Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) (15 page)

Austin

I woke up with a jolt this morning and can’t get the feeling
of doom out of my system. It’s unsurprising really; I am supposed to meet my
lawyers later today to get the results of the paternity test. Amanda claims the
child isn’t mine, but his age and uncanny resemblance to me make that hard to
believe.

Unable to get out of my head, I grab a cup of coffee and settle
in my mother’s den to watch last night’s highlights. Maybe they can distract me
from the possible ramifications of today’s results. Turning the television on,
I switch over to ESPN.

The old, faux leather couch is uncomfortable and I long to
be in the comfort of my home with Rylee. After today, she may not want to have
anything to do with me. I don’t think she will walk away, but I also don’t know
if she is ready for a family. She can be skittish and this might be just the
thing to push her away.

I don’t even know how I feel about this whole mess. On the
one hand, I will be beyond pissed if I find out I have mourned a child for the
past ten years who is still alive. On the other, I’m not sure I’m ready to be a
father, especially to a kid who has been without one for so long. And who knows
what Amanda and her family told the boy about his absentee father?

This has been my life for the past few days. I constantly
worry about the results and how they will affect me, how they will affect
Rylee. I miss her like crazy and hate that she is stuck going through her mess
alone. She made friends with Ruzek, which I will admit irritates me a little.
It only bothers me because I know he must want more from her. I mean, what
red-blooded American male wouldn’t? She is perfection.

Trying to ignore the crazy loop in my head, I focus on the
television and the breaking news scrolling past on the bottom line catches my
attention:

Breaking: Houston QB Ryan David
shot at ex-fiancée’s home in Boston. Police have not yet released statement.

Holy shit.
Holy shit.

I jump up and run to my old room to grab my phone. I have
got to check on Rylee. Jesus, I hope she was not hurt. She must be freaking out
and none of us are there for her. Great, just great.

I hit her speed dial number, and it goes straight to
voicemail. Her other number also goes to voicemail. Fuck. Think, Austin, think.

Ruzek. He would have most likely been with her. If not, he probably
is now. The same automated message greets me at the end of his line. This
cannot be good. There is no way he would turn off his phone. She wouldn’t
either. Not both of them. Something is wrong, I can feel it.

Now panic is setting in, so I call my travel agent. She barely
answers before I start barking orders.

“Lucy, I need a flight to Boston now. I don’t care what the
cost is, or if you have to rent a fleet of planes. Get me a flight. I want to
be in the air as soon as possible. I'll be at the airport in twenty.”

She takes a second to confirm my location and then tells me that
she will get me the details as soon as she has them. I throw on a pair of pants
and haphazardly pack my things before calling a cab.

Waiting on my mother's front lawn, I dial Jeremy. He eventually
picks up. It seems I have woken him up. He doesn’t have time to say more than
hello before I start in with my interrogation.

“Where is your sister? I can’t get a hold of her.” Panic
laces my words.

“Austin, what’s going on? Why are you freaking out? She left
here yesterday with Ruzek, so she should be at home.”

He says it so calmly that I can tell he doesn’t know what is
going on. Shit, now I will be the one to tell him. If J doesn’t know, something
is wrong. There is no way in hell Ry wouldn’t have called J.

“I take it you haven’t spoken to her or seen the news this
morning?”

“No, why? What the fuck is going on, Austin?”

I explain the situation and hear his television come on in
the background. The line goes silent as I hear the newsperson relay the details
of Ryan’s shooting.

“Holy shit, Austin. What the fuck happened up there?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I called you. I tried calling her
and Ruzek. I couldn’t get through to either of them.”

He yells for Dani before answering me. “All right, man, I’ll
call Eric and have him go find her. He is close enough to get to her. Then I am
getting my ass on the first flight I can find. Call me if you hear from her.”

“OK, I will. I’m heading to the airport. If you see her or
talk to her, tell her I love her and I am on my way. Fuck, J, she has to be OK.”

“I know. I will, man. Be safe, see you soon.”

We hang up as I hop in the waiting yellow cab and head for
home. I have to get to her. She has to be OK. This is going to be the longest
day of my life.

Rylee

On the drive back to my house, Eric and I realize we can't
stay there. I don't want to go to his place with Jen there, so we end up at
Austin’s. Thankfully, that is also where we find Boss. He was lying by the
front door when we walked up. I feel like a complete heel that I forgot to
check up on my big animal last night. I got caught up in everything and forgot
he was missing.

The drive past my house was surreal. There were still a few cops
there, the front door had crime scene tape across it, and there were even a few
news trucks parked out front. Luckily, we made it by unnoticed. The last thing
we need now is to have the press hounding us. Another plus to staying at
Austin’s is the gated perimeter.

We are now sitting here in a state of shock and disbelief as
we watch the ongoing news coverage. They get a few facts right, but the rest
are complete fabrications or ridiculous conjecture. It is strange to have the
news relay a blow by blow account of your life. It’s like a train wreck; I know
I should look away, but I can’t help watching and waiting to see if the next
thing they say will be true or false.

The news reminds me that I need to call J and Austin before
they see any of this, but I don’t have the energy. It is still early and they
shouldn’t be awake for at least another hour, so I head for the shower.

“Hey, Eric? I’m going to take a quick shower and then call
the boys. Make yourself at home – Austin won’t mind.”

Standing under the hot spray, my mind replays the events of
last night.

Ryan’s face flashes in my mind over and over again as the
gun goes off. I see the brutal man who tried to attack me, then the man who
tried to kill me, and then the face of the man I once loved. I know I did what
had to be done, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. Ryan and I share
a history and that makes it so much harder to comprehend why he did those
things.

My emotions get the best of me and I slide down the wall of
the shower in a fit of tears. He may not live to see another day. How could
Ryan do all of this?

I don’t know if I will ever be able to walk into my house
again without seeing the destruction. How do we move past this? If he lives,
what will happen? If he doesn’t, what will happen? The unknowns, plus the
destruction he has caused, convulse through my exhausted body and leave my mind
a muddled mess.

I am grateful Eric showed up, but I feel completely alone. I
wanted all this to be over, but I never wanted it to end this way.

I have no clue how to move forward. I still have to give my
statement to the police and wait to see if they will press charges. I don’t
understand how falling in love with Austin led me here. Was it falling in love
that caused this to happen? Or was this destined to happen either way? I don’t know
what to believe.

The water runs cold, so I stand up on shaky legs to turn it off
and get myself under control. Grabbing a towel, I wrap my hair up and reach for
another when Austin's smell assaults my senses. I hold the towel to my face,
breathing in his scent. This brings on a new bout of tears. I really wish he
was here. I can’t believe any of this was brought on by loving him.

Naked and alone, I fold myself into his towel and beg the
higher powers to bring me relief from my broken mind.

I take my time getting dressed. I have to borrow another
pair of his sweatpants, but find one of my tank tops. It makes me laugh, as I
remember this is how I ended up dressed the morning after we got together. He
would be so proud of my clothing choices. I giggle to myself.

Eric's voice rises as I walk down the stairs towards the
living room. Pausing at the bottom of the staircase, I listen to his side of
the conversation.

“No, man. I don’t know. She is holding up better than I
would be. She called me about three a.m. and I have been with her since. I
swear to God, J - if that fucker lives, I will kill him for putting her through
this.”

I take the remaining few steps into the room before Eric
notices my presence. He looks at me like he has been caught with his hand in
the cookie jar. I don’t have a clue why he feels guilty, but who knows what
else he has told my big brother?

I walk over to him and he wraps an arm around me.

“Hold on a sec, she is right here.”

He pulls the phone away and looks at me.

 “Talk to your brother.” His no-nonsense tone tells me that he
didn’t have an easy conversation with J.

I pull a face and take the phone. “Hey, J.”

“Jesus, Rylee, are you OK?”

I take a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m hanging on. It was a rough
night.”

“I’m at the airport now, so I’ll be there soon. Why didn’t
you call me, Rylee?”

“I don’t know, J. Everything was such a mess, and I needed
somebody right then, so I called Eric. It’s all so fucked up,” I squeak out the
last part before the tears return.

“All right, baby girl, it’s going to be all right. I will be
there soon and Austin is on his way. I found out from him, by the way, and he
is in a state of panic. Call the poor guy, please.”

I am still sobbing into the phone when Eric comes over and puts
his arm around me. I lean into his shoulder, thankful for the comfort, before
answering J.

“Sure, I’ll call him. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. I
was going to as soon as I got out of the shower. I just needed a minute to get
my head around it all. I am glad you’re coming, but are you sure you need to be
traveling?”

“Rylee Ash, you are out of your damn mind if you think I
could stay here and let you go through this by yourself. Now go try to get some
sleep after calling that boyfriend of yours and I will see you in a few hours.
I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you too, J. See you soon. Be safe.”

After hanging up with J, Eric guides me over to the couch
and hands me my phone.

“Why don’t you call Austin while I see what I can find us to
eat? Is there anything you want?”

“No. Eric, thank you for everything.”

I hold my phone, looking at the happy picture of Austin and
me. Will we ever be that happy again? The events of last night have shaken me
to my core. With unsteady hands, I hit the phone icon and call Austin. He
answers immediately.

“Ry? Is that you, baby?” I can hear the fear in his voice.

“Yeah, Aus, it’s me. I hear you are on your way home.”

As I say the words aloud, I realize how relieved I am that he
is coming. I cannot wait to fall into his arms, the one place I know I will feel
safe.

“How are you doing, Ry? Where are you? What happened?”

My heart melts at the sincerity behind his rapid-fire
questions. I can only imagine the things that have been going through his head since
he saw the news report.

“I’m OK, Aus. Eric is here with me. We’re at your house. I
couldn’t go home because the place is still a crime scene. As for what happened,
can we cover all of that when you get here?”

I don’t want to go through the entire story again right now.

“Sure, Ry, we can do whatever you want. I can’t tell you how
happy I am to hear your voice. I have been scared shitless since I saw the
news. I love you so much, Ry, and I am so sorry I wasn’t there.”

“I love you too, Austin. I’m glad you weren’t here. He nearly
killed Ruzek. If I hadn’t pulled the trigger, he may have killed us both.”  I
try desperately to contain the tears fighting to escape. I don’t want to fall
apart on the phone. He doesn’t need that before his long flight home. “Ruzek
has a concussion and a few stitches. It could have been much worse, Austin.”

I can hear him take a deep breath as he considers my words.
“Jesus, Rylee, I am so glad you’re OK. Listen, I’m getting on the plane now so
I should be there in a few hours. I love you so much, Ry, and I can’t wait to
get my arms around you.”

“I love you too, Austin. Be safe. I cannot wait to see you.”

Rylee

For the next few hours, Eric and I sit in Austin’s living room.
We are relatively quiet, absorbing the ever-changing news stories. Every
channel from CNN to ESPN has picked up the story. Ryan made it through surgery,
but is on life support. In an update about an hour ago, the doctors said Ryan’s
prognosis is not good.

I can’t decide how I feel about Ryan’s fate. On one hand, I
am glad it is him in that hospital bed and not me or Ruzek. On the other hand,
he is someone I loved once and I don’t want him to die. I am all too familiar
with the pain his family is feeling; I have just lived it as I waited for
Jeremy to wake up.

The pain Ryan caused is immeasurable and will play out for some
time to come, but does that mean he deserves to leave this earth? I am still
searching for that answer. I don’t want his death on my conscience, but I also
do not want to live through a repeat of the past few months.

Ruzek called a few minutes ago and said, except for a
headache, he is doing fine. We decided that I shouldn’t go visit him today due
to the media circus outside the hospital. Instead, we agreed to meet at the
police station later this afternoon when I give my formal statement.

The thought of giving a statement terrifies me. Ruzek told
me that I have nothing to worry about. He said he has already given his and
Micah has as well and that Micah came clean about everything that transpired
over the past few months. Even though giving my statement is merely a formality,
I am not looking forward to reliving every grueling detail.

 The intercom buzzes and I wander over to the keypad to see
who it is. To my relief, I hear my big brother’s voice asking me to open the
gate. Once the car pulls through the iron gate, I close it and step out onto
the porch to wait. J brought Dani with him, thankfully. It is still a challenge
for him to get around.  

Dani pulls the big, black SUV into the circular drive and I
walk out to meet them. Eric is right behind me and tugs a baseball cap over my
head. Then I notice the cameras on the other side of the fence pointed in our
direction. Luckily, the sheer size of the truck obscures their view. I guess
they figured out where we are hiding. Faint shouts come from the gate. Thank God
for the gate, is all I can think.

Opening the passenger door, I am met with an outpouring of
concern from green eyes that mirror my own. He reaches out with his one good
arm and I practically fall into his lap. Just the sight of my still healing
brother stirs the anger I feel toward Ryan for this entire situation.

Jeremy holds me tight for a few minutes before Eric comes up
and suggests we get everyone inside. Dani brings the wheelchair around and Eric
helps J out of the truck and into the awaiting chair. I hang back, watching
Eric roll his best friend into the house.

Dani walks up beside me. She lays a gentle hand on my
shoulder and gives me a tight smile.

“Rylee, I don’t know you very well, but I want you to know
that I am here if you need anything. Your brother was bordering on hysterical
this morning after Austin called. I am glad you are OK; I don’t think I could
pull Jeremy back from the ledge if you weren’t.”

She gives my shoulder a squeeze and follows Eric and J into
the house. Although I know this is a stressful situation for everyone, I also
know she is falling for my brother. The look in her eyes when she speaks about
him gives her away. She cares more about the man than her patient. I can’t help
smiling - he always gets his way. Maybe something good will come from this mess
after all.

Stepping inside, I close the door and cross the room to sit next
to J on the sofa. He pulls me in close and we just breathe for a minute. I
think it's a feeling of relief for us both. We have never gone through a major
life event without one another. We have met every major milestone, heartache,
and event together.

He breaks the silence. “Tell me you called Austin. I haven’t
heard from him again, so I assume he is on his way.”

I nod my head against his shoulder. “Yeah, I talked to him
right after you. He should be here soon.”

The room goes quiet. Unasked questions hang in the air. They
want to know the details and I am trying to hide from them. Remarkably, I have
held it together so far and haven’t let my emotions take flight.

I look over to see Eric’s head bobbing back as he fights to
stay awake. It is almost comical, and will hurt if he falls asleep that way.

“Eric, why don’t you go get some rest? You’ve got to be
exhausted.”

He gives me a concerned half smile. “No, I want to stay
here. I really don’t feel like facing the wrath of Jen just yet.”

I can’t say I blame him there, but him leaving was not what
I meant.

“So don’t. There are plenty of bedrooms here and Austin
won’t mind, I promise. Come on,” I say as I get up.

I walk over to pull him up by the arm and force him to
follow. I drag him down the hall to one of the bedrooms on the ground floor.
There isn’t much besides a bed in the room, but it is dark and should be good
for a few hours of sleep.

After getting Eric settled in the room, I help Dani with
their bags and settle them in two of the guest rooms across the hall from Eric.
I sure hope Austin doesn’t mind having a house full of guests, because that is
what he is getting.

Dani decides to take a nap as well, leaving J and me alone.
For a while we sit in silence, before he finally addresses the elephant in the
room.

“OK, Ry, can you tell me what happened?” His voice is laced
with both concern and curiosity.

I start from the top and go through every detail I can
remember without breaking down once. I think that is a mini victory in and of
itself. The biggest question J has is the same one I have: how did they get
into the house? There were no signs of forced entry and they were able to sneak
up on Ruzek. I hope the detectives can shed some light on that mystery this
afternoon.

I sit cross-legged on the couch, facing J as I watch him try
to digest the entire story. His face twists in both shock and anger, the seemingly
normal reaction to all of this. He grabs my hand and looks me straight in the
eyes with an outpouring of compassion.

“Rylee, I don’t know what to say or do for you at this
point. I want you to know that I am damn proud of you. It took some serious
courage to handle the situation the way you did. I will be here as long as you
need me, so tell me what you need and I will make sure it’s taken care of.”

J’s heartfelt statement brings tears to my eyes and I wonder
why he would be proud. I only did what I had to do to survive. I am certainly not
proud of the fact that I may have killed a man, but I guess in a way I am proud
I could ensure that Ruzek and I walked out of there alive. I ponder his words
for a few more seconds, trying to decide what I need. I don’t know.

“Thanks, J. I have no idea where to go from here, but I will
let you know when I do. I’m glad you’re here.”

I have no idea how I will eventually cope with everything,
but the one thing I do know is that I’m not alone. That knowledge will get me
through for now.