Chapter Fourteen
DEE
Five Days Later
Over the past few days, Colt has kept his promise not to touch me.
We’ve made out—God, have we made out—but the second I try to push things further, he pulls away, firm and unshakable. He’s adamant that he won’t touch me again until he’s sure it won’t hurt me. And after that night, after seeing how much I made him blame himself, I haven’t forced the issue.
Today is a great day. I’m finally getting this bloody cast off my leg, and I’m going to get rid of those ridiculous crutches. It’s been nine weeks since the accident, and the orthopedic surgeon said my leg is healing well enough for us to take off the cast and for me to start my physiotherapy.
Colt is coming with me to my appointment, and I’m thankful.
“You ready, my little invalid?” Colt teases as I hobble toward the front door.
I scoff, and he winks at me. “I won’t be an invalid for much longer. So watch what you say because I’ll be chasing you around the manor later on.”
“Doubtful, but I love it when you talk all threatening. It turns me on,” Colt says, grabbing his crotch.
I laugh and shake my head before I head outside toward the car. Getting in the car, we drive to the hospital for what feels like a huge milestone. After a check-up with the surgeon and a quick removal of the cast, they have me walk around to test the strength of my now-healed leg.
It’s a little smaller than it was before the accident—the muscle has shrunk, and the skin is peeling in places—but it doesn’t hurt. It is, however, a little weak as I move cautiously around the room.
Colt knows I’m self-conscious about my leg’s appearance, but he doesn’t say a word. He just grins, watching me walk, his eyes lighting up like I’ve won an Olympic medal. He’s happy to see me up and moving again, which is great.
They give me the all-clear to head home, and I make an appointment with a physiotherapist for weekly sessions for the foreseeable future. Annoying but necessary. And if it means having a healthy, strong leg again, I’ll do it.
Since I’m mostly healed, I told Colt it’s time he gets back to the band, and I’ve organized a surprise to kickstart that.
If everything goes according to plan, the whole band should be at our manor by the time we arrive home.
The whole crew hasn’t been together since the accident, and honestly, I’m excited to have everyone in the same room again.
It feels like a fresh start.
When we pull up the driveway, Colt’s gaze shifts to me, noticing all the cars lined up outside our home. He smiles, raising an eyebrow, clearly catching on.
“Surprise,” I say, and he chuckles.
“Who’s here?” Colt asks, pulling the car to a stop and turning off the engine.
“The band, and Rob Luxley. I thought it was time you started getting the band back on track.”
He smiles brightly. I know he’s missed the guys, even though we’ve seen Johnny a lot lately discussing surrogacy, but he misses his brother and Dingo. I think he even misses bossy Sia.
“When did you organize this?” he asks, hot-footing it around to my door.
“Yesterday. I saw you playing the guitar in the music room and figured it was time. I’m pretty much all better now, so there’s no need to keep putting the band on hold,” I say as we move slowly to the front door.
Walking without crutches is incredible, but my leg is weak, so I feel a little unstable.
We step through the door and head to the kitchen, where I can hear everyone. When we enter, they all look up and cheer.
“She’s finally out of the cast. Welcome back to the land of the walking, Little Bean,” Dingo calls out.
I giggle. It’s so good to see him. I have even missed his stupid jokes.
Sia walks over and hugs me. “Thank you so much for this, Dee. Dingo is driving me up the wall at home. He needs to be with his boys ’cause I sure as hell don’t appreciate his damn fart jokes,” she shares, and I can’t help but chuckle at that.
Colt steps inside and immediately hugs his brother, who’s still throwing me dirty looks.
The last time we saw each other, things didn’t end well.
He was furious at me for how badly I treated Colt, and honestly, he had every right to be.
But I’ve been trying harder ever since, especially now that we know we’re going to have a baby with Anna’s help.
My depression and panic attacks have all but disappeared, and every day, I feel more like myself again. I hope Hux can see that too.
As Sia lets me go, Anna comes over, cradling baby Aston in her arms. I smile down at him, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his tiny head.
“How’s the leg feeling?” she asks, then kisses my cheek.
“Good. It’s great to be able to walk on it finally. It’s a little weak, which makes me feel unbalanced, so I’m going to be slow, but it’s getting there.”
Rob clears his throat to gain our attention.
“Okay, I want to thank Dee for calling us all here today. It’s been a while since we’ve been together, and we have a lot of catching up to do.
Colt, if you’re willing, we have some interviews lined up for you regarding Dee’s recovery and what’s coming up next for the band.
They’re all here in London, so no traveling, but it would be great to let the world know what’s going on,” Rob states.
Colt looks across at me. I’m guessing it’s for guidance.
“You should do it. The world needs to know I’m okay and then tell them the band is back together and working on some new material, starting today.”
The guys’ faces light up, including Colt’s, who walks over and embraces me tightly. “Are you sure? I can spend more time with you if you need it. I don’t want you to feel like I’m neglecting you.”
“It’s time, Colt. Your fans need you. So go into the music room and tell the guys all about the new songs you’ve been singing to me at night.
” He stares at me, and it’s obvious he’s hesitant.
“Go, baby. The girls and I will bring in some lunch and drinks a bit later. Go be the rock god I know you are.”
He smiles, and then his lips crash to mine, making me chuckle. His kiss is quick, but he puts a lot of emphasis into it. “I fucking love you,” he says as the guys all walk toward the music room.
“I fucking love you, too,” I reply, staring into his eyes.
He smirks, raises an eyebrow, then leans in for another quick kiss before heading off.
“Okay, ladies, it’s gossip time,” I say as Anna and I head toward the kitchen table.
They laugh, and just as we sit down, Rob walks into the kitchen, gaining our attention.
“Dee, Colt says you want to talk to Sia and me about PR?”
I was going to leave it for later, but if I’m serious about learning, there’s no time like the present.
“Oh, yeah. I was talking to Colt about getting a job, and he thought I might be good at handling PR for the band. The only thing is… I’d need you guys to teach me, well, everything. Would you be willing?”
Sia smiles warmly, and Anna nods encouragingly.
I guess they didn’t expect me actually to want a job, so this is news.
“Sure, Dee,” Rob says, grinning. “The band could definitely use someone new handling PR. I’m doing it right now, but honestly, I’m stretched thin. I can train you. In fact, why don’t Sia and I run through the basics with you now?”
I nod eagerly, just as the sound of the band playing filters down the hall.
God, I’ve missed that sound.
We spend the next couple of hours diving into everything PR, and to my surprise, it all clicks. It’s like this was what I was meant to do.
After a while, Rob heads off to check on the guys’ progress, and Anna, Sia, and I shift the conversation to wedding plans while I cradle Aston, soaking in every cuddle I can.
The band plays through until evening, when Anna and I put together a meal for everyone.
The laughter, the food, the music—it all feels like a piece of our lives is slowly falling back into place.
But I can feel Hux’s eyes on me.
And I know I need to clear the air.
When he gets up to take his plate to the kitchen, I follow, my heart hammering in my chest.
He’s at the sink, washing his plate, and barely glances at me.
“Hux, can we talk?” I ask softly.
“Is there really anything left to say?” he mutters without looking at me.
I step closer, swallowing my nerves. “I think there is. Look, I know you’re angry about what happened a few weeks ago.
And you have every right to be. I just… I need you to know that I am truly sorry for the way I spoke to Colt.
I never meant to hurt him. And believe me, I’ve been kicking myself every day since. ”
He still doesn’t look up, so I press on, “I love your brother, Hux. We’re getting married. And I know how much it would mean to him to have you standing beside him as his best man. So, for Colt’s sake, can we please find a way to move forward?”
Hux stares down at the sink, the muscles in his jaw clenching. “You really hurt him,” he says quietly, voice thick. “I’ve never seen him that broken.”
I close my eyes briefly, the guilt slicing through me.
He turns, finally facing me, and the look in his eyes pins me in place.
“If you don’t make him happy,” he says, voice low and dangerous. “I swear to God, Dee, I’ll make your life a living hell. He loves you that much. He deserves everything.”
“I k-know,” I say quickly, my voice breaking. “And I love him more than anything, Hux. If I ever hurt him again, you won’t have to come after me. I’ll already be tearing myself apart. I want nothing more than to make him happy, for the rest of his life.”
He studies me for a long moment like he’s weighing every word, every ounce of sincerity. “He’s not just my brother,” Hux says finally, voice rough. “He’s my best friend. He’s everything.”
Tears sting my eyes. “I know. I promise I won’t let you down.”
There’s a beat of silence.
Finally, he jerks his chin once. “We’re good,” he says succinctly. Then he turns and walks out of the kitchen without another word.