Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Brooke
I slid out of my lab coat and headed out of the lab, waving at my students as they finished up their work. I started early that morning, far earlier than I usually did, because I wanted to head home and meet with Leif and Luke for dinner. It was nice thinking that I had someone to come home to. It was a whole other dynamic that I was still getting used to.
I walked down the hallway towards my office and rolled my shoulders back, letting out a breath.
In the weeks since the attack, I had spoken with my therapist, the school board, and countless other administrative people. Honestly, I was tired of the politics behind it because everybody was so afraid that I would sue the school.
I just wanted to get past it, to get over it.
Because while they had created the environment that Landon had thrived in, nobody else had hurt me.
His father wasn’t the president of the University anymore. The old guard would soon be leaving. The new guard consisted of people who trusted women, and my team were all people who were going to be safe because of the faculty in place.
Nobody had ever treated me like Landon had. In fact, everybody had always treated me with respect. And had continued to do so.
After the incident, I’d been afraid that they would think differently of me because I hadn’t been strong enough to fend off the attack. But I had been. I’d gotten out of the office and called for help, and people had come to me. Nobody had taken Landon’s side or blamed me.
Every single person believed me and had pushed Landon back.
The physics department at our university trusted women. They trusted who we were as scientists and people.
“You’re looking introspective today,” Patrice said as she came out of her office, books in tow.
“I was just thinking that our department is strong. And worthy. I guess.” I rolled my eyes at my words, but Patrice grinned.
“You’re right. When I first started at the university, it was a boys’ club with nearly no women. Now there are more and more coming every year. We are a diverse group, and we are brilliant. All of us.”
I laughed, even though I believed her. “We are brilliant.”
“I don’t talk about my personal life often, mostly because it’s not anybody’s business, but I admire you, Brooke.”
I froze, looking at the other woman who was slowly becoming my friend.
“When I first started here, I was a young academic, who eventually became a single mother.”
I blinked. “Really? How did I not know that?”
Patrice gave me a wry smile. “I had to keep my own secrets and personal life for so long, it’s hard for me to change that. But when I first started here as an associate professor, I was a single mom. Eventually, I got married and kept my last name because it was hard to explain to the boys of the department why I would want to change it.” She rolled her eyes and I laughed.
“I can only imagine.”
“My kids, all of them, added my name to my husband’s. My husband’s is even hyphenated. It was easier for everybody involved, even though their names went a little long. Now I’m about to be a grandmother, and I’m looking towards the future. Knowing that while there may be bumps in the road, women in science have a future because of people like you. So, one day when you’re not rushing home to be with your baby, we should have a drink. I think my kids would love to meet you as well. My youngest daughter wants to be a physicist too, and it just makes me grin.”
I nearly wanted to cry, knowing that this move out here had been the best choice for me. Landon had tried to take it from me, but in the end, he didn’t matter. It was everybody left behind that did. Making the choice to come out here, to change everything, had been the best one.
I had this department, my team, and I was making a family.
I smiled to myself as I packed up my belongings and headed home, knowing that I had an early day tomorrow. Research was going well, but it still took hours of my life just to untangle the data. While some professors might just let their students take over, that wasn’t me. I loved to be in the thick of it.
I pulled into the driveway, the garage door was closed, but I knew it was full of kitchen cabinets. Leif and some of his family had come over the day before to help me sand them down because we were going to paint them. They needed to be refinished, and since I was dating somebody who had family with an actual homebuilding business who knew what they were doing, I wanted to use my resources.
It was also nice that I could lean on someone, and ask for help, and know that there were talented individuals who would help, no matter what.
I got out of the car and waved at Lake, who pulled a hoodie over her head.
It was warm out, so I wondered why she was wearing a hoodie rather than her usual dressy outfit, but she just waved at me and then headed to her car without saying anything.
It was weird, but maybe she had places to go. I shook my head, headed inside, and grinned at the sight of Leif and Luke running around the house.
They were playing with some Nerf gun that Nick of all people had gotten them, and I laughed.
“Well, this is a sight to see.”
“Mommy! Be on my team!” Luke said as he ran towards me. I threw my arms open and he jumped into them before I turned and blocked him from Leif’s aim.
“I see how it is, two against one? I can take those odds.”
“Where’s May?” I asked.
“I finished with my client early, and Nick and the rest of the team had the shop covered, so I headed here. I let her go. That okay?” he asked, tentatively.
I grinned, my heart growing two sizes. “That’s more than okay. She knows that you’re allowed to be here anytime that you want, and you’re also on my emergency contact list with the school. Everything’s great, Leif.”
It was the truth. Everything was great.
I was happy. My son was happy.
And I was in love with a man who loved me and my son.
Nothing could go wrong.
I put Luke down, picked up the spare Nerf gun, and winked.
“Okay, the battle is on.”
Luke giggled, the laugh melting any ice that could have been lingering on my heart over any doubts I was doing the right thing, and then the battle was on.
In the end, Luke and I won, because of course we did. Leif made us a wonderful chicken piccata for dinner that made my mouth water, and we settled onto the couch to watch a kid show before bed. I snuggled into my son as Leif slid his arm over my shoulders.
“Love you,” he whispered, and I grinned before leaning over Luke’s head to kiss him gently.
“I like when you kiss,” Luke said, and I looked down at him.
“You do?”
“It means you love each other. And I love you both.” And then he settled back into the couch and focused on his TV show.
My throat tightened slightly, making it hard to swallow as Leif looked at me, his eyes watery.
That big man, with his beard, piercings, and tattoos, nearly crying over that, made my heart swell four sizes.
This was it. This was exactly what I wanted.
What exactly I thought I would never have after losing Luke’s father all those years ago. He had never had a chance to meet Luke.
We had never had a chance to figure out how to co-parent without being in a relationship.
I missed him, in the sense that I missed the man he had been, but I had never loved that man.
But I loved who he gave me. Our son.
Now Leif was here. There was no going back.
Glass shattered behind us, and I threw myself over Luke as Leif did over both of us.
“Mommy?” Luke asked, and I scrambled off the couch, Luke in my arms.
“Quiet, baby,” I whispered, holding him close.
Leif was in front of us, cursing under his breath.
“Roger. What are you doing here?”
I stood behind Leif, Luke in my arms, my eyes wide.
This was the man harassing Leif. This was the man who dated Leif’s mother all those years ago. The man who had gone to prison and should still be there.
Apparently, the authorities hadn’t convinced him to leave us alone.
And he knew where I lived. Where my son lived. My entire body was ice cold.
“I told you that I was going to find your girl and get what I wanted,” the other man slurred.
He was drunk, that was for sure, and maybe on something else. Fear coated my tongue, and I held Luke tightly, hiding his face from this strange man. I didn’t want my son to be scared, but it was hard for him not to be when I was terrified.
“I’m not sure what you want, but let’s talk about it outside. You know this isn’t the place to do this, Roger,” Leif said, his voice oh so calm. But I heard the rage beneath his words. The fear. The same things that were within me.
“I want what I should’ve had. Your mom is the one that sent me to prison. Did you know that? She’s the one that forced me to go. If she hadn’t, I could’ve had this family. I could’ve had so much more. But now here you are, with Montgomery money, acting as if you’re better than me? You’re nothing.” The other man tossed something at my lamp, shattering it.
That’s when I realized he had a knife in one hand.
I looked down at the coffee table, where our phones were. I wanted to reach out, to call for help. Roger followed my gaze.
“You move towards that phone, and I stab this man in front of me. This piece of trash. And then I’ll come after you and that little boy. All I want is a few bucks to get me going. I have places to be. I’ve retribution coming to me. Places to be…”
“I can give you money, Roger. To get out of here, but if you stay here, the cops are going to come here. They’re going to know you were here, and there’s no going back from that. I’m sorry that my mother sent you to jail,” Leif blatantly lied. “But we can’t do anything for you here. I’m just a tattoo artist. I barely make rent.”
Another lie.
“Brooke is a struggling single mom, we’re trying, but we don’t have the money that you want. None of my family does. We’re blue-collar.”
“You still think you’re better than me.”
“I’m sorry that you went to prison,” I said, and Leif stiffened. He might not want me to speak, but I wasn’t just going to stand by while we waited for Roger to do something. “I’m sorry,” I repeated. “But coming here isn’t going to help you. It can’t. So why don’t you leave, and we won’t do anything.”
“You’re lying,” he snarled, before he swayed.
Leif moved and I reached out, wanting to scream, but instead I held Luke back, shielding his eyes, trying to cover his ears.
Leif moved as if he had been born for this, as if he had fought strange, drunk men with knives all his life.
He took Roger’s wrist, twisted as the man screamed.
When the knife dropped, I reached for the phone and quickly dialed 911.
Leif moved quickly, punching Roger in the face, and then knelt down over him, pinning his arms behind his back.
Roger was out, either drunk, or knocked out from the punch, and my knees shook as I listened to the 911 operator.
“Yes, ma’am, we received an alert from your security company, and people are on the way. Are you safe?”
I looked at Leif, at the way that he held Roger down, and at Luke as he held me tightly, but didn’t cry, just trusted us to keep him safe.
“For now. Please hurry.”
“Luke, you okay?” Leif asked, his eyes wide as he began to shake, even as he pinned Roger down.
I pushed Luke’s hair back from his face and pressed my forehead to his.
“Are you okay, buddy?
“Of course, I am. I had you and Leif.”
I nearly burst out crying, and only stopped because it would scare my son. I held myself back, clutching the phone, keeping Luke away from Roger. I wanted to hurt the man for daring to threaten my family, but I had to keep Luke safe.
Just like Leif had kept us safe.
“I love you,” I gasped.
Leif gave me a small smile, even as guilt filled his gaze. “I love you, too.”
“Don’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault. It’s his,” I said, gesturing towards the unconscious man.
Leif’s jaw tightened and he nodded as the sirens came. I let out a breath.
Things moved quickly then, the police entering my house, going through everything.
They checked over Luke, although he was perfectly fine according to the paramedics. I would take him to his pediatrician the next day, just in case. As well as find a child psychologist.
We stood in the front lawn, as the neighbors came outside to see what was going on, and Leif held me close, waiting.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too. You better not blame yourself for this.”
We were whispering now as Luke was passed out on my shoulder, sleeping hard after the adrenaline rush.
Leif moved, taking Luke in his arms, doing his best not to jostle him. I was grateful that I didn’t have to carry my son for much longer since my arm was asleep, and I wrapped myself around them both, needing their touch.
“Roger’s going away for a long time,” I said, my voice low. “He came here because he had nowhere else to go, not because it’s your fault. This is on him. Just like I don’t get to blame myself for Landon’s actions. You don’t get to blame yourself for Roger’s.”
“I’m not quite sure I like you throwing my words back at me,” he whispered before he kissed the top of my head. “I love you. I don’t blame myself. But I am so fucking angry.” He looked over my head and let out a soft laugh.
The fact that he was laughing at all told me that we were at least going in the right direction.
“The cavalry is here. Be prepared. The Montgomerys are on their way.”
I turned and saw countless people that I knew, some that I didn’t, but they all looked so much like Leif that I knew they had to be related.
The Montgomerys were coming in full force.
Family was coming in full force.
As the authorities let Leif’s family come past the roped-off area, I let them hold me.
For once, I knew I would never be alone.
This wasn’t just Luke and me facing the world.
I had a man that I loved. The family we were making. An extended family that was far larger than I had ever once thought possible.
I had fallen for a Montgomery. That meant I would face the future with them, too.
I made a promise to myself when I was younger, that I would try to fight the darkness and face the world even if I was on my own.
But now, I would get to break that promise because I would never be alone.
I would never have to be.