Chapter 23

"Do you have to leave?" I pulled him back as he put his shirt on.

"I don't want to leave but I have to." He leaned down and grabbed my bags that I had just packed 15 minutes earlier.

"I wish I could go with you, I don't want to deal with that shit at home." I walked out and closed the door behind me.

"Ask Josh if you can stay!" He stopped and turned around.

"You know I can't ask him that, after all that has happened to his house, and Brian. I need to go home and fix this." I grabbed one of my bags from his hand.

"Yeah I know, plus it's only three days." I walked up next to him and linked my arm in his.

"Yeah only three days, so don't find a new girlfriend." I leaned my head on his arm.

"What I would nev..." I cut him off.

"I was just kidding." We walked into the elevator and some woman gasped at the sight of my nose, and I turned and looked at her. "The doc says it's suppose to get worse.

"My dear what happened." She had a shocked look on her face, Nick answered for me.

"She ran into a wall, she was really, really drunk." I pinched him, the door opened on the third floor and the woman rushed out of there like we were going to give her a disease.

"What you say that for!" He laughed.

"It was funny, did you see her face." I couldn't help but laugh. We walk outside and the same limo was waiting for me. The driver took my bags and waited for me to say goodbye to Nick.

"Please be safe, keep your eyes open, don't go anywhere alone." He grabbed my face and kissed me.

"I will be fine, you sound like Josh." I hugged him

"Don't be Naive, please for your own sake, call me when you land." I gave him one last kissed and headed for the car.

"Love you." I said blowing a kiss.

"Love you too, and be careful!" He shouted before the driver closed the door.

This flight was not all that bad, I sat next to a very nice old couple. They were very interesting, telling me about how they met when they were fourteen and going through the Vietnam war together. They kept my mind off the flight the whole time. They were so in love with each other and it was nice to see. The plane landed and I walked to the terminal, Josh was sitting on a bench on his phone, I waited form my bags. It took him about 20 minutes to come over, he hugged me.

"You okay, your nose looks like shit." I gave him another hug.

"I'm so sorry for all of this, you shouldn't be put in the middle, this isn't your problem."

"Kate last time I checked you are my family, so this is my problem, I have got a surprise." I grabbed one of my bags off the baggage claim.

"What." I put it down a looked at him. "Oh my god! Riley!" I ran over to my brother and jumped on him. I didn't let go of him for what seemed like 5 minutes.

"Hey." A tear rolled down his face.

"Riley please don't cry! I'm fine, I just miss you guys so much!" Riley was always emotional when it came to me, We were the closest only being two years apart we did everything together. Everyday after school he would walk me home and we would play baseball in this sandlot, we always came home looking like dirtballs. I knew that if he heard about this he would leave school and come see me. I didn't want him to have to do that.

"I just want to make sure your okay. I 'm going to stay with you guys for a little bit."

"Riley no, you have school and Josh is here. How are you going to justify missing school?" Josh came over with my other bag and Riley grabbed the one I had.

"Kate stop, That's why they offer online classes, I told my professors I had a family emergency and they are allowing me to take the classes online till I get back." He put his hand on top of my head and messed my hair all up, he did it all the time.

"Okay, just promise me that your coming out here because you want to, not because you think you have to." Josh chimed in.

"Kat none of us think we HAVE to make sure your safe and be here for you, we want to because we love you." Riley pushed me.

"Yeah, what he said booger so just except that I'm here and I will be for a little bit, or until this is settled." I smiled

"Fine" I took my phone out and I saw that Nick had called "Shit, I forgot to call Nick."

"Yeah about that, I need to hear all about this guy, and meet him so I can approve him, even though you don't listen to our opinions." Riley threw my bag in the back of Josh's car. I put the phone up to my ear while it was ringing.

"Give me some credit, I'm finally realizing Brian was a mistake, Oh hey Nick, sorry for not calling you right away. My brother Riley came to see me."

"Wow really, does he want to kick my ass?" I laughed

"Let me ask." I covered the mouth piece. "Riley do you want to Kick Nick's ass?"

"If he gives me a reason, I will." He pounded his fist into his hand and laughed.

"Nick don't give him a reason." I was smiling back, I missed my brothers.

"I won't, I won't say a word, Everything okay though."

"Yeah I feel really protected right now."

"You should, all these big guys around you. If I was Brian I would be shitting my pants right now." Nick always made me laugh. "So will I get to meet Riley."

"Yeah he is going to be here for awhile, apparently you need his approval to date me."

"Damn straight!" Riley yelled from the front seat and Nick heard it.

"Wow your brother is going to kick my ass."

"No he is not everything is fine, I can't wait for you guys to meet."

"Well I will be nervous no doubt about that, but I'm going to let you go, have fun with your brother be safe, and uh talk me up." My smile was so big.

"I will, bye."

"Bye."

We pulled up to Josh's house and before I could touch one of my bags they both grabbed one. Riley settled down in Josh's other guest room, his house was huge, we all went down stairs and made some sandwiches, it was 3 in the morning and we were all laughing reminiscing on our childhood. I got up for a second and walked to the door.

"Where you going." Josh shut the door.

"I left my carry on in the car, It's not like I'm the president of the United States, I will be fine." Riley walked over

"I will get it!" He said shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth.

"You guys don't have to do this, seriously!" I sat down and crossed my arms.

"Kat it's just to keep you safe, please just let us do this for a little bit."

"Whatever." Riley walked in and put my bag down, He had a shocked look on his face. "Why you got that look on your face?" I stood up and looked in my bag.

"I think I just saw Justin." I dropped my bag on the floor.

"Justin? as in Justin Bennett, Brian's brother, your fucking joking, Riley you are joking!" I was practically yelling.

"I don't know it looked like him and when I went outside he sped off." I walked into the living room and put my face in my hands. Riley sat next to me.

"This has got to stop, I can't handle this, I'm not strong enough." Riley didn't say anything, I didn't want him to.