AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And Caleb is raising the baby as his?”
Clay nods. “She might not be his blood, but she is his. She’s a Shawland through and through. Jared told me most of your story, and Aria and Caleb were friends from kindergarten, just like you and Kally. Life goes on, somehow. It won’t be easy. There will be tears and fights. You just need to be brave and fight for what you want. Kally will come out of this. You just need to be there for her.”
“Thank you.” I clear my throat. “Sometimes I can’t see the bigger picture. I feel like I’m drowning. I just want to take her away from all this pain and heartache. Then, at other times, I’m so angry. I don’t know what I would do if I was left alone with Colton.”
“You’re a good guy. You’ll do the right thing for you and Kally… always.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I could have killed Aria’s kidnapper with one shot. I thought about it, but when it came to firing, I chose his shoulder. Thinking about killing your brother doesn’t make you a bad guy. It just makes you human.”
At that moment, Kally looks over at me and smiles. Her big brown eyes lock on mine and goosebumps spread over my arms.
“We just need to get through today.” I walk closer to Kally and Caleb and hover in the doorframe.
I don’t want to disturb anything if they’re having a conversation. It will do Kally good talking to someone… anyone, other than me, Nancy, or Jared. I know it will take a long time for her to get some confidence back, and it will take even longer for her to trust other people, but I will do everything I can to help her.
“Clay told you the plan. Do you have any questions?” asks Caleb, breaking me out of my own head.
I walk into the conservatory and sit on the arm of the chair beside Kally. I squeeze her shoulder and hold my hand out for her to take. I don’t want to force her to do anything she isn’t ready for. She’s been forced to do enough against her will. I smile when she links her fingers with mine.
“I know the plan. Do you need us to go over anything, Kal?”
She shakes her head. “Caleb just went over everything with me.” She smiles warmly at him. “I just hope nothing goes wrong. Daisy deserves a funeral like no other.”
“I can’t promise that everything will run smoothly, but we will do everything in our power to deter anything that crops up. You have one of the best security teams in America.”
“I should want Colton dead. But the thought of him dead irks me somehow. Does that make me crazy?”
Caleb reaches over and puts his hand on Kally’s shoulder. “Honestly, it makes me see that you’re a kind person. People who have been through such atrocities seem to see the world differently. I can’t explain it. When I got my fiancée back, she had a lot of survivor’s guilt. She wanted to right the world and would have given up her life in a minute if it meant others survived. Even when Clay shot her kidnapper, she hurt. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s only natural that you don’t want other people to hurt, even when their crime is unthinkable.”
“He’s a monster.” Kally’s head drops, and a tear hits our joined hands. “I often wondered if his humanity switch was flicked off.”
Caleb looks up at me and nods. It’s as if it’s a silent plea to let me allow Kally to talk. A part of me is glad she’s talking and opening up about her ordeal, but another part of me is terrified to know exactly what she’s been through because I’m concerned about what it will make me do if I ever see Colton again.
“People like that can never change without help, Kally. No matter how much you changed, how much you tried to please him, he would never have stopped being a dick. From what I can gather, Colton needs help mentally. He won’t see that because he’s conditioned into that life. It’s normal for him to do what he did,” says Caleb.
“Will he get away with this if he pleads insanity?” I ask Caleb.
Caleb sighs. “It’s possible, but he will certainly do his time in a psychiatric hospital. The only good thing about that is that he won’t be released when his time is up if they think he’s dangerous to himself or society.”
“That’s something, I suppose,” says Kally. “The thought of living a life with him out there, free to do whatever he likes, is terrifying.”
“I understand. The security here is good. Even without us around, I’d live happily knowing I was safe.”
Kally nods despondently. I hate to see her looking so glum. I wish I had a magic wand to make everything okay.
“Bro, the car is here with Daisy,” says Damien from the door.
I nod my understanding, but Kally tenses beside me. She starts to shake uncontrollably. I move off the arm of the chair and kneel beside her. I rub the side of her cheek to try and get her breathing normally.
“Kally, look at me.” Her eyes lift to gaze at me. “I’ve got you. Nothing is going to go wrong today. Damien and Caleb are going to be with you too.”
“I don’t think I can do this, Clark. It makes it final when we lower her into the ground. She’s gone. She isn’t coming back. How am I supposed to live with this guilt? I should have protected her. I was her mother. I should have known something was wrong.” She sobs uncontrollably.
I pull her head into my chest and hold her close. I don’t want to let her go because I hate seeing the dark look in her eyes. It looks like there’s no life left inside her. How can things change so quickly? She was just talking to me and Caleb, but a few words from Damien, and she’s transported into a different place. A place I wish I could erase for her.
“I’ll give you guys a few minutes. There’s no rush.” Caleb slaps my shoulder and leaves me kneeling with Kally in my arms.
