Keeping Hope (Broken Girl Series) Read online

  “Well, the likeness is unbelievable,” Cole puffs, rubbing the back of his head. “Man, the back hander was unnecessary.”

  Chuck’s deep throated laugh reverberates through the room. Every set of eyes turns to see what the noise is all about.

  Chuck turns to me. “Seriously though, girl, if you have any more info, I need to know. If you know where she came from, how she got there, I need to know. I have searched tirelessly for fucking years trying to find Sara. My whole existence has been dependent on finding that little girl. Well, ya know, she ain’t a little girl no more, but you get what I’m saying, right?” He was getting worked up and flustered just talking about it.

  I sigh heavily. “I don’t want to speculate or get anyone’s hopes up about this, but I guess from what you’re saying, it could be possible. But seriously, what are the chances?”

  “Too good to be true, huh?” Chuck sighs.

  I shoot him a sad smile, wanting this to be the news he so desperately needs to hear.

  “Listen, the police have informed me that they are doing a full investigation into the whole commune, including how Hope ended up there. If I find out anything, we will get in touch.” I reach out and touch his arm. This guy really is a gentle giant, his heart as large as his personality.

  I look up as I hear approaching footsteps. Jocelyn looks at us cautiously as we stand with Chuck.

  She adjusts her head, tilting it sideways. “Everything okay, guys?”

  “Everything’s fine, mom.” Cole smiles, walking over to her and wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulder, pulling her into him as she nearly loses her balance.

  “Cole,” she scorns, laughing at his over exaggerated embrace.

  I look at the two of them, studying the pair for a moment. Their relationship is perfect, or as perfect as you could wish for. I’ve never had that. I’ve never really had any sort of parental figure in my life. I feel a pang of pain for the loss of my childhood, for not knowing who my parents are, or where I came from.

  I stand in this moment with no identity. I don’t know who I am. I swallow down hard, thoughts racing through my mind at a thousand miles per hour. I wonder if in the process of the investigation whether or not they’ll find out where I came from. Who my parents really are. Is there a chance I could actually belong to someone?

  I glimpse over at Jocelyn and notice she is tapping her watch.

  “Guys, you need to go get your stuff. The cars will be here to take us home in thirty minutes,” she shouts excitedly, clapping her hands together as she turns and starts waving over to Pete, instructing him to do the same.

  Cole

  Shit, it feels good to be back. I jump out, taking the bags from the trunk and dumping them just inside the door. I walk back out for Kennedy. She’s finally fallen asleep. It took her almost the whole trip and knowing how fucking difficult she finds it to sleep, I want to do my best to get her in without disturbing her. I slowly open the door, leaning over her to release the seatbelt.

  Kennedy jumps, startled by the contact. Her eyes search my face quickly before her body relaxes.

  “It’s me, baby. We are home.” I smile at her, before sliding my hand underneath her leg and pulling her out of the car.

  Her arms wrap almost automatically around my neck as she relaxes against my chest. I stagger through the front door, swinging my leg out to close it behind us.

  “You can put me down,” she muffles, sleepily.

  “Not until I get you in bed,” I puff out. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was fucking struggling. It’s probably the tiny bit of baby weight, or maybe that I’ve been stuck in the car for hours on end, or the fact that I haven’t worked out in fucking weeks. By the time I get to the top of the steps, I’m done.

  “You think you can manage from here?” I ask.

  She chuckles lightly. “Of course I can. Has Coley lost all of his strength?”

  “Girl, you’ve got some cheek.” I laugh, watching her jog off toward the bedroom. I run after her, catching up just as she reaches my room. I scoop her up in my arms. Her giggles are like music to my ears. Fuck, it’s so good to have her here, to be back together when the odds weren’t in our favor. I drop her down on the bed, collapsing beside her. Our faces are practically touching.

  I gaze from her eyes to her lips. They are slightly parted, like an open invitation. I lace my fingers through her hair, grabbing the back of her head. I pull her in just a little until our lips are touching. I feel her smile against me as I start to kiss her. My breathing gets faster and my dick begins to stir. I hook my finger under her chin, intensifying the kiss. I break our connection for a moment before I start to work down her jaw to her neck.

  She pulls at me, needing me closer. I hold her there, remembering that I nearly lost this.

  “Please tell me you’re okay, baby. Tell me he didn’t hurt you,” I ask as I pull away.

  “He didn’t,” she whispers.

  I pull back, our eyes meeting as I search her face, wanting to know if she’s telling me the truth.

  “What?” she asks.

  “Really? You’re okay? Well you know what I mean.” Fuck this is awkward. How do you even have this conversation with the girl you love? I swallow down hard before pointing my finger over her body. “I mean, he didn’t touch you, did he?”

  Her eyes flare widely. “No, no, nothing like that. The bastard busted my lip, but apart from that, I came out relatively unscathed. If you know what I mean. Listen,” she sighs heavily, “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I just want to enjoy being here with you. I want to enjoy being free.”

  I roll to my back, pulling her into my chest. I swallow down the bile I feel rising in my throat. I can’t bear the thought of that fucker touching her. I understand that she doesn’t want to talk about it, but it’s all I can think about. I feel her pain, deep inside, like a fucking dead weight on my chest. I breathe in deeply, as I feel her relax in my arms.

  I wake to the sound of a fucking cell phone ringing. I frantically jump up, trying to find the phone. I thrash from one side of the bed to the other. Looking over the edge of the bed, I see the phone flashing on the floor.

  “Dude, what the fuck?” I answer, noticing Pete’s name on the screen.

  “What, man? Wakey wakey,” he laughs loudly. I pull the phone away from my ear, rubbing my eyes. I glance over to the bed and it’s empty.

  “Pete, I gotta go.” I hit end, throwing the phone down. In a panic I race downstairs, my head scanning the room frantically for Kennedy.

  My mom is in the kitchen. She stops what she’s doing, turns to me, and her mouth drops wide open in shock.

  “Son!” she shrieks, looking away. “Go put some clothes on.”

  “Is she here? Is she with you?”

  Kennedy’s head appears from behind mom, a smirk spreading widely across her face.

  “I’m here, silly.” She giggles, her hand covering her mouth. I glance down and notice I’m in nothing but my Calvin’s, a little too much of me on show.

  “You,” I point over to her, “you, scared me to death when you weren’t in bed this morning!” I shriek. “I wondered where the hell you were!”

  She continues to giggle, glancing down at my dick, before smirking and looking away. I throw my hands in the air, letting them hit my side dramatically.

  “Great, nice to see you’re listening to me here!”

  “Go get ready for school, Cole. Me and Kennedy are busy with appointments today,” mom shouts from over her shoulder.

  I race upstairs, getting myself showered and dressed before heading back downstairs, into the kitchen area. I see Kennedy sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. I rest my hands on her tiny bump. She leans back against me and I inhale the sweet smell of her that is so intoxicating. I kiss her cheek, before reaching over and grabbing a pancake.

  “So, mom, are you dropping me at school?” I ask taking a sip of the coffee on th
e breakfast bar. I’m not sure whether it’s moms or Kennedy’s. Ken looks over at me, slapping my hand before snatching the coffee cup out of my hand.

  “Hey,” I grumble. Mom pushes a fresh cup in front of me along with a set of keys. I look down, a little confused. I look back at my mom. “What’s this?” I ask, intrigued.

  “You need a new truck, right?” she picks up the keys, throwing them at me. I look at them a little in disbelief. I thought I was going to have to wait until the insurance paid out, but this is awesome.

  “Mom, you’re the best!” I say excitedly, pulling her toward me. I kiss her on the head, before racing out of the door.

  I’m so freaking excited that I forgot to say goodbye to Ken. I run back in, swiftly kissing her on the cheek.

  “Baby, text me and let me know how the appointment goes. Keep your phone on. I got a little surprise for you later as well.”

  She looks at me bug eyed, smiling as I head out to the truck.

  Fuck. Mom’s done good. This little beauty would have been way out of my budget. I rush to get inside of the GMC Sierra. I slide in, checking out the interior, before running my hand over the dash. I can’t hide the smile that spreads across my face. This truck is fucking awesome. I adjust my seat before pushing the key in the ignition to start it. Twisting the key, I sit there and listen to the baby purr. What a way to start the day! And it is only going to get better. Not the fucking school part, but the surprise I have set up for Kennedy. I have a good feeling about today, for the first time in a long time!

  Kennedy

  I’ve had a really great time with Jocelyn. It was reassuring to get the all clear from the doctor and know, that despite all my body went through, the baby is okay. We stopped in to see Hope, who is doing just great in her new home. She was super excited to see us. I feel like I’m keeping my promise to her. By meeting her foster parents, and seeing how good they are with her put my mind at ease. Although I never doubted that Jocelyn would find the best possible for Hope.

  We arrived home a bit ago and I’m getting showered and ready to meet Cole. He sent me a text earlier today telling me to meet him at an address, with no explanation as to why.

  Ash called too. I was so excited to finally hear from him. He’s coming for a quick visit and I’m expecting him any minute. I walk into the kitchen, turning the faucet to allow the water to run before grabbing a glass. I steadily hold it under the water, filling it. I turn off the tap and drink the whole glass in one shot.

  Shit, I’m so thirsty. All of the rushing around and incredible heat has me working up a thirst. As I rinse the glass clean, I hear a loud knock on the door. I race over to the door, yanking it open as fast as I can. I’m practically swept off my feet by an enthusiastic Ash, who twirls me around. My feet drag on the floor as he clearly can’t pick up my full weight.

  He laughs out. “Dammit, girl, it’s so good to see you!” He releases his hold. Taking my hands in his and pushes me back. “Let me take a good look at you.” He looks me up and down, his small smile turning into a full tooth revealing smile. “Guuurl, you look good,” he says eagerly, pronouncing each word dramatically.

  I laugh whole heartedly. “Shit, it’s so good to see you, Ash.”

  He engulfs me in his arms, squeezing gently at first before tightening his grasp. He holds me there as if he never wants to let go. I hold him close, like we are frozen in time. I feel him move softly against me. I gently break his hold, looking into his eyes. I see the tears building and I pull him back into my embrace. I know what is wrong.

  “She’ll be okay, Ash. She has to be.”

  I watch him as I he pulls back, dabbing his eyes, and sniffling loudly. “I’m fine, my little Barbie, totally fine.”

  “I miss her too, Ash. More than anything.”

  His face falls as he fidgets with his fingers. He leans in, his voice barely a whisper, “I miss her so much, but don’t ever tell the attention seeking bitch I said that.”

  “I promise,” I answer, stifling a laugh. “I can’t believe this happened. I feel as guilty as hell that she’s in that hospital, Ash. We all know it should have been me.”

  “What?” he yells, “No freaking way, Barbie. None of this should have happened, not to Abbey or you. You seriously need to stop talking like that!” He stands there, one hand on his hip, the other with his fingers stretched out, pointed directly at me.

  “Put yourself in my shoes for a second…” I start.

  “None of this is your fault, Ken. You never asked to be abducted. Stop spouting this bullshit or I’m gonna get really pissed at you.”

  “Okay, okay,” I say, holding my hands up in a mock surrender.

  “I’m being deadly serious here. Don’t make me go all muscle man on you and kick your ass.”

  I giggle at the scrawny boy standing in front of me trying to flex his arms.

  “Come on, crazy boy, let’s get a drink and sit out in the sunshine.”

  “Do we have time? I know you’re meeting Cole soon.”

  I narrow my eyes, wondering how much about this surprise he actually knows. “So, what’s this surprise?” I dig.

  He shakes his head, a small smirk across his face. “I have no idea. I’ve barely seen Cole today.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, skeptical as to whether he’s telling the truth or not. “You sure?”

  “Cross my heart.” He smiles as he traces his finger across his chest.

  I reach into the fridge, grabbing two cans before passing him one. We make our way outside. The sun feels like heaven against my skin. I lean back in the chair letting the rays radiate on my face. A feeling I never thought I would have again just a few days ago.

  I shudder at the memories of being locked in that room. The mental smell hits me hard and bile rises in my throat. I bring the can to my lips, sipping slowing, trying to rid my mouth and throat of the horrendous taste. Once it’s gone, I open my eyes, glancing to the side. Ash is watching me intently.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  I nod and smile at him. “I’m here with you. What more could I ask for?”

  “Well that makes you one lucky little Barbie doll, doesn’t it?”

  “It sure does,” I throw back, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently.

  “So,” he begins, taking a noisy slurp of his coke. “I saw a fair bit of Pete today…” His words trail off.

  My eyes dart toward him. “Oh yeah, is he okay?” I ask nonchalantly.

  “Hmmm, I’m not sure. He was weird when I mentioned you.”

  Stay cool, Kennedy. “That is weird.”

  “You know something,” he teases.

  “No I don’t.”

  “Oh yes you do, lady. Spill the beans, like now!”

  I hold my head in one hand. “It’s such a mess, Ash. I don’t even honestly know what happened between us.”

  He gasps loudly. “So…something has happened?”

  “Shhh! I mean I’m deadly serious when I say you cannot mention a word of this to anyone.”

  “Of course!” he shrieks. “You know you have my word.”

  “I don’t even know where to start. I don’t even really know what has happened. All I know is that I must have given him some pretty mixed up signals, because he’s adamant he has feelings for me.”

  “And you…”

  I shake my head. “I love Cole. You know that.”

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t feel something for Pete.”

  “But I shouldn’t. I know how wrong that is, Ash. He was there when my head was so messed up. I couldn’t think straight. I’d just found out about Abbey and I was majorly pissed at Cole for not telling me.” I shrug my shoulders. “And he was there. He was just there,” I stutter. I feel myself getting worked up. I’m not sure if I’m trying to justify this to myself or to Ash, but I feel like it’s not working either way.

  “I knew there was something wrong when I told him to go hit up that Lizzy chick from the bar and he snapped my head off. It’s not like Pe
te to turn down an easy lay.”

  “Shit,” I grate out. “It was one kiss, Ash. One stupid mistake. That’s all it was.”

  “Wait, what?” he yells, his mouth hanging open and his eyes practically popping out of his head.

  “Shit, girl, no wonder the guy’s in a fucking spin. One taste of Barbie and it’s sent him wild!”

  “Ash, don’t,” I plead. “I feel shitty enough about this whole thing as it is.”

  “I’m sorry.” He takes my hand, kissing the back of it, before resting it on his knee. “I’m just shocked. I mean really fucking shocked.”

  I shoot him a sad smile. “I’ve fucked up big time, haven’t I?”

  “I think you need to decide what you want, sweetie, and really stick to it. But honestly, I can see your attraction to both of them. I’ve become really good friends with Pete these last few months. Granted, he’s not really the most academic guy, but he does have a heart of pure gold.”

  “And funny,” I add.

  “Yeah, the guy’s a real hoot.” He looks at me before rolling his eyes.

  “What?” I ask. “I can’t deny the guy makes me laugh, and with a mind full of darkness and confusion, a little laughter helps. Ya know?”

  I can tell Ash feels uncomfortable as he reaches up and rubs the back of his neck. He looks at me with sad eyes, giving me a fleeting smile, before waving his arms around like some crazy man. “Well isn’t that just great,” he huffs. “I make you laugh all the time, but you don’t try and kiss the shit outta me!” His voice is high pitched and screeching as he jumps to his feet and starts stomping off toward the door.

  I stop in the moment, stunned by his reaction, not really sure what the hell is going on. I jump to my feet and head in after him.

  “Ash, wait up!” My eyes search the room, my head turning frantically as I try to find him. “What the hell?” I mumble, as I continue to look around, but not finding him.

  I stand there frozen, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, waiting for him to appear. Within seconds I hear footsteps approaching. I turn the corner and see him bustling down the staircase, a huge shit ass grin on his face. “What the hell, Ash?” I shriek.