There's Something About Him (Complete)

Chapter Fifty Three - Fury

Heath's POV

Feeling her warm skin underneath my fingertips, I felt as though I could breathe for the first time in hours. Her father being who he was meant that she had been immediately transferred to one of their best suites and I could admit that I was grateful that she would be so carefully looked after. Although in a lot of ways I felt that I didn't have the right to intrude as her parents hovered over her, when Alexis had pulled me over I couldn't resist touching Alira.

She was beautiful even as my stomach twisted from the sight of the mask over her face and the wires creeping out from beneath the blankets. In my eyes she had always seemed like an adorable kitten but now all I could think that she was oh so breakable, her fragility obvious.

"Hey baby," Her mum whispered as she leant over and kissed her forehead. "We're all here." She shook her head as though unable to get any more words out as Mr Heath picked up and cradled his daughter's hand.

"When I realised that we were having a little girl, I knew that we would be in for a world of trouble but I never thought of this, Jellybean." He lifted her knuckles to his forehead, "Thank you for being so strong and staying with us."

I closed my eyes, unable to watch them as they struggled to contain their grief. After everything I'd heard about them, and even after meeting them, the two older Heaths had seemed larger than life and to see that crack, that absolute devastation in their eyes was almost more than I could comprehend.

I moved backwards and lowered myself slowly into one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs, eyes never leaving her face and my ears tuned into the sound of her heart beating. She had fought to stay alive and now I felt as though it was everyone else's turn to ensure that she recovered without incident.

"Has there been any word from River?" Mrs Heath asked quietly, one hand smoothing back Alira's hair while the other clasped Timothy's.

"No," I answered, my voice devoid of the burning need to make him face what his decision had wrought.

"You know where he is though, don't you?" Mr Heath asked, his eyes flashing as they pinned me in place. It was disconcerting to say the least but after the little chat we'd already had, I was able to hold his gaze with a general lack of wariness.

"His ex," I bit out. "I know that you know about River's past with alcohol."

"Yes," He replied quietly. "I never dug into his therapy records though so I'm not aware of the causes behind his addiction."

I sighed wearily, "He got into trouble with a girl who apparently only wanted him as a way to get to me. When he found out she was cheating, he had a breakdown. Getting him into rehab was the only way I knew how to help him and I thought that he was over her but she called a few weeks ago and wanted to meet."

"So, my daughter being the person that she is decided to help him even though she knew that the consequences could be horrific," Her mother guessed sadly, her smile filled with exhaustion.

"I'm not angry with her," I whispered, clutching her fingers as I avoided looking at her too pale face. "Or him, really. Not about going to see her. I made them promise me that they wouldn't do this but I knew that he needed closure with Camilla. I just...I wanted to be able to protect him, you know? I didn't before and it nearly broke the both of us. I'm his big brother and I keep failing him. I never wanted him to know what it was like to let someone down but for this..." I shook my head. It was true, some part of me had already known and accepted that River would try to resolve his issues with Camilla alone but what I didn't think I could forgive him for was leaving Alira's side when he had sworn that he wouldn't. For fuck's sake, he knew from first-hand experience what it was like at that school. He also knew that Miranda and her cronies were out to get her. How could he have let her go alone!