Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

KATRINA

Oh God, what am I going to do? I have to get to Katler. I know he is not hurt, but he’s my everything. That landslide came out of nowhere, no warnings, nothing. I was trying to get us safe, get us out of the way of this storm, but nothing about this trip was going right.

I had made a game out of our situation, and Katler was having so much fun. Until he had to go to the bathroom and there was nothing I could do to help him. My son, my five-year-old little miracle, cried so hard, blaming himself, he cried himself to sleep.

I let him sleep for a while, knowing that there was not much I could do unless search and rescue showed up, but when it started getting darker out, I needed to know he was still okay. I have not been able to wake him, and while that’s normally the case when he sleeps, I panicked. I have been trying to get out of my seatbelt for what seems like forever, but nothing is loosening this strap from across my chest. I know there’s bruising from how hard the belt wrapped around me, but otherwise, I thought we were both okay.

I screamed, yelled, praying someone would hear me, help me. Get to my son and make sure I am just being the overbearing mom I’ve always been, and until these two SARs responders came up to the car, I was about ready to give up. I know that is a terrible thing to think, but if you were sitting here in our situation, you’d likely be a little more understanding.

When I heard the name McCormick, I did not put two and two together. Hell, just his voice should have alerted me to as who he was, but my mind was on my son, nothing else. Never would I have assumed he would be the one who came to our rescue. We’re still a couple of hours away from Chatham City, so I knew I had more time to prepare. Irony is a bitch today, that’s for sure.

I look up at his beautiful face and regret immediately begins swimming within me. I really do not have time for this now, but I can see the pain I know I caused, inching its way into his eyes. I did that to him. Six years ago, I ran from the best thing that ever happened to me. Because I was scared, because my brain was betraying me in all the ways I didn’t understand. And now, here we are, and he is about to learn a hard truth I’ve kept from him for so long.

I was heading back to finally tell him. To seek his forgiveness? Maybe. But mostly so my son could get to know the amazing man that was his father. To give our son a chance of having a father in his life.

I did not run because Heller did anything wrong, I ran because I was a fucking coward, or that’s what I had believed I was at the time. He was too good for me. He did not deserve the constant issues I brought to his door. Dealing with someone with mental health issues is hard for anyone. But with Heller’s career, it was even harder. He had to do and see things that caused him his own issues, he did not need mine, along with pregnancy hormones, and a new baby to take care of on top of them.

Taking a deep breath, I look into the eyes of the man who loved me so completely. The man who ruined any chance for me to ever want to be with another. “Heller,” I breath out. I am at a complete loss for words to utter at the moment.

“Are you hurt?” he asks again, his voice less sympathetic, a bit of a bite to it, since I got so lost in the past and was unable to answer him the first time. I know I deserve his wrath and am sure it’s about to get much worse. However, now is not the time for us to hash things out.

“Sure bruising along the sternum from the impact of the seatbelt,” I reply. “No other assessable damage. My son was not hurt either. The landslide, though it was fast, was gentler on my car than it should have been. My seatbelt, however, locked up tight and will not budge. I haven’t been able to get loose.”

“How would you know if there was any other damage?” he asks, puzzlement schooling his features.

“I finally finished school,” I whisper.

When Heller and I were together, I was in the middle of getting my nursing degree. I wanted to become a physician assistant but since I did not want to live the rest of my life in debt, I went to nursing school first. My plan was to become a nurse, then work my way up to becoming one day a PA. I didn’t necessarily want a doctorate, I wanted to help without the overwhelming debt that came along with it.

“You did it,” he comments, a bit of awe now lacing his voice. He knew how much of a struggle things were for me so to complete my dreams was an endeavor.

“Boy is out of the vehicle and now alert,” Carlos replies, shaking us from our conversation.

We were so lost in ourselves, I did not even hear anyone get into the car, never mind hear my own child get out of the car.