Heartless Few Box Set

by MV Ellis

  As the cab sped toward the hospital, I reached across the back seat and took Luke’s hand in mine, curling my fingers around his. He looked heartbroken, and I would have done anything to be able to ease the pain he was feeling. I squeezed his fingers gently. It was nothing—a tiny gesture, but it was all I had.

  “Thanks.” He looked toward me, his emerald eyes searching mine. I let him find me. “For coming, I mean. I know things aren’t ideal with Arlo at the moment, but I appreciate you being here for me. For us.”

  “Don’t mention it, Luke. Really. No matter what happens between us, any of us, you guys are the closest thing I have to family. I’m there in a heartbeat.”

  He let go of my hand to pull me closer to him on the cracked PVC seat. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed into my hair.

  “I love you, Marnie.”

  I so wanted to tell him I loved him in return, but my throat seemed to clamp up. As we continued our journey through the city, Luke released me from his grasp to make a series of calls and send texts—his mom, his older and younger brothers, Brad and Justin, his grandfather, and the other boys in the band. Despite the late hour, he had everybody mobilized and heading toward the hospital in moments.

  When we arrived, Luke grabbed a handful of bills, way too many for the cost of the trip, and thrust them at the delighted-looking driver before racing toward the ER. As he ran inside ahead of me, I saw Arlo at the reception desk. He was topless and bloody. He looked pale and shaken and more worried than I’d ever imagined he could. I hung back a little, both to give them their privacy and to avoid causing a scene or adding unnecessary complications to the already fraught and desperate situation. I could see how hard Arlo was struggling to keep it together while he spoke to the receptionist.

  As Arlo and Luke registered each other’s presence, the look that passed between them almost broke me. So much unspoken emotion had me deeply regretting that I had ever come between them, forcing Luke to choose me over the person he loved most in the world. I wrestled hard with the thought that I shouldn’t be there, trespassing on their intimate family moment when they were at their most vulnerable, inserting myself into their private crisis.

  “Hi,” Arlo mouthed as he responded to the battery of questions being thrown his way by the nurse behind the desk.

  “Hi,” returned Luke, a look of deep sorrow etched on his features.

  “I….” It was the first time I ever recalled seeing Arlo lost for words, and I instantly wished it wasn’t happening under such awful circumstances.

  Luke shook his head as though to say “No need to explain anything.” They did their weird twin thing—reading each other, a silent conversation passing between them. When they were done, Arlo returned his focus to the nurse who explained that London was being taken upstairs to ICU. He hurried in the direction she pointed, but she stopped him gently, placing a hand on the center of his naked chest.

  “Sir, I’m afraid that visitors to ICU are restricted to immediate family members only.”

  The look of rage and frustration on his face was both terrifying and soul-destroying.

  “I’m London’s fiancé, and the father of her babies.”

  Luke worked the back of his neck with his hands and took a few steps closer to Arlo. He had his twin’s back, literally and figuratively. Arlo continued calmly, and I was proud of his ability to keep his cool when I could tell he was on the verge of losing his shit. He kept himself together because he had to, because London needed him to. I guessed he was finally growing up.

  “She’s an only child. Her parents live in Australia. Me and our babies are all the family she has right now.”

  His anger turned to anguish, and my heart broke a little more. He may not have been my favorite person before all this went down, but I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, especially not someone who was as close as family.

  The nurse’s expression softened, and she moved aside, pointing at the bank of elevators in front of us.

  “Third floor.”

  Arlo turned to Luke one last time, wordlessly speaking again before entering the elevator. Thanks. I love you. Words unsaid but never the less understood. Luke nodded, watching the elevator doors close before pivoting on his heel and heading back toward the reception area again. I hadn’t thought he was aware of my presence throughout the exchange, but he must have been, as he headed straight for the corner where I was standing, his arms outstretched.

  I instantly returned the gesture, meeting him halfway and taking him into my embrace. He squeezed me so tight it was almost painful. I felt like he was trying to meld us into one person, but in actual fact, I think he was asking me to hold him together.

  “I need you.” He muttered the words into my hair as I gently rubbed his broad, toned back.

  “I know, and I’ve got you.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat. I wanted to be strong for Luke, but my heart was in pieces for him at the same time.

  We stayed like that a while, just feeling and comforting each other until I eventually broke the spell. “Come, let’s sit. We could be here for some time.”

  I moved to his side, one arm still wrapped around his waist, and he draped his arm around my shoulders, as though I was literally supporting him. As if on cue, the sliding doors to the reception area opened and in walked Luke’s mom and Gramps. I moved to disentangle myself from his side and leave them to their family time—after all the drama I’d caused, I was sure I was the last person anyone close to Arlo wanted to see—but Luke tightened his grip possessively.

  “Don’t go anywhere. I want you right here.”

  I stayed still, nervously waiting for them to approach, bracing myself for the verbal blasting I was sure was headed my way. Luke’s mom hugged her son tightly, and though he released his grip on my shoulder to return the hug, I knew better than to try to move away.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Any news?”

  “Not that I know of, only what I told you on the phone. Arlo just went to where they are treating her, but he’s the only one allowed up there, and even then he had to insist that he was her next of kin. In fact, he told them he was her fiancé.”

  “Wow. This is all so much. How is he doing?”

  “He’s broken but keeping it together. Just. He’s being strong for London, but it’s taking a toll, you know?”

  “Yeah, I do. I wish I could be with him. Someone needs to support him while he’s supporting her.”

  “I know, me too.”

  She pulled away slightly, and I saw then that she had tears streaming down her face. This was what the love of a good mother looked like. I felt a pang in my heart and again swallowed past the tears threatening to spill. This wasn’t my drama to cry over. Rebecca turned to me then.

  “Marnie. Hi.”

  “Hi.” I felt unbelievably awkward, like an unwanted guest at a family gathering.

  “Thank you so much for coming here for Luke, for all of us, really. Especially with everything that’s going on with Arlo. Luke needs you, but I know it can’t be easy for you.”

  Oh. That was not the reception I had anticipated from her.

  “I wanted to be here for both of them, no matter what, and I’m so sorry for the drama I’ve caused.” I really was. One careless mistake had such a huge impact on us all, and I wished more than anything that I could go back in time and take it away, but I couldn’t.

  “Don’t worry about all that now. I’ve made my views extremely clear to Arlo that he’s as much to blame in this as you. I’m sure he’ll come to realize that in time, but in the meantime, I appreciate your ability to be the bigger person. I wish Arlo was that mature, but with two babies on the way, who knows? There’s still hope yet.” She gave a small, tight smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

  Gramps quirked his eyebrow at Luke, looking pointedly between the two of us. Oh lord. He was Captain Inappropriate. Always had been. Luke smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

  “What can I say
, Gramps? I love her. Always have, always will.” He slipped his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. He brought the back of my hand to his lips and kissed it repeatedly.

  “Good for you, son. You have great taste.” He winked at me and sauntered over to the seating area where Luke’s mom had commandeered an entire row of the hard plastic bucket seats by placing various bags and jackets on each one to mark them as taken.

  Just as well, as within minutes, we were joined by everybody important in Arlo and London’s lives: the rest of the Heartless Few—Jake and his wife Kris coming in last—Arlo and Luke’s two other brothers, and London’s two best friends, Marko and Nicole. The only people missing were London’s parents who lived in Sydney. We made quite a spectacle in the reception area—given that four-fifths of the world’s most popular band was there, along with the model at the center of a sex scandal with one band member and who was now publicly “with” another. The paparazzi were out in force but were being kept from entering the building by increased hospital security, thank goodness. Even with that small mercy, the reception area still felt distinctly like a goldfish bowl.

  We were tired and tense, but everyone was trying to stay positive while we waited for news. Marko, whose manwhore reputation was matched only by Arlo’s, tapped into a contact at the hospital, a nurse he had… tapped, and we were able to get small trickles of information about London’s condition that way.

  Even still, the waiting and not knowing was agonizing. I did what I could to support Luke and Arlo—coffee and food runs, zipped back to my apartment and stuffed some of Luke’s clothes and toiletries into a bag to give to Arlo, anything I thought would help ease the strain. The rest of the time I held Luke’s hand, hugged and kissed him—whatever he needed.

  “Luke.” I nudged him awake as he dozed in the uncomfortable seat next to me. I knew my timing was horrific, but what I had to say to him couldn’t wait.

  “Hmm…?” He looked at me groggily but with so much love that if I wasn’t sitting down already, I would have needed to. Weak at the knees didn’t begin to cover it. I went weak at the heart.

  “I love you.”

  Tired as he was, Luke sat up a little straighter in his chair and narrowed his eyes toward me.

  “I know, but why are you telling me this now?”

  “Because I’m a fool. Because all this time I’ve been thinking that by staying away from you I was doing you a favor, keeping you out of the path of my toxic history. In reality was trying to protect myself from the hurt and rejection I was sure would come from any emotional involvement with anyone. Then sitting here amongst Arlo and London’s friends and family waiting for news, I realized that’s bullshit. It’s not real life. This is real life.” I motioned toward our group. “You can’t shield yourself from it or protect yourself from the speed humps; the unpleasant shit that comes up, that’s out of your control. I, of all people, should have known that. My entire life is testament to that fact. But you can’t hide from it, either. All you can do is try to make it through those things with the help of the people you love, and who love you back.”

  Luke looked at me, still seemingly apprehensive about what I was going to say next.

  “I’ve been sitting here thinking what if the worst were to happen to one of us. I can’t bear the thought, but even more so, I can’t live with the idea that something could happen and you wouldn’t know how much you meant to me and how much I wanted you in my life forever and always have. I’ve been hiding it, and myself, for so many years, but I’m finally sick of hiding from you, from life, from me.”

  Luke looked at me as though I’d just hung the moon, and I was sure my facial expression matched his. I couldn’t remember ever having been happier. Luke turned to me, placing a hand on each of my cheeks, and looked deep into my eyes. I knew he was going to kiss me, but before he did, I wanted to make my feelings absolutely clear.

  “I love you, and I’m so glad you found me.”

  Epilogue

  Marnie

  Two years later

  Luke stopped the car, pulling up to the curb outside a row of shops in Greenport. It was my favorite spot to hang on Long Island—so many cool cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops. That being said, I had no idea why we were there now. I figured maybe Luke had a surprise dinner planned. That was definitely his style. If that was the plan, I wished he’d swung by the house first; I wasn’t looking my best after my work day. For all I knew, I probably had petals and twigs sticking out of my hair.

  I glanced across at him as he finished parking the car, trying to glean some clues, but he kept his facial expression artfully neutral. What was he playing at? I smiled inwardly, and for about the hundred millionth time in the previous two years, I felt like pinching myself. I still found it so hard to believe that this was now my life.

  I got to wake up every day next to my soul mate—a man who was in equal parts gentle, kind, and loving as he was raw sex and smoking desire—a man who loved me for me, not in spite of my frailties but because of them. A man who I wanted more with each passing day and for whom I knew the feeling was mutual.

  So much had happened in those two years, I could hardly believe we were the same Luke and Marnie we had been back then, though I guessed the reality was that we weren’t. Luke for instance was now a Grammy-winning solo artist, his debut album Found having launched to much critical acclaim and record-breaking sales. He’d toured extensively, and now had the swag of a man who was confident and secure in his own skin. More than that, he was well and truly out of Arlo’s shadow, though I was relieved that the two had repaired their relationship, and their bond was stronger than ever.

  This was due in part to Arlo deciding to drop the case against me, and the band taking a hiatus for the first time in their fifteen-year history, while Arlo concentrated his energies on being a twin Dadda, and Luke launched his solo career. There was definitely truth in the adage that familiarity breeds contempt when it comes to the two of them, but it was also fair to say that parenthood and the love of a good, but badass woman and two beautiful little girls had mellowed Arlo, much to everyone’s relief. On the other hand, Luke’s solo career had proven that he was every bit the sexy rock god his twin was.

  For my part, I could scarcely recognize myself. I felt like the clichéd caterpillar emerging from her chrysalis as a butterfly. Except I looked exactly the same as I always had—the big changes had happened on the inside. I felt secure in who and what I was. In fact, for the first time, I knew what I was. I was Marnie Rae Harloe. I was an orphan through no fault of my own. I was a senior floral designer at a top Manhattan florist store. I was a doggie mama. I was in love. I was loved. I was deserving of love. I was happy. Probably for the first time in my life I could categorically say that it felt good to be me.

  “What are you grinning at?” Ha! As my mind had wandered, I hadn’t even realized I was.

  “Nothing, just wondering what you’re planning and thinking about how lucky I am to have you.” Luke’s whole face lit up as he beamed from ear to ear, and my stomach lurched. I still couldn’t get over the fact that I could do that to him. That I made him feel so good, just by being me. He leaned forward and kissed me, setting my whole body alight with sensation. Maybe I didn’t need to know what the surprise was, maybe we could just stay in the car and make out like teenagers. Maybe that was the surprise.

  “Come on, I didn’t bring you here so that we could suck face like high school kids.” Shame. “Let’s go.” He was out of the car before I could protest. I followed suit, hurriedly scrambling from my seat.

  Luke joined me on the sidewalk. “So, what do you think?” He spread his arms expansively, grinning even more widely than he had done in the car.

  “What do I think of what? We’re standing in front of a disused building.” Why was he acting so weird?

  “That’s right, we are. C’mon.” Again, without waiting for me to make a move, Luke was striding purposefully across the sidewalk, toward the door of the building, keys
in hand.

  “What the he…?” I stopped, openmouthed and in shock. As the door swung open, revealing a cavernous, empty interior, Luke pulled me inside.

  “What do you think?” He looked apprehensive, nibbling on his bottom lip while waiting for my response.

  “I don’t know what to think, Luke. Why are we here? No… wait… where are we even?”

  “Oh… um… yeah. Sorry, I forgot that part. This is—well, it will be—your new flower store.” What did I just hear?

  “What did you just say? Something about a flower store.”

  Luke laughed, but I seemed to have lost my sense of humor. I really didn’t get the joke.

  “Not a flower store, your flower store. I bought it. For you. It’s yours. For The Gilded Rose.”

  I’d been working on a concept for my own flower store since before I’d even completed my floristry training. Now every day after work, I pulled together more details of my future business, but I’d thought I was years away from being able to make it any kind of reality. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

  “Are you serious?” My voice wavered with the question.

  Luke nodded, his grin now so wide I thought it was going to split his face clean in half. “Never been more serious. I’ve wanted to do this since you told me you’d found your calling. I’ve had a commercial property scout on the case for the best part of a year, looking for the ideal spot, and when this place came along, I knew right away it was the one.”

  He had a good eye, and he was right. The place was perfect, and so was he. I burst into tears at the thought, a mixture of love and excitement overwhelming me. I’d been doing that a lot lately.

  “Hey, hey, don’t cry, baby. This is a good thing. I did it to make you happy.” He took my cheeks in his hands, wiping away the tears as they careened down my face. I nodded, unable to stem the tide.