Unstoppable Force

Chapter 4

Carrington

As I rinse off in the shower, my thoughts drift to Oaks. That damn night we hooked up is still haunting me, but not for the reasons you'd think. I f****d up and hurt her. The bruises and scars I left on her body make me sick to my stomach. Every time I close my eyes, I see the fear in her eyes as I pinned her down. It's a constant reminder of the mess I made. And don't even get me started on the begging. Her voice still rings in my ears, a harsh reminder of the consequences of my idiocy. I swear, I'm a grenade. One tiny mistake and BOOM! Ugh, it's so annoying to have to deal with this all the time.

As the soap slides off my skin, I can't shake off this damn regret for what I've done. It's not like I can turn back time, but I can at least make things right. I swear on my life to make things right with Oaks, to finally own up to my mistakes, and to do whatever it takes to make her feel safe and loved again. It's not going to be a walk in the park, and it's not like it's going to happen overnight, but I'll be damned if I don't do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. I let out a frustrated sigh as I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Of course, she left, and now I'll probably never have the opportunity.

I cannot believe how she disappeared from my life like a ghost, without leaving any clues. And the worst part? I know exactly why she did it. It's because of my colossal mistake. I foolishly ignored her calls and messages, and essentially banished her from my world. My own insecurities and paranoia clouded my vision, and now I'm paying the price. It's like a giant void in my life that cannot be filled. Ugh, I feel so frustrated and regretful.

Ugh, can you believe this mess I'm in? I don't even know if I'll have the chance to fix things. It's like a punch in the gut realizing I pushed away someone who meant the world to me. But whatever, I guess I must own up to my screw up and figure out how to not be a total i***t next time. If I could just show her how much I care, maybe she'd forgive me. But for now, I'm stuck with this heavy weight of regret and hoping it'll magically turn me into a better person.

As I'm trying to get ready, my stupid phone goes off with yet another message from Cortland. He wants me to come over to his place before I even have a chance to start my day. I can't even focus on that right now because all I can think about are those letters from Oaks. I mean, seriously, who just up and leaves like that without a word? And of course, the private detective I hired was a complete waste of money. The whole thing just feels like a big, frustrating dead end. I haven't even bothered to read any of her other letters, but I keep them around just to remind myself of what a mess my life has become. And now, of all things, I must go over to my brother's house and deal with that woman. The one who always manages to make me feel both excited and frustrated at the same time. Ugh.

As soon as I step into my brother's home, I am greeted by a voice that fills me with joy and excitement. My heart flutters with anticipation as I look forward to seeing the stunning woman who never fails to take my breath away.

As I round the corner into the wide-open space, my eyes land on her. Oaks is perched at the island, her back turned towards me, while Austin is sitting next to her, babbling away in that annoying baby talk voice. My brother acknowledges me, and they both swivel around on their stools to greet me. But as soon as I see Oaks cradling a baby and Austin holding another, my heart plummets. Despite my frustration, I can't help but feel a spark of excitement at the sight of her. But it's too late, she's already moved on. And once again, I'm left feeling shattered and hopeless.

Approaching, I'm confronted with a pair of familiar gray eyes staring back at me. Memories surge forth of the letters I had callously ignored. Oaks had been trying to tell me about my kids, but my pigheadedness had prevented me from being there for her and my family.

"I got some letters. They told me I was going to be a dad," I stated in a flat tone. Inside I am dying knowing my stubbornness kept me from being present when my kids were born. I’m my own worst enemy.

Oaks lets out a heavy sigh and responds with a terse "Yeah."

"I couldn't bring myself to read those damn things, Oaks. The idea of reliving my mistakes and failure was too much to handle," I grumble with a defeated sigh. Which is true but doesn’t make my decision any easier to live with.

Austin hands me my squirming bundle of joy, Kolton. I stand there, trying to soak in the moment, but my frustration is building. I'm now a father of two boys - great. Oaks, who had gone through her pregnancy alone while I was absent, looks at us with tears in her eyes and says, "I'll leave you to bond with your babies." She exits the room, leaving me alone with my anger and confusion. Austin trails after her, completely oblivious to my mounting frustration.

Upon returning, Austin carried a few bottles in her hands. She set a pair of them on the counter before neatly stashing the remainder within the fridge.

"Would you mind looking after these two while Oaks and I run an errand for her? We'll stop by her house to drop some things off, and we should be back in a couple of hours," she requested.

Cortland acknowledges with a solemn nod before planting a kiss on Austin's lips. Oaks departs without uttering a single word to me, and I can feel the weight of her discomfort - a sensation I myself have inflicted upon her. With a child in tow, Cortland and I make our way to the living room where we sit in contemplative silence.

"Cortland's cracking jokes like, 'Well, that wasn't a total disaster.'"

"I'm not even mad at her. I should've responded to her messages. Now that I have my little dudes, I see what I've been missing out on," I shrugged, bouncing him up and down.

"Looks like she's sticking around, she's off shopping for her home," I casually mentioned, trying not to let on how stoked I am.

As my brother prepares to deliver some unsettling news, I can't help but notice the worry etched on his face. "Oaks will need to come stay with us for a while," he says gravely. "Her home in New York was burglarized, and the perpetrator committed heinous acts. Not only did they desecrate her personal belongings, but they also defiled her children's room with malicious intent." The weight of his words hits me like a ton of bricks, and I feel a deep sense of unease settle in the pit of my stomach.

"What the f**k!" I angrily blurted out, prompting my son to jump in fear and break down in tears. Cortland glared at me in irritation while I desperately tried to calm my child down. "I just can't leave her there by herself. What if that psycho decides to follow her back home? It could put all of us in harm's way."

"Coldwell has been notified and will arrive shortly. Together, we'll devise a security system to ensure their safety," Cortland reassured me in a calm and collected manner.

"Look, I get that security's important and all, but let's be real here. A system's only going to do so much, you know? Like, it might scare off some bad guys, but others will just find a way around it. We got to think bigger. We need a plan that covers all the bases - tech stuff, sure, but also good old-fashioned human measures. That's the only way we'll really keep her place and the boys safe." I explain.

"Your love for her is undeniable. I'm not privy to the details, but this could be an opportunity to rekindle that flame," Cortland advises.

“From the second our eyes met; I was smitten with her. But sometimes, love isn't enough. And boy, did I freak out when she tried to wake me up during a nightmare.” Now, as I hold my little one, my heart aches for my family. Our kids have made everything more complicated, and I'm not sure if Oaks will go for separate beds. But hey, I'm still hopeful.

Cortland offers his sympathies, "That's a difficult situation to be in. But remember, Oaks wouldn't hold you responsible for what happened."

I reply, "I understand that. However, when it happened, I panicked and withdrew from her. I ignored all of her calls and messages, knowing that I had caused her harm. My actions drove her away."

I am aware that my mistakes did not solely cause her departure, but my emotional distance certainly played a part. I don't blame her for leaving, but I do take full responsibility for my actions. Regrettably, my poor decisions have now resulted in the loss of the birth of my children. It's a truly devastating situation."

Enter Coldwell with a bang, "Ta-da! All my computer gear is here, just like you asked. But wait, why the heck did you need it?" Abruptly, he halted his chatter, noticing us clutching the two boys.

"Whoa, hold up! I don't recall seeing these little dudes around. Where did they spring from, and who's their parent?" Coldwell questioned, baffled and uneasy, pointing his finger at the youngsters.

"Meet Kole and Kolton, the offspring of Oakleigh and Carrington," Cortland replied, fighting to suppress his laughter.

"Holy s**t! No way!" Coldwell exclaims, eyes wide with surprise. "Oakleigh? Where is she? And our mom is going to lose her marbles when she hears about this!"

I feel a knot forming in my stomach, memories of past freak-outs flooding in. Maybe I should start drafting my will.

But then, Cortland and Coldwell start brainstorming ideas on how to keep Oakleigh safe, beyond just relying on some boring old security system. I'm impressed by their creativity and determination.

Meanwhile, I whipped out my phone and text Camden, urgently requesting that he bring me a suitcase ASAP. It's time to make a move and protect what's important.

As I hang up my phone, Coldwell pipes up about Oaks' belongings. We make our way to her room and Coldwell whips out a gadget to scan her bags.

"Nothing fishy here, but we can't be too sure. Let's check Oaks' phone for any sneaky spyware," Coldwell suggests.

"I've got an idea! Let's all rendezvous at Oaks' pad and have the ladies bring their shopping too. I texted Camden to bring me a bag of goodies," I chimed in with a grin.

"Oh boy, brace yourselves. Coldwell swung by the folks' place, which means Mom's likely to ring any second now," Coldwell quips. Just as he finishes, Cortland's phone blares out "Your Mom's on the line," and we all shoot each other knowing looks. Cortland picks up and we eavesdrop on the convo on speakerphone."

"Hey, have you heard from Camden recently? I overheard him mention that Carrington needed a bag taken to Oak’s place. I wonder if everything is okay with her. Do you happen to know why she left? I'm just curious to know more about the situation. Oh, and by the way, I sense that I'm on speaker, so please fill me in on what's happening." Mom eagerly asks for more information, her curiosity piqued.

Cortland responds, sounding a bit surprised. "Oh, I see. Well, I actually have some intel on that. Oaks arrived back in town last night and we picked her up from the airport."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this! Now I know why you asked me to take care of the kids. You're not even being responsible as a son," Mom groans in frustration.

Cortland proposes to their mother, "Mom, let's catch up at Oak's location. There are a few things we need to handle, such as setting up security and some maintenance work. It would be more effective to discuss it in person, don't you think?"

Mom agrees, "Sure, I'll give Austin's mom a call and join you at Oak's place. We can grab some lunch while we're there and check on Oaks. But, why do we need to set up security?"

"Look, Mom. We'll see you at Oaks," Cortland confirmed before hanging up the phone. "Looks like we'll have to fill the family in on everything when they arrive."

I let out a defeated sigh. I knew the tension that would inevitably brew once Mom met Kole and Kolton.

As we prepared for the boys' outing, we gathered all the necessary items - the diaper bag, bottles, and the car seat. While I struggled with securing Kolton's car seat, Cortland kindly stepped in and demonstrated how to do it with Kole's. It made my job much easier.

"These car seats are a nightmare! Can't they just include some damn instructions?" I mutter through gritted teeth.

"Hey, Carrington, have you heard the one about guys and instructions? Even if they came with flashing neon lights and a megaphone, we still wouldn't bother reading them!" Coldwell laughs.

Cortland fist-bumps Coldwell as they both chuckle. Meanwhile, I'm over here trying to keep my kids safe and while controlling my frustration.

As soon as we arrived at Oaks, Coldwell got down to business and began assessing the exterior to determine the necessary steps for installing the security system. He meticulously inspected the area, leaving no stone unturned, to ensure that all potential security threats were taken into consideration.

Cortland fished out his key and unlocked the door, allowing the trio to make their way inside. It was safe to assume that Austin too had an access key. As we stepped inside, the sight that greeted me was disheartening - the furniture was covered in sheets, almost as if it were an abandoned space. This was a stark reminder of the unfortunate past. The realization that she had left everything behind - not even picking up her belongings - made me feel like an ass. It was hard to shake off the feeling that my actions had caused her departure.

The sound of car doors slamming outside caught my attention, signaling the arrival of my family. I braced myself for what was to come – my mother's wrath. As the door swung open, my nephew rushed into the room, followed by my parents. My mother held my youngest niece in her arms, while my father and Camden trailed behind. As my mother's eyes landed on me holding the boys, there was a hint of surprise in her expression.

"Hello, Mom. Meet Kole and Kolton," I introduce my sons, as I turn one of them around for her to see. "I'm still getting used to telling them apart," I add with a chuckle.

"Didn't you learn anything from your brother?" Mom scolds as she takes my son. "Your Brother's mistakes don't have to be yours either. So, I'm going to sprinkle some magic rubber fairy dust in your rooms and cars. You know what they say, 'Don't be silly, wrap your willy!' It's a piece of cake, trust me."

"Um, excuse me, but no condoms in my room or car, okay? Austin might think I'm up to no good and I don't want to get in trouble." Cortland said, while introducing our mom to her other grandchild.

"Okay, okay, no condoms for you, but everyone else better wrap it up!" Mom said, while playing with the cute little babies. "Now, can you tell me what that means?"

"I escorted Oaks to her room after Austin and Cortland's wedding, and things escalated to intimacy. Unfortunately, I had a nightmare that triggered a violent reaction in my sleep, causing me to unintentionally harm Oaks. Overwhelmed by guilt, I left immediately upon realizing what had happened." I told my family.

My mother and sister Emberlynn were visibly shocked while my father offered me a reassuring touch before speaking up. "Son, Oakleigh may not have held you accountable for your actions. It would have been better if you stayed to discuss the matter with her." He said in a gentle tone.

The conversation dragged on and on, and one by one, people started chiming in with their two cents. They had the nerve to say that she would have forgiven me and even understood what I did. I tried to keep my composure, but eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I erupted with frustration and guilt, screaming "None of you get it! I hurt the only person I ever loved. I left her battered and broken!"

As soon as I hear a sudden gasp from the entrance, I realize that Austin and Oaks have finally shown up. Oaks looks like she's about to burst into tears, and of course, I must be the cause of her agony. The one person who means everything to me, the one who makes me whole, and I've shattered her heart into a million pieces.

"Oh please, do you really think I was broken?" Oaks scoffs, struggling to catch her breath. "I was perfectly fine until you ditched me like garbage."