Kyleigh’s voice dropped a notch as she said, “I know, things just went downhill yesterday after work. First, Brad informed me that he’d slipped me something in my drink once I got to his place that night after we left Copperhead Bar, which was why I slept with him and couldn’t quite remember everything. I thought it was just because I had been drunk, but I guess not.”
“Oh, my God, Kyleigh, that’s terrible!” Brooke shrieked, grabbing her arm, and causing a few people to look their way. Not able to meet her eyes, Brooke looked down the hall as she said, “It’s all my fault. I should never have let you leave with him alone. I’m so sorry.”
Kyleigh squeezed her hand, bringing her attention back to her. “It’s not your fault at all. You had no idea he was like that. I had no idea he would do something so low, and I dated him for a couple of years, so don’t blame yourself, do you hear me, Brooke?”
Her red lips formed a straight line as she nodded slightly, but the tears clouding her eyes told Kyleigh she would always blame herself. “Everything should be okay now, though, because I filed a restraining order against him this morning. I told him it was over for good last night, and that if he didn’t leave me alone, I’d file a harassment report on him. Well, he still won’t stop calling, and after what he did, David and I thought it was best to file a report. It’s all such a mess,” Kyleigh said.
“Just be careful, okay?” Brooke cautioned.
“I am. I’m staying with David for a while, until things settle down. He’s home all the time since his shop is right there on his property so I should never have to worry about being home alone. Hopefully, he gets over this and moves on,” Kyleigh said.
“God, I hope so,” Brooke agreed. “Let me know if you need me to help you with anything. I hate that you’re dealing with all this.”
“I will.” Kyleigh paused for a second and then asked, “So, tell me what’s going on with you, why you’re so down today.”
Brooke’s eyes travelled towards the double doors as Dr. Harris rushed through. The broad smile he wore as he talked to two nurses who were walking on each side of him told Kyleigh everything she needed to know. He seemed to love the attention of the female nurses and it irritated Kyleigh.
“Oh, nothing besides that. I don’t know why I let it bother me. It was one night and it’s probably nothing new to him. But, for me, I’m not really a one night stand kind of girl.” Brooke turned towards Kyleigh, the regret and hurt embedded in her features were undeniable, and added, “I really like him, Kyleigh, and I think I screwed up by sleeping with him so quickly. I’m certain he thinks I’m just a whore who is easy to get in bed.”
Kyleigh’s face fell at Brooke’s words, and she gently placed her hand on her shoulder as she said, “Brooke, I doubt he thinks that at all. Maybe he’s just a jerk who sleeps around, and maybe you’re just better off without him.”
Biting her bottom lip, Brooke seemed to contemplate that answer for a moment, her eyes following the back of the doctor as he headed the opposite way. After a few moments, she said, “Maybe, I don’t know. But I wish I had handled myself differently.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to try again. Have you tried talking to him about it?” Kyleigh asked.
“Just through text, but maybe I should try to talk to him in person,” Brooke said as she slid the folder under her arm.
“That’s probably a good idea. Relationships are hard, and sometimes it’s even harder when you work with the person. Maybe he’s just a little apprehensive about getting too involved.”
“Yeah, maybe. Well, I’d better get to work. I have to check on Ms. Dalsworth. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” Brooke said, as she took off down the hall.
Heading down the hall towards her last patient for the day, she slowed down when she saw a guy and a woman crying outside the room of Mr. Holloway. She always tried to be sympathetic to the families, giving them their space when they needed it, and she decided to make herself busy by checking in on the patient next door instead. She knew Mr. Holloway was getting bad. He no longer knew his family or what was going on around him and Hospice had been called today. Kyleigh didn’t give him much longer to live. Alzheimer’s was a terrible disease, and it was one of the reason’s that made her job hard. Alzheimer’s stripped everything from a person, leaving them with only bits and pieces of who they used to be.
Checking in on a sleeping Ms. Francis, she heard the sobs echo into her room. A man’s voice slipped around the corner, even though he tried his best to keep quiet. “I just wish I had been able to tell him that everything is okay with us. Now, he doesn’t even know I’m here,” a man sobbed outside the hall.
Kyleigh paused, the bed sheet in her hand drifting to the bed. She heard Ms. Francis briefly stir, and then continue snoring. She hated eavesdropping, but the conversation outside the room was hitting too close to home.
“I’m sorry, Earl. You got here as fast as you could. I’m sure your brother knows you love him and that you don’t hold a grudge for something that happened all those years ago,” a woman soothed.
Kyleigh stopped everything she was doing and listened. Heart pounding as emotions filled the room. She could feel the man’s pain and regret. One, because it was too personal to what she was going through, and two, because the man’s emotions were so strong she couldn’t not feel them.
“I should have called him years ago and settled things, instead of letting everything go on like it had been. I’d give anything to be able to talk to him and tell him I love him. Death is permanent; you can’t take it back like you can take back resentment when the person is still alive.”
Kyleigh heard the man suck in a breath as he tried to get his emotions under control. After a long pause, she heard him say, “I think I’m okay to go back in now.”
Leaning against the wall by the door, Kyleigh saw a glimpse of the older guy as he headed back into the room. His gray hair sprang out from under the old hat he wore, and his brown trousers and plaid shirt were neatly ironed. She watched him shuffle inside the room, the slow gait telling her he had to be in his eighties himself, and she wondered how far he had travelled to get here.
She let out a long breath, letting his words sink in as she pictured herself in that same position many years from now. Would she wait so long that by the time she was ready to offer her forgiveness, it would be too late? That thought scared her. She would give anything to have a relationship with her father, if that was even possible. The image of the old man crying in the hall tore through her. It was obvious he had held onto that resentment for many years and was just now realizing how useless it was. Whatever his brother had done, he was willing to forgive him.
She slipped out of the room and headed next door. She gave everyone a small smile as she entered and quickly checked on Mr. Holloway. She looked at the old guy sitting next to the bed. His bloodshot eyes were rimmed with unfallen tears as he held onto his emotions the best he could, along with his brother’s hand. Watching him broke her heart and she couldn’t imagine the pain he was feeling now. It seemed to be far worse than holding onto bitterness. She now knew it was time for her to decide which one she wanted to carry with her for the rest of her life. Bitterness and resentment; or letting that go for a one-time act of forgiveness?
After checking all his vitals and making sure he’d had his medicine today, she gave them all a nod and headed out, leaving everyone to finish their visit.
Pulling her purse up onto her shoulder, she headed down the stairs towards her car. The evening sun was falling graciously behind the trees that lined the front of the hospital, and the warm wind was blowing a fresh breeze, taking with it some of the stress from the day. She was eager to get home, get her stuff, and spend the rest of the night with David.
She headed out of the parking lot and towards home with the pain on the old man’s face heavy on her mind.
Chapter 23
Making Progress
As David stood in the doorway of his garage and watched the second customer
leave today with their bike, a sense of pride rose within him. He had been kicking ass all day and was now waiting on the third customer to pick up their bike. He couldn’t believe the progress he had made today, but with the alcohol out of his body, Kyleigh back in his life again, and his mother getting the help she needed, life seemed to be getting back on track for him.
He shut the door and headed back to work. His goal was to finish this last bike for the day and then head to visit his mom in the hospital before Kyleigh got here at nine tonight. He didn’t want her to show up and be alone, especially with Brad’s crazy ass still texting and calling her nonstop. It was ridiculous and he couldn’t wait until Brad moved on or for the legal paperwork to come through and make him realize he had no other choice but to move on. He was tempted to take care of Brad himself, but he knew that wouldn’t be the smart thing to do. For once, he was thinking with his head straight.
Kneeling, he began working on the bike. Sweat dripped down his forehead despite the a/c running in his garage. Heavy metal blasted from the radio sitting on his workbench, and he let his hands do their thing. Sober, he always worked fast; his hands taking control and letting his mind relax and drift away. But when he was drunk or hung over, he was never able to finish anything. It was as if his body had been beat down too much the night before and would just give up on everything.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, he looked down at his watch, not wanting to work too late and then not have time to visit his mom. Seeing that he still had another half hour of work before he needed to leave, he got busy, hoping to get this last bike done.
His thoughts drifted to Kyleigh and everything she had told him. It amazed him, all she had gone through in her childhood, and he was impressed she was taking into consideration forgiving her father. He wasn’t sure if he would have the strength to do that if he were ever put in that position. But packed in that small body was a strong woman, and he couldn’t be more proud of her.
A knock at the door was followed by a guy’s deep voice. “David? You in here?”
He stood, wiping the dirt off his jeans, and said, “Over here, Shane.”
“Hey, man, so glad you got my bike done today,” Shane said, adjusting the black bandanna around his head before he pulled out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”
Pulling out the bill from his file, he peered at it and then said, “It’s five hundred.”
Nodding, the guy pulled out the money and handed it to David. Running a hand through his greasy, shoulder length hair, he said, “Looks like business is picking up.”
David quickly counted the money and said, “Yeah, it is. I’m thinking about hiring another guy so I can make sure to meet deadlines from now on.”
“Yep, that’s always good to be so busy you need to hire someone. Glad to hear it, David, you’re a good worker,” Shane said as he headed towards his bike.
David walked out with him, excited to see another bike finished and out of his garage.
After strapping his bike down on the trailer, the guy turned around, gave him a wave, and said, “Thanks again, David. See ya.”
David waved back, and as the guy took off down the road, he headed back to the garage and began cleaning up. He had just enough time to take a quick shower, visit his mom, and be back before Kyleigh got here.
Driving towards the hospital, he hoped to see his mom doing better today. Roger had told him this morning she was calming down and taking to the medicine all right, so he was hoping she was coherent enough today to know where she was and who he was. He knew he needed to let the guilt of Randy’s death go. It was an accident. Of course he knew that, but deep down, his mind wanted to push the blame on someone, and that someone was him.
Sighing, he pushed on the gas, picking up speed down the highway as his mind began pushing out more thoughts. He needed to stop dwelling on the what if’s and what he could have done differently. He needed to find a way to come to terms with what happened to his brother, other than turning to alcohol, so he could let go of all the guilt that held him down. Finding that way just seemed impossible for him, though he knew having Kyleigh in his life helped a lot. She made him want to be a better man.
The one thing he did know, he was completely done with alcohol. It only seemed to make things worse, and he wasn’t going to lose Kyleigh again. With what she’d gone through in her childhood, he was surprised she even gave him another chance, and he wasn’t going to prove her wrong.
Once he finally got to the hospital, he parked and headed towards the fifth floor. Seeing the words ‘Psychiatric Care’ displayed on the wall made his stomach sink, but he knew she was where she needed to be to get the help she deserved.
Walking down the hall, he found the reception desk and quickly signed in.
“I’ll need to see your ID,” a young, blonde nurse said, barely looking up to acknowledge him. Her lifeless tone told him she was already checked out for the day.
Digging in his wallet, he pulled out his ID and handed it to the nurse.
“Thank you. Here’s your visitor tag and she’s in room 505, down the hall and to your right. Visiting hours are until eight thirty,” the nurse said, pushing up her glasses and finally smiling as she handed him his ID.
“Thanks,” David said, giving her a slight nod. He took off walking down the hall and towards his mom. Roger had told him this morning that she was doing better and able to have visitors now, and it made him feel relieved to hear that.
Coming up to room 505 on his right, he peered in, seeing his mom lying on the bed and Roger leaning back in a chair beside her, his eyes trained on the TV.
He knocked lightly, not wanting to wake his mom if she was asleep, but he saw them both look his way, his mom giving him a weak smile.
“Hey, mom, how are you feeling?” David asked as he leaned down to give her a hug.
Clearing his throat, Roger said, “I’ll give you guys some time alone. I need to grab a bite to eat anyway.”
David gave him a nod and watched him walk out the door.
His mom squeezed his hand and said, “Oh, I’m okay, I guess. They tell me I’m better than I was the other day, but I don’t really remember much. I’ve been really tired. It’s like I can’t keep my eyes open for long.”
Smiling, David said, “Well, you probably need your rest anyway.”
Sighing, his mom said, “Yeah, you’re probably right. They say once my health gets better I’ll have to start some kind of therapy. I don’t know about that, but that’s what the doctor says.”
The pain in his chest tightened and David pulled up a chair, taking a seat next to his mom. “Well, Roger and I are here for you. Whatever you need, okay?”
Nodding, she shook her head, and David couldn’t help but notice the bags under her eyes and the gray highlighting her hair. Age was beginning to claim her and he briefly wondered how different things might be if Randy hadn’t died. He shook those thoughts away, knowing they were nothing but trouble. Randy was dead and there was nothing he could do about it but move on and be there for his mom.
“I can’t stay long, Mom. Your visiting hours are really short, but I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said.
“Yes, well, hopefully I can get out of here soon. I hate this place, David,” she said as her eyes travelled towards the door.
“Well, you just work on doing what they say, taking your medicine, and doing everything you can to get better, and you’ll be out of here in no time, okay?” he said.
“Okay, David,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering and wanting to close. She snapped them back open, doing her best to stay awake.
Laughing, he said, “I’m gonna go so you can get some rest, but I’ll be back.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
As he headed towards the door, he looked back one last time to see his mom drifting off to sleep. He smiled, thankful that she seemed to be doing a little better now, and hoped it was the beginning of her making progress.
Pulling out his phone, he looked at
the clock on his dash, the numbers eight forty-five illuminating in the darkness of the truck, and dialed Kyleigh’s cell phone. He was running a little behind, but knew he could make it home right at nine. He just wanted to make sure she was okay and on her way to his house.
After three rings he began to get nervous, but then her soft voice echoed in his ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, Ky, where are you?” David asked as he took a left and headed down the highway towards his place.
“I am almost done getting my stuff together and then I’m heading your way. Where are you?”
“Just left the hospital from visiting my mom and now heading home. Just wanted to make sure I’ll be there when you get there,” David said.
“How is your mom?” Kyleigh asked.
“She’s doing better. She’s more alert today and seems more like herself, so that’s a plus.”
“I’m glad. Well, I’m done, so I’m getting ready to leave my place. I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she said.
“Great, I’ll be home by then.”
“I love you, David,” she said lightly into the phone.
Laughing, he said, “Love you, Ky. Now hurry up and get to my place.”
“Yes, sir.”
As David headed home, he breathed a sigh of relief as his life seemed to be falling into place and heading in the right direction. He finally began to realize that alcohol was the main thing that had continually held him back in life and from moving forward. Nothing ever seems good when you have a cloudy mind.
Chapter 24
Unwilling
After shoving a weeks’ worth of clothes into her bag, along with all her necessities, Kyleigh locked her apartment and headed towards her car. She got sidetracked with cleaning and was now running late. She was hoping to have been to David’s by now, but here it was after nine and she was just now leaving her place.
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