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“I’ve got everything right here.” I carefully climb over the bed and wrap my arms around Charlie. He looks so calm and peaceful, not at all like he’s been through the hell he has today.
Skid replaces his jeans with some sweatpants and slides in behind me, his arm reaching around us both and providing the comfort we need.
“I spoke to my mom,” he tells me, sounding sad. “I told her everythin’ about Carly and what Chop did to her. I told her about you and Charlie and that she’s gonna be a grandma. I also told her what I did to him.”
“Skid.” I turn my head and look over my shoulder, seeing the pain in his eyes. “What did she say?”
“She cried, then she cried some more and I cried with her. Then she told me that she understood. She admitted to me that she knew he had his demons. That was why she moved so far away because she couldn’t face it. She told me she loved me and that I didn’t need forgivin’ but I heard the pain in her voice.”
“You gave her a lot of information, Skid, it would have been hard for her to take.”
“I was scared today,” he admits, throwing me off when he changes the subject.
“So was I.” I slide my hand back over my head and brush my fingers through his thick beard.
“Killin’ those men was easy. Too fuckin’ easy. Killin’ Chop was easy too. What happened today was too close of a call…”
“Skid. Don’t. Don’t you dare push me away.” Suddenly I feel more scared of that than anything.
“Push you away?” He huffs a tiny laugh at me.
“Darlin’, this ain’t me pushin’ you away. This is me warnin’ ya that I’m never gonna let you outta my sight again. I’m gonna be overbearin’, I’m gonna drive you crazy, and I—”
I scrunch my hand into his hair and force his lips down on mine. Kissing them to stop him from talking.
“Sounds perfect.” I smile at him when I eventually pull away. “Now hold us tight.” I rest my head on the pillow and allow myself to breathe. Today may have been one of the worst in my life, but thinking of all the days the four of us have to come makes it a little easier for me to close my eyes.
“He’s gonna be fine. Kids are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for.” Ella smiles as she watches Charlie rush to join Dylan in the back of her car.
“I feel torn.” Addison smiles at him bravely as he waves at us from the window. “I can’t make him wait around the hospital all day, but I need to be there for Everleigh.”
“Addison, he’s gonna be fine. Playing with Dylan is gonna be just the distraction he needs. You gave him the choice, remember?” Ella reminds her. “If he gets upset or starts to miss you, I promise I’ll call.”
Addison nods her head, though I can see she’s not completely comfortable with the idea of being away from him.
We wait for them to be gone before I grab the keys to the car and open the passenger door for her.
“I’m nervous,” she admits once I’m behind the wheel beside her.
“What ya nervous of?” Starting the engine I pull away from the yard and head for the hospital. I haven’t fully explained what happened to her sister. I should’ve done it before I left her at the hospital last night, but all I could focus on then was killing my brother.
“It’s been a long time. I’ve changed so much since I left the village. I look back to how it was when I first escaped. Everything out here is so different and scary. She’s going to need a lot of support.”
“Which we’re gonna give her.” I take her hand and bring her fingers to my lips so I can kiss them. I want Addison to know that she ain’t got a damn thing to worry about no more. There ain’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do for her.
We get to the hospital car park and Addison checks her phone for the tenth time in case she’s missed a call from Ella.
“It’s a good sign, isn’t it?” She frowns.
“It’s a great sign, it means you’ve raised a confident boy. He knows you wouldn’t leave him with anyone ya didn’t trust. And Dylan is a much better Lego builder than you are,” I tease her, hoping it will lighten her mood.
“Hey.” She shoves me hard on the shoulder. “I’m great at Lego.” Seeing her smile again is such a good sight, it makes me really hate what I have to tell her before we go inside.
“Ads, I’ve gotta prepare you for somethin’.” I keep her hand squeezed tight in mine and watch that gorgeous smile fade.
“What?”
“Fuck.” I don’t wanna tell her this, there's no way she won’t blame herself. It’s gonna crush her and, after all she’s been through, I’m starting to wonder how much more she can take.
