Page 8 of The Biggest Sacrifice

CHAPTER 4

TOM

Eleven months later…

There wasno fanfare to welcome me home. I walked quietly off the plane, onto my home base, did my check in and went straight to my house. I drove home safely, knowing they were all at Adam's house and wouldn't see me. I showered, dressed, and tried to calm my racing heart. I’ve never felt this anxious about coming home before.

Stepping outside my door, I take my front walk to the street, cross it and make my way up the paved driveway of Adam and Chelsea’s house. Sometimes it’s annoying as fuck being this close to everyone, but there was a reason we all bought homes right next to each other. We were raised as a tight family so it never dawned on us to move away from each other.

I can hear the music and smell the food cooking on the grill. I close my eyes and take a breath before entering. What do I want to see? What do I want to say?

It’s been eleven months since I’ve heard from her. She never wrote to me once. Her last words to me about no expectations bounce around in my head, and her final text about coming to find her once I understand loyalty? Well, that burned me. To the core. I could be loyal to her. Ihavebeen loyal to her since the first day I caught her. But I never said it. And that’s where it went wrong.

But I’ve had time to think. And that time has shown me what I want.

I want Farrah.

Walking in the front door of my brother’s home, everything looks the same, except there are more toys now. I smile and see the pink dresses and tutus everywhere, mixed in with a firetruck and footballs. Adam went from single guy to instant family, and it was exactly what he needed. I take a breath, then continue to the sliders. The same ones Adam and I walked through almost exactly a year ago when I told him I was leaving.

Coming back home is almost as difficult as the moment I told him I was going away.

I step through the glass sliders and onto the wood deck. I do a quick scan of my surroundings, noting where everyone is. My parents are each holding one of Adam’s twins. Dominic is standing just to the left of them playing with a balloon. Billy and Adley are horsing around in the pool while Jackson yells at Billy to stop splashing Chess and the baby. I smile, seeing my sister’s baby. I have another nephew that I’ve never met.

Chelsea comes from the pool house with a plate of food in one hand and a glass in the other, handing it off to Adam at the grill. And at the bar I see Bobby, Britt, Farrah and a new guy. My fists clench. This must be the replacement I’ve heard about.

Chief Hunter explained he’d be hiring someone to fill my position at the station while I was on leave. It didn’t cross my mind once that he’d be my age and would end up befriending my entire family. Memories of Billy talking about this guy over the last few months flood my mind. My family basically adopted him, bringing him to family dinners, hanging with him at Mooses. Like he was my stand-in. And the comments Billy made about him and Farrah? It made me see red.

Her silence since the day I left has weighed on me. She cut me off, then went on with her life. All the while, I was left with her last words and the hurtful look that I gave to her. My stupid thoughts and feelings hung on me like a wet rag for the last eleven months while I fought with myself to come to a decision.

A glass breaks and pulls me from my thoughts, making me jump at the scream I hear.

“Tom!” Gasps and cries go up and everyone rushes towards me. Adam gets to me first and crushes me in a bear hug. I’m trying to choke down all the emotions that are suddenly spilling over. Why am I having such a reaction to them? This hasn’t happened to me since the first time I came home.

Hasn’t happened since I lost him.

Adam won’t let me go and everyone is clawing at me, pulling me away from him, trying to wrap their own arms around me. My mom finally gets him to break free. She’s weeping and holding onto me for dear life. I rock her back and forth and look past everyone’s tearful eyes standing around us.

Farrah.

She’s still seated at the outside bar, while a look of hesitancy dances across her face. I give her a smile, but she doesn’t return it. My eyes narrow when I see the new guy brush his hand down her arm and make his way to me.

Fucking Cash O’Brien.

I know his name, I just refuse to acknowledge him as anything but ‘new guy’. Soon he’ll be ‘gone guy’. He thinks he can just walk into my life and take over? No fucking way.

I’m passed around a few more times before Billy gets to me. He’s soaking wet and grabs me up instantly.

“Bro!” He’s pounding my back and has me completely soaked now. “What the fuck! Why didn’t you tell us?”

Laughing, I push him off. “Get off me, you asshole. Now I have to change my clothes.”

“You’re lucky I don’t push you in the pool right now for keeping secrets.”

“You’re my twin. You didn’t know I was coming?”

His Casanova smirk glides across his lips, and he grabs hold of me again. “Fuck, I’m glad to see you.”

There’s lots of chaos, excitability and questions about why I didn’t tell anyone.

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