Page 74 of Inked Obsession

I looked at him then, and everything felt wonderful. We were here, together, and though I didn’t know what would happen next or where Beckett and I were going, we were happy. I hadn’t spoken to my in-laws since the incident, and I didn’t know if I would. There had been no lawyers. Nothing. I still hadn’t made a decision about the money, but I needed to come to terms with my life first before I thought about anybody else’s and the things piling up on my plate.

I was in a new relationship, I was falling in love, and I was figuring out who I was. Thoughts of who Marshall had been didn’t need to take over my life. Beckett held me close as we waited for our order, laughing and enjoying our mimosas.

This was a perfect day. I was happy. After so long, I finally realized what I had been missing. Peace.

Beckett leaned down and looked at me. “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Everything. You. Just being happy.”

“Y’all are so sweet, it’s making me sick,” Brenna said, and Benjamin just shook his head, quiet as usual.

Beckett opened his mouth to say something, and then his eyes widened before he shouted. There were screams, and I looked over my shoulder, but I couldn’t get any words out. I couldn’t do anything.

A car came right at us, hopped the curb, the driver’s head down. Everything moved fast then. Beckett pulled my shoulder, wrenching my arm practically out of its socket. I pushed at the metal railing that separated the patio from the street, trying to get away, but the car was coming right at us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Benjamin throw Brenna to the ground, covering her with his body as glass shattered and metal clanged and twisted. There were screams, and Beckett’s arms were around my waist, and then I was falling. I hit the ground, my palms scraping. Then there was a shout, an oath, and then Beckett was gone.

I looked around, and the car was over the table where we had just been. Benjamin and Brenna were slowly getting to their feet, but Brenna was still screaming. There was a sharp sound, and I realized I was screaming, too.

Because Beckett was passed out beside me, a jagged tear on his side, blood pooling under him.

I kept screaming.

Beckett wouldn’t wake up.

It had happened again. It was happening again.

I was losing him. And I hadn’t told him that I loved him.

I kept screaming.

Even as I put my hands on his body, trying to do something, calling for help. Others came, but I couldn’t do anything. When the screaming finally stopped, I held my hands over his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

I was going to lose him. Just like I had lost Marshall.

And I hadn’t even told him that I loved him.

I was going to lose him.

Lose everything.

Again.

Chapter 22

Beckett

“I’m fine,” I reminded my parents as my mother held my hand tightly. Not tight enough to hurt me, she was too small to do that, but she still had a tight grip.

“I know you are. Somehow, you made it through with no broken bones, just some cuts that took a bunch of stitches and a lovely hurt back. The same hurt back that happened during the shooting.”

“Don’t guilt him,” my dad rumbled from her side. “We’ve already guilted him enough over the past few months. We don’t need to continue doing it.”

“My baby was hurt,” Mom said as she pushed my hair away from my face.

“I love you so much, baby boy.”

My chest ached but still warmed at her words. “I thought I was your eldest. Not your baby.”

“You’ll always be my baby.” She paused. “And now I have that song in my head. I think I need sleep.”

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