12. Gabe

TWELVE

Gabe

It had been a long day.

We weren't subject to the fluorescent glare of the ER anymore, but nothing could shake the throbbing in my head as we stumbled out of the police SUV and onto the familiar gravel of Kat's driveway. We'd been at the hospital for hours and—after tetanus shots, stitches, bandages, and an MRI—were finally cleared to go back to the house and get some sleep. A police car, courtesy of Chris, had gotten us back home…and I was beat.

"God, what a night, huh?" I grunted.

"Understatement of the year," Kat muttered. She was a tough one, always had been, but even she couldn't hide how shaken she was.

Chris leaned against the porch railing, his silhouette outlined by the dim porch light. Bandit was beside him and bounded out to meet us, Livy grabbing the dog and clutching him to her. She hadn't been hurt—neither had Bandit—but we were all rattled.

"You good?" Chris asked, coming out to brace me. I was still wobbly; the hit to my head had been hard.

"Been better," I replied, mustering a half-smile. "Thanks for sticking around."

"Least I could do. And I'm posting a squad car out front for the night, just in case."

"Appreciate it, Chris," I said.

It was good to have people you could count on in this town, especially when things went sideways.

"I searched the property, found some things." Chris's eyes darted over to Livy. "Is it okay if we talk in private?"

"Livy, why don't you head inside?" Kat suggested. "We'll be right in."

Livy nodded, a small yawn escaping her as she went inside, Bandit on her heels.

"Found tire tracks out on a backroad in the woods," Chris began once Livy was out of earshot. "Looks like that's where our uninvited guests were hiding out."

"Do you think it's the same ones who…" Kat trailed off, her voice catching.

She didn't have to finish her sentence. We were all thinking it.

"Killed Ben?" Chris finished for her, his jaw tightening. "Yeah, I'm starting to think there's a connection. I'm going to push Callahan to ramp up the investigation."

"Good," Kat said, though her voice held more fatigue than hope.

"I promise I'll try to get this settled for you."

"Thanks," Kat replied. "Seriously—thank you, Chris."

He tilted his chin and tipped his hat, then stepped off the porch toward his squad car. The backup he'd posted was sitting silently in the driveway.

"Get some rest," he said. "I'll call with any updates."

We watched as he got into his car and slammed the door shut, flipping a U and driving off in a cloud of dust. When his taillights had disappeared, Kat took my arm and steadied me.

"Rest," I scoffed as we turned toward the house. "As if that's gonna happen tonight."

"You need it, whether you like it or not," she replied. "Now come on—you've gotta at least try to sleep."

We went inside, the silence of the house settling over us. It was interrupted only by the sound of our footsteps and Livy's soft murmurs from the couch where she had curled up with Bandit. The hallway was still a crime scene—dark stains smeared across the floorboards.

"Damn," Kat whispered, looking down at the marks of our earlier struggle.

"Let me help you with that," I offered, already feeling the pull to take care of something, anything.

"No, sit with Livy," Kat replied, her voice firm despite the tremor I heard. "I'll clean up. You're supposed to be taking it easy anyway."

"Fine," I conceded, moving to the couch. My body ached and my head pounded, but sitting still felt wrong.

"Thanks, Gabe," Kat said softly before disappearing into the kitchen.

Settling beside Livy, I watched her breathe easily in sleep, Bandit nestled against her. She was safe, we were all safe—for now—and that was what mattered. I leaned back, trying to get comfortable, my eyes tracking Kat as she returned with a bucket and some rags.

"Hey," I called out quietly, "you sure you don't need a hand?"

"Positive," she shot back, a shadow of her usual fire flaring up. "Just keep an eye on Livy."

I nodded, and she got to work. The scrubbing sounds were rhythmic, almost hypnotic, but I couldn't let myself zone out. Not tonight. My gaze was drawn to Kat's movements, the way she bent and stretched, determined to erase every trace of what had happened.

It struck me then, watching her—that stubborn streak, that refusal to back down—it was why she'd always gotten under my skin.

And why I admired her more than I wanted to admit.

As Livy's breaths deepened, Bandit snuggled closer, a small fortress around the kid. Good dog. I shifted, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling every stitch pull in my side. Head swimming from the painkillers and the concussion, I fought against the dizziness threatening to drag me under.

No way I was passing out before I checked in with Kat. She needed someone too, whether she'd admit it or not.

"Kat," I finally said as she straightened up, tossing bloodied rags into the bucket. "You done?"

"Looks like it," she sighed. Her eyes swept the hallway, searching for any spots she might have missed.

"Come sit for a bit. You look like you could use a break."

"Hold on…I really need to wash my hands first," she said. "The blood…"

I thought back to watching her try to use her phone, Ben's blood slick on her fingers.

"Understood," I said. "Take your time."

Apparently she didn't need long—because I heard the water run in the bathroom for only a moment before she was walking over to slump down on the couch between Livy and me, now dressed in a baggy t-shirt and sweats. Her hands were red and raw from cleaning, exhaustion etched onto her face.

"Here," I murmured, reaching for the blanket draped over the armchair next to me. I handed it to her, but instead of wrapping it around herself, she gently laid it over Livy, tucking it around the sleeping girl with such tenderness, it damn near knocked the wind out of me.

"Thanks," she whispered, resting back against the cushions.

"Anytime," I replied, my voice low.

I'd meant to talk to her…but I couldn't find the words, not after everything. The silence stretched between us, filled with all the things we didn't know how to say. My arm hung over the back of the couch, an inch from her shoulders, itching to offer some kind of comfort.

"Kat…" I started, unsure of what I was going to say next.

"Yeah?" She turned her head slightly, looking at me with those gorgeous amber-brown eyes.

"Can I…would it be okay if I hold you?"

She just stared at me for a moment, her eyes searching mine. I could almost see the gears turning in her head, weighing the pros and cons.

Then, to my shock, she nodded.

"Okay," she said simply.

I couldn't believe it.

I gently moved my arm, letting it rest around her shoulders. She shifted, curling up against me, her body fitting into mine like she was made to be there.

"Are you okay?" I asked, though it was a dumb question—of course she wasn't.

"Far from it," she admitted. "But I'm glad we're all together. Safe."

"Me too." I tightened my hold on her. "I'll stay as long as you need me, Kat. As long as you want me here."

She frowned and peered up at me, a shadow crossing her face. "I've been…a jerk," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Before this whole mess happened tonight, I wanted to apologize to you. Ben's death, it's all just…I didn't know how to act around you."

"Hey, no," I cut in. "You don't have anything to apologize for."

"But today, you…you saved Livy and me. And I've been treating you like…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Kat, listen," I said softly. "I wasn't about to let anything happen to you two. It's not something that needs thanks. It's just…who I am."

She was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. Her eyes lingered on mine, as if searching for something I couldn't quite understand.

"Did you see any of this coming?" I asked, trying to shift away from the emotional quicksand we were sinking into. "Any weird signs?"

"Actually, yeah," Kat murmured, her gaze falling to the blanket that covered Livy. "A few weeks ago, I got this weird note at the post office. It was a threat—told me I better sell the land. I took it to the sheriff, but he brushed it off like it was nothing."

"Jesus," I breathed. "What's wrong with that guy?"

"Could be he's in on whatever this is," she speculated. "Maybe getting paid off by someone who wants my property bad enough to scare me off it—or worse."

"Over my dead body," I said, my voice low and firm. "No one's going to hurt you or Livy while I'm around. I promise you that."

We settled into silence, the kind where words just seemed unnecessary. But it was a comfortable quiet, the kind that felt like it was saying all the things we couldn't find the words for.

Kat broke the stillness with a heavy sigh. "I need to say it again—I'm sorry. For how I've been acting. I thought…at one point, I wondered if you might have had something to do with Ben's death." She swallowed hard, her face pained as she continued, "But I see now that you've changed. Or maybe you're the same Gabe from back in the day, just…the best parts of him. The loyal parts. The protective parts."

Her words hit me hard, right in the gut. It was like she could see into the mess of who I'd been and who I was trying to be.

Without thinking, my hand came up, brushing back a lock of her hair that had fallen into her face. Her eyes locked onto mine, and something warm unfurled in my chest.

"Kat…" My voice trailed off as I leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, gentle as a whisper. She tensed for just a second, then relaxed, resting her head on my shoulder.

"I'll set an alarm," she murmured, her voice thick with exhaustion. "Need to keep an eye on you, make sure that head of yours is still on straight."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed, though every bone in my body was telling me to kiss her again. But those were the doctor's orders—get some sleep with supervision.

Kissing could wait until my head had stopped swimming.

But that didn't mean I couldn't dream of her.