Unbreak Me (Second Chances #1) (13 page)

“Hi,” she whispered. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, thanks to your mom,” his voice was raspy and barely above a whisper.

Katie’s smile was forced. “You need to rest, ok? I’ll be here when you wake up,” she leaned forward and placed a kiss to his forehead.

Zach closed his eyes and sighed. He hadn’t felt safe enough to relax in a long time.

“I’ve got to report this to social services,” Melanie sighed.

“No mom, they’ll take him away. He doesn’t want that,” Katie begged.

“Sweetheart, I have to. It’s the law,” Melanie could see the anguish on Katie’s face.

“I have a friend that’s a lawyer, maybe he can help. I’ll give him a call and see if he can offer some advice,” Austin shrugged.

“How would we pay him?” Melanie looked up at Austin.

“He might take this case pro-bono. If not, I‘ll take care of it,” he replied.

Austin left the room to move into the hallway and make the call.

Katie moved over to hug Melanie. “Thanks mom, for everything.”

“I’m glad I could help. Zach’s got a long and hard road ahead of him though. He’s going to need support, and I think maybe you should back off on dating him for a while.”

Katie jerked her head up in shock, “No, I can’t do that.”

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with here, honey,” Melanie reached out to touch Katie’s arm.

“But mom, I love him. Don’t you think that’s a little unfair?” Katie’s lip began to tremble and a lone tear escaped her eye.

“Listen to me, honey,” she placed her hands on Katie’s shoulders and turned her to so they were facing each other. “Zach has a lot to deal with right now. I don’t want you involved with someone that has as much going on with them as he does. He’s going to need our support. You can offer that as a friend, but nothing more. When he gets his life back in order, we’ll revisit the situation. Right now that’s how’s it’s going to be, understand?” Melanie looked her in the eye with the “Don’t push me” look.

“Yes, Mom,” she reluctantly conceded.

Just then Austin walked back into the room with a tall blonde man in a suit.

“This is Matthew Sullivan, the attorney I was telling you about. He thinks he might be able to help Zach,” Austin pointed to the man who stood stoically in front of the hospital bed.

“Austin tells me that we’re looking at a case of ongoing abuse here,” Matthew pulled up a chair and sat as he opened his briefcase.

“Yes, Zach says it’s been getting worse over the past year. He’s been saving to move out and go to the School of Design,” Melanie stated. “His father beat him pretty severely last night. He came to my daughter in the middle of the night and we brought him here. I’m a surgeon here, so I was able to treat him.”

“Well, given his age,” Matthew was writing in a notepad as he talked, “I think our best bet is to emancipate him. He’s got a steady job, and it sounds like from what I’ve heard, that he’s been supporting the household. Let me do a little research on family background here and I’ll let you know what I can do,” Matthew stood and shook Melanie and Austin’s hands before disappearing out into the hall.

“He’s going to be ok,” Melanie hugged Katie. “Thank you,” she mouthed to Austin.

Austin leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, “I’ve got to head home. Do you want me to leave Katie with you or take her with me?”

“Take her with you. I can’t stay in here, and I’m worried Rick might come by. I have a shift I have to cover. I’m on in two hours, and I need to go by my office to check my schedule,” she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Mom, I wanna stay,” Katie pleaded.

“No, I’m not discussing this any further. Go with Mr. Montgomery and stay with Hannah. I’ll pick you up after my shift. Understand?” Melanie meant business and Katie knew it.

“Yes Mom, see you tonight,” she grumbled.

With that Katie and Austin left Melanie with Zach. She checked his vitals one more time before calling hospital security. She filled in the guard on the situation with Zach, and then left to get ready for her shift. She was completely exhausted, but this was nothing new in her line of work. She’d lost count of the number of sleepless nights she’d had over the course of her career. The sleepiness could be kept at bay with some coffee and a little splash of water to the face.

With renewed determination she made her way back to her office to start her day.

Chapter 11

September 2012

It had been a long day and all Melanie could think about was getting home to a soft warm bed. She’d been up for almost twenty-four hours straight. Granted this was nothing new in her profession, but she’d been on the day shift for the past three years, so pulling an all-nighter was a thing of the past, at least until last night. Mr. Sullivan had been by several times throughout the day asking questions about Zach’s history. He had discovered that Zach had been seen at the hospital several times.
He hadn’t given his name for fear of someone finding out about his home life, but the physical description given was unmistakable. It was him. After talking with Zach, it was obvious that he was embarrassed with his home life and had been trying to get away from his dad for a while. That evening before he left, Matthew had approached her with some promising news.

“The judge has agreed to meet with me in his chambers tomorrow and hear the case. We might be able to get in front of the court before Zach has to be discharged. That way he won’t need a foster parent. I need to know where he will go when he leaves here,” Matthew questioned.

“He needs physical therapy,” Melanie stated. “I can send him to a state run center, that way the state will pay for his care. He will need to be there for at least six weeks. Once that time is up, we can go from there.”

“Sounds good, keep me informed, Dr. Andrews,” Matthew shook her hand and headed out.

Melanie packed up her things to head over to Austin’s loft. She had her car at the hospital from when she had brought Zach in that morning, so she didn’t need to worry about the subway. She just wanted to make it a quick stop to pick up Katie, and then home for a hot shower and bed. As she threw her bag over her shoulder and gathered her jacket, she couldn’t help but feel some relief that the day was finally over. She was so thankful that Austin had come to her rescue. She hadn’t had to ask him for help like this before, and she was grateful that he had so willingly rose to the opportunity. Every time she turned around, she was finding he had even more to offer her than she had ever expected.

Traffic was horrendous on the drive to Austin’s loft. Boston at rush hour was one experience that she did not miss; of course NYC wasn’t any better.
This is why I take the subway most days
she slumped against the steering wheel as traffic sat at a stand still. A trip that should have only taken fifteen minutes ended up taking forty-five.

Once she had parked in the deck and pulled her weary body from the car, she trudged to the elevator and made her way up to the twentieth floor. When she walked down the hallway, she could hear laughter coming from inside Austin’s apartment. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and knocked on the door. When he opened the door, she was assaulted with the smell of something delicious.

“Mmmmmm, I’m not interrupting dinner, am I?” she had a guilty look on her face.

“No, you’re right on time,” he smiled. “The girls are playing Wii and I’ve got a roast in the oven. Figured you wouldn’t be much in the mood for cooking after the day you’ve had.”

“Cooking? No. I’m just thinking about sleep and a hot shower right now,” she yawned.

“That’s what Katie thought, too,” he laughed. “I figured I’d feed ya before you go home.”

“Thanks, but you didn’t need to do that. I feel bad, I called you in the middle of the night for help, and here you are helping again,” she wiped at her temples. “I know you’re busy, too. You did have to work today, right?”

“It’s no problem. I like that you called me. I’m glad that when you needed someone, I’m the one you thought of. Besides, I needed to take a day off anyway,” he winked. “Now, come in here and sit down and eat,” he motioned toward the table where the girls were already sitting.

Katie waved and rushed over to Melanie with a tight smile, “Is he gonna be ok, Mom? I mean did Mr. Sullivan figure something out?”

“I don’t even get a hello?”, Melanie hugged her.

“Sorry. Hi Mom. So?” Katie begged.

“Yes, he’ll be fine. Mr. Sullivan has some ideas. As soon as I know more, I’ll let you know. I’m really tired sweetie. Can we talk about this later?” Melanie sighed.

As Melanie followed Austin into the apartment, she couldn’t help but watch him intently. Every time they’d gone out or seen each other, he had been dressed in a suit or something similar. Last night and then now, he wore a pair of dark jeans that hung low on his hips with a snug fitting Henley. Every muscle in his back and arms was defined under the tight fabric. She bit her lower lip as her gaze trailed down to his backside and stopped. She shook her head and blushed at the thoughts that were running through her mind. Part of her wanted to reach out and squeeze it, but another part was chastising her for even thinking about it. She’d just recently told him that she wasn’t ready; she couldn’t very well act on these impulses. What kind of message would that send?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and ambled over to plop down at the table. “I’m supposed to be the one cooking for you, you know. I thought that’s what we agreed on the last time we went out,” she chuckled.

“Mom, Mr. Montgomery’s a better cook than you. I’m glad he was the one to do this,” Katie laughed and began to choke on the water she was sipping as Melanie gave her a glare. “What?” Katie feigned innocence, “you know it’s true.”

The four sat at the kitchen table enjoying the evening and wonderful food that Austin had prepared. Melanie watched as the mock family laughed and enjoyed one another’s company.
Oh how I miss this
she thought. Austin happened to look over and see the wistful look in her eyes. They both sensed that there was more to this feeling of completeness than either of them knew at the time.

After they finished eating, Austin suggested that Melanie go relax on the couch while he and the girls cleaned up. She willingly went in the family room and lay down on the plush couch. Katie and Hannah began clearing the dishes while Austin rinsed them and placed them in the dishwasher.

“I don’t know how you did that,” Katie shook her head from side to side in amazement.

“Did what?” Austin glanced over his shoulder from the sink.

“Got my mom to go in there and relax and not try to take charge of whatever we were doing,” she glanced back at Melanie who was now asleep on the couch.

“Your mom’s tired. I’m sure she would have put up more of a fight if she wasn’t so worn down,” Austin chuckled.

“Well, she’s passed out now,” Katie giggled.

“Dad, since Dr. Andrews is asleep, do you think that maybe Katie could stay the night?” Hannah batted her eyes and gave Austin the look she knew her dad couldn‘t resist.

“Don’t give me that face Hannah Montgomery,” Austin laughed. “She can stay. I think it will be awhile before Dr. Andrews has the energy to go anywhere anyway.”

“Thanks Dad,” Hannah rushed over to hug him.

The girls finished in the kitchen and went to Hannah’s room, careful to be quiet and not wake Melanie. Austin could here giggling for a while, but then they settled down, and he assumed they’d gone to sleep.

Melanie was snuggled under a blanket when he walked into the family room. He sat down on the loveseat and watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful and angelic lying there. Her chest rising and falling as soft breaths escaped her lips, the way her face crinkled up every now and then as if she was dreaming about something.

He smiled as he thought about what it would be like to wake up next to her. Many of the past nights had been spent lying awake fantasizing about what it would be like to have her naked in his arms, moaning his name, as he made sweet love to her in his bed. He smiled as he studied her and the way she had made herself at home as if she belonged in this very spot. She had removed the hair tie, so her hair was sprawled across the pillow, her shoes had been kicked off, and she had removed her watch and placed it on the coffee table. The living room scene looked complete. He couldn’t imagine anyone else fitting into his and Hannah’s life as easily as she did.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, he decided to move her to his bed. He would sleep on the couch, and let her have a comfortable mattress. He stood up and moved alongside the couch, crouching down and sliding one arm under her knees and the other under her back. He lifted her into his arms and she snuggled into him. He just about lost it when she sighed and rubbed her cheek to his chest. She fit so right in his arms. He turned and began to walk down the hall towards his bedroom. When he got in the door, he carried her over to the bed and placed her in the center. He pulled the covers up over her, and kissed her on the forehead.

“Goodnight my angel,” he whispered. “I love you!”

He stepped back and observed her shift in the bed slightly before falling into a deep sleep. Austin grabbed a blanket out of the closet and made his way back out to the couch. He tossed his shirt and jeans in a pile on the floor and flopped down on the couch. After pulling the blanket over himself, he tried to relax enough to fall sleep. This was a difficult task knowing that the one he wanted to be snuggled with was a mere twenty feet down the hall. He tossed and turned for a while until sleep finally claimed him.

As light began to stream through the window, Melanie rolled to her back and stretched. Before her eyes even opened, she knew she was not at home. She could smell him everywhere. Her senses were being bombarded with his scent.

As she slowly opened her eyes to scan the room, a blush infused her cheeks. She looked around the room, his room, and began to take in her surroundings. The bed had a large oak frame with a beautiful hand carved headboard. There was a tall chest of drawers on one wall and two doors on the other wall. She assumed these were doors for the closet and bathroom. The far wall was completely glass and offered a beautiful view of the city. She snuggled more deeply into the covers and pulled them up to her face. The soft flannel sheets that adorned the bed contained that woodsy scent that intoxicated her every time she was around him. The down comforter held heat into the bed. It almost felt like he was there with her.

Pulling the covers tighter around her body, she imagined that it was his arms holding her. Her face burrowed down further and she inhaled deeply. She looked over at the second pillow and noticed that it had not been slept on. She suddenly felt a mix of love and guilt swirl through her. He’d given up his bed and somehow gotten her in here without her waking, relegating himself to an uncomfortable night’s sleep for her sake. A wide smile began to cross her face and she knew he was special. Special enough that she could let go and fall for him fully.

She slowly raised herself to a sitting position and swung her feet over the side of the massive bed. She was still wearing the scrubs she’d had on from the day before. She shivered slightly from the loss of the heat that the bed had provided. Her eyes quickly scanned the room where she noticed a sweatshirt on the chair in the corner. She walked over to it and grabbed it. After pulling it on, she glanced at herself in the large mirror. The shirt dwarfed her small frame and she giggled at herself as she sniffed it. Like the bed, it smelled just like him. She made her way out to the family room hoping to find a cup of coffee. She could hear music playing on the radio as she moved closer down the hall. She crept quietly along and watched the scene before her unfold like a summer day you didn’t want to end.

Austin was standing in front of the stove flipping pancakes, while Hannah and Katie danced around the kitchen table singing into wooden spoons as they set the table. Melanie giggled silently at the trio as they were oblivious to their audience.

Austin jerked the frying pan up to toss the pancakes in the air. Hannah was dancing over by the fridge as she grabbed the milk and orange juice to pass across to Katie to fill the glasses. Katie laughed and threw her head back as Hannah did a little spin. Melanie giggled, as she was still undetected as this point.

Finally Melanie couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She crept up behind Austin as Hannah and Katie soon noticed her. Austin was oblivious as she moved behind him and tickled his side. Katie giggled and joined in the singing as a shocked and startled Austin spun around and smiled as Melanie began joining in on the fun.

He grabbed the remote that was on the counter and turned the volume down on the stereo.

“Hope we didn’t wake you,” he smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, very well. I had a very comfortable bed to sleep in,” she smiled back.

“Breakfast is almost ready, there’s coffee there if you’d like a cup,” he pointed to the end of the counter.

“Wait,” she looked at the girls, “shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Teacher workday,” they answered in unison.

“I’m taking the day off,” Austin smiled at her and placed a light kiss to her cheek. “There’s other things I’d like to do today besides work. Like spend time with you,” he wagged his eyebrows.

Melanie giggled and moved into the dinning area. She sat herself at the table as Austin followed behind with a plate stacked with pancakes and bacon.

“This looks delicious,” Katie beamed.

“Hey Dad, do you think that we could have a family day today? Maybe go to the zoo or something?” she gave him the look that she knew he couldn’t say no to.

Family days had become a thing of the past. Austin couldn’t remember the last time he and Hannah had indulged in one. He was always so busy, and Hannah was always with her friends. “Well,” she nudged him in the side to bring him out of his musings.