Chapter 30

chapter thirty

Grant

Addie fought exhaustion until the sun had begun to rise, painting the living room in warm morning rays. The shock and adrenaline of the night had worn off, and she passed out, curled into my side, her fingers wound tightly in mine as if she was terrified I'd let her go.

The entire time I washed the smoke and ash from her hair, her body shook with heartbroken sobs that nearly fucking killed me.

It made my chest physically ache. She's my wife, the woman I love more than anything, and I feel so goddamn helpless. I'd do anything in the world to switch places with her and take her pain away. Without hesitation. Without thought.

I've been sitting here ever since she fell asleep, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, her eyelids fluttering every time she shifts restlessly, a soft sigh floating from her parted lips. I could spend the rest of the day watching her sleep because it's the reassurance I need that she's here .

Fuck, I can't stop thinking about what could've happened if Addie had been inside the bakery or if she had run in there and tried to stop the fire.

She could've been hurt or worse.

I could've lost her. I could've lost the best thing that's ever happened to me, and just the thought of something happening to her makes me physically fucking ill. Makes my stomach twist into a knot so tight that it's hard to breathe.

I force myself to focus on her sleeping beside me and try not to let my mind wander. The last thing she needs is me losing my shit over what could have happened.

There's a knock at the front door, pulling my attention from Addie. Carefully, I untangle her from my lap, pushing to my feet off the couch, then heading for the door.

When I swing it open, Davis is on the other side, and my brows shoot up in surprise. It's got to be early as shit, although I'm not entirely sure because I haven't checked my phone in a while.

"Dude, I've called you a hundred times. I heard about the bakery on socials. Is Addie okay? Is it salvageable? Shit, I've been freaking the fuck out." His face is lined with worry as he speaks, and I've never heard him so worked up.

"We're both okay. The bakery… we don't know anything yet. We probably won't for a few days. Addie's fucking distraught, dude," I mutter, reaching up to drag my hand down my face. "Come in, we can talk in the kitchen. She finally fell asleep on the couch, and I don't want to wake her."

He nods, following me inside after shutting the door quietly. Once we're in the kitchen, he sits down next to me at the table, and I drop my head in my hands.

I'm fucking exhausted. Not just physically but mentally after everything that's happened tonight.

"What happened?" Davis asks.

"Her stepfather got arrested for arson. He's been working with this dickhead that he tried to set her up with, and I don't know. It was some crazy shit to try and get the insurance money for the bakery."

My hands tighten into fists at the thought, and my knuckles groan in protest. Fuck, I barely even remember hitting him. I was so fucking mad that I just reacted, and given the chance, I'd do it again. He deserved that and more for the shit he put my wife through.

"Shit, man," Davis says with a shake of his head, his unruly auburn hair falling in his face. He brushes it out of his eyes and sits back in the chair. "Are you okay?"

For a beat, I'm quiet because I truthfully don't know the answer to that.

"It scared the fuck out of me, Davis." My voice cracks with emotion. "The thought of losing her scares me so much I can't fucking breathe. I just want her to never have to deal with this shit again. It's my job to protect her."

He leans close, placing his palm on my shoulder. "And you are. Shit like this just puts things into a different perspective. You love her, and you both went through some scary shit—of course you'd feel this way. She's your girl, and it's natural that you want to shoulder all the bad things."

I nod as he continues. "If anything, tonight just shows you that life is short, and nothing is ever promised. You just cherish every day that you have together."

I'm taken aback by the Rookie's insight. He's right—it's the same thing that I've thought a hundred times since walking away from that burning building.

"Thank you, for coming here and checking on us. For listening to me," I say.

"Anytime. Anything you need from me, you let me know. I've got class in a few, but text me later when y'all get settled."

We stand from the table, and I reach out to shake his hand, but as his palm slides in mine, he pulls me to him for a hug.

"I know we're not as close as you and your boys, but you're still one of my best friends, Grant. I'm here for you, no matter what."

Seeing this side of Davis surprises me. I mean, I know he's a good kid, but I didn't realize he had it in him to be so introspective. And fuck, I'm thankful for it. I didn't even know how badly I needed this until now.

"I got your back too," I say. "I appreciate you, man. I mean it."

He pulls back, a shit-eating grin on his face. "I always knew you'd love me one day. Been waiting for the day."

I chuckle quietly. "Don't push your luck. I'll text you later."

"Will do." He gives me a quick wave over his shoulder and disappears out of the kitchen, leaving me alone.

I stand from the chair, walking back to the living room to check on Addie, and see her still sleeping on the couch, not having moved an inch.

Before I can even cross the living room to sit next to her and Auggie, who's now cuddled up against her, there's another knock at the front door.

I stride down the hallway and open it quietly. This time, it's Amos and Earl.

Amos looks like he's as ragged as I feel today, and I reach forward, giving him a hug. "Hey. You guys okay?"

When I pull back, he and Earl both nod, even though they both look on the verge of tears. I step back inside the apartment, and once they walk through the door, I shut it behind them.

Amos walks into the living room with Earl beside him, and the moment his gaze lands on Addie, he starts to cry. "Oh, cher. My darling girl," he says quietly, his hand flying to cover his mouth as a muffled sob echoes around the room.

She doesn't stir as Earl wraps an arm around Amos's shoulder and pulls him into his embrace, running his palms soothingly down his arms.

These two are the only real, stable, loving parental figures that Addie has had since her mother passed away. She's told me bits and pieces of her childhood and how, after her mother was gone, they were the only people that she felt even cared about what happened to her. Amos was the one who taught her how to braid her hair and introduced her to yoga. Earl was the one who taught her to ride a bike and would put Band-Aids on her scraped knees. They helped her with homework and were the ones to give her presents on her birthday.

Not the piece of shit that got every bit of what he deserved last night. Amos and Earl are her parents, and I know it has to be hard for them to know how badly she's hurting. And not just that… but the bakery is a piece of them too.

Amos has been running it since Addie was only a kid. I can only imagine how devastated he is about what happened to Ever After.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there. I should have been there." He crosses the living room to squat down in front of Addie's sleeping body on the couch. His fingers brush along her forehead, sweeping her hair back from her face. "I'm so sorry."

There was nothing he could have done to stop what Brent and Dixon did. Nothing any of us could have done. The blame is on the assholes who did this, no one else.

"You couldn't have done anything, Amos," I tell him as I sit back down next to Addie. "She'll be glad to know you're okay and that you came. You're the only family she has. You mean everything to her."

He nods, giving me a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "And she is the world to us."

I glance up at Earl as he leans against the doorframe with unshed tears pooling in his eyes. Worry morphs his features, and I can't lie, it tugs at my heart. He's this huge, quiet guy with a heart of gold who would do anything for my girl.

"Have you seen it?" I ask Amos, who nods.

"They had the fire extinguished when we got there. It nearly killed me, seeing it like that," he says. "I can't even think about how Addie must have felt."

My gaze lowers to my sleeping wife as I rake my teeth over my bottom lip. It was absolute fucking torture watching her devastation as her mother's dream burned. "She was heartbroken, and it was physically fucking painful to see. But she was so strong, Amos, and I'm so damn proud of her."

Amos is quiet for a moment, his gaze contemplative as he strokes her cheek, then pushes to his feet, taking a seat in the armchair beside me. "You're good for her, Grant. I think I knew that from the first moment I met you. Intuitive and all that." My lip twitches when he says that. He's the guy who pulls a tarot card every day to see what the day has in store. "She's always been the most beautiful, thoughtful, creative girl. Full of wonder and curiosity. But she was quiet and shy, never allowing anyone to get too close. She never gave herself the chance to bloom, to experience life. Until you. I've watched her come into herself more these last few months, and I'll never be able to thank you."

I swallow roughly. "I love her. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her."

His eyes shine, and he nods, reaching for my hand on the arm of the couch. "It's been a privilege to witness the way you love her. Seeing her happy and taken care of is all I have ever wanted for her."

I've never really been the praying type of person, but I've prayed more today than I have in my entire life.

For Addie. For the bakery. For the future that I now realize is never promised.

Last night changed everything, and I know with every fiber of my being that Addie is my forever.

"I've been thinking… and there's something I really need to talk to you both about."