Page 22 of Finally Forever
“I’ll go outside,” she murmurs to Xavier.
I can tell she’s trying to be strong, but the girl is crumbling. I’ve no doubt she’ll have an emotional breakdown the moment she leaves the room.
He nods at her, sympathy in his eyes. Does she work for him? What is the connection to this woman?
The doctor says, “I’ll leave you two to talk. If you need anything, press this button.” He places a remote on my bed. “A nurse will come.”
I watch him leave and nod at the chair for the guy to sit, frustrated as fuck with my body and its weakened state. I will get through this and leave this bed sooner than a week.
9
Sebastian
The nurse returns with chips of ice and explains, “You can suck on one at a time, but don’t overdo it.”
As soon as the room is cleared of everyone except for Xavier, I say, “Tell me everything.”
I’ve never been a sugar-coated kind of guy. Sugar coating only wastes time and that can get you killed. Give me the hard facts.
Xavier sits like I suggested—a good sign. He knows sitting will make me more comfortable, considering I’m bedridden. He goes over everything about my situation, Protective Custody and how I entered it to escape my father and live a life with Ainsley—the blonde. She’s the love of my life—my fiancée, of all things. I met her in college. She gave up a lot to be with me and thought I was dead. Everyone from the life I had in Winter Park thinks I’m dead. It was how I got away. I actually died and was brought back. That death was used to get me into Protective Custody and prove to my father I was dead.
It worked, to my surprise, although I am sad to hear I died. It’s not like I haven’t spent my life considering that as a possible outcome. My friends, Nathan and Riley, think I’m dead, too. I want to fix that ASAP. After I can assure their safety, of course. I don’t want to put anyone in jeopardy because of my family.
I convey this Xavier via a text. He suggested I communicate to him in this way when I want to divulge more than a few words to help rest my throat. The fact that his number is in my favorites on my phone is a good sign too, reassuring my trust in him.
“You should be just as concerned for your life,” Xavier says after reading the text on his phone. “You’re not in of the clear.”
Laugher creeps up my throat. “I won’t be clear until my father is dead.”
I can’t believe I got away and have been living on my own for over a year. I never thought I’d be able to do it, never had the right incentive, I suppose. Or maybe it was fear holding me back. Regardless, I broke free, and I don’t want to lose that. Dread, a lifelong companion of mine, returns and with it, the urge to eliminate all threats to my new freedom—meaning, my father will have to be dealt with. In the end, it will come down to my life or his. I’ve always known that, but I never had as much to lose before. I was never free.
Me: Can you arrange a safe reunion for the three of us?
He nods.
Me: Reconnecting with them might be the only way to get back my memories.
I’ll need those if I’m to know exactly who I’ve been in contact with over the last year. I often keep certain things to myself, no matter how much I trust the people around me.
“Where would you want to reconnect with them?” Xavier asks, as he continues to take notes about our conversation on his phone.
“Not here. Nowhere I’ve been,” I say and set down the phone, tired of communicating through text. I’ve pushed through worse pain and injuries, even when I was a child.
Xavier eyes my phone and nods.
“Where’s my father?” I ask.
“Sicily. Your grandfather just died.”
“It’s about time.” I never liked the man. He raised my father to be the brutal person he is, and, as a result, I suffered, along with many others. This family is corrupt in all ways. Our blood runs black, our souls tainted from birth. For my whole life, I resisted becoming like my father. Even in thisfreestate, I’m not truly free. I have protection. I have to be careful, methodical.
“Why the fuck would I bring this girl—”
“Ainsley, sir,” Xavier says.
I hadn’t realized I was speaking my thoughts out loud. “Ainsley,” I try out the name to see if it feels familiar on my tongue. Even though it’s a unique, interesting name, it has no effect on me.
“She’s stronger than she looks,” he adds.
