Bound and Unbroken

by Skye Callahan

  “Thanks for the observation, doc. I can’t sleep right now, but if you have something for pain…” she waved her injured wrist.

  “Coming right up,” he kissed her forehead and pulled down a bottle of ibuprofen from the top shelf over the refrigerator.

  “No chance of Charlie getting up there, right?”

  “Or you without a stepping stool.” Eric winked and filled a glass with water. He took the seat next to her and waited until she swallowed the pills down. “Can I see your wrist?”

  “Hasn’t really changed since it happened,” she muttered, but presented her arm, shifting in her chair so that she could support her head on the back of the chair. He unwrapped her wrist, careful not to move it too much. There didn’t seem to be much new swelling. He twisted gently until she grimaced. “How bad does it hurt?”

  “It’s tolerable, there’s a twinge when you move it. An ache otherwise.”

  He traced the crease across her wrist with his thumb. “Thank you for protecting Charlie.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I should call Jeremiah and have him come pick me up.”

  His chest seized. He didn’t want to let her go, but he couldn’t push her too hard. Not after all of this. And especially not with his parents around. “I wish you wouldn’t, but I know it’s awkward for you here right now.”

  “To say the least.”

  “I'll take you home.”

  “No,” Charlie said, running through the kitchen doorway. He stopped next to Eric’s chair and shook his head again. The teary-eyed boy leaned his head against Eric’s shoulder and looked to Lena.

  Eric wrapped his arm around him, and lifted the boy to his knee. His throat had gone dry, but regardless, he didn’t know where to start.

  Lena leaned forward and took Charlie’s hand. “I'll stay for a while longer if you draw me a nice picture.”

  Charlie smiled, jumped to the floor, and scurried back upstairs.

  Eric stood, wiping a hand across his face, then he picked up Lena’s glass, refilled it and got himself a glass of water. “I'm not sure if he's bribing you or if you're bribing him.”

  “But either way you’re happy, right?” Half of her mouth curled up before it disappeared behind the rim of the glass. “That’s the first he’s spoken?”

  “Yeah, I think he’s taken a liking to you.”

  “Or he just didn’t want you to leave.”

  “Either way, it’s progress.” He laid her injured hand on the table, and rewrapped it carefully so she wouldn’t accidentally aggravate it further, then stood to find something she could use as an ice pack.

  Sam stepped into the room and put a hand on Lena’s shoulder. Eric saw the shock on her face, but she hid it before Sam could see. “Abby and I are going to pick up a few things. Seems everything’s quiet in this part of town. Anything you need?”

  Eric pulled a bag of peas and wrapped it in a clean dishcloth, and as he considered his answer, Charlie charged back into the room with his new box of crayons and a stack of paper, heading straight for the kitchen table.

  “How about you set up in the living room? We’ll be in there in a few minutes.”

  Charlie stopped and looked up in a startling glare. Eric would have done just about anything for a chance to dive into the boy’s head and find something—anything—that would give him a clue as to what he was supposed to do.

  Lena ruffled Charlie’s hair, he bit his lip but gave her his attention. “Come on, buddy, I’ll sit with you while you color. Would that be okay?”

  Charlie nodded and shoved everything into one arm, so he could take Lena’s and lead her to the living room.

  “Lena,” Eric said, holding up the ice pack. Charlie gave her another tug, but she managed to hold him off long enough to take the pack. “Keep it on for fifteen minutes.”

  She nodded, smiled a little, but the expression did little to hide her ragged tiredness. They all needed more sleep. Even Charlie, who seemed to be keeping himself going with sheer willpower and the fear of being left alone.

  “Well, now.” Sam took a step closer, his eyes also following the pair as they left. “For the short time I’ve known her, I like her. And it’s quite obvious how you feel.”

  Eric tried to smile, but his face felt too dead to do much. “I don’t think we need anything. I went grocery shopping yesterday morning.”

  “How about I drive nice and slow so you can have some peace and quiet? I’d wager you had a late night.”

  “Mom will have your head.”

  “I can deal with her. I have for more than twenty years.”

  “I still have a few years on you in that arena. Your patience astounds me.”

  “It worked on you, didn’t it? Believe me, I know what it’s like to suddenly have a little boy in my care that I haven’t a clue how to relate to.”

  “At least I talked.”

  Sam’s lips curled and his eyes shifted in a way that Eric knew all too well. The same look that he got while trying to pass off some half-truth or misdeed in his younger years. His mother, she’d barely take notice, even if he outright lied—either that, or she didn’t care one way or the other, but as soon as Sam entered Eric’s life, things got a lot harder. And a lot easier.

  “Yes,” Sam said, “and on many occasions I was amazed at your grasp on the English language—especially some of the lesser-known curse words. Hell, I’m not even sure all of them were English. But the point is, outspoken as you were, you had your own way of hiding.”

  In fact, blunt honesty was usually better at keeping people away than silence, but then, Eric thought, Charlie certainly wasn’t trying to keep people away. Quite the opposite.

  Sam slapped a hand down on Eric’s shoulder. “I’ll keep your mother busy for a few hours, and then we’ll bring back lunch. Try to get a nap or something. You look like shit.”

  Eric chuckled and scratched his fingers through his stubble. “Thanks.”

  He followed Sam back into the living room, where Charlie had set up at the coffee table and his mother and Lena sat, with only a few—very silent—feet between them.

  “Ready, Abby? We have things to do, arrangements to make…”

  She frowned for a second, it deepened when she glanced at Lena, but then she stood. Patting Charlie on the head before following her husband to the door. “We’ll be back soon.”

  Charlie nodded and smiled, but continued working on his drawing. Lena had been right about that—it didn’t get him talking, but he loved it. And it gave them some form of communication, even if Eric didn’t always understand. Eric took the seat in the corner of the sectional, stretching out over one side, and allowing Lena to tuck herself into his side. Her eyes were still trained on Charlie, but each time she blinked, it took longer for her eyes to open, and eventually she fell asleep.

  With a drawing complete, Charlie stood to show it off, but his expression sank when he saw Lena sleeping.

  “We can show her when she wakes up,” Eric whispered. “Want to do me a favor?”

  Shaking his head, Charlie’s face brightened.

  “First, run upstairs and get your blanket off your bed, and on your way back, grab the one that’s folded over the edge of the couch,” he pointed to the blanket he’d brought down for Lena the previous night. Charlie took off, but his pace had slowed significantly by the time he reached the stairs. Hopefully, that meant he was ready for a nap too. When he reappeared, he held his blanket over his head, one corner trailing behind him like a blue tail.

  Then, he grabbed a corner of the other blanket, dragging it up the couch. One little boy and two huge blankets. Eric struggled to keep from laughing out loud and waking Lena.

  Charlie presented both blankets. First, Eric draped the beige one over Lena. Then, he moved his legs and patted the couch next to him. “Come on up here.”

  When Charlie finally settled at his side, he felt Lena move, smiling up at him for a quick second before falling back to sleep. If life could change any faster, Eric wo
uld have to invest in a very sturdy crash helmet.

  ***

  Eric stirred when he felt Charlie moving on the couch. The young boy had stood so he could peek out the window. Sam’s car had returned, which meant the inevitable end to the peace. Instead of letting Charlie know he was awake, Eric closed his eyes, only opening them for a peek when he was sure Charlie wasn’t looking.

  His nephew jumped off the couch, and went over to open the door as his grandparents approached with bags. For a second, Eric considered that he might have to install a new lock—one that Charlie couldn’t reach, but for now, the young boy was at least being sociable in his own way. Charlie only opened the door a crack at first, putting his finger to his lips, to tell his grandparents to stay quiet, then he pointed to the couch.

  Eric closed his eyes, but he could only imagine the scowl his mother adopted. The thought of it almost made him laugh.

  “Come on, my boy,” Sam whispered as the door clicked closed and the lock was put into place. “Let’s get lunch put together before we wake them.”

  Eric tried to fall back to sleep, to enjoy the peace even if for only a few minutes longer, but he could feel someone’s gaze on him from across the silent room.

  He opened his eyes. “I could feel you staring, Mom.”

  “You’re setting a bad example.” She kept her words hushed, but that didn’t hinder their severity. “He needs stability in his life.”

  “No one understands that better than me. Don’t pretend that you’re not the pot calling the kettle black.”

  “I tried to keep my private life away from you and your sister.”

  “We knew what you were doing. Hell, by the time I started Kindergarten, we were spending more time with Aunt Mabel, than with you. And, if you don’t already know, she’s not one to hold back from calling it as she sees it. Even when she’s talking to a kid.”

  “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “No? How about the boyfriends you snuck in after you thought Elisa and I were asleep? Mom, I get that you were lonely. That wasn’t the problem, it was all the hiding and acting like we didn’t know anything about what was going on in your life.”

  “And when I did share, when I introduced you to Sam, you were a little terror.”

  “I was seven and I had never had a guy in my life trying to be my dad. Not to mention you introduced us after you got engaged. It was a bit of a leap.”

  “I didn’t want you to get attached to anyone I wasn’t serious about. The girls you date aren’t exactly appropriate,” she spat, nodding at Lena.

  “You haven’t spent more than five minutes with any girl I’ve dated since high school—”

  “Cheryl was a good girl and you treated her like crap.”

  “Yeah, I'll admit that. She and I have even talked about it, but it’s over. It has been for a long time.”

  “You go looking for trouble, just like your father.”

  Lena twitched and tightened her hand, so he put his own on top to cover it. If she wasn’t already awake, she would be soon.

  “Yeah, just like my father. The same thing I've heard anytime I've ever gotten into trouble. He was gone by the time I was two—it's not his fault.” Eric took a breath to calm his temper. “I got custody of Charlie because that’s what Elise wanted, and I'm doing what I can. When he's with me, I'm home with him every night. I get him off the school bus, help him with his homework, and put him to bed. He's my nephew and I love him. I'll do anything I can to help him, but I'm not going to lock myself in the house and be alone for the rest of my life.”

  His mother shook her head and glanced toward the kitchen door.

  “Mom, I know you did the best you could, and that’s all I can do. Lena’s great with him, you’ve seen that. And, she’s great with me, too. Give her a chance.”

  “You’re falling awful fast for her. You’ve only been back a few weeks.”

  “Scary, isn’t it?” The marching fire ants were back, spreading over his chest and threatening to eat everything down to his ribs. His mom retreated to the kitchen, but at least she’d lost the look of smoldering anger.

  “You can stop playing possum now, and don’t you dare deny it this time.”

  Lena rolled her head up to look at him, her mouth pressed together at an angle that didn’t really look like a smile or a frown. “That was awkward, but I wasn't trying to listen in, I just didn't want more of a confrontation either.”

  “How much did you hear?”

  “Um...” Lena rolled over so she was looking straight up at him. “Enough?”

  He dragged his fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face. “I’m not mad. How much?”

  “Something about a Cheryl—who I’m going to assume was Jessica’s friend. I may have heard something before that, but I wasn’t coherent enough to remember.”

  “Good assumption,” he said. “Sorry you had to hear all of that, but I’m glad you’re here—even though I know you just stayed for Charlie.”

  “I’m not so bad now that I’ve had some sleep.” She rubbed her eyes, and settled in next to him again, curling her feet up under her. “Although, if I had known this was going to turn into a multi-day event, I would have brought a change of clothes.”

  “You think that’s bad? I have plenty of clothes and I’m still wearing the same thing.”

  “Skank, your face is also turning into a porcupine.”

  “So, we’re back to name-calling, Loner?” He whispered in her ear, purposefully raking his stubble against her face.

  “Not with your parents here,” she whispered, jumping off the couch.

  Eric stood to grab her. “Did you just give me an order?”

  She opened her mouth, made a slight noise, then snapped it closed. Her eyes flickered back and forth slightly as she stared up at him, then she dropped her gaze and let her body fall against his chest. “Sorry.”

  Sometimes it was enjoyable to watch her willpower battle with habits and involuntary responses. But then, he had to have the same battle within himself as long as other people were around, so he lifted her chin and kissed her. All the complaining she’d done about his “porcupine” face didn’t seem to bother her now. She opened her mouth letting—even encouraging him to deepen the kiss—despite the fact that they knew that anyone could walk in at any minute.

  Eric heard the footsteps, heavy and solid, nearing the doorway.

  Sam cleared his throat, and Lena jumped, tucking her heated face into Eric’s shoulder.

  “Lunch is served,” Sam said with a smirk, shaking his head as he stepped back toward the kitchen.

  Lena

  Lena walked through her empty house and crashed on the couch. The last twenty-four hours had been a mind-fuck and although she was initially disappointed that Jeremiah wasn’t home, having the house to herself seemed more appealing by the second. She checked her phone again, no new messages from Jeremiah, so while she had a quiet house, she decided to enjoy a very long and hot bath.

  She let the water run as hot as she could stand it, then poured in her favorite daffodil bath soap. Hoping the bath would relax her muscles, if not her mind, she sank into the frothy water and closed her eyes.

  At this point, relaxation was too far gone. Stuck in a constant repeat of everything that had happened since she’d left work the day before.

  Maybe she should have told Eric that his mother cornered her while they were cleaning up from lunch, but even if she’d got up the nerve to cause what would have likely been another awkward family fight, she never got a minute with him alone.

  “Charlie needs stability,” Abby’s words hissed through her nearly clenched teeth, “He doesn’t need people walking in and out of his life on a whim.”

  “I understand that. It was never my intention—”

  “You knew about him before you went out with Eric?”

  “Yes, but—”

  Lena pinched her nose and sank under the water. Why the hell had she agreed to go out with him, knowing his
situation?

  Because she thought she’d be content with just a few weekends when they could manage the time?

  That couldn’t be farther from reality—she craved him. When it was just the two of them, the way he made her feel was more freeing than anything she’d experienced. And yet, being with him would mean the opposite of freedom. They’d eventually have to admit that his mother had a point.

  She pushed her face above the water and took a breath, wiping the water from her eyes.

  Right now, his control was new, exciting, attractive, but what if that wore thin? And what happened when he wanted more of her?

  Her phone buzzed, the sound echoing in the small room. Perfect timing, she thought with a frown. Leaning over the side of the tub, she grabbed the cuff of her pants and pulled them over until her phone was close enough.

  Leslie’s name flashed across the screen—at least it would be a distraction.

  She slid her finger over the answer button and put the phone to her ear. “Hey.”

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, just sitting in a hot tub thinking.”

  “Oh, girl, that’s definitely a sign of something wrong. Miah said you didn’t come home again last night.”

  “No, I didn’t.” She blew across the bubbles. “I just got home a few hours ago. There was a tornado, and… shit.”

  “I heard. Miah texted me updates.”

  “Did he text you his location? All he said was that he was helping a friend, but didn’t say where he was.”

  “Uh—no.”

  Lena wasn’t sure from the tone whether Leslie was distracted or lying. “That’s convincing.”

  “I just thought he was at home. That’s the last I heard. Now, before the baby cries for dinner, tell me what’s really bothering you.”

  Lena sank into the hot water again, until only the minimal amount of her body was left above the water to hold the phone and talk. “Thanks to the storm, I met Eric’s family—his parents and nephew. We just had lunch together.”

  “Talk about moving fast.”

  “I know. It feels like I’m on a Ferris wheel from hell and every time I try to take a breath, it kicks into a faster gear.”