Unstoppable (A Country Roads Novel) (26 page)

“What?”

“I said stop.”

She backed away from him as he got up and crossed the room. He turned around and Mel was looking at him, wide eyed and more than a little scared. She was still kneeling on the bed. Her hair was dripping wet and she was wrapped in a towel.

She didn’t say anything. She just looked at him.

“Where are the kids?”

It took her a second to respond, like his question threw her off. “Cindy’s parents got here early this morning. They came by and got the kids to take them to breakfast.” She continued to look at him like he was a stranger. “Bennett, what was that?”

“A bad dream.”

“What kind of bad dream?”

“The kind I don’t want to talk about.”

“Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? My best friend is lying in a hospital bed with half of his body broken. If he makes it out of this, his life will still be completely ruined. So no Mel, I’m not
fucking
okay.” He did nothing to mask the harshness in his voice.

Mel got up from the bed, concerned, and took a few steps toward him, and then stopped when her eyes connected with his cold ones. “I know what’s going on isn’t easy for you. That’s why I’m here.”

“You have no idea what’s going on with me. You shouldn’t have come.”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t have come,” he repeated. “And with Cindy’s family here, you don’t need to be here anymore.”

“I came for you.”

“I don’t need you.” He said that with so much finality that she flinched back, her eyes going all wide and wounded. His chest started to hurt, and he knew it wasn’t from the remnants of his nightmare. But he couldn’t care about Mel’s feelings. He needed her to leave. He needed to be alone, so he had to drive his point home. “Go.”

She looked at him in complete and total shock, but a moment later it was replaced by a look of resignation that Bennett had never seen before.

“I don’t know who this is standing in front of me right now, but you’re not the man I know, not the man I…”

She wasn’t choked up, but it was obvious she couldn’t finish what she was about to say. Bennett didn’t want to think about her unspoken words. And even in her silence she stood there calmly, so calmly in fact that it threw Bennett a little off guard when she started talking again.

“The man
I
thought you were, the man
I
know, would never talk to me like that, no matter what he was going through.”

“Then I’m obviously not that man.”

“I made a serious mistake.”

“Like I said, I didn’t ask you to come up here.”

“That wasn’t what I was talking about.” Mel said abruptly, her hand coming up in the air to stop him from saying anything. “I meant everything. Everything we had, everything that ever involved you. It was all a mistake. A
lie
. I don’t…I don’t know who you are. I was wrong, so
very
wrong to ever think I actually knew you. You never let me all the way in. Not really. And you were never going to, were you? No matter how much I asked, no matter how patient I was, no matter how much I begged for you to just let me in, you were never going to?” Her hand dropped from the air as she looked at him for the answer.

Bennett didn’t say anything. He just slowly shook his head.

“I waited all this time for something that was never going to happen. Well, I’m done waiting. I’m done with trying to get something out of nothing. I’m done with everything. I’m done with you, with us.”

She might’ve been standing there almost completely naked, but she was so strong, stronger than he would ever be. He knew it as he watched her wet hair drip down and soak into the towel. He was being a complete and total asshole. He knew that, too. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t be with anyone, and he especially didn’t deserve her.

“Well, I’m glad you figured it all out.” He reached down and grabbed his boots from the floor before he walked out of the room. And if his world wasn’t completely broken before, it most certainly was now.

T
he drive back from Athens was without a doubt the longest six hours of Mel’s life. She hadn’t shed a tear, not even when Bennett had walked out of that hotel room. She’d been too much in shock. She was still in shock. She had no idea what had happened.

She’d just gotten out of the shower when Bennett had started screaming. She’d run into the room to find him flailing around in the bed. He’d woken up about a second later, and the fear that was evident in every fiber of his being had almost made her break down into tears. She’d never seen him like that.

But that had been nothing to the next five minutes. No, what followed had been way worse. She hadn’t been scared that he was going to hit her or anything. She thought she knew him enough to at least know that. But he had hurt her. Hurt her worse than anything or anyone had ever hurt her before.

She’d thought he loved her. She’d heard those words come out of his mouth. But they’d been a lie. Just like everything else.

It had
all
been a lie.

The thought of going home to that empty house was more than Mel could take. She’d left Teddy with Grace and Jax while she’d been gone, but she wanted him with her. It didn’t matter that he was a present from Bennett. She couldn’t have cared less about that fact. It didn’t take anything away from how much she loved Teddy and how much Teddy loved her—unconditionally, in fact.

The problem was getting Teddy, which meant she was going to have to see people.

Mel pulled up in front of the house and put her car in Park. She sat there for a good couple of minutes as the hot air leaked out and the cold air took its place. She was trying to fortify herself, but the colder she got the less fortified she felt.

“Now or never.” She pushed open the door and made her way up the front steps to the house.

Jax opened the door, Teddy bouncing around his feet. The second he got a good look at her his face fell. “What happened?”

Yup. That was it. That was all it took for everything in Mel to completely fall apart.

“Shit, Mel. Come here,” he grabbed her and pulled her into the house, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest.

It was done. Her and Bennett’s relationship was done. Over. She’d never seen it coming.

They just stood there for a minute, or two. Actually, Mel had absolutely no idea how long they stood there. But Jax’s hands were running up and down her back. Teddy was whining at their feet, and he climbed up Mel’s legs and pawed at her. When she was finally able to breathe regularly she pulled back from Jax and wiped at her face.

“What happened?” he asked, running his hands up and down her arms.

Mel shrugged and shook her head, biting her trembling lip. “He didn’t want me there. He doesn’t want me at all.”

“He’s an idiot.”

Mel laughed, but it was harsh and bitter, and directed at herself. “I’m pretty sure
I’m
the idiot.”

“You’re not.” He shook his head. “Grace isn’t here. She had to go do something with Paige for the wedding. But she’ll be back soon. I can call her.”

“No, don’t do that. I’m actually going to just get Teddy and go.”

“You should stay, Mel. Don’t go home. Don’t go and be by yourself. It’s not going to help. It’s just going to make you feel worse.”

“You the expert on the matter?”

“Yeah I am. ’Cause when Grace and I broke up, being by myself almost killed me.”

“Well, you don’t sugarcoat anything, do you?”

“Come on.” He put his hand at the small of her back and led her through the house. “Take a hot shower. You’ll feel better.”

Mel just looked at him and raised her eyebrows.

“Physically, at least.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible.”

“Well, we have wine.”

Mel burst into laughter, but this time it was real.

“Give me your keys,” he said when they got to the bathroom. “I’ll go get your bags.”

He turned to walk away and Mel touched his arm, stopping him. “Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. You’re my almost wife’s best friend. She’d kill me if I didn’t take care of you.”

“That’s true.” She let go of his arm and turned, pushing the door of the bathroom open. But this time it was Jax who stopped her from walking away. “You’re my friend, too, Mel. And I think you deserve the world.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead before he stepped back. “You’re not the stupid one. He is.” And with that, he walked down the hallway.

Mel took the longest shower of her life. She was pretty sure she’d used every drop of hot water in the house, probably all of the hot water in Mirabelle. By the time she got out, Grace still wasn’t home.

After crying in the shower she really wanted to lie down; her head was killing her. And after being in hot water for so long, she was freezing in the cooler air. She went and crawled into a bed in one of the guest rooms and Teddy snuggled up next to her. Mel ran her fingers through his fur and he shifted closer to her, putting his cold little nose right up against her throat and breathing out hard. It tickled and Mel laughed.

And just like that she was crying again.

God, the whole thing was so stupid. Why couldn’t she stop? Why couldn’t she stop caring? She wanted desperately to fall asleep, but it just wasn’t coming. The sweet relief of oblivion refused to claim her.

The door creaked open and a few seconds later the bed dipped. Mel knew it was Grace who was crawling under the covers next to her. Knew it was Grace’s arms that were wrapping around her.

“Oh Mel,” Grace whispered. “I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”

Mel was sobbing now. Sobbing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

Grace just held her through it, held Mel until there were no more tears. They lay there in silence for only a moment before Grace said something.

“I’m not going to feed you some line of bullshit that it’s all okay and you’re going to feel better, because then I’d be lying to you, and I’m not going to do that.”

“Good,” Mel said through a voice that barely sounded like hers. She rolled over so she could look at her best friend’s face.

“Oh, sweetie. I know it hurts. Believe me, I know just how much.” Grace reached up and ran her thumb under each of Mel’s eyes.

“He said he loved me.”

“When?”

“The other night. He thought I was asleep. But he said it, Mel. He said it. And then today…I don’t even know who he was today.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t even know really. It happened so fast. I mean he was distant the whole time I was up there, but that I understood. His friend is beyond hurt. Bennett’s worried about Danny, so I wasn’t going to overthink his mood. It wasn’t about me, at all. I got it, completely and totally. But then this morning, I don’t know what happened.”

“Mel?”

She told Grace how it had all gone down: Bennett’s dream, his anger, his dismissal.

“Did he hurt you?” Grace asked.

“Physically? No,” Mel shook her head. “But the way he talked to me…I never thought he could be so cruel. Not him. Not ever.”

“Oh, sweetie.”

“I still love him, Grace. I love him so much.”

“Did you tell him?”

“No. I was too much of a coward.”

“You’re not the coward, Mel. You’re
incredibly
brave,” Grace said.

“It hurts. I never thought something could hurt like this.” The tears made a magical reappearance at that moment, and Grace reached out and wiped them away.

“Another thing I’m not going to tell you is that Bennett isn’t worth your tears. I’ve never cried so much as I have over Jax, and if anybody were to tell me he wasn’t worth it, I’d claw their eyes out with my bare hands. Bennett might not be worth it, but he might be worth everything, and it’s not my place to tell you which it is. But that being said, I will tell you that I hate him right now, and the fact that he’s done this to you makes me want to claw
his
eyes out.”

Mel laughed again. She couldn’t help it.

“Did you eat anything today?”

Mel shook her head.

“Well, I’m guessing you want to lay in this bed and wallow more than anything. And if that’s the decision you make, that is entirely acceptable.”

“But—”

“But, Harper is coming over,” Grace said, sitting up. “I’m going to make dinner and we’re going to drink a lot of wine. A lot. Of. Wine. You can cry, and scream, and eat fifty pounds of chocolate, and for your information I’m making my raspberry mousse. You can do whatever your heart desires. But I’m going to be here, Harper is going to be here, and Jax is, too, for whatever use he’s going to be. My point is, you aren’t alone, Mel. You never have been, and you never will be, no matter what happens with the idiot fucker who’s making you cry. Got it?”

“Got it.” Mel couldn’t have stopped the small smile that turned up her mouth.

“Where’s Mewanie?” June looked around the hospital waiting room for someone who just wasn’t there. The way June pronounced Mel’s name had always made him smile before, but now it was a feat that bordered on the impossible.

Bennett had to pause for a second before he answered the little girl. Hearing Mel’s name was like pouring lemon juice on a cut. It was painful and made him wince.

They were done. He knew it and it hurt, for many reasons.

He loved her, more than he’d ever loved anyone. And he knew it. He knew it beyond any reasonable doubt. But ever since he’d walked into that hospital room almost five days ago and seen the strongest man he knew bent and broken, he’d known he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t go through something like that with Mel. He’d watched Cindy, seen the pain and anguish on her face for days, and he wasn’t strong enough for that.

How was it that after everything Danny had survived, this had happen? He’d come home and left the war behind him. So how? How could it happen?

Bennett couldn’t do it. He couldn’t dedicate his life to Mel and then have some freak accident pull them apart. Destroy their lives. Destroy everything. Destroy him.

Maybe he was a coward. No, he definitely was a coward, and he knew it. Mel was right; he wasn’t the man she thought he was. But the thing was, he
knew
she was everything he thought she was and more. So much more. That was why he had to walk away.

Really, he shouldn’t have started anything in the first place. It wasn’t fair to her. He was never going to let her in completely. He was never going to let
anyone
in completely. But how the hell was he supposed to, when in the blink of an eye that person could be ripped out of his life? No, it was better this way. Alone. He couldn’t get hurt when he was alone.

It took Bennett a second to answer, but he looked at the little girl and told her the truth.

“She went home, June Bug.”

“Why didn’t she say ’bye bye?”

She hadn’t said good-bye because her every instinct had probably told her to get the hell away from him. He didn’t blame her. He wished he could get the hell away from himself at the moment.

“She left?” Cindy asked, looking at Bennett.

He nodded.

Cindy looked confused as she studied him, and he knew for a fact she had about twenty questions on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t say anything more on the subject.

“I’m going to take them to dinner,” Cindy said, grabbing June’s tiny little hand. “We’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Okay.” He watched the four of them walk down the hallway before he headed into Danny’s room.

The doctor’s said his vitals were strong today, and they were optimistic about him waking up. Well, at least someone was optimistic, because Bennett sure as hell wasn’t.

Mel was stationed firmly between Grace and Harper on the couch. They were about four bottles in, and though Mel’s heart was still clearly ripped in two, the pain was dulled. Only just slightly, but still dulled.

Jax had gone into his and Grace’s bedroom to give the girls some privacy, but Mel had liked the fact that he hadn’t vacated the house.

“Your husband is good people,” Mel said to Grace.

“My almost husband?” Grace clarified.

“That was what I meant. You know he let me cry on his shoulder and he didn’t even finch.”

“He didn’t turn into a bird?” Harper asked.

“
Flinch
,” Mel said. “He didn’t even
flinch
.”

“I can’t believe you guys are going to be married in less than a week,” Harper said.

“We don’t have to talk about that,” Grace said quickly

“Shit.” Harper covered her mouth with her hand.

“Just because I’m sad and pathetic doesn’t mean we can’t talk about Grace getting married,” Mel told them.

“Mel…” Grace shook her head.

“You’re getting married this week to the love of your life, I’d be a horrible friend if I got upset about that. If anything, you have more of a right to happiness then I do to my misery.”

“What do you mean by that?” Harper asked.

“You and Jax have been something for pretty much your entire lives. Bennett and I…it’s only been a couple of months. My short-lived relationship with him doesn’t even make a dent in what you and Jax have.”

“Mel, that’s not fair,” Grace said. “You love Bennett. So, I’ve loved Jax for a longer amount of time, but that doesn’t make my love stronger or more powerful than yours. Love is love. It has a strength all its own, a strength that can’t be ranked by time. Don’t let anyone diminish how you feel, especially yourself.”

Mel looked at her friend and couldn’t help the small little flicker of hope that was flaring up in her chest. “I won’t.”

“Good.”

“Life’s too short,” Harper said.

Those were the words that Mel had repeated over and over again all those months ago.

“Yeah it is. So what about you?” Mel asked, nudging Harper with her elbow.

Harper waved her free hand in the air and shook her head. “We don’t need to get into that.”

“Come on. I’m at the stage where I’m just intoxicated enough to not cry.”

“The fact that you used the word
intoxicated
was pretty impressive,” Grace said.

“Yeah, I would’ve just said
drunk
,” Harper added with a nod.