Page 100 of Bleeding Hearts

Once I knew I had a brother, I tried reaching out to him a number of times over the years. He agreed to meet with me a couple of times during my teenage years. Nothing special, just to get a bite to eat or grab some ice cream.

But most times, he was hard to get a hold of. I would call and text, but he would rarely answer.

I know that he’s felt guilty since he learned the truth about my life.

He feels like if he had reached out to me more when I was still living in my father’s house, he would’ve seen something, he would’ve noticed I was in pain, and he could’ve helped me.

I’ve assured him that’s not the case. I was good at hiding it back then, and I wouldn’t have told him out of fear of what my father would’ve done to him. But he still has guilt over the whole thing, and I hate that he does.

By the time the cops leave and I’m discharged from the hospital, hours have passed, and it’s dark outside. Logan and I get in the car while Kaden takes a call outside of it.

I look at the screen on the dashboard, seeing it’s already almost nine o’clock at night and I will him to hurry up, eager to get to Asher.

“King was already able to post bail for Ash. He has to get back to his house because his neighbor is watching the girls, so we’re meeting them there,” Kaden says as he gets in the car.

I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he’s not stuck in the police station or sitting in a jail cell alone.

I tap my leg anxiously, staring out the window as Kaden drives. Kaden and Lo talk in hushed tones from the front of the car, but I can’t focus on what they’re saying anyway.

The only thought on my mind is seeing Asher and making sure he’s okay.

I try to wrap my brain around how all this happened.

I should’ve never answered my mother’s phone call. I was so desperate to help her I didn’t take into account the lengths she’d be willing to go to for my father. I didn’t take into account the fact that she’d be willing to abuse my love and kindness for her as a way to get me to him.

Asher knew it was possible though, and he warned me. But I didn’t listen. I believed her instead, and it landed me in the hospital and the man I love in jail.

I’m sure tomorrow or maybe even later tonight, the pain will hit me hard, but right now, even though hours have passed, adrenaline still runs through my veins. The need to be with Asher fueling it.

The drive doesn’t take longer than twenty minutes, yet it feels longer. As soon as Kaden puts the car in park, I open the door, walking as fast as I can up the driveway and to the door.

Logan jumps out of the car, following right behind me, Kaden behind her.

I’m about to knock on the door to King’s house when the door swings open, the man I’ve been waiting for standing right in front of me.

I throw myself into his arms, not thinking about my bruised ribs or anything else for that matter as I do, and he catches me easily. He lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him.

“I’m so sorry, Ash. I’m so fucking sorry,” I whisper as I shove my face into his neck. Tears burn my eyes, a new wave of emotion rolling over me now that I’m with him.

“It’s okay, baby. You have nothing to apologize for.” He brushes my hair out of my face, kissing my forehead gently. “Everything’s okay. I’ve got you.”

We stand in the doorway, him holding me, me latching on to him, the rest of the world still moving around us, but the two of us standing still in this moment in time.

I let the tears fall freely down my face as I think about how close I came to losing this. We stand there for what can’t be longer than a minute or two but feels like more before King speaks.

“I’m not trying to interrupt the moment because I know the two of you have been through shit today, but you’re letting bugs in the house,” he says from where he’s standing inside the doorway.

I laugh, smiling for the first time in hours, and then immediately regret it when pain ricochets through my ribs. I look up at Asher, who gently puts me down, intertwining his fingers with mine before leading me into the house.

I follow him, sitting down next to him on King’s large couch. Logan sits on the other side of me while Kaden leans against the edge of the couch next to her. King sits in the chair in the corner.

I look up to see Ellie walking into the room from the hallway, I assume coming from her own room. She looks around, looking at everyone there before her eyes land on me. Her eyes go wide for a second as they land on my neck, that’s covered in bruises, before coming back up to look at me.

Ellie’s only twelve, going on thirteen, but she’s mature enough to put the puzzle pieces together. She doesn’t ask what happened or what everyone’s doing in her house. She doesn’t try to make pointless conversation. Rather, she smiles at me softly before looking around to everyone else in the room.

“Anyone want hot chocolate?” she asks.

“That’s sweet of you, El.” King smiles up at his daughter. “I think we’d all like that. I’ll help you.” He offers.

---