Undeniable (2 page)

Chapter Two

Jude

I woke up to a nurse hovering over me, pressing something cold against my chest. I lifted my hand and placed it over hers, and her eyes grew wide as they lifted to meet mine.

“What am I doing here?” I said, my throat burning with dryness as I spoke. I coughed and released her hand.

“Damn, man, slow down. Take a drink already.” I looked over to my left, still coughing. Jett was looking back at me with a smirk on his face.

“Here you go,” the nurse whispered as she held out a cup with a straw.

I leaned forward and took a small drink, not wanting to accept her assistance, but I saw no other way around it. I needed to wet my throat. After I felt like I could speak again without breaking out in yet another coughing spell, I turned back to Jett.

“How the hell did I get here? I need to get home, man.” Now that my throat had stopped hurting, panic was setting in. I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been here. I just knew I had to get home and get the kids taken care of. They needed to be fed and Matt needed to be changed. Katelynn needed her therapy. There was no way they could handle things without me.

I tried to move, but pain shot through my side, and I hunched over, grabbing it. “Fuck,” I groaned.

“Hold still, jackass,” Jett said as he stood from the chair and came up to the side of the bed. “You ain’t going nowhere. You got a collapsed lung and one hell of a concussion. Not to mention a shit-ton of bruising. We got everything covered.”

I lifted the side of my gown and noticed the tube that was in my side. A sense of anger washed over me as I remembered Drake and his bitches attacking me. Then Jett’s words hit me.

“What do you mean
we
got things covered? Who they hell is
we
?”

I didn’t like the idea of anyone in my business, and I barely tolerated Jett, Kade, and Easton knowing some of the details. Katelynn and the kids were my responsibility. We didn’t need anyone else, because everyone else just fucked up our rhythm. Our sorry excuses for relatives and parents, her ex-husband—all of them were worthless. They’d rush in acting like heroes only to fucking drop us when shit got real.

“The girls are with Katelynn and the kids,” Jett said and crossed his arms over his chest, as if daring me to put up a fight. “You can be as fucking pissed as you want, man. It isn’t gonna change the fact they wanted to be there.”

I tried to maintain my control. I knew Katelynn and the kids needed someone right now. But the combination of more people knowing about our trouble and the fact I couldn’t be there for them was fucking with my head.

“I don’t need pity, Jett. Katelynn could get Mrs. Reames to help until I get out of this prison. It sure as hell ain’t your responsibility or theirs.”

“She could, yeah.” Jett nodded. “But there’s no need to pay a neighbor to babysit kids when you have friends that care about you and want to help.”

“I didn’t ask for help.” I tried not to come off as pissed, but I couldn’t help it. Letting the girls into my life outside the restaurant made me vulnerable, and I hated it.

“Yeah, I know you didn’t.” He lowered his hands and scowled right back at me. Jett was fierce when he needed to be. “And that, right there, is where you fucked up. You don’t just work for me, man. You’re like a fucking brother to me. You are to all of us. You not asking for help is something I guess I will never understand. But I can assure you now that you’ve got it. We’re there whether you want us to be or not. So let go of all this fucking fight in you and let us in. You no longer have a fucking choice.”

This was the same shit he spat at me the night the guys showed up at my place when I got a call from my neighbor. Katelynn’s ex had shown up demanding that my sister give him money, saying she owed him for all the bullshit he put up with from her. I left work without warning and drove to my place, only to find he had already left, leaving behind two crying kids and Katelynn, who had fallen out of her wheelchair trying to get him to leave and was still lying on the living room floor.

It took Jett, Kade, and even Easton to hold me back. All I wanted to do was track down that sorry piece of shit and make him pay for all the garbage he had put his family through. A worthless fuck was all he ever was.

Needless to say, trusting people and their intentions wasn’t an easy thing for me to do.

None of our remaining family stepped up to offer us any help after Katelynn’s car accident. Or even when she found out the breast cancer she’d been fighting for years had spread to her lymph nodes, lungs, and now her liver. No, they all just turned their backs on us and pretended we didn’t exist. Our problems were apparently just too much for them to deal with. So the happiness and safety of Katelynn, Zoey, and Matthew was my responsibility, and I would do whatever it took to shelter them from any further disappointment. They had already suffered enough.

“Who’s with them?” I had a feeling my hunch was right, but I had to ask anyway.

“Quinn, Harper, and Callie. They went over a little after eight this morning. Harper left your apartment after a few hours, and Quinn just got back to our place an hour ago.”

I looked up at Jett, waiting for him to continue, but he just stared back at me, apparently waiting for my response. “Callie?”

“Still there,” he said, and my stomach tightened. “She’s been there all day. She doesn’t want to leave them.”

I took a deep breath because I felt like I had an elephant sitting on my chest. Callie had a huge heart, but my family and my problems weren’t hers. “I can call Mrs. Reames. I’m sure she’ll stay with them. Then Callie can take off and get back to her own life,” I said as I looked around in search of a phone.

“You do know that she ain’t gonna leave, right?” he said. “Everyone has offered to relieve her all day, but she has no intentions of going anywhere. Avery went over with Kade after her shift. They were gonna stay and get the kids to bed, but Callie insisted she had it covered. They said she had the kids fed, bathed, and ready for bed. Apparently, they were all getting ready to sit down and watch a movie on Netflix.”

“I don’t have Netflix.”

He chuckled. “No, but Callie had Harper bring her laptop, and they hooked it up to your television.”

I sat in silence, staring ahead at a dark spot on the wall. I didn’t know what to say. Callie was too sweet to be warped by my fucked-up life. That was the biggest reason I always kept a safe distance from her. She needed a guy that could give her all of his time, and I barely had any time left in my day to breathe.

“Do me a favor,” I said without looking at him. “Get her out of there.”

“Jude—”

“You heard me. If I have to stay in this fucking hospital, then I’ll have to deal with that. But I sure as hell am not gonna sit back and let people come to my rescue because they feel sorry for me.”

“You know damn well that isn’t why she’s there.”

“No, she’s there because all this time she’s been hoping for more from me.” I was being an ass, but it was better that Jett heard my harsh words than Callie. “She thinks stepping up and offering my sister and her kids help when I can’t will get her closer to me. That shit ain’t gonna happen. Her ass needs to leave and move on.”

I ignored Jett’s irritated groans and him telling me I was a stubborn fuck. The fact was, it didn’t change shit. Callie deserved more than what I could offer her. The last thing I needed was for her to grow closer to Katelynn and the kids. That would only make it harder to get her to understand she and I would never be together.

Chapter Three

Callie

A whiff of air blew over my face, and I opened my eyes just enough to peek.

“Do you think she’s staying forever?” Matthew whispered as he brought his face so close to mine, our noses were almost touching.

I could see through the slit of my open eye that both the kids were at my side, looking down at me like I was some sort of an epiphany.

“I don’t know,” Zoey whispered in return. “Mom said Uncle Jude will be back soon. I wonder if she’ll stay even when he comes home.”

My stomach tightened as I thought about what might happen once Jude returned. Over the last five days, I had grown quite attached to the three of them. We had developed a pattern, and the kids were so sweet. Their smiles had become a part of my day I had truly grown to love. The idea of not being able to be around them every day broke my heart.

“I hope we get to keep her forever,” Matthew whispered. I fought against the laughter bubbling up in my chest. They talked about me like I was a possession, and it was the cutest thing I had ever heard. “She smells better than Uncle Jude,” he added, and it truly took everything inside me not to break out in laughter.

“I know if I cry he’ll let us keep her,” Zoey replied, and now I was intrigued. “Uncle Jude hates tears and says he’ll do anything to take away my sadness. So if he says she can’t stay, then I’ll just cry.”

“Yeah, me too,” Matthew whispered in return. So it looked like they had made up their minds. They wanted me around, and I felt the same way about them.

I decided to pretend to be waking up then, and happiness filled me all the way down to my toes as their sweet smiles looked back at me.

“Good morning,” I whispered. “What time is it?”

As I looked over at the clock, Matthew announced the time in his own way. “It is seven-three-one.”

“Yes, it is, buddy.” I offered him a bright smile. “Are you two hungry?”

“Yes, will you eat with us?” Zoey asked in excitement. I vowed in that moment that regardless of what Jude had to say, I wouldn’t just disappear from their lives. I couldn’t bring myself to lose the bond we had created over the last few days. It meant too much to me to just let go of so easily.

***

“Callie,” Quinn said in surprise as she opened the front door of Jude’s apartment. “You’re still here.” She fumbled with her purse as she rushed in and quickly closed the door behind her.

“Yeah,” I said from the couch, arching an eyebrow in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I texted you like two hours ago. Jett told me to relieve you. Mrs. Reames was supposed to come over until I got here,” she said as she placed her purse and keys on the table and turned to face me once more. She looked nervous as she glanced at the clock on the wall.

“She did come, and I told her that things were fine. The kids just had lunch, and Katelyn and I just finished her morning therapy.” I shrugged because I had no idea why she was acting like such a spaz. “What’s the big deal?”

Quinn looked uncomfortable as she bit her lower lip.

“Just say it, Quinn.”

She walked around the edge of the couch and spoke in a low voice so she wouldn’t interrupt the kids as they watched cartoons. “Jude’s on his way home. He got out of the hospital today.”

My heart began hammering in my chest. I was happy and nervous all wrapped up in one adrenaline-enhanced package. “Well that’s good, right?”

“Yeah, but, um…he, uh…” She wouldn’t look me in the eyes, and it made my stomach tense with worry. “Listen, Cal,” she began once again. “Jude wasn’t happy with us being here. We all know he doesn’t like to ask for help. Jett assured him that he would clear the apartment.” She shrugged her shoulder, and her gaze finally met mine.

Suddenly it all became clear. Jude was okay with Quinn being here, but he wanted me gone. I stood and walked toward Jude’s bedroom, Quinn following closely behind.

“Callie,” she said. Her voice was laced with worry.

“I’m fine, Quinn. I just need to grab my things. I’ll be gone in five minutes,” I assured her without turning to face her. The idea of leaving Zoey and Matthew, or even Katelynn, made me feel empty. I quickly gathered the few items I had around the room and shoved them into my overnight bag. The silence was unnerving. I knew Quinn was just as uncomfortable with the current situation as I was, but I couldn’t think of a way to ease the tension.

“If it’s any consolation, he didn’t really want me here, either.” Quinn was attempting to ease my heartache, but it didn’t help.

“I’m fine, Quinn.”

I had just shoved the last pair of jeans in my bag when I heard the kids screaming in excitement. I looked over at Quinn, and we both knew I hadn’t escaped fast enough. Jude was already home.

“Should I just crawl out the window?” I said, pointing toward the tiny window next to the bed. I was only half joking, as the thought of facing Jude made me nauseous. But leaving without saying good-bye made me feel like someone had a vise grip on my heart.

“You’re not leaving through the window. He’s just gonna have to face the fact that you care.” Quinn bumped her shoulder against mine and offered me a smile.

After a few moments of building up my bravery, I lifted my bag and placed the strap over my shoulder. Taking a deep breath, I followed Quinn into the living room.

“We missed you,” Zoey said as she wrapped her little arms around Jude’s legs. Matthew held on to his hand, looking up at him in awe.

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” Jude replied.

The sound of his raspy voice gave me chills I tried to hide. I refused to look up. I couldn’t face him when I knew he had wanted me gone before he came home. Instead, I remained focused on the two little people who so obviously loved him.

“Not that I’m unhappy to see you, Jude, but I hope this means Callie will still visit.”

I looked over at Katelynn, who was sitting in the recliner next to the hospital bed. Her eyes were focused on me, and she gave me a sweet smile. “I’ve loved having another woman around to talk to. And the kids adore you, Callie.”

“Now come on, Kate,” Jude said before I could respond, “we have some pretty great conversations.”

Katelynn automatically looked over at him, and I let my gaze follow hers. What I didn’t expect was to find Jude looking directly at me instead of his sister, his expression unreadable.