Second Chances (26 page)

Stacy just shook her head at whatever Bellamy was saying. Bellamy hugged her, placed a kiss on her forehead, and walked back to Luke. Stacy’s dad went to pull his car to the doors as everyone made their way over to her. Dustin could see she was a little uncomfortable with all of the attention she was getting. Her one eye that wasn’t swollen was trying to look anywhere except for where everyone was standing. Dustin wanted to intervene, help her out, but Gary coming back through the doors halted that.

His mom held on to Stacy as they walked outside, leaving Dustin to walk right beside her. His head jerked in surprise when Stacy reached out and laced her fingers with his. Dustin gave her a squeeze as they made their way outside.

Once Stacy was loaded into the back of her dad’s car, Dustin leaned in the open door. “I’m gonna run home real quick to grab some stuff, but I’ll get to your mom and dad’s as soon as I can, okay? Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“N-no, I don’t need anything; just you.”

It broke Dustin’s heart to hear his normally vibrant girl sound so small. Her voice was still scratchy. The anger started to build up in him again when he thought about the fact that he wasn’t going to get to pound Mark’s face into dust for touching her. Dustin kissed her with the softest of touches on her lips before he closed her door and watched them drive away.

Dustin felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned and saw his dad standing behind him. “Son, your momma and I will run you home to get your stuff.”

“Thanks, Dad,” he whispered and turned to watch Gary’s car get smaller and smaller in the distance.

***

Stacy’s head was throbbing. The motion of the car was making her a little nauseated, too. She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths, willing the nausea to pass. They’d given Stacy some good pain meds in the hospital. She’d heard them say it was safe for the baby. Stacy’s stomach rolled she closed her eye and tried to remember when her last period was. Her cycle had always been screwy, but she and birth control didn’t get along. She’d had some spotting right after Stacy found out that Mark was married, but she wouldn’t have classified that as her period.

She didn’t know what she was going to do about the whole baby thing. Granted, they weren’t totally sure that she was even pregnant, so maybe, just maybe, they were wrong. Stacy didn’t expect anything from Dustin because he didn’t ask for any of it. She wasn’t even sure if
she
even wanted to have a baby, at least not like this. Not when she got no say in the matter and she sure as shit didn’t want any reminder of what Mark did.

As they pulled in the driveway at her parents’ house she noticed all of the cars. Stacy knew who they belonged to, but didn’t want to face any of them right now. She just wanted to go lie down in her old bed and sleep until she didn’t hurt anymore. Stacy opened her good eye when she heard the back door opening and her dad helping her out. She clutched his shirt in her fists when she started to get a little woozy. Her dad wrapped an arm around her shoulders and one around her waist as the three of them made their way inside the house.

Stacy could hear lots of voices as they entered the living room. She was immediately pulled out of her dad’s embrace by her grandma.

“Sweet Jesus, my beautiful baby. What did he do to you?” Her grandma’s voice was thick with grief and sadness. “Come on, honey, let’s get you settled into your room.”

Stacy was led by her grandma, who was followed by her mom and aunts to her old room. By the time she made it up the stairs she was nauseous and dizzy again. Stacy braced a hand against the wall as she tried to get her bearings. When she finally got settled onto her bed, the women all fussed around the room while Stacy’s grandma tucked her into bed.

“You get some sleep, sweetheart, and I’ll bring you some soup when it’s time for more pain medicine, okay?”

“Thanks, Grandma.” Stacy pulled the blanket around her shoulders and as soon as her head hit her pillow, she faded into nothingness.

***

Renée knew her baby was asleep when her breathing slowed way down. She’d never get the image out of her head when they walked into Stacy’s room in the hospital and her precious girl was curled up into a ball, her face swollen and bruises covering her body. When Stacy was up to it, they needed to hear exactly what happened and they wanted to hear it from her. A police officer had told her and Gary that they would need to talk to her about what happened, as well as someone from the DEA. The officer also warned them that the media was probably going to try and get a comment from them since the assailant was a federal agent.

She followed the other women out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Renée knew she was going to have to call her mom and dad and tell them what happened to Stacy. They didn’t see their granddaughter a lot, but they loved her very much and corresponded a lot through e-mails. They would worry until they heard it directly from Stacy that she was okay.

When she hit the bottom of the stairs, the women made their way into the kitchen to cook up some dinner. Gary and his brothers were all sitting on the back deck. She could tell they were taking it hard. Their faces were all filled with the same pain she felt. Garrett had his head buried in Ian’s neck and it was clear he was crying. Renée felt so blessed to be accepted into a loving family. Sure at first glance they looked like tough guys, but they were all just giant teddy bears. She made her way to the door and stepped out onto the deck to check on all of her men.

Gary grabbed her immediately and pulled her down into his lap. “How’s our girl?”

“She’s sleeping for now. They said to wake her up every hour or so, so I’ll bring her some soup when I do. Tomorrow I’ll call the therapist they recommended and get her in as soon as possible.”

Renée felt Gary’s arms wrap around her as he buried his nose in her hair. He pulled his head back and when she looked into his eyes, she knew that they were both thinking what a long road they were going to have getting there baby back to normal. She still couldn’t believe that man tried to trap their daughter with a baby. What would happen to her relationship with Dustin if in fact she was pregnant and it was Mark’s? Renée would support whatever decision Stacy made. It was her body and her life. She couldn’t possibly know what Stacy was going to go through, especially if the worst was confirmed.

They sat there in silence, even when the others came out to join them. The mood-somber as the sun started to set in the horizon. Renée was just getting up to check on dinner and get Stacy some soup when the back door opened and Dustin came walking out. She immediately went to him and pulled him into a fierce hug. “Go on up to her, sweetheart. I think it’s about time to wake her, anyway.”

She watched Dustin disappear into the house and turned back to the others. “Gary, why don’t you tell them what we know right now while I get Stacy some soup.”

Renée watched Gary unfold himself from his seat and walk to her. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Okay, baby. We’ll be in shortly for dinner.” He kissed her quick and she felt Gary’s eyes on her as she went back into the house. Frances, her mother-in-law followed her in to help finish up dinner. Together with their family they’d see Stacy through this.

Chapter 19

Stacy wasn’t sure what time it was, but it must’ve been late because it was silent in the house and outside. She felt the heat of Dustin’s body against her back and the arm wrapped around her waist held her snugly to him. Stacy’s head was pounding something fierce. Her mom had woken her up every hour or so asking her her name and how old she was. It got real old after about the fifth time she woke her up. She’d found Dustin awake through the first few checks. He silently watched her from the side of the bed, looking utterly exhausted.

Her uncles Tom and Garrett had left, leaving her Uncle Dan, Aunt Carly and her grandma. Before they left, her uncles had both come in to check on her and say goodbye. Tom had come in first and had been his usual funny self, even trying to get Stacy to laugh. She wanted to, really bad, but she just didn’t have it in her. He’d leaned down and kissed her forehead. Stacy had told him to kiss her aunt and the kids for her. She watched him walk out of the room and froze when Garrett walked in.

He pulled up a chair and sat it next to the bed. Stacy laid there staring at him and waiting for the “I told you so” moment. Garrett didn’t speak for quite a while, so she waited.

“Please forgive me.” He had said it so softly that Stacy couldn’t be sure what he said, so he repeated himself. “Please forgive me, baby girl.” Garrett’s voice sounded thick with unshed tears. She felt her own start to fall as she remembered the hatred in his voice when he had called her a stupid bitch. It was her fault that Chloe had been traumatized. Stacy couldn’t blame him, especially after everything that had happened to her, but was she going to forgive him?

“Why?” she whispered. “You were right to take them from me. Look what he did to me. I’d never forgive myself if he would’ve hurt Chloe. I love her and Carter so much. What you said hurt me, but it was true. I am a stupid bitch because I couldn’t tell that he was dangerous and toxic. Now I may be carrying his baby, or better yet it could be Dustin’s. Beautiful, kind, wonderful Dustin may be thrust into parenthood before he wanted because Mark didn’t want to lose me. I feel like I’m in some black hole that I can’t get out of. You’re smart to keep them away from me. I obviously don’t make good choices—well except for Dustin, but how long before he can’t take it anymore and just leaves me?” Pain meds weren’t Stacy’s friend in the least. She hadn’t been able to stop the verbal diarrhea from spewing out. Garret had just stared at her with tears running down his face.

Stacy couldn’t take seeing him like that, so she laid down and faced away from him. She’d felt his lips touch her hair.

“Get some rest, sweetheart. When you’re up for it, I’ll bring the kids to s—”

“No!” she shouted.

“Sweetheart, please, let me do this for you.” He sounded like he was pleading with her.

“I-I don’t wa-want them to see me like this.” Stacy tried to hold back the tears, but once they were unleashed she couldn’t stop them. She’d felt Garrett close behind her but he’d never gotten close enough to touch her.

He’d finally kissed the back of her head, whispered that he loved her, and walked silently out of the room. It wasn’t until she heard the click of the door that his cries had become audible through the door. Stacy wanted to call Garrett back into the room and take comfort from him like when she was younger, but she didn’t have the strength.

After that her dad had come in to tell her that the police and federal agents were both coming tomorrow, but her family would be by her side when she talked to them. She’d managed to eat a little soup that her mom had brought her. Her sweet mom even brought up some dinner for Dustin who seemed to not have an appetite because he’d barely touched his food.

Now Stacy sat there in bed waiting for the dizziness to pass so she could go find the pain pills they said she could take. She turned, hoping not to wake Dustin. He was still on his side, breathing slow and deep. Stacy was never going to forgive herself for what Mark did. She didn’t know how he managed to get Dustin locked up, but she was pretty sure it was horrible, whatever he did.

Stacy slowly stood up. Her legs were shaky and wobbly. It felt like all of her strength got sucked right out of her. She took small steps towards the door. Stacy needed to use the bathroom first and then she had to search for those pills before her head exploded. She turned back and Dustin was still asleep. Stacy opened the bedroom door, trying to be as quiet as possible. She made it to the bathroom and did her business. While she washed her hands, Stacy looked up at herself in the mirror. The sight of her face made her nauseated. She didn’t look like herself at all. Stacy’s eye was still swollen shut and now looked all goopy. Her other cheek was swollen and bruised. She pulled her shirt down a little to examine more closely the hand print around her neck. Stacy’s stomach started to roll, so she took some deep cleansing breaths until it passed. The last thing she did was lift up her shirt and stare at her lower abdomen. The tears started to fall as she thought about the baby that could be in there.

How unfair that that bastard took that decision away from her. Now she had to wait and see if it was true, and worse, whose baby was it? At least she had some time to decide what to do.

Stacy opened up the bathroom door and was met by Dustin and her mom standing in the hallway. “I’m sorry if I woke you guys up,” she whispered.

“Oh, my sweet baby, you didn’t wake me up. I’ve been waiting for the alarm to go off so I could bring you some pain pills. Are you ready for them?”

“Yes, please. My head is killing me.” Stacy felt Dustin wrap an arm around her waist and started leading her back to bed.

“Baby, why didn’t you wake me?” he asked as he got her settled on the bed.

“You were sleeping so peacefully. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Well, next time wake me up, okay? It worried me when I woke up and you were gone.” Dustin turned his head as Stacy’s mom came back into the room with a bottle of water, some applesauce and an ice pack.

She watched her mom sit everything on the nightstand and grabbed the applesauce and handed it to her. “You need to eat this before you can have a pain pill,
Minha filha.
Dustin, here’s her pain pill. She can have it when she’s done eating. Holler if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Her mom kissed her on the head and turned and left the room. Stacy ate about half of her applesauce and tossed it in the garbage. Dustin handed her a white tablet and the bottle of water. Once she swallowed it down, Dustin grabbed the pillow and put it in his lap.

“What are you doing?” She watched him grab her hand.