Finding You: The Switched Series book one (14 page)

“We don’t hate you because that was not your fault. Callie, look at me,” he says, turning me around to look at him. “You need to understand something. I was doing my job that night. That’s what people do. Unfortunately that means they aren’t always around to take care of everybody else. I need you to understand this because there will come a time when you will want Ash home and he won’t be because of his job. It will get hard and it will get lonely, but you need to understand you will always be his number one priority, even when he is out in the middle of the night taking care of someone else who just went through hell. You need to remember he loves you and he is doing this job to try and make the world a safer place for you.”

“I really wish you would stop making my wife cry, it’s been a long night,” Ash says, coming up behind me. “Molly just came in the back door. I told them we would sneak out the front. I didn’t think tonight was the night for a reunion. Cindy said to tell you she will call you tomorrow or just stop by. I don’t think she was too happy with your living arrangements either.”

Chapter Sixteen

I have hated holidays for the last ten years. I haven’t celebrated any of them in so long I’m not even sure I know how. Today is the Monday before Thanksgiving and I couldn’t be more excited. Leighton is coming in today to stay with us for the week. I haven’t seen her since the day we flew back from Vegas to pack up my stuff. We talk almost every day, but it’s still not the same. Molly and I can be in the same room now, but we never talk. I know that makes it very awkward and uncomfortable for everyone, but that’s how it is for now.

Bo and Cindy do holidays up big here I’ve heard. They are having everybody over for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday. They are even including Clay and Leighton in on their big family dinner this year. Ash is very excited because I told him this morning I wanted to announce we were married at dinner Thursday. It has been really hard keeping this secret especially from Brody, but so far we have. He has no idea my true reason for telling them. I found out about that yesterday. I haven’t been feeling very good the last couple of weeks or so. I just figured it was my body trying to get used to this cooler weather here. Miami definitely does not have the fall weather like we have here in Tennessee. I was digging through the bathroom for some medicine to try and get some energy back when I found something else instead. Something I haven’t used in several weeks but probably should have needed. After making that small discovery, I went straight to the pharmacy and bought the one thing I never ever planned on buying. I took it as soon as I got home and had two little pink lines in no time. I thought I would feel scared and mad, but instead I am so excited. I know Ash has always wanted kids, but he promised me not having kids wouldn’t be a deal breaker when we got married. I couldn’t get an appointment at the doctor until next week, so I want to hold off on telling the family about the baby until we know for sure everything is okay. I think finding out we have been married for three months will be a big enough of a shock.

I wish I could tell Molly before so she has a few days to get used to the news before seeing us together. She seems to be really taken with the new guy Kyle. I still haven’t met him, but everyone says he is a really nice guy. I hope this works out for her.

I have just picked up Leighton from the hospital when my phone rings.  I have gotten a lot better about going out in public by myself, especially back to Nashville. It hasn’t been easy, but like they all said, it’s been ten years and I honestly probably wouldn’t be able to pick him out now anyway. They feel pretty certain I am not on their hit list after all this time.

I look at the caller ID and can’t believe the name. “It’s Molly,” I say to Leighton.

“I didn’t know you two were speaking,” she says, looking as shocked as I feel right now.

“We don’t,” I say to her, before answering. “Hello,” I say, putting her on speaker so I don’t have to hold the phone.

“Hey Callie, it’s Molly. I think we should talk. Can you come over?” she asks, sounding really short and really off.

“I just picked Leighton up from the airport. I can drop her off at the house and come by in about an hour or so. Will that be okay?”

“You can’t get here any sooner?” she asks, before quickly adding “I mean an hour will be fine. I’ll see you then.”

“That has to be the strangest conversation ever,” Leighton says, looking over at me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? She sounds really weird.” She does sound weird, but I don’t think that’s any reason to be worried. We haven’t spoken much lately, so maybe she’s just uncomfortable asking me to talk.

“Let’s not worry about it. It will be fine. She’s just a little strange. I haven’t seen you in forever. Tell me what you have been up to,” I say, trying to change the subject. I don’t know what Molly wants, but I have a feeling it’s going to be bad, very bad.

I drop Leighton off at the house and tell her to come looking for me if I’m not back in an hour. She looks worried, but doesn’t say anything. I get back in the car and go look for Molly, not realizing this is going to be the new worst day of my life.

I pull up to Bo and Cindy’s house, grabbing my purse, I get out of the car. I climb the steps to the porch and knock on the door. After a few minutes of waiting with no answer, I open the door and walk in. All of the lights are off and it looks like no one is home. I look around the house for a minute before getting ready to turn and get out of there. Maybe she changed her mind after all. There is definitely something up with that girl. I take one last look inside the living room when I think I see movement on the couch. I walk over to the light switch and flip it on. That’s when I see her. Molly is tied up on the couch with her mouth taped. I run over to her and pull the tape off.

“Run,” she says.

“What is going on, who did this?” I say to her, trying to figure out how to untie her.

“Callie, I am so sorry. I didn’t realize when he said to call you. You need to get out now,” she says, before looking behind me with wide eyes.

I turn around and look into the bluest eyes I have ever seen. Eyes I will never forget. How did he find me and why did he tie Molly up? She has nothing to do with this.

“Hello gorgeous! Long time no see. You are definitely a hard girl to find,” he says, smiling at me like the psycho he is. There are moments in life you will never forget and there are moments in life you will never want to relive. I am having both of those right now. The last time I was in a living room looking into these eyes, I knew I was about to die. All I could think in that moment was all the things I would never get to do or see. It was a moment I never wanted to experience again.

This time, looking into the eyes that let me go once, I refuse to let him kill me. It’s not about me anymore, it’s about my child. I know how my dad felt now, in that last moment when you know you are going to die. I’ve always said he was my hero because if he hadn’t made that last call, I would probably already be dead. I know right now I have to save my baby.  I just have absolutely no idea how I am going to do it.

He loses his focus on me for a second when he looks down to the couch at Molly.  I take that opportunity to run around him and try to get to the door. Of course, he was planning on that, he had me around the waist and slammed down onto the couch beside Molly before I knew what was happening. He slowly stands up and takes something out of his pocket, a knife. He looks back down at me and smiles.              

“I let you get away from me once, I never make the same mistake twice,” he says, before taking the knife and slamming it down into my thigh. I look down and see the blood gushing down my leg. I can barely hear Molly screaming next to me over the roaring in my ears. I try to get up and run around him again. This time he takes his foot and kicks me in the stomach, hard.

“That should keep you still for now,” he says, taping Molly’s mouth shut again. He slowly starts walking across the room to sit down. This guy really is a psycho. I know I am losing too much blood way too fast. I also know I have a gun in my purse that I can reach inside and get anytime I want. He watches me as I slowly put my hand inside my purse, but never says anything. I put my hand on the gun, but instead of pulling it out and shooting, I ask “Why did you do it? What did my parents ever do to you?”

“Your parents took everything from me,” he calmly says from his chair. “They killed my mom. She’s the only person in the world I had and they took her from me. I thought you should find out what it was like to have no one.”

“My parents would never kill anyone,” I say calmly back to him.

“Our moms used to be friends. They were both up for the same promotion at the hospital together. Your mom got it, mine got nothing. A few months later your mom found out she was pregnant with her” he says, pointing at Molly, “and decided she didn’t want to work anymore. She wanted to stay home with her precious baby girl. She just gave up the job my mom had worked so hard for like it was nothing. For some reason they wanted your mom to help find her replacement. She didn’t choose my mom.” I still do not understand why he thinks they killed her. People miss promotions all the time. Why will he not get mad and scream and talk fast like other crazy murderers. I can feel the sweat breaking out on my body. My stomach is cramping, my ribs are killing me and I am still losing way too much blood, but I have to know what happened.

“A few months later, you were born. My mom was working that night. I guess she still had some bitter feelings toward your mom, so she switched her baby with another one. Those mothers didn’t even know they had the wrong babies. Great moms you both had,” he says, laughing.

“Your parents found out when you were three. They found a way to prove my mom had switched them. They threatened her and told her they wouldn’t turn her in if she would just quit her job. When she refused, they made it look like she was an addict that had been stealing pills from the hospital. Maybe she was, I don’t know. I just know she lost her job and no other hospital would hire her with that on her record. She killed herself two months later, leaving me with no one. That’s got to make you feel good they knew all about you but didn’t want you,” he says, looking over at Molly for the first time.

“Don’t worry though, I took care of them after that. Now you are all going to get to be reunited very soon,” he says, starting to stand up and walk toward us. It’s now or never. I’m not even sure I have to energy to lift a gun at this moment, but he is going to get what he deserves for taking my parents away from me. I grab the gun and lift it out of my purse and point it straight at him. The last thing I see is his smile on his face before I pull the trigger and the blackness takes over my body. I just hope I’m a good shot.

Chapter Seventeen

Ash

This has been one of the longest days I have ever worked. I am so ready to get home to my gorgeous wife and take the rest of the week off. I know Callie hasn’t really celebrated holidays in a while, so I am determined to make this Thanksgiving extra special. Leighton is coming to spend the week with us and I’m really glad Callie will have her all week. I know she gets lonely staying around here with no friends. She has definitely gotten better about getting out of the house, but I can tell she is still scared to be around a lot of people. I’m hoping Leighton can give me some ideas on something special I can do for Callie this week.

I pull into the driveway and notice Callie’s jeep is gone. I get out of my truck and go up to the door and unlock it. I open the door to find Leighton standing in my kitchen.

“Hey, it’s good to see you,” I say, walking over to give her a quick hug. “Where did Callie go?”

“Good to see you too,” she says, looking behind me and smiling. I turn around to find Brody coming in the door. I guess he knew Leighton would be here today. I should have known he wouldn’t be far behind me. “Hey handsome,” she says to Brody.

“Leighton, where is Callie?” I ask her again, bringing her attention back to me.

“Molly called on the way back from the airport and asked her to come over. She sounded really weird too, but Callie said it would be okay. She also said if she wasn’t home in an hour to come looking for her. It hasn’t been an hour yet.”

“Do you think we should go over there?” I turn around and ask Brody. I know Molly would never hurt Callie, but I also know it usually doesn’t end well with the two of them in the same room.

“I think that would probably be a good idea,” he says, looking back at Leighton. “Do you want to go with us?”

“Sure, she hasn’t been gone fifteen minutes yet. Are y’all sure we need to interrupt?” she asks

“I don’t see how it could hurt anything,” I say, walking out the door. Brody has parked behind me so we all three climb into his truck to head to his parents. As soon as we pull up, I see her jeep and feel instant relief. I really don’t ever feel completely calm anymore unless I can see or touch her. She definitely keeps me calm.

We all get out of the truck when we hear a sound I know all too well, a gunshot. Brody and I look at each other before we take off running into the house. When we get inside all the lights are off. The only sound is a muffled sobbing. I run into the living room toward the sound. I trip over something when I run into the room. It’s a man, a man that has been shot. I have no idea who he. I just need to find Callie. I look up to see the most terrifying sight in the world. Callie is sprawled out on the couch with blood all over her leg. Molly is tied up next to her crying with her mouth taped. I run over to Callie while Brody runs over and starts untying Molly. He pulls her tape off of her mouth and starts asking what happened but she just keeps sobbing.

I grab Callie and try to find a pulse. She has one, but it is very weak. I have to find out where all of the bleeding is coming from. I start touching all over her body, trying to stop the bleeding. I finally find a horrible gash in her upper thigh. I mash my hand on it trying to stop the bleeding. I turn around to find Leighton standing behind me with her mouth wide open and tears streaming down her face.

“Leighton, look at me. I need you to find something I can tie around her leg and I need you to call an ambulance,” I say, trying not to scream at her for just standing there and not helping me. She nods her head and takes off running.

I hear Brody next to me calling an ambulance while trying to calm Molly down who keeps repeating “I’m sorry” over and over. Leighton finally runs in with a towel and a belt.

“I didn’t know what to get,” she says, between sobs. I put the towel on her and tie the belt around the gash. I start looking all over her body to see if she has any other injuries. I don’t see anything until I lift her shirt up and see the boot mark on her stomach. She has to have some broken ribs from being kicked that hard. I don’t know who this guy is, but he better be dead for doing this to her.

I turn around to Brody, “Can you please check to see if he’s dead. If he’s not, let me know and I will take care of it,” I say. He walks over to him and leans down.

“He’s dead,” he says, looking at Molly. She is still sitting there repeating how sorry she is. Finally I can hear the sirens coming down the driveway. I’m just praying it’s not too late.

I ride in the ambulance with Callie. Brody rides with Molly even though she is insisting she is fine. Leighton follows us in Brody’s truck and calls Bo and Cindy on the way. I know I need to call my dad, but I want to be able to tell him what is going on before I do. As soon as we get to the hospital they make us all go into the waiting room while they take her back.

Bo and Cindy are already waiting when I get in there and Jaxon and Collin join us a few minutes later. Brody and Leighton come in right after me and soon the doctor walks in.

“Callie Scott’s family,” he says, walking over to us when we all jumped to our feet. “She is going to be fine. She has a bad cut on her leg, but it’s being taken care of without surgery. Her stomach is bruised and she has two broken ribs. She is going to be fine, but will probably be in a lot of pain. She is going to need a lot of rest. I need to know if she is allergic to anything. Does she have any medical condition I need to know about?” We all just look at each other.

“You can’t give her any pain medication, at least nothing strong,” Leighton says, looking at the doctor.

“What do you mean she can’t have pain medicine? She just got stabbed in the leg and kicked hard enough to break ribs. She is going to need something,” Brody yells at her.

“Is there a reason she can’t have anything?” the doctor asks Leighton.

“I think she may be pregnant,” Leighton says, looking at me.

“Why would you think that?” I ask her, knowing if Callie knew she would have told me. She’s probably not happy about it, but she would have told me.

“I found a test in the bathroom when I got to your house. It had two pink lines. I don’t know what that means, but I know she wouldn’t want any medicines that could harm her baby.”

“Thank you, we will run a pregnancy test on her before giving her anything. She should be awake in a couple of hours. One person can come back with her right now, but that’s all,” the doctor says, before leaving.

I start walking toward the door when Brody stops me. “You are not going back there with her. You have done enough,” he says, grabbing my arm.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask. There is no way he is keeping me from her or my baby.

“You were supposed to take care of her, protect her. She is lying in a hospital bed right now. You didn’t protect her,” he says. I have never seen Brody so angry at me about anything. We have been friends my entire life and we have never had any problem. I guess big brothers really can be over protective. “You knocked my sister up,” he screams. “I knew she should never have moved in with you.”

“I didn’t knock your sister up,” I yell back.

“She would not cheat on you, it has to be yours. You did knock my sister up,” he says back.

“Stop saying that, I did not knock your sister up. I got my wife pregnant, there’s a huge difference. So stop talking about her like that,” I say, before realizing I just told them the one thing she wanted to keep a secret.

“You two are married?” Cindy asks, speaking for the first time since she got here. “When did you get married?”

“We went to Vegas after I went to Miami to get her. I wanted to tell you, but she didn’t think it would be a good idea. I had no idea she was pregnant,” I say, turning around to Leighton. “When do you think she found out?”

“Probably this morning, it was in the top of the garbage. I’m sure she was planning to tell you. She wouldn’t keep anything from you. I think you should go back there before she wakes up.”

I turn to walk back through the door when Brody stops me again. “I’m sorry man, I know you would do anything to protect her. I just don’t want to lose her.”

I just nod back at him and walk through the door. I walk into the room to find Callie lying on the bed. I sit down in the chair next to her and pull out my phone to call my dad. He picks up on the first ring.

“Hey, I need you to come to the hospital.”

“Okay, are you alright?” he asks.

“It’s Callie. She’s going to be okay, but she was hurt pretty bad. I don’t know who did it. They tied Molly up too. Callie shot him, whoever it was. He’s dead. Can you get here soon?”

“I’m on my way right now. She’s going to be fine, she has to be. I’ll be there in about half an hour,” he says.

“There’s something else. I think she may be pregnant. What if something happened to the baby? She got kicked hard in the stomach, broke two ribs. How do I tell her if something happened to the baby?”

“She is going to be fine. That’s the important thing. The two of you can get through anything. I know that. I also know if that baby is anything like his or her mother, he or she will definitely be a fighter too. I’m on my way,” he says, before hanging up. I really hope he’s right.