Coming Home (Only Time Will Tell #1)

by Caroline Spencer

  “I know but—” Kyle starts, but gets cut off.

  “But nothing! I know less than you but I have a funny feeling that this is closer to home than you want to believe. And don’t even get me started on Tuesday night. You act like you care, and yet you stooped so low, you slept with Josie?”

  Kyle’s head shoots up to glare at her. “I didn’t sleep with Josie. You only know half the story!”

  “Josie?” she repeats, not listening to Kyle at all and chucking the spoon into the pan. “Are you serious? I expected it to be Penelope, but Josie?”

  “I didn’t—” he tries again.

  “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Nothing happened!” he shouts, shutting her up. “I’ve told her everything and she believes me. I found sleeping pills of my Moms in Josie’s stuff, she drugged me, she planned all of that.”

  Nod and Ryan both look at him warily and he looks disgruntled at the fact that they don’t believe him. “You can prove that?” Ryan asks.

  “At this moment, no. But I told C.J. and she saw the pills. Yes, there is the possibility that I could have taken them myself to cover my own back, but I didn’t. Josie stole the pills and drugged me and to be honest, it’s only Cat that needs to believe me and she does. Because it’s the truth.”

  Nod shakes her head at him in disbelief. “If that’s true then I wouldn’t believe that your Mom didn’t have anything to do with it. I know for a fact that she hates her and I wouldn’t put it past her to be in on it.”

  “She doesn’t hate her. She doesn’t know her well enough to cast an opinion on her so that’s the biggest load of bull I’ve ever heard.”

  Nod shakes her head again. “You’re in denial. The sooner you wake up and smell the roses, the better. She—” she starts and turns her head in my direction, clocking me instantly. “How long have you been there?”

  Ryan and Kyle look at me too, shocked and looking slightly embarrassed that they’ve been caught talking about me. “Long enough.”

  Kyle pushes himself off the counter, hurrying over to me to help. Not that I need it, I’m happy perched against the wall. “What are you doing up? I told you to get some sleep.”

  “Sleep?” I laugh. “Have you heard the three of you? It’s like you’re stood in there arguing. I think everyone can hear you in this block.”

  Kyle takes one my hands in his and slinks his other around my back, guiding me towards the lounge.

  “Don’t you dare park her backside in there,” Nadine barks. “The food is ready and we’re all eating it while it’s warm.”

  Kyle looks back over his shoulder, still helping me to the couch. “Don’t you think we need to talk about what happened?”

  “Yes! But that can wait. For the next half hour we are eating and letting her have a tiny bit of normality. She doesn’t need to be bombarded with your questions as soon as she’s up and moving around.”

  Kyle groans and mutters something under his breath which makes me smile. I like that he can be told what to do. He turns us and helps me sit at the dining table before taking his seat too. Nod and Ryan serve up dinner, bickering themselves, as they put everything on the table and take their own seats.

  We eat with an awkward silence over us, I guess other than todays events, nothing seems important. The spaghetti is, hands down, amazing. I feel like I could just bury my face in it, but they’d only take me back to the hospital to get my head checked out. I wouldn’t blame them if they did.

  The only sound in the room is the forks hitting the plates and it’s starting to grate. Ryan and Kyle have barely touched theirs, they’re just moving it around on their plates while Nod looks at them annoyed.

  Exaggeratedly I lean across the table and grab a couple of slices of garlic bread that’s going cold and dip it in the tomato sauce, moaning as I eat it to fill the silence and make a point that those two have to eat it…or at least eat.

  Nadine looks at me with a bit of a smile and raised brow. “You like it?”

  “Love it,” I say with my mouth full, which makes her giggle. “Where’s it from?”

  “Walmart,” she informs. “It was a bargain at two dollars.”

  I swallow before I reply, “It tastes good too. Normally there’s a reason they sell some stuff so low; because it tastes like cardboard.”

  She nods her head as she continues eating and I do too. I’m not wasting food. Never have, never will.

  The silence continues for a little bit longer, until Nod pipes up again. “They can’t be making money if it’s that much though.”

  I look up confused. “What?”

  “The garlic bread, I mean, by the time they’ve got everything together and added all the electricity and man time…the price to make it would have gone through the roof. So to sell it for two dollars they can’t be making much profit.”

  Trying to suppress a laugh I ask, “Where did that come from?”

  “Just thinking,” she shrugs.

  I don’t know why but she has me laughing. Full flown, holding my stomach, laughing. By the time I’m done though, all three of them are looking at me like I definitely need to get my head checked. “What?”

  Kyle throws his fork on the plate in irritation. “What’s so funny about that?”

  “Nothing,” trying to regain control of my breathing. “It’s just her randomness, I love it, it just made me laugh. Besides, you two look like you have faces like a smacked arse. You’re putting a downer on the meal.”

  “Have you lost your mind? I’m sat here thinking about today, trying to figure out what the hell happened and you find garlic bread hilarious?” Kyle says, trying to control his temper that’s brewing.

  “Why? There isn’t a lot we can do about it at the moment. In fact, you being here is making it worse.”

  The chair scrapes along the wooden floor as Kyle gets up, not managing to reign his temper in now. “Thanks! So me fucking caring isn’t helping. Me wanting to kill whoever did this to you is completely unnecessary?”

  “I didn’t say that!” I shout as I go to get up, stumble and fall back to the chair. Ryan comes around and helps me back up, warning Kyle with a stare, as he goes to do the same. “They warned me away from you! If they somehow hear about this then it’ll be me they come after. It’ll be me who gets the baseball bat treatment, not you!”

  “Don’t say that.” Kyle whispers, his eyes tearing up as he tugs on his hair. His throat quivering as he stares at me.

  “Why? Do you think that I’ve forgotten about it? Do you think that I’ve wiped it from my memory? Because I’m telling you now, I haven’t. I can feel my cheek throbbing, my back hurts and for God’s sake,” I say, pointing to my feet, “I’m starting to look like a fucking smurf! So don’t act like it’s just you who wants these people dead.”

  He opens his mouth to say something but closes it as Ryan walks me to the couch, telling me to relax. Nadine starts clearing the table away in silence.

  Taking a seat on the couch I try and get comfy, punching and arranging the cushions as my way of getting my anger out.

  Ryan sits beside me, looking amused as I cross my arms over my chest in a huff. “Thank you for helping me,” I snap, irritably.

  He squeezes my knee and says, “You’re welcome. Don’t be too hard on him though, he’s not had to care before. He doesn’t know how to react in these situations.”

  I glare at him out of the corner of my eye. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “I get how it sounds, but what I mean is he’s had women come and go. But you, you never left his heart and right now it’s breaking because he’s scared of losing you over everything. He’s not got the power to control this at the moment and he could lose you before he gets it. So before you start tearing chunks out of him, let him help.” He gives my knee one last squeeze before he gets up.

  Moments later his space is filled by Kyle who readjusts my comfy position so that I’m facing him. His fingers move my chin to the side so he can lo
ok at my cheek. “How does it look?”

  “It’s bruising nicely,” he informs. “You still look beautiful though.”

  I laugh and shake my chin free of his hand. “You have to say that, you’re within distance now, I can hurt you if I wanted to.”

  For the first time since we last saw each other, he laughs and it’s like hearing the first bird song in spring. “That’s true,” he says as his eyes run over my face, my neck, any visible skin that he can.

  He looks tortured and troubled, his lips being chewed into oblivion and even though I’m physically hurt from all of this I wish could take his pain away too. “Kyle, do you really think that us two being together is really worth all of this?” I ask, waving an arm around in thin air. “Someone must really hate me and love you to do this. When will it stop, when I’m dead?”

  “That’s not going to happen,” he whispers. “I’ll figure this out as soon as I can, they’re not winning.”

  My eyes fall towards my lap as I gear myself up for asking the next question. While in hospital, scenarios ran through my mind, thinking about who and why someone would want this to happen to me. No matter what I came up with, the obvious people would slip to the front of the queue time and time again. Two people hated me more than anything, and Nod was right with her accusation.

  “Kyle? Do you think that this could be Josie taking it to the next level? Would she have had time to arrange this between your call and the morning?”

  He lifts my chin to look at him as he shakes his head. “I really don’t think she’s capable of this. Can you remember what happened? Did you see what they looked like?”

  “I did one. The guy with the bat, not so much he was short and scrawny, but he had a baseball cap on, so I couldn’t see his face. The big guy, the one who had hold of me was huge though. He was three times bigger than me in every direction, except height. He was only slightly taller than me, but his biceps were bigger than my head!

  “He had a shaved head, but nothing really stood out,” I say trying to recall what I could without re-living the whole thing. “The short guy just swung his bat, never said much, but the big guy threatened me, told me it’d be me next time if I didn’t keep away from you, but that’s it.”

  “Are you sure?” Ryan asks from behind me.

  I turn and look at him. “Yeah, I think so. I don’t know though. It feels surreal to think about it now, like I’m not sure it actually happened.”

  Kyle turns my head back towards him. “I’m telling you, it did. Did any of the guys have any distinguishing marks? Like a mole on his cheek or a scar anywhere?”

  “No,” I mutter, trying to think of something that would help me pick these guys out in a line up, but— “Wait. The big guy, when he moved me, I clung to him and his shirt moved. He had a tattoo around his neck…it looked like a snake by the look of his arm, but that’s just an assumption.”

  Nadine comes over and sits on the arm of the couch, placing her arm around my shoulders. “A snake, are you sure?”

  “Positive,” I nod enthusiastically. “Well I’m positive it looked like a snake. There can’t be many people who walk around this place with a tattoo around their neck though, right?” I ask, grabbing hold of Kyle’s hand but he doesn’t look at all pleased with my information. In fact, I’m certain he’s just died on the spot.

  Ryan comes to his side and clicks his fingers in front of his face. “Kyle, you still with us?”

  All three of us look at him with a confused expression as the color vanishes from his face and he slinks into another world.

  I look at Ryan for help, but he’s still staring at Kyle like he’s an alien, so I turn to Nod and mouth, “What the hell is going on?” She replies with a jutted out bottom lip and a shrug. These pair should know, right? They’ve got to know more about him and his life now. I only know the old him.

  Placing my hand against his leg, I shake him. “Kyle, are you okay?”

  His dazed and dazzled eyes snap to mine, and he blinks a few times, knocking himself out of his trance. “What?”

  “Are you okay?” I ask again.

  Pursing his lips he shakes his head and briskly gets up, almost knocking Ryan over. “Yeah, fine. I’m just going to get some air.” On that note, he walks over and out the balcony doors.

  I watch him, feeling spooked. He’s figured something out, and he isn’t sharing it. “What the hell’s up with him, did I say something?”

  “I’m not sure,” Ryan mumbles, before following him, leaving me and Nod to be stumped on our own.

  Twisting round I face Nod and gently yank at her arm as she leans against the couch, still looking at them. “Do you know who it could be?” I ask, slightly hopeful.

  She shakes her head. “No.”

  Damn! My only guess could be that he knows who those guys are and he doesn’t like that he can narrow it down to who it could be. I’m guessing it’s someone he cares about, and my money is still bet on Josie. I just don’t know how someone like her could be involved with people like them.

  “Nod?” I ask. “Can you help Miss Smurf back to her room, she needs to have a lie down. She might be able to get some sleep now.”

  She gives me a reassuring smile and then comes around to help me up and walk me back. How much crap can be thrown at us? How much can we take before we both crumble to ashes and just give in? I’m hoping we figure it out before it happens though.

  I can feel his hand gripped around my neck, squeezing it until I can’t breathe and I begin to lose consciousness. I know I’m slumped on the floor unable to move or shout, but I can still hear them talking. I’m just not sure what it is they’re saying. It doesn’t sound like English. I try to move and fail, hoping that I can dig deep into my lungs to scream but no matter how much I shout in my head for help, the words don’t seem to be leaving my mind. But I can hear myself as clear as day, shouting for someone to help me and save me.

  I feel hands wrap around my arms and start shaking me. Mixing between their language of garbage, I can hear my name being shouted. It’s loud and urgent screaming at me, I just can’t make out who it is that has come to save me.

  Trying again, I attempt to move but my body is like lead, not even my—

  “Cat, are you okay? You were just dreaming,” Ryan soothes as he stops shaking me and bends over me, looking me in the eyes.

  Gasping for air, I pull my arm free and rake my fingers through my sweaty hair, grimacing that I’ve been seen like this. “I’m okay, I was just dreaming about the other morning Are you on your own?” I ask, looking around the room and feeling surprised that it’s Ryan who’s woken me and not Kyle or Nod.

  “No. Nadine probably can’t hear you because she’s running you a bath and Kyle’s out on the balcony making a few calls. I just happened to be walking past.” He tells me, letting me go so I can fall back on to the bed and gather myself. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I say even though I don’t feel it, but it’s better not to make him feel like my version of Dr. Phil. “What time is it?” I ask, realizing the room is full of light and not the darkness I went to sleep with. I only came in here for a nap.

  He chuckles and straightens himself back out. “About noon. Nadine was going to come and wake you up so you weren’t awake all tonight, but you got a good night’s sleep. Until just now.”

  “Oh. What’s Kyle doing?”

  “He just said he wanted to go and make some calls to delay a meeting he was supposed to have and then sort some things out, but that’s all I know.”

  I nod grabbing the comforter and wrapping it around myself just as Nod walks in, raising a brow at finding Ryan standing there. “Am I disturbing anything?” she asks, her lips turning up slightly.

  “No. She was having a bad dream and screaming so I thought I’d wake her,” he tells her shrugging his shoulders.

  I don’t think I’m going to look him in the face again. It would have been bad enough Nod or Kyle doing it, but, although I like Rya
n, I wouldn’t want him to see me in my pyjamas screaming and sweating. “I’ve been told you ran me a bath?”

  “That’s true. Come on, I’ll help you in there. Did you sleep okay? Other than just then?”

  “Just fine. I can’t believe I’ve slept till the next morning though.” I laugh quietly.

  After my soothing bath, I wrap myself in a towel and just sit, staring at my feet. They were covered in millions of cuts but looked a hell of a lot better than before. The blood had made them unbearable to look at. I tried to get to my feet but it hurt, no, they were sensitive to stand on. I couldn’t believe this had even happened to me. It makes me nervous just thinking about stepping out into the real world, on my own. I just can’t seem to see myself being comfortable doing it. A tiny rap at the door has me looking up as Kyle pokes his head around it, smiling for a moment and then losing it as he finds me inspecting my wounds.

  He slips into the room and comes over, kneeling in front of me and taking my foot from his grasp to inspect himself. “How do they feel?”

  “Sore. Everything feels sore at the moment, but I’ll survive,” I add with a smile. “What have you been up to?”

  He glances still holding my foot in his hands. “Trying to sort some work things out, and you.”

  Looking at him confused, I ask the obvious question, “Me? What do you need to sort out for me?”

  His lips press together tightly for a moment and it feels like an eternity waiting for his answer because I sure as hell can’t figure out why he’s had to sort out for me. “You can’t stay here forever, C.J. I know it’s soon, but I wanted to start making plans for you.”

  I don’t know why, but I feel like my own life is being taken out of my hands. It has a lot just recently. “You make it sound like I’m an abandoned puppy. I can sort things out myself, or at least help. You don’t have to go behind my back,” I snap unintentionally sounding a lot angrier than I should.