Tied - Part Three (The Tied Series) (4 page)

Josh shot me a grateful look as he hovered over his brother, trying to help him without helping him.

I found Lisa setting out two plates of pancakes, dropping them to the table with a glower. “I’m about on my last nerve,” she said, sweeping frazzled strands of hair behind her ear.

“I wish I could help,” I said quietly. Lockett and Josh cursed at each other in the hallway. The kids settled uneasily in their seats, exchanging glances. I could see why Lisa was upset. “Maybe he should come back to the apartment when the hospital releases him.”

The front door slammed and the hall fell into silence.

“Maybe,” she said, pursing her lips. “Can you stay with the kids today?”

“Oh. Um…”

“I know you want to wait at the hospital but…”
But Lockett doesn’t want me there
. “I think I should go with them and make sure they don’t kill each other. Not to mention all the shit I didn’t get done this week thanks to all this.”

“Mom,” both kids warned.

“Yes, I said ‘shit,’ it doesn’t mean it’s open season on curse words.” She ruffled Finn’s hair. “Eat. Maybe Katherine will take you out for pizza.”

She slid some cash across the table. “For lunch. I’ll be back before five, you should be able to get to the hospital before he wakes up.”

“Okay,” I agreed, though I hated to do it. It was better to spend the day distracted by the kids, though, than to pace the waiting room and wonder if Lockett would want to see me at all.

“I appreciate it,” Lisa said, “I hate to do this to you but this whole thing’s really thrown our lives into disarray.”

“I’m happy to help,” I said, smiling grimly. “I’m just worried about him. But he doesn’t want me there, anyway,” I shrugged. “I’m sure you heard.”

She placed a motherly hand on my shoulder. “He doesn’t want to see anyone right now. Try not to take it to heart.”

A horn honked outside. Lisa grabbed her purse. “There’s pancakes in the kitchen, I may have left the stove on, call my cell if they give you any trouble!”

The three of us watched her go.

“Katherine?” Finn asked.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“”Why’s Uncle Rob so mad?”

I sighed. “He’s just scared,” I said. “Operations are scary. But he’s going to be just fine.”

I hoped I wasn’t lying. He was going to live, yes, but “just fine?” He’d be pretty damn far from fine if they couldn’t get him back on both of his feet.

The kids looked about ready to cry.
Time to change the subject
. “You know what I heard, today?” I asked Amber.

“What?”

“Geese. I think it’s officially spring. So what do you say we go feed them in the park?”

Finn’s face lit up. “Let’s go feed them in the cemetery!”

I laughed. “We’ll see. Finish your pancakes and we’ll make a plan.”

That seemed to cheer them up for the time being. It did nothing to calm my jangled nerves, though, or to soothe the heavy pit of dread that had formed in my stomach the night before. Only seeing Lockett awake and well would clear that up.

CHAPTER 4

I wasn’t able to see him that night. Lisa and Josh arrived home late, and by then, visiting hours were over.

“I’m sorry,” Lisa said. Dark circles sat beneath her eyes.

“He doesn’t want any visitors right now, anyway,” Josh grumbled before disappearing into their bedroom.

I’d assumed as much. But it still hurt.

My stomach grumbled along with the rumbling of the train on my ride home. I hadn’t eaten anything all day but nothing was appealing. I was too full of anxiety to add any food to the mix. I slipped into bed that night knowing that I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep.

To make matters worse, my mother called early the next morning. I wasn’t exactly sleeping but I was at least comfortable, and quiet, and not ready to move just yet despite sunrise lighting up my room.

My phone buzzed, and I groaned when I saw “Mom” lighting up on the screen. “Hello?” I said, instantly regretting picking up. I should have had a little coffee and called her back.

“Katherine,” she barked. “We haven’t heard from you in a while.”

We
. That meant Big Mike was still in the picture. I supposed that was a good thing.

“I’ve been working,” I said, then cursed at myself again.
Why did I have to go and say that? Now she’ll want more money
.

She didn’t disappoint. “That’s good to hear. Big Mike’s been having trouble finding a job so we’re going to fall short again this month.”

Of course you are
. “I’ll send what I can,” I said.

“You aren’t going to come see us?”

And leave Lockett for a weekend? Not if I could help it. “A friend of mine was injured, Mom, I want to stick around here in the city and help him out for a while.”

“Him?” I could practically see the smug sneer I heard in her voice. “Who is he? You’re putting some boy over your family?”

“I can send you checks in the mail.”

“Mu own daughter,” she scoffed, “Sending checks in the mail because she’s too important to come see her mother. All over some boy. Really nice, Katherine. Is this how I raised you?”

That was a question better left unanswered. “Why don’t you call up Alexa for once?” I asked, feeling immediate guilt for throwing her under the bus. “She can take a day to see you.”

“Oh, don’t bring her into this,” she said, “I’m your mother, not a chore to be passed between the two of you.”

I held the phone away from my ear and sighed. Why was I even fighting her? I was going to cave. If her dramatics didn’t break me down into acquiescence, my own guilt would drive me to give in.

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll come next weekend.” Just for one night. I’d get on the train in the late afternoon on Saturday and try to leave as early as I could on Sunday. I’d write her a few checks, pick up a few groceries, and get the heck out of there.

“See, that’s not so hard. You can make time for your mother.” She blew out a breath. “Well. Thank you.”

I blinked. That was new. Maybe Big Mike was having a good influence on her somehow.

“Are you teaching?” she asked.

I nearly spluttered. Curiosity about my life?
Jesus, getting laid can really change a person
. That was an image I didn’t need to dwell on. “Yeah,” I said, “Just picking up substitute spots for now. But I love it. It’s going pretty well, I think.”

“Good.” I heard Big Mike bellow something in the background. “See you soon,” she said.

“Yeah. See you next Saturday.”

I flopped back against my pillows when I hung up.
Weird
. They were small changes, but they were positive. Maybe I was being too hard on her. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten so bitter about visiting. Money was still tight but I was getting by. I’d just give her what I could and leave it at that.

I checked the time - nearly seven thirty. Would Lockett be awake? I was scheduled to volunteer at the library that morning, but I’d call out if he wanted to see me.

I sent him a quick text - “How are you? Can I come by today?” before crawling out of bed and jumping in the shower.

Sunday meant Mal didn’t have practice, so he and Alexa wouldn’t emerge from their room for a few hours yet. I appreciated the quiet and longed for company at the same time. Lockett took a full hour to get back to me. “No visitors.”

I typed out a reply, “No visitors allowed or you just don’t want any?”

“They’re releasing me tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”

I stared down at his words and hung somewhere between sadness and anger. He didn’t want to see me.
He doesn’t need me at all.
Or did he? It was so hard to know what to do. I’d begun thinking of him as my boyfriend but after the attack, we hadn’t talked about it.
If I was just a friend I wouldn’t bother him. But if I’m his girlfriend then I should absolutely be there
.

I texted him back, “I’m coming to see you today. I need to see you.”

He was slow to reply again. Finally, while I was putting on makeup and debating calling the library, my phone buzzed. “I’ll let you know when my parents leave.”

Fair enough. The room would be too crowded with his family there.

“Please do.”

○●○●○●○●○

I was glad I hadn’t canceled my library gig. Waiting around would have driven me insane.

The kid’s area was already hopping with activity when I arrived. The middle-aged woman who coordinated the Homework Helpers program caught me on my way to the row of tables. “Oh, thank God you’re here. We have a few new kids today,” she said, “And we’re a little understaffed.”

“No worries,” I said, “I’ll start gathering up the first and second graders.”

Herding kids could be a bit like herding cats. I was chasing one who’d darted between the shelves of colorful picture books when I spotted a familiar face.

“Hey,” she said. She was dressed in heels, a black and white striped shirt, and a bright red top - totally fashionable and perfectly arranged. She held the hand of an eight-year-old boy. “Lockett’s friend, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, brushing stray hairs out of my face. She was gorgeous - with big red lips, shiny black hair without a single piece out of place, a fabulous rack…
of course she’d know Lockett
. I held out my hand. “Katherine.”

“Right!” she said. “The roommate. We’ve met before. I’m Whitney.”

“Ahh,” I said, “I knew I recognized you but I’m bad with names sometimes.”

“No worries, girl. You work here?”

The kid I’d been chasing tugged on my hand now that the game seemed to be over. “Go sit,” I told him, “Get out your crayons and I’ll be right there.”

He scampered off. Whitney patted her little boy’s back and send him chasing after the other children. “Your son?” I asked, “What’s his name?”

“Brandon,” she said, smiling softly. The smile fell into a grimace as she asked, “How’s Lockett doing? I heard he was injured but no one I’ve spoke to seems to know how badly.”

“His Achilles was severed,” I said.

“Oh, God,” she said, baring her teeth. She touched my arm. “I’m so sorry. I know you guys are close.”

My brows furrowed. She seemed genuine.
No jealousy? No hostility after I stole him away from so many parties?
Maybe this girl wasn’t so bad. I’d been so quick to judge…

“I wish there was something I could do,” she said. “Maybe I’ll talk it over with the girls. Visit or something. If you’re cool with it?”

“Oh, I don’t mind. But he hasn’t really been seeing many visitors. Maybe when he recovers from this latest surgery…” I trailed off. That look of defeat on his face still haunted me. Would he be okay? What was “okay,” anyway?

“Listen, I’ve gotta run, but let’s talk sometime, okay?” Whitney said, hefting her heavy purse higher on her shoulder. “And let me know if there’s anything the girls and I can do.”

“I will. Thank you.”

She offered one last sympathetic smile before taking off. I didn’t know how Lockett would feel about seeing her or anyone from his fighting world, but I’d let him know that she’d asked about him. I chuckled to myself. How the hell would he feel if Whitney and I ended up becoming friends? Maybe it would make him laugh. Maybe it would make him angry. Either option was better than that blank stare.

I returned to the table to get the kids started on their homework and the coloring books that we provided. My heart was elsewhere but it was good to keep busy, good to keep distracted.

But as much as I enjoyed my time there, I kept one eye on the clock all morning. How was he feeling? When was he going to text me? Would I just have to show up uninvited if I wanted to see him?

I suspected the answer to that was yes.

○●○●○●○●○

I was pleasantly surprised when I received a text later that afternoon, after the Homework Helpers program wrapped up. It was from Josh, telling me that Lockett wanted to know if I was coming.