Safe with Me

I back away from them all, my feet moving without any direction from my head. I shove my hands up into my hair and stare at my brothers and father.

“What?”

“The kids aren’t banged up too badly. Mostly bruises, although Maddie needed stitches in her hand,” Isaac informs me.

“Brynna?” I ask.

“She’s unconscious,” Pop replies softly. “Concussion. Dislocated shoulder. They’re keeping her to watch the head injury and to make sure there’s nothing internal.”

“Oh my God.”

“There was video surveillance in the parking lot of the mall she was parked in, so we know who did it, and we have already arrested him,” Matt mutters, still glaring at me. “But you weren’t here, Caleb.”

“Why was she alone?” I ask.

“You weren’t fucking here!”

“So what!” I scream back. “You’re here! You’re all here! She’s as safe with you as she was with me!”

“She wouldn’t allow it,” Pop inserts with a sigh. “She said she could take care of her and the girls on her own, she’d been doing it for years, and she wouldn’t let us move her in with us or stay with her.”

I’m pacing around the driveway, not believing my ears.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“You messed her up, man,” Isaac says. “She’s been a mess. The girls cry a lot.”

Direct hit, right to the gut.

“I left because I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“You left,” Matt interrupts, “because you’re a fucking pussy.”

“Where are they?”

None of them will answer me, and it tears me apart that they don’t trust me. That they think that I’ll hurt Brynna and the babies.

“Where are they?” I repeat. “Dad, I love them. That’s why I’m here.”

Pop sighs and rubs his eyes with his hands.

“They’re at Harborview.”

Without answering I jump in my car and peel out of my parent’s driveway.

My girls are hurt!

I race down to Harborview, not paying attention to the posted speed limits or traffic laws, find parking and run inside.

“Brynna Vincent,” I bark at the woman behind the registration desk. “I need to find her.”

“One moment,” she murmurs and types on her keyboard. “Looks like she’s up on the fourth floor, room four-oh-nine.”

I bypass the elevator and climb the stairs, three at a time, until I reach the fourth floor. As I stomp past the waiting room, I hear, “Caleb!”

I stop dead in my tracks at the sound of that little voice.

“Hey, buttercup,” I fall to my knees as Maddie throws herself in my arms, crying and clinging to me. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I have stitches,” she pouts and leans back to show me her little hand wrapped in gauze. I kiss it gently and offer her a smile.

“Where is Josie?”

“Caleb!”

Josie jumps on my back, hugging me around the neck. “I had to pee!”

I tug her around and wrap my arms around both girls, breathing them in. Josie has a black eye, and Maddie’s lip is split.

I’m going to fucking kill whoever got their hands on Brynna’s brakes.

“Are you sure you’re both okay?” I ask with a rough voice. They nod and Josie snuggles close to me.

“Where did you go?” She whispers.

“I had a job,” I respond and clench my eyes shut. “I’m home now.”

“Brynna won’t be happy to see you.”

I glance up to find Luke and Nat, Meg, Nate and Brynna’s parents watching me. Even Leo and Sam are here, along with Dominic.

Of course the whole family is here.

“I have to see her,” I respond and kiss the girls’ heads softly. “You stay here, okay? I’m gonna go see your mama.”

“She’s sleeping,” Maddie informs me with tears. “I wanna see her too, but she keeps sleeping.”

“You’ll get to see her soon, sweetheart.”

“Jules and Will are with her now,” Sam calls to me with a sympathetic smile. “Welcome home.”

I wave and hurry to Bryn’s room and approach just as Jules and Will are coming out.

“Oh, my God,” Jules mutters with wide eyes. “Who called you?”

“No one,” I scowl. Why didn’t anyone call me?

“She’s not your woman,” Will counters and crosses his arms over his chest, blocking my entrance to the room. “And you’re not going in there.”

“Yeah, I am.” My gaze bounces between my brother and sister. “I love her. More than anything. I know I fucked everything up, but I have to make it right. I have to see her to make sure she’s okay.”

“She’s okay,” Jules assures me. “But I don’t think you should go in there either, Caleb. She won’t want to see you.”

“For the few minutes she was lucid, she insisted we not call you,” Will tells me and for the first time, what looks like sympathy moves across his face.

“So, here’s the thing,” I cross my arms, mirroring Will’s stance. “I’m going in there. You can both either move, or I can move you. It’s your choice.”

Jules rolls her eyes. “Fine, stubborn ass,” she mutters and stomps off toward the waiting room. Will doesn’t move.

“Well?” I ask him.

“You’ve already hurt her enough.”

I stare at him for what feels like minutes. Finally, I sigh and drop my head. “I know.”

“She deserves to be treated with respect.”

“I know.” I nod and pace away in a circle, right here in the hallway of the hospital.

“She deserves to be loved unconditionally.”

“Look, I know I’m not good enough…”

“That’s not what I said, asshole,” Will interrupts. “You are exactly what she needs, but she needs you to love her and her girls. To stay, Caleb. So if you’re going to puss out and run again, I need to know now so I can throw you out of here on your sorry ass.”

“I’m never leaving her again. I promise you that.” I sigh again and prop my hands on my hips. “I’ve been seeing a shrink. Working my shit out. I’m here to get my girl back, Will.”

He watches me carefully and then a slow smile spreads across his face.