Forever is Right Now

**Brian’s POV**
“She’s coming home with me Zack,” I told him as I paced the kitchen, Simone was upstairs trying to get Ember to sleep.

“Brian, I understand you’re scared, but she’s comfortable here. She lives here,” he challenged me as he followed my movements.

I knew he was trying to be logical, I understand that he loved her just as much as I did and I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her if he could stop it. But I’m her man, I’m her rock, I’M the one she was going to marry. Fuck, there it was…that stupid little nagging word that led to the past. “I know she fucking lives here, but if that little bastard somehow is able to get out of that cell and attack her or hire someone to do that then she needs to be where she’s safest!” I growled my frustration and anxiety growing at the fact that she wasn’t already in my truck ready to go home.

Matt stepped in, “If you boys don’t settle the fuck down and lower your voices and think about this logically, she will not be with either of you. She will be coming home with me. First off,” he looked at me, “You’re not the only one who can keep her safe. Second,” he looked at Zacky, “This is her home, but she has free will to go with him.” He looked between both of us, “IF she wants to go with him or stay with you. She has a say in what happens here now.”

“I never said she couldn’t go with Brian,” Zacky started looking at Matt, “I just said she’s comfortable here and that she lives here now. I would never hold her hostage in a place that she didn’t feel safe in.”

“So it’s settled she’ll come with me,” I decided and started towards the stairs but was blocked by Johnny. “Move out of my way short shit.”

He stood his ground, using the stairs to his advantage. He crossed his arms over his chest, “Brian, I know you’re still drunk. You need to listen to Matt. She has to choose where she feels safest, not the other way around.”

I growled becoming more and more upset, “I want her home with me.” I pleaded looking between the three of them.

Matt stepped towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder, “She’ll be safe Brian. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. For tonight let’s all stay here, let her rest. You need to sober up and then we can figure out what to do tomorrow.”

“Come on Brian, just try to relax. She’s safe,” Zacky tried to corral me with the others over to the couch.

I sighed and walked over to the couch and sat down, “Fine. Only because there’s no way someone can get upstairs without coming through here first.” I crossed my arms and slouched in my seat like a toddler who’d just gotten told no.

Zacky nodded, “I’ll grab you guys some blankets, Matt you and Simone can sleep in the guest room, Brian, Johnny you get the couches.” He walked upstairs to get the extra linens.

Matt nodded, “Thanks Zack.” He called after Zack as Johnny took his spot on the opposite couch.

I looked after Zacky then at Matt, “Where is Ember sleeping?”

“In Zacky’s room,” Simone said as she came down the stairs carrying the extra blankets. She must have told Zacky she’d bring them down to us and that he should go lie down with Ember.

I felt my blood start to boil, “No, she needs to be with me.”

Simone rolled her eyes, her pregnancy hormones taking over, “Brian, you wanna be a fucking dick and wake her up after I literally had to make her believe me that Scott wasn’t behind this but that we’d figure it out. Having to promise her that she’s safe, having to promise that we’d all stay here until we decided what to do. You want to go up there and fucking wake her ass up just so your selfish needs can be appeased. Go right the fuck ahead.” She dared me, giving me a death glare.

“Fuck you Simone,” I growled which led to Matt standing up in front of me.

“You want to fucking say that again Haner or you want to lay the fuck down, right the fuck now and go to sleep,” He crossed his arms across his broad chest, fire ablaze in his hazel eyes.

I sized him up the sighed letting go of my anger, “I’m sorry Simone.” I sat back down on the couch I hadn’t even realized I’d stood up until he put me in my place.

She came over and threw the blankets in my face not apologizing for what she said, I understood. I’d been a dick, I was being selfish. I wanted Ember in my arms for me, not for her. She was finally asleep and I was going to go in and wake her up. I put my head in my hands, running my fingers through my hair.

I felt Simone gently stroke my hair, “Just give her some space Bri. She’s still in shock, she needs a good night’s rest.”

I nodded and laid down kicking off my shoes. She smiled slightly and placed the blanket over me and handed me a pillow. “Thanks babe,” I sighed rolling onto my side so that I was facing the couch.

She walked over and handed Johnny his set, “Aww don’t I get tucked in too?” he joked.

She laughed, “Lay down then little man.” She teased which made me grin, we definitely got lucky having Simone come into our lives. Especially Matt and Ember, I don’t know what they’d do without her.

“Okay Mama,” Johnny teased her back and I heard a smack “Ow, my arm,” he whined. I couldn’t help but quiet my chuckle. “Fine I’ll lay down,” Johnny told her and I assume he laid down and she placed the blanket over him then handed him his pillow.

I heard a few quiet steps from Simone as her and Matt made their way over to the staircase. “Good night guys,” Matt said softly.

“Night,” Johnny and I replied before the lights went out. After we heard the guest room door close a little while later I finally forced myself to relax and go to sleep. I knew she’d need me tomorrow, tomorrow she’ll wake up asking for me. I just knew it.

**Ember POV**

I woke up the next morning next to Zack like I did every day for the last few days. It was the first day to a new year and everything seemed fine…until I remembered what happened last night. The note, I instantly felt like I couldn’t breathe. I laid there letting my anxiety rise and rise and no matter how I tried to calm myself down, it got worse until I was hyperventilating.

I saw Zacky open his eyes, blink a few times, then immediately sat up and pull me into his arms, on his lap. I buried my face in his bare chest holding him tightly. I felt my nails dig in as Zack held me tightly to him. “Shhh, Em…breathe babe. Just breathe.”

I wasn’t crying, I just couldn’t breathe, my anxiety got to the point of panic. My panic attacks were usually bad enough that I would shake, I don’t calm down easily from them. “The note,” I whispered softly the panic rising. “Zacky, the note, what if it’s Scott,” I said breathlessly.

“Babe, it’s not Scott, he’s in jail,” Zacky whispered as he cuddled me close, rocking us slightly.

I nodded sitting in Zack’s arms, my breathing fighting to go back to normal. My lungs burning at lack of deep breaths. I had a million things rushing in my mind at once, everything from how to why to who. It was then that I realized I’d allowed Brian to comfort me, that he was still here. I jumped up from Zacky’s lap and ran down the stairs tripping over the last couple and landing hard on my knee scraping it.

The loud thud caused the two on the couches to raise up, one being Brian. He looked in my direction and as soon as he saw me on the floor he was up and by my side. He sat next to me and pulled me onto his lap, much like Zacky had upstairs. He sat cross legged, creating a cushion for me. “Ember, what’s wrong?” He asked then caught sight of my knee. “Babe, we need to get that cleaned up, can you stand?” He asked and I nodded weakly curling up in his lap much like a little kid. “It’s okay Emmy, stand up baby,” he whispered catching on to what was going on.

I nodded like a little kid and stood up holding onto the banister, Zack was at the top of the stairs with Matt and Simone and they were talking quietly. I could only assume it was about me and what was going on. Brian stood up then picked me up bridal style and carried me into the kitchen, “Johnny ask Zack where the first aid kit is.”

He sat me on the counter top of the island and I heard Johnny holler back, “On it.”

Brian looked at my knee and winced seeing a gash on my knee cap, “Fuck there must have been glass left on the floor. The wood wouldn’t have done this.” I nodded not speaking, my mind still racing. He looked up at me, in my eyes catching my face in his hands. “Babe, you need to breathe and talk to me,” he whispered then hugged me tightly kissing my forehead.

I shook my head as Matt appeared with the first aid kit, Simone coming in to grab the broom to sweep the entryway. Zacky and Johnny entering in the kitchen last, Johnny looked at her, “Let me get it Simmy. Please, just have a seat.”

“When the fuck did you become a gentleman shorty?” Simone giggled teasing Johnny before sitting at the table, looking at me concerned.

Johnny disappeared with the broom as the three most important guys in my life surrounded me. Jimmy would have been on the countertop holding me while I got doctored up and that thought hurt more than the cut. “Fuck, that’s just from the wood?” Zack asked rubbing the back of his head.

“There had to be glass,” Brian said shaking his head as he examined the cut. “Matt, you may wanna hold her while I look at this, I gotta make sure there’s no glass. Zack, you got peroxide?”

“Yeah, let me get it,” Zacky said walking out of the kitchen while Matt hopped up on the counter next to me.

“Come here doll,” he said softly so he didn’t add to the panic. I let him pull me into his lap but it wasn’t the same as Jimmy’s. It made tears come to my eyes but I held them back. Matt was sitting fully on the counter, cross legged and pulled me onto his lap wrapping his arms around my waist while Brian examined the cut.

“Aha, Zack bring tweezers too please,” Brian hollered making me wince. He looked up in my eyes and kissed my forehead, “Hang in there sweetheart. Focus on your breathing and Matt’s heartbeat.”

I nodded and leaned back against Matt’s chest, his head resting on my shoulder. I felt my breath try to even out, my breathing still a little labored. “Breathe Em,” Matt mumbled and leaned up kissing my temple. I finally succeeded taking a deep breath, but the shaking stayed with me for awhile longer, my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.

Zack reappeared with the tweezers and the peroxide handing them to Brian. “Did you bring the towel so that the peroxide wont’ get all over your floor?” Zack sighed and walked over to the drawer next to the sink and produced a clean towel and Brian nodded in approval, “Thanks.” Brian took the tweezers and moved to the cut, “Alright Em, big deep breath for me.”

I took a deep breath and tried to hold still while he grabbed the little shard of glass out of my leg, “FUCK!” I screamed out startling everyone. Matt tried to calm me, holding me tighter and stroking my hair back out of my face.

“Almost done babe, got one more shard then we’ll put peroxide on it,” Brian said apologetically. He flicked his eyes up to my face and I saw that there was pain in his eyes. “Almost done.”

I nodded at him and he used the tweezers to get the last piece of glass out, it was a little bigger than the last one but still a small piece. I whimpered turning my head away from the scene focusing on Zacky’s green eyes, needing something to distract me. “Fuck it hurts, it hurts,” I whispered barely audible trying to be strong instead of this whiny little girl I was being. The anxiety attack exposing my vulnerability and making me a bit more vocal about the slight discomfort.

“All done baby,” Matt whispered kissing my cheek. “Now he’s gonna put the peroxide on okay?”

All I could do was nod and focus on Zack, taking in all of him. He was standing there in basketball shorts, a white tshirt, messy bed hair, and tired green eyes. I tensed as I felt the peroxide hit the open wound then Brian’s cool breath trying to take away the stinging.

Matt stroked my arm gently, “Almost done sweetheart. He’s gonna bandage it after he dries it okay?”

I nodded again, not taking my eyes off of Zack’s, I hated feeling like I couldn’t be alone. That I was too weak to be alone. After another minute or so I felt Brian stand up from his squatting position to throw away the glass and bandage trash. He came back and faced me as I stayed where I was, safe in Matty’s arms.

“You okay?” He asked stroking my cheek and I nodded as I met his kind, patient, brown eyes. “You could have really hurt yourself, Ember, you need to be careful.” I looked down feeling like I was in trouble.

“He’s right Ember, you could have tripped higher up and really hurt yourself, as it is I bet that knee’s gonna be bruised all to hell,” Matt told me then kissed my hair.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered not meeting anyone’s eyes.

“How long were you awake, having a panic attack before I woke up?” Zacky asked me curiously but there was a hint of guilt in his voice.

“Only a few moments, maybe 5,” I whispered again keeping my eyes focused on my nails.

“Why didn’t you wake me Em?” Zack asked as he came up next to Brian.

“You were asleep,” I said softly, feeling anxiety creeping back in as they crowded me.

Brian noticed the change instantly and picked me up out of Matt’s lap and I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding onto him and burying my face in his neck. “She needs to calm down and lay down, Zack can I take her to your room?”

Zack nodded, “Of course man, need me to come with?”

I felt Brian tense and could tell he was glaring at Zack, “Just let me get her calmed down. Then you can be around her.” He nodded at Matt who I saw nod back as Brian carried me up the stairs back to Zacky’s room.

Notes

Thanks for reading guys, I love reading all of your comments. You're all totally awesome.

Chapter Title Credit: Beautiful Now -- Zedd