Unbroken Legacy

CHAPTER 14: THE FEAR AND THE RELIEF

Five o’clock hit sharp, and I wiped my hands on a rag, the grease smudging dark against the fabric. My shoulders ached, my boots felt heavy, but all I could think about was getting back inside, finding Casey, and pulling her close. I’d left her curled up warm and safe in our bed hours ago, and every minute apart felt longer than it should.

I pushed through the clubhouse doors, the usual hum of voices wrapping around me—but there was no sign of her. I scanned the room: Drake and Mel at the table, Nate leaning against the counter, Isabella flipping through a magazine, Duncan by the window. No Casey.

“Seen Casey?” I asked, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.

Isabella looked up, blinking. “Thought she was with you? Haven’t seen her since breakfast.”

Nate shook his head. “Not since lunch. Figured she’d gone back up for a nap.”

Drake frowned. “No, Ward. She wasn’t out here at all today. We assumed she was resting in your room.”

My stomach dropped, cold and tight. The old instincts flared hard—the ones honed by years of losing people, of having things taken without warning. “She’s not there,” I said, already turning toward the stairs. “I checked before I came down. She wasn’t in the bed” Izzy shouted after me.

Panic roared in my ears as I took the steps two at a time. I burst into our room, half-expecting… I didn’t know what. But the sheets were still rumpled where I’d left her, the curtains drawn just as I’d left them, and the space was empty.

Then I heard it: a ragged, wet sound from the bathroom, followed by a quiet groan.

I didn’t knock. I threw the door open, my heart hammering so hard I could hear it in my own head.

Casey was leaning over the toilet, her shoulders hunched, hair pulled back in a loose knot, her face pale and glistening with sweat. She looked up when I came in, her eyes wide and watery, and then she doubled over again, retching hard.

All the fear drained right out of me, replaced by a sharp, urgent need to take care of her. I crossed the floor in two strides, knelt beside her, and gathered her hair back from her face, holding it tight in one hand while the other rubbed slow, steady circles between her shoulder blades.

“Easy, sweetheart,” I said, my voice rough with relief. “I’ve got you. I’m here.”

She heaved again, and I kept holding her, murmuring soft things I hoped would ground her—I’m right here, you’re safe, let it out. When the worst of it passed, she slumped back against my chest, trembling all over. I grabbed a glass of water from the sink, held it to her lips, and let her sip slow.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “I didn’t want to worry anyone. Thought it’d pass.”

“Sorry?” I brushed a damp strand of hair off her forehead and kissed her temple, my lips lingering. “Casey, don’t you ever hide something like that from me. Ever. I thought… I thought something had happened to you.”

She turned in my arms, her eyes soft but tired. “It started this afternoon. Nausea came out of nowhere. I just kept feeling sick.”

I helped her stand, steadying her when her knees wobbled, and led her back to the bed. I sat her down, pulled the duvet around her shoulders, and knelt so I was level with her. “How long has this been going on? Any pain? Dizzy?”

She shook her head slowly. “Just… sick. And really tired.”

I brushed my thumb over her cheek, my heart still thrumming. Whatever it was, we’d face it together. But right then, all I knew was that she was here, she was real, and I wasn’t letting her out of my sight again.

“Rest now,” I said, kissing her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll get Mel or Duncan if you need anything. Whatever this is, we’ll sort it out.”

She leaned into my hand, a faint smile touching her lips. “I know you will.”