“No.” I needed to be inside her more than my next breath.“I forgot.”
My brother’s brows rise to his hairline before he nods slowly. “I see.”
I’m not going to ask about that new shit he’s got going on with the damn nods and the ‘I see’.
I step toward the living room.
“Last question. What made you think Aelin was my woman?”
“For fuck’s sake Michael—”
“No, serious question. I know they look like each other, but you hadn’t met Cara, so why Aelin?”
When I turn to him, there’s only curiosity on his expression.If we’re going to do this.“Here, I’ll show you.”
They follow me as I get my wallet from the console next to the panoramic size TV, pull out the old picture, and hand it to Mike before settling on the sectional. Cal sits beside me while my brother pores over the picture.
When my sibling frowns and shakes his head, I say, “At the hospital, you had this in your hand and would thrash like mad if anyone tried to take it from you. When you woke up, I asked you about it, you said, ‘She left me. All because of money.’ Do you remember what you said when I asked you who she was?”
Mike shakes his head.
“You said, she’s the beautiful one.’”
Mike exhales sharply, sits on my other side, his eyes glued on the yellowed polaroid. “This is Aelin’s eighteenth birthday party.” He hands me back the picture. “Gabe, look at the picture, I’m holding Aelin, but it’s Cara’s hand in mine.”
“Fuck.” I rake my hand through my hair and sit up. Only now I see it. Cara’s behind the bar her face is half hidden by her hair, but eyes are on my brother. But all I saw is Aelin, smiling wide with her hands wrapped around Michael’s waist.All I’ve ever seen is her.
When I slide the picture back in my wallet, Cal chuckles silently.
Something bothers me, so I turn to Mike. “What did you mean by ‘because of money?’”
Mike’s elbows hit his thighs and his jaw clenches. “That day, Cara told me she loved me and wanted me there with them.” A few weeks after the party, Aelin got her scholarship, and they were planning to move, so I asked Cara to move in with me and told her I had enough money to take care of her and her sister.” He sighs heavy and continues. “She said no. She just wanted me but didn’t want my money, and that Aelin and she didn’t need a Prince Charming or a savior.” He scoffs low. “We got into a fight, and she didn’t back down. I needed to cool off, so I left for a few days, and when I came back to apologize for being a dickhead, they were gone. And then that truck happened.”
I shut my eyes. “I was wrong about everything.”
Cal’s cell vibrates. “G, I have the recording.”
Mike’s gaze whips to Cal’s with a frown. “What recording?”
My friend places his cell on the mahogany and glass coffee table. “G asked me to find the 911 recording from that night.”
Mike grunts. “The night she lost the baby? Jesus, Gabe, don’t you know enough about Aelin?”
I don’t.“I’ve hurt her, Mike. I’ve hurt her bad because I thought I knew when I didn’t know shit. I need to know what she’ll never tell me, so I don’t cause her any more pain. Ever again.”
“Ready?” Cal asks.
We nod and Cal presses play after augmenting the volume on his cell.
‘911, what’s your emergency? Allo? Are you in need of assistance? Anyone there?
“Hel…hello, I’m bleeding pretty bad… I think… Something’s wrong with my bab…baby.”
“Where are you? Ma’am what’s your name?”
“My name is…aaaaaaaaaaah. My name’s Aelin Thor…Thorne and I live at 656 Pillsbury Road... I…I…”
“Ma’am? Ma’am, stay on the line the paramedics are on the way. They’re four minutes away. Aelin? Aelin if you can hear me, hold on. Okay?”