Fallen: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Rebecca Barber

  Once Ava was clean, Zach looked at me like he was waiting for instructions. “Let me grab a diaper and then we can set her down in her crib.”

  “What about me?”

  “What about you?”

  “Don’t I get a sponge bath too?”

  “You’re not a little kid,” I confirmed.

  “Nothing little about me,” Zach replied confidently with a wink. “But I do need to get cleaned up.”

  “Well, big boy, I’m sure you can handle it.”

  It took us almost half an hour for the three of us to get cleaned up, dressed and sitting down to eat. Ava was lying on her mat gnawing on her own fist. I drained the last drop from my wine glass and got up to get a refill.

  “Want another beer?”

  “Nah. I’m fine, thanks though.”

  “Well, I need one,” I explained, refilling my glass almost to the top. I don’t know why people even bothered to have gigantic wine glasses if they only half filled them. Seemed like a waste to me.

  “Rough day?” Zach asked as I flopped back onto the couch.

  “You have no idea.”

  “Wanna talk about it?”

  “Maybe after. I need food first,” I deflected, trying to buy myself some time. The last thing I wanted to do was dump my problems on him.

  Although he didn’t look convinced, Zach accepted my decision and heaped a spoonful of rice onto my plate. “Well then, eat up.”

  I ate until I almost burst. I didn’t know why I did this to myself. I knew I needed to stop. But it was always one more mouthful or one more egg roll. The problem was, when it came to Chinese food and chocolate, my will power was zilch. Leaning back against the cushions on the couch, I rubbed my very full belly. I closed my eyes just for a second, and when I opened them up again, all the dirty dishes had been put away, there was a blanket pulled over me, and there was no sign of Zach. He was gone. Without even saying goodbye, he’d left. And I felt like complete shit.

  29

  ZACH

  Lily was a strange creature. She’d barely set her fork down before she started snoring on the couch. Creeping around her as quietly as I could, I cleaned up, checked on Ava before heading back outside to tidy up the mess that had been her front porch, and pack away my tools for the night. While I wasn’t completely happy with the progress I’d made this afternoon, I’d worked some of the frustration out of my now-aching muscles and had something to actually show for it, not just sore knuckles from taking it out on the boxing bag hanging in my garage.

  As beautiful as Lily was, she looked shattered. Haunted even. Something was stressing her out and sapping all her energy, and every bone in my body was telling me to find whatever was making her miserable and fix it.

  In my pocket my phone buzzed again. It’d been going off all day and I’d ignored it. At first it was because of the bloody hangover I was suffering through. Now, it was because the last thing I wanted to do was talk about it. I knew I’d have to at some point, but not right now. I had three days off and I wasn’t going to waste them talking about my feelings.

  I was just stacking the last of my tools into the back of my truck when Lily appeared at the top of the steps looking sleepy and stunning.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “Just heading home for the night. I’ll be back in the morning to keep going. I can’t leave your porch like that.”

  “No, I guess not.”

  Walking back up the path to where Lily was standing, I watched as she folded her arms across her chest, propping her boobs up. Most of the time I was pretty sure she wasn’t even aware what she was doing. It was no wonder so many guys at the station were giving me shit about her. They were just jealous bastards, and I was well aware I was a lucky son of a bitch.

  “Does seven work for you?”

  “Seven?” Lily looked confused as she shivered. As night had fallen so had the temperature, and the breeze was making it quite cool. She needed to be tucked up back inside where she wouldn’t catch a chill.

  “In the morning? If I can get an early start, I’m thinking I can rip out the steps and put them back in before you get home.”

  “All in one day?”

  “Yeah. It’s not too big of a job. And I’ve got all the stuff, so should be fine.”

  “How much is this going to cost me?” Lily asked, her voice wavering slightly.

  “Cost you? Nothing. There’s no way I’d charge you. I’m doing a friend a favor.” Even as I said it, I realized how much I hated it. The last thing I wanted to be was Lily’s friend, but if that’s all that was on offer, then I was taking it. Not having her as part of my life wasn’t an option now.

  Lily must’ve picked up on my word choice too. Like the seductive siren she is, Lily carefully stepped down off the porch, cradling her arm as she moved towards me, her hooded eyes locked with mine.

  “And what if I don’t want to be your friend?”

  “You don’t want to be my friend?”

  “No, Zach. I don’t want to be your friend. Actually, the last thing I want to be is your friend.”

  “Okay then.” I gulped, waiting for the kicker.

  “I want to be yours. I want to be able to hold your hand in the street without second guessing it. I want to order Chinese takeout for two…”

  “I thought you already did that?” I teased, earning me a very much deserved slap to the stomach.

  Reaching out, I grabbed the hand she’d hit me with and yanked her forward until her chest was crushed against mine, mindful of her arm. “Are you saying, Lily Evans, that you want to be my girlfriend?”

  “I don’t know. Do you want to be my boyfriend, Zach Higgins?”

  Lily looked up at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Fuck yeah I do,” she confirmed no louder than a whisper before she jumped up, throwing her good arm around my neck and twining her legs around my hips before capturing my lips in the most intense kiss of my life. One that nearly had my knees buckling as I palmed her ass.

  Eventually we pulled apart puffing and panting. “So, you’re my girlfriend.”

  “I guess I am.”

  “And is there a policy about sleepovers with your girlfriend?” I asked, rocking my hips, nudging my growing erection against her pussy. Even through the thin material of her clothes, I could still feel her heat.

  Leaning down, Lily nibbled on my earlobe, earning her a squeeze of her ass cheeks. “It’s compulsory,” she confirmed.

  “Thank fuck for that,” I growled, carrying her inside and throwing her down on the bed.

  The first round was hard, hot and needy and over way too quickly for a grown man. But after a short intermission, I was up and raring to go for round two and, this time, I was going to make it count. Using my tongue, fingers and cock, I wanted to prove to Lily how much she meant to me and how much I treasured her. But soft and steady weren’t Lily’s strong points. Even though it started out that way, the closer she got to her crescendo, the more feral she became. And when she clamped down on my cock as I drove inside her, she milked everything I had from me, leaving me sated, satisfied and sleepy.

  It was almost midnight and we’d just climbed back into bed after a shower. Lily had dropped to her knees and got very dirty before letting me clean her up. Seeing cum marking her tits made me almost beat my chest and go all Tarzan on her. Now she was lying in my arms, her head resting against my chest while her fingers traced small circles on my stomach.

  “Are you sure about this?” she asked timidly. Gone was all the confidence and all the bravado. Lying there in the dark, stark naked, Lily wasn’t so sure anymore.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good.”

  “You?”

  “Mmmm.” It wasn’t exactly the heart-stopping, life-affirming declaration I’d been hoping for, but I was taking her sleepy agreement as enough.

  “Wanna tell me about your bad day?”

  It was late and I should’ve let her sleep, but if something was bugging her, I didn’t want her
fretting. And if she told me now, tomorrow would be better. I was going to make sure of it.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she deflected.

  “Of course it does, Lil. If something or someone’s upsetting you, then you share it with your boyfriend. It’s a rule.”

  “I didn’t realize there were so many rules to this girlfriend boyfriend thing. Maybe you should write them down for me, you know. So I don’t forget.”

  “You won’t forget,” I assured her. “Besides, if you do, I’ll spank your ass, so you remember next time.” Feeling her shiver in my arms was all the assurance I needed to know she wasn’t completely turned off by the idea. She liked it, a lot. “Now, spill. What happened today that made your day so shitty?”

  “It was nothing really. I was just being silly.”

  “No, you weren’t. You’re not silly, Lily. Nothing you do is.”

  “I just got a call from Child Services about my adoption application for Ava.”

  “And?” Now I was well and truly wide awake. No wonder she’d been off balance. I hadn’t even taken the call and already I was sitting up a little straighter.

  “They want to do a home visit,” she continued.

  “That’s good, isn’t it?”

  “Yes and no. I don’t know.”

  “What’s got you worried about it?” I probed, needing to get to the bottom of the actual problem.

  “What if… what if…”

  “If what?”

  “What if they don’t like me? What if I’m not enough? What if they take her away?”

  Lily pulled out of my arms and climbed out of bed. I watched as she moved around the room, only illuminated by the moonlight spilling through the gap in the blinds. When she pulled a shirt over her head, she sat down on the end of the bed and turned back to face me. I hated the distance between us. This wasn’t how this conversation was supposed to go. She was supposed to stay in my arms and together we’d figure it out. I’d assure her that she was everything Ava could ever need or want in this world and then Lily would feel better. Instead, she was moving away and getting dressed.

  Sitting up, I arranged the blanket in my lap not needing my cock to pop out as a distraction right now. “Firstly, Lil, no one that’s ever met you has ever not liked you. It’s just not possible. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And I’m not just saying that because I’m sleeping in your bed. You’re kind and compassionate. You care about people. And not just in that fake pretend-to-care way either, you really do care.”

  “You believe that, don’t you?”

  “One hundred percent. As for not being enough, how could you not be? Ava is happy, safe and loved. She has everything she needs, including the most important thing in the world…”

  “What’s that?”

  “Someone who wants her. Someone who wants to see her succeed. Someone who’d move heaven and earth to help her achieve her dreams. Someone who will stand by her no matter what. Someone who will stand in front of her and defend her until her dying breath. And someone who loves her. Unconditionally.”

  “You really think I’m all that?” Lily raised her hand to her face and wiped away what I imagined were tears.

  I was over the distance. It was bullshit and it wasn’t working for me. Snagging her ankle, I dragged her over the covers until she was back where she belonged. Wrapped in my arms. “No, Lil. I don’t think you’re all that.”

  “You don’t?” She tried to pull away again, but this time, I wasn’t letting her go.

  “You’re more. And you’re going to give that little girl the world. I know you will.”

  “How do I convince them of that?”

  I wished I had the answer to that one, I really did. “You just be you. They’ll see it. I’m sure of it.” God, I hoped I was right. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if they didn’t.

  “Thank you, Zach. You know, you’re pretty amazing yourself.”

  Shrugging my shoulder, I grabbed the hem of her shirt and dragged it up over her head, exposing her to the cool night air before rearranging the covers back over her.

  “Yeah, I know. But right now, as awesome as I am, I need to get some sleep. My new boss, she worked me pretty hard today. First with construction on her front porch and then she turned demanding between the sheets too. I don’t know if I can keep up with her.”

  Lily’s hand snaked down my chest and wrapped around my cock. “I’m pretty sure you can keep up with her anytime.”

  If Lily was going to throw down a challenge like that, then I was definitely going to rise to the occasion. And just like the good little soldier he was, he did just that.

  30

  LILY

  Zach and I quickly fell into a routine. He’d climb out of bed in the morning and make breakfast while I got Ava organized, and then we’d sit down and eat together, family style. Over coffee and waffles, he’d pepper me with questions he insisted I make the final decisions on, so he could keep going on the porch. True to his word, yesterday he’d carried us down the steps and then ripped them out. By the time I got home, new, non-squeaky and sturdy steps replaced the old rickety ones. Then we’d argue over dinner about Zach going home, and each night I’d win the argument and he’d crawl into bed beside me.

  Today was going to be different though and I wasn’t sure I was ready. He was going back to work today so there’d be no hot tradie out the front of my place and no reason for me to hurry home just to see him covered in sweat and dust, those tattoos glistening in the dying afternoon sunlight.

  Over coffee this morning, something had been up with him, but he was being tight lipped. He kept changing the subject back to me and Ava. She hadn’t had a good night. Actually, that was an understatement, she’d had a perfectly shitty night. After throwing up all over herself and all through her crib, she’d turned into a clinging koala, at least that’s what Zach kept calling her. But sadly, only to him. Every time he went to set her down or hand her over to me, she screamed even louder. In the end, somewhere around four, we’d given up and Zach had spent the rest of the night on the couch with Ava sleeping soundly on his chest. Lucky girl. But even though they’d passed out, I hadn’t managed to turn my brain off so I could get some sleep. It went into overdrive. With the home visit from Child Services only days away, this was what I was afraid of. Not being what Ava needed. Tonight was yet another example. She didn’t want me. She wanted Zach. What happened when he wasn’t here? Was she just going to scream and screech until she went hoarse?

  Now I was at work, Sage and Linda were babbling incessantly about I don’t even know what, and Ava was passed out in her portable crib in the back room which had become her second bedroom.

  “Have you got the flowers for Mrs. Margaret?” Linda asked, leaning on my workbench which was buried under a pile of crap.

  Usually I was organized, tidy and everything had its place, but today, like everything else, it’d gone to shit. There were flowers falling on the floor, a puddle of water on the bench and the pink ribbon I’d thrown in my tantrum was balled up in the corner. I was so fucking over this sling. It was driving me batty. Pulling it off, slowly I stretched my arm out waiting for the pain to shoot up my arm. It ached but nothing I couldn’t manage. Besides, the pain was the lesser of the two evils.

  “Mrs. Margaret?” I asked, having absolutely no idea what Linda was on about.

  “Yes. The bunch of colorful flowers ordered by her daughter Sarah to be delivered to the hospital. Apparently, she’s taken a tumble and broken her hip.”

  Ah yes. Those flowers. “Can you give me twenty minutes?” I asked, embarrassed.

  I was better than this. I was. I knew I was. I just had to get my shit together and get back on track and I’d be fine.

  “Sure. I’ll go…”

  “Actually, Linda?”

  “Yes?”

  “Would you mind doing me a favor?” I was embarrassed to ask, but one thing I was learning, even though it was possibly the hardest lesson ever, was aski
ng for help didn’t make you weak. It didn’t make you a failure. If anything, asking for help made you strong and, I was hoping, could make my life just a little easier.

  “Absolutely, Lily. What do you need?”

  A month off? A hug? A bottle of vodka? A week of really good sex? Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep? A maid? No. Even though the ideas went through my head, I wasn’t going to voice any of them. Especially not to Linda.

  “Would you mind having a look at the order book and getting together a list of what else we need for today? I need to get this place sorted out. Having stuff everywhere isn’t working for me and I want to see if we can smash out what we need to and close early so I can tidy up a bit.”

  “Tidy up a bit? Did you just say tidy up a bit?” Sage asked, butting into the conversation as she stashed her phone in her back pocket.

  “Yes. Since I decided to, rearrange… yeah, rearrange, let’s go with that, I can’t find anything. It takes me forever to get stuff done and I need that stock room put back together,” I admitted, grabbing a handful of white roses from the bucket, pricking my finger on the thorns “Bitch!” I muttered to myself, popping my now-bleeding finger into my mouth.

  Sage and Linda exchanged glances before giving each other a high five. “Hallelujah!” Sage exclaimed dramatically.

  “What?” I asked, not really liking the fact they had inside jokes I wasn’t a part of. I knew I was the boss and I wasn’t going to always be included, but I didn’t think this place was like that. At least I hoped it wasn’t. I wanted us to be a family or, at the very least, friends.

  “We’ve been dying to do this for a couple of days but didn’t know when you were going to let us,” Linda offered.

  “So, you hate it too?” I asked, shocked. Neither of them had said a word about my purging binge, other than the constant nagging about taking it easy and not overdoing it.