“GET OFF OF ME!” I wailed. “LET ME GO!”
“NO!” Justin shouted, grabbing one arm and lifting me off the ground while Chance grabbed my other arm. “We’re taking you home!”
I tried to yank free but they held me tighter, not letting me go. I didn’t care if I had to lay my two best friends on the ground. “I NEED TO FIND ALYSSA AND ALEX!” I screamed, trying again to break free but couldn’t. “LET ME GO!” I wailed. “Please…” Justin hauled me into his arms and held me tightly. “Please,” I begged, my voice scratchy, broken with despair. Justin didn’t release me. He just held me tighter in his embrace. “Justin, please,” I begged again, my cries muffled by his shirt. “Please let me get to them. They need me. I need to find them.”
“Let’s get you home, buddy,” he said quietly, putting his arm around my waist as he led me back to my house. Chance came to my other side, also wrapping his arm around my waist and repeated Justin’s words. “Let’s just get you home.” Together, Justin and Chance held me upright and walked me home.
When I got to the house my body collapsed, I broke down, completely losing it.
They can’t be dead.
I had no idea how I got inside but I found myself sitting on the sofa in my living room. My mom was holding me and my doctor was sitting next to her.
“Dr. Kissel?”
What’s he doing here?
“Ean,” he said in a calm voice. “I just gave you a sedative to help you relax.”
What?
I looked around the room and saw the broken and tear-stained faces of my mom, dad, sister, and two best friends. “I don’t want to rest,” I told my doctor, my voice slurring. Weary from crying, weak from grief. “I need to find them.”
My doctor looked at me and then at my mom but said nothing.
“Alyssa, Alex…” I whispered.
My mom wrapped her arms around me and started crying again. And as I started to fade, I heard, “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so very, very sorry.”
That was the moment I stopped living and today it all came rushing back to me…again. I close my eyes, still seeing Po in Dani’s arms.
He has to be okay.
THE WHOLE WAY HOME I’M wracked with guilt and worry. It upsets me I wasn’t able to wait to see how his dog was but I figure I can just call the hospital if it really bothers me.
Once we get to my house Beverly and Rodger come rushing outside to greet us, excitement pouring out of them. Chloe squeals from her car seat, also bouncing with excitement. “Grandma! Papa!”
I take her out and Rodger grabs her in a tight embrace, spinning her around with all the excitement of a kid on Christmas Day. She’s their life. My daughter giggles with delight and I know right there and then I made the right choice in coming back.
“Mommy hit a doggy and we had to go to the doggy hospital,” Chloe tattles while still in Rodger’s arms.
Both Beverly and Rodger stop and look at me with confused expressions.
“Long story,” I tell them, waving my hand around as if that explains everything. “A dog ran out in front of my car this morning and when I went to slam on the brakes, the car lunged forward.”
“You really need to replace your car, honey,” Rodger says, his voice filled with worry. “We can go together if you’d feel more comfortable. Beverly and I need to know that you and Chloe are safe.”
He’s right and when he puts it that way, I can’t refuse. They’ve been through so much, it’s the least I can do. “Now that I’m home, I’m definitely going to do it,” I tell him. “And I’d love to have you come with me. I could really use your help.”
He lights up. I knew that would make him smile. They both have felt so helpless since the accident and I know us being in San Diego had been hard on them. “It would be my honor,” he says, beaming with pride.
Rodger looks Chloe right in her eyes and says in a soft, sing-song voice, “I think I saw a present in someone’s bedroom.”
Chloe looks at her papa, then to her grandma, and then to me before turning back to her papa again. With wide eyes, she points at herself and asks, “Me?”
Rodger makes a grand gesture of looking at the area around us. When he turns his eyes back to her, he asks, “Hmmm, do you see any other princesses around here? Because the present is definitely for a princess.”
Chloe knows we all call her a princess. She giggles and says, “Papa, I’m a princess, silly!”
Rodger throws his head back and laughs. “I am silly,” he tells her. “Everybody knows you’re the one and only princess.” He then continues. “Well then, Princess Chloe, a royal present is waiting for you in your castle and I think we should go see what it is.”
Rodger and Chloe head into the house and Beverly hugs me. “We’re so happy to have the both of you home again. He’s been on cloud nine ever since you told us you were coming back.”
“We’re happy to be home too,” I tell her, still in her embrace.
Beverly and I walk arm-in-arm into the house. “Wine?” she asks. Normally I wouldn’t drink this early in the day and normally she wouldn’t ask, but after hearing Chloe’s admission, I know she thinks I could use a glass and she’s definitely right.
We fall into easy conversation as we take our wine out to the back porch and sit down at my little Target bistro table. I could really use some new outdoor furniture I think to myself and that makes me think about E and the furniture he made. I really wish I could see it.
“Dani?” Beverly asks over her wine glass.
Her voice startles me, pulling my head out of the clouds. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
“I don’t blame you after what happened today,” she says and before I can fall back into my head, she continues. “I was just saying I’ve noticed the house next door is occupied again.”
I look over and notice she’s right. It’s been vacant since my dear old neighbor Mrs. Hawthorne was moved into a retirement home by her family. Her daughter told me they were keeping the home to use as a rental, but it was still vacant when I moved to San Diego. We talk a little about Mrs. Hawthorne and who my new neighbors could possibly be. I’m really hoping it’s a family with kids for Chloe to play with.
She asks me about the dog and I go on to tell her all about it and the beautiful, strange, sad man. I tell her how disappointed I am that he had wanted me to leave and how worried I am about the both of them.
“You should have seen him, Bev. He was paralyzed by fear. All the color drained from his face and…” I shake my head to rid it of the vision of his beautiful, haunted eyes. “There was nothing there. I know that look. Something happened to him in his past. Something that was beyond tragic.” I could see my sorrow reflected back at me.
Of course, she understands. We’ve all lived it.
“I have a great idea!” Beverly declares. “I think we should get a new car for you right now!”
Surprised by the change of subject, and the enthusiasm in her voice, I ask, “What?”
“I know you, sweetheart, every time you look at that car you’re going to think about that poor man and his dog and you’re going to become sad.”
She’s right.
“I don’t know,” I hedge because that old Ford is another link to Scott I have to sever. “I haven’t really looked into anything yet.”
“Rodger has,” she tells me, her voice bright. “We knew you needed a new car; you’ve needed one for a very long time. We were both worried sick about the two of you driving in it and now with what happened with the dog…” She trails off seemingly lost in thought but quickly recovers. “You saw how happy Rodger was when you asked him. He’s already done research on the safest SUVs on the market and has priced them out. He’s even gone as far as to have visited several dealerships, but don’t tell him I told you.”
I laugh at her admission, because that’s so Rodger. Scott was just like that. Once he got something in his head, there was no stopping him. His philosophy was, “If you want something bad enoug
h, pursue it aggressively until you wear it down and it gives in.”
“Okay,” I tell her. “Let’s do it.”
“THE PARTY CAN START NOW!” I hear my best friend, Josh, announce as he comes barreling in through the front door. “Where’s my princess?!”
Josh is an amazing man who I absolutely adore. I met him through Lysee and we clicked instantly. He’s sweet and silly, strong, loving, and kind. He’s also gorgeous with wavy dark hair and eyes that remind me of the Caribbean Sea; water so clear you can see both the sand and the rocks. His ever-present smile is the only thing that rivals his eyes. It’s wide and bright and bracketed by two dimples so deep you want to bury yourself in them.
Josh’s story blew me away when I first got to know him. He grew up in a rural town in Georgia and had a very hard childhood. Being gay and the son of a Baptist minister was not a good combination. He lived in the closet but was still attacked by a bunch of homophobes in his teens and left to die. When he was in the hospital, he turned to his father for help, revealing his true self, and was immediately disowned. With nothing and nobody to turn to, once he recovered, he hopped on a Greyhound and headed to Southern California where he knew he’d be accepted for who he chose to love.
He was knee-deep in a trash bin at an auto body shop in search of scrap metal to sell so he could eat, when he found himself face-to-face with the owner of the shop that’s now his. George Mitchell took him in, fed him, sheltered him, and taught him the trade. When George retired, he gave Josh the business since he had no family of his own and considered Josh his son. Josh proudly kept the original name, Mitchell’s Automotive, in honor of the man who saved his life.
Lysee also suffered greatly as a child and I really think that’s why they’re so close. I met Lysee when Scott and I were having lunch at The Spot and she was our server. We had an instant connection. Kindred spirits, soulmates, whatever you want to call it, we had it. And just like with Josh, I immediately knew she was my person.
Lysee is absolutely beautiful, with long, golden blond hair that cascades down her back, and a round face with full lips, shaped like a Cupid’s bow. And, just like Josh, it’s her eyes that make her. They’re such a light shade of blue they’re almost translucent.
While Lysee is beautiful on the outside, it’s what’s inside that makes her truly shine. She’s bold and brash, hysterical and unfiltered, sweet and caring. With her history, she should be guarded and on edge. She was the daughter of a captain in the army who, after her mom died, moved her from post to post, sexually abusing her until she had no choice but to run away. She has never and will never let her history dictate who she is and for that I truly respect her.
The world is a better place with them in it and I’m a better person for having them in my life. They survived the un-survivable and I know I can too.
With E, I can.
Chloe charges out of her bedroom at the sound of his voice. “Uncle Josh! Uncle Josh!” she squeals as she races towards him.
“There’s my baby girl!” he cheers as he squats down to her level, making an exaggerated “ooof” sound when she crashes into him, while telling her how big she got and how strong she is. “Guess what? Auntie Lysee and I have a special surprise for you—but you have to close your eyes.”
“What did you do?” I ask skeptically.
Josh is wearing his “I’m up to no good” smile. “Relax, gumbo!” he drawls.
“You’re using one of your special Southern food nicknames, Josh, and your accent is out in full force. That does not make me feel relaxed.”
I seriously need another glass of wine. Or maybe the whole bottle.
“No need to worry,” Lysee chimes in as she enters the house carrying a small white file folder box.
Yep! Definitely worried and definitely in need of more wine.
“A PRESENT!” Chloe squeals, her eyes wide and focused on the box. “Can I open it? PLEASE?!” Her arms are in front of her, palms facing each other as if she’s praying, while drawing out the word in her adorable little voice. She then looks around the room silently asking for permission, her little body trembling with anticipation. Everybody turns their attention to me and I have to wonder how I’ve suddenly become the voice of reason.
“Like I have a choice,” I say in a resigned voice, and gesture to the box now sitting on the floor in front of a very excited Chloe.
“YAY!” Chloe drops down to her knees, throws the lid off the box and stops breathing.
“Meow…”
“A KITTY!” Chloe screams flying up to a standing position and starts jumping up and down, barely able to contain herself.
A cat? They bought her a…cat?!
“It’s Olaf…” Chloe breathes, and immediately goes back to jumping up and down, her body vibrating with even more excitement, if that’s at all possible.
“Oh God!” I groan.
“That’s right, biscuit! Princess Elsa needs her Olaf,” Josh drawls, also beaming with excitement. He takes Olaf from the box and hands him to Chloe, who plops herself down on her little bottom to cuddle the kitten.
“Who do we have here?” Rodger asks with a shit-eating grin as he enters from the bedroom. They’ve been asking me if they could get Chloe a pet for a while now.
“Looks like Chloe just got a new kitten,” Beverly laughs in response.
“Really!” I groan once again.
“Darn tootin’, darlin’,” Josh drawls, laughing at my reaction.
“A KITTY! A KITTY!” Chloe cheers, jumping back up to show Rodger, her little finger pointing directly at the cat at her feet. “Look, Papa, look. A KITTY!”
“It is,” Rodger says, still wearing the shit-eating grin that hasn’t left his face. He knows I didn’t want a pet and he’s loving every second of this.
“Let’s take Olaf into your room so Mommy can talk to Uncle Josh and Auntie Lysee,” Beverly tells Chloe as she picks the little white kitten up off the floor.
When they’re out of earshot, I turn to Josh and Lysee. “Really?!” I groan, yet again, now sounding like a broken record.
Josh just shrugs and Lysee says, “We missed her.”
“Yeah, but a cat?!”
“Dani, Dani, Dani,” Josh says as he puts his arm around my shoulders, bringing me in close to his body.
“Joshie, Joshie, Joshie,” I say back to him. I know the kitten is now a permanent fixture so I just say, “Wine?” as I move out of his embrace and head to the kitchen.
They nod, follow me, and Josh hoists himself onto the breakfast bar, making himself right at home.
Scott redid our kitchen right before the accident. He painted the walls a light green and installed white cabinets with silver pulls, a black granite countertop, a subway-tiled backsplash, and high-end appliances. Scott went all out because he knew I love to cook. I love my kitchen and I’m with him every time I’m in here.
I hand them each a glass of wine and we clink glasses.
“To Olaf!” Lysee cheers.
“To Olaf!” we repeat.
“Welcome home,” Lysee says as she hugs me. Josh winks and I pat his leg.
“I’ve missed you two,” I tell them. The three of us catch up. I really have missed them and it feels good being back.
“So, Monday you’re coming to meet Tonya?” Tonya is the owner of The Spot, the restaurant where Lysee works.
Sandi’s disapproving face and condescending words flash in my mind. Am I making a mistake?
Lysee senses my apprehension and goes for the jugular. “You know you need to find something. So unless you’re planning on getting back into design…” She trails off.
Gah! She knows I’m not about to go back into design and that I really don’t have any other choice. “What time?” I concede.
“Yes!” Lysee cheers.
“Did you really think you were going to win that one?” Josh chuckles.
“Nope,” I reluctantly reply, letting the sound of the “P” resonate in the otherwise quiet room.
“Ten thirty,” Lysee says smiling. “The breakfast rush will be done by then and Tonya can meet with you.”
After Chloe is asleep, Rodger and Beverly join us and we head into the living room where I tell Josh and Lysee about my new car and Lysee tells Rodger and Beverly about my new job. After I show my friends my new Subaru Crosstrek, which I absolutely love, we spend the rest of the evening enjoying each other’s company.
And for the second time today, I realize how happy I am to be home.
“PO! WHERE ARE YOU, BOY?” I holler.
Ugh, not again! I decided to take Po down to the ocean today to play ball. He seems like he’s feeling better lately and he’s been restless. He was knocked unconscious but thankfully he wasn’t seriously hurt. Though him getting hit broke me. I don’t know what I would have done if he had died. I don’t want to even think about it. My parents picked us up from the vet and took us home. When we got there we noticed someone had moved in next door. I really hope it’s not occupied by a family with kids. I don’t want to be reminded of what I don’t have anymore.
We’ve been here about an hour when Po suddenly spots something off in the distance and bolts away. Well, at least this time he can’t get hit by a car, I sarcastically muse since we’re so far away from the road. That was fun. I wonder what got his attention this time, a girl perhaps? I smile at that thought and head down the beach in search of him.
I stop short when I see who he’s with. “No way…” I utter in disbelief.
I shake my head and chuckle. “Po, you dog.” Pun intended. “You go, boy!” What are the odds?
Not twenty feet ahead of me is Dani, crouched down by the water’s edge, and Po is licking the hell out of her face. I can’t believe I’m seeing her again and WOW! She really is beautiful! She’s wearing a pale green and white striped sundress that’s flowing around her in the breeze. Her dark hair is shining streaks of auburn in the sun, her cheeks are flushed and her smile is so bright I can see it from here.
Saving Each Other (Saving Series Book 1) Page 9