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He doesn’t speak, just wraps me up in a hug and lets out a deep sigh. Skye joins our hug before they step aside and make room for Jackson.
He stares at me for a second, his eyes the saddest I've ever seen, then he hugs me in silence, too. I rub his back and he grips me tight. Brando steps up for his turn.
He puts his big paw on my shoulder. “I’m so fucking proud of you, little Sparrow,” he says, his eyes shining.
An unexpected wave of emotion hits me. “I remembered what you said. I didn’t panic.” My lower lip trembles and he pulls me into his broad chest.
“You’re the bravest person in this room. Don’t you ever forget that,” he says and I let the tears fall.
I’m too choked up to speak, so when he releases me I grab his hand and squeeze. He nods and smiles.
More tears fall as Mark wraps me up in a bear hug. “You did good,” he says. I recognize it for the high praise it is and hold him tight.
I swipe the tears off my face and turn to a disheveled Garrett. He looks even more tired than I feel. “Dylan just got out of surgery. He’s stable for now. I’m going to stay here until he wakes up,” he says.
“Then I’m staying too."
He shakes his head no, but Luke speaks from next to me before I can protest. “You need to go home and rest, babe.”
“Dylan would want you to go with Luke,” Garrett says and I know he’s right. I sigh and nod, and he wraps his arms around me.
“I’ll keep you updated,” he says.
Luke steps up to me and without a word, he takes my hand and I follow him out of the hospital. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I relax into him as we head into the parking lot. We slide into the back seat of Jackson’s truck. John opens the opposite door and climbs in. My dad takes the passenger seat. I’m asleep before we leave the parking lot, surrounded by the men I trust most in the world.
I wake in Luke’s arms as he carries me into the condo in San Diego. I blink my eyes open and he sets me on my feet in the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” he asks as John and my dad join us.
I shake my head no and cover a yawn. “Why don’t you get cleaned up? I bet a shower would feel good,” my dad says.
I take Luke’s hand and let him guide me down the hall into our room. He shuts the bathroom door behind us and I let him strip me after he turns on all the taps. The room fills with steam. He strips too and opens the door for me. I stand in the middle so the scalding water can hit me from all sides. Luke grabs my shampoo and starts scrubbing my hair. I watch him as he works.
Even though he wasn’t physically with me, the thought of him is what got me through the nightmare. When panic would take hold, he would help me focus. His lips press together. “Baby, keep looking at me, ok?”
I scrunch my eyebrows and glance down without thinking. The suds are pink and red and black chunks circle the drain. It’s Scotty’s blood. I stare at the drain and I hear a voice. Dylan’s voice as he shouts my name. Gun shots. I cover my ears as my heart thuds in my chest. Scotty stares up at me, pure terror and disbelief in his gaze as the life fades out of him. A life I took from him.
Someone is shouting at me. “Breathe Liv! You gotta breathe, baby,” he says. I suck air into my lungs and Luke comes into focus. His kind eyes fill with relief and he holds me up because I’m too weak to do it myself.
“That’s it. Just breathe. I’ve got you.” I rest my head on his strong chest. “Breathe with me. In... and out.” I do as he says and my heart rate slows down.
A few minutes pass, and I look up at him. His large hand cups my face, and I lean into his palm.
“You’re safe now. They can never hurt you again.”
I’m quiet as he finishes cleaning me up. He turns the taps off and towels me dry, then himself. I stare at my reflection in the mirror and watch Luke as he puts one of his super soft t-shirts on me. He helps me step into my panties and gently combs my damp hair, spraying it with my leave-in conditioner to get the tangles out. He puts toothpaste on my toothbrush and hands it to me. I’m capable of doing these things myself, but it seems like so much work right now and I’m grateful for his help. He brushes his teeth while I use the toilet. I wash my hands and he tucks me into bed, closing the blackout curtains and climbing in next to me after putting on a pair of sweats.
It takes a while for sleep to come, but when it does, Luke is there to keep the nightmares away.
