Page 99 of Don't Leave Me Behind
“I’m good, I’m okay.”I’m here.I want to say.I’m alive.Adler nods, then makes room as more people pile into the tiny recovery room. Ma wiggles her way between Adler and me, hands squeeze both of my feet. Ethan’s on one side, Toby’s on the other. Dad’s standing next to Mercer, his big hand wrapping around mine. Adler sits next to my leg, one warm hand resting on my shin.
“Jesus Christ,” Miya says from the doorway, and Pepper gives me an awkward little wave. “Leni needs to rest! You guys are practically crushing her. AJ, get the fuck offthe bed.”
Adler peeks up at me, a sheepish grin on his face. “I think she likes me.” He winks, then slides off the bed.
“Seriously, Leni, I’m glad you’re awake and alive, but your family are animals. You should see what they’ve done to the waiting room.”
Her voice sounds serious, but she’s smiling at everyone, and I know she’s as relieved as they are. “But really, two visitors at a time unless you’re nine months old, then you may have three.”
I would squeal if my throat would allow it because somewhere between fighting with Clay and waking up here, I’d forgotten that I have a niece now. I wiggle my fingers out toward Toby, who I only now realized is holding a tiny little squish in his arms. I get lots of toe squeezes as people start to file out of the room. Toby leans the sweetest little bean towards me, letting me take a look at her. I kiss her cheek before Toby pulls her away and passes her off to Brooks, who moves to the seat on my right, Mercer staying in the chair on my left.
Toby leans down to kiss my forehead, moving his lips closer to my ear when he whispers, “Clay’s in the hall. Him and Merc are fighting. But he’s here.”
My heart skips a beat on the monitor, too many sets of eyes whipping around to look at me when they hear it. Toby pulls away quickly and heads out the door with the rest of them.
Miya shoves a lingering Adler out the door, closing it behind the rest of the crew. Mercer pulls his chair closer, wrapping his hands back around my cast.
Miya squeezes past Brooks, leaning over to hug me, her inhale shaky. “Do you need anything, Leni?”
“I’m hurting,” I whisper, hoping the boys don’t hear.
“How bad?” Miya’s eyes crinkle in the corners, concern etched in the crease of her brow.
A few more tears slip down my face because now that the excitement of waking up alive has worn off, the painis debilitating. She looks down into my eyes and nods, not needing me to say it. “I’ll get your doctor, okay? Anything else?”
“I need Clay,” I say, looking between Brooks and Miya. Mercer’s fingers tighten around my hand, making me take a sharp breath. Pain spiking through my chest and ribs.
“Leni.” Mercer’s voice pleads with me, but I keep looking at Miya. A silent conversation passes between us. She nods, then looks at Brooks, who gives her a tilt of the head. He’s got her back on this one.
“Come on, Mercer.” She wiggles her hands at him. “Let’s go get some food.”
“I’m not a child, Mimi.” Mercer glares. “I’m not leaving her.” He sits back further into his chair, shaking his head.
“Yeah, you are.” Brooks’ deep voice snaps.
“Brooks, come on. He lied to us. He’s not—” Brooks quirks an eyebrow, his mouth set in a hard line.
“You’ve seen him, Mercer. That man is wrecked. If she wants him in here, then he needs to be in here.” Brooks nods at Mimi, then gives Mercer his own fierce glare.
“Fucking ridiculous.” Mercer shoves up from his chair, stomping out of the room, muttering more curse words as he goes. Miya shoots me an apologetic look before following him.
I glance at the most perfect little squishy cheeks and take in my niece for the first time. She looks a little bit like Kate, but mostly takes after her dad, whoever that is. He must have red hair, I guess, because I don’t remember anyone in Kate’s family having red hair. Tessa stares at me, one chubby little hand coming up to touch my cheek. She has that same giant pink pacifier in her mouth, but it tips out a little when she starts to smile. “Care to share?” I ask Brooks.
“Kate showed up out of the blue with her. Said she wasn’t cut out to be a mother and asked me to take her.” I raise an eyebrow, asking more than one question with that gesture. I’msurprised that Brooks would have taken in a child that wasn’t his, surprised she had the guts to show up and ask it of him. “She put my name on the birth certificate. She might not be mine, but Kate hadn’t even named her, Leni. She’s been calling her baby girl Kane for nine fucking months. I couldn’t let her leave with her. Who knows what she went through.”
Brooks glances at Tessa in his arms, snuggling her deeper into his chest when her hands reach up to pat his face. “I took one look at her and knew she belonged here. With us. So yeah, dad mode activated.”
I laugh, pain lancing through my chest, lungs sucking in air through my sore throat.
“Okay.” Brooks leans forward, swiping my bangs back off my face. “No more laughing, you’re supposed to be resting.”
“Then stop being funny.”
Brooks cracks a rare grin before looking down at Tessa with so much love and adoration in his eyes. I almost can’t stand it. “She might not be blood, but I’m sure she’ll learn to deflect with humor too.”
“I can attest,” Clay speaks from the doorway. My heart rate spiking on the monitor draws another grin from Brooks. “It’s absolutely a Kane trait that can be learned.”
Brooks turns a serious face at Clay, something sad and resolute in his eyes. “You’re the reason I agreed to take her in. Do you know that?”
