Page 136 of Bound By Words

He’s going to marry Kelly was what I wanted to say, but I extended my hand instead. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Stineman. I wish it were under different circumstances. I love your daughter very much.”

Chase’s eyes widened, but Kelly’s dad smiled faintly, squeezing my hand before giving it a firm shake.

“We should be able to see her soon. It’s nice to meet you. Our girl is a tough one.”

Nodding, we followed him toward the seating area. I sat at the far end, but I saw Kelly’s mom giving me appraising glances from her seat between her husband and son.

When the nurses came in and said Kelly was cleared for visitors, I shook my head when Chase gave me a significant look as Kelly’s parents left first. Family should be first.

After they reappeared, Evan went in with Deacon, who wanted to say goodbye to Kelly. “Evan would have let you go in with them,” Chase scolded me as soon as they disappeared.

“I can wait.”

“Stop beating yourself up.”

Chase knew I felt guilty, but she didn’t know half of it. I saw the messages. I knew how scared Kelly was despite the brave face she put on. And I let her talk me into letting her return home alone.

“My brother is the one who put her in the hospital. I’m not sure I deserve to be here.”

Her head comically swiveled in my direction. “What the fuck? I thought your brother lived in Hartford?”

“Not that one,” I responded quietly, feeling guilty I’d never truly considered Bradley my sibling. Maybe he wouldn’t have turned out this way if I’d been a better brother.

“Okay, I’m gonna need a storytime.”

Evan reappeared in the doorway before I could tell her my whole sordid family history. Emory didn’t even know the whole story, so it’d never come up in the years I’d known Chase.

“She’s asleep, but the nurse said someone can sit with her,” he told us as he sat beside Chase.

“You go,” she urged, pulling on my elbow. “I need to find food anyway, or I’ll start hurling again. I’ll see her in a little bit.”

Evan told me the room number, and I followed the long hallway to a partially cracked open door.

When I pushed it open, the tears I’d been trying to hold in slipped down my cheeks as I took in her tiny body curled in the sheets. Kelly had a bandage wrapped around her head, a small dot of blood visible through the thick gauze near the side of her head. She had dark purple bruising on her wrist and forearm, the side of her face was slightly swollen and covered with scratches, and her lip was split.

I dropped heavily into the chair next to her bed, taking her warm hand into mine and leaning my head forward.

“Oh, sunshine. I’m so sorry.”

NATHAN

Chicago

Kelly remained asleep for a few hours, her hand lying softly inside mine on the edge of her bed. Thankfully, the doctors came in with her parents and presented the CT scan results with no visible bleeding or skull fractures. She still needed to be monitored for a severe concussion and some swelling, but she was lucky. He hadn’t caused any lasting damage. Once her cuts and bruises healed, she would recover. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, knowing that surviving an assault like that didn’t go away overnight.

I emailed my boss, applying for an emergency leave of absence. I still had some vacation time left, but I wasn’t leaving sunshine’s side until I knew she was alright. My brother had left a shitshow in his wake, and I had to clean up his mess. I needed to call my sister and our older brother. They at least should know what had happened.

I wanted to hunt him down and murder the fucker, but he was in police custody, pending Kelly’s decision on whether or not to press charges. She better be pressing fucking charges. He deserved it, family or not.

Kelly continued to sleep after the doctor left, and Chase convinced Evan’s parents that I should be allowed to stay while the four of them headed back to their house. Chase pulled the pregnant lady card, and Mrs. Stineman looked torn but wanted to care for her guests. They finally relented, leaving me with their phone numbers in case things changed during the night.

The nurses brought some sheets and blankets, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep. My mind was restless as I kept watch over her from her bedside.

The following morning, Kelly slowly regained consciousness, initially very groggy but she perked up when she noticed me sitting in the chair beside her bed.

“Hey, sunshine. How’re you feeling?” I whispered as I pressed the call button to alert the nurses that she was awake. They’d monitored her vitals throughout the night, quietly coming into the room to check on her, but she hadn’t been fully conscious since she talked to Evan and Chase last night. While she was awake when the doctor had come in the previous evening, I doubted she remembered a word he said through the haze of pain meds.

The nurse quickly assessed her, asking her questions and having her fill out a meal request card for breakfast. It was still early, the sun barely peeking over the horizon.

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