Outlaw Angel

My Way of Thinkin: Part II

Korey's POV

Walking downstairs, I smiled thinking that I had a few weeks of no alarm clocks and best of all no schedules. Glancing in the kitchen I looked to see if I could find Brantley but didn't see him. I cut through the house heading out to the back deck seeing that darkness was quickly falling. I made my way down the deck steps to the fire pit. Ashley saw me and pulled away from Eli to walk over giving me a big hug.

"So damn glad y'all are home," she said hugging me tight. "After the last couple of months, you both need it."

"That I agree on,' I said with a smile. "Think the last plan I heard was locking the gates for the next few days and cutting our phones on vibrate."

"Damn right it is," I heard rasped in my ear as a pair of strong arms slipped around me. Brantley propped his chin on my shoulder looking at Ashley. "Please remind the little Princess we will spend some time with her in a few days. I don't know about her, but after this tour I feel like I could sleep for a week."

"I will do what I can," Ashley said with a chuckle. "But you both know how she can be. Even worse since you both spoil her. Better have an epic bribe ready is all I have to say. She has been talking about the fact y'all will be home for weeks."

Brantley and I shared a look with a secretive smile thinking about what we had up our sleeves in a couple weeks once the awards were over. Ashley narrowed her eyes I knew wondering just what that look was about. Eli on the other hand knew all about our plan. B kissed my cheek then walked over to greet a couple of the guys he had gone to high school with. Ashley crooked her finger for me to follow her back inside to the kitchen. She picked up a bottle of red wine that was on the counter pouring both of us a glass. I took a long sip as she gave me a knowing look.

"You of all people," she said with a sigh taking a sip of her own. "Look like you need that. How you are not curled up in a ball in the corner of a room somewhere I don't know sweetie."

"Have you seen B?" I asked trying to play it off. "He wouldn't let me. You know that."

"Yes, he would," Ashley said quietly laying a hand on my arm. "You and I both know that. He'd let you break then pick up the pieces again. Korey, you did the same thing for him several months ago. Gave him a reason to fight. Let him be here for you."

"It's just so much Ashley," I whispered blinking back the tears that had been threatening. "All this shit with Georgie, losing the baby that neither of us had any idea about. Hell, I don't know even know if Brantley and I would have been ready for kids! It wasn't something we have talked about. He's pushing me to move here. I love being close to Frank, but I also would be thrilled at the idea of being close y'all." I blinked back tears taking a long sip of wine clenching my teeth. "Then when I got here earlier, Amber of all people was here. Logically I know it made sense why she was here but fucking still. I younger than him so what if this is just a sign that maybe we don't want the same things."

"Aww shit," Ashley muttered with a sigh. "Yea he told me about that earlier. Korey, I have known Brantley a long damn time. He is a brother to me which in turn makes you family. The kids adore you. So does Eli. We'd be thrilled to have you around more. Trust me when I tell you this. That man loves you. Mind, heart, body, and soul. None of us knew it but he'd been looking for you to make him whole. I've never seen the look of complete happiness he has when he looks at you til you walked into his life. You both have some down time. Need to take that time to talk about things. Most importantly you need it to heal Kor. You've been through a lot the last couple of months honey."

"I know," I whispered shaking my head. The front door opening, and slamming had me hastily wiping at my teary eyes as bootsteps grew closer to us. Kolby appeared a second later giving us both a wide smile.

"Hello ladies," he drawled walking over to hug both of us with a kiss on the cheek. "Korey how long do we have you? Last I heard it was forever."

"Yea, yea," I said with a snort rolling my eyes as he laughed. "Regardless of what the caveman says that is still up for discussion."

"You know that caveman will wear you down," Ashley said with a snicker then glanced towards the back door. "Speaking of said caveman he is probably looking for you."

"Ah!" Kolby said snapping his fingers and reaching into the pocket of his UGA hoodie. "Before I forget. Got pics of the last ultrasound."

"Gimme gimme," Ashley squealed making us both laugh. She snatched the pictures from Kolby as I walked around to look over her shoulder. "Oh god Ko, she's going to be so damn cute! I can't wait for her to get here. Already know without a doubt she will have B wrapped around her little finger just like Tinsley does."

"Pfftt..." I snorted ignoring the slight pang in my heart. "You should see the onesie I ordered a couple of months ago that is black with pink writing on it that says, "My Uncle Rocks". Complete with brass knuckles on it."

"That is badass Kor," Kolby said high fiving me. He gave us both a wink. I swallowed down the lump in my throat. That could have been us so excited like that next year. But instead.... I shook my head as I followed Ashley out the back door. I wasn't going to think about this. I was going to have a good time, relax, and hang out. Have so fun. Maybe get tipsy enough with Ashley to spend the night flirting with my sexy as hell boyfriend. Then maybe I'd feel up to a little more. I missed him. Missed that connection. Felt like that was something else that had been ripped from us. There was also a piece of me that felt like he looked at me different. I just hadn't had the courage to bring it up to him.

"Alright woman," Ashley said pausing beside me with the wine bottle in her hand. She topped off my glass then hers. "You look tense. You need one of two things. Either to get drunk or get laid. And you have a perfectly hot boyfriend that will help with that. Get you tipsy enough to jump him. That sound like a plan?"

"Been a little slow there," I sighed rolling my eyes. "I mean with...."

"Healing. And you needed to heal Kor," Ashley said softly wrapping an arm around me. "Mentally and physically. I am sure that I part of it and then y'all have been stuck on a bus or hotels pretty much since it happened. I do believe the mentioned plan earlier was to lock the gates and cut the phones off. So drink up and head towards step one of that."

"Got it all figured out don't ya," I snickered rolling my eyes as she kissed my cheek with a giggle.

"Of course, I do," she laughed turning to head down the stairs. "The kids are at my parents and I damn do I plan on jumping E later!"

I laughed as she sashayed closer to Eli with a grin. I took a look drink of wine deciding that maybe she was right. I just had to convince my mind of that. I walked closer to the fire as a hand landed on my shoulder automatically making me freeze in fear. Would I ever stop being so jumpy? I knew Georgie was dead. My breathing started to get shallow as an arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"Easy Kor," Ben said softly as I swallowed deeply a little bit of the fear going out of me at the sound of his voice. "Deep breaths. In and out honey. It's just me. BG's on the phone. Want me to go get him?"

"No," I said closing my eyes focusing on breathing in and out. I sighed then looked up at him. "I'm fine Ben. Just scared me is all." Ben was about to say something else when one of the logs shifted on the fire letting out a loud pop sounding like a gunshot. I couldn't help it. My mind went back to that night and Georgie laying on the floor of the bus with a pool of blood. But instead of B and PJ getting to me, they couldn't, and he got up from the floor with wide haunting eyes raising those boney hands coming at me still.

Then the gun wouldn't fire again. I could vaguely hear Ben calling my name. In a distance haze I could see Ben shaking my shoulders looking down at me. I just couldn't get words to come out as my body started to tremble uncontrollably. Tears slipped out my eyes blurring my vision even further. My legs buckled then as Ben gripped my arms catching me. I couldn't stop shaking. Then only thing I could make out as the world closed in on me was Ben yelling. "Coop! Get Brantley! Now!"