Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
SORROW
Two hours later, I was a free woman. I wanted out of this place so bad, I didn’t care about Banner pushing me out in a wheelchair with Kellen and Blake flanking me like I was royalty or something.
Wade had left earlier, letting me know he’d fill Katy and Olivia in that I was okay and up for visitors.
I expected Katy, at least, not long after that, but she never came.
Nobody did, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
It was getting late, and people had other responsibilities, but I couldn’t pretend it didn’t sting a little.
Banner, Blake, and Kellen never left my side. Yeah, I expected it from Banner, but Blake and Kellen staying meant the world to me. I guess that’s why I’m so surprised the others didn’t even poke their heads in.
Blake squeezes my shoulder. I look up at him, and he stares down at me, and I know he knows what I’m thinking. The man misses nothing.
“They’ve been out searching for Denny.”
I let my eyes slip closed, feeling stupid. “I was being selfish. I forgot they’re busy.”
“You’re not selfish. Far from it. If anything, you could stand to be a little more selfish.”
“Amen to that,” Banner mutters.
“You went from being all alone to having people care about you. So when nobody turned up, it was bound to mess with your head,” Kellen says softly.
“But we do care,” Blake continues. “We all care.” He nods to the outside as he steps forward and opens the door, holding it wide for Banner to push me through.
My hand covers my mouth, muffling my gasp as I get a good view of the parking lot.
It’s filled with people, each person not giving a single fuck that they’re blocking traffic.
Everyone is carrying a yellow rose. Katy, Olivia, Matilda, and Callie are front and center.
I don’t know who has the children, and I don’t ask.
If I try to speak, I’ll burst into tears.
Behind them stand the rest of Blake’s guys, each of them offering me a smile.
I gaze around, my shock climbing with every Tempest resident I recognize.
Mavis and Maude, Jenny from the coffee shop, Carl—one of the police officers I recognize from the time I spent in lockup, and Chris—the one who came about the noise complaint.
I even see Andy from the hardware store, a look of remorse and guilt on his face as he grips the rose so hard his knuckles turn white.
“What’s happening right now?” I choke out.
“Turns out the waiting room wasn’t big enough to hold all your friends and family,” Katy answers with a grin, despite the tears rolling down her face. She walks over and hugs me before offering me her rose.
“When you went missing, the whole town turned out to look for you,” Olivia continues, leaning in to kiss my cheek and lay her rose on my lap before stepping back.
I spot my neighbors just behind her. Each of them smiles at me, while Karen offers me a friendly wave, making me swallow back a sob.
“Nobody was giving up on you, Sorrow,” Callie tells me as she hugs me and places her rose with Olivia’s.
“And nobody will again,” Matilda whispers, a single tear slipping free as she hands me her rose. This has to hit a little close to home for her. Aiden steps up behind her and gives me a wink before pulling her into his arms.
When Stephenson steps out from the crowd with a bouquet of roses, I hear the grumbles from all around us.
They’re mad at him because of what happened to me.
The fact that he’s here, when I can feel the animosity like an oppressive cloud, makes me soften a little more toward him.
Plus, it’s hard to hate the man who saved me.
“Yellow means friendship. But someone told me it also means sorry. I owe you more sorries than I can carry. I let you down, I let this town down, I let myself down—”
“But you stepped up when I needed it the most.” I hand the flowers in my lap to Kellen and take the bouquet from Stephenson, passing it off to Blake.
I get to my feet and walk toward the man, who looks so much older and frailer than I remember him looking before.
I think about how much of an asshole he was to me, and then I think about his reasons for being so.
I heard what he said in court that day. Though his actions don’t by any means make things right, I don’t have it in me to condemn him either, not when he’s doing such a good job of it himself.
I stop in front of him as everyone seems to hold a collective breath.
I watch his eyes take on a glossy sheen.
He swallows as he tries to get his emotions under control.
I don’t tell him it’s okay because it’s not.
Nothing he did was okay, so those platitudes would be a waste of breath for both of us. Instead, I offer him forgiveness.
I wrap my arms around him, ignoring his strangled gasp as I press my head to his chest. “Thank you for saving me, Mr. Stephenson.”
He wraps his arms around me, folding me into his embrace as he sobs. His shoulders shake so hard I’m worried his legs will give out, and I don’t think I’m strong enough right now to keep him up.
I should have known my man would sense I needed him. I feel his hands on my hips as he steadies me.
I keep my arms around Stephenson until he pulls back.
He looks down at me with an expression I can’t read, but I don’t feel anything negative from him.
If anything, it’s the opposite. I have a bizarre feeling that I might have someone else in my corner should I ever find myself in trouble again.
Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of that.
“Thank you, Sorrow,” he says softly before he pulls away completely and disappears into the now-silent crowd.
“Alright, everyone, thank you for coming out to support Sorrow. You have no idea how much this means to both of us,” Banner begins as he tucks me under his arm. “But it’s been a long day, and Sorrow needs to rest.”
“We’ll drop off a casserole on your doorstep, Banner,” Mavis calls out.
“I’ll drop off my potato salad,” another calls out.
“I’ll bring the cookies,” Karen adds. And so it goes as people call out what they’re going to bring.
I look up at Banner and don’t even try to hide my tears. “They’re feeding me?”
“They’re taking care of you. You’ve seen the bad, but baby girl, you’ve yet to see the best part about small-town living.”
He kisses my forehead before he leads me over to Blake’s truck.
I wave at everyone, thanking them for coming.
My voice shakes hard, and I know nobody misses it.
I’m met with tears and smiles. It’s funny because people come to the hospital to get fixed.
And it’s while I’m standing in the parking lot that I finally feel the little haunted girl inside me begin to heal.
It doesn’t take long to get home, and when we do, I’m given my next dose of painkillers before I’m tucked into bed. I’m too exhausted to put up a fight, so much so that it’s lights out as soon as my head hits the pillow.
When I wake, daylight is streaming in through the crack in the blinds. My headache isn’t as bad as it was yesterday, but it flares up when I move. I ease myself into a sitting position with a groan. Holy heck, I feel like I got run over by a bus.
Somehow Banner, with his supersonic hearing, must have heard me groan. The door is open and he’s through it before I can stand.
“Take it easy, baby. Here, take these.” He hands me a glass of water and a couple of painkillers that I don’t hesitate to throw in my mouth. I drink the huge glass of water down, my mouth and throat feeling sore and dry.
“Thank you.” I wince at the sound of my voice and don’t miss Banner’s thunderous expression. It hasn’t sounded this bad since right after I started talking again.
“I’m okay, Banner.”
“I know, and the fact you’re home and in our bed is the only reason I’m not losing my mind and hunting down Denny myself.
Doesn’t change the fact that your throat is a mess because you were screaming for help, and I wasn’t there.
I swear, every time I closed my eyes last night, I could hear you screaming for me to find you. ”
“And to hear my voice like this brings it all back.”
“I’m so fucking sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, Sorrow.”
“You didn’t know I needed protecting, Banner. You can’t save me from everything.”
He leans over me, gently tipping my head back so his lips brush mine when he speaks. “Just you fucking watch me.”
He kisses me softly, even though I try to deepen it. Stubborn man.
“I love you, Jake Bannerman, but you’re a damn tease.”
“You get better, and I’ll do every dirty little thing you want me to and then some. But I won’t hurt you. Not ever again.”
I don’t push it. He’s still struggling with the bruises he left on me that day in my kitchen, which feels like a lifetime ago.
I don’t downplay it. It was a line in the sand drawn by both of us.
I might have forgiven him this time, given all the extenuating circumstances, but I’m nobody’s fool.
If he ever steps over that line again, I’ll be gone, and that line will be nothing but a speck of dust on the horizon.
The thing is, I know, without a shadow of doubt, that I have nothing to fear.
I might have forgiven Banner for it, but he’ll never forgive himself.
“Let’s get you fed. You have to be starving.”
My stomach rumbles on cue. “Now, that you mention it…” I sigh, making him chuckle as he helps me to my feet. “I need a shower. I feel gross.”
“Food first. I don’t like you taking painkillers on an empty stomach. I’ll help you shower afterward.”
“I can manage. I’ll just go slow.”
“I’m helping you shower. You can’t get your cast wet, remember? And it will be a fuck of a lot easier for me to wash your hair than for you to.”
“Alright, you win. But if you’re all naked and wet, I cannot be held responsible for my actions,” I grumble as he sweeps me up into his arms and carries me out the door.