Crushed (40 page)

When the giggles subsided, everyone fell silent again.

Gradually, each of them fell asleep, with gentle smiles on their lips.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Family was a concept I had considered before. I don't think I fully understood what it meant until that moment.

The warm feeling of sunlight against Sophie's legs, and the soft breeze brushing up against her face were nothing compared to the feeling of holding Robert's hand.

It was so peaceful, sitting on the front porch with him. A week had passed since her return, and it was like she was living an entirely different life.

The distance that had grown during her time away was invisible, as if it'd never existed in the first place. However, things weren't like they were before...they were impossibly better.

Sophie glanced at her and Robert's interlocked hands and grinned. He was leaning his head against his chair, his eyes closed. His blond curls had fallen into his face, making him look innocent and sweet.

While she knew the man beneath his cute expression was nowhere near innocent, it amused her to see him like this. It was if an entirely new chapter had opened up in her life, without her having realized it.

She still couldn't believe it was this easy to be with him, after he'd caused her so much pain. It wasn't so much that she forgave him, but that she'd had too many issues to hold grudges against. It had turned out to be much easier to let the past go, knowing he was willing to change.

Teddy was playing in the front yard, riding his bicycle back and forth over the green lawn. Gwyn was spending time with Rylan inside, and Sophie could hear them laughing through the open kitchen window.

It was one of those afternoons she wouldn't trade the world for. Never in her life had she known this much bliss.

Of course the peace wasn't completely impenetrable. Despite the sun and the smiles, there were dark concerns that had yet to be addressed. The week had been spent ignoring the problems that loomed ahead, and soon it would be time to refocus and begin working again.

Luke was still missing, Max was still a constant threat, and there was no way of knowing what Agent Marshall was up to. The only positive aspect of their situation now was that Cleo seemed to be fully on their side.

Robert had told Sophie that Cleo found new hope in their mission, which had once reached a dead end. Even if they hadn't found the paintings themselves, Cleo believed they were close on the trail. Her hope made her infinitely more friendly, and all hints of her formers threats vanished.

At first, Sophie didn't understand the change in Cleo. However, Robert had already explained her motives. Despite the paintings offering them no profit, Cleo and Max were obsessed with finding their stolen property. A fraction of the reason they wanted them so desperately was because of pride. It was insulting that thieves had stolen from them, who had made a business out of stealing from others.

Another facet of their desire for the paintings stemmed from their need to own the rarest, and most valuable paintings in the world. Robert said they'd been tightlipped about the specific paintings stolen, to curb others' interest in finding them. All that was known was that they were rare, and important enough to fuel a ten-year grudge.

When Sophie's parents had escaped, they'd made a huge dent in both Cleo and Max's pride. It wasn't hard to believe that someone as insane as Max had snapped and killed them both.

Sophie tried to blink away her dark thoughts. They didn't seem appropriate on a day like today.

Her attention turned towards a car pulling into their driveway. She automatically stiffened, but relaxed when she recognized Rylan's doctor. In the rush of the first few days of her return, Sophie hadn't caught his name. Now, she knew him as Dr. John Smith, a name she knew to be an alias.

It seemed like everyone in this business didn't trust giving out their true names. Ever since she'd known Robert, he'd given her at least three to work with.

Robert had opened his eyes the moment she'd unconsciously squeezed his hand. His dark eyes watched the doctor leave the car, a frown on his lips.

"Todays the day." Robert reminded her, sitting up in the chair.

"What day?"

"He's going to give us the facts about Rylan. The wound's had time to heal, so now it's time to outline where we're going from now on."

Sophie's heart clenched. Robert didn't seem enthusiastic about the results.

"I've seen gunshot wounds before, Sophie." His eyes were hard. "It's not something people get over in a few weeks. In some cases, a few years."

"Hey," She chided, squeezing his hand again. "He's alive. We should feel blessed for that gift. Anything else is just a challenge we can work through together."

Robert didn't seem affected by her words of support. His concern for Rylan was evident on his face.

"Gwyn doesn't need to know, so I'm going to talk to him in my room. I'll tell you the details later." Robert stood to greet the doctor, motioning for him to enter the house.

Sophie gave the man a small wave in greeting, but didn't stand to follow them inside. Even if it was selfish, she wanted to savor the last little bit of warmth she could take from this afternoon. She had a feeling tonight would not be an easy one.

Her eyes turned back to the front yard. She glanced around, searching for Teddy, but he couldn't be seen from the porch. Sophie stood, panic rising in her chest again as she turned to look for him.

She found Teddy sitting on the pavement in the driveway, rocking back and forth, holding his knee to his chest. His bicycle was sitting a few feet away, but Sophie was focused on his injured leg.

"Ow, ow, ow." Teddy whispered, as if he was trying to hold in the pain.

"Teddy!" Sophie rushed towards him, squatting down so she could see the damage. "We take our eyes off you for one minute..."

She pulled his hands away from the wound, and winced when she saw how deep the cut was.

"I lost my balance." He confessed, looking guilty. "I didn't mean to fall over."

"I know you didn't." Sophie reached out to shuffle his hair with her hand. "How much does it hurt."

His cut went from the top of his knee to halfway down his leg. It was covered in dirt, and needed to be treated immediately.

"Not bad." Teddy replied, even though his bottom lip was quivering. "It's not nearly as bad as Rylan's."

The realization that Teddy was trying to be brave was painful. When Sophie had been his age, she would've cried her eyes out over getting hurt. Even if the wound hadn't been nearly as painful as his.

"It looks bad." Sophie lifted Teddy to his feet, and reached up to touch his cheek.

She was reminded of Gwyn's story about their mother, and how the woman hadn't cared when Gwyn had been hurt. Sophie didn't want Teddy to have the same memory. She wanted him to know that he was loved, and that he wasn't alone.

Right now Teddy didn't have a Rylan to support him, so Sophie would take that role.

She turned around in front of him, and motioned for him to climb on her back. She hoisted him into the air, and noticed him wince out of the corner of her eye.

"We'll get you fixed up soon." She promised, carrying him into the house.

The moment she entered the kitchen, Gwyn bolted out of her seat. "What happened?" Her voice was tight.

"Just a little accident." Sophie sat Teddy down on the kitchen counter. "He's handling it like a man though. I almost cried just thinking about falling off my bike."

Teddy hid a smile, his eyes beaming. He enjoyed being compared to a man.

"He's tougher than me." Rylan chipped in from his bed. "I would be crying too."

Teddy's smile grew even larger.

Gwyn had already infiltrated the medicine cabinet, pulling out a jar of band aids. Sophie reached for a towel, and ran it under cool water. It took only moments for her to clean the wound, but for Teddy it seemed like hours. He hid his pain as well as he could.

As a treat for being so brave, Gwyn gave Teddy the special Ninja Turtle band aids. It took three to cover the length of the cut. Teddy's eyes widened in awe of the special band aids, and Sophie suppressed a smile. Sometimes it was too easy to please him.

"Can I go back outside?" Teddy asked eagerly.

Sophie winced, knowing she was going to have to be strict with him.

"Why don't you hang out with me for a little bit?" Rylan offered, saving Sophie from her duty as guardian.

She mouthed a thank you, as Teddy skipped over to Rylan's side. There were three chairs around the bed, and Gwyn and Teddy sat down next to him. It had been an awkward arrangement a week ago, but by now they were all used to the change.

Sophie turned on the TV Robert had moved into the kitchen for Rylan. She busied herself with preparing for dinner, trying not to think about the conversation going on upstairs.

It had felt wonderful to be able to do something for Teddy. Helping him out made her feel useful, like she had a purpose. However, she wouldn't be able to change Rylan's situation. His injury was out of their control, and a few band aids wouldn't heal him forever.

An hour after he arrived, Dr. Smith left, without saying goodbye. They all heard him open and shut the front door, but no one commented on it. Everyone except Teddy knew what his visit was about.

Sophie gripped the spoon she was holding tightly. She'd prepared chicken soup for dinner, but she'd been too distracted to put any real effort into it. As she stirred, she wondered anxiously when Robert would come tell them the news.

When the door to the kitchen creaked open, everyone flinched.

Robert entered the room with a grim expression, and Sophie felt like she could hear everyone's hearts hit the floor.

Any inklings of hope they'd had sunk when he sat down at the kitchen table.

He turned to face them, his frown deep and foreboding.

*  *  *

The facts were simple. It was a result they should've expected the moment Rylan was shot.

At the moment, it seemed like Rylan wouldn't be able to walk normally again. His sentence in recovery would last a minimum of three months, and a maximum of six. Even after physical therapy, he would need the use of a cane to move around on his own.

It was a prognosis Dr. Smith made knowing he would have to monitor Rylan's situation for the next few weeks. Truthfully, he'd informed Robert that his report was a bit dramatic. He'd decided on his verdict after comparing the injury with past cases, but he had hopes that he would be wrong in this case.

Rylan was young and healthy, and the wound was already healing faster than expected. While he'd already outlined the worst case scenario, he also gave hope for the future. If Rylan continued to improve at this rate, he may one day be able to walk without a limp. It would be as if there was no wound at all.

However, running, or any other overly physical activity was not just discouraged, but impossible for him. Rylan would not be able to handle the strain of the those activites on his leg.

The best possible scenario that the doctor saw was of him walking normally again. Considering how the bullet had shattered his tibia, Dr. Smith said they were lucky.

After hearing the news, no one in the room felt lucky.

It felt like someone had just punched them all in the stomach, then kicked them while they were down.

Yes, if they tried really hard they could see the positives. He wasn't sentenced to a wheelchair, there were no complications with the healing as of yet, and most importantly, he was still alive.

Sophie tried to feel relieved, but she was so hurt by the news she couldn't see through the darkness.

She put herself in his shoes at sixteen years old. Being told he would be lucky to walk normally again, and informed that he could no longer run. While she'd never been an athlete, Sophie felt suffocated by that kind of fate. She wasn't even the one receiving the news, and she understand how terrifying the results were.

At the same time, all eyes turned to Rylan. It was a cruel response, considering how he probably didn't want four pairs of eyes judging his reaction.