CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Lincoln
They wouldn't let me see her. Demetri had been in and out of her bedroom for hours. They even let marshmallow man in, or at least he was able to peek his head through the door while I stared helplessly at the doorknob, willing it to twist, praying she would walk out to me — better yet, run into my arms and let me hold her.
Damn it. I was trapped in the living room, driving myself insane with worry. Wes, Gabe, Saylor, and Kiersten left with Alec and Nat, meaning just Demetri, Lyss, and the rest of us remained at Jay's house.
I pressed my fingers to my temples while I tried to eavesdrop on the conversation Pris was having with Dani's therapist.
It all seemed so wrong.
To be talking about her like she'd died, when she was in the other room freaking breathing! She was eighteen! And they were treating her—
Like she was broken.
It wasn't the way I would treat her.
Guilt stabbed me in the chest, even though I knew in theory it wasn't my fault. I'd started a car, and it had scared her. End of story.
But at least the secret to the tattoo on the back of her leg was solved. Apparently it was too brief for me to actually put two and two together, but the minute Demetri explained everything, I knew. It also allowed him to get at least two punches in before Alec pulled him off me.
I touched my bleeding lip and winced as the stinging continued.
"Okay, thank you." Pris tossed her cell phone onto the counter. "Her therapist says that she should be fine. We just have to be more careful with her known triggers."
"Bullshit." I jumped out of my seat. "The last thing she needs is for her entire family to treat her like she's an invalid! So she freaked out. It sucks. Believe me, I feel like shit about it, but using kid gloves with her isn't going to make everything better! It enables the issue!"
"It's a serious issue!" Jay shouted. My ears began to ring.
Zane cleared his throat. All eyes turned to him. "I'm with Linc."
"Thank God, at least one of you is thinking clearly."
"Zane has known her for exactly two weeks!" Demetri's voice was even louder than Jay's. "And Linc has known her for what? Four?"
"Let me talk to her," I pleaded.
"No!" Pris blocked my way to Dani's door. "You could make her worse. She could never speak again. I just got her back." Tears filled her eyes. "I just got my sister back."
Did they miss my role in that? Seriously?
Sighing, I looked to Jaymeson for help, but he was staring at the floor. Alyssa was the one to step forward; she'd been quiet the whole time.
"Dem…" She looked back at her husband. "… I'd like to think I know a few things about trauma, and Linc's right. She's never going to get over it until she faces it, accepts it. So we protect her now. What happens when she sees another car like Linc's? What if we make it worse by making her afraid of her triggers? We have to do our best, and our best isn't protecting her, by enabling. It's letting her go."
"No." Tears tumbled down Pris's face as she shook her head violently.
Jaymeson hung his head. We were at a standstill. Nobody made a move.
Pris was still blocking the door.
And desperation was already kicking in.
And I remembered the day on the beach when I'd chased Dani, when I told her I'd keep chasing her until I captured her, until she was mine.
So I pulled out my phone and started typing vigorously, praying her phone was with her in her room, praying my words, for once, would be enough.
Linc: I'm sorry.
I moved to the farthest part of the room, trying to stealthily type so that nobody saw. Jaymeson was holding Pris while she cried. Alyssa and Demetri were arguing over what to do, and Zane's eyes were trained on my hand. He nodded his head once then very carefully blocked my body with his by lazily leaning against the kitchen counter.
Dani: Me too.
Cursing to myself, I typed again.
Linc: You let me in before. Let me in again. Please.
Dani: I'm embarrassed.
I rolled my eyes.
Linc: Because you freaked out? Everyone freaks out. Shit, I was afraid of the dark until I was fifteen because my mom used to tease me that some crazy man was going to steal me away. She made me afraid of Santa, Dani. What kind of monster makes you hate Christmas?
Dani: That's horrible!
Linc: We all have issues, but the really great thing about family? We stick together. And I know that because my grandparents never gave up on us, even when I was a punk teen trying to rebel and get high at the neighbors, Grandpa swatted my ass and told me to get good grades. Family sticks together. You have an incredible one.
I waited for an answer, but my phone remained silent. After several minutes, it became clear she didn't plan to answer.
I sighed then sent another text, one that might have been harsh, but harsh seemed to be what she needed.
Linc: Your parents are dead.
Dani: I know.
Linc: They aren't coming back.
A few seconds went by, and then my alert went off.
Dani: I know.
Linc: Life is scary as hell, but I'd rather believe you were spared for a reason, maybe so that on your eighteenth birthday you could make a stupid, spoiled, Hollywood actor give up his heart and fall in love. Selfishly, I'd like to think, that maybe, just maybe, there's a bright side, and that's us.
She didn't text back.
Shit. I shoved my phone into my jeans and faced the wall. I banged my head slowly against it as I fought to keep my emotions in check. Ramming my body through the door wasn't going to help anyone, except, it would make me feel a hell of a lot better.
The room fell silent.
Hell, they'd found out I was texting. Slowly, I turned and nearly fell on my knees as Dani stood before me, her face red and blotchy with tears.
She opened her mouth, and I could tell she was struggling with speaking. Pris made a move toward us, but Jay held her back.
Dani closed her eyes.
"No, sweetheart," I whispered, "keep them open. Look at me. It's only us."
Tears spilled onto her cheeks. Nodding slowly, she opened her mouth. "I'd…" Her voice was hoarse, gravelly. "… I'd like to think that too."
My knees shook, but I gripped her by the shoulders and pulled her against my chest as I kissed her head. "It's a miracle you're alive, Dani. You're my miracle. Maybe it is selfish to think that after living in a loveless family, I'd finally be rewarded with a better one — with you. But I guess in my messed up mind, that's how the world works."
Her tears were hot against my shirt. "I love you."
Demetri and Jay turned away, ushering the girls out toward the balcony and shutting the door, which was exactly what needed to happen. It was too raw, and I didn't want them witnessing any more.
Zane stared us down then silently walked over to his room and shut the door behind him.
"Dani," I whispered into her hair, "look at me."
She lifted her head, her blue eyes swollen, cheeks puffy.
"I love you too."
"Are you s-sure?"
I burst out laughing. "Pretty. Damn. Sure." My mouth met hers in a whisper of a kiss before I pulled her against me again; hugging her so tight it was hard to breathe, hard to speak.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was muffled against my chest. "I'm sorry I freaked out. I had no idea, it was you, and I was so angry at first, and I blamed you, and I'm sorry." She hiccupped. "But it wasn't your fault. It wasn't even mine or my parents'." Her eyes cleared. "It's life."
I nodded. "It's life, Dani."
"Life… means I leave what's behind me behind me."
"Can't drive a car in reverse," I agreed.
"Can't drive a car period. It's why Jay got me an SUV," she joked.
Laughing, I kissed her nose. "I'll keep that in mind."