It took me so fucking long. I stole years from her—from us—because I was too much of a pussy to take a chance. I still worry that I might unwillingly harm her, but I now believe that we need each other on a greater scale.
Regardless of my fears and concerns, the only way I might ever begin to heal is with her walking each step with me.
“Maddox?” I tense when Axel’s hand touches my back. “You okay, brother?”
I’d love to punch him in the face, get some of this excess energy out, but I know he isn’t asking the ludicrous question for shits and giggles.
“No,” I tell him honestly. “But I will be when they let me back there.”
“I understand. Here.”
I turn and look down at the phone in his hand.
“Called your carrier and had your number transferred over, so if they call, it’s all good.”
“Appreciate it,” I mumble. “Where’s Izzy?”
“At home with Nate. She wanted to come with me, but Nate’s sitter needed an hour to get there. Melissa is bringing the girls and Cohen over before she and Greg head this way. Everyone else should be here shortly.”
I don’t respond, choosing to rather turn towards the window and wait. It shouldn’t be taking this fucking long.
An hour passes before the room is full of everyone who loves Emmy. All worried. Everyone silent. I’m sure they’re afraid to speak at this point, and I honestly don’t know what I would do if they did. I’m hanging by a thread that’s been unraveling for hours.
My eyes close just before two small arms wrap around me. She doesn’t speak—she doesn’t need to—and she just offers me her strength. I’m fine until she starts to hum and I remember when our positions were switched and Izzy needed me to be her strength. Her lifeline when her world was crumbling around her. Before she and Axel finally got past their issues and came together again. Fought their demons and won.
Her heavy belly brushes against me when I shift and open my arms. She gives me a soft smile and moves her body closer. I take everything she’s giving and look across the room where her husband is frowning. Even though I know he’s worried just like the rest of us, that frown is because his woman is in my arms.
“Appreciate it, Iz, but maybe you should get back to your husband now?”
She looks over at her grumbling husband and rolls her eyes. “He’ll get over it. You need me.”
She doesn’t let up. Not when Melissa walks over and joins. Not when Dee shuffles under my arm and burrows close to Izzy. And not even when Chelcie brings up the rear and wraps her arms around the three other girls. Each of them at one time was just as lost as I was. I’ve watched, helped, and cheered silently from the shadows as each of them overcame and thrived with one of my brothers.
Hope. Trust in the unknown. And love. It’s been right in front of me for so long, but I’ve been too blind to see it.
I close my eyes and let my guard down. Then I take the masks and shields I’ve used as tools to keep others out and throw them away. With a deep shudder, my breath catching and my arms tightening around the each of the women in my life who have loved every dark piece of me, I allow myself to break.
Their arms get tighter, and together, they help me hold myself up. Help me let it out without judgment and give me the time I need to express my pain.
I open my eyes, the wetness falling from my lids and rolling down my cheeks. When I meet each of my brothers’ eyes, I see their understanding and support trained my way. All four of them give me a tip of their chins and turn their attention back to each other—allowing me this moment.
Thirty minutes later, the women back next to their husbands—and since Sway walked in during the tail end of their hugs, I just detached him from my body seconds before—the doctor comes into the room.
“The family of Ms. Keeze?” he asks the room.
I move quickly and stand before him. “Maddox. Husband,” I say in way of greeting.
He scans the room before addressing me again. “Is there somewhere we can speak privately?”
“This is her family, Doctor, so anything you need to tell me can be said right here.”
“Very well. Your wife is resting as comfortably as possible at the moment. X-rays show that she has a fracture to her ulna, and although it’s stabilized, the swelling is too great for her to be placed in a cast at the moment. She has also has a transverse tibia fracture. The swelling issue is also present. Both will be placed in a cast as soon as possible. Her throat will be sore for a few days. There isn’t any internal damage. However, she was complaining about the pain. I placed two stitches to the laceration on her temple. All things considered, your wife is a very lucky woman.”
My mind is racing to make sense of her injuries. I understand, at some level, what he is trying to say to me, but I can’t compute it until I see her.
“Do you have any questions for me?”
“I need to see her.”