Forever My Home (The Aster Lake Series Book 1)

by Unknown

  “She did,” Archer replied as he took another step down her steps.

  “Heard something else,” Margie said with humor in her voice; Archer could only imagine what the town was talking about now.

  “See ya, Margie.”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  Archer got Bailey in her carseat and headed home. He read in her file that Shawna was an addict and drunk who didn’t take care of herself, let alone her daughter. That bothered him. If he was being honest it more than bothered him, it pissed him off. He should’ve been there, he should’ve known he had a daughter, but there was nothing he could do to change the past. Shawna made that choice for him. Bailey was malnourished and it showed. She looked like she was four, not eight. She should be at least two inches taller and weigh more than twenty-five pounds. Archer took her to the doctor and they had no concerns with either, but it still bothered him. Archer wanted to stay pissed at Shawna, and he tried his best not to let Bailey see his anger. All he could do now was give Bailey the love and attention she deserved from the start.

  Archer promised himself he’d make it up to her; all the time they missed together and he vowed to replace the bad memories with good ones. He promised himself that he would give her the life that his parents gave him.

  “Bailey,” Archer said turning down the radio, “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Okay, Daddy.”

  “It’s about Adalyn, the girl who lives upstairs.”

  Bailey said nothing and he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She was staring out the window, running her finger over the glass. It was hot and humid out, and the AC was making the windows cool to the touch and slight condensation was building on the surface.

  “Someone hurt her.”

  Bailey slowly turned her head to meet his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Why?”

  “It was an accident, but still, Adalyn got hurt.”

  “Oh.”

  “She has to stay with us for a few days.”

  Archer watched his sweet daughter roll her eyes before looking back out the window. Even though he always wanted children, he had no idea how to be a father. He had no time to prepare or get used to the idea of having one, let alone a daughter. Maybe a son he could relate to more, but a daughter… He was out of his fucking league and he knew it. This was a difficult situation for everyone. Bailey and Archer’s life was forever changed a few days ago, and now this thing with Adalyn only complicated matters more. He got the feeling his daughter didn’t want to share him with anyone, but Adalyn needed help.

  “She doesn’t have anyone.”

  His daughter was still silent.

  “She came here alone, no mom or dad. Not even a friend.”

  “Does she have a mommy and daddy?”

  He had to be careful how he answered. He wasn’t sure what his daughter would repeat. “Yes. But they couldn’t make it.”

  “Why not?” she asked as she continued to stare out the window and draw clouds in the condensation.

  “I’m not sure,” he said turning the corner, and heading out of town. “But the doctor said someone had to keep an eye on her, make sure she’s okay, and help change her bandages.”

  “Like playing doctor?”

  “Sure.”

  She thought about it for a minute. “Okay, but she can’t stay in my room.”

  Archer had a queen bed in the spare room that was now Bailey’s room. They went shopping for a second time to pick out decorations. The old room that was once dark and lonely now had life. It was covered in pink. She had pink sheets, that matched her pink bedspread; along with pink curtains, and a rather large shaggy pink rug that sprawled out on the hard wood floors. If that wasn’t enough, she talked Archer into buying her a new pink dress. One she said she was saving for a special occasion.

  “She’s staying in my room,” he said and glanced back at her. “It’s the only other bed in the house.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  “I’m not stupid, Daddy.”

  “Never said you were, sweetheart.”

  “Okay well, Shawna had a lot of boyfriends. I know what those are.”

  Archer’s grip tightened on the steering wheel at those words. Bailey hasn’t once called Shawna mom and he understood why.

  “I’m not like your mom,” he said a bit irritated.

  She quickly answered, “I know Daddy, sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about, and besides, she’s not my girlfriend. She needs help and we live downstairs anyway.”

  “I like to help people,” she said smiling at Archer.

  “So do I, sweetheart.”

  After a few minutes Archer asked, “We’re moving on, right?” They agreed to move on from their past. Bailey had no problems talking about her past, telling Archer everything about her life. However, Archer had a problem with it and it was bad enough to read about it, let alone hear from her.

  “Yes we are,” she agreed.

  He parked the truck and got out. He loved his Chevy, even after two years of owning it. It was pure black with chrome siding and had a one-inch lift kit on it. Since Bailey was so small, he needed to add some steps on the side to help her get in and out. He undid her buckle and made eye contact.

  “Remember, I told you we had to be honest with each other. That I wanted you to talk to me about anything and everything, no secrets.”

  She shook her head and her eyes widened. “I don’t have any secrets, Daddy.”

  “I know you don’t, but Adalyn does.”

  “Is she in trouble?”

  That was the million-dollar question.

  “I don’t understand.” Her little voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

  Archer picked her up and set her on the ground. There was no way around Bailey not noticing Adalyn’s eye color and he was really messing up this conversation. He just needed to get to the point.

  He shut the truck door and kneeled down to her level. “Adalyn has one blue eye and one green eye.”

  “Really,” she whispered and her mouth hung open in surprise.

  “Yes. However, she doesn’t want people to know, so she wears a blue contact to cover the green eye. People in town think that she has blues eyes and she’d like to keep it that way.”

  “Do I get to see the green one?”

  “Yes,” he replied and stood up. Bailed reach for his hand and they walked around the house, up the porch, and went inside. The cool air stuck to his skin, cooling him off instantly. He heard it was going to be in the nineties for a few days, but it felt like it was over a hundred already this early in the morning.

  “Can I see her now?” Bailey asked running to the kitchen.

  The house had an open floor plan; kitchen on the right side of the house, after the dining room, and living room on the left. His room sat beneath Adalyn’s, but was much bigger. Where the stairs were that Adalyn used to go to her apartment, sat an old wooden bookshelf that had definitely seen better days. Books adorned every available surface of the bookshelf; the shelves running from top to bottom sagged a bit under the weight of old textbooks and photo albums, and the shelves along the sides were crammed with fiction and non-fiction alike. Archer didn’t read much, but his mom had. It’s something he grew up with and would never change or part with. It was a part of this home, this family.

  Archer followed and watched her grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and wanted some himself. Bailey moved to the side and he grabbed one. He drank half the bottle in one swig and put it back in the fridge.

  “Her face is bruised and swollen.” He watched Bailey skip down the hallway next to the bookshelf. “She looks different.”

  Neither of them said anything as they entered the room.

  Adalyn was right where he’d left her. Bailey crawled on the bed, while Archer sat on the side next to her hip. He had her head elevated on two pillows.

  Bailey crawled up and leaned over her face, inspecting it. “Is she going to wak
e up?”

  “You can try, but usually she just mumbles.”

  “I want to see her eyes.”

  “You will, soon enough.”

  Bailed sat up on her legs and started poking Adalyn in the arm. “Wake up.”

  Arched laughed at his daughter, but it was working; she slowly rolled her head to the side and started to mumble.

  “Why won’t she wake up?”

  “She got hit pretty hard. The doctor said she might sleep a lot.”

  “Oh.”

  Archer was going to call John back later today if Adalyn didn’t fully wake up. He thought after a night of rest that she would be more coherent. Whatever shot John gave her for pain must really be working, since she hasn’t woken in pain or needed any additional doses since.

  Adalyn was looking towards Bailey when her eyes fluttered opened. She squinted from the pain and they quickly shut closed. “My head hurts,” she whispered.

  “It’s looks awful,” Bailey told her.

  “Sweetheart,” he warned and she continued to talk to Adalyn.

  “Someone hit you in the face.”

  She grunted and lifted her hand to her face.

  “I wouldn’t touch it,” Archer informed her and grabbed her hand. He pulled it back down and Adalyn gripped onto it. He glanced down at their hands holding each other, and Archer felt his heart skip a beat.

  “Someone,” Adalyn whispered and then squeezed his hand again, “shot my dad.”

  “Why would someone-”

  “Bailey,” Archer interrupted and let go of her hand. He reached out for her and she stood so he could pick her up. “She needs to rest. Why don’t you go pick out a movie for us to watch, or a game to play?”

  “I want to see her eyes,” she said over Archer’s shoulder as he carried her out of the room, past the bookcase, and into her room, which was on the other side of the kitchen.

  “You will honey, later.”

  “Okay!” She skipped to the middle of the room where the TV was and turned it on. He hasn’t bought any movies so she was looking for something online.

  Archer went back to his room to question her more, but she was already snoring again. He made a call to Ian, but he didn’t answer. He left the new information on his voicemail, and then settled in for a movie with his daughter.

  Chapter 9

  I’ve never had a migraine so horrible in my life. It felt like ten bricks were sitting on my face, my ears felt like they were going to pop, and I could tell my nose was plugged. I reached up to touch my face and felt a wet cloth. I pulled it off and tried to pry open my eyes. The light was too bright, pain radiated through my head and face, and I wasn’t sure what was going on.

  Slowly opening my eyes again, I rolled my head to the left. I blinked a few more times bringing the room into focus; the closed black curtains hid the sunlight, but did nothing for the light coming from the lamp. The curtains on my windows were purple; I had picked them out a few days ago.

  My hand slowly moved over the sheets I lay on, realizing it was silk. I don’t have silk sheets either. I felt movement on the bed and then I really started to panic.

  Coming into focus was Archer’s daughter, Bailey. She tilted her head to the side and stared into my eyes.

  “Have you ever seen a dead body?” she whispered, leaning closer to my face.

  My eyes were starting to water and I blinked a few more times, as I rolled my head so I could stare at the ceiling.

  Bailey small little head filled my vision as she leaned over me to repeat her question, “Have you ever seen a dead body?”

  “No,” I whispered because my head was pounding.

  “I have.”

  I cleared my throat and closed my eyes. Was she telling the truth? Why is she asking me such a bizarre question?

  I already knew the answer but I still asked it, “Am I at your house, Bailey?”

  “Yes, my daddy says we need to take care of you.”

  “What happened?”

  “Someone hit you.”

  I started to search my thoughts. I remember leaving work early, going to the bar, and drinking. I met Rocco. I knew we had a few shots of tequila, but I don’t remember anybody hitting me.

  “Who hit me?”

  “I don’t know. A bad person I guess.” I could tell by her voice that she was still leaning over me. I opened my eyes and there she was.

  “I really like your eyes.” My heart stopped and I reached up to feel my face. My eyes hurt to the touch and felt very swollen. My ears rang as I heard my mom’s warning over and over again. “Put it in. Never take it out, especially around other people.”

  I couldn’t think straight. My contacts were out. She knew. This meant Rudd knew also. Bailey could see me, the real me. I tried to sit up, my body fumbling from my jerky, rapid movements. I needed to leave. It was all too much though, and dizziness won over my survival instincts as I collapsed back onto the pillow.

  “Bailey,” a deep, smooth male voice that belonged to Rudd wafted through the doorway, “back up and give her a little bit of room.”

  Even after I felt him sit on the side of the bed, I did not look towards him. Why was I in his room? I gripped his satin sheets with both of my hands.

  “Adalyn.” Every time he said my name, it made the hair on my arms stand up. I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

  “What happened?” I asked softly, closing my eyes. “Where’s my contact?”

  “I’m sorry, but John lost it.”

  Who else knew about my contacts! “Who’s John?” I snapped.

  “The doctor,” he informed me. “He said you couldn’t wear it until the swelling goes down.”

  “I don’t remember what happened…” Now my eyes burned, but it was because they were full of tears. It hurt, but I didn’t care. I cried. I cried for my forgotten memories of that night, I cried because of the constant pain I felt, I cried because I failed my parents. Four people that I know of have seen me, the real me, which made me cry harder.

  “You and Madi were at the bar, there was an altercation, and you ended up getting elbowed in the face.”

  I thought about the bar, drinking, dancing, and that somebody had shoved someone into me, which was the last thing I remembered.

  “Someone ran into me, that’s all I remember.”

  “Do you know what he looked like?”

  I shook my head no, I didn’t. And I’m glad, because now I wanted elbowed him in the face so he could feel how much pain I was in.

  “It’s okay; we’ll take care of you.” I heard Bailey say. She was on one side of the bed, Rudd on the other. I was surrounded.

  “I have more contacts upstairs.”

  I felt him move but he didn’t leave the bed. “Would you like to sit up?”

  “I’m not sure I can. The pain is intense.”

  “John said you had a small concussion and a slightly broken nose, which he set straight.”

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  “You just need to take it easy for a few days. Madi got your shifts covered; I talked to her a few minutes ago. She’ll visit later as well.”

  I really wanted to see Madi and talk to her. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel so uncomfortable. I was lying in his bed, which meant I had slept here all night.

  “Did you…” I stopped because I knew Bailey was still on the bed.

  “Bailey sweetheart, why don’t you go get Adalyn some water so she can take her pills?”

  “Okay!” she squealed and I heard a thud, probably from jumping off the bed. “Sorry!” she sang as her words trailed out of the room.

  I rolled my head and opened my eyes. Rudd was sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees. It was as if he was waiting for me to look at him. He wanted to see me. I could tell by his reaction that this was the first time he saw my green eye. His eyes slowly moved around my face, lingered on my lips, and then met my eyes again. He reached out for my hand and his were trembling slighting as he held onto mine.

&nb
sp; Tears were forming as I watched him open and shut his mouth a few times trying to say something. I was worried something else was wrong.

  Very slowly he said, “You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my entire life.”

  It wasn’t what I was expecting him to say. Something definitely changed between us as I felt it flow through our hands. I felt warmth start to grow inside of me. I grew warmer as it consumed my body. I was scared of it. I turned my head away and I heard him sigh, then he let go of my hand and moved from the bed.

  “I have the water.” Bailey danced into the room. “Adalyn,” she said softly when she made it to the side of the bed next to Rudd, “you want some?”

  “Yeah.”

  I rolled over and propped myself up on an elbow. I grabbed the bottle, took two pills out, and tossed them in my mouth. After they were down, I put the glass on the table and lay back down. As soon as I could sit up without getting dizzy, I was going home. It was sweet of them to look after me, but I needed to leave.

  “Thanks Bailey, but I need a nap now.”

  She had the cutest smile, just like her dad’s. “Okay.” She spun around and ran to Rudd who was standing by the door. “Come on Daddy, let’s go play.”

  I refused to look at him.

  I was confused but flattered at the same time. He thought I was beautiful. He thought he was seeing the real me, and in a way he was. Nevertheless, he didn’t know… he didn’t know about my secrets.

  My head wouldn’t stop pounding, no matter how I tried to lay. I ended up my back again, staring up at the ceiling. I was afraid to look in the mirror after running my hands over my face. It didn’t feel as swollen as I imagined I looked, especially considering the amount of pain I was in. I lightly touched the hard plastic tape across the bridge of my nose. So this is why I can’t breathe through my nose.

  I needed to call Madi, make sure she was okay and got home safely. I’m assuming she did because Rudd was involved. How did he get involved?

  I’d have to ask Madi, but right now, I just wanted to sleep.

  If I was sleeping, I didn’t have to think. Thinking was just making my head hurt worse. I closed my eyes and focused on the silence, which eventually helped clear my mind, and finally drifted back to sleep.