.”
“What the hell is he doing in here?”
All our gazes snap toward the door, finding Miranda Vermont standing there.
“Why is he in here? He shouldn’t be anywhere near her.”
I hop to my feet, and her eyes narrow.
“Whoa, now …” Ian slowly shifts to stand. “First of all, keep your voice down. Second—”
“Don’t think you can tell me what to do, Mr. Monroe. It won’t happen.”
Sara jumps from her chair and moves to stand in front of Miranda.
Nate’s forehead pinches in worry while Lolli grins.
“Don’t think you can come in my daughter’s room and have any damn say as to what happens in it. Especially when you refuse to give us any updates on Kellan. It would have been nice to put our daughter’s mind at ease.”
Miranda spits out a mocking laugh. “Please. It would ease her to hear he was dead.”
Sara’s brows dip, and she looks back to Kenra, who simply stares at Miranda.
“He’s alive, by the way. He’s still unconscious and on oxygen, but we’re confident he’ll wake.”
“We appreciate
the update, but maybe it’s best if you go.”
“Me?” Her lip tips up slowly. “I’m here to get settled in. Kellan is being moved in here as we speak.”
I choke on my spit and start coughing, earning a glare from her.
“What do you mean?” Sara drags out. “They’re letting them share rooms?”
“Of course.” Her eyes harden, locking on to Kenra’s.
“Don’t …” she whispers desperately, and my lungs grow sore.
“It’s not the honeymoon he had in mind, but … what can we do?” She pops a shoulder, and every jaw in the room drops. “You know, I could use a coffee. I’ll be back in a jiff.”
Honeymoon.
No.
Her parents turn to ask her something, but I know she’s looking at me, and I can’t bring myself to meet her stare.
I step away from the bed, dodging her touch when she reaches out.
I lick my lips, and in what feels like slow motion, I move toward the door.
“Parker, please,” she whispers. So broken. So fucking shattered.
But so am I.
I’m broken down. Out of options and out of time.
Out of fucking hope.
And completely gutted.
I watch Parker go, my shredded heart right there with him.
This is not how he was supposed to find out. Not how any of them were supposed to find out, but Parker’s face when Miranda said honeymoon …
I might have done it this time.
Ruined everything.
“Kenra, sweetheart, talk to us,” my mom whispers.
I turn to look at her.
Nate walks over and sticks a straw in my face, his face blank. I take a drink of the water he’s offering and smile in thanks, but he turns and walks to set it down.
I look between my mom and dad.
They’re amazing people, true, honest, and good souls of the world.
They deserve the daughter they raised to be the same.
So, I suck up my pride and start with the simplest, most honest statement I have in me at the moment. “I made a mistake.”
Both their expressions tighten as they will me to continue, but I can’t. This is my doing, and I need time to process. Time to think.
I can’t tell them all they want to hear, but I can ease their pain a little.
Defenseless Hearts Page 24