Chapter 32 – Get On With It

 

“I’m maybe,” Cam pauses, “five, ten minutes behind you.  Jude and Tony are behind me in Jude’s truck.  It shouldn’t take long to get the rest of it.”

It’s Monday night and I just dropped Jordy and Cara off at Sophia’s.  Cam had football practice after school like always and after a quick dinner, we headed to the guy’s softball game.  They won, but they would.  This is old man softball and it’s really not fair to all the old men.  Cam put together a team of hot guys who are in great shape and athletic.  Cam, Jude and Tony forewent a beer in the parking lot after the game to move the rest of my things. 

I have two days to finish moving out of my apartment for good and for the most part, I’m out.  I have a few boxes left and some furniture I’ve decided to keep for the basement guestroom at Cam’s house.

Our house. 

After the initial drama last night with my family, our evening turned into a celebration and we even have a tentative date set for the wedding, after Cam’s football season.  Of course Hattie and Kipp were over-the-moon ecstatic about our news, Kipp stating, “Well, tie me to a hog and roll me ‘n mud, this’s a surprise,” and Hattie screamed over and over, “I do declare!  I do declare!” but she never really declared anything, she was just that excited. 

After getting the kids to bed last night, we celebrated for the second night in a row, Cam taking his time with me.  And afterwards, lying naked in the dark wrapped up in Cam, he gently asked me to back off my schedule.  He said he doesn’t like me tired.  I explained I was fine, I was probably tired because of the baby, not to mention all the hormones kicking in.  He then not so gently told me to back off my schedule, to take care of myself and his baby.

This for some reason made me weepy all over again.  Seriously, the hormones are just too much.  Of course, I agreed.  What else was there to do when he asked me to take care of his baby?  The whole thing made me weak with happiness.  Although, I didn’t tell him I’d already planned on backing off.  I’ll just let him think it was his idea.

I barely got my panties on before I fell dead asleep.

Today, I caught up on my blog and website, hung out with the kids after school, dinner, old man softball and now is now.  I hope the rest of the moving goes fast, I’m anxious to be done and officially start the next chapter of my life with the Montgomery’s. 

“That’s fine, I’ve got a few more things to throw in boxes.  I’ll go back and clean tomorrow,” I say as I pull into the parking lot of my complex.  I disconnect my Bluetooth so I can keep talking as I walk up the stairs, “Your sisters both called today, they said they talked to you.  Jen is on a mission to find the biggest white tent in the state of Texas and Ellie was as sweet as ever.”

“Yeah, Jen chewed me up one side and down the other, telling me it’s about time I got my head out of my ass.  Ellie could care less about the wedding, but she’s fucking thrilled about the baby.  She told me it better be a boy so Griff has a cousin to play with.”

I smile as I finish trudging up the stairs, thinking I won’t miss this one bit, “Do you want a boy?”

“Don’t care,” I hear him smile back.  “We’ve got one of each.  I only want it to be healthy.”

I put my key in the door and don’t feel it catch, but I’m too happy to think about it.  I move in and toss my purse to the floor.  Kicking the door shut, I say as I flip on the light, “I don’t care either.  But I do want to find out, I don’t think I can take the suspense for nine months – ”

I stop talking and gasp.  Gripping the phone at my ear, I stumble taking a step back, trying to get my hand on the doorknob.

“It’s about time you came back.  I’ve been waiting for you,” he growls, before demanding, “move away from the door.”  His eyes, bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles, narrow on me and he twitches the gun that’s casually held in his hand, showing me where he wants me to move. 

“Baby?  You there?” Cam asks in my ear.

Coming out of my surprise, I fumble for the door again when he roars, “Move!”

My body jerks at his outburst and Cam bites out in my ear, “What was that?”

As he points the gun at me, I whisper to Cam, “Brian, what are you doing here?”

“He’s there?” Cam growls.

“Why do you have a gun?” I keep on, talking in the phone.

“Fuck,” I hear in my ear.  “Be calm, baby.  Keep talking to him, I’m coming as fast as I can, but do not hang up.”

“I’m not gonna tell you again.  Move away from the door,” Brian says, standing in the middle of the room.  His voice is shaky and he looks scruffy, unkept.  But it’s his body language that tells the tale.  He’s wound tight, agitated, almost as shaky as his voice.

“Okay,” I breathe, still talking into the phone and to Brian at the same time.  I take three steps sideways, standing in front of the window that faces the breezeway.  The blinds are open by a touch and the door is still unlocked. 

“Hang up the phone,” he jerks the gun that’s sort of dangling from his hand. 

I ignore him, keeping the phone to my ear and beg, “Please, put the gun down so we can talk.  We have so much to talk about.”

“Put down the fucking phone!” he screams and I can’t help but whimper.

“Put it on speaker and set it face down.  I’m coming to you as fast as I can, baby,” he says softly in my ear.  “Keep him talking and stay calm for me, can you do that?”

I let out an audible breath of air and whimper my answer into the phone.

Hating to let go of the only connection I have to Cam, my hand shakes as I pull it from my ear and carefully hit the speaker button.  I drop my hand and lay it face down next to me on the bare end table. 

“Now,” Brian starts.  “Let’s talk about you.  And me.”

*****

Fuck.  I gun it after quickly looking left and right, not seeing anyone, and run the red light.  I keep the phone to my ear as I fist the steering wheel with all my strength, doing everything not to come out of my skin.  It was all I could do to talk to her calmly as I think of her at the hands that guy.  How in the fuck did he get out without us knowing, let alone get a gun?

Looking in my rear view mirror, I see Jude has kept up with me, running the red light and screeching around the turn I just made.  I hear my phone beep with an incoming call, but I don’t dare click away from her. 

“Please, Brian,” I hear her plead.  “Put the gun down so we can talk.”

“So many fucking years,” he ignores her.  “While I was waiting for you, I thought it out.  I was patient because in the end, I knew you’d be mine.”

“Please put the gun down,” I hear her voice crack and I know her so well, I know the tears are coming. 

“Shut up,” he bites.  “He was it for you, wasn’t he?”

“What do you mean?” she asks and I can barely hear her. 

Louder, baby.  I’ve got to hear you. 

“He was your first?” Brian asks with contempt. “You held out all those years.  I thought it was gonna be mine, worth waiting on you, with no one else being there before me.  And you gave it to him?”

“Brian,” she starts and I can hear her a bit better.  “Let me call someone.  We can get you the help you need.  I know you can get back to you, but you need help.  Please, let me help you.”

“I don’t need any fucking help!” he screams.  “I’ve been in jail because of you, in a fucking prison hospital because of you.  I don’t need anyone’s help, I know what I need.”

“What do you need?” she asks, her voice stronger than before.

“I need – ” I hear him say and then he stops. 

“Brian,” I think I hear movement.  “Let me help you.”

“You can’t help me,” he says, his voice dipping.

I take another turn, ignoring all street signs and see that Jude is keeping up and he’s got his own phone to his ear.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he keeps on, louder again.  “It was supposed to be me for you.  With you, I was good.  I felt good when we were together, but then it all started falling apart.”

“What started falling apart?” she asks, although I think she’s moved because now I can’t hear her as well.

“Everything,” he says, sounding resigned.

“Brian,” she says louder and stronger.  What the fuck is going on in there?  She goes on to demand, “Put the gun down.”

“All my life, people said it and I fucking hated it more than anything.  ‘You’re just like him, Brian.  A mini-fucking-me of him, Brian.  Your mom, she’s lucky to have him in you, Brian’,” he spits.

“You’re nothing like him,” her voice goes higher, her words coming rushed, more desperate.  “Nothing.  You’re so much better, stronger.”

“I’m not,” he says, defeated.

“Remember,” she starts her voice quick and clipped.  “The year we met?  We were juniors.  You helped me through that programming class with that awful professor.  I never would have made it through without you.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Brian mumbles.

“It does,” she keeps on.  “All the hours we spent on projects.  Laughing and having fun while we worked.  You demanded I make you cookies for all the help, but I know you would’ve helped me all the same.  You helped me then, let me help you now.”

“That was too long ago,” he refutes.

“Put the gun down,” she begs louder and more desperate than she’s sounded yet.  “For me, please.  Put it down for me.”

I take the last turn, and fucking finally, turn into the lot on what feels like two wheels.  My tires screech and looking back, I don’t see Jude. He must’ve been held up somewhere.  I jump out of my car, barely taking the time to throw it in park and run flat out, faster than I’ve ever run before. 

With my phone to my ear, listening, I only think of them.  Paige, our child.  Getting to them as fast as I fucking can.

*****

“What’s that noise?” he comes alert, looking beyond me toward my phone on the coffee table.

“Brian,” I plead through my tears trying to get him to forget about my phone.  “Talk to me, just you and me.  Like it used to be.”

His gun isn’t trained on me any longer.  He’s been waving it around as he rants, holding it to the side of his head as he drags his hands through his hair out of frustration or letting it dangle loosely by his side.   I can’t know for sure, but I don’t think he came here to hurt me.  However, I cringe at the thought of what he could do, especially with a gun in his hand and talking about his dad.

“It’ll never be like that again,” he focuses back on me, his eyes pained, his face tight.  “It could’ve been perfect, but I lost you.”

“You didn’t lose me.  I can help you,” I cry out to him.

“I’m just like him,” his voice drops.

“No,” I press louder, shaking my head quickly.  “You’re not.”

“Just like him,” he repeats with his eyes on me intently.

Just when I was about to beg, plead or heaven forbid, something more desperate, the door bursts open behind me.  Brian, whose temperament was softening just moments ago, becomes tense and he brings his gun up and when I turn, he’s pointing it at Cam.

“No!” I shriek.

“Him?” Brian yells.  “You had him on the phone listening, didn’t you?”

“Hey now,” Cam calls for him in a low controlled voice.  He takes a step in toward me, leaving the door standing wide.  He puts his hands out low, proving he’s unarmed and demands, “Let her go.”

“Get the fuck out,” Brian demands. 

“Paige,” Cam calls for me while never taking his eyes off Brian.  “Come to me. Slowly.”

“Don’t move!” Brian yells.

I look quickly between them with the gun pointed at Cam.  Losing it, I yell, “Put it down!”

“Baby – ” Cam calls for me when all of a sudden, Jude is in the doorway with his own weapon.  It’s pointed straight at Brian, but he holds his with confidence and determination.

“FBI.  Drop the gun,” Jude commands.

Cam takes a step closer to me, a mere three feet outside of reaching distance.  He feels so close, yet he’s never felt so far. 

“Drop it!” Jude yells.

Brian’s eyes dart between Jude, pointing a gun at him and Cam’s controlled movements.  That’s when I see it.  The change in his eyes.  He looks defeated when his elbow gives, but his hand doesn’t drop.  I frown when I see him lift it higher.

“Paige, come to me,” I hear Cam say quickly, but I only have eyes for Brian. 

“No,” I whisper.

Brian looks into my eyes and lifts it higher until it comes up to his head.

And the next moment in time, a moment that transpired so fast, so quick, that all things occurred simultaneously…

*****

“No!” I scream.

I hear Jude mutter, “Fuck,” as he moves his firearm fractionally, by what would seem to be an insignificant measure, and brace.

My body, of its own accord, starts to move toward Brian.  I’m an infinitesimal distance from him, but feel a hand on my arm squeeze tight. 

“Get her!” my brother’s voice rings while Cam yells, “Paige, no!”

Then, I’m being yanked in the opposite direction I intended to go. 

Two guns fire in quick succession.  

And after that moment, time goes still…

*****

I hear a bellow.  I even hear Brian collapse to the floor.  Yelling and commotion surrounds me.  But I barely take it all in.  I’m being pulled away and before I know it, I can’t see anything. 

“Get her out of here,” my brother growls.

I’m in Cam’s arms and feel myself go up.  I’m being shifted as cool air hits me. 

“Fuck.  Shit.  Oh, thank you, God. Fuck,” I hear him pant in my hair where I’m being held tight.  We’re going down and I realize my face is being held snug in his neck. I feel him settle us, him leaning against a wall with his feet to the ground, his knees up, high and wide.  He’s cradling me in his arms and between his legs.  Holding me tight, he continues through labored breaths, “Fuck, baby.  You’re okay.  I’ve got you, you’re both okay.”

I turn my head out of his neck and look down.  I feel wet and sticky.  I look down farther and it’s all over me.  Splattered blood, all over me.  I start to shake and then hear myself scream.  I can’t control it, knowing what’s happened, what Brian did and no one was able to stop. 

Cam pulls me tighter with one arm and his other hand comes firmly to my face, “Stop, Paige.  Calm down.  He’s okay,” I can’t stop shaking but I stop screaming long enough to look up.  He levels his eyes on me and says, “Baby, he’s okay.  Jude hit his arm, his shot went wide.  You’ve got to calm down.”

“He’s alive?” I cry out, frowning through my tears.

“Yes.  Jude and Tony are with him.  Please, for the sake of the baby, you’ve got to calm down.  Breathe, I’ve got you.  You’re okay,” he whispers.

I look into his distressed eyes and nod.

I barely see him close his in relief before he turns me into his chest, holding me there in his strong arms.  Only then do I hear the damn sirens that I never want to hear again.  And I can’t tell the future, but I do know for right now the situation might not be good, but everyone’s alive and breathing. 

*****

“Watch her,” Jude frowns across the room with his eyes on Paige.  She’s sitting on the sofa between Leigh and her mom.  I put her in the shower and washed her myself, throwing away her clothes.  She’s now wrapped in a blanket assuring her family she’s fine.

“Of course he’s going to watch her,” Gabby says to her husband before she looks up at me.  “It might take some time, but she’ll be fine.  She’s a crier, but that’s only because every emotion that runs through her runs so deep, I’m sure she feels it in her toes.  No one feels deeper than Paige—it’s who she is.”

“You’ve got that right,” Tony mutters from beside me.  He crosses his arms and agrees, “She’ll get past this eventually.  It kills me she’s carrying guilt over this.  It’s not her fault he fixated on her, and because of his illness, it became scary as shit.  Only she would feel bad about that.”

“True, but she has you,” Gabby looks back at me.  “She’s got your kids and now she has a healthy baby and wedding to focus on.  She’s strong and she’ll get past this quicker than you think.  She’s got too much to be thankful for not to.”

I breathe a sigh of relief and silently agree.  She was so upset tonight, I insisted they check her and the baby out.  Even though it’s early, they were able to see a heartbeat which was not only a relief, but a miracle to boot.  The third one I’ve witnessed.  And the sweet that Paige has given me up until now, instantly multiplied hand over fist. 

“You’re sure you don’t need anything?” I hear Lizzie ask her.  Again.

“I’m good, Mom.  Just tired,” she says before her eyes come to me and widen.

Despite what we’ve all been through tonight, I have to press my lips together not to grin.

“And by the way,” Gabby keeps going, “I love your family.  Paige gave me your parents’ and sisters’ information.  I was on the phone with all of them for hours today about the wedding.  Your sister secured the largest tent I’ve ever heard of and another for backup, in case there’s weather and you can’t have the ceremony outside.  I called all the florists your mom gave me and everyone’s gagging to work with the Montgomery’s.  Although, I think Paige might have an issue with your mom’s ideas for food.  She’s going to want to get a handle on that, A-sap.  Your dad is a hoot and is all over the electrical issues I spoke with him about, we can’t have a power outage from too much pull during the reception.  But all my Aunt Lizzie’s worried about are the dresses.  Leigh and I will be huge and Paige is so small, I’m sure she’ll be showing by then.  She’s probably going to have to pick a color and everyone wear a different style, lots of people are doing that these days.”

I look down at Paige’s cousin and frown.  We only announced we’re getting married last night.  How could they have gotten this far in one day? 

I feel a slap on my back and when I look over at Jude, he apologizes under his breath, “Sorry, man.  You should’ve done what Tony did.  You’re like me—didn’t think that shit out.”

“You’re sure you’re not hungry?  I can make you something before we leave.  Did they talk to you about prenatal vitamins at the hospital?” I hear Lizzie go on.

I put the wedding details out of my head and look to Paige, who looks more tired than I’ve seen her in days, and that’s saying something.  I move away from our group and announce, “Party’s over.”

Everyone looks at me, but it’s Lizzie who says, “I think she’s hungry.”

“She’s tired, Lizzie, she needs to rest.  If she’s hungry, I’ll get her what she wants,” I try to explain to my mother-in-law-to-be as gently as I can.

“Let me just get her some water, she doesn’t drink enough – ” she starts, but it’s her husband who interrupts her.

“Lizzie,” Paige’s dad stands holding out a hand for his wife and says firmly.  “Let him take care of her.”

“But – ” she starts to argue again.

“No,” he reaches down and grabs her hand, pulling her up.  “We’re leaving.”  He turns to his youngest daughter and moves to kiss the top of her head, “Love you, sweetheart.  Get some rest.”

Paige looks up to him and smiles a tired smile, “Love you, too.”

And with that, I shuffle the Carpino’s out as fast as they’ll let me.  Which unfortunately for me, wasn’t that fast.

*****

Cam comes back to the bedroom after he kicked my family out the door.  I could tell they didn’t want to leave, but it was getting late.  Even though my family can be in-your-face, they’re polite enough to leave eventually.  Sophia is keeping Jordy and Cara for the night since we were at the hospital late.  Now, it’s just the two of us.

I’m sitting against the headboard with my knees tucked to my chest waiting for him.  He starts his strip tease for me as he asks, “You okay?”

I shrug, “I don’t know.  I hope he gets the help he needs this time.”

I see Cam sigh as he climbs in bed.  He pulls me down and once he settles us on our sides facing each other, he pulls my leg over his hip with his hand on my bottom, holding me close.  But he stays quiet, not saying a word.

“You’re not okay, are you?” I finally ask after many quiet moments.

He exhales and shakes his head, “They made a huge-ass mistake during his medical evaluations, and then let him out on bail.  They notified your dad, but it was hours after it happened.  I’m not having much faith in the system.  You were both put in danger, it could have been much worse, and it was already really fucking bad.  None of it should’ve happened.”

Brian was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm.  He’d lost a lot of blood, but Jude called and learned he’s out of surgery.  His mom was able to see him for a bit, but he’s under police guard. 

I didn’t want to go because nothing happened to me, but everyone insisted I get checked out.  I was sent to OB and after having a transvaginal ultrasound, we learned that all is well with our baby.  Even though they said it’s still early enough that we might not see it, the heart fluttered on the screen.  I didn’t think anything would make me feel better after tonight, but seeing our baby on the screen for the first time, with his or her little heart beating, it was almost enough to make me forget about the entire nightmare. 

Of course I cried all over again and Cam had to pull me into his arms right there on the table.  But he did so while demanding, “We need a picture of that.”

Cam’s right.  Brian was evaluated and tested for every symptom he presented with, not to mention the background his mother gave them about his dad.  Something happened, a report went missing or something wasn’t put in his file, and he slipped through the system.  He was released on bail without being treated.  My dad got a call late this evening alerting him to the fact Brian was awarded bail.  He couldn’t get hold of Cam or me, so he called Tony.  That was when they were all racing to my apartment. 

Cam sweeps my damp hair out of my face and putting his hand to my chin, he pulls me in for a kiss.  When he lets me go, I have to swallow over the lump in my throat to whisper, “He had a gun pointed at you.”

Running his hand up my neck and into my hair, he sighs, “He had a gun pointed at both of you.”

I close my eyes, melting deeper into his warm body. 

“With all the charges against him, plus his state of mind, he won’t get out for a long while after tonight,” Cam says as he rubs my back.  “He’ll have to be competent to stand trial, not to mention parole, later on down the road.  This isn’t something we’ll have to think about for a long time.”

I nod, but do it knowing I’ll always carry a load of guilt when it comes to Brian.  I know his mental state would’ve been what it is despite his fixation on me, but he was a good friend for many years.  I only hope he finds peace.

“It’s time to get on with it,” he says into my hair, making me look up.  His goatee tips, “Between my mother, my sisters and your family, if you want any say as to how our wedding goes, you need to get a move on.”

I sigh, letting the tension go from my body and give him a small smile, “I know.”

“And you’ll back off your schedule?” he asks, but I know it’s not a question.

I roll my eyes, “I said I would.”

Cam’s grin grows into a smile and he rolls me to my back, “The baby,” he starts but kisses me first.  “Looks like you.”

I feel my brows furrow, but can’t help to smile at the same time, “You can’t tell what it looks like.”

“It’s tiny, just like you,” he says and dips his head into my neck, tickling me with his goatee.

“I’m hardly tiny,” I complain to the ceiling.

“Darlin’,” he starts and lifts up to look at me.  “You’re tiny.”

I pull in a breath before saying, “Well, I won’t be for long.”

His smile grows, “You’ll still be tiny, there’ll just be more to love.”

I return his smile, letting that settle in me when I repeat his words, “It’s time to get on with it.”

His smile fades and his blue eyes become intense, his voice gruff when he simply agrees, “Yeah.”

And then we did.  From that moment on, we got on with it.  The four of us, plus one, with a puppy and a cranky cat on Athica Lane.  We got on with it.  And it was perfect.