Page 82 of Broken Empire
HunterandGrayboth rushed to my side the moment they got into the room.
“OhmyGod!ThankGodyou’re awake and alive!Youscared the fuck out of me!”Huntersays as he hugs me to him.
“Howlong haveIbeen here for?Ihad the strangest dream thatDadwas still alive,”Imumble into his chest.Whenhe pulls away a little to look down at me,Isee the pinched expression that’s currently gracing his face andIfrown. “Pleasedon’t tell me that was true!”
“It’syour second day here and um, it’s true sis.”
“Ohright, nowIremember!Icurrently hate the two of you!”
“What?No, you don’t.Youlove me and becauseI’vebeen such a great big brother you’ve forgiven me,” he says with a pout on his face and puppy dog eyes.
“Getaway from me you big jerk!”Igrumble, but my tone lacks any heat to it.Buthe respects my wishes and moves to one of the chairs in the room.Oncehe’s moved,Graysonis the next one to find himself in my space.Hehugs me tightly, being careful with all the wires hooked up to me and the sling on one of my arms.
“I’mso glad you’re okay sis.Youalmost gave me a damn heart attack!” he says in a shaky voice andIcling to him a little tighter.I’vebeen so busy staying mad thatIforgot how soft and sensitive he really is.
“I’mfine.Don’tworry,”Iwhisper softly in his ear and he just hugs me closer, before kissing me on the top of my head.
“Canyou get away from my girl now you big oaf!”Masonmumbles a moment later.Graysonstraightens up and looks down at me and we both roll our eyes, bursting out into giggles.
Amoment laterMasonpulls him away from me and points to another chair for him to sit on before he gets into the bed with me.
“Lieback and rest some more, baby.Anddon’t even bother telling us to leave because we’re your shadows for the rest of the day.Infact, until you’re ready to leave this dump,” he tells me while fixing us so that my head is on his chest and my hand with the sling isn’t being bothered.
Withmy head still on his chest,Imove it to look up at him.Hestill looks sad but a moment later he smiles at me and the sadness vanishes, making me wonder if it was really there.
“Sleep,” he whispers before kissing my forehead.
Iclose my eyes and think about the babies in my stomach.Howthe hell amIgoing to tell him that we’re going to be parents?I’mscared and don’t even thinkIhave what it takes to be a mother.DoIeven want him to know that they’re his?Howwould he even be as a father?Wouldhe be a good one?Mythoughts keep me troubled one after the other untilIeventually fall asleep from exhaustion.
* * *
It’sbeentwo weeks sinceMasonbrought me home from the hospital and saying that things were tense around the whole house would be an understatement.Obviously,Iknow it’s mostly because of me, butIjust don’t care right now.Theyall deserve to get a taste of my mood swings.Ormaybe it’s just these fucking hormones that’s messing with me…Notgoing there right now sinceIstill haven’t toldMasonabout the babies yet.
Plus,I’mpissy because they’re at it again with that damn therapist.She’sbeen here more times in two weeks thanIthink is warranted, but do they listen to me?No.They’reall men and they seem to think they know what’s best for me yada, yada, yada.
Anyway, according to said therapist—who’s going to be here later today, again—Ihave every right to feel howeverIwant to.I’mallowed to be as mad asIwant, for however longIwant to be and they can all just suck it, my father included.
Lookslike said therapist might be good for something after all.I’vebeen letting my displeasure be known throughout the house in the time thatI’vebeen here.Frommy father—whoIreally hate right now—to my brother, toGraysonand thenMason, who gets the worst of my mouth.They’veall been yelled and cursed at, at some point, but they’re still all here annoying the hell out of me.
Thefirst thingIhad beef with them over was the whole therapist thing.EventhoughI’mkind of warming up to her now,Iwas pissed in the beginning.Myfather, who is supposed to be dead but isn’t, is a whole other source of rage that consumes me.Mybrother for keeping that shit a secret and of course,GraysonandMasonfor everything that happened after their father set me up.
Iknow those two have been trying to make things right butIstill don’t know how to feel about all the shit that went down.Haven’tworked my way through that shit yet.MaybeIshould consider doing that in today’s session.
Ihear a sound coming from outside my door and let out a groan.Afterwe made it home,Itold them all to leave me alone becauseIwasn’t ready to talk to any of them.Butof course, they didn’t listen.Thosedamn assholes!
They’veall been taking turns checking in on me every hour on the hour, sinceI’vemostly been in bed, resting, so thatIcan heal.Masonopens the door andIsee him balancing a tray with food in his hands.Ohgreat, here we go again…Hewas already up here this morning with a big as hell breakfast that he made me eat and he’s been squirrely all morning.Iwonder what the hell is going on with him.
“Hey, baby, how are you feeling?I’vegot your lunch for you,” he says as he walks over to my bed.Heputs the tray on the small rolling table and then he pulls it to him, as he sits on the edge of my bed.
“I’mnot?—”
“Don’tstart, please.Weliterally go through this every single day.”
“Well, if you’d listen to me then we wouldn’t have to now, would we?”Igrumble.
“You’rebeing a brat again,” he says with a smile on his face, his expression one of longing andIpoke my tongue out at him.
“Well, you deserve it…”