AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
LANDON
Hearing the devastating words, mixed with the sound of her cries, felt like a knife had been plunged deep into my heart.
A heart that had been broken beyond repair when I lost my two favorite girls. Don’t get me wrong, my sister was beyond special and I loved her, but my love for Alley and the baby we made was a whole lot different. When they were both ripped from me in the blink of an eye, I thought I would never recover. Never be whole again.
Over the years being around Alley was torture when all I wanted was to mend what we had, but she’d never seemed open to it, and I felt guilty for everything that had happened. Not only that but she never would listen or believe me. Now hearing her talk, it seemed like she put most of the blame on herself, and that was just wrong.
I wasn’t sure she would hear me now, just like she hadn’t a few years ago. I also didn’t think now was the time to get into that when we needed to since she was already struggling. Just like Alley, I didn’t think things were repairable even though I had desperately wished they were. But after last night, my mind had been changed. We fit just as we always had and the passion we shared was still there.
I wasneverletting her go again.
Somehow, we needed to talk about this. There was so much to be said, not only about the past but also about last night, not that either of us may get all our memories back of it after all the alcohol we consumed.
So much was a blur still but seeing the ring had bits of it coming back to me. When you have money, anything can be done. It was something I usually didn’t throw around, nor did I care about it like my parents, but in this case, it got my girl the ring that was meant for her.
I knew later she would say she didn’t need a big ring and she was going to fight me tooth and nail to take it back, just like the marriage itself. But even drunk, her expression when she first saw it danced in my memories and I was convinced I made the right choice in buying it.
So not only would I most likely end up having to convince her she deserved it, but I had my work cut out for me when trying to break through all the sadness, trust issues, and her stubbornness. However, unlike before when I let her stop fighting, this time that wasn’t going to happen until we both won.
“You are right,” I started as I dropped to my knees in front of her. Alley’s expressive, ocean blue eyes that swam with tears, snapped up to look into mine. “We can’t get her back, but what happened wasn’t your fault and when we lost her, you were gone too.” Choking out the words I needed to say right then was so much harder than facing off with three lawyers in a courtroom. And this jury of one was so much more important in any of our decisions than a grand jury.
Her whimper, so unlike Alley, that seeped from her lips, made this so damn heartbreaking. It killed me to make her sad. My girl was always so fucking strong, but she loved those she cared about more than anyone I know and when it came to them, her soft spot was revealed. She also wore a suit of armor around that heart of hers because of her parents and the life they’d made her endure.
Grabbing her hand, she let out another sob as if just my touch was too much. I continued to bring it toward me and placed the palm of her hand flat on my bare chest. I had thrown on some jeans but had yet to put on a shirt when I heard her in the bathroom. Looking down at her hand on my chest, I sighed at the feel of her touch. It had been a long time and I wanted it back forever. Then I looked back up and met her watery gaze.
“Please don’t leave me again. Can we just go home and talk about this?” I knew it was a question, but it was also one I could tell she wouldn’t answer right then honestly. With her fragile state it may have been better if she waited, so I continued.
“She will always be here,” I told her, picking up her hand a little and patting it on my chest above my heavy heart. Alley sniffled and my own eyes grew misty too. I had cried over both my losses a few too many times over the years when the memories popped in my head.
Alley stayed quiet, watching me intently. I knew she was brimming with emotion right now and barely holding it together.
“Our Hannah Nicole will never leave our hearts.”
ChapterTen
ALLEY
I felt like a zombie.
Well, at least what I assumed a zombie would feel like. A combination of dead inside, tired, and bat shit crazy. But there was one plus, I didn’t have any urge to eat anyone. All that made it a miracle that I had even made it out of my hotel room.
The whole process was kind of a blur. I wasn’t sure how I managed to get all my stuff together, get ready and make it to the airport. Landon was there to help and for once I let him without argument. That said a lot about my state of mind.
He also managed to get a seat next to me on the flight back, how I didn’t know, but he always had his ways. Landon could talk almost anyone into anything. Damn lawyer stuff came in handy I suppose. Although lately, it seemed that him getting his way meant I always didn’t get mine. And that pissed me the hell off. However, where I normally would have been irritated that he was right next to me, I wasn’t, because I just didn’t have the energy to give two hoots.
I had fallen asleep and was out the whole way, so we didn’t even talk. We had done too much talking back at the hotel and I felt raw and beaten down emotionally. I would bounce back, I just needed some time. Next thing I knew the trip was over and I barely had time to blink my eyes open before we were being ushered out of the aircraft.
As soon as we exited the plane, excited and familiar voices commanded my attention. Talking to my friends seemed inevitable at some point, but I wasn’t ready for that, so it was time to perk up and get through this little homecoming without too many questions coming up. There would be plenty of time for that soon enough. So, I put on my happy face, threw back my shoulders, and played the part I thought would let me get home in a jiffy and deal with the mess my life had become later.
No such luck.
A five-year-old, bouncing bottle of energy, decked out in a puffy pink dress, screamed out my name as she closed the distance between us.Damn, I wish I had her energy.
“Auntie Alley, you’re home!” she yelled. The love and joy Embry had for all her family was undeniably charming. Even with the way I was feeling, she brought a genuine smile to my face and warmed my heart. That was until Landon walked up beside me and I saw her eyes change course and the look that crossed her face. It was a look that told me my niece was about to say something that could be pure trouble.
She was known for speaking her mind and this time it was aimed at me.Here we go...
