Page 30 of Most Of All

Ifoundher.

For a moment, I lost hope, but now I have her back.

I brought her to my house instead of taking her to the hospital. I trust my doctors wholeheartedly; they are the best, and plus, I won’t let her out of my sight again. Unfortunately, she knocked herself out when I found her, and she’s in pretty bad shape. Throughout the entire ride back, I held her in my arms while she shivered, as if she was cold. I needed to have her close to me.

Once the doctor finished examining her, I gently put her in my bed, and to make sure she was warm enough, I grabbed an extra blanket and draped it over her.

The doctor mentioned that the shivering could be a side effect of the medications or possibly due to shock from everything that happened. Fortunately, it has calmed down now and she’s able to rest. She is on a drip for antibiotics, just in case. They want to prevent her wounds from becoming infected. There is also a high probability that she might have a concussion, other than that, she is going to be okay.

I inform the police that I found her, but I don’t mention that I know where Jack is. That prick is going to be left in the van until Raine is better. I can’t deal with him until then.

I need to give the police a statement, and they also want to speak to Raine, once she’s awake, that is. There are two officers downstairs, and I will go down shortly to speak with them, but first, I want to make sure she’s properly settled. I lay beside her, gently caressing her hair. My heart is breaking for her; she has been through so much in just a few days, all because of that son of a bitch. I wish I could make it all go away. It’s tearing me apart to think of her in pain.

Carefully getting up, I kiss her on the forehead and leave Linda to watch over her while I go downstairs to speak with the officers.

I provide my statement along with some minor embellishments. The presence of CCTV footage supports my account, which seems to work in my favor.

They actually seem like they want to help. They’ll have a couple of officers stationed outside to assist me in moving Howard here.

Even though he hasn’t woken up yet, I want Howard here with us, for peace of mind. The plan is to set him up in the downstairs bedroom, with two nurses taking care of him. Hopefully, that will be enough.

I’m eager to head back upstairs to my little wasp, and I will do so soon. I just need to sort out a couple of things first.

When all this shit went down I left Jeff looking for the remaining information on Ivy or Holly. Now that I have Raine safe, I want to know what he discovered.

As I head to the office where Jeff is waiting, I pause to take a couple of deep breaths before opening the door. I have for years been searching for my sister, and haven't found any clues about her. Now, however, I might finally have the answers I've been searching for, I just need a moment to breathe.

Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m surprised by what Jeff tells me. I’ve never had a good relationship with my father, and there is no love lost between us, he has always been a slimy character.

Jeff informs me that years ago, he had an affair with Jack’s mother, and they had a little girl together named Holly. However, things soured between them, and Jack’s mother began drinking heavily. In the end, she lost her kids, and the state took them away. Tragically, she later took her own life.

According to Jeff, my father took custody of Holly, while Raine’s parents took in Jack. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to find out where Holly is now, but he has some leads that he is currently following.

I’m still sitting in the office, reflecting on the new information after Jeff has left, my mind buzzing with thoughts. Was Jack searching for his sister, just as I am? He knew her real name, but yet appeared to lack information about her. I believe strongly that even though I feel like I’m missing part of the story, I have the determination to piece everything together. I’ll figure it out.

Before heading upstairs to my little wasp, I make sure everything is in order downstairs. The space has been meticulously arranged for Howard's arrival tomorrow morning. As I ascend the staircase to our room, a wave of relief washes over me when I see the doctor stepping out. With reassurance he offers me a smile and shares a brief update, telling me that he has removed Raine’s IV drip and that her vital signs indicate steady improvement.

With a new sense of relief, I step into the room. I take a moment to express my gratitude to Linda. She has offered to stay for a while, to help Raine and her dad, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her. As she heads off to her room, I feel a mix of relief and appreciation wash over me.

Eagerly, I strip down until I’m just in my pants. Glancing over at Raine, I take in her peaceful expression, the soft rise and fall of her chest lulling me into a sense of calm. I want nothing more than to pull her close, to comfort her in her sleep, but I know that she needs her rest in order to heal. Instead, I snuggle up as close as I can to her without waking her. My heart races when she shifts slightly, moaning as she turns to face me. It’s moments like these that remind me just how beautiful she is, and I can hardly believe that she’s mine. I’m endlessly thankful that fate brought us together.

As I lay there, lost in thought, I can’t help but smile as I lean in and press a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. The warmth of her skin sends a rush of affection through me.

Warmthwashesoverme,and I realize how much I missed this feeling. Was it all just a bad dream? My mind floods with memories before my eyes flutter open, and the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. I bolt upright, my eyes wide open, but it takes a moment for my vision to clear. In a slight panic, I scan the room. Relief floods through me when I recognize my surroundings. I'm at Don’s. I take a few deep breaths, before I glance down at myself and notice that I'm wearing one of Don’s T-shirts. Cautiously peering through the fabric's neck hole, I strain my eyes and glance down, checking to see if I have underwear on, I don’t.

Really hoping that it was Don who changed me, I glance beside me to the bed. “Don,” I whisper before realizing he’s lying awake, just staring at me. The intenseness in his stare sets my heart racing.

“I didn’t want to scare you, Sweetheart.”

“How…” I try to speak, but my voice is hoarse and barely audible.

“Shh, Sweetheart,” he says softly, patting the bed beside him.

“Come lie down; it’s still late.” I lay back down, facing him. My heart is still pounding in my chest at the sight of him. A hard lump forms in my throat at the thought that I almost lost this; I believed I would never see him again. Tears stream down my face and he reaches up and gently wipes the tears away with his thumb. Hesitantly, I place my hands on his chest. He doesn’t have a shirt on, so I let my hands roam for a second before slowly leaning into him. Softly, I start kissing his chest making my way up to his neck. A low growl comes from him as he seizes a hold of my shoulders.

“We don’t have to do anything, Sweetheart; it’s enough for me that you are here, safe.”

“I...I need...I need this,” I manage to croak out.

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