Chapter {27}
Damon Mortimer:
Emrys has been silent. She has been keeping to herself, taking more on-calls at the hospital, doing 26h shifts and keeping as far away from the house as she can.
When she gets home she goes straight to bed, sleeps and repeats her day. Aj just stays in his little bubble at school, I take him to the garage when Rhys does those long shifts to keep him distracted.
"Hey Sunshine," I called over my shoulder hearing Emrys walk through the front door.
She put her bag down on the floor, her keys on the table and walked straight into her bedroom. I followed her in seeing her start to shrug her clothes off and get ready to sleep. Aj was at school since it was midday and Rhys just came home from a night shift.
"How was your day?" I questioned leaning against the door frame.
"Okay," she mumbled slipping her scrubs off and putting on some joggers and a hoodie of mine.
"Did you eat anything today?" I asked next taking a step forward.
"Look, Damon. I'm tired and all I want to do is sleep. I have had a long night with a lot of consults and I do not want to deal with your questions right now. Just leave, please." she snapped back getting back out of the bed.
"Why have you been ignoring me? No scratch that, why have you been ignoring your own son?" I shot back my anger rising.
"Don't you dare bring Aj into this. I am a doctor and saving people's lives is what I do. Since I have met you I have not been at that hospital as much, I haven't been me and now all my life has turned upside down because of you. I have exams coming up and I do not need you and your family to stay away from me and my son. Everything is your fault, all of you." she accused.
"I lost everything because of you," she whispered out.
"Emrys–" I came closer to her, holding her arm to bring her into a hug.
"No Damon. Leave. I can't face you right now because all I can think about is your parents and when I think about your parents I think about how I don't have my dad and it's their fault."
"It's their fault," she repeated and ended up in tears.
"Emrys, please." I tried gripping onto her arm a little more strongly.
"Just leave Damon. I'll pick Aj up from school later. Just leave me alone." she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks making my heart ache.
"Go." she gently pried my hand off her arm and pushed me away.
I took a deep breath and nodded my head in agreement. She needs her space and time to heal and process all this information before we can step forward.
"I'll ring you later to check up on you. Take care love." with that I walked out of that room and that house.
I knew what I needed to do for her and I knew just the man to do it but first, she needs to sleep her day off and get all the rest she deserves after her shift.
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Paul Jackson:
I was in the tech room teaching Amelia how to hack into a simple database to see if she was paying attention to what I had been teaching her the past few years when the door to the dark room opened up in a haste.
"Paul I need to talk to you, right now." Damon all but growled out.
He is so much like Asher it almost makes me want to roll my eyes.
"A please and thank you, Damon, never goes amiss. I'm with your sister at the moment, come back in a few and I'll all yours." I sassed and turned back in my chair to focus on what I was teaching Amelia before we were rudely interrupted by her brother.
"It's Emrys." was all he said for me to be out of my seat, my heart pounding.
"Is she alright? Is it Aj? What happened?" I rushed my questions out, worry filling my body.
"I don't know." he rubbed the back on his neck in nerves.
"Amelia, honey, can you leave Damo and I please. You did well today." I ushered her off.
She knew not to question when it came to touchy subjects like that, especially with her brothers between Wolf and his issues and now Damons. She and her sister were still too young and precious to deal with all these big problems. All those girls need to do is get an education, kick arse just like their mother and never ever date anyone, ever.
"Tell me what's going on." I gestured for Damon to take a seat where his sister had just been, waiting for him to talk.
"She is mad, and that's an understatement. She is hurt, she kicked me out of the house because I reminded her too much of mum and dad. She blames them for uncle Carter's death and in that she blames me too." he sighed sadly, hunching over his knees leaning on his elbows.
"Damon, of course, she is hurt. She just found out that her dad had a double life and that was what killed him, for her to grow up with no father with whom she was very close to. On top of that, the people that to her took him away are the parents of her current boyfriend. She isn't going to take it on the chin and be fine about it." I reasoned with him.
"I know but she is avoiding me. She has been overworking herself at the hospital, she barely eats, she only sleeps the amount she needs to, to go back to work 26-hour shift the next day. And then she has the audacity to say that it's her job and I get that but she is straining herself too much and it's going to send her into an early grave." he exclaimed getting all riled up just like Asher would.
Like father like son as they say.
"Listen to yourself. Who does it sound like you are describing? A selfless, hard working person that will stop at nothing to do good and help others even if that means that their own health is at risk?" I questioned him.
"Uncle Carter."
"Exactly. They are the same and there is no way you are changing her now. She needs to do this for herself and if working extra hours at the hospital is her way to keep her mind off things then there isn't much you can do about it."
"I know but I love her and I just want her to be happy and healthy and right now she is neither. And it's killing me that I can't take her in my arms and console her because I'm the reason for her pain." Damon sighed defeated.
"Hey. Look at me." I ordered making him sit up straight.
"You are not the reason for her pain. That bitch that killed Carter is to blame, that man that claimed to be a father is to be blamed, not you and surely not your parents." my anger rising as memories of that awful day come back to mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where's Carter?" I asked as Asher jumped in the car holding a frail-looking Everleigh drenched in blood on his lap.
"He's..." Asher started but I could see the tears building in his eyes as he shook his head and I knew.
He didn't make it.
My features matched Asher as I drove off pushing the heartbreak and grief aside.
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"I know that Paul. And I want to know that too but she is just so upset and angry. That's why I came to you because so far she isn't mad at you and I think she needs to hear more about her dad and his life with her. You are the only one that knows that secret part of his life. Please, I beg of you." he pleaded.
Damn, that boy knows how to play with my heartstrings since the moment he entered this family.
"I'll go talk to her. I agree with you she needs to know more about her father." I stood up from my chair and placed my gun in the back of my waistband taking my phone and keys with me as well.
"You are a good man Damon. Carter would be proud that you are the one to be with his daughter." I spoke honestly.
"Thank for this uncle Paul," he said before I left to speak with my love's daughter.
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I arrived in front of her apartment door and knocked waiting for a reply.
After a moment the door swung open revealing a tired looking Emrys with a little bubba on her hip with a car in his hand making it roll on his mother's shoulder.
He is definitely a Bellantuono that little boy.
"Paul? What are you doing here? I mean not to be rude or anything." she spoke shock lacing her voice.
I'm pretty sure I was the last person she was expecting to see today.
"May I come in?" I poked my head through the door.
"Yeah sure." she opened the door wider for me to come in.
"Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? Water?" I heard her ask as she made her way to the open plan kitchen placing Aj on the floor.
He ran over to me now that I was sat on her couch.
"I'm alright love," I called over my shoulder to which she just nodded and proceeded to make herself a drink.
"What's in the box?" Aj asked curiously trying to peer into it.
"Just somethings I want to show your mummy." I smiled down at the little boy with Carter's eyes.
The sight of them made my heart clench at all the memories I have with those deep brown eyes.
Aj just nodded and sat in a corner of the room where the rest of his toys were and played quietly.
"Why are you here?" Emrys asked again as she took a seat on the armchair on the left of the coffee table.
It always amazes me how genetics work. She looks exactly like her grandfather with her blonde hair and blue eyes, but the dash of brown in her right eye makes me know she is Carter's.
"I have some things that I think you might like to have." I pushed the box in her direction for her to open.
I saw her expression change from confused to sadness as she saw what the box held. There were pictures of all the gang with Carter, Carter and I, him and the rest of the guys, pictures of all of us in college, at Asher's many weddings and even some baby pictures of her and her dad. Alongside the pictures was his old college varsity sweater and other bits and bobs that were his and that I thought she might want to keep.
"What are these? Why did you bring me these?" her tone change and anger clouded her vision.
"Emrys don't get mad, Damon sent me." I started and was about to answer when she stood up arms crossed over her chest defensively.
"Damon sent you? Jesus! Can't he leave me alone!?" she exclaimed clearly fed up with him.
"I get that you are upset but–" she cut me off once more.
"Upset? Upset?" she repeated a pitch higher.
"I am more than upset. I am hurt, I feel lied to, betrayed, furious, sad and alone. I feel so alone." tears slipped from her eyes at her confession.
"Princess, you are not alone. To start off you have me, I have always been there for you since you were a bubba. And you have Asher and Everleigh and Ray and you aunt Annie and more importantly, you have Damon and that baby boy of yours. You are not alone." I stood up and cupped her cheeks wiping the tears away.
"I was there for your first steps, the first time you called Carter dada, your first day at school. I even bought you your first fake doctors kit." I made her smile at my enthusiasm which put a smile on my lips too.
"I'm here for you Bubba, I always have and always will be and so will the rest of the gang. You are one of us and you always have been." I continued wiping her tears.
She threw her arms around me and nuzzled her head in my chest. I was taken back by her action but nevertheless wrapped my arms around her body and held tight.
"Thank you Paully." she whispered the nickname she called me when she was little.
I kissed the top of her head a smile gracing my lips once more.
"Tell me more about daddy please."
"Let's have a seat and I will tell you about the time I first met Carter and Asher. It sure was a funny day."
I lead her to the sofa where we both sat letting me tell her the story of the day I met the love of my life.
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New Update!!! Whoop Whoop!
extra long one too!
I love Paul and feel super bad for him, bless.
Next update hopefully this weekend.
What will happen next?
Thoughts? predictions?
best bits?
update on my love life for those who are interested haha talking to a new guy (the last one was a total jerk in the end), this new guy is ticking a lot of boxes at the moment so fingers crossed ;)
xoxoxo