Chapter Fifty-Six:
Robin sat quietly in Patrick's office while he filled her in on what he had done by going to the board and asking for Dr. Obrecht to be fired. She watched him pace and she waited for him to finish before she said anything.
"I don't want you to be angry and I don't know if I should have said something first, but this is important to me and I needed to do it."
"Come sit down," she said and motioned for him to join her on the couch.
He exhaled and sat down.
She reached out and took his hand in hers.
"Thank you. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me and it means everything that you tried. I don't want you to lose your job over me."
He looked at her hand in his and shook his head.
"It wasn't for you," he said and then chuckled. "That isn't what I meant. It's for you, but it's also what's right. I was too much of a coward to do this before and I don't understand why. I think back to the events that occurred when you were home and from the moment I saw you in the church until you left, I feel like I was living this alternate life. I don't recognize the man I was and I don't understand my actions. I don't know how I never asked what you went through or what happened from the minute you woke up after the explosion. I don't know how I asked you to have another child and then made you feel like you had to make a choice between leaving and me. I was such an arrogant prick and I can't tell you enough how sorry I am. I am going to live my life to make you and Emma and most importantly, myself proud. My mom raised me better. My dad, as much as I may fight it, deserves better. I am going to be a better man."
Robin smiled and reached to his cheek.
"I need to tell you about my session with Dr. Holly, but I'd like to take you somewhere else to do that. Is that okay?"
"Where?"
"Do you still own the plot of land?"
Patrick looked at her and nodded.
"I'd like to go there."
"You got it," he said.
They got up and left.
XXXX
Patrick stopped at Eli's on the way and got a carry out of ribs and when they got to the site, Robin pulled a blanket out of the trunk and they went to sit by the large tree that was in the back of the property.
"This is the best meal I've had in a long time," Robin said as they ate and Patrick laughed.
"You would do almost anything for these ribs while you were pregnant with Emma."
"I don't think it had anything to do with being pregnant. I just love these ribs," she grinned as she wiped her mouth.
He finished his water and cleaned up their garbage before he joined her on the blanket.
"Are you okay? You seem a little distant," she asked him.
He looked at her and sighed.
"This is close to where I scattered your ashes," he shrugged. "Or what I thought were your ashes. I don't even know what they were."
"I'm so sorry," she said, horrified. "I had no idea."
"I came here and I was so lost," he said, his eye filling with tears. "I couldn't look at anything without seeing what I lost. I felt like the world had fucked me over and I was so mad at everyone and everything. I didn't know how to move forward without you."
She nodded and wiped her eyes.
"But you did. You found the strength and you picked yourself up and moved on. You made a beautiful life for Emma and I am so proud of that."
He exhaled and shook his head.
"I should have done so much more. I should have been the man who rescued you. I should have," he stopped when she touched his mouth.
"We need to move forward. You need to stop blaming yourself and you need to listen to me for a minute."
He looked into her eyes and she stroked his cheeks.
"I love you. I haven't been able to really understand that since I've been back. It's not like I didn't know, but when I looked at you I felt so many things. I didn't know how to put things in perspective, and for me, that's always been something I desperately needed."
He nodded.
"You showed me that. You showed me how to gain perspective in the worst of times."
She smiled.
"But when I came home, I lost that perspective. I lost the ability to trust in my love for you and in my ability to be who you needed. I needed to punish you because then I could protect my heart. I put my anger and hurt on you and I was wrong. I did many things wrong and it was incredibly selfish of me to think you should have known I was in trouble. I left you little choice and I was angry when that choice wasn't me."
He looked down, and his shame was evident.
"I'm so sorry," he said brokenly. "I would always choose you. I was just lost and so alone," he put his face in his hands and she moved to face him, moving his hands.
"I know," she said softly. "I don't want either one of us to hurt any more. I want to move forward and I'd like to try again. I want to see if who we are now can make it work. I want that. I want you."
He couldn't take it. His hands moved around her and his mouth crashed onto hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to welcome him in.
Patrick felt his body on fire for her. He hadn't kissed anyone like this since he was with her and the way her mouth felt against his was the biggest turn on. He moved his hand to cradle her head and his fingers tangled in her long hair.
They broke apart and he ran his fingers over her swollen lips.
"Do you think you will be able to forgive me for everything?" he asked.
"If you can believe that I have never, ever chosen anyone over you. I don't want you to be jealous of Stone or Jason or Mark. I want to grow our relationship and I want to be someone you are proud to be with."
He kissed her again and she smiled through her tears.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just feel like the fog that has surrounded my life is finally lifting. I know things are going to get better."
He nodded and stood up, pulling her up with him.
"I want to know it all. I want you to tell me everything you can about all you've been through. I don't want you to deal with any of this on your own."
She hugged him and sighed.
"Okay, but I don't know that it's important."
He pulled back and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"It's important because it's something you carry. I want to be with you on all of this."
She wiped her eyes and smiled.
"What if our being together causes problems for others?"
"What do you mean? Who would care?"
She bit her lip and sighed.
"Sabrina hates me Patrick. She blames me for Gabriel's death and now Carlos, too. If we are together, she might try and do something."
He stroked her cheek and shook his head.
"I don't care. I am sorry her life has been damaged by my actions, but you are not responsible for any of it. If I had followed my instincts, I would have broken it off with her much sooner. She needs to move on and find value in her own life. I am not going to hide my love for you or my happiness. This is our time and I don't intend to waste another minute."
She looked up at him as his mouth came down to connect with hers again and he picked her up around the waist and twirled them in a circle.
"Okay, I don't want to puke," she smiled and he put her down. "One more thing."
He was so happy, and he felt like he could do anything.
"What is it?"
"I still have a lot of work to do in dealing with everything. Dr. Holly has some ideas, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep in a bed yet or do more with you," she looked at her hands and he smiled.
"You mean sleep with me?"
She looked at him and her eyes were wet again.
"I bet that's not something you normally have to deal with."
He took her hands in his and kissed her fingers.
"I will wait until we are both ready. We have all the time in the world and when we are ready, we will take the next step," he said and moved to kiss her neck. "Besides, when we take that step, I don't want anything on your mind except how amazing I am."
She grinned and hugged him; feeling like this was going to finally be the life they wanted.
"I can't wait."
"Now I'll take you back to your apartment and then bring Emma over after school," he said. "I want to talk to a realtor about selling the house. I can come over after if that's okay."
"Okay," she said. "Sounds great."
They walked back towards the car when another car pulled up with dark windows. Patrick instinctively moved in front of Robin and they stopped.
"Who is it?" she asked him.
"I don't know. Don't worry."
Three men dressed in black with sunglasses walked out and had guns. Robin tried to move, but Patrick held her behind him.
"Dr. Drake? You need to come with us," one man said.
"I'm not going anywhere. Who are you?"
Another man stepped forward and looked at them.
"It's not wise to threaten people in power. You need to be taught a lesson and we're going to do that."
"No," Robin said. "We're not threatening anyone. Just let us go."
A man came toward Robin and Patrick lunged at him, but the man hit him with the butt of his gun and Patrick crumpled to the ground.
"Patrick! No!" she yelled and ran to him when the man picked her up and tossed her like she was nothing.
Patrick woke up and went to go to Robin when the man looked at him and in one quick motion, smacked him again with the gun.
"No! Robin screamed when the men picked Patrick up and tossed him in the back of their car and looked once more at her before they drove off, leaving her alone, running after them.
"No! Come back! Patrick! Help!" Robin ran until she fell to the ground and tried to catch her breath. She grabbed her phone with shaking hands and dialed 911 and then her uncle.
This was not happening. She ran to their car with her heart in her throat.
This was not happening.