Love Without End (18 page)

After about an hour on the trails, racing through the winds and bends, rotating who is leading the pack, my fingers are chilled. I lean back, slip them under the back of Carter’s shirt, and move them around his sides until I reach his firm stomach. His entire body went ramrod straight at first, likely from my freezing cold palms colliding with his warm cloth covered back, causing a light laugh on my part. Pointing towards the smaller path that leads into the field, Carter increases the speed to gain enough momentum to jump the three-foot gap filled with a shallow flow of water.

Laughing loudly we cruise over the opening and land roughly on the opposite patch of land kicking mud out to the sides and pulling up just a bit further to allow the others to cross. Watching Brie behave so carelessly covered in mud, clearly playing rough with the boys along the path, whereas Carter just enjoys the acceleration and thrill of speed I notice her facial expression has changed from point A to point B. She now sits idle hunched over, her head resting on her arm weighing heavily on the handlebars.

“B, what’s up, you winded?” I call over to her, but only receive a flick of her hand – no words. “Stay,” I say to Carter and the guys as I climb off the back of the ATV making my way to Brielle.

“Han, I don’t know what happened…” she starts to say just as she screams out in pain. “FUCK Han,” she cried looking up to me, tear stained eyes.

“Brie, where does it hurt, your arms, legs, back, head?” I question as my panic rises.

“Lower abdomen,” she groans burying her head in her hands and crying out again.

“B, we gotta get you back, can you scoot back? I’ll drive you.” I state as calmly as I can, hoping that we can make it back causing less damage to whatever in the hell is going on.

“No,” she cries out refusing to budge. “Don’t move me, it’s worse when I move.”

“Carter,” I stammer as the guys stand talking far enough away to give us a little space but not to be oblivious to the conversation. Clearly, they were listening enough to know a new plan of action on getting us back to the house was needed.

Jase doesn’t miss a beat, standing on the opposite side of Brielle to me and lifts her into his arms. Her cry is ear piercing but he doesn’t flinch, one hand under her legs the other securely around her back cradling her to him.

“Han, you ride yours back. Carter, I need the easiest and quickest way back for her.” Jase says in a calm but authoritative tone. .

“On it,” Carter nods as we all start up the ATVs and Jase carefully climbs onto his with Brielle’s arms wrapped around his neck, as we make our way back. I can hear her cry out every time they hit a ridge and the four-wheeler is jolted. Within twenty minutes, we are back to the main property, pulling into the shed. Jase carefully climbs off his ATV, Brie still clinging to him for dear life.

“Let’s get her inside,” I say trying to remain composed. As expected, they all follow me inside, and I direct Jase to the sofa, not that I need to because he knows this house as well as we do, practically growing up with us. A part of me feels warmed inside knowing she is taken care of, but I can’t help but feel the tension grow as Braydon and Chase stand and watch a complete stranger to them dote on the girl Chase is here with and who Braydon may or may not have tried pursuing.

What at clusterfuck!

I leave the room to wash up and return with a blanket, heating pad, and ice pack, unsure of what she needs, but certain she will need at least two of those things. Walking back into the family room, I see Jase has laid Brie onto the couch and is sitting on the side talking quietly to her.

“Guys, I um,” Braydon stands awkwardly and mumbles, “I’m gonna take off. I need to get to my dad’s, I lost track of time.” I study him closely as he looks to his non-existent watch before noticing that we are all staring at him. Chase stands up and gives him a brotherly hug, and says something I can’t hear well enough to decipher.

Approaching Braydon, I give him a quick squeeze, thank him for coming, and apologize for the unknown family reunion surprise times two, causing him to laugh. Carter says goodbye as well, still clipped, but hey at least he said goodbye and didn’t punch him in the face, as I feared he would not long before today.

“B, I hope you’re alright, call or text me if you need anything.” He smiles, squatted down in front of her brushing the hair out of her face.

“K, Bray,” she whispers, “I’m sorry, you know.”

“Not your fault Ellie,” he says as he walks away and out of the house.

I look to Carter with a raised brow and he shrugs. Looking back to Brielle, Jase has resumed his place after covering her up and plugging in the heating pad that is now resting against her lower abdomen.

After a few hours pass and Jase takes off after confirming with Brie that she will call or let him know if she needs anything, I have finally persuaded her to go with me to the hospital. Carter and Chase dropped us off at the emergency room entrance with the specific direction to call as soon as we knew something. It only took the twenty minute drive to convince them of how pointless it would be for all four of us to sit there staring at the walls, especially since this is likely not something Brie wanted the guys to just hang out for.

Hannah – Hey babe, we’re ready. Brie should be discharged by the time you get here. I love you.

Me – on our way. I love you too

Chase and I swung by Brie’s parents place after we dropped the girls off at the hospital earlier to pick up some extra clothes, assuming they would be holed up in there most of the night, we figured it would be easier to just have everyone crash at my place. Seeing as it is just after midnight that they are ready, it was a good call. There’s no need to travel back out of town to the Sava’s when my place is closer

Making my way through the apartment, I nudge Chase’s arm, waking him from an obviously light slumber.

“Hey man, they just discharged Brie. You riding?” I ask, pulling on my hoodie as I grab the keys and move towards the door.

“Yep, mind if we stop at McDonalds?” he yawns putting on his shoes following behind me, closing the door. “Brie, loves the strawberry shakes.”

I turn around as he pulls the door shut to find him smiling like I do when I look at Hannah, and just hope that whatever page he is on, she is on the same one. Yes, Brielle has been my friend for so many years she is like the little sister I never wanted, but will never in a million years give away. I’ve been worried sick about her all night, and Han’s coded text leaves me more confused than when we dropped them off earlier.

“No prob. Hop in.”

No less than an hour later, we are scattered around my living room, Hannah and Brielle telling story after story to Chase about the good ole days, most of them including Jase and I raising hell and dodging the trouble that followed it while eating Taco Bell doused in mild sauce and laughing until tears trickled from their eyes.

A few days later, I find myself struggling to release the wiggling body beneath me.

“If you’d just be still this would be a lot easier, Banana.” I whisper in her ear.

“I’m gonna miss my flight babe, how is that easier?” her squirming stops as I capture her lobe between my teeth lightly tug. “Um… Carter…” her words drift off as her foot trails up my leg.

“No more running right, baby?” my words barely a whisper into her ear. “You still love me, Hannah Grace James?”

“Mmmhmm, I do,” she purrs. “I love you, Carter Grayson Jacobs. Always have, always will.”

I pull back just enough to see her hooded, tawny eyes peering up at me in adoration. I always knew she was mine, my forever. It just took us a little bit to get there. Never settle, that’s what my dad always said. There are many decisions left to be made, but this decision… it’s not one. I peck her nose and reach into the nightstand then come right back to her eyes. Her face is lit up like a kid at Christmas.

“Babe, we haven’t used a condom since we got back together, which um, come to think of it probably isn’t smart. I never think about that shit with you. Then again, my body clearly hates me, and we can see now, with two miscarriages, that perhaps babies aren’t in the cards, huh?” Her ramble falls off as she looks away.

Capturing her lips I bring her back to me and smile, “Hannah Grace, I don’t care if you give me a million babies or zero, we can adopt them or just have dogs. I don’t care if we live here or in Florida, in another state or country.” I pause brushing the tendrils from her face, “All I care about is that when you walk away from me today, you come back to me. You come back to me or I come to you, you’re mine forever. The future Mrs. Carter Jacobs. Because everything else in life can fall apart as long as I have just that… just you.” I pause taking in her beauty, the smile spreading across her face, her eyes vibrant and beginning to mist over just as she tucks in her bottom lip biting it just slightly as I continue. “My everything… will be perfect. My only hope since the day I fell in love with you was this moment, the moment you would say yes. Please Hannah Grace… will you be my wife?”

Life is officially standing still as I stare into her eyes, holding the two-carat canary-yellow, tear-shaped, diamond ring surrounded by a halo of diamond chips sitting atop a thin diamond covered platinum band. The sun beaming through the window ricochets in such a way that brilliant sprays of colors paint the walls. Her heart begins to accelerate as she looks from the ring to me; I kiss the pulsing vein at the side of her neck.

“Buckin’ Fananas Carter, I love you so much!” she finally shouts before grabbing my face and kissing me with so much fervor our teeth clink, we become all mouths and hands and bodies for the next hour completely worshiping each other.  

“I am going to say that was a ‘yes’, right Miss James?” he asks kissing the bare skin of my back he just rinsed because I insisted I needed to shower before my flight.

“Mhmm, it was, baby,” I say to the wall before turning in his arms under the spray. “So now what? Do I come home, do you move there? Shouldn’t we have talked about all that?” I start to panic and I feel the pressure in my head starting to grow. I just wasn’t thinking before, I was following my heart, my hopes and dreams finally a reality because I stopped running.

“Hey…” he soothes, “enough of this, I told you we will figure it out. We will do whatever it is you want. I can teach here, or there. So, how about we get you on that plane, and you get our girl Brie settled with a good doctor, or at least get her head on straight. I can check where my transfer request is at with Atlantic and we continue like we were until we have a fool proof plan.” Capturing my face in his hands, I pucker my lips to him and he willingly obliges.

“Two months tops for a decision,” I demand when we pull apart and step out of the shower. Just as I reach for my towel he snatches me up around the waist pulling back into his naked front, nipping and sucking on my shoulder.

“Deal, unless I cave, and then I’ll be there sooner.” He says then nips me harder before pushing me forward and swatting my ass as I giggle. “I love you Banana.”

“And, I you, Mr. Jacobs.” I sing, sauntering away.