“I can’t believe you didn’t get to see her when she was first born. I feel like an asshole. Katy really ripped me a new ass last night. I deserved it too. Brooks, I didn’t know this is how our lives would turn out. I would have been a good husband to her. I hope you know that. It wasn’t all a game to me. I loved her too.”
“Kat and I have made a pact that we weren’t going to let the past dictate our future. We’re happy and together. B has her mom and dad in her life. At the end of the day it’s all I care about. Besides, you didn’t make me join the military. I did that on my own. My tour in Afghanistan was part of the job. Even if we were together, I wouldn’t have been there for B’s birth. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, but I know it’s the only time she’ll ever have to be without me. I don’t plan on missing anything else.”
“How come you’re not engaged yet? I’m sure Kat’s itching.”
“She’s fine. Trust me.”
“Whatever. It’s your business anyway. I’ve got my own woman to worry about.”
“So, about the whole sterile thing.” I had to bring it up. It had been bothering me since I found out. “How does Melissa feel about it?”
“We have options. We talked about her being inseminated, or adopting. Right now we’re content I think. Mel’s planning the wedding, so she’s happy she gets to keep her figure. We’ll figure it out when the time comes.”
I could tell the topic got to Branch. He was obviously living with demons of his own. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I don’t even remember it.”
“You wouldn’t. You were too far up Kat’s ass to pay attention to me. I’m pretty sure you spent the night at her parent’s house when I had the surgery. I know you were together.”
“Weren’t we always? She was our best friend, you know.”
“Some things don’t change, bro. It seems like Kat still feels that way about you. Sometimes I wonder if she ever loved me.”
“This conversation is weird. We need to change the subject before you’re using the steaks we’re about to buy to relieve a black eye.”
Branch chuckled. “It’s not like that. I have no interest in your girlfriend. I swear. I’d like to think of Kat as my sister, of it’s okay with you?”
I almost made a comment about them sleeping together, but decided it was best if I closed the door on the whole conversation. “Look, Branch. I’m trying to keep it all in the past. I’m pissed at you. I might be that way for the rest of my life, but you’re still my brother. It’s obvious you care about my daughter, that means a lot. Let’s take baby steps to repairing our relationship.”
He agreed before we walked into the grocery store. On the way home we talked about sports, which we both shared a common interest in.
The girls were drinking tea out by the pool when we arrived back at the house.
I hurried to put my suit on so that I could join them for an afternoon swim.
It was obvious Kat was happy to see me back. I’d only been gone for about thirty minutes, and in that time I had to admit I missed her. This was all still so exciting for me. It wasn’t just about being a couple, or even having a beautiful daughter. It was the whole life we were going to have together. I was on cloud nine, and nothing could bring me down.
We floated around the pool together, both of them wrapped around each arm. I could hear my brother and Melissa talking about their wedding plans, but paid them no attention. I was too captivated by my own little family.
A little while later we had burgers and salad out on the patio. B was trying to manipulate me back in the pool, and she was pretty close to getting her way. I conned her into eating more in an effort to wait longer before spending more time in the water.
It didn’t take her long to empty her plate. I didn’t make her ask again. We got back in the pool while I let Kat relax and chat with the women. In all honesty I thought nothing of her walking in the house after my mom. I figured she’d come right back out. Seconds turned into minutes, making me start to wonder if she was okay. At first I thought she was playing a joke on me, trying to get me alone to be freaky again. I slipped into the house to find her, only to come back out after not seeing her anywhere.
“Mom, do you know what Kat’s doing?” I asked.
“Someone came to the door asking for her. I supposed they’re still talking.”
Right away my heart dropped. I yelled for them to watch B while I rushed into the house. When I didn’t find her downstairs I ran to my room, finding a huge tear in my sheets, and some of her things gone from the room.
That’s when I knew for sure who’d been knocking on the door. He’s listened to her messages and looked up my parent’s address. We weren’t hard to find. They’d lived in the house since we were born.
I hurried outside to catch the back of a truck peeling around the corner. At first I started running after it, soon realizing there was no way I could catch up. Kat’s husband had taken her from me, and I didn’t know what he was going to do next.
When I opened the front door my dad was standing there waiting. “What’s going on?” I pushed past him, searching for truck keys. “We need to hurry. He’s going to hurt her.”
“Who, Katy? What are you talking about, son?”
I didn’t have time to stand there and explain what was going on. “Her husband. He’s come to take her from us. She’s in danger. Please, I’ll explain it all later. Just help me find her.”
When we rushed out of the house I didn’t know what to say or do. All I could think about was finding Kat and bringing her home safely. This all felt like a terrible nightmare.
Chapter 50
I didn’t even know where I was going. All I could hope was that he had every intention of driving her back to South Carolina. I was prepared to stop at every single hotel, restaurant, or gas station until I found them.
I tried to focus on Kat, like I could somehow sense her whereabouts. While I concentrated on the road my dad continued badgering me for answers. “What do you mean when you say her husband has her?”
“She’s married, dad. Kat got married when she found out she was pregnant. She was alone and scared. There was someone there who offered to take care of them, so she agreed.”
“Why would he hurt her? Did she run out on him to be with you?”
“No, it’s not like that.” I was disgusted with the situation. “He beats her. They married as friends, but it was never enough for him. When I came into the picture he went crazy. He wanted her to stop seeing me, and when she refused he busted her head open.”
I turned a corner and jumped on the main highway. “Where would he take her? Is this guy a danger to Brooklyn?”
“Dad, I don’t know where they’re going. We need to call the police. There’s a restraining order against him.”
My dad pulled his phone out of his pocket and connected with the police. He told them we were on route 495 headed toward the 95 north. I gave him the description of Bobby’s truck, but at the exact moment I knew we didn’t need their help looking. Flipped upside down, in the center of the road, surrounded by other involved vehicles, sat his wrecked vehicle. Smoke was coming from the engine area, and I could clearly see two people inside seeming to be dead still.
“No, no no!” I slammed on my brakes and took off toward the truck, praying to God she’d be okay. “Kat. Kat, can you hear me?” She was unconscious. Blood was dripping from her head. The truck was too smashed to see Bobby on the opposite side, not that I cared whether he lived or died. My only concern was getting her out of there. “Kat, please wake up, baby. Open your eyes.”
I pulled with all of my might to get the door to budge, but it had been welded together with the frame as it slid across the pavement. In the distance I could hear sirens, and the sound of my dad’s voice.
Everything happened so fast after that. Two ambulances pulled in, and the paramedics shoved us aside to start attending to the injured. They worked to pull Kat from the wreckage. The whole time it was happenin
g I stood there watching and praying she had a pulse. I knew that if they covered her up there was no hope, but if they got her secured properly she was still hanging on.
In those moments I thought about our perfect life, our little girl, and all the dreams that might not get to happen. I imagined raising my daughter alone, and how I’d never be able to cope with knowing I had a part in Kat’s death. I imagined the loss of her, how it would affect me, and of course little B. When I say I couldn’t live without her, I meant it. I’d been down that road, even knowing she was alive still. There was no way in hell I could live out my life knowing she was dead.
When I saw them strapping her to a stretcher I fell to my knees. There were no obvious signs of life, but I knew there was hope. I ran toward the ambulance. “Is she going to make it?” I had to know.
“Sir, do you know this person?”
I nodded. “She’s my girlfriend. Please let me go with you.”
My dad approached us. “Give me the keys. I’ll go pick up everyone at the house and meet you at the hospital.”
“Please hurry, dad. She needs us all there.” When I looked at my dad I could see nothing but fear. He knew if Kat died, he’d lose me forever. There was no way I’d ever be able to celebrate life. I’d be no good to my daughter because her mother’s death would end me.
I’d been in bad places before. I’d feared that I wouldn’t live to see another day. I’d watched fellow soldiers get burned and shot. I’d seen my best friend blown to pieces in front of me, but nothing compared to the anguish I was suffering from. This was so brutal I couldn’t snap out of it.
We had so many memories to make together. Our future was just over the horizon. We were so close to having it all. How could this be happening to us?
Why?
Hadn’t we suffered enough?
If there was a God, why wasn’t he looking out for us? Why weren’t her parents watching over her?
This wasn’t even about my sudden lack of faith. It was about not believing that anything could help the situation. The idea of losing her left me so vulnerable and petrified.
“We’ll be right behind you, Brooks. I promise.” My dad ran off toward my truck, leaving me there to deal with the paramedics. I kept asking them questions. Begging them to give me her vitals.
They pretended I didn’t exist, going so far as to prevent me from riding in the vehicle with her. I had to go with Bobby instead. He’d become conscious and was screaming profanities as they lifted him into the second ambulance. Even though he was strapped down for safety, he continued trying to swing his arms around to hit me.
Silently, I sat there listening to the men calling in Kat’s suspected injuries, and then Bobby’s. When he said head trauma I wanted to throw up. A brain injury is major. If Kat had a skull fracture or worse it could mean long-term memory loss.
I began letting my mind wander again, imagining her waking up and not knowing us. I’d spent every single second of my life loving her, but there was a chance she wouldn’t know me, or our beautiful daughter.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t put the bad thoughts out of my mind. It was as if I was only able to envision the terrible, instead of remaining hopeful. My throat burned, and I was sure that tears were falling down my face, yet I didn’t bother wiping them away. I was completely numb on the outside because I was being ripped apart on the inside.
Bobby kept yelling at me on the way. I heard the paramedic mention alcohol on his breath and hoped he was in big trouble for what he’d done. The whole time we were riding in the back he was steady trying to swing at me. “I’m going to fuckin’ kill you. You’ll never see her when I get done with my plans. If I can’t have her neither will you.”
“I’ll fucking kill you!” I jumped up and threw myself at his helpless body. “You won’t ever lay a hand on her again.”
The paramedic shoved himself between us. “Knock it off!”
I felt so disgusted being in the same vehicle with this man, but I knew it would get me to the hospital sooner than waiting for my dad and family. They’d have to sit through the wreckage traffic. It would take them hours.
When we arrived, I stood back and let the paramedics wheel both patients inside. I tried to go with them into the room they took Kat, but was led by a nurse to a lounge area. “You don’t understand. That’s my wife,” I lied.
“Sir, we understand you’re with them.”
“Her. I’m with the female. Not the male victim,” I corrected.
“As soon as she’s examined and her injuries are determined I’ll be back out to get you. Until then, please let us do our jobs.”
Instead of sitting like I’d been told, I stood there, waiting for that door to come back open. I needed to know something; anything!
I paced.
I knocked.
I rang bells.
I paced some more.
Anything was better than sitting and waiting. The longer it took, the worse I imagined it to be. I was losing hope fast if I had any left at all.
When they refused to answer the door I began beating on it, screaming at the top of my lungs for someone to help me. The people who were waiting quietly got up and left the room. A few minutes later my family arrived, crowding in to see if I knew anything.
Then I saw my daughter, and I lost it. I’d never cried so hard in my life, and it didn’t stop there.
“None of you get it. She’s here because of Branch. It’s his fucking fault.”
“Brooks, watch your mouth.” My mother was not happy with me. I knew they were all worried.
I was holding onto my chest, finding it hard to catch my breath. “You don’t get it. This could have all been avoided. He beats her. She’s married to a man who abuses her. Don’t you get it? I was trying to save her; to give them both a new life. I was trying to get them away from him. He doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near my daughter or Kat. He doesn’t deserve anything!” I picked up a chair and proceeded to throw it at the door. Branch and my dad got a hold of me as soon as a nurse was exiting.
Security was called, and I was led to a small holding area. While sitting there, begging him to help me out, a doctor came into the room. “I hear you’re giving my nurses quite a show.”
“I just want answers. My girlfriend’s been in an accident. They won’t tell me anything.”
“She’s unconscious. We’re running tests to make sure her head is okay. We need to reset her hip because it’s been dislocated. You’ve got to calm down. I don’t want to have to contact the authorities because we have a man going rogue in our hospital. I can’t let you in the room with your girlfriend until you can manage your temper.”
“I’m sorry, doc, but you’ve got my whole future back in that room. I’m afraid I can’t calm down until I get to see her. My heart is beating out of my chest. It literally hurts. I feel like I’m going to pass out. I can’t calm down. I won’t.”
“Have you suffered from anxiety before?”
“What? No never.”
He got on his little phone and made a call. A few seconds later he sat down on a chair in front of me. “What do you do for a living, sir?”
“I’m a Sergeant in the United States Army.”
“Really?” He sounded surprised.
“A few months ago I got back from doing a tour in Afghanistan. The only reason I survived is because of that woman you have in the back.”
“Are you allergic to any medications?”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to give you something to help you calm down.”
“I don’t need anything,” I argued.
When our eyes met I knew I didn’t have a choice. I’d pissed too many people off. “I’m not allergic to anything.”
“I’ll let your family know where they can find you. A nurse will be by to give you something to relax. Have you had anything to drink today?”
“No, sir.”
“As soon as I know more about your girlfriend I’ll come find you.�
�
A few moments later a nurse came in. She triaged me from a small laptop and handed me a cup of water with one tiny pill.
“What is it?”
“Lorazepam. It’s a low dose.”
“What the hell is it for again?” I wasn’t taking medicine. I wasn’t even the damn patient.
“It’s for anxiety, panic attacks. Trust me, you’ll feel better almost immediately.”
I thought about all the time overseas where I’d witness mass destruction, and how I could have used something to help me calm down. In this case, like those, my temper was getting the best of me.
I popped the pill in my mouth, hoping it would alleviate some of the pain I was suffering from. Instead I started to feel drowsy. The last thing I remember was walking back into the waiting room with my family and sitting down in a chair.
Chapter 51
“Brooks, wake up,” my dad said as he continued shaking me. I sat up straight and looked around the room, finding that the rest of my family weren’t anywhere around.
“What happened?”
“You’ve been asleep for several hours. Whatever that nurse gave you knocked you right out. She’s come out to check on you every hour. She even took your vitals once.”
“I’m not used to taking any sort of medication. It must have been super powered. What’s going on? Where is everyone? Did they leave for the night?”
All of a sudden a little girl came climbing up into my lap. “Daddy, I go bye byes?”
I took a second to hug her against my chest. I remembered how badly I was freaking out, and the things that were taunting my mind. Initially I thought I wouldn’t be able to raise my little girl if we lost Kat, but holding her in my arms reminded me of how special she was. Nothing, not even death, could keep this child away from me.
While still keeping her close I looked up at my dad. “Tell me she’s okay.”
He smiled. “She just woke up. They were worried at first about head trauma, but she’s improving. They reset her hip and she’s pretty banged up.” He paused for a second. “Brooks there’s something else you should hear before you go in there.”
Love Survives (Love Suicide #2) Page 31
