by Kaylee Ryan
“Thank you, Momma,” I say, standing and walking to where she stands on the opposite side of the bed, giving her a hug.
“We love you both. There’s a room ready for the two of you whenever you need it. And the offer stands if you want to go get some sleep. I won’t leave her side.”
“Thanks, but I’m not leaving.”
“We didn’t think you would,” Dad says from behind me.
“Call us when our girl wakes up. I’ll be back this evening to bring you dinner.”
“Mom, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Oh, there are some clean clothes for you in that bag as well.”
“Thank you both.”
“We love you. Both of you.” Six words spoken by my father that just about bring me to my knees. I won the lottery when it comes to parents, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that they’re going to shower my girl with all the love and affection she can take once I spring her out of here. Hell, they already are, and she doesn’t even know it.
They shut the door softly behind them, and it’s just the two of us. I take my seat next to her bed and hold her hand in mine. I’ve done this a thousand times over the last couple of days. My thumb runs over her ring finger, and I can’t help but wonder what my ring will look like on her finger. Taking the box from my pocket, I pull back the lid and look at the ring.
“I bought this for you,” I tell her. I don’t know if she can hear me, but the doctors tell me to talk to her; they feel like it helps the patients. “Royce went with me. Just like I went with him. Sawyer was in on it,” I tell her with a chuckle. “Little did I know that it would turn into a routine for the two of you, but that’s okay because I love it. I love that you have a friend in Sawyer and that she’s going to be my sister-in-law and by default yours.” I pull the ring out of the box, setting the box to the side.
“As soon as I saw this one, I knew it was perfect.” Without thinking, I slide the ring on her finger. “Fuck, Lay, seeing my ring on your finger, it does something to me. I wish I could find the words to explain this pounding in my chest or the way that I feel… lighter.” Carefully, I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the ring.
“When I walked into the house and saw you, I wanted to kill them, but I also needed to get to you. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. It’s going to be a while, a long fucking while, baby, before I let you out of my sight. I know they’re behind bars, but fuck me, I could have lost you, and he could have—” I swallow hard, not able to speak about what that depraved son of a bitch could have done to her. What the police claim he was planning to do to her.
This time I don’t choke back the emotion as I let the tears begin to fall. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get there sooner.” My voice cracks. “I should have been there to protect you. I let you down, and I’m so sorry. You were protecting my family and me, and, baby, I would have given them the money. It’s only money. Nothing is more important than your safety. I wish you would have told me sooner, but I know you were trying to protect me. To protect my family.”
Lowering my head to the bed, I keep her hand in mine. I let the tears fall. I’ve been trying so hard to be strong for her, for my family, but here in this quiet hospital room, I lose the battle I’ve been fighting. I don’t bother to stop them or wipe them away. Instead, I let them fall unchecked as I hold her hand in mine. “Please, baby, wake up for me. I need to see those big blue eyes when I ask you to be my wife.”
I’m a blubbering mess, so when I feel her hand move, I think that I imagined it. Lifting my head, I see her eyes are still closed, but her fingers move. Please, God, let this be the time she stays awake. I just… need her. “Layla?” I ask. Reaching up, I smooth her hair out of her face. “Wake up for me, beautiful,” I say, and to my surprise, her eyes flutter. I rush to turn off the lights in the room and pull the blinds. “There, it’s dark. Show me those baby blues,” I whisper as I hover over her, waiting with bated breath to see her look at me.
Her lids flutter a few more times, and then she’s looking up at me. “Hey, baby,” I say, choking up. “I missed you.” I’ve told her this every time she’s woken up.
She tries to speak but grimaces. “Let me get you some water,” I say, reaching for the ice-cold jug I insist on keeping for when she wakes up. I pour her a glass and bend the straw, bringing it to her lips. “Slow,” I tell her when she drinks greedily. I pull the straw away, giving her a minute. “More?” She nods, causing her to grimace again. We repeat the process a few more times until she shakes her head that she’s had enough.
“I-I’m sorry,” she croaks.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Layla, you were the victim in all of this.” Lifting her hand, I place it on my cheek. “I could have lost you.”
“W-Wh—” She swallows hard. “What’s that?”
“What?”
“My finger?”
“Oh.” I smile at her. “I forgot about that.”
“What is it?” she asks, her voice weak.
“That’s your engagement ring. I wanted to see what it would look like on your finger.”
“You still want me?” she asks.
“I want you forever, Layla.” I bring her hand to my lips.
“But your family, and the company. This can’t be good for either.”
“My family loves you as much as I do. They’ve all been here several times each day to check on you. They’re all worried.”
“They don’t hate me?”
“No, baby. They all love you, almost as much as me.” I wink at her. My eyes are dry and gritty from lack of sleep, but my heart, my heart is full and bursting with love for this woman.
Before she can reply, the doctor comes in. This is one I haven’t seen yet. “What a nice surprise, Ms. Massey, I’m Dr. Higgins. How are you feeling?” the doctor asks as she comes further into the room.
Massey. We really need to change that. I’ll get on that as soon as I break her out of this place.
Chapter 31
Layla
How am I feeling? I repeat the doctor’s question in my head. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, so that’s what I tell her. Her kind smile tells me she understands.
“It’s almost time for more pain medicine,” she assures me. “I just need to ask you some questions. Can you tell me your name?”
“Layla Massey.”
“And this gentleman?” The doctor points to Owen.
“My boyfriend. I think,” I add.
The doctor’s brow furrows, and she opens her mouth, but Owen beats her to it. “Fiancé.” He offers the doctor his hand. “Owen Riggins, future husband.”
The doctor chuckles and looks at me, and I shrug and raise my hand to show her my ring. “Congratulations,” she tells me. “But it says here that you’re already engaged?” The doctor gives Owen a pointed look.
“He didn’t ask me yet,” I tell her.
Owen laughs. Leaning over me, he places a feather-soft kiss to my forehead. “Semantics, baby.” He then turns his attention to the doctor. “That’s the only way they would let me stay here, and no way was I leaving her.”
She nods and smiles at him before getting back to business. “Layla. How many fingers am I holding up?” The doctor raises her hands, and she has three fingers raised.
“Three.”
The doctor nods and goes on to ask me more questions.
“Headache?”
“Yes.”
“Nausea?”
“Not really, not right now.”
“Good. Welcome back.” Dr. Higgins smiles. “I’ll send the nurse in for more pain meds. We’re going to want to monitor you for another day or so now that you’re awake, and then we’ll see what we can do to get you home.” She types out a note on the tablet she has in her hand. “The police are going to want to talk to you as well. It’s procedure. I’ll hold them off to give you all some more time. I’m sure you want to see the rest of your family. I’m told you’ve
had quite the rotating door of visitors.”
“Thank you,” Owen and I say at the same time.
“I’ll also get you something to eat. We’re going to start with liquids, broth, Jell-O, and if you hold that down okay, we’ll graduate you.”
I nod, and she leaves the room. As soon as the door closes, Owen drops to his knees beside the bed. “What are you doing?” I ask him. The way he’s looking at me sends my heart into a flutter. Then it registers that he’s on his knees. His eyes glance at the ring on my finger and back to my face. The flutter turns into a bass drum that I’m sure the entire hospital can hear as I realize what’s happening.
“This isn’t how I wanted to do this, but it’s where we are, and I’m going with it. Life is precious, and none of us know how much time we have left.” He takes my hand and places a kiss on the big-ass sparkling diamond on my finger.
“Layla, you limped into my life and stole my heart. Piece by piece, you chipped away at my armor until you had yourself firmly rooted in here.” He taps over his heart with his free hand. “I want every day with you. I want you to be an official member of the Riggins family. I want to make babies with you, and live our happily ever after.”
My cheeks heat as hot tears begin to fall. “I was so afraid I would lose you. That you wouldn’t be able to see past what they did, putting me on the internet.”
“That’s not on you, Layla. That’s on them. And the police have it all taken down. You were a minor in many of the videos,” he says, his voice tight. “It’s all down. No one is looking at you. No one but me.”
I let his words sink in. It’s as if the elephant of fear sitting on my shoulders is gone. It’s all gone. The videos, the pictures, my mother and her sidekick. I’m safe, and I have Owen and his brothers to thank for that. If they hadn’t shown up when they did, well, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened. “You still want that? I mean, you still want me?” I need to hear him say it.
“Fuck, yes, I want you. All of you. Your heart, your body, your mind, your soul.” He stops and shakes his head. He slides the ring off my finger, and I fight back the urge to cry. He kisses my finger and smiles up at me. His blue eyes are filled with so much love, I can feel it radiating off him. “Layla Massey, will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife?”
I don’t say anything as I stare at the man who changed my world. He brought me to life and showed me what it’s like to have a family and to love and be loved freely.
“Layla?” he asks, his voice wavering.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” I say, my voice stronger. He exhales and slides the ring back on my finger, kissing it before standing to kiss me.
“I know it’s not an elaborate proposal, but I couldn’t wait a second longer to know that you’re going to be mine forever.” The smile that pulls at my lip causes pain from the cuts, but it doesn’t stop me.
Forever.
I get to spend forever with him.
The door opens. “Hi,” a young girl says. “I have some food for you.” She places a tray on the table and moves the table over to the bed. “Looks like you don’t get the good stuff yet,” the young girl says. “Broth, Jell-O, and applesauce.” Lifting the lid, my meager dinner is waiting for me. “Once you’ve eaten, the nurse will be in to give you some more medicine for the pain,” she says, reading from her piece of paper. She pulls the small plastic cover off the broth, and the smell hits me, causing my stomach to roll.
“O-wen, I’m going.” I barely have the words out before he’s springing into action and places a small pink tub under my mouth as I vomit the water I just took in.
“I’ll go get the doctor.” The girl sounds scared to death and runs out of the room as if her ass is on fire.
Barely any time has passed and Dr. Higgins appears again. “Layla,” she says. “Tell me, what are you feeling?”
“I feel okay, no change, but the smell.” I push the table away from me. “It hit me, and I couldn’t seem to hold it in.”
She nods. “Okay. We’re going to draw some blood and run some tests.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Owen says, the worry evident in his voice. She nods and leaves the room. “You want the Jell-O or applesauce?” he asks.
“Either. I need this taste out of my mouth.”
He picks up the applesauce container and begins to feed me.
“I can do it on my own,” I tell him.
“I’m sure you can, but you can also let me take care of my fiancée.” He winks.
I don’t argue with him. It’s nice to know that I have him to lean on. I’ve just taken the last bite when two uniformed police officers knock on the door. They ask me about what I remember, and I tell them everything. It’s all still very vivid in my mind. They assure me that my mother and Don are going away for a very long time and that they will be in touch. They pass the nurse, who is there to ask me about my pain.
I feel the pain of the beatings they gave me, and the bone-deep exhaustion of the stress of the entire situation. I fear that when I close my eyes at night, it’s all going to play like a highlight reel over and over again in my mind. My eyes trail to Owen, and that fear that threatens to cripple me loosens.
I know that this man, the man who has stolen my heart, and asked to keep it forever will be there for me every step of the way. He’s proven that time and time again.
He’s never given up on me. He won’t give up on me.
“Dr. Higgins wants to hold off on pain meds until we get your bloodwork back,” she explains as she draws two vials of blood. “Here are two Tylenol. Hopefully, this will help a little.”
“It’s fine. It’s not unbearable at the moment.”
“She put a stat order on this, so we should have the results soon.”
“I’m going to call everyone and let them know you’re awake.” Owen kisses my temple and grabs his phone from the small table by the bed. I listen as he tells his parents, and asks them to call everyone except Marshall, who he would call himself.
“Why Marshall?” I ask him.
“He feels guilty. He heard you on the phone with your mom at the office, and he’s beating himself up over the fact that he let you leave.”
“I wouldn’t have let him drive me. This isn’t on him.”
“I know that, but he’s struggling.”
“Dial the phone,” I tell him, holding out my hand. Doing as I ask, he dials Marshall’s number and hands me the phone.
“Hey, brother,” he greets solemnly.
“Marshall,” I greet him.
“L-Layla?”
“It’s me,” I assure him.
“Oh, thank God,” he breathes. “How are you?”
“Well, I’d be better, but I need something from you first.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to tell me that you know this wasn’t your fault.”
“Fucking Owen,” he mutters, making me laugh.
“Marshall, my mother is crazy. She would have found a way to get to me. She’s been recording me for years, and I had no idea.” The thought of what she did to me, how she exploited me like that, it causes bile to rise in my throat. I just have to keep reminding myself that it’s over, and she can’t hurt me anymore. I can finally start my life looking forward instead of over my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Layla.”
“You want to make it up to me?”
“You know I do.”
“Okay, I’m going to need a glass of that ice, you know the small chunks like they have at Sonic?”
“Are you kidding?” he asks.
“No. The ice chips here are bigger, and I’m on all liquids for a while. So, I’m going to need a big glass of that ice.” I grin and wink at Owen.
“I’m on my way,” he says, and I can hear him putting his shoes on.
“Thank you. Please drive safe.”
“You got it, sis,” he says, his voice cracking.
I hand the phone back to Owen, an
d he leans in for another kiss. “You did a good thing.”
“I don’t want him blaming himself. He’s not to blame. If anything, he helped you know there was something to be worried about. At least, I assume that’s why all of you were there. I think it was all of you. That part is a little fuzzy.”
“We were all there,” he tells me.
“I’m sorry your family got involved with my crazy.”
“Your family.” I hear a female voice. Turning my head, I see Lena and Stanley standing there smiling, both of them with tears in their eyes. “Your family got involved with the crazy lady who is nothing but an incubator for you. We love you, Layla.” Lena comes to me and gives me a gentle hug.
“My turn,” Stanley tells his wife. She steps away, wiping her eyes, giving Stanley room to hug me as well. “Good to see you awake, darlin’.”
“How did you get here so fast?” Owen asks them.
“This one had a feeling.”
“A feeling?” I ask.
“Yep. I don’t know how, but she’s always been able to sense when something is happening with one of our kids. She said we needed to head over. We were already almost here when you called,” he tells Owen.
Owen nods, and when Lena asks about what the doctors are saying, he goes on to tell them what the doctor said. “She got sick,” he tells them. “So they took some blood.”
“Oh.” Lena’s face lights up. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Knock, knock,” Sawyer says, walking into the room, Royce behind her.
“I think there’s a limit for the room,” Owen tells them.
“Tough,” Lena tells him. “We’re her family, and we’re not causing a ruckus.”
Owen and his dad share a look, both shaking their heads, a smile playing on their lips. I hate that they’re seeing me like this, but even so, I can’t help but smile at them. It hurts to move my lips, but I can’t seem to help it. They’re all here for me, and they’ve accepted me into their lives, into their family regardless of the shit my mother pulled.
