Page 8 of Scarred Sunrise

Chapter 4

Lizzie gazedout of the window as the chopper took them closer to Hereford not seeing the lights of the towns out of the window as they flew past. She could feel Ty’s eyes on her, or maybe she should think of him as Smithy now. Blinking rapidly to hide the tears and focus on the anger coursing through her instead, she clenched her fists until her nails dug into the soft flesh.

She wasn’t even sure why she was so shocked; he’d been telling her he didn’t deserve her from the get-go. Only her stupid belief that she could heal him with love had made her bang her head against a brick wall, allowing him to hurt her time and again. Tonight as she waited to see if they could rescue him, and for her own self-preservation, she’d had to accept that you could only save someone who wanted saving.

She knew the kind, loyal, loving man that hid inside the broken shell. Knew he—no they—could have a good life but he no longer saw it. He’d never believed he was worthy. Now it was up to him to decide if he wanted her enough or not. Lizzie feared the answer, having been shown before that she might not be enough. Now she lifted her chin and refused to give him the satisfaction of her pain to add to his guilt.

The chopper set down at Eidolon, and as soon as the doors opened, she jumped down and made for the carpark.

“Liz, wait up.”

Her back stiffened and pain squeezed her chest at his familiar voice, but she kept walking, anger warring with the pain.

“Liz.” He grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him, the tense, angry look on his handsome face should have made her afraid, but it didn’t. She knew he’d never physically hurt her.

“Go away, Smithy. We have nothing more to say to each other.”

His eyes held a wealth of emotion as she shook his hand from her, not wanting the reminder of how his touch could affect her.

“So that’s it?” He threw his hands up in frustration. Lizzie blinked and took a step back, the temptation to sink into his arms almost painful. “You’re giving up?”

She shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her brain. “Me? Give up?” The tone of her voice must have warned him he’d just lit a match to a dry fuse. Stepping forward, jaw locked, not willing to hold back any of the pain to keep his feelings safe any longer she lost it. “Me give up? You gave up on me, on us, years ago.”

She poked his chest as her volume rose. “How fucking dare you accuse me of that when all I’ve ever done is fight. Well, you know what? I’m done. You and your stupid pig-headed attitude can crawl away and die if that’s what you need to do to prove how unworthy you are.”

Lizzie didn’t notice Dane, Daniel, and Zack off to the side watching, so angry that he’d accused her of giving up. “I’m not giving up. I’ll always love you, you big jerk, but for once, I’m choosing me. I won’t be the only one in this fight. I’m tired of waiting for you to wake up and see me. Don’t bother talking to me again until your head is on straight and you can prove to me that you deserve me.”

Her tirade over, she turned from the stunned man who she loved, pain in every part of her body. “Dane, will you drive me home, please?”

Her brother looked at her with sympathy before nodding and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The gesture almost made her weep. Sliding into the car, neither said a word as he drove towards their father’s home, where she now lived with Mateo.

The tension was radiating from Dane, but she just didn’t have it in her right then to reassure him. Pulling into the drive, she saw Lucy and Meg waiting for them in the light from the porch door.

She turned her eyes to Dane who shrugged. “Figured you could use your sisters right now.”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“Do you think that matters to them? You need them and they need to be here for you.”

Love for her baby brother who’d always protected them filled her. “Thank you.” Her words were heavy with unshed tears.

His lips twitched with a smile. “Am I allowed to kick his ass?”

Lizzie laughed. “No, or maybe just a little bit.” She held her fingers an inch apart, feeling lighter. Her family had always been her world, and here they were again, proving why. When things got hard, they banded together.

“Liz, I don’t know what happened in the past, but there’s history between you. I know you love him, and I know deep down he loves you, too. No man would walk back into the hell he did unless it were for love.”

She cocked her head at her brother, trying to understand why he was sticking up for Smithy. “Why are you defending him?”

“I’m not, sis. I’m just saying give it time and space. Men are a stubborn breed, and sometimes we need to come to these conclusions on our own.”

“Maybe, but I won’t be doing the running. If he wants me, he knows where to find me.”

“Good for you.” He looked to the house. “Now go on in, I have a wife to get home to.”

Liz got out of the car and waved as her brother drove away, feeling her sisters’ arms come around her as her composure began to crack and the tears fell unchecked.

“Come on, Liz. Let’s go inside and get you warmed up.”