Chapter 10

Emily and Charlotte walked back to the beach house together, Emily's arm wrapped around Charlotte's shoulder. Despite everything that was going on in her life at that moment Emily felt a lightening in her heart as she walked with her little sister. It felt good to have family to care about again.

The women found Daniel waiting with the other men when they walked back into the beach house. The atmosphere in the living room was tense when they entered. Daniel and Jack could barely stand being in the same room with each other and both Nolan and Declan looked like they'd rather be anywhere else.

"Daniel! What are you doing here?" Emily asked brightly, hoping that the others in the room could act natural so that Daniel wouldn't become suspicious.

"Well I heard that Declan was getting home today and I wanted to come by and see how he was doing. Plus see my baby sister and my beautiful girlfriend." Daniel answered.

Charlotte forced herself to put a smile on her face and return Daniel's hug when he pulled her into his arms. She tried to remember that he was Danny, her big brother who'd always looked out for her. Her head remembered these things but the only thing she could feel in her heart was disgust knowing that Daniel was standing here smiling and welcoming Declan home all the while knowing who was responsible for hurting him so badly. It was repulsive to think that her brother was protecting the man who was responsible for her father being murdered and her fiance being paralyzed. Her stomach clenched tightly and without warning she was pulling away from Daniel and running to the bathroom to be sick.

"Char!" Declan called and pushed his wheelchair as fast as he could to the bathroom where she'd disappeared.

She hadn't had time to lock the door behind her so Declan was able to follow her in to the bathroom. He found her huddled on the floor in front of the toilet retching and crying. Declan wheeled to the sink, noting absently that the bathroom too had been remodeled to be wheelchair accessible. He soaked a washcloth with cold water and then placed it on the back of Charlotte's neck. She had finished throwing up by the time he got over to her, but she was still crying.

"I don't think I can do this Dec." She whispered so that no one outside the bathroom could hear her.

Declan helped her to her feet and then pulled her down so that she was sitting in his lap. "I know this is hard Charlotte. Maybe we should just leave. We could move somewhere, just the two of us. Well the three of us." He amended and rubbed a hand over her stomach.

She shook her head and sniffed a little. "No I don't want to run away from this. I want to stay and make sure they pay for what they've done. It was just a shock having Daniel suddenly be here, but I think I'm good now." She stated sounding determined.

Charlotte stood up from Declan's lap, both of them laughing a little when he had to put a hand on her back and push so that she could actually get up. She pulled open the medicine cabinet and gave a happy sigh when she found unopened tooth brushes and tooth paste waiting for guests. After brushing her teeth and rinsing her face with cold water she turned to Declan and gave him a bright fake smile.

"Okay do I look alright?" She asked.

"You look beautiful." He assured her.

She gave him a grin and rolled her eyes. "Flirt." She quipped under her breath as she opened the door.

"Sorry everybody, morning sickness is such a lie, they should call it any damn time it pleases sickness." Charlotte joked brightly when she reentered the living room.

Emily was impressed by how quickly Charlotte had managed to get herself under control. She'd obviously lost it when Daniel had unexpectedly shown up, but she had reigned in her feelings and nothing seemed out of the ordinary now.

"You sure you're okay?" Daniel asked with concern.

"I'm fine I swear. Just one of the downsides to pregnancy." Charlotte assured him and sat down on a couch giving Emily a grateful look when she brought her a glass of water.

"Declan can I talk to you for a minute?" Jack asked and motioned for Declan to follow him outside onto the deck.

"Look I need to pick up Carl from the nanny and check on the bar. Are you going to be alright here on your own? I can come back with Carl if you think you'll need me." Jack offered.

Part of Declan wanted to tell Jack to stay, he wanted the comfort of knowing his big brother was right there if he needed help, but the Porter pride in him didn't want to admit it. It was terrifying being out of the rehab center. There he'd had nurses and orderlies who could help him with any problem that might arise, now that he was out he was on his own. It was tempting to ask Jack to stay, but if he stayed tonight then Declan would still be faced with him leaving the next night or the night after. At some point he was going to have to deal with the realities of being paralyzed all on his own. It might as well be now, no use putting off the inevitable.

"I'll be fine Jack. You've put your life on hold for four months for me, it's time you get back to it. Go check on the bar and hang out with your son. I'm good and if I do need something Charlotte will be here or I can always call you." Declan assured him, he was glad that his voice came out sounding much more sure than he actually felt.

Jack sat down on the porch swing and scrutinized his younger brother. "I honestly don't know how you're dealing with all of this Dec. I think if it was me I'd be going crazy. How are you handling this so well?"

Declan sighed and turned one wheel of his chair so that he was facing his brother. "I don't know. I guess I just figure that I can't change the situation so I may as well get used to it. I mean Charlotte's having a baby Jack, my baby. I have to be strong for her, she needs me."

Jack put a hand on Declan's shoulder and squeezed. "Declan, Charlotte is stronger than you think. If you'd have seen how strong she was right after you were hurt and we weren't sure whether or not you'd live you wouldn't worry so much. Maybe it's time you let her take care of you for awhile."

Declan nodded and let out the breath he'd been holding. "I'm fine Jack, stop worrying. Go home and take care of my nephew. Bring him over tomorrow so I can see him and you can check on me then ok?"

"Okay I'll take the hint. You don't need your big brother breathing down your neck. I'll see you tomorrow." Jack promised before driving away.

Declan waited until Jack was out of sight and then turned to head back into the house. The only problem was that the patio door opened towards the outside and was heavy. He'd learned how to open doors and get through in his chair during rehab but suddenly he was struggling with it. He couldn't seem to pull his chair back with one hand while opening the door with the other and then keep the door open long enough to get through. The fact that everyone in the house had a perfect view of his struggle didn't help any. Luckily Nolan was quick to hurry over and hold the door for Declan.

"Thanks." Declan mumbled under his breath as he wheeled into the house and pulled his chair up next to the sofa where Charlotte was sitting. His face was burning with humiliation, but he tried to look like his struggle hadn't bothered him. He noticed that Charlotte still looked a little pale and he gave her a worried look. She noticed the look and gave him a reassuring smile, then took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"So Daniel just told me that my mom wants us to go up to the Manor for dinner tonight, along with Emily and Daniel." Charlotte informed him.

"Um." Declan drawled not sure how to respond. He hadn't really planned on going anywhere this soon after getting out of the hospital. He'd hoped for just a quiet night at home. Before he could think of an answer his phone alarm began to ring. He'd set the alarm to go off every six hours, a reminder that he needed to go to the bathroom and catheterize himself.

"I'll be back in a minute." He whispered to Charlotte before heading to the bathroom.

Once he'd closed and locked the door he forced himself to steady his breathing. Going to the bathroom since his injury was usually the worst parts of his day. It was the biggest reminder that his body was broken and would never work the way it was meant to again. He pulled his supplies from the backpack that he carried on the back of his wheelchair. He finished as quickly as he could and used the time to try and decide what to say about dinner. By the time he was done he'd decided that despite his reluctance he was going to accept the dinner offer, for no other reason than perhaps he'd be able to learn some bit of information that could help Emily out.

Now that he knew everything he wasn't going to waste a single chance to try and take the Graysons down. Every time he was in their home or around them was one more opportunity to learn something that could be of value and he wasn't going to waste a single chance at getting that information.

He left the bathroom and wheeled back into the living room where Emily and Charlotte were talking to Daniel and Nolan was messing around on his smart phone.

"So dinner at your parents huh? Hope it goes better than the last few times we tried to all eat together." He joked while plastering a fake smile across his face.

His heart was pounding knowing that very soon he'd be sitting at the same table as the man who had put him in a wheelchair and he had to pretend like everything was fine. It was going to be a long night.