Page 21 of Every Sunset

“Anna? It’s Madd. Can you hear me?” I asked as I lifted one of her hands, both of which were holding her shins, pressing her legs folded up against her chest. I felt for her pulse and knew, without even counting, that it was way too fast. Her whole body was shaking, and silent tears trickled down her cheeks, but she didn’t move or respond to me in any way, her eyes remaining scrunched up tight, her face pressed to her knees.

“Mom!” Max cried as he ran in behind me and dropped to my side. “Mom, I’m here. Look at me, please!” The kid was terrified, shaking almost as hard as his mom as he leaned in to press a hand against the top of her head.

“She’ll be okay Max,” I tried to reassure him. “She just needs some time. We’re gonna take care of her.”

“She’s so cold,” Max pointed out as he touched her forehead, smoothing his fingers across it, trying to soothe her but seeming afraid to touch her too much.

“Let’s get her off of the floor and back to our place,” Logan said. I looked up at where he stood behind me, and we shared a grim look. He knew what was going on too. He’d had the misfortune to find me in this very state a couple of times after I got out of the hospital after the attack.

“Your place?” Max questioned.

“I think you should both stay with us until your mom’s feeling better. That way Madd and I can help you take care of her,” Logan answered.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Everything’s just gotten a little too much.

She was exhausted and she’s been struggling, hasn’t she?

” I asked as I looked up to Max. He nodded, tears trickling down his cheeks.

He looked so much younger as he knelt at my side, scared to death for his mom.

“She will get through it. We just need to stay close and make sure she knowns she’s not alone.

Once she’s had some sleep, she’ll feel a lot better. ”

“Can you pack a bag with a few days essentials for you both?” Logan asked him, and I was grateful he gave the kid a task to focus on. It was painful to see him looking so upset and shaken.

“Yeah…okay. You’ll stay with her?” Max questioned.

“We’re not going anywhere,” I promised as I scooped Anna up from the cold floor and held her close to me.

She was freezing cold and rigid in my hold.

I hated seeing the pain and fear in her face.

I didn’t know why, but this woman had gotten under my skin and I felt way more for her than I should after having known her for only a matter of weeks.

Sure she was attractive and beautiful, but it was so much more than that.

I felt like she truly saw me when she looked at me, and I didn’t think I had ever felt that way before.

Her fractured parts saw mine, and rather than pitying me, she seemed to just click with me.

It intrigued me. She intrigued me, and I just wanted to know her better.

If only she’d stop running from me and my brother at every opportunity.

“Here,” Logan said as he pulled a plaid blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped around it Anna in my arms. I pressed her closer to my body, hoping she would realize I was there - that we all were and that she wasn’t alone.

“This is bad,” I whispered to Logan as he came closer and held her hand in his, underneath the blanket. “She’s obviously been through so much more than either of us realized.”

“I told her we wouldn’t push her for answers about her past,” he reminded me.

“I know, and we won’t. But she needs to talk to someone if things have gotten this bad,” I sighed.

“Let’s just get them both settled at our place and get her through this first, yeah? Max is terrified, and even if Anna hadn’t checked out on us, she’s not taking care of herself enough. She might want to push us away for some reason, but I don’t think she can afford to right now.”

“I’d love to get my hands on the fucker who put Max and Anna through whatever hell made them as scared as they are,” I growled.

“Easy brother,” Logan warned as the heavy sound of Max running down the stairs alerted to his presence.

“Is she…?” Max nodded to his mom with worry.

“She’s warmer now,” I told him. It was all I had. She was far from okay.

“That’s good I guess,” he shrugged.

“Did you get everything you both need?” Logan asked as he moved to the bottom of the stairs and took one of the two duffel bags the kid held.

“I need mom’s meds and a phone charger,” Max told him. He was calmer now, all trace of his tears gone, but he wasn’t fooling either Logan or me. We saw his fear for his mom. We felt it too.

We watched as Max moved to the kitchen and scooped a ton of pill bottles from one of the higher cabinets into the open duffel bag he held.

“They’re all your mom’s?” I asked with shock.

“Yeah. Some are for the transplant, others are from stuff that happened while she was waiting for the transplant and…uh, other stuff.” I didn’t miss the way he looked away from the both of us as he said the last part, and I worried what thet meant.

Had whoever abused the two of them caused Anna lasting injuries that required medication?

Or was she on anxiety meds because of what she’d been through?

Neither were good, and only increased my bloodlust to hunt down the fucker who laid hands on her.

“You know what she needs to take and when?” Logan asked.

“Yeah. I keep a log when we go to doctor appointments. I have it all written down. Mom hates me doing it, but she has so much to remember.”

“You’re a good kid, Max,” Logan told him with a smile.

“Not good enough, obviously,” Max scoffed as he glanced to his mom, and away again.

“Hey!” Logan said as he rounded the counter and stood opposite Max, placing a hand on his shoulder as he spoke.

“None of this is your fault, bud. Your mom would be mad if she thought you were blaming yourself. Your mom…she just…she’s having a tough time, and she needed some time to recoup.

The tiredness won’t have helped, but she’ll be alright.

You’re an amazing son, Max, but you are only fifteen.

You can’t take everything on your young shoulders. ”

“I just need her to get through this and be okay,” Max uttered as he dropped his gaze to the ground and swiped at his eyes.

“She will be. You’re not alone. We’re here and we want to help both of you. Do you believe me?” Logan asked.

“Yeah,” Max nodded. “I do, but I’m not so sure my mom does.”

“Then we’ll convince her,” I cut in. “Come on, kid. Grab the rest of your shit and lets get out of here. Logan can come back later to secure the back door.”

I couldn’t watch that poor young guy fall apart anymore.

It hurt so fucking much to know he was so filled with worry and stress at such a young age.

What had he been through to be so filled with terror for his mom?

What had been done to him to make him so strong and wise beyond his years?

He was fifteen. All he should be thinking about was school, girls, and whatever sport he was into.

That should be as far as his worries went, but he carried so much more on his shoulders and I got why Anna was so scared of giving him anything else to add to it all now.

She wanted to protect him in the way it seemed no one had ever done for her, and that made perfect sense, but she was trying to do it at the cost of herself - of her own happiness, wellbeing, and health, and Logan and I couldn’t sit back and watch her do that any longer.

It was time we stepped up even more and proved to her that we could and would protect them both if only she’d allow us to.