Chapter 44
Gabriella
I open my eyes, a bit disoriented. It’s still dark outside, and I‘m not sure where I am. I start to move a bit, but realize there’s a very strong and sexy arm wrapped around my middle.
When I start to wiggle out of it, Vic groans and pulls me back to him. I squeal in protest, “I have to pee, baby.”
“Mmmmhh…Fine, but hurry back.” He lets me go, and I spring out of bed and run into the bathroom. It’s not like when we were twenty. I‘ve had two kids and my bladder just ain’t what it used to be. Barely making it, I sigh in relief as my bladder empties into the toilet.
Flashbacks from last night start rolling through my mind.
Holy hell, did we actually do that? I have tingles all over my skin just thinking about it.
I hum at the thought of stepping back into the room and finally getting to be with Vic.
Maybe we can have a little sexy time before heading back to sleep.
I flush and wash my hands, then step back into the dark bedroom, only it’s not dark anymore.
The light on the nightstand is turned on, and Vic is on his cell phone, quickly pulling on his clothes, and is rapidly packing our things.
What the hell? I look at my cell and see that it’s 3:00 in the morning.
“Vic?” He whips around while still holding the phone to his ear.
His eyes are wide with….fear? Shit! “Vic, what’s happened?
” He hasn’t said anything, but I start getting dressed anyway.
Vic responds to whoever is on the phone in a calm tone, though I can see his body is anything but calm.
“Okay, sweetie, we’ll be there in about four hours.
The police are there?” Sweetie? Police? What the hell?
“Is Trip there too?... Okay, you and Abby stay with Trip until we get home. We love you.” Vic ends the call.
“Gabbi, baby.” Vic comes to stand in front of me and runs his hands up and down my arms. “There’s been a fire at the house.”
“What! The girls?” My whole body is frozen. I think I’m gonna puke.
“Gabbs, the girls are okay. Trip has them. The fire department and police are there. The police told Kerri they want us to come by the station in the morning, but we need to wake up Emma and Ty and get home.”
“Oh my god.” My hand flies to my mouth as I gasp at the destruction of the house. All that’s left of our house is the basic foundation, some of the bones of the rooms, and most of the garage. Just decimated. I truly couldn’t care less, though, I need to see the girls.
“Vic, all your vehicles are parked across the street,” Ty states in a surprised tone. That’s strange, they were all in the garage when we left.
We pull into Ty and Emma’s driveway, all four of us sprinting inside their front door.
It’s eerily silent. Turning on lights as we walk through the house, we finally stop and breathe when we get to the living room and see both Abby and Kerri passed out on the couch under blankets with their heads on Trip’s jean-clad thighs.
Trip is asleep, sitting up in the middle of the couch, head tipped back against the back of the couch, and an arm draped over each of the girls.
If we weren’t so worried, this would probably be a cute picture.
“Girls?” Vic calls out softly as he approaches the couch and squats down in front of the girls’ faces. “Hey Kerri? Abby? Girls? Can you open your eyes for me?”
Vic places his hands on each one of the girls, and they start to stir. Their movement must startle Trip, because the next thing I know, Trip sits up and grabs both girls to bring them closer to him, “Don’t touch them, motherfucker!”
Vic instantly stands up and puts both hands up in a surrender motion, “Hey, Wildman. It’s Vic. It’s okay, buddy, we’re home.”
“Vic?” Trip starts taking in his surroundings. “Mom? Dad? Shit, sorry, I just…”
“It’s okay, son, the girls are safe, you can let them go.” Ty walks up behind Trip and puts his hands on his shoulders in comfort. At the touch, Trip lets the girls go.
After a few seconds, both girls jump up and grab hold of Vic like he’s a life raft in the middle of the ocean.
“Daddy!” Both girls are crying into his chest, and his arms tighten around both of them.
Vic closes his eyes, and relief washes over his face while tears continue to stream down their cheeks.
Once the girls calm down a bit, they look over to find me propped up against the wall.
I haven’t been able to move since we walked in and saw them unscathed.
“Mom!” Both girls exclaim when they both cling to me.
I can’t help but sob into their hair the same way they’re doing with me.
Thank you, Universe, for taking care of our girls.
After a few more minutes of relief, Emma breaks the tension, “Why don’t we all head to the kitchen and I’ll make some breakfast, and you three,” she points to the kids, “can tell us what happened.”
The girls and Trip nod and follow Emma and Ty into their kitchen.
I move to head in the same direction, but Vic grabs my wrist and pulls me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me.
All the tension I was still holding explodes into his chest through uncontrollable sobs.
“We could have lost them, Vic.” I can’t get my breathing under control.
“I know, baby, but we didn’t,” Vic tells me in a calm voice while he rubs my back.
Once my sobs start to subside, he palms the side of my face, angling my eyes to his. The kiss he gives me is soft and reassuring. It feels like my body was just wrapped up in a warm, plush blanket. “Let’s find out what happened, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I whisper and follow him to hear about the event that just changed our lives.