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I clenched my jaw, instantly feeling defensive. The fuck did he mean he’d met our girl? “How the fuck did you meet her?” I angrily demanded.
“Easy,” he said, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “I went to eat lunch with Meghan, my wife, yesterday, and she asked if West could eat with us. Apparently, they’ve become really good friends.”
“Holy shit,” Jessie breathed, basically speaking my mind. West hated being around people, and she closed up at the mere thought of potentially making friends. The woman was a loner through and through.
Julian shrugged. “Meghan has found a way to communicate with her despite West not being able to speak, write, or draw yet.” That was fucking incredible. Pride swelled in my chest for West. She was really trying. “And West openly admitted that she was in a relationship with the both of you.” He grinned. “She misses you both a hell of a lot.”
I swallowed thickly, that pride turning to an ache. I missed her like fucking crazy, too, and I hated we couldn’t be there for her like we wanted.
“We’re not allowed to see her right now,” Jessie informed him as we led him into the garage. Julian hopped onto a stool, and Jessie set a beer in front of him before he grabbed one for the two of us.
“That’s pretty common with Dr. Gresham. He did the same thing with Meghan. Axel actually got to see her some while she was inside, but that was only after she’d been in for a good minute.” Everyone knew of Axel since he and Julian were both with Meghan. It had caused a lot of controversy when news of their relationship got out, but the three of them hadn’t seemed to give a fuck about what the press or the fans had to say. It was admirable. “But I could have been a breaking factor in her recovery, so I didn’t even get to see her until she was being released.”
I couldn’t imagine not seeing West until she was released. Wasn’t sure I could handle that either. “How long was that?” I asked him, a little fearful of the answer but needing to know all the same.
Julian clenched his jaw. “Five months.” I swallowed thickly, my eyes flickering to Jessie’s. He didn’t look happy about that either. “Longest goddamn time of my life.” Julian drew in a deep breath. “I came out here hoping to help you guys.” I arched an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. “One, I’m in a relationship much like the one you two have with West. Meghan is not just with me, but she’s also with Axel, and we have three kids together,” he explained as if everyone in the United States didn’t know that. He grinned. “Trying to work on the fourth, but Meghan is being stubborn right now.” He shrugged. “West is going to be different when she gets out—I’m warning you both of that now. She’s going to be a hell of a lot more in tune with her emotions, and you’re both going to have to get to know the person she is all over again.” He looked out the garage. “And based on the fact that I saw a cop coming out of the garage as I was pulling up the street, West isn’t liked too much in this town.”
“Not at all,” Jessie grunted. “Been like this for her for years.”
“She can’t come back here,” Julian said. “If she does, all of the hard work she’s going through will have been for nothing.”
“So where does your help come in?” I asked him.
“I figured since Meghan and West are now friends, it might do West some good—and honestly, my wife as well—to be close to Meghan. We have a house a few hours from here, and it’s close to the center. Meghan and Axel stay there year-round with our kids while I travel for football during the season. There are a few houses for sale out there. Thought maybe you guys might want to take a look around, see if there’s something out there West might like. And I know there’s a couple of garages for sale out there, too.”
I looked over at Jessie. I thought it was a damn good plan, and Julian was right—West would have a friend, someone who understood her and everything she was feeling. Jessie nodded his head at me before looking back at Julian. “We’ll take a look,” Jessie told him. He opened his mouth to say more, but the sounds of sirens reached our ears, cutting Jessie off before he could say anything else.
“Fuck,” I swore, jumping off my stool when two squad cars pulled onto the lot.
Lucky stepped into the garage and moved over toward Jessie. “Jessie Harold, you are under arrest for threatening an officer.”
