The Mitchell Family Series BoxSet 1-4.5 (96 page)

Colt was snoring away when we walked into the hotel room. He woke right up when Van threw her keys on the dresser. She sat on the edge of the bed and kissed him right away. “She woke up.”

He wiped his eyes and looked toward me. “Hey Bro, congrats. I know you needed to hear that news.”

“Yeah, I still don’t want to be gone too long. You mind if I grab a shower?”

Van got up and ran toward the corner of the room. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and even a pair of boxers. “Here.”

“When did you have time to pack?”

She put her hands on her hips. “Colt and I were planning on going to the cabin. When we got the call, I grabbed our bag that I had packed and brought it with us.”

“Good thing you did. I smell like ass.”

The shower was extra hot and I stood there letting the water fall down over my back. My life was so fucked up. I wished I could just wash away the last few months and start over. That would have been a hell of a lot easier than living through the past few days.

Colt was taller than me, so naturally I had to roll up my pant legs, but everything else fit fine. I started to ask to borrow his razor, but I just lathered up my face and did it without his permission. If he wanted to bitch about it, I’d buy him a new one.

When I came out of the bathroom, Van and Colt were wrapped in each other’s arms sound asleep. I wanted to get to the hospital, but I opted to give them a few minutes to rest. I paced around the room until finally collapsing face first on the bed.

That was the last thing I remembered until I felt a pillow waking me up.

“Ty, wake up.”

I sat up and realized it was dark outside. “Holy shit! What time is it?”

“After seven. Aunt Karen just called and said Miranda is askin’ for you.”

I jumped up and started to put my shoes on. “Did she just call? I didn’t even hear the phone ring. Mine’s dead.”

Van handed me my phone. “I have the same charger so while you slept I charged it for you. I also went out and got you a toothbrush. I know you have an obsession with fresh breath.” She winked at me.

“Shut up and thank you.”

It felt great to brush my teeth, but I wanted to hurry. Miranda was asking for me to come back. If she said jump, I needed to do it.

I rushed back into the wing where Miranda was being taken care of. Her mother was standing there waiting to switch places with me. I walked up to give her a hug and she slapped me in the face. The blow was so unexpected that it jerked me back against Van.

“What the Hell?”

“I don’t know what you did to my daughter, but she should have never been driving all that way alone. She refuses to tell me the truth.”

“They had a fight, that’s it. Ty would never do anything to hurt her.” I was amazed that Van had taken up for me like that and so was my mother in law.

“You only know what he’s told you. Tyler Mitchell, you better not be keeping something from me.”

Van pulled me away from Miranda’s mother. “She’s just overwhelmed Ty. She went in there and saw Miranda and probably lost it. She’ll apologize later. Go in there and be with your wife. If you need anything just text me or Colt. Tell her we love her.”

She kissed me on the cheek before walking toward a very mad Karen Healy.

I shook my head but continued walking toward Miranda’s bed. She smiled when she saw me and I lit up too. “Hey, baby.” I hesitated before reaching down to kiss her. At this point, I didn’t even know whether she wanted me to.

“You smell good.”

“Rumor has it I stunk earlier. Van took me back to the hotel and forced me to shower with her.” Miranda cocked her eyebrow. “Colt was there too.”

Maybe it was a shitty joke, but I felt so uncomfortable being around her that joking was the only way for me to cope.

“Probably should stick to jokes that have nothin’ to do with bein’ naked, at least for the time bein’.”

I put my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “So, how was your visit with your mother?”

“She kept tryin’ to find out why I was drivin’ to Kentucky without tellin’ anybody.”

“Why didn’t you just tell her the truth? Don’t I deserve to be hated for what I did?”

She started crying and I felt so bad. She was lying there in the hospital bed and I was trying to crack jokes and be sarcastic. “I don’t know how to hate you, Ty. I’m so in love with you that I can’t bear to be without you. I mean, I hate what you did, but I hate thinkin’ about not bein’ with you. I’m so confused.”

I grabbed her hand, knowing she wasn’t going to let go. “Please listen to my side of the story.”

With tears in her eyes she nodded her head. “I’m afraid. I can’t hear you say what you did. I just can’t hear you talk about it.”

“I think you’re going to want to hear this.” I squeezed her hand tighter. “Just tell me to stop if it hurts too much. Just let me tell you, Miranda. I can’t go another day with this on my chest. I’ve wanted to tell you about that night, but I couldn’t believe it myself. Please.”

“Okay.”

I kissed her hand and put it to my chest. “Don’t let go of my hand. I can’t do this without you touching me.”

It was time for me to relive every second of that night and to try and convince my wife that I never had any intention of ever being with Heather.

Chapter 24

Miranda

More than a day had passed since my accident, but the visions of those pictures were still fresh in my mind. The problem was, so was my undying love for Ty. In light of our boys being born prematurely and everything I was going through, I couldn’t imagine him not being by my side, in fact I longed for his touch more than I ever had before.

I could tell he felt uncomfortable. He was rubbing my hand with his thumbs as he focused on telling me his side of how he’d cheated on me. I don’t know why I wanted to hear it so badly. Either way, it was proof that it happened.

I started to tell him to stop even before he started. In order for us to get through this, I had to know the truth. I’d rather him tell me while my family was all here to help pick up the pieces of my broken heart when it shattered all over the floor.

“That night when I found out Heather wasn’t going to help us because you sent her that text, I was so mad at you. I mean, she deserved everything you said, but it was my last hope at securing my position in Izzy’s life.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“The last thing I wanted to do was go along with some plan to seduce her into helping me again. That was never my idea and if you remember, you made me do it. I hated the fucking plan from the get go. I mean, who in their right mind would have gone along with something so stupid? Oh right, I did.” He shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh. “Anyway, the whole way there I was a wreck and you know I called you from outside, begging you again to change your mind.”

“I know, Ty. So what changed? Did you know all along that something would happen if you went inside?” He didn’t like my accusation. He scrunched up his face and cocked his brow.

“Is that what you think?”

I started to pull my hand away from his, but he tightened his grip. “I don’t know. I guess the thought has crossed my mind.”

He shook his head. “Well, you’re wrong, Miranda. I can’t stand even looking at that bitch. There’s no way in Hell that I was afraid of what would happen, unless you include strangling her.”

I don’t know what came over me, but I snapped my head in his direction. “Then tell me how you go from feelin’ that way about someone to shoving your face between her legs and doing something to her that I will never be able to forgive you for.”

His eyes got real big and he just stared at me. Finally he sighed and looked down at his feet. Once more, I tried to pull my hand away, but he pulled it even tighter. “When I went inside, I sat right down on her couch. She took the bait at first and really thought you kicked me out, especially when you sent me the texts. I have to admit, even though I knew they were coming, I still couldn’t handle reading your words. They were harsh.”

The more Ty talked the more it made no sense how he ended up sleeping with her. From how he was explaining things, it seemed like she made him ill. “I’m not following, Ty. What changed?”

His thumb started rubbing my hand again. “I did my best trying to convince her that I was there because you and I were done. The more I tried the more she questioned me. She even asked me if I was trying to trick her into giving me the papers. Finally, she told me that…..,” He sat down and scooted his chair over to my bedside. Our fingers intertwined together and he focused on my hands when he started to speak again. “She told me that I had to kiss her.”

“We talked about that. I told you that if you had to do it to make her believe you, then you should.”

He shook his head. “I know and I tried, but the moment her lips touched mine, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I didn’t want to be there. I felt sick, so I ran out of the room. When I finally got myself together, she was having more doubts about my intentions. She offered to get me a drink to settle my nerves. Miranda, the last thing I remember is drinking that drink. I swear to God that I never wanted to touch that bitch.”

This time when I pulled my hand away, he didn’t try to stop me. “Then you tell me how I have pictures of you enjoying every inch of her.”

“I don’t know. All I can think is that she put something in my drink. She had to.”

He has got to be crazy if he thinks I am going to let him talk his way out of this. I saw the pictures!

I held my hand up. “Stop! Please, I can’t hear anymore. You do realize you are telling me that you never cheated on me. The pictures show you holding her legs while you’re feasting out. Stop the bullshit lies. I’m not Van, who had no clue what you did behind her back. I know you Ty.”

He looked at me like I was causing him real pain. “I’m telling you the truth, you can ask C……”

“I can ask who? Was there a third person in the room with you? Was it a threesome?” Maybe Heather got her slutty little friend to come over. She’d done it before.

“Hell no! Jesus Christ, Miranda, do you think that low of me?”

“Do you really want me to answer that right this second?”
He really didn’t.

“I woke up naked in her bed and got the hell out of there. I didn’t even bother putting on a fucking shirt, Miranda. I ran out of there as fast as I could.”

I slammed my hand down on the bed. “Just stop talking, Ty. I can’t hear anymore.”

“I’m telling you the truth. Look at me. Does it look like I’m lying to you?” He did look sincere.

“Obviously, I don’t know how to read you like I thought I did. You’ve been lying to me for months. What am I supposed to think? What exactly did you think would happen? That story makes you seem so innocent in all of this, yet I saw the pictures.”

He reached for my arm and I pulled away. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. I will spend every single day trying to prove it to you. Our family means everything to me. Tell me you at least believe that.”

I wanted to disagree with him, but it would have been a lie. I knew how much we did mean to him. In fact, I knew he would give his own life for me and the kids. It wasn’t Ty’s love that I doubted, it was his ability to be faithful to me. His story wasn’t exactly what I expected him to say. How could he make up a story that made him seem completely innocent. I would have loved for that story to be true, more than anything in the world, I wanted it, but it was just too easy. He couldn’t explain the pictures and they were what were permanently memorized in my head. “I know you love us, Ty. Your love for me is what makes all of this so hard, you know that. I don’t understand how you could love me so much, but do the one thing you knew would rip us apart.”

This time Ty got up from the chair and walked to the other side of the room. I’d seen him pace a million times, pondering on important decisions. Sometimes he would even bite his nails, but this time something was different. He’d obviously suffered the most emotional day of his life yesterday and to make matters worse, we weren’t even sure where we stood as far as our relationship.

I knew I was going home with him. I would keep that promise to him and try to make things work, but trusting Ty was going to be a feat for me. It meant everything to me and now it was gone. How was I supposed to start over?

My recovery wasn’t going to be as easy as when I had Bella. I knew I would need his help and that someone from our family would always be around. I didn’t know if Ty had told Van about what was going on, and if he did, I didn’t care. She was our best friend and I expected that, but I didn’t want anyone else to know. Sure, she would tell Colt, but they would keep it between them. Our secrets always ended up involving the four of us, which in some ways made things easier to get through. We always had someone else to talk to.

He continued to pace around my little area without speaking to me. We were both mad at each other and I wasn’t ready to make nice. I didn’t want to lose him either.

“Ty?”

“What?”

“I need you here with me right now and I need you by my side when we’re raisin’ our children. I’m goin’ to need you to fight alongside me when we go to court about Bella.” My stomach and back were starting to ache and the pain was getting to be hard to talk through. “I’m so mad at you right now, I’m not goin’ to lie about it, but I also know that I can’t live without you. I know it’s goin’ to be hard for you, but I’m askin’ you to give me time to heal. I’m askin’ you to keep lovin’ me even when I’m bein’ horrible. I can’t promise that when I’m feelin’ better I’m not goin’ to freak on you at random times. I know I pushed you to go there that night and I want to believe your story, Ty, because it would mean that you never cheated on me, but we both know I can’t.”

He still wouldn’t turn to look at me. “I hate that you don’t believe me.”

“I’m sorry.” I just couldn’t.

“You’re all I’ve ever wanted. I didn’t know it at first, but once I had you, I knew it right away. I can’t breathe without you, do you get that?” Ty still wouldn’t turn around.

Hearing him say that actually took my breath away. I still had the tubes in my nose, but they were turned down enough where I had to take a deep breath. “Yes.”

Finally, he turned around. His lips were pushed firmly together and he looked so hurt. “I was a shitty boyfriend, everyone knows that, but you were never just my girlfriend, I always saw you as my future. I’ve never been surer about anything except being Izzy’s father. You can doubt my story all you want, but it’s the fucking truth. You think you are the only one hurt here, but for the past two months I have been consumed with guilt. Every single time I looked at you, I saw what I knew I would eventually lose. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to be happy, when I knew it was only a matter of time? As far as being there for you, well you never had to even ask that, because there is no way in hell I would ever let you go. Just so you know, before I heard about the accident, I had already made my mind up that if you moved back to Kentucky, I was moving there too. I can’t live without you, Miranda.”

He would follow me to Kentucky? He would leave his parents and his farm? It had to be for the kids.

“You’d do that for your kids?”

“No Miranda, I’d do it for you, for us and for our family. I’d follow you anywhere.”

God, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and never let go. He meant every word of what he was saying. I could feel it in every inch of my fragile body.

I reached for my husband and he just stood there far enough away that I couldn’t touch him. “Ty, I know you’re hurting too. I don’t know what the future holds, but every part of me has to believe that God wouldn’t have saved me if he didn’t have plans for us. All I’m asking is for time.”

Ty shook his head and sat back down in the chair. He traced over my wedding ring with his fingers. “I’m sorry, but all I can offer you is forever.”

I looked up when I got the sarcastic answer and he winked at me. “Forever is a good start.”

“I know you aren’t ready to forgive me, but I think we should seal this agreement with a kiss.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t push your luck.”

I wasn’t ready to forget about any of it, in fact, I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to, but as much as I was upset for myself, I hated to see him suffering too. Maybe it was wrong for me to give him some kind of false hope when I wasn’t sure myself, but I did it anyway.

It was a good thing that the doctor came in to check on me, because I wasn’t really certain what else I wanted to say to my husband. The meds were making me mellow, but I knew once I stopped taking them that it was only going to be a matter of time before I went all psychotic on Ty. He was strong and would take anything I threw at him. Not just because he was trying to make it up to me, but because he somehow got off on me being mad at him.

Thinking about him being turned on made me think of him being with Heather, which in turn brought my focus back to the doctor, who had been trying to get an answer out of me the whole time.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“On a scale of one to ten, how is your pain right now?” He had sat down in a chair on the other side from where Ty sat and was looking down at my chart.

“I guess it’s about a six. I itch more than anything.”

He stood up and removed the blanket to check on my stomach. I felt a cold chill as the air in the room hit my body. My robe was being pushed up to my chest so that he could examine my stomach. I closed my eyes as I felt him lightly touching where my staples were. It was instantly warm again as he covered me back up and wrote something down on my chart. “Okay, as of right now, we are going to monitor you for another six to eight hours. If your condition continues to improve, we can get you moved to a regular room as early as tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course you will still need to be hooked to your IV’s. One is giving you fluids and the other is giving you blood. We are hoping your levels will be good enough tomorrow to stop with the blood. You’re making great progress, but you will need to be on antibiotics for at least ten to fourteen days to fight off any kind of infection. Do you have any other questions for me?”

Ty cleared his throat. “Actually, I have one.”

The doctor kept looking down writing in my chart. “Ask away.”

“My wife hasn’t seen our newborn twins. I’m sure you can imagine how hard it is for her knowing they are so close and she can’t get to them. Is there any way possible that we can let her see them? I know it’s probably against every regulation, but they are the only babies in the NICU and I think if she could see them it would help speed up her recovery on account of her wanting to get better to be with them.”