Against All Odds - Angel's Story: Against All Odds (Destiny Series Book 4) (39 page)

Walking back towards me, she passes me the screenshot the doctor gave me from my ultrasound. I take it from her and clutch it against my chest. It’s not much, but it’s something. Looking down at it, tears burn my eyes.

“Oh baby,” she says, wrapping me in her arms. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” When I hear her sniffle, I know she’s crying too.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Chase

Angel doesn’t come out of her room for the rest of the day. Brooke invites me to stay for dinner, but I decline. I don’t feel comfortable around Logan. Plus, I need to go home and check on Pops.

“Is it okay if I go and say goodbye to her before I leave?” I ask.

“Of course.”

After knocking on her bedroom door, I wait for an answer. It never comes. I decide to open it and go in regardless. I can’t stand the silent treatment she’s giving me. I fucking miss her; miss everything we shared. She’s not the only one suffering here. It was my baby too. I need her. I’m aching for her touch, anything.

Walking into her room, I find her asleep on the bed. She’s curled up in the foetal position. She looks so frail. I’d give anything to lay down beside her and wrap her in my arms.

Grabbing the blanket at the end of the bed, I cover her before sitting down beside her. I sit there for the longest time just staring at her. Even after all this time, her beauty still takes my breath away.

“I miss you, sweet-cheeks,” I whisper as I gently brush her hair back from her face. “Please hurry up and come back to me. I’m lost without you.” Leaning forward, I place my lips on her cheek. “I love you so much.”

••••

When I wake at my place the next morning, I get a shock to find Becca, the nurse from the hospital, cooking breakfast in my kitchen. She’s dressed in one of Pops’ Flaming Skulls T-shirts, that’s it. “I didn’t realise nurses made house calls now,” I say, trying to hide my smile as I walk over to grab a mug out of the cupboard.

“Oh hi,” she says, turning bright red. “It’s Chase isn’t it?”

“Yes. And you’re Becca right?”

“Yes. Yes I am. I called over last night to…ummm check on your father.”

“And you’re still here? I hope he’s paying you overtime,” I reply, trying hard not to laugh when her face goes even redder. I’m not bothered in the slightest that she’s here. It actually makes me happy. Pops deserves a good woman in his life.

“Leave her alone you stirrin’ little fuck,” Pops says walking into the room. I chuckle. I watch as he walks over and slaps Becca on the arse, making her jump. When she turns to smile at him, he plants a kiss on her lips. It makes me smile. At least one of us is getting action.

Making myself a coffee, I sit down at the table. “Is bacon and eggs okay for you, Chase?” Becca asks.

“Great, thanks.” I feel a pang in my heart. The last woman to cook me breakfast here, was sweet-cheeks. I hardly slept at all last night, thinking about her. Worrying about us.

“Ya goin’ to see sweet-thing today?” Pops asks.

“Yeah.”

“Max told me what happened. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks, Becca.”

“How’s she goin’? Any improvement?” Pops asks.

“Nah. Yesterday she was still the same. I’m hoping today she’ll be better.”

“Hang in there, boy. She just needs some time. Ya know what fuckin’ women are like.” I chuckle when I see Becca turn around and give Pops the stink eye. I like her.

••••

Things aren’t much better today. Actually there’s no change at all. I spent the better part of the day at her place, but didn’t get to see her. Her mum tried to get her to come out of her room, but she wouldn’t.

Frustrated, I decided to go home. I did try to see her, but her bedroom door was locked. I knocked and she answered, “Yes.”

“It’s me. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left.”

“Okay, bye,” she replies. That’s it. She doesn’t open the door, or say anything else. I’m hurt and fucking angry as I stomp down the hall. I don’t even say goodbye to her family.

“Chase wait,” CJ calls out as I head towards my bike. I stop and turn around to face him. “You wanna go get a drink or something?”

What I really want to do is punch something or scream out at the top of my lungs. I fucking hate what’s become of us. “Yeah, I’d like that,” I exhale, defeated. Alcohol might just be what I need.

“Cool. Leave your bike here. I’ll get mum to drop us off. We can catch a cab home.”

••••

That’s where I’m at now. At a pub with Angel’s brother, drowning my fucking sorrows. I really like him. Meeting him is the only good thing that’s come out of this whole fucked up situation. He’s a cool guy.

The girls have been hanging around us all night, but I’m grateful he keeps telling them to fuck off. As hurt as I am with her right now, I’d never do anything to jeopardise what Angel and I have, or had maybe a better word.

“I’m gonna take a piss,” CJ says, rising from the table. While he’s gone, I pull out my phone. I want to call her. I need to hear her voice, but I know she won’t answer. I decide to send her a text instead.

I fucking miss you sweet-cheeks, miss us. I love you so much. Please stop shutting me out. x

I feel like a pussy begging her like that, but I’m fucking desperate. I want things to be the way they used to be.

CJ takes forever to come back to the table. I’m almost tempted to go looking for him, but then I see him approach. “I was worried you’d fallen in,” I chuckle when he sits back down.

“I fell in something, but it wasn’t a fucking toilet,” he laughs.

“What? That’s real fucking nice. You leave me sitting here while you go score a piece of arse.” Just as I say that, a hot blonde with huge fake tits walks past our table and winks at him.

He gives her the nod before turning his attention back to me. “Fuck off. If you weren’t dating my sister, I’m sure you would’ve done the same thing. She offered it up. It would’ve been ungentlemanly of me to refuse her.” We both crack up at his comment.
Fucker.
Half his luck. I have a feeling it’s going to be a while before I see any action again.

••••

A few hours later, the cab pulls up outside Angel’s place. It’s safe to say we’re both pretty fucked up. I can’t remember the last time I was this drunk. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to ride home in this condition, not that I’d even attempt it.

“Fuck,” I say when the taxi drives off.

“What?”

“I should’ve got him to take me home. I can’t ride like this, I’m fucking pissed.”

He laughs. “Makes two of us, bro. Just crash here.”

“I don’t know. Things aren’t good between your sister and me at the moment. Then there’s your fucking dad,” I slur. “I think he wants to cut my balls off and mount them on the wall.” CJ cracks up laughing at my comment, slapping my back.

“You’re funny. He wouldn’t do that. He’s just a tad overprotective of his little girl.”

“A fucking tad?”

“Okay a lot.” We both start to laugh.

“Thanks buddy,” I say clumsily placing my hand on his shoulder. “I fucking needed tonight.”

“No worries. This whole situation is fucked up,” he replies. “You never know, if my sis gets her shit together we might actually become brothers one day.” I chuckle at his comment. With things the way they are now, that’s not fucking likely.

Once upon a time that statement would’ve freaked me the fuck out. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol numbing my senses, or deep down the idea of being married to Angel actually appeals to me. I know I love her with every fibre of my being, but marriage? Fuck knows.

••••

Angel

Rolling over, I look at the clock on my bedside table. It’s 6:00 a.m. I haven’t left my room since coming home from the hospital. I can’t bear to be in this house anymore. I can’t bear to look at the spot where I lay bleeding as my baby died inside me.

I need to get out of here. I’ve spent the last two days in bed, and I can’t stand it for another minute. I feel like the walls are closing in on me. It’s making me claustrophobic. Being in the rest of the house isn’t an option either. I need to get outside. I need some fresh air.

Making my mind up, I jump out of bed and throw on some clothes. If I have any chance of getting out of this place alone, it will be now, while the rest of my family is asleep.

After running a brush through my hair and brushing my teeth, I make my way to the door. As I’m leaving my room, I spot the photo from my ultrasound sitting on my dresser. Picking it up, tears rise to my eyes. I place a tiny kiss on it, before shoving it into my pocket.

Making my way into the kitchen, I retrieve a piece of paper and pen from the drawer. It’s best if I leave my parents a note. I don’t want them to worry about me when they notice I’m not in my room. I’m also hoping the note will stop them from looking for me. All I want is to be alone.

Mum,

I’ve gone for a walk along the beach. I needed some fresh air. I’ll be home later.

Angel. x

A loud noise makes me jump. Looking across the breakfast bar into the main room, I see Chase and CJ crashed out on the lounge. Chase is curled up in the corner, his head resting on the arm of the lounge. CJ is still in the sitting position, his head thrown back, mouth open. He lets out another loud snore, just like the noise I heard a few seconds ago. Any other time, I’d find the sight in front of me amusing. Not today though.

My eyes move to the coffee table in front of them. It’s littered with empty beer bottles. I feel a pang in my heart. It makes me feel bad that I’m not here for Chase, but I’m incapable of being there for anybody right now. I’m struggling to hold my own shit together. I’m glad he has CJ though.

Tip toeing over, careful not to wake them, I grab the throw rugs that are over the back of the lounge. Covering CJ first, I make my way over to Chase. The sight of his handsome face has the corners of my lips turning up briefly. As screwed up as I am right now, I miss him. I miss everything about him.

I gently lay the blanket over him, before leaning down and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I love you.”

Even though he’s passed out, I see a smile play on his lips. “I love you to, sweet-cheeks,” he mumbles. I feel tears rise to my eyes, but I blink them back down. How can we be so happy one day, and completely shattered and destroyed the next? I feel like we’re worlds apart. So disconnected.

The future looks bleak for us. I don’t blame him for what happened with the baby. All that blame is on Riley. Of course, I’m still hurt by his reaction when I told him I was pregnant. But it’s not that either. So much has happened between us. I’m starting to doubt everything. I’m starting to doubt us. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we aren’t meant to be. Surely if we were it wouldn’t be this hard. It makes me wonder if the universe is trying to tell us something.

I tiptoe towards the glass sliding doors. Sounds of that night when Chase smashed his way through the window flash through my mind. Everything looks the same as it did prior to that incident, but it’s not the same. It never will be. The glass must’ve been replaced and the mess cleaned up while I was in hospital.

I make my way down the back stairs and onto the sand. I need to get as far away from this place as I can. I have no idea where I’m heading, so I just walk. My heart still aches, and my head is still in a dark place. Being out here and out of that house already has me feeling better. Well at least I feel like I can breathe out here.

This beach doesn’t have the rock face like the one back home in Sydney. That was always the place I’d go to when growing up, if I was feeling down or just needed some timeout. With everything going on here at the moment, I’d give anything to be back there right now.

After passing all the beachfront homes, I come across the sand hill that sits a fair way back from the water’s edge. It’s the perfect place to go and sit, looking out over the ocean. It’s away from everybody and everything.

Climbing to the top, I take a seat on the cool sand. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around my legs. I watch as the sun rises over the ocean, casting a silver glow over the dark water. It looks beautiful, but doesn’t spark anything within me. Nothing.

I feel so lost. I’m unsure which direction my life is heading. In my heart I know I can no longer stay in that house. I just can’t. But what can I do? Where can I go? Do I go back home to Sydney? If I do, what will happen to me and Chase? Can I walk away from him, from Dana, from Uni?