“I-I…” I try to argue, but I can’t.
“See, you know me, I wouldn’t hurt you…ever.”
“Where is Tiffany? And don’t you dare say Tiffany who or so help me.” I give him my crazy eye glare. You
don’t mess with a woman when she gives you the look, you just don’t.
“Worry about Kline first.”
“We have a lot to discuss, but you’re right. I need to go see my brother.”
“Go, I’ll wait. And Tiffany’s fine, she played her part, but she will have to tell you her involvement herself. I feel it’s her place to do so not mine. You know all of my secrets.”
"We are going to have a very long and heated discussion when I get back.”
“I’m counting on it. And babe, please stay away from Parker, he’s dangerous. He’s not going to just let us walk away. You don’t walk away from Parker without paying the price. Just promise me you won’t let him get you alone.”
I swallow hard, afraid of what today will hold. In my room, I hurriedly I throw on jeans and a tee. I slip on my flip flops at the front door. Royce tries to hug me, but I can’t stomach his touch right now. I’m so confused about him, us, everything.
**
At the hospital my brother’s condition hasn’t changed. Once again, I have missed my mom and Charlie. I will have to make an appearance at their place sooner rather than later. I suppose I will go there before I go home and face Royce. Part of me still has my doubts, but too much of what Parker tried to tell me just doesn’t sit right with me. And I can’t deny the bad vibes I was feeling from him while he was force feeding me his bullshit. Did he think that because of my feelings towards the brief sexual encounters we have shared that I would just forget three years of being with Royce, and buy into everything he said? Surely to God I don’t come off as that gullible.
Seeing my brother lying here today unconscious isn’t any easier than it was yesterday. In fact, I think today it is even harder, because my brain is firing on all cylinders. His nurse comes in to change the IV bag, and give him another dose of pain medication. She says that his internal bleeding seems to be under control. They are planning to do a surgery on his knee over the next few days. Once he is in the clear from the knee surgery they will start bringing him off the medication, and I will be able to actually speak to Kline.
“Talking to him is good.” She says that he can hear me.
So that is what I do, I pull up a chair next to my brother, and tell him all about the clusterfuck of thoughts that’s running through my head.
“Kline, I feel so lost and confused. I wish you would wake up so you could tell me to pull my head out of my ass and do the right thing. Because I know the right thing is to walk away from Royce and Parker while never look back. But I love Royce, and I need to believe him. I want so badly for him to be the man that I fell in love with.” My stomach lurches, and I have to dash to the bathroom in order save myself the embarrassment of spewing my coffee all over my comatose brother.
I really hope I’m not coming down with a stomach bug. That’s the last thing I need on top of everything that is going on right now. My stomach feels swollen and now I remember I missed my appointment with my gynecologist for my birth control shot. I am about to get my period. I don’t know why exactly, but every time I get a period it makes me nauseous, which is why I get the shot, so I don’t have periods anymore. Well not usually, but thanks to this whole mess I have missed my appointment, and now I get to go through the joys of being a woman.
Chapter 10
After sitting with Kline a bit longer I go by the grocery store to stock up on tampons, wine, chocolate and Motrin—the PMS essentials. I head over to my mom's house before going home to face Royce.
I guess I should tell you what happened to my brother. After he won his fight the other night, he got in Royce’s car to drive to meet Charlie so they could pay off the debt and end this shit. Well like the say history repeats itself. Parker tampered with Royce’s car again, and nearly killed my brother. Kline was driving when a car suddenly slammed on the brakes in front of him. He was far enough behind the car that if the brakes were working properly he would have stopped in time based on the tire marks, but the brake lines were cut... now my brother is fighting for his life.
That’s’ the short version of what mm and Charlie told me.
My mom has been checking in with the police regularly, and they are doing a full investigation, but they aren’t telling my mom much information right now. Parker probably paid them off. Mom says that Royce saved Kline’s life, that he was following him to the drop off, he pulled my brother from the car, performing CPR on him until the ambulance was near then he fled the scene. He wasn’t sure what to tell the cops. Then he discovered I was gone. He knew Parker had me, and just had to wait for things to unfold.
“Baby, Royce would do anything for you. That man loves you so much. We told the cops that Kline was driving Royce’s car because the two of you borrowed his truck to go on a romantic camping trip. We felt it best not to bring up your brother’s illegal fight, and Royce says you never know what cops are on the take for the Garretti brothers.”
“You did the right thing mom. I’m so worried about Kline. He’s my best friend. It’s always been the two of us against the world. I can’t stand just seeing him lying there motionless, unable to communicate with me whatsoever.”
“Honey, it is probably all the medicine they have him on. He’s going to bounce back, he always does.”
I leave my mom's house feeling a little better, but I am still confused about Royce and Parker.
When I return home, Royce is sitting in the same spot waiting to talk to me as promised.
“I see you are still willing to hear me out.”
“I am, but first I need wine and chocolate, then you may speak.”
“Okay.” he laughs softly, but his smile doesn’t quite touch his eyes. His grey eyes bore into mine, and I know that no matter what he says or how much I love him, it won’t be enough to save us from all that has happened. My love for him is the only reason I am allowing him to have his say. We both need the closure.