I yank open the door and slide into the back seat, still fuming that Zach felt the need to act like a dick and embarrass me like that.
“What’s up, sis? You look pissed,” Gabe says turning around in his seat. “You okay?”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t get what his problem is. He stormed in there like a lunatic, and practically announced to the entire restaurant that I’m cheating on him with Brady. I don’t know where the hell he gets off.”
It feels good to vent to my brother. I need a neutral party in the situation.
Gabe’s face pulls into a lopsided frown. “The guy’s having a pretty hard time. His—”
Before Gabe is able to finish his sentence, Zach swings open the driver’s door and flops into the car. Daggers shoot from my eyes into the back of Zach’s head as he pulls onto the street and heads north to my parents’ place.
The entire ride is silent and I don’t like it. I want to scream and cuss at Zach for the way he just treated me back there, but having Gabe in the car with us stops me. I don’t need to drag my brother into the middle of my fights.
Over and over in my head I play out the scene of how our fight is going to go down. The moment he opens his mouth to yell at me for something I didn’t even do, I’m going off on his ass. He isn’t going to treat me like that.
We pull into my parents’ driveway and Gabe immediately gets out of the car and heads into the house. I stay in the back, ready for him to start—hopefully with an apology.
Zach sighs and rubs his hand over his face. “Get out.”
I flinch. “What did you just say to me?”
He turns to face me with hard eyes. “I said...GET. OUT.”
A gasp leaves my mouth and my bottom lip trembles. “Zach...”
He closes his eyes. “Aubrey, get the fuck out. I’m done with you. It was a mistake to think a relationship with you could ever work.”
A sob escapes me. “How can you say that to me?”
His eyes meet mine. “Because you’re just like the rest of the sluts I’ve ever been with. Always looking to trade up when you can.”
“It’s not what you think, please.” I hear the desperate plea in my own voice as I beg him to not do this. “Please don’t ruin us.”
“Do not make me physically throw you out of this car. I don’t want you.” I search his face for a sign, for anything to tell me this isn’t really him talking, but there’s nothing. The stone cold look in his eyes makes him appear dead inside.
I swallow hard as I open the door. My eyes automatically go to the ground when I step out and shut it behind me. I can’t believe this—over, just like that. He didn’t even care what I had to say. It was like he was a man possessed.
The tires on the Fusion squeal when they make contact with the asphalt and he drives out of my life. My entire body shakes and my knees buckle, causing me to fall into a puddle on the driveway.
Tears fall without warning as all the built-up emotion bursts out of me. My chest squeezes and I gasp for breathe. I can’t breath. I’m suffocating. I gasp for air but no relief comes. I’m dying, I know it.
Hands shake my shoulders and a paper bag is shoved against my mouth. “Breathe, Aubrey. You need to calm down.”
Gabe’s commanding tone takes me by surprise and I automatically obey him. I hold the bag around my lips and breathe into it. After a few seconds the pressure in my lungs eases up.
Gabe smiles down at me. “That’s a good. You’re going to be all right. Now, tell me what the fuck just happened.”
I shake my head and pull the bag away. “You’re going to make a great doctor.”
He pats my head. “Nice try, little sister. Flattery won’t get you out of telling me.”
I shrug. “Zach came into the restaurant at the worst possible moment. I was telling Brady all about the hard time The Judge has been giving Zach, and how Mom tried her damndest to talk me out of dating him when we went dress shopping.”
“Go on,” he insists.
“Brady sort of reached over and put his hand on top of mine and Zach saw it, flipped the fuck out in the restaurant and made a scene. I was mortified. Then we get here and he won’t talk to me—tells me to get out of the car and he’s done with me.” Another sobs comes. “And now we’re over.”
Gabe sits beside me on the ground and wraps me in a hug. “He didn’t mean it, I know he didn’t. It’s just the grief talking.”
I sniff and pull back to gaze up at his face. “Grief? He told you about his mom and sister?”
Gabe’s brow furrows. “No. He just found out his father died.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“That’s why we were coming to find you. He needs to leave tonight to go identify the body.”
I swallow hard and things instantly start falling into place. I knew those horribly evil things he was saying couldn’t possibly be from the real him. That’s the kind of fucked up shit Riff would say, not my Zach.
He needs me. He came to find me in his biggest time of need and the first thing he saw was another man touching me. The thoughts in his brain can’t be rational right now.
I shove my self up off the concrete and dust my hands off. “Where are Dad’s car keys?”
Gabe stands beside me, concern etched into his face. “Do you think it’s wise to go chasing him down in your current state?”
“If I don’t go after him now, I might lose him forever. I love him and he needs me.” The thought of never seeing his beautiful face again scares the shit out of me.
My brother smiles. “You better go get him then. Dad’s keys are in the drawer in the kitchen.”
I grab my brother’s face and kiss his cheek before I sprint into the house. Most siblings fight like crazy, and while I’m not saying we don’t have our fair share of fights too, we get along like best friends who like to pick on one another. I’m grateful for that.
My parents look up from their lunch when I rush into the large black and white kitchen. I yank open the cabinet drawer that’s closest to the garage without saying a word to them. It’s partly their fault that this is all happening, so I don’t exactly feel the need to ask their permission before I grab the keys to my fathers Cadillac CTS-V. Both of my parents watch me as I allow the door to swing shut and I stalk towards the garage.
“Aubrey, honey, you mind telling us where you’re heading off to in such a panic?” the Judge asks from behind me, effectively stopping me in my tracks.
My lips pull into a tight line as I pivot on my heel. “If you must know I’m going to see Zach.”
My father puckers his lips. It’s the signature move he makes before he hammers out something that he believes to be factual truth. “I don’t think that’s wise. The boy’s no good for you, honey. I know you might not be able to see it now because you think so much with your heart and emotions, but someday, when you’re older, you’ll thank me for helping get rid of him.”
“You helped get rid of him? What the hell does that mean?” My words rush out, almost like a snarl.
“Language, Aubrey Jenson!” Mother scolds with a frown on her face.
Unbelievable! “Fuck my language, Mother. Some help you two are. You’re ruining my life, don’t you get that? If I lose Zach, my world is over.”
“I’m your father. It’s my job to protect you and look out for your future,” Dad says as he wrinkles his brow.
They still don’t get it. I better make this clear for them. “Zach is my future. You two either accept that or you won’t have to worry about seeing me again because I’m never letting him go.”
This time when I head for the door I don’t stop, no matter how loud they yell and order me to come back.
I hop into my Dad’s most prized possession and tear out of the garage the moment the doors open. Heading for the hotel, my brain replays everything that just went down in my parents’ kitchen. I know they’re pissed at me, but they’re going to have to get over it. I love Zach, and nothing is going to change that.
My thoughts drift to Zach and I pray that he’ll hear me out. I want him to see my side of the situation and understand that I did nothing to betray his trust—that he’s my everything.
I shake my head and sigh as I approach a traffic light. In need of a distraction, I reach down and flip on the radio and begin searching the stations for something decent to listen to. Two clicks away from my favorite station a horn blares, and my eyes snap back to the road in front of me. It’s not until it’s too late that I realize the light was red, but I barreled on through anyway. Something hits the car hard on my side and my head jerks right and then left before everything goes black.
Chapter 8
ZACH
I fling the last of my dirty clothes in the suitcase and zip it up. It’s strange to know that in a couple hours I’ll be leaving here without the girl I love and will never see her again. How stupid was I to believe what we had was real? I’ll never shake the image of another man touching her out of my head. I always knew I didn’t deserve happiness.
I scrub my hands over my face just as someone pounds on my hotel door. The only person that knows I’m here is Aubrey, but after the way I left her she’ll never come here. She probably hates me. The things I said were cruel and I wish I could take them back.
The entire situation in the restaurant got out of hand. When I saw Brady’s hand on hers, I flipped the fuck out. Images of rushing Brady and tackling him to the ground played over and over in my mind. It took everything in me not to do it. Poor bastard would’ve been leveled if he’d gotten me full force.
It probably wasn’t what I thought, but knowing that Aubrey’s father hated my guts coupled with the fact he was trying to take the only two things I still had left in this world—the band and Aubrey—flipped a switch inside me. Seeing Aubrey with Brady in that moment made me believe The Judge was right—she’s better off with someone else, and I still belong to Black Falcon.
The person on the other side knocks again and calls my name this time. “Riff? You in there?”
What the hell is Gabe doing here? On the way to the door I glance down at Aubrey’s suitcase and decide to take it with me. It’s better to just hand it over and avoid any little talk he wants to have about me hurting his sister. There’s no need for him to start a fight with me, defending her honor. I already know I’m a bastard.
I yank open the door and thrust the luggage out to him. “This is everything.”
Gabe pushes it back towards me with both hands. “I didn’t come here for here for that.”
I raise my pierced eyebrow. “I hope it’s not to talk, because Aubrey and I are done. There’s nothing else to discuss.”
Gabe shakes his head and licks the corner of his mouth like he’s trying to figure out what he can say without starting a war with me. “If you’re really this much of a dick, maybe I shouldn’t tell you what I came here to say.”
I brace my hand against the door jam. “You probably shouldn’t. I like you, and I don’t want this getting out of hand.”
He scratches the back of his head. “If I wasn’t so sure my sister fucking loves you, I’d be tempted to lay your ass out, but she does. I came here because I figured you can’t be a total fucking tool since she nearly died coming to try and keep you in her life.”
My chest tightens and suddenly it’s nearly impossible to breathe. “What did you say?”
Gabe nods. “She’s been in an accident. When I told her about your father, she picked herself up off the ground and took our dad’s car to come comfort you. She ran a red light and a truck side-swiped her.”
My throat closes up and I attempt to swallow to force some air into my lungs. I bend at the waist and brace my hands on my thighs and stare up at Gabe who watches me with wide eyes. My entire body shakes. “Is she alright?”
Gabe frowns and his eyebrows soften. “She’s in the hospital.”
I shoot straight up and grab Gabe’s shoulders. “Where is she? Take me to her!”
He smiles sadly. “It’s good to know you still love her, because she’s going to need you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Aubrey hasn’t woken up since they brought her into the hospital.”
I fall to my knees, the hotel door hitting my side. My girl—my Kitten—is hurt and it’s all my fucking fault. I close my eyes and the tears burn trails down my cheeks. If something happens to her, I swear to God I’ll never forgive myself.
I need to be with her. I need to be the one taking care of her. “Take me to her.”
Gabe grips my shoulder. “Come on. I’ll drive.”
We grab all the luggage from the hotel room, including the guitar that I never travel without, and head down to Gabe’s car. Once inside and on the road to the hospital, I catch myself fidgeting. My right leg bounces and I chew the skin on my right thumb. “Are they running tests?”
He bites his bottom lip as he makes a left hand turn. “They were doing a CAT Scan of her brain when I left.”
I sigh, hating being at the mercy of a bunch of doctors to make her better. “Do they have any clue why she won’t wake up?”
“No.” He grips the steering wheel a little tighter. “But a lot of times when people are unconscious for that long, it’s never a good sign.”
There are no words to even describe the amount of pain that floods every inch of my body. This can’t be real. This can’t be happening.
I take a deep breath and all the times I’ve spent with Aubrey flash through my mind. Her beautiful smile comes into focus—how it lights me up inside in a way I thought could never be again. Every day I thank God that Aubrey came with Lanie that night to the show for Center Stage. The moment I laid eyes on her everything changed forever. She completely rocked my world and pulled me out of the haze that was my life.
Thinking of my Kitten’s friend, Lanie it makes me wonder if she knows. “Did you call Lanie?”
Gabe shakes his head and I instantly fish my cell from my pocket. After a couple seconds, Noel’s number rings on the other end. “Hey, brother. Enjoying your time off?”
It’s good to hear Noel’s familiar voice. I open my mouth, but it’s hard to tell them about Kitten. If I don’t say it out loud, maybe it won’t be real.
“Riff? Man, you there?” Noel questions.
“Yeah...I’m here.” I hear the shake in my own voice. “It’s Aubrey.”
“Something wrong? You sound off.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. “She was in a car crash.”
“Fuck. Is she okay?” Concern is thick in his voice.
“She’s, um, oh God.” Tears erupt again. “She’s in the hospital. Her brother is driving me to her now. Jesus, Noel, she hasn’t woken up. If something happens to her...” I can’t even finish the sentence before I sob hysterically.
“Riff, put her brother on the phone. I need to find out where she is. Lane and I are coming to you,” Noel orders, and I hand over the phone to Gabe.
I drop my head into my hands and allow all the emotion I’ve been fighting to pour out of me. I can’t go through this again. I can’t loose another fucking person I love.
After Gabe gives Noel the information on where we’re at, he hands me back my phone and then pats me on the back. “You have to stay strong for her, man. Just let her know you’re there for her, and try anything you can think of to try and bring her around. Maybe if she hears your voice...”
I can hear the crack in Gabe’s voice, before he swallows hard. I know this is hurting him, too.
We make it upstairs to the hospital room in record time. Gabe marches on through, but I pause in the doorway and take a deep breath, trying to get my shit together. I need to stay strong for her.
The soft beep of the medical equipment echoes through the room. My eyes land on Aubrey’s beautiful face. A few scratches and cuts cover her face and arms. I lick my lips over and over to fight back the tears as my eyes take in the needles poking into her skin, feeding fluids into her tiny body.
I stand there frozen, unsure of what to do with myself. I want to take her place so fucking bad it hurts. She doesn’t deserve this. I shouldn’t have left her. I shouldn’t have said the mean and hurtful things I did. Those can’t be the last words that ever pass between us. They just can’t be.
A hand on my shoulder startles me. I’m so transfixed on Aubrey I don’t notice anyone else in the room. “Zach, honey, she needs you. Go to her. Tell her you’re here.”
I stare down at Mrs. Jenson as her words sink in. “What do I say?” I whisper, and I hate myself even more for not being strong enough to know exactly what to do in this situation.
“Tell her things from your heart. We need to pull her back from wherever she is and let her know there’s a good reason she needs to come back to us. We’ve all told her how much we love her.” Aubrey’s mom motions over to The Judge who sits in a chair in the corner, looking pale—a shadow of the man who I fought with hours before. “But I believe it’s you, Zach. You’re what she needs.”
Expressing myself has never been easy, and I always fuck up exactly what I want to say. Everything depends on this moment. I want her to wake up, and I want her to know how much she means to me. “Hey, Gabe. Can you bring my guitar up? I want to try something.”
He gives me a curt nod. “No problem.”
When Gabe rushes out of the room, I take a few steps and fall to my knees next to my Aubrey’s bed. I scoop her limp hand into mine and pull it to my lips. A few tears fall and I bury my face into the bed. I don’t know how long I stay like that, but before I know it, Gabe is back with my guitar.
“I’ll just set it here for you,” he says to me before turning to his parents. “Mom, Dad, I think we should give them a few minutes.”
The Judge first shows some resistance, but takes a long look at my face and nods, allowing Connie to push him out of the room behind Gabe.
Aubrey and I are alone.
I swallow hard as I push a strand of hair back from her face. “Baby, I need you. Please wake up.”
I hold my breath as I wait for her to open her eyes and smile at me just like she always does when she first wakes up, but nothing happens. I squeeze her hand harder and begin to pray, “God, please bring her back to me. I know I don’t deserve her, but she deserves to be here. I can’t go through this again. Please...” The desperation in my voice is unmistakable, but my prayer goes unanswered.
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