Chapter Seventy Five

Raleigh





Ryker drops me off at the Emergency entrance and I rush in, looking around to see if I see anyone familiar before moving to the counter to speak with the nurse that’s sitting there.

“Hi. Can I help you?” She asks, her voice sounding tired already.

“Umm…I’m looking for a patient that was brought in not too long ago, Lincoln Jones.” 

The woman looks at me with a raised brow and pursed lips, not even glancing at her computer and asks, “Are you family?”

\*Ummm….\* I hesitate, trying to figure out how to answer her question before stating, “He’s the father of my unborn babies.” I place my hand on my still flat stomach and give her a pleading look, hoping that she will help a girl out.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, I really am but only family is allowed to see him.” Immediately, tears begin falling from my eyes and from the look on her face, she does feel bad but instead of throwing a fit about it I just nod in understanding, knowing that she’s only doing her job.

“Thank you,” I mutter as I turn away and slowly make my way over to an empty chair in the waiting room.

Ryker and Serenity come barreling through the doors a few minutes later, a questioning look on his face when he sees me sitting here. With a shrug, I give him a sad smile and say, “I can’t see him since I’m not family.”

“To hell you’re not!” my brother growls as he releases Serenity’s hand and makes to move towards the counter that the nurse from earlier is still sitting behind.

“Ryker, please!” I say as I reach out and grasp ahold of his arm to stop him. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not.” His eyes are flaring with anger and he’s visibly shaking. “He’s the father of the babies that you’re carrying. You deserve to be with him just as much as the rest of his family.”

“And she’s just doing her job.” I say through clenched teeth, not wanting to fight with him here. 

“I’ll call one of them to come and get you then,” he states as he pulls his cell from his pocket and hits a few buttons before putting the phone to his ear.

He walks a few feet away to talk to whoever is on the phone and when he’s done, he comes back over to where Serenity and I are both now sitting. “Someone will be right down to get you.” As he says this, he shoots a glare at the nurse who just tries to hide her smile as she shoots me a wink and then goes back to whatever she was doing before my brother came in causing a scene.

I can tell that he’s still pissed off but when he sits down next to Serenity and she snuggles into his side, her hand finding his, I watch as he visibly relaxes.

\*I miss that,\* I can’t help but think as I watch the two of them before my mind wanders to Lincoln and what he’s done.

\*Why would he do something like this to himself?\* I try to think back on the man that I fell in love with and he was always so happy, never giving any sign that he was suicidal or even depressed for that matter.

\*What happened to you?\*

“Raleigh?”

I turn to look at a man who looks identical to Lincoln but I know isn’t him and tears once more begin streaming down my face as I rush towards whichever brother has come to get me. 

If he finds it weird that I wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest, he doesn’t say anything, he just holds me and gently rubs my back until I’m able to get my sobs under control.

Taking a deep break, I pull back and duck my head in embarrassment and mumble, “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, Short stuff. You’re like family to us and I know exactly what you’re going through. Went through something similar myself a few times.”

When I glance at him with a confused expression, understanding dawns on him, “When Aspen ended up in the hospital with a concussion and we didn’t know how bad it was and then again when she was in here for a month in a coma…it completely gutted me.”

Understanding dawns on me as he speaks and I realize that the brother before me is Boston.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

He nods and then indicates to my brothers that we’re leaving.

We turn around and begin making our way down a long hall as he begins to explain.

“I need to start off my saying that he’s been absolutely miserable and has missed you like crazy. He knows that he fucked up.” He moves over against the wall and then stops, turning to me, “Look, whether you forgive him or not is your decision but I know that…well, I know that he regrets his actions.”

“How do you know? Did he tell you that?” I ask, wanting to believe him but knowing that I have more than just myself to think about.

“I know my brother, and though I didn’t see this coming, I should have. He hasn’t been himself since that day at the hospital—even though he’s tried his damnedest to hide it.”

I feel so guilty because I thought he didn’t want to be with me, taking the approach of, \*if he wants me, he know how to get a hold of me or fine me,\* and all this time he’s been suffering in silence all alone.

Bringing my hand to my mouth, I’m barely able to hold it together as I drop my gaze to the floor and whisper, “It’s all my fault.”

“Raleigh, no it’s not,” he says trying to reassure me but he’s words bring little comfort.

“Yes, it is!” I snap, “I was kidnapped, I slept with another man—even if it was for my own survival—I’m the one who is pregnant! I’ve put the man that I love through complete and utter hell and after he left me that day, not once did I reach out. Not to check on him. Not for anything! Try to rationalize it all you want, Boston but this \*is\* on me!” By the time I’m done I’m bawling and my entire body is shaking, I’m so upset. 

I go to move away from him but he doesn’t let me, instead he pulls me into him, his warm body wrapping around me like a comforting blanket.

I’ve calmed down after a few moments and he pulls back, lifting my chin so that I will look at him but when I refuse, still wallowing in the truth of everything that’s happened, he demands, “Raleigh, look at me and listen to me when I say this, okay?”

Sniffling, I bring my gaze to his and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut as I stare into eyes identical to the ones that I love so very much. 

My resolve begins to slip once more as more tears begin to build behind my eyes.

“You were kidnapped, you didn’t ask for anything that happened to you to happen, including being assaulted. These babies that you’re carrying,” he says, dropping his gaze to my still flat tummy before bringing it back to my face. “You didn’t ask for and whether they are Lincoln’s or Brady’s, he will love them and treat them as his own because they are a part of you. And yes, he’s gone through hell, but so have \*you\* and I have no doubt in my mind that he would go through it ten times over if it meant that he got to have you in his life.”

I listen to his words, desperate to believe them, and terrified that he’s just feeding me a line for his brother's sake.

“He loves you so fucking much, Raleigh. I’ve never seen him like this before,” his voice breaks and it’s then that I realize that his eyes are red rimmed as if \*he’s\* been crying.

“Why’d he do it?” I ask, glancing from Boston to the door to the room that we’re standing outside of.

“I can’t say for sure. We got into a fight earlier. I could tell that he wasn’t okay but he wouldn’t talk about it. The only thing I got was that he thought you were done with him. Thought you wouldn’t care if he did…something like this—“ he mutters, as if the realization suddenly hits him.

Pushing off the wall, he strides away from me as he begins pacing the hallway.“Fuck! He basically told me he was going to do something and I didn’t even pick up on it!”

“Hey,” I say, trying to get his attention. When he doesn’t stop, I continue, “If this isn’t my fault, it isn’t yours either! Do you hear me?”