Pure Will (23 page)

There was no way I could say goodbye to Will.  If my eyes found any part of his body…I’d fall into his arms. But he needed Max. Especially now. He needed that contact. That closure. That connection.

Will needed me too though…I couldn’t think about that right now.  He needed to heal and this would help. I will go home, breathe…then decide.

I’d only been here once, but I knew where his gravestone was. As I drove up the road, gravel crunched beneath the tires and I saw the HOCH archway. The wind had picked up and the fall leaves blew wildly across the brown grass. I fell to my knees in front of the headstone and the tears were as fresh as if they had never disappeared.

“Matty…I know we don’t know each other—we kinda met that once with Will, but I’m leaving this here for your brother. He’s going to hurt when I leave but…I honestly don’t know what I’m doing…” my throat tightened as the words came out.

After I placed the letter next to the gravestone, I set the rock from the gravel road on top of it. I rubbed my hand over the smooth stone, running my fingers in the grooves of his name. MATTHEW CALVIN DENTON.

“Goodbye,” I whispered.

Joah, dad’s long-time assistant, met me at the terminal with his ever-friendly smile and a small sign reading: BEST KID EVER! My smile broadened. His head full of hair was grayer and his wrinkles had etched deeper grooves into his face.

“How’s my girl?” he asked, taking me into his arms.

“Oh Joah. I’m OK, I guess.”

He took my bag from me and we started walking out of the airport.

“You coming home makes me smile. I’ve missed you kiddo.”

The Lincoln sat across in short-term parking. He opened the back door for me and I swatted his arm. He closed the door and opened the front one where I slid in. Dad and Tracy could have the backseat. I was sitting with Joah.

“Talk to me Cubbie,” he said rubbing the top of my head.

I smiled with the nickname I’d known forever and thought about the time he sat with me and he picked it out.  His only condition was it had to be something MLB related. So…Cubbie it was. Joah was from Chicago and he hated the White Sox or White Sux as he called them.

“I met someone Joah. A guy.”

He drove through traffic.

“What is said guys’ name?”

“Will.” I cringed as that one word caused a ripple of pain through my body.

“And Will has hurt you?” he asked. “Must be pretty bad to have caused you to fly home before finals.”

I felt hollow inside. There was nothing there…except pain…loss…

“Joah. Do you remember when Max…when he and I…”

“Yes. I remember. I wanted to kill the kid.”

My eyes darted to his.

“You knew?”

His eyes saddened.

“Sweetheart, I do your dad’s security. There are cameras in the hallways. You know that.”

I stared out the passenger window. “I didn’t know that. So you saw.”

“No ma’am. Never saw much at all except him going to your room and you going to his.”

A nod is all I gave.

“He was 19. You were 15.”

“16.”

“Regardless. He was wrong. So was your father. What does this have to do with Will?”

I took a deep breath. “It’s pretty effed up.”

“Life typically is. Tell me.”

“I love him. I love him so much it hurts.”  The eyes I thought were out of tears, found them again. “His brother Matty was killed in Kabul about a year ago. Guess who was in his troop or division or whatever it’s called.”

“Max?” His eyebrows shot up.

I nodded.  “Out of all the places in the world troops are stationed.  Out of all the troops in this freaking country and Max is somehow connected to the guy I fall in love with.”

“That is pretty effed up. But why would that matter to this Will?”

“They are a family, Joah. He and his mother and father. They love each other so much and they protect each other and they are there for each other no matter what. I felt that. I was a part of that. They loved me too,” I sobbed. “I’ve never had a family like that.”

Joah veered off the road and threw the gearshift into park.

“You listen to me. Your mother loved you so much. And when she died sweetheart, your father was devastated. But you were a family, a happy one. Things just went off course somewhere. I’m not happy with your father for the way things went down. I talked to Marni many a nights about what was happening—wanting to take you to live with us. You know, she could never have kids and she so wanted you to come. The one time I brought it up to your father, I thought I was going to lose my job. I don’t think he knew how to do it without your mother but at the same time, he didn’t want us doing it either. It was unfortunate circumstance. But going to Kansas. To KU. Well, that was one of the best things that could have happened to you. Every thing in this world happens for a reason. And even this damn Max thing has happened for a reason. And Max being a part of Will’s brother’s life was for a reason. And you coming home…it’s for a reason too. We just sometimes don’t know what that reason is. Does Will know about you and Max?”

I nodded and my eyes burned. “Yes. He knows most everything. But, his family. They were desperate to speak to Max. They knew him as Woody. He is a connection to Matty. I could never come between that. And if Will knew who Max was…he’d hurt him. He’d like hurt hurt him.”

Joah brushed a tear from my face then patted my back. “Well, truth be told, I hope that this Will gets to meet Max then.”

CHAPTER—WILL

Forty-seven unanswered phone calls to Camden. Kate showed me the note and Camden’s phone went straight to voicemail when I called from her phone. Ham and Eli swore they hadn’t seen her and they tried calling too. All I can think is she came to Johnny’s and saw me sitting with the fucking son of satan.
God, baby…if I’d only known.

I looked down at the bandages on my knuckles and pumped my fingers stretching the raw skin. Physical pain felt good, the emotional pain was torture. In the bedroom, the t-shirt she’d slept in was lying on the antique bench at the foot of the bed. Her Cubs hat hung on a corner of the bedpost. Signs of her were everywhere and yet she had vanished. It made me wonder if Max had done something…but she left Kate that note…

The doorbell rang and I bolted to the door. Two of Lawrence’s finest stood at the door. Something had happened to Camden and I suddenly wanted to die. I rested my hands on my knees.

“Are you William Denton?”

“Yes. What’s happened?” I braced myself but knew I’d never survive if she wasn’t ok. Saliva pooled in my mouth.

“We need you to turn around. You are under arrest for the aggravated battery of Maxwell Woodward. Place your hands behind your back.”

I did as they said. Lucky it wasn’t homicide.

“Aggravated? I beat the shit out of him with my fists. Those were the only weapons used.”

“You have the right to remain silent…”

“He’s lucky I didn’t fucking kill him.”

“Anything you say can or will be used against you in a court of law.”

They patted down every part of my body. The only part that I cared about was crumbling in my chest.

“You have the right to an attorney.”

The handcuffs were cold to my skin.

“If you can’t afford an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you.”

As they pulled the front door to my house closed, I saw Camden’s flip-flops next to the door.

CHAPTER—DREW

“Abby…baby please, stop crying,” I begged.

My bride’s heart was hurting and I’ll be damned if I could help. It was just like Matty all over again. In a matter of about seven hours, we’d met someone that knew Matty and shared in his last moments, found out that he was the one person that had violated the new addition to our family and then we sat and watched our son beat the living shit out of him. Right now, Abby hurt for every one of those reasons. And not a ne’er one of them could I change. Add to that how stinkin’ mad at me Abby was for allowing William to whoop up on Max. But hell, the punk had it coming and I’d had that feeling inside me one too many times to count. William did it for his girl. The sad thing was, that girl was MIA at the moment and Will was losing his damn mind.

“Fix this, Drew, please,” she begged right back.

“Baby. What do you want me to do? Max is not welcome here and if you want contact with him, Will can never know,” I warned.

Confusion fluttered over her face. “Max? I want nothing to do with him ever again.”

“Then what…tell me what to do?”

“Find Camden. Drew…we need her as much as she needs us. William needs her. We can’t let him lose himself again. She is his light.”

“Sweetheart. I’ll talk to James and see what he can find out for me. OK?  But right now, we don’t know that she’s left us.”

“Drew! I’ve called her ten times and it goes straight to voicemail.”

I nodded. “I’ll see what I can do, I promise.”

My promises to Abby were never taken lightly. If I promised, I meant it. If I promised, I would make it happen.  Somehow…someway. 

Her crystal blue eyes with little round halos stared up at me. Though they were swollen from shed tears, they were the only eyes I ever wanted to look into. She moistened her lips with her tongue and that was my cue, I lowered my lips to hers and took full possession of her mouth. Abby was my girl…from day one I knew she loved me taking over and dominating when it came to our sex life and I never let her down. In the beginning of course, I allowed her to navigate things, but once we’d broken that barrier, she was mine. One hundred percent mine. And outside of the bedroom, I was one hundred percent under her spell. 

She needed a slow, lazy roll in the hay right now, a forget-about-what-was-happening-fuck. As I nudged her legs apart, the phone rang and we both stopped. We learned once before never to ignore a phone call. I brushed a quick promising kiss over her lips then grabbed the phone.

“Hello?”

“Dad.”

“William. How are you?”

“Dad, listen. Don’t tell mom. He called the police. I need you to come pick me up.”

My eyes flicked over Abby. Damn it. More hurt.

“Where?”

“Douglas county jail.”

“I’m on my way.”

The boy knew that his mother was more a momma bear now more than ever. I wasn’t going to lie to her if she asked.

“Will needs me real quick. I’ll be back.”

She stood with worry etching the too early lines in her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything will be fine. Please just let me do this, Abby.”

“Drew! What? Is it Camden?”

I grabbed my cell in the kitchen and shoved my wallet in my back pocket.

“No. It’s not. Promise. Will just needs my help with something.”

She darted around and stood in my way.

“Please tell me.” Her eyes were pleading with me along with her voice.

I couldn’t do it. Will would be upset but I had to live with my girl.

“He was arrested. Max called the police and is pressing charges.”

She gasped but then something in her eyes…they were suddenly hard sapphires and her jaw clenched.

“Let’s go,” she gritted. “I’m tired of this asshole screwing with my family.”

A slow smile spread over my face. That’s my girl.

CHAPTER—Camden

Six of the longest, most torturous, most agonizing days of my life had passed since I’d left Lawrence.  Dad and Tracy had been gone and were supposed to be home tomorrow. Joah kept me company and he, Marni and I would eat dinner together in the evenings. I guess I should say, she cooked and tried to coax me into eating. Joah kicked my ass in chess and I kicked both of theirs in spades. I cried, they let me. I talked, they listened. And sometimes, I sat and stared out across our land while Marni would silently scratch my back just like my mom used to.

I promised myself on day sevenI would turn on my phone. I hadn’t turned it on to even look at phone calls or texts. I knew I’d go straight back to Will’s arms and I couldn’t do that knowing that they needed Max too.  Tomorrow.  That’s when I would check my phone. That was also the day I’d make a decision on what I was going to do.

I had taken all my finals and arranged trustworthy tutors for Ham and Eli. Most students left for Christmas break now anyway…I just usually didn’t. Thanksgiving was the best holiday I’d had in…forever and I looked so forward to Christmas. Now, I just hoped I survived.

Most people counted down to Christmas…I was counting days without Will. The day of impact. Day 7—phone day. Sleep eluded me through the night, but by morning I had dozed. Finally, around 11:30, I was out of bed and rifling through my things to find my phone. Must have been in my purse. Kitchen.

Still in Will’s shirt that had worn all week without washing, I flung open my door with the first feeling of hope I’d had in a week. The thought of hearing his voice. As I rounded the corner, I ran smack into something that knocked me back onto my butt. There, in my father’s house, stood Max. But not just Max. A really effed up Max. His face was green and blue and purple. One eye still swollen, and what I could see of it was red, blood red. The left lower part of his jaw jutted out and his other eye seemed vacant…empty.

“Max,” I whispered.

“Sweetheart.”

That one word made the hair on my neck stand at complete attention.

“What are you doing here?” I casually asked hiding my fear.

“Cam. I live here. But tell me sweet girl, what brings you south? You always liked to go south. Didn’t you? And you loved when I went south on you. Seems others have a different idea of what we had. You said you loved me. I remember it clearly. But, others feel like I forced you. Did I force you?”

My heart raced and I pulled Will’s t-shirt further down my thighs stretching it just a bit. I shook my head.

“No,” I squeaked sounding weak. “What happened to you?”

He chuckled. “Seriously? Don’t act like you don’t know.” He slid his belt from the first loop then unbuckled it.

I back stepped swallowing the terror growing inside of me. Joah was watching.  I knew he would be. He always watched. He said that!