Chapter 30
Give Into Me
Bryant
"Lucas, it's Bryant. Call me as soon as you get this. It's urgent." I hung up the phone and continued walking down the hallway. I was mad as hell at what probability I was fixing to dig up.
A huge part of me didn't want to know. That's because if what I was guessing were true, it meant a world of shit for Delia. Even if it did make perfect sense. I made myself a mental note to contact my insurance agency first thing in the morning. I'd have to call Adam and let him know I'd be a little late getting to work because the information I needed would take the better half of the morning putting together.
I jumped into my truck and traveled in the direction of Amberly's apartment, knowing Cricket would come out with her arms swinging. I hoped that Amberly text her to let her know what we had talked about, but she might have fallen asleep right after I had left. The nurse came in to give her pain meds after we had finished talking about everything so it was plausible she closed her eyes and went with it.
When I ascended the stairs, Cricket already had the door swinging open. Her eyes stared through me, her nostrils flaring. "Wait!" I held my hands up, palms facing her. "You clearly haven't talked to Amberly yet."
She stopped mid attack and lifted an eyebrow.
"You're welcome to go to the hospital now. I talked to the front desk. The car you and Amberly have been freaking out about is registered in my name but it has been in my ex-wife's possession up until six months ago. And look, a news clipping from the wreck. It states female drivers. The person in the other car was also a female." I gestured to myself. “Clearly, not female.”
Cricket placed her hands on her hips. "Is that so?" She read over the paper I handed her at least twice.
"Last time I checked. "
Cricket exhaled heavily, closed her eyes, and pressed one of her hands to her forehead. "Thank God! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. But, wait, Amberly and I searched for months on information of the other driver. Not one station or newspaper mentioned anything."
"The journalist who wrote this article doesn’t hide facts. Ever. You have to know where to search. She put the heat on the police department and the local news stations for leaving out so many details but she was shut down fast. Probably paid off to not stir up any more drama or suspicion.” I shrugged but flinched when Cricket lifted her arms and wrapped me in a hug. “You’re really happy I’m not involved?”
"Yes, really!" She stepped back and opened the door for me. "I didn't want to have to come up with an alibi when they found pieces of your body scattered around several states.”
I hesitated at how morbid she was. "I'm glad that's the only reason you are happy."
We walked into the apartment and she followed me to Amberly's room, leaning against the door frame as she watched me become confused about where I should start. "Of course, that's not the only reason. You've made Amberly live again. Can't have you being the reason she stopped to begin with. Her panties are in the top left drawer, tank tops are below that, athletic shorts are in that same drawer, and all of her jeans and other clothes are in the closet. You think we should try to contact that journalist, maybe she has more facts than she was able to let slip out?"
I ignored her question, going through the top drawer first, using a duffel bag that had been sitting in my backseat for a few months. "Pajamas?"
"I thought Amberly has spent the night with you? She sleeps in a tank top and athletic shorts most nights. I'm sure anything is better than that hospital gown. But, if you think she would prefer her pajamas, her nightgowns are in the bottom drawer. They're more like overgrown t-shirts in my opinion."
"Tank tops and shorts it is." I tossed a few tank tops and shorts in the bag and a few other items that she might need.
"Will you tell her I'll be up there in the morning before work? Journalist?" She prodded again.
“I think the less people we have involved, the better. I don’t want to drag another innocent person into this. This whole ordeal is beyond the amount of crazy even I want to deal with. We’re going to find the truth, without dragging more people into it.” I said it with finality. I didn’t want her trying to contact the journalist. I hadn’t had time to google search the woman yet, so I couldn’t be sure she hadn’t already erased all her on-line footprints. “I’ll tell Amberly you’ll see her in the morning.” I reassured her, exiting the apartment.
"Hey baby. Did you get some rest while I was gone?" I entered Amberly's room to find her watching the news channel on the television. I dropped the duffel bag and gave her a light kiss on her forehead to which she softly sighed.
"A little." She smiled at me and, judging by the wince on her face, it was taking effort. It seemed as though any movement she made, drained her energy more and more. I hated to see her in that position, I would switch places with her at a moment's notice.
I pulled the single chair in the room next to the bed and covered her hand with both of mine. "I love you." I managed to whisper, fighting back tears.
She leaned back and closed her eyes, repeating the words back to me. We sat there, allowing our silence to coat the room. The machine she was hooked up to beeped out a rhythm that reminded me of the time I had surgery. It was one of those sounds that haunted you, even when the reason behind their need had become a simple memory.
"The doctor said the chances of me having another child are ten percent."
I looked at her as soon as she had started speaking, witnessing a single tear drop down from the corner of her eye. That tear showed all of her emotions as though it were a looking glass, revealing her deepest pain. I felt my heart break at those words. I had hoped with time, Amberly would be able to have another child. I wanted to share that experience with her, even if I hadn't told her yet.
"Amberly..."
"Don't. I don't want to talk about it. I just thought you should know in case you had any plans that involved a child in the future." Her voice cracked, shadowing how strong she was attempting to be.
“In case you didn’t know, Amberly, I’m crazy about you. That won’t change anything between us. I’m trying so hard to show you that this entire shitstorm wasn’t a result of anything I’ve done. Right now, having a child with you is the least of my concerns. As long as you are happy and healthy, that’s all I need.”
I dug out my phone from my pocket and pulled up one of the photos I had taken of the car. I handed her the phone.
"There is damage to the front bumper, with blue paint smeared across it." The discovery confirmed what she already knew. The car I had in my possession was, in fact, the car that had struck her and Haylie a year ago. I took out the newspaper clipping. “Here’s a news article, stating the other driver was a female.”
She studied the photo for a long time before reacting. She brought one hand up to her mouth and covered it, tears tumbling down at the exact same moment. "It was your ex?" Her eyes scanned the clipping, realization drowning her as it had done me.
It was a question that I wasn't one-hundred percent sure I could truthfully answer. Anyone could have been behind the wheel, though the logical suspect was indeed Mac. I hated her even more for what she had taken from Amberly. My hate for her festered after I had found out she cheated on me, growing when she left and became involved with my best friend, and now it was a gigantic ball of blurry fire. I could handle the shit she threw my way, but when it came to someone I cared about, it wasn't as easy to face.
"I'll fix this. Somehow." I didn't bother masking the fact I had reservations about how everything would play out. Back when I told her she could reopen the case, I failed to realize that without proof Mac was intoxicated, it wouldn't go far. She wouldn't be punished for anything that happened a year ago. However, there was the hope that I could pin everything else on her and she would have repercussions for tampering with evidence and framing me for drugs.
I felt like a dick for putting the notion into her thoughts. I had good intentions that left us both hurting, physically and emotionally. If I had never suggested it, she wouldn't be laying in a hospital bed. Her pain was my pain.
I decided to change the subject, remembering what Cricket wanted me to tell her. "Cricket said she'd be up here in the morning."
Amberly opened her eyes and stared back at me. "Maybe she will bring me some breakfast."
"I can text her and tell her to if you want."
She shook her head. "No. Thank you though."
I rubbed my thumb across her knuckles, letting my gaze fall down to our hands. Everything about holding her felt right. I had fallen in love with her the moment she came back into my life. "I really love you." I said, without looking up.
"I love you too, Bryant." She struggled to sit up higher. Her arms wrapped around me and she rested her cheek against the top of my head, as though she was the one comforting me.
I snuck my arms around her waist and tugged her gently until she was as close as she could be. "I don't know what I did to deserve you. I am sorry for everything."
She leaned up straight, coaxing me to look up at her. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything."
She had no idea how much I had done. Every shitty aspect of what her life was now was my fault. I knew I didn't deserve her but I was too selfish to let her go. I needed her in my life. I would do anything to make it all up to her.
"Bryant, what are you sorry for?" Now her voice was quivering, scared of what my reply would be.
"I brought that bitch into your life." I paused, reliving a painful and stupid memory. "Back when her and I first got together, I raced. I spent most of my time fixing up an old car my dad had bought me. When I wasn't working on it, I was racing. Mac couldn't stand how much dedication went to the hobby. She threatened to leave me if I didn't give all of it up." I shrugged, feeling the anger bring itself to a boil again. "I don't know why losing her startled me. It shouldn't have even phased me, and I have regretted not telling her to walk away every single day." I ran my hand over my head and reclined back against the chair, leaving Amberly's arms empty. "My dad thought I was pathetic. He said I never should let a woman dictate what I wanted to do. He was beyond pissed when I sold my race car. He told me the least I could've done is given it up for someone worth the sacrifice."
Amberly started shaking her head. Her eyebrows scrunched together at the same time. "Why would you do that?"
I blew out a frustrated breath. "I have no idea. Not long after, she got pregnant with Delia when she knew damn well I wasn't ready for a child."
"I hope you know I'll never ask you to give up something for me, Bryant."
I didn't hesitate, standing up and kissing her with as much passion I could show. Her words meant more to me than anything anyone would ever say to me. I stopped kissing her and rested my forehead against hers, keeping my eyes closed so I could focus on her breathing.
"You are my everything. My yesterday, my today, and my tomorrow. For always."
I heard her breath catch on my final words and I kissed her again to finalize what I'd said. "I mean that."
"You're my everything too, Bryant." She slid over to one side of the hospital bed and I joined her, holding onto her as tenderly as I could.
I laid with her for a while before an idea popped into my head. A very fucked up idea that could land me in prison for a long time. I didn’t care. What was most important to me right now was helping Amberly accomplish what she’d set out to do since I had even brought the idea to light. I kissed her goodbye, telling her to get some rest while I was out. Lucas still hadn’t called me back so I headed to his house first.
His porch light was on, the shadow of him standing on the steps. He saw me and put out his cigarette on the ground.
“Get in dickhead!” I hollered.
He came closer, his hands hidden in the pockets of the jacket he was wearing. “Where are we going?”
“I’ve got an idea but I need your help.”
He shook his head. “I don’t like when you have ideas.”
I sighed and put my truck in park. “Just get in. I’m doing this with or without you. I’ve got a better chance of not getting caught if you come with me though.”
He groaned but barreled his way to the passenger side of my truck. “This better be good.”
“It might be. Depends on if I find what I’m looking for.”
Lucas turned the radio down. “Couldn’t it wait until, I don’t know, Monday?”
It couldn’t, at least I didn’t think so. We were on the downhill now. If someone found out Lucas was digging around for me, evidence could be destroyed before we got a chance to look at it. I didn’t have even seconds to lose.
“Not really?”
Lucas shook his head, annoyed with our conversation. “I love the confidence you bring to your answer.” His reply came, snarky.
I didn’t say another word until we pulled up to the back of the police station.
“What the hell dude?” Lucas unbuckled his seatbelt but he waved his hands through the air, protesting. “Nope. Whatever it is you’re after, I can get it for you Monday. I’ll make sure I get it then. I don’t even have to list all the things that could go wrong if we do what I think you’re thinking about doing right now.” He slammed his fist down onto my dashboard. “Fuck, man! Are you serious?”
I punched him in the arm. “Don’t hit my dashboard, fucker.” I shut down the engine and withdrew the keys out of the ignition. “I need this one thing. I won’t ask anything else of you after this.”
Lucas stared me down. He was hesitating. “Tell me what we’re doing first.”
“I need all the files from the wreck Amberly was in.”
Lucas’ shoulders fell. “They haven’t even begun getting everything together. What has it been? One day?”
“Not this one, the one from a year ago.”
“This is her second car wreck?” Interested appeared finally. Lucas didn’t know much about Amberly because I hadn’t told him anything. Everything he had been digging into related to the framing of me.
“Yes, the first one killed her daughter. She says that the other driver was drunk but the police report ruled it an accident due to brake malfunction in the other person’s car.”
He brought his knuckles to his lip as he registered what I was telling him. “You think we’re dealing with more than some shit from your ex-wife? A conspiracy?”
“I’m not sure. First, this crap with Sadie Wilcox now someone is trying to pin me at the scene that night. Honestly, I think my ex-wife is even behind this.”
Lucas chuckled. “What the hell did you do to her?”
I rolled my eyes and let my body fall back into the cushion of the truck. “I didn’t do anything to her that she hadn’t done to me first.”
“Yeah but women never forget shit and they hold grudges for years.” This humored him.
“Listen, Amberly needs this. It isn’t just about me anymore. A little girl was killed that night. Amberly no longer has her daughter because my ex-wife might have been behind the wheel of the car that ran into them. I can’t let her get away with that, any more than I can let her get away with what she’s trying to do to me. She should’ve been charged with vehicular manslaughter.”
Lucas’ eyes widened. “Amberly’s daughter?” His eyes softened for the first time ever.
Lucas wasn’t an affectionate person. I’d never seen him look at a woman as though she were his entire world. He said women would come and go and there was never a guarantee of a life together because they all ended up leaving in the end. He’d given me the speech the night Mac walked out. At the time, it made so much sense. I had even wondered why I hadn’t been living my life the way Lucas had. There was something flawed in his thinking. He didn’t have someone like Amberly show him the way things could be. The way things were supposed to be.
“Let’s do this.”
We unloaded out of my truck, careful not to draw attention to ourselves. All of the on-duty officers were hanging out at dispatch, located in another building a few streets down.
“Turn your phone on silent.” I instructed as I did the same.