Chapter 20
Kole
When Beck came out of surgery, he was awake and very happy and smiley. It was amusing, to say the least. Kole sat by his side as he drifted off to sleep barely minutes after returning to the room, and he waited with bated breath for him to wake up again. Although the nurse had come out to say that everything was fine and he had nothing to worry about, it still didn’t alleviate his nerves that something might have gone wrong.
Thankfully, nothing did. And as he waited, which took Beck far too long to wake up for Kole’s liking, his stomach settled. He went through everything that had happened. After all, that’s what he always did in those situations. He couldn’t believe Andrew turned so much from what Kole had thought he was. If Kole had seen him in his rightful mind, there was no way he would’ve slept with him, even that one night, but a lot of people could put on a mask to make other people see them differently. After all, that’s what abusers do. They make it look like nothing’s wrong to the outside world; whereas inside things are completely different.
When Beck blinked his eyes for the first time since the surgery, Kole saw it because he was a creepy asshole like that, watching his face, tracing every mound, every valley, every dimple, every wrinkle while waiting for him.
“Hi,” he whispered, causing Beck to glance his way. He rolled his head a little and groaned, a completely groggy noise that most patients made, Kole assumed. “How are you feeling?”
“Absolutely wonderful,” Beck croaked, and Kole reached for the small cup of ice chips the nurse had brought in not that long before. Kole wet Beck’s lips with the ice shard before pushing it in so Beck could get some liquid, and then settled back into his perch, watching and waiting while Beck regained his equilibrium. It didn’t take him long.
Beck glanced down at his hand and said, “Is everything okay with it?”
Kole nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine. We didn’t have to worry. They didn’t nick anything. It’s all perfect.”
“Did they say how long recovery might be?”
“No. Dr Stevens didn’t tell me anything else. He said that once you were more alert, he would be in to discuss the healing side of things. He said that he’d kept the pocket knife in case you wanted it as a treasure.”
Beck chuckled. “Maybe not a treasure, but it would help to use it as evidence against Andrew.”
Kole raised his eyebrows. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Fingers crossed it’ll help. Anyway, how are you doing? And how long have I been out?”
Kole smiled at him and brushed back some of the hair on his forehead. “You’ve been dozing for about an hour.”
“Still feels like I could sleep for a week. No, probably a month, actually.”
“And I will be right there beside you,” Kole said. “I feel exactly the same.”
“Why does everything happen all in one go?” Beck mused, closing his eyes again. “It would be nice if these things came one at a time rather than a dozen.”
“Well, they always say that things come in threes.”
“And have we had three?” Beck asked.
Kole pretended to think things through. “I think we’ve had our fair share. That’s more than enough, and it’s way more than three.” He smiled. “Why don’t you get some more sleep? The doctor will be in soon and I’ll wake you up then.”
“But I’ve already been asleep for so long,” Beck complained.
“Yes, but the more you sleep, the quicker you’ll heal. I’ll still be here when you wake up. Promise.”
Beck grumbled a bit more before succumbing to the sleep he so badly needed. The stress on his body must have been horrendous. Kole settled back in a seat, feeling much happier now Beck had roused, even for the short time that he’d been coherent. He picked up Beck’s phone, after receiving permission to use it earlier, and started shooting off messages, replying to all those friends who had sent messages to them. He had spoken to Ethan at one point, just to let him know what had happened, but he’d said, in no uncertain terms, that if anybody turned up at the hospital wanting to wait, he was going to physically escort them out himself. Beck had had enough and didn’t need anybody else coddling him. That was Kole’s job. He received several replies, and so it went on for several long minutes.
Susie, the nurse, bustled back in, checking the machines and writing on the notes. “He’s looking good. Don’t worry,” she whispered with a wink before leaving them alone again.
Kole dropped his hands on his lap and took a big inhale, letting it escape slowly. It went a long way to calming him. He hadn’t realised quite how concerned he had been until Susie had said that. He’d been worried, don’t get him wrong, but his entire body slumped in the chair, releasing all the invisible tension.
He continued to breathe, even as his mind went to Andrew. The man had disappeared for all accounts, but he doubted he’d be gone for long. If they was right, he was the one who had been following Kole all this time, making him feel unsafe and crazy. If that was the case, he doubted Andrew would stay hidden. He’d need to get his fix.
What was it about Kole that had made Andrew target him? He was just a guy. Not that he’d wish this on anyone, but what made him stand out from someone else? He doubted he’d get answers to those questions, especially with him being in the wind.
It took until mid-afternoon the following day for Beck to be released from the hospital. And even then, it was because Beck was constantly complaining about being bored. He was, but he was also putting it on. Every time the doctors or nurses came in, he complained, but then when they left, he winked at me and laughed. He got his way, though.
“Your chariot awaits!” Dallas called when he entered the room, his towering form filling the doorway a couple of hours later. He was their designated driver, as neither had a car with them. Kole supposed he could’ve left Beck there to fetch his car, but he hadn’t wanted to, and Dallas was more than happy to make the journey when he asked.
“Thank god!” Beck said. “What took you so long?” He climbed from the bed and stretched, his shirt exposing his midriff, and Kole couldn’t keep his eyes away until Beck cleared his throat.
“Why, you’re very welcome that I made my way all across London to bring you home!” Dallas said sarcastically, shaking his head, even as his grin spread.
Beck rolled his eyes, but said, “Thanks, Dallas. I appreciate it. We appreciate it, as I’m sure the doctors and nurses do, too.”
“Don’t tell me you did the complaining trick?” Dallas asked, folding his arms over his chest.
Grinning, Beck said, “Works every time.”
Kole stood, hands on hips. “And just how many times have you been in this situation to warrant knowing what works and what doesn’t?” He was only jesting, but he was also curious.
“Too many to count and not enough to talk about,” Beck murmured, making Dallas laugh.
“Between all of us, we’ve had our fair share. I’m surprised they’ve not named a wing after us.” Dallas snorted.
“I think the doctor recognised me. At least, he implied he did.” Beck grabbed the shopping bags, but Kole took them from him with a glare.
“Not a chance.”
“I still have one good working hand.” He held it out. “I can take one at least.”
“Nope.” Kole shifted the bags until he could carry them without cutting off his circulation. “Let’s go. The quicker we get out of here, the quicker we get home.”
Kole wasn’t sure which house he was referring to, but he didn’t want to examine that yet. He was happy wherever Beck was, and that included Life in Ink. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t matter the location, just that he was with Beck. Maybe he was too involved with their relationship, especially as he hadn’t planned on being with anyone for a while after what Andrew did to him, but Beck was a force to be reckoned with when it came to Kole’s heart.
He sat in the back of the car—or rather, truck—and listened to Beck and Dallas bantering. It warmed his heart how much they all looked after each other. He didn’t know what Dallas’s story was, but he was sure if he needed to know, he would be told. It didn’t stop the man from being a gentle giant, and he deserved love, just like the rest of the crew. He couldn’t thank Ethan enough for introducing Kole to them.
Kole shook his head absently at the direction of his thoughts. It was interesting the way his brain worked sometimes, but other times, he wished he could quiet it and just…be.
“What…the…fuck?” Dallas breathed, garnering Kole’s attention just before the flashing blue lights did.
He glanced at the man before following where his gaze was and sucked in a gulp of air.
“What the hell!” Beck yelled, opening the car door and scrambling out. Kole followed, racing behind him as he strode for the barrier surrounding the shell that had been Beck’s home. “How did no one tell me about this?” He waved his arm around, grabbing the attention of someone official-looking.
“Mr Cavanagh?” she said.
“Yes.”
“I’m Detective Kirby. I apologise for not getting in contact with you. We tried several numbers, but we couldn’t locate you.”
They obviously hadn’t checked with their own police officers who had Beck’s up-to-date number. Kole almost rolled his eyes.
Beck held up his hand. “I’ve been in hospital.”
She raised her eyebrows. “From this?” she asked, pointing towards the smouldering house.
“No. I didn’t even know about this. It was fine yesterday.”
“We are still trying to determine what caused the fire, but we have reason to believe it was arson.”
“What reason?” Kole asked, butting in to the conversation.
“We found a petrol can in the back garden. We’ve taken it to see if we can get any prints from it.”
Kole’s stomach sank, and he glanced at Beck. “Do you think it was Andrew?”
Beck growled. “More than likely. When I get my hands on him…”
“Who is Andrew?” Kirby asked, pulling out her notebook.
“The bane of our existence, right now,” Beck murmured, staring at the building, because it wasn’t a home now. It was a shell.
Kole sighed. “He’s an ex, of sorts. I had what was supposed to be one night with him, but he wanted more. He attacked me and was arrested, but they let him go, saying there wasn’t enough evidence. This was in Whitby. I moved to London not long ago, and I thought I was free of him, but he turned up last night as we were walking home. He is who did that.” Kole pointed at Beck’s bandaged hand.
“Okay. Can you give me as many details about him as you can, and I’ll look into him?”
Kole did as requested, keeping an eye on Beck, who stared at the remains of the house. The shell itself was still intact, but the windows were blown out, and it had black smudges all over the brickwork. The roof was half gone, smoke still rising in places.
“I can’t believe this,” Beck murmured.
“I’m sorry,” Kole said. After all, it was his fault. If he hadn’t brought Andrew into Beck’s life, his home would still be intact.
Beck pulled his gaze from the wreckage and locked gazes with Kole. “ This was not your fault. In no uncertain terms,” he said, cupping Kole’s jaw with his good hand, “you are not to blame for this. Whoever did this is.” He paused, blinked and turned back to the detective. “It could also be someone else.” His hand slid down to grip Kole’s hand, bringing a lump to his throat. “I’ve recently given evidence against someone.”
Beck briefly told the story, and once again, it struck Kole as amazing that Beck could talk about it with no qualms. Just threw it out there whenever he needed to. The strength of the man beside him astounded Kole.
“Okay, thanks for that. I’ll get looking into it.” Kirby handed Beck a card. “This is my number if you need or think of anything. I’ll let you know how things progress.”
“Is anything salvageable?” Beck asked.
Kirby sighed. “I’ll be honest. Not a lot. You can’t go in right now because the fire crews are trying to stabilise the roof, but as soon as they have and it’s safe, air-wise, for anyone, I’ll let you know. You’ll be able to walk through it and see what you can get. I’m sorry.”
Beck exhaled. “It’s fine. It’s only material stuff.”
Kirby nodded and headed back to the fire crew.
“And my phone,” Kole muttered.
Beck hissed. “Shit, yes. Damn it. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I can get a new one. I’ll ask Ethan to let my parents know.”
“I can do that,” Dallas said, making Kole jump. He’d forgotten Dallas was there.
“Thanks.”
Beck blew out a long breath. “I guess we’re staying at yours.” His mouth quirked, but Kole could see he was upset and trying to hide it. “So much for enough bad stuff happening.”
“What’s mine is yours,” Kole murmured with a smile.
Beck squeezed his hand. “Come on. Let’s go to our other home. Dallas, are you okay taking us to Kole’s, please?”
“Absolutely.”
They climbed back into the car, and with one final lingering look from Beck, Dallas drove off.
“I can’t believe this happened,” Dallas said. “And you said something about Andrew?”
They went through it again, giving a bit more detail than what they had given to the detective.
“And he’s still breathing?” Dallas growled.
“Barely,” Beck said.
“What is the plan now?” Dallas asked. “Where do you go from here?”
Beck shrugged. “I have no idea. Like I said, it’s all material stuff, so it doesn’t really matter. There was nothing in that house that I’m worried about losing, for the most part. Nothing sentimental, thankfully.”
Although Beck said that like it was a good thing, it made Kole sad. Everybody needed some sentimental items, but it seemed like Beck had never had the opportunity. If there was one thing they were going to change, Kole would make sure Beck had plenty of things that reminded him of what they’d done and where they’d been. He could understand how difficult it was, even if Beck seemed like he could easily brush it aside. Maybe it was because he was in the foster care system for so long that he believed it wouldn’t stick. Kole would make him see otherwise. If it took him all the years he had in this life, he would show Beck he was important enough for people to stay around him.
Instead of snuggling up on the sofa in Kole’s apartment like he had thought they would, he guided Beck to the bedroom, settling him up against the headboard while Kole pottered around getting things together so they wouldn’t have to move until the following morning unless they wanted to. Beck laughed at him when he told him that after Beck enquired about what he was doing.
“You’re making a nest?”
“Yep. No reason to leave this bed at all, as far as I’m concerned.”
Beck chuckled. “I like that idea.”
“Me, too.” He climbed in, nestling himself on Beck’s good side so he didn’t inadvertently hurt him, and held out the remote. “You choose.”
“I must be ill. It’s not like you to give up the remote,” he joked, then looked at the remote. “What is this?”
Kole’s cheeks heated. “Don’t know what you mean—it came that way.” Beck raised his eyebrows. “Anyway… You might be an invalid right now, but I can still punish you.”
Beck’s eyes widened, and he licked his lips, swallowing hard. “Hmm. I’ll take that under advisement.”
Despite the sad reason behind them being where they were, Kole couldn’t bring himself to be too upset. They had a roof over their heads, and they were together. Beck had lost a lot, but they would rebuild it better if that’s what he wanted. Kole couldn’t see a future without Beck in it, and he would do everything to make him happy. With everything that was going on in their lives—separately and together—they deserved some solace.
Hopefully, the police would do their job and find Andrew before he did anything else, either to harm them or himself. Life had a funny way of working out. He almost wished he’d never met Andrew, but if he hadn’t, he might not be where he was right then, and he didn’t wish that at all. Beck had become so important to him that he couldn’t imagine life alone, despite him having sworn it after his attack. Ethan had seen through him, but at the time, Kole couldn’t see the light. He was sure most people were the same. It took something amazing, something beautiful for them to rejoin the world and let themselves love.
Family was important. Friends were just as important. But it was those people they chose to spend their lives with that became the building block of a contented person. Beck was that to Kole, and it was as much a surprise to Kole as it was to anyone else.
As he listened to Beck’s breathing evening out, he swore, to whatever deity was real and listening, that he would do anything to give Beck what he deserved. Anything.
****
Once he’d told his parents and aunt about what happened, Auntie Ava was on the first train down. It was lovely to see her and introduce her to everyone at Life in Ink. Especially Beck. They got on like—for want of a much better word—a house on fire. She couldn’t stay long, but she promised to visit often, more so because she loved the shows. And in her words, no one does it like London.
He hadn’t expected his parents to come, mainly because they didn’t believe they needed to. He’d been used to it all his life, so he wasn’t bothered. He had Auntie Ava, he didn’t need any other family but the Life in Ink one.
****