“Brynna Vincent,” I bark at the woman behind the registration desk. “I need to find her.”
“One moment,” she murmurs and types on her keyboard. “Looks like she’s up on the fourth floor, room four-oh-nine.”
I bypass the elevator and climb the stairs, three at a time, until I reach the fourth floor. As I stomp past the waiting room, I hear, “Caleb!”
I stop dead in my tracks at the sound of that little voice.
“Hey, buttercup,” I fall to my knees as Maddie throws herself in my arms, crying and clinging to me. “Hey, are you okay?”
“I have stitches,” she pouts and leans back to show me her little hand wrapped in gauze. I kiss it gently and offer her a smile.
“Where is Josie?”
“Caleb!”
Josie jumps on my back, hugging me around the neck. “I had to pee!”
I tug her around and wrap my arms around both girls, breathing them in. Josie has a black eye, and Maddie’s lip is split.
I’m going to fucking kill whoever got their hands on Brynna’s brakes.
“Are you sure you’re both okay?” I ask with a rough voice. They nod and Josie snuggles close to me.
“Where did you go?” She whispers.
“I had a job,” I respond and clench my eyes shut. “I’m home now.”
“Brynna won’t be happy to see you.”
I glance up to find Luke and Nat, Meg, Nate and Brynna’s parents watching me. Even Leo and Sam are here, along with Dominic.
Of course the whole family is here.
“I have to see her,” I respond and kiss the girls’ heads softly. “You stay here, okay? I’m gonna go see your mama.”
“She’s sleeping,” Maddie informs me with tears. “I wanna see her too, but she keeps sleeping.”
“You’ll get to see her soon, sweetheart.”
“Jules and Will are with her now,” Sam calls to me with a sympathetic smile. “Welcome home.”
I wave and hurry to Bryn’s room and approach just as Jules and Will are coming out.
“Oh, my God,” Jules mutters with wide eyes. “Who called you?”
“No one,” I scowl. Why didn’t anyone call me?
“She’s not your woman,” Will counters and crosses his arms over his chest, blocking my entrance to the room. “And you’re not going in there.”
“Yeah, I am.” My gaze bounces between my brother and sister. “I love her. More than anything. I know I fucked everything up, but I have to make it right. I have to see her to make sure she’s okay.”
“She’s okay,” Jules assures me. “But I don’t think you should go in there either, Caleb. She won’t want to see you.”
“For the few minutes she was lucid, she insisted we not call you,” Will tells me and for the first time, what looks like sympathy moves across his face.
“So, here’s the thing,” I cross my arms, mirroring Will’s stance. “I’m going in there. You can both either move, or I can move you. It’s your choice.”
Jules rolls her eyes. “Fine, stubborn ass,” she mutters and stomps off toward the waiting room. Will doesn’t move.
“Well?” I ask him.
“You’ve already hurt her enough.”
I stare at him for what feels like minutes. Finally, I sigh and drop my head. “I know.”
“She deserves to be treated with respect.”
“I know.” I nod and pace away in a circle, right here in the hallway of the hospital.
“She deserves to be loved unconditionally.”
“Look, I know I’m not good enough…”
“That’s not what I said, asshole,” Will interrupts. “You are exactly what she needs, but she needs you to love her and her girls. To stay, Caleb. So if you’re going to puss out and run again, I need to know now so I can throw you out of here on your sorry ass.”
“I’m never leaving her again. I promise you that.” I sigh again and prop my hands on my hips. “I’ve been seeing a shrink. Working my shit out. I’m here to get my girl back, Will.”
He watches me carefully and then a slow smile spreads across his face.
“I’ll be in the waiting room.” He slaps my shoulder and pauses next to me. “And I’m warning you now, she won’t be happy to see you when she wakes up. You’ve got some work to do.”
I nod and push her door open, step inside and feel my stomach fall to my knees.
There are monitors beeping and wires running under her hospital gown to her body. Her face is white and scratched. Her hair is matted with dried blood.
Her left arm is in a sling and on her right index finger is a clip with a red light on it that seems to monitor her temperature.
She looks small and frail and it brings me to my knees.
I lower myself into the chair at the side of her bed, lean over and grip her uninjured hand in my own, bring it to my lips, and kiss her knuckles. Her skin is soft and I can smell her lavender and vanilla body wash.
I press her hand against my cheek and gaze into her face.
“Hey, Legs.” I clear my throat and glance up at the heart monitor, mesmerized by the blip, blip, blip of the machine. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
She doesn’t stir. I kiss her palm and lay my head on her stomach and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I let tears come.