Page 73 of Chasing You

Neither of them said much as Adele washed his face, but as he watched the last of the paint swirl down the drain, he cracked. His knees hit the bathroom tiles, and he hadn’t realized he was sobbing until Bowen’s arms were around him, pulling him close.

He let it all out. He didn’t bother trying to hold back. There was no point, and he’d rather fall apart there in his brother’s bathroom instead of in front of Gage and Kash. He wanted to be strong for them. Heneededto be strong for them.

“I don’t ever want to be the one left behind,” Adele managed to get out as the feeling began to abate into something more manageable.

Bowen laughed, pressing his face to the top of Adele’s head. “I know what you mean.”

Adele believed him. He had a partner and a daughter now, and he and Lane were even talking about expanding their family. He knew exactly what he had to lose. Adele could only hope that none of the other guys ever came this close to knowing what it might feel like.

“They’re okay,” Bowen whispered.

Adele sat back and looked at him. “I haven’t been this scared since your accident.”

Bowen’s eyes widened. “You freaked out after my accident?”

Adele let out a hollow, humorless laugh. “I lost it, Bo. I thought…fuck, the first call I got was that you weren’t waking up and you were being rushed into emergency surgery. For a single, terrible moment, I thought I was going to have to face the world without you in it. I never wanted to feel like that again.”

But here he was. And it was as terrible as he remembered. This time, luckily, he was able to set his eyes on both Kash and Gage within minutes to verify they were okay. He was able to take them in his arms and hold them. There had only been a short few breaths between his panicked fear and finding out they were okay.

With Bowen, it had been worse. He was in surgery, then a coma, and then he had several infections before he was given the all clear. It had been hell, and he never wanted to feel like that again. It was too bad the universe seemed to have a kink for making him suffer this way.

“Everyone’s okay,” Bowen said very quietly.

Adele held him a little harder, then let go and scrubbed his hands over his face before climbing to his feet. He felt a little more human now that he’d let go of some of histension and grief. He knew it would creep up on him again, and the first time he put his arms around Gage, he’d probably feel the need to shatter all over again.

But it would be more manageable.

He would be levelheaded and able to help his son.

“Have you heard from them?” Bowen asked.

Adele shook his head. “My phone’s at the station, and Gage’s and Kash’s were in the house, so they’re gone.” The weight of it all hit him like a sledgehammer. Back on the grass in the neighbor’s yard, the loss had meant nothing.

Now, it meant everything.

“It’s all gone. Total loss, I think.” He hadn’t been across the street yet. Antonio had secured the scene, and the trucks were gone. The house would be checked for arson, but he knew the investigators would find nothing more than the freak accident that nearly destroyed his life.

“You’ll rebuild,” Bowen reminded him. “And you’ll never be without a home.”

Renato had already called Frey and told him to let Adele know they were making up the extra rooms at his house. Renato’s place was massive and gorgeous and probably a great place for Gage to unwind with the pool and everything.

And Adele would be taking some time off to heal his nerves and make sure that Kash’s body was okay with everything it had gone through.

He startled when the bell rang, and he followed Bowen into the living room, unsurprised to see the station SUV parked out front. Bowen opened the door, and Ridge quickly walked in. “I spoke to my brother—he just started in the ER a couple weeks ago. He said you can come down whenever you’re ready.”

Adele let out a trembling breath. “In a good way, right? No freak injuries that were missed on scene?”

Ridge gave him a pointed look. “You know that’s against policy…but yes. In a good way. No freak injuries.”

Adele managed to hold back a sob. “Okay. Okay. Fuck, I don’t have my car…”

“Like I’m going to let you go alone,” Bowen said, offended. “Let me give Lane a call, and then we can take off. They don’t need you, right?”

Adele glanced out the window, then shook his head. “No. Not until tomorrow.”

“The guys will make sure of that,” Ridge said. He hesitated, then pulled Adele close and held him. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

Adele shook his head, swallowing past a lump in his throat. “It’s fine. They’re okay. We’re all okay, and that’s all that matters.”

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