*~*Matt’s POV*~*

I sat there crying until my eyes were sore. I watched as my brothers went in the room and sat with her, talked to her, and joked with her like she would just pop up and laugh with them. Zacky was the last to go in the room and I could tell he didn’t want to.

“You know he loves her right?” Val turned and said quietly to me.

“We all love her Val.” I responded.

“No Matthew. He loves her.” Val said.

I looked at him as he sat there with his head on the bed beside her, his body shaking. He looked up at her and the tears were streaming down his face as he spoke to her. He held onto her hand stroking it softly before he kissed it. I had never seen him so upset in all the years I have known him. I stood up and made my way into the room with him. He looked up at me before setting her hand down on the bed again.

“I’ll go.” He said as he tried to walk past me I stopped him.

“No. Stay. She would want you here.” I said as I sat in another chair on the other side of her.

“Matt, I feel so helpless. Why would he do this to her?” he asked me tears spilling over.

“I don’t know Zee. I’ll fucking kill him for this though.” I replied trying to not get too angry.

“Matt I have to tell you something.” He said softly brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Go ahead.” I said, knowing what he was going to say.

“I… I think I’m in love with her.” He told me looking at me for my reaction.

“I know Zacky. I can tell.” I said.

“You aren’t mad?” He asked.

“No. I can’t be mad at you for falling in love. Even if it is with my baby sister. I will say this though, it’s up to her. If she doesn’t feel the same, you have to promise me to move on. I don’t want you pushing it with her. She just lost a baby. She needs to heal first.” I said maintaining my big brother role.

“Of course. I’m scared to even tell her. I don’t want to ruin our friendship. I don’t want to tell her until she’s better. She doesn’t need me to complicate things.” He said holding her hand again.

“That might be best. She’s going to be okay right Zack?” I asked him scared.

“She’s a fighter Matt. If you had seen her punch that security guard you would know.” He said chuckling softly.

“Hahaha. I guess so huh?... Zack?” I said as I got up and walked over to him, ”Don’t hurt my sister.”

“Never.” He said standing before giving me a hug. “I love you brother.”

“I love you too man. You gonna sit with her some more? I kind of intruded on you.” I asked.

“Yeah. Just a bit longer. I’m getting hungry.” He said turning back to her.

I walked out of the room and ran my hands thru my hair.

“Is everything alright?” Val stood and asked me.

“Yeah. It’s all going to be okay.” I told her, hugging her.

After another 5 minutes, Zacky came out of the room, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. Jimmy stood up and pulled him into a hug letting him cry on his shoulder.

Suddenly a woman came yelling thru the ICU doors, “Where is my daughter?!”

She spotted Kelly and came up to us, “Kelly! Where is she? Where is my baby?”

Kelly grabbed her by the shoulders, “She’s in there, but she’s really bad. You gotta calm down.”

She looked thru the window at Kamalei hooked up to the machines. She started crying and Kelly wrapped her arms around her.

“Shhh. Mama it’s ok. They said she’s gonna make it. They took tests and scans and then they will know for sure.” Kelly said trying to console her.

“Who and the hell are you!?” She turned to us angrily, “You did this to her?! You fucking did this to my daughter!?”

“No Mama. No. That’s Matt. That’s her brother.” Kelly explained to her, “They helped me find her.”

Anela seemed to calm down slightly as Kelly sat her down in the chairs beside us, introducing us to her. We explained what her injuries were and what the doctor had told us.

“You mean to tell me she was pregnant? Oh God. I told that girl to stay with me and not move with Micah. I told that girl I didn’t like him. I knew there was something wrong with that boy. Now she got pregnant and lost her baby all at once. And look what he did to her?!” Anela said.

“Who’s going to tell her when she wakes up? Should we even tell her?” Brian said.

“Of course we have to tell her. She’s going to be crushed, but she has the right to know.” I said.

“Matthew is right. We have to tell her. She’s going to be devastated but if we don’t tell her she will never forgive us when she does find out.” Anela responded.

“Maybe we should let the doctor tell her.” Jimmy chimed in.

As we sat there talking with Anela, I heard my stomach rumble. We had come right off the plane without eating since yesterday.

“You boys sound hungry. Why don’t we go eat and come back? There’s a good place to eat down the street.” Anela suggested.

We all got up and stopped at the nurses’ station, asking them to please call us if anything happened.

“Ms. Kealoha, I’m sorry.” I said as we walked outside.

“Honey, call me Mama and you don’t need to be sorry. I’m glad that you boys found her when you did. I’m happy that she has a brother like you. That boy Micah is going to get his. Maui is small and we have family EVERYWHERE. There is no escaping.” She said giving me a hug.

“We’re going to get his ass.” Brian said holding Kelly’s hand as we waited for the valet to pull Kelly’s truck around.

“I’m sure you boys will.” She responded.

We all jumped into the truck when the valet showed up. Zacky, Jimmy, and I jumped in the truck bed. Zacky was very quiet and I could feel his anger rising as we passed by a construction site on the way to the restaurant. The worst thing is Micah could have passed us on the street and we would have no idea. We got to the restaurant and waited for them to put a table big enough for all 8 of us. It was a small little place that seemed like it belonged in a movie 20 years ago. It smelled heavenly as we sat down. We looked at the menu and didn’t know what half of any of it was.

“What do we order?” Brian leaned over and asked Kelly.

She giggled, “How hungry are you? Do you guys want breakfast?” she asked us.

“Starving.” Zacky replied as we all nodded in agreement.

“Alright. I know what you boys want.” Mama said.

The waitress came by and took our drink orders and Mama ordered for us.

“7 Loco Moco’s. I’ll have a saimin.” She said as the waitress walked away.

“What is a loco moco? What did you get us?” Jimmy asked.

“It’s an egg on a hamburger on top of rice covered in gravy. Trust me it’s good and it will fill you boys up.” She replied.

“Sounds fucking good.” Johnny said leaning back in his chair.

“What did you get Mama?” I asked.

“Oh, a saimin. You boys probably know of it as uh…” She trailed thinking.

“It’s like Top Ramen. Just better. Not cheap and crappy like that.” Kelly spoke up finishing her thoughts.

“Oh. Interesting.” I said.

“So Matthew, I want to ask you to do something for Mama. If you can’t I understand. You do have your girlfriend.” She said to me.

“Ok. Ask away.” I replied.

“When Kamalei gets better enough to leave, I want you to take her from here. I don’t want her to live with that boy anymore. We don’t get along and I know she won’t stay with me but I don’t want her anywhere around Micah. The further from Maui the better. Will you please take her with you?” She said.

I was a little taken aback that she would ask me to do that, but I was happy to do it.

“We’ll take her. I wish she had stayed with us instead of come back here.” Val spoke up resting her hand on Anela’s.

“Really?” Anela began crying, “I can’t let her stay here and die with that monster. You’ve made me so happy. I know she will be safe with you. Safer than she would be if she stayed here.”

“We’ll take care of her. Kelly you gonna come too?” I asked Kelly.

Brian was looking at her with puppy dog eyes waiting for her response.

She hesitated playfully, “I guess….I mean only if Brian wants me to…”

“OF COURSE I DO!” He yelled causing everyone in the small restaurant to look at us.

“You are going to have to tell Lei as if it’s your idea. If she knows I said anything she won’t do it. She does the opposite of what I tell her to spite me. I love my daughter but she has caused me so much grief with her antics. And you too Kelly…” Anela said as the food came to the table.

“Oh my God this looks so delicious!” Jimmy said before grabbing his fork and diving in.

It was delicious and Mama was right, it did fill us all up. I looked across the table and noticed Zacky pushing his food around on his plate.

“Zee what’s wrong? Full already?” I asked him.

“No. I just wish Lei was here.” He said sadly looking at his food.

Mama got up from the table and walked around to Zacky, “Come here. Get up.”

He stood and she pulled him into a big hug. He clamped his eyes shut trying to not let any tears squeeze out as he laid his head on her shoulder.

“She’s going to be okay. She’s like her mama. She’s tough. She would want you to eat. She needs strong boys to keep her safe. How are you gonna take care of my baby girl when you don’t eat?” She said pulling away and wiping the one tear that was rolling down his cheek. “Now sit and finish your food. Kamalei is in good hands at the hospital and they said they would call us if anything changed.”

He nodded and sat back down to eat. As we sat and finished our food, Anela asked me about my dad and my family at home. We talked a little about our lives back in California and how we were going to be doing a tour soon as well.

“Oh how exciting. I think that is something that Kamalei would find fun. That girl loves to party and have fun. Let’s go back and see if she woke up yet.” She said standing to pay the bill.
“I got it Mama.” I said pulling out my credit card handing it to the woman at the front of the restaurant.

“Oh such a sweet boy. You sure are a handsome one, you must get that from your daddy. Thank you Matthew.” She said as we walked out.

We drove back to the hospital and went up to the room. There had been no changes in her condition. Anela went in and sat with Kamalei for about an hour before coming out, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I have so much faith in that child.” She said sitting down next to me. “Do you know what Kamalei means?” she asked.

I shook my head no.

“It means ‘beloved child’. That girl thinks I don’t love her but I named her that for a reason. I knew she would be my only child. The fact I had her was a miracle. She was such a handful growing up and maybe I didn’t always do the right thing but I love that child more than she will ever know.” She said looking at the window before turning to me pleading, “Please Matthew, take care of your sister. Please. Watch my baby.”

“We will. I promise.” I told her putting an arm around her.

“Can I go in?” Zacky spoke up.

I shook my head as he pushed the door open shutting it softly behind him. I watched him go to the chair from before and sit, holding her hand in both of his. He tried to hide it by pulling his hat lower, but I knew he was crying again.

This is fucking killing him. They said she would be okay but he still is just dying inside.

“Zachary really likes her doesn’t he?” Anela said quietly.

“Yeah. I told him he had to see how she feels. He knows I’ll punch him into next week. I already almost did.” I replied watching him.

“She doesn’t know?” She asked incredulously.

“No. I mean she’s kind of blind to that kind of thing. She’s been too wrapped up in Micah’s bullshit. Honestly I don’t know how she doesn’t know. Zee texts her every day like all day. ” Kelly said.

“Did Micah know that?” Anela inquired.

“I take it he found out last night and beat the living shit out of her for it based on the text we found.” Brian said.

“The texts and the pictures probably set him off.” Kelly said.

“What pictures?” I asked.

“Zacky has her phone.” Kelly replied pointing to him.

I got up and went into the room. Zacky had his head on the bed by her again and he was actually praying. I never thought I would ever hear him do such a thing. Zacky was never a religious person. Ever.

“Please God. Save her. Heal her. I would trade places with her if you’d let me. Please don’t let anyone take my love away. I love her so much. Please just help her. Bring her back to us. We love her more than words can express. Amen.”

I closed the door softly but loud enough for him to know I came in. He sat up and wiped his face with his hands. I looked away from him, pretending I didn’t hear him.

“Hey. Sorry.” He said.

“No it’s ok man. I know you’re hurting too. We all are.” I related to him. “I was wondering if I could have Kamalei’s phone. Kelly said you have it.”

“Yeah sure.” He said rifling thru his pocket and handing it to me.

“Thanks.” I said as I walked out of the room leaving him with her.

I opened her phone and started going thru her texts with Zacky and then I saw a picture I didn’t know even existed. It was actually Zacky’s contact photo. It was the two of them at night. She had the biggest smile on her face even though I could tell she had been crying by her red puffy eyes. It must have been the night she ran off after she met dad. I was surprised Zacky was actually smiling too. He usually has a smirk instead of an actual smile.

I sat with Anela and asked her, “Would it be alright if I called dad about Kamalei? I think he would want to know.”

“Sure Matthew. Please don’t tell him I’m here. Say I left or something. I don’t want to talk to him.” She replied.

I pulled out my phone and went outside to call my father. I sat on a bench and chain smoked probably 5 cigarettes as I told him the horrible things that happened to his youngest daughter.

Notes

Thanks for your patience my lovelies. Here is your just reward! Hope you guys like it! Mahalo for your comments, they keep me going! Much Love and Aloha <3