Coming Home (Only Time Will Tell #1) (34 page)

“Just fine. I can’t believe I’ve slept till the next morning though.” I laugh quietly.

After my soothing bath, I wrap myself in a towel and just sit, staring at my feet. They were covered in millions of cuts but looked a hell of a lot better than before. The blood had made them unbearable to look at. I tried to get to my feet but it hurt, no, they were sensitive to stand on. I couldn’t believe this had even happened to me. It makes me nervous just thinking about stepping out into the real world, on my own. I just can’t seem to see myself being comfortable doing it. A tiny rap at the door has me looking up as Kyle pokes his head around it, smiling for a moment and then losing it as he finds me inspecting my wounds.

He slips into the room and comes over, kneeling in front of me and taking my foot from his grasp to inspect himself. “How do they feel?”

“Sore. Everything feels sore at the moment, but I’ll survive,” I add with a smile. “What have you been up to?”

He glances still holding my foot in his hands. “Trying to sort some work things out, and you.”

Looking at him confused, I ask the obvious question, “Me? What do you need to sort out for me?”

His lips press together tightly for a moment and it feels like an eternity waiting for his answer because I sure as hell can’t figure out why he’s had to sort out for me. “You can’t stay here forever, C.J. I know it’s soon, but I wanted to start making plans for you.”

I don’t know why, but I feel like my own life is being taken out of my hands. It has a lot just recently. “You make it sound like I’m an abandoned puppy. I can sort things out myself, or at least help. You don’t have to go behind my back,” I snap unintentionally sounding a lot angrier than I should.

“It’s not behind your back. If you go and get dressed, we’ll tell you everything.”

“We? Who’s we?”

Kyle nods his head towards the door and places my foot against the tiled floor before getting back up and holding his hand out. “We did some talking last night and tried to think of the best action to take. We’re not doing anything against your wishes, but we thought we’d get some ideas together for you to decide from.”

He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Why is it, when people try and help they can sometimes make you feel useless. “If you pass me the stuff the hospital gave me, I’ll sort these out first,” I say, pointing to my feet, sounding less angry but still very irked.

Kyle leaves and comes back with the little paper bag that I brought home with me. Instead of letting me patch myself up though, he sits on the floor beside the bath and tenderly applies the ointment before taping the dressings to my soles.

The whole time he does it, he doesn’t say a word but winced every time I sucked in a breath when he hit a tender spot. It dissipates my anger slowly until I don’t feel anything but love for him again. Not that I have ever felt anything else for him. I will always love him completely, it was just that moment where I felt miffed about the situation.

After helping me to my room, he left me to get dressed, only passing an order to shout when I was ready. He would help me to the lounge so that they could all explain everything. I was nervous about what they had discussed and only hoped that they had managed to come up with something to explain all of this and a quick solution for the problem. I wanted normal. I wanted to just be with Kyle without having to worry about someone drugging him or trying to kill me. Not only because I loved him, but because I needed him to know about Kody. He deserved to know. He was a Dad and he never got to meet him, never got to hold him or cuddle him. I know that he’d never be able to do that and my words and that bomb shell would never fully compensate missing out on that short time. But I wanted him to know about the little miracle and show him any way I could how much of an angel he was.

Perched in the corner of the couch I look at Ryan, who seems to have become lead speaker. I have Nod on my left and Kyle is somewhere behind me pacing the room. He’s making it feel like a summit meeting, and we haven’t even begun talking yet.

“Cat, Kyle told us that you were annoyed about us discussing this without you being here but we figured that you’d had enough for one day. We weren’t trying to dictate your life.”

Nod grabs hold of my hand, squeezing it tightly. “And, you can stay here as long as you need. I would never kick you out. You know that, right?”

I nod at her but I can feel the blood rushing from my face. It feels like they have come up with the worst case scenario and had decided it was the best option. “I know, and I know I was annoyed but I’m not now. I had a think about it and as always, you’re being friends and helping me. I know you haven’t done this to spite me.”

“Good. Now, last night when you told Kyle about the guy who had the tattoo, he got a good impression about who the guys were. Obviously we can’t prove it, but he’s ninety nine percent certain he knows.”

Twisting to look at him I find him leaning against the wall, chewing on his lip. “You do?” I ask.

He takes a deep breath and digs his hands into his jeans pockets. “Some guys I briefly met. They were in rehab at the time and said they were trying to get on the straight and narrow. Obviously that hasn’t happened. The big guy scared the crap out of me the first time, but after getting to know him, I thought he was a nice guy.”

“Hold up,” I interject, pulling myself up to look at him better. “You were in rehab? You never told me that.” That’s rich, considering.

He shook his head and screwed up his mouth. “Not me, Josie,” he says, coming over and taking a seat on the arm of the couch. “She went through a rebellious stage years ago. Drugs, drinking…you know how desperate people get. Sometimes, they’ll do anything to get attention. Get noticed. Well, although I didn’t know her, her Mom asked me to go and see her. See if a new face and friend would help her. That’s when I met those guys, they took care of Josie. After she was checked out, I offered her a place to stay and a job until she could get back on her feet. Little did I know then, that years later, I’d still have her living with me and working for me.”

Wow. I didn’t expect her to have a history like that, not in a million years. “So, you’re saying that you think Josie has something to do with this, again?”

“Cat?” Ryan interrupts. “Can you think of anyone else who would do something like this? I mean I know it’s a pretty done deal with her knowing them, but is there anyone you’ve pissed off?”

“No. Not so much that they’d do this, at least. Have you guys thought of anyone else?”

“Well,” Nod interjects. “I have thrown my accusation at Mommy dearest, but Mommy’s boy over there won’t hear anything of it. I’m also sorry that I kind of used the ball as an example, but he doesn’t believe me.”

“That’s enough,” Kyle snaps playfully, dragging a cushion from behind my back and throwing it at Nod. “Can we deal with the attack and not the crap you’ve made up.”

I roll my eyes and look at Nod shaking my head. Somethings will never change. “So, Josie.”

“We think it’s our best guess.” Ryan tells me. “Which leads us to the next problem,” he smirks. “The fact that Kyle lives with someone who drugs him and gets his girlfriend beaten up.”

“Why did you have to say it like that? It’s not funny.” Kyle snaps again, less playfully.

“I know it isn’t, but you don’t half know how to pick them. And you’re the one who has to get the crazed mare out. Make sure you hide the knives when you do, though.”

Nod huffs in disapproval, snapping her fingers. “Boys, care to stop being fucktards and actually continue with this? Because, the last time I checked, we were actually going to talk about living arrangements.”

Abandoned puppy, again. “I take it my apartment isn’t livable yet?” I ask, even though it’s the last place I want to be.

“No,” Nod replies. “The police have been in and poked around, but that’s all we know. Anyway, like I said, you can stay here as long as you want. We threw some ideas about like a hotel or another apartment, but we don’t think you’re ready for being on your own again, yet.”

It’s nice to know they know what’s going on inside my head. “Okay, so you’re happy for me to stay here?”

“Sure I am,” she says, like it’s the stupidest thing I have ever said. “I wouldn’t kick you out and I sure as hell ain’t going anywhere.” Leaning forward, she wraps her arms around be and hugs me tightly, but I have enough space to turn and look at Ryan raising a brow. Still hasn’t told her. He rolls his eyes and smirks at me, slapping his hands against his knees and getting up.

Kyle shifts behind me and places his hand against my shoulder. Turning, I pat it and smile. “Are you okay with that?”

“Not really,” he mumbles. “I wanted you to stay with me.” Slipping his hand from beneath mine as my jaw hits the floor.

“Kyle, you live with the woman you decided last night got me beat up. Not only that, she drugged you. Why the hell would I live with you?”

“Because,” he starts, getting up and taking Ryan’s seat on the coffee table. “She’s not there anymore. That’s what I was sorting out this morning.”

Ryan walks back in and hands out drinks as I stare open mouthed at Kyle. “How? She can’t have just packed and skipped out.”

Kyle winces and pulls back from us as he informs us, “She doesn’t know yet. But she will, soon.”

I look at Nod briefly, just to make sure it’s not just me who’s not getting this. “Can you elaborate, because I’m struggling here to figure out how someone can, not live there in less than twenty four hours of deciding she’s
the one,
and not know. What did you actually get up to this morning?” I narrow my eyes at him, dreading what he’ll come up with.
 

“I knew you wouldn’t move in if she was there, which I get completely and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to have to tell her. So, this morning I told her I’d gotten her a spa day because I felt bad about her not taking the trip we’d planned to visit one of the hotels.”

My stomach drops as I register the thought of those two away together. I’m sure she’d love the idea of having him to herself without anyone interfering.

“Then, I contacted some guys to pack her up and move it all in to storage, along with booking her a hotel for a week. She’ll find out later, but I just wanted her out. Even if I wasn’t planning on moving you in I’d have done the same. I want her gone.”

My eyes widen as that sinks in too. “And you did all of that this morning?”

“Jesus, Kyle. You were only out there a few hours,” Ryan adds, taking a seat beside Nod.

“I know, but I just had to do it. So, if you want to come and stay with me you can. I know you’re just as safe here, but I want to be with you all the time. Ryan told me you woke up screaming.”

For God’s sake. Leaning forward I glance around Nod and give Ryan the evil eye, which he just shakes his head at. “That’s right, but you don’t have to put yourself out for me. I could stay here for a while longer, just until I know what I want to do.”

“Cat, please. I don’t want to force it on you but I really need you there,” he says, leaning forward and grabbing my hands, cupping them within his. “I’m tired of giving people the chance to get between us and I’d be happier knowing you’re there and I can keep you safe.”

“What happened to ‘if I want,’” I ask.

Kyle shrugs and juts out his lip. “I thought I’d give you the option, hoping you’d say yes. Now you haven’t, and I’m laying it on thicker.”

“When will you tell her?”

“When she’s back later. I could come and pick you up after, if you don’t change your mind.”

Taking a deep breath I think about what I want. I want him and I want normal. Nothing that has happened has been typical and if this is a step in the right direction, I’ll put everything behind me over this and do it. It won’t be easy, but it’s a start. “Fine. But I want to be there when you tell her. I want her to see that she hasn’t gotten what she wanted, or give her the opportunity to wriggle her way back in. For once, I want her to show that we’re united over this.”

“Seriously?” he asks, breaking out into a humongous smile.