Forgotten Awakenings (Awakenings #2) (7 page)

Elle smiled as she slipped her hand into Sadie’s and stood up, following her over to where their families were waiting for them. Callum wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his lips against her cheek.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Famished,” she admitted.

Callum smiled. “Good. You want a little of everything?”

“Um.” Elle paused and looked at all the food filling the table. Bowls of salad, sliced fruits, platters of baked potatoes, rolls, and pitchers of tea. “Yes, please.”

“Okay.” Callum gestured to the chair next to where Derek had directed Sadie. “You sit. I’ll get your plate.”

“I can fix my own plate,” she argued.

“I know, but I like doing it for you. Don’t make me pout. Dad will give me crap, and I really don’t want to beat the old man in front of everyone,” Callum laughed.

“I’m not old,” Samuel grumbled from behind them, causing everyone to laugh.

“Of course you’re not,” Callum automatically responded, winking at Elle. “Now sit.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “But I’m doing so under protest.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he snickered, giving her a tight squeeze before releasing her.

Reluctantly, Elle settled in the chair next to Sadie. She understood that he and Derek liked to take care of them, but she hated feeling so helpless. She couldn’t keep relying on them to do things for her. It was time she started taking control of her life, but that was a discussion to have at another time. For now, she’d just enjoy having their families around them.

Once everyone had their plates and were seated around the table, Callum picked up his beer bottle and held it up in front of him.

“Before we eat, we’d like to thank each of you for being here with us. The last few months haven’t been the easiest, but knowing that when we need you, you’re here has . . . Well, it’s made it just a little easier.”

“Of course we’re here, darling,” Lydia gushed, placing her hand on her chest. “We love you.”

“We love you, too,” Sadie whimpered, and Elle reached over and held her hand. “There’s no smooth way of saying this, so I’m just going to say it. We, um, went to the doctor this week, and had an ultrasound.”

“Is everything okay?” Samuel asked, frowning.

“Yeah. It was just routine,” Sadie assured him. “But, um, we found out that we are having a baby girl.”

Ivy and Lydia gasped, while Nick, Samuel, and Lucia smiled — the first smile the battered woman had expressed since she’d shown up on their doorstep.

“A girl?” Lydia gushed.

“A healthy, beautiful girl, just like her mothers,” Callum said.

“Oh, my God!” Lydia squealed, scrambling to her feet and rushing around the table.

In an instant, Elle and Sadie found themselves wrapped in the arms of their families, words of congratulations, happiness, and joy echoing, and though she tried, Elle couldn’t keep the tears from falling. Even though her mother drove her nuts at times, Elle couldn’t help but wish Helina was there to celebrate with them.

Seven

“It’s stupid for me to go with you,” Lucia grumbled, and for at least the tenth time in the last two hours, Elle sighed. “This is your job, Elle!”

“I know, and I really need some help. I’m so behind. You’d be doing me a favor,” Elle said.

Lucia scoffed.

“No, seriously,” she insisted, tossing her black flats onto the floor next to the bed and sliding her feet into them. “I have piles of invoices and receipts that I need scanned into the system and filed accordingly.” Pausing, she looked over at Lucia. “Samuel gave the green-light for you to come work with us. At least on a temporary basis.”

“I know,” she mumbled.

“Then what’s the problem?” Elle asked, grabbing her cane and standing up.

“What if people stare at me?” Lucia spoke so softly that Elle barely heard her. “I mean, what if they can tell that I’ve been . . . you know?”

“Well, your bruises are almost completely faded, so they’ll only know that you were hit if they are really staring at you. But I don’t think they will, honey.”

“Why?”

Elle smiled. “Because they’re not going to care. I don’t mean that the way it came out. I just mean, you’re not on their radar. Hell, I’m barely on their radar anymore.”

Lucia smiled softly. “Yeah, right. You, Sadie, Callum, and my brother draw attention wherever you go.”

“But not at the office. Not anymore. They’ve long since gotten bored with our torrid affair. Now, I won’t force you to come to work with me, but you can’t keep hiding here, either.”

Lucia frowned, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. “I don’t want to be in the way.”

Elle hobbled over to her and placed her hand under her chin, tilting her head upward. “And you’re not. We told you that you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you need. And the same will go at the office.” Elle sighed. “Look, I know how scary it is. You’re always afraid that Dex will be around the next corner, or that he’ll jump out of the shadows at you. I feel like that, too.”

“You do?”

Elle nodded. “Every day.”

“My brother cried,” Lucia whispered. “After you were shot, when they weren’t sure if you were going to survive the surgery, he cried. I’d never seen Derek cry before, Elle, but he was sitting there in the waiting room with Sadie in one arm and Callum in the other. The three of them were just . . . All they were concerned about was you.” Lucia paused, her lips trembling as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I want to be loved like that. I want . . . I want someone who looks at me and feels like their hearts are going to burst out of their chest if I leave.”

“You’ll find him,” Elle assured her. “When you’re ready.”

“How will I know if I’m ready?”

With a shake of her head, Elle smiled as she slowly led her future sister-in-law downstairs. “You won’t. Not until you find yourself standing in front of him.”

“You make it sound easy,” she groused.

“It’s not. Believe me, it’s not.” Elle walked over to the small table next to the front door and picked up her briefcase. “Now, are you coming or staying?”

Lucia pursed her lips together for a moment before saying, “Coming.”

Elle smiled wider. “Good. I really didn’t want to have to explain to Derek why I left you here alone. He’s a little protective of you, in case you hadn’t realized.”

“Oh, I realized,” Lucia laughed, quietly. “He always has been. Says it’s his brotherly duty.”

—FA—

Elle could feel Lucia shaking as the two women walked into the building. She wanted to reassure the fragile woman that nobody was going to hurt her, but she couldn’t guarantee that she’d be safe. The world was full of psychos, crazy bastards who felt they had the right to take what, or who, they wanted.

Placing her hand on Lucia’s elbow, she directed her toward the elevator, where they waited with a half-dozen guys who worked in accounting. Elle had only met them a few times, but they had never been anything less than professional with her. However, when the doors to the elevator slid open and they waved her and Lucia in first, Elle smiled and said, “We’ll take the next one.”

Though it seemed like they may argue with her, the men stepped inside and they were left waiting.

“Thank you,” Lucia murmured. “No way I could handle being in there with all of them.”

“You’re welcome.”

A few minutes later, the elevator returned for them, and they were able to make it up their floor. Greta was seated behind her desk, the phone pressed against her ear and an annoyed expression on her face. The woman had the patience of a saint, but Monday mornings were always busy, especially for her. Elle often wondered if they needed to hire someone to help, but didn’t want to make the suggestion. What if Greta thought Elle didn’t have confidence in her work? The woman was invaluable to the firm. 

Derek and Callum were already in the office when Elle and Lucia arrived, but Sadie wasn’t there, which automatically had her shoulders tensing. She’d had an early meeting with a couple who was looking for someone to redecorate their home, but Elle didn’t like it when Sadie went to these meeting on her own. Especially seeing as she was six months pregnant.

“Hey, Luc,” Derek said, rushing over and embracing his baby sister. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, pushing him away.

Elle knew she wasn’t trying to hurt him, just that she wasn’t one to want to be fussed over, but the look of pain that filled Derek’s eyes gutted her. He had been so worried about her; maybe too worried about her.

“Have you heard from Sadie?” Elle asked, dropping her briefcase on her desk.

“Um, yeah, she called about ten minutes ago and said she was heading here now,” Callum said, placing his hand on Derek’s shoulder, trying in his own little way to reassure their lover that his sister was okay. “Said the meeting went great, and they’ve agreed to her plans.”

“Nice.” Elle gathered the handful of folders on her desk and looked up at Lucia. “Come on, I’ll show you where the scanner is.”

Lucia nodded and followed Elle out of the room, down the hallway, and into the file room. Elle motioned Lucia to have a seat in front of the computer that sat on the large, wooden desk. Next to it was a small, scanner.

Elle opened the program and signed in with her user name and account number. “Okay, so what you do is slide the documents in upside down and facing the back of the machine. If you don’t, they’re scanned wrong and are a pain in the ass to correct. Then, you will be prompted on where to send the scan. I’ve logged into my account, so you can just add them to the folders that go with what you’re scanning: receipts, invoices, etc. Any questions?”

Lucia shook her head. “Seems easy enough.”

“If you have any questions, you can come to the office, or call me on my cell.” Elle paused. “Or Derek.”

Lucia sighed.

“He doesn’t mean to overwhelm you. You do know that, right?”

“Of course I do,” she said, shifting and looking up at Elle. “Growing up, we’ve never been like this. I mean, we’re not the mushy, hugging, talking about our feelings kind of brother and sister. He’s always picked on me, calling me a freak for dying my hair blue, or liking Bon Jovi.”

“Whoa!” Elle exclaimed. “He doesn’t like Bon Jovi?”

Lucia laughed. “I don’t know. It’s just the kind of thing he’d give me shit about. I just don’t want him to treat me like I’m this pathetic little girl whose boyfriend beats her ass. I need him to treat me like the bratty sister he’s always seen me as. Does that make sense?”

Elle smiled and nodded. “Complete sense. Now get to work. I have about three boxes of documents for you to scan.”

“Yay, me,” she mocked but turned back to the computer and began scanning. “Thanks, Elle,” she murmured without looking at her. “For everything.”

“You’re welcome.” Elle hurried back to the office, finding Derek pacing back and forth just inside the door, a look of worry still etched on his face. He started to speak, but she placed her finger over his lips, which caused him to smile. “Leave her alone.”

“What?” he muttered against her finger.

Sighing, Elle dropped her hand to her side. “You are driving that girl crazy, Der. She’s overwhelmed, tired, embarrassed, and trying really hard to get some control over her life. So leave her alone.”

“But . . .” He huffed. “She needed me, Elle, and I wasn’t there.”

“None of us were because we didn’t know she was in trouble. That’s something she’s struggling with, letting us all in.”

“She lets you in,” Callum argued from his desk, and when they looked at him, he added, “She talks to you.”

Elle nodded. “Because I understand what she’s feeling, having been in her shoes.”

“Do you still feel like that?” he asked, averting his eyes from them. “After Trixie, I mean.”

Elle inhaled a sharp breath. “More than ever.”

“And do you feel like we’re overwhelming you?” he asked, coyly.

She smiled. “All the time, especially in bed. Good thing I love every minute of it.”

“Good for all of us,” Callum laughed, quietly.

Elle settled at her drafting board and unrolled the plans she’d been drafting for the Wes and Amanda Anderson. Callum and Derek had spent almost two years on their account, trying to accommodate their request, while keeping within the guidelines the zoning laws the city had in place. They’d grown frustrated and were ready to let the account go, but Elle wanted to give it one last try. They were scheduled to come in after lunch, where she’d present her plans and she was nervous. They would be the first clients she’d worked directly with since construction started on Alvarez Park, which was barely halfway complete.

“Oh, shit, shit, shit,” Sadie muttered, rushing into their office and slamming the door shut behind her. She leaned against the thick, hardwood and took a deep breath before looking over at Derek, who was half-way out of his seat. “Your parents are here.”

“Huh?” he asked.

“Your mother and your father are here,” Sadie snarled. “They walked into the building just as I was getting on the elevator.”

“But why?” Derek asked, confused.

“Why the fuck do you think? Sadie groused. “Lucia. They must have found out she’s with us, but they’re here, Derek. They’re here!”

“Okay, honey, calm down,” Callum said, rushing over to her and wrapping his arm around her waist “You all right?”

“Yeah, I just ran down here. My back hurts now,” Sadie whined and placed her hand on her ever-expanding belly.

Callum smiled as he led her over to her desk and helped her sit. Elle grabbed her cane and stood up, rushing across their office and out into the hallway. She’d hoped to get to Lucia before Felicia and Carlos, but her future in-laws were already walking down the hallway toward their office with Greta.

“Elle, sweetheart,” Felicia called out, but instead of responding, Elle turned and hobbled down the hallway and into the file room, causing Lucia to snap her head back and look at her with fright.

“What is it? Is it Dex? Did he find me?” Lucia whimpered, scrambling to her feet.

“No,” Elle replied, reaching out for her. “It’s your parents.”

Lucia’s eyes flew open. “What?” she barely whispered.

“They’re here, sweetie.”

“Elle, I can’t —” But before the words were out of her mouth, someone knocked on the door behind them, and they both froze.

“Lucia,” Felicia called. “We know you’re in there, mija.”

“Fuck,” she muttered before motioning for Elle to move, which she did. Lucia opened the door and they found themselves face to face with her parents. “Ma, Pop, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, my sweet mija, we’re here for you. We know what that monster did to you,” Felicia cooed, reaching for her daughter, who immediately began to weep.

Elle bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable witnessing their reunion. Carlos had a frown on his face as he leaned against the doorjamb, watching his wife and daughter crying together. He was a man of few words, but he’d given them his blessing, saying that all he wanted was for his children to be happy, and Derek was happy with her, Sadie, and Callum.

Samuel, Greta, Sadie, Callum, and Derek were standing in the hallway behind Carlos, clearly unsure of what was about to go down. Elle wanted to believe that once again Carlos and Felicia would be more concerned about their daughter’s happiness than angry that she’d stayed with a man who abused her, but she wasn’t sure.

“Mija, why didn’t you come to us?” Felicia finally asked, the sadness in her words hitting Elle like a brick.

“I couldn’t,” Lucia whispered.

“Of course you could have,” Felicia insisted.

“No, I couldn’t,” Lucia said again. “You always talk about how I date losers, how I always go for deadbeats instead of good boys. How could I look you in the eyes and tell you that you were right?”

Felicia frowned. “Oh, mija, you can always tell me anything.”

“Not this,” Lucia murmured.

“Especially this,” Carlos said, drawing his daughter’s attention to him. “Your mother and I would have been there as fast as we could.”