Yesterday Is Ours (The Yesterday Series Book 3)

by HJ Bellus

  A muted sound sings out through Bertie’s home. I follow the sound until I discover the culprit. Bertie’s cellphone. The number isn’t saved as a contact. It’s just a scrambled-up mix of numbers. I stand and stare at it. Just when the light begins to dim and the ringing has ceased, it lights up again with a text. I squint, reading the words I can make out on the preview screen.

  Unknown: Bertie, it’s Martin McDouglas. Nice meeting you today. Your case is strong. Keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll be in contact soon.

  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Martin McDouglas is a lawyer and that’s where Bertie spent her day. Nell’s words weigh on me the rest of the afternoon. I’m not too proud to say I found what I can assume is Nell’s and Bertie’s stash of wine and vodka. I’m not that big of an idiot to take wine from women, so I pound a few gulps of vodka, just enough to give me that slight buzz that makes my head swim. The liquid does its magic, numbing all of me until I fall onto the couch and into a peaceful slumber with Scotty curled at my side as I pet the little devil who became a caring, kind dog in my eyes. The few shallow swallows of vodka put me right off into a nap, which is way better than sitting here worrying the rest of the day away.

  Chapter 14

  Bertie

  The meeting with the lawyer was exhausting, the kind of tired you can feel in your bones. It drained me physically and mentally, even though everything sounded very positive. Mr. McDouglas encouraged me we had a robust case if the witness list I provided was strong enough. His track record helps reassure me as well. My bank account, on the other hand, wasn’t so impressed. However, if everything turns out the way I want, that money will be right back in my account.

  This situation didn’t have the time to hire the doctor’s association I’m in. Nope, no way in hell will I or would I ever let my hard work, determination, sweat, pride, and tears be erased by an egomaniac. My parents taught me better, and they’d be damn proud. They’re enjoying their retirement over in Ireland, and I’d never ruin it with this mess I got caught up in. Not a chance. Some may call me bullheaded, but I like to think I’m a strong-willed, determined woman, and that’s exactly what I want my sweet, little Cody to grow up to be, no matter what she chooses to pursue.

  Pulling into my garage, I feel myself being re-energized with the thought of what’s waiting for me on the other side. No matter how bad life can be, the world has brought my greatest love back into my life, and that’s enough to make me smile again. I swear every part of my body and soul has blossomed back to life. He’s everything, and I have no idea what the future holds.

  My phone dings as I enter the kitchen. I left the damn thing lying on the counter. On autopilot, I pick it up and swipe it to life. Big, big mistake.

  Garrett: Stubborn damn woman. I knew there was something about you that I couldn’t resist and I guess that was breaking you down. No lawyer will help you in this case. You have two options. Get fired and go before the board hoping like hell your license isn’t stripped away or put that ring back on your finger.

  What the hell? I knew Garrett carried an air of arrogance, but this is so off the mark I can’t even begin to understand it. He was always kind and gentle with me, yeah, a bit overbearing when it came to showing me off, but this isn’t the man I thought I knew. A new message appears.

  Garrett: And really, moving the man into your house? I can’t even begin to comprehend your stupidity, Roberta.

  I react on instinct, racing back out to my car. Call me crazy, but I don’t want his venom in my house in any shape or form. What’s happening under my roof is beautiful magic, and I want to keep that bottled up as long as I can. I settle in my car, rereading the texts. My head bounces on the headrest. I repeat the action over and over. This man is bound and determined to take me down if I don’t bend to his will. Why in the ever-loving hell would he want to be with a woman who he has grown to despise in such a short time?

  My phone vibrates in my hand as the ringtone goes off. I don’t have to look at it to know who is calling. Avoiding him hasn’t worked in my favor so far.

  “Hello.” My voice shakes, only making me more pissed off at the situation.

  “Roberta.” His deep, seductive voice comes through the other line. “Didn’t think you’d answer.”

  “Well, I did.” I run my hands through my hair. “What’s your game? What in the hell is this all about?”

  “I’ve been pretty damn clear, Roberta. I want you as my wife.”

  “What in the hell, Garrett?” I pound the steering wheel, avoiding the horn. “We dated for a few months, you popped the question catching me off guard, you can’t stand my daughter, so what in the hell gives?”

  “You. That’s what gives. I need to get married. You’re perfect for me. Your story will win so many hearts, and then having me as your husband will be the cherry on the top.”

  “Are you sick, Garrett? None of this makes sense.”

  “I have to get married, and like you said, I wasted months on you, Roberta. You lose your license or marry me.”

  “Fuck off.” The two words rolling off my tongue free and exhilarate me. “Garrett, you don’t win here, and you may think you’re smart and have everything tidied up in the palms of your hands. You are wrong. Money, Mommy, and Daddy won’t save you this time. I suggest you stop before this gets really messy.”

  His only reply is a deep hearty chuckle from the other end.

  “Laugh now, Garrett, but I’ve been keeping track of all the harassment from you, and I’m not the only one with a list.”

  I don’t wait for his reply, ending the call and promptly blocking his number. I don’t stop there, powering down my phone. I’m home and the only two people who truly matter are waiting inside for me.

  The house is silent when I enter, like it was before. I let out a long exhale, thankful no one heard me. I ignore it, placing the milk in the fridge and bread in the pantry, then make my way upstairs. It’s a routine even though there’s no need to shower or take five minutes of alone time. I do it anyway, avoiding the shower but jumping into yoga pants and a comfy tee. I’m at the point to taking off my bra with Cody around. I mean, hell, the man licked every square inch of my body and brought me to life like I’ve never experienced before, but I decide to keep it on. Might be the last piece of armor I need when it comes to him. Like I ever had a chance. I’m the only joker in that scene.

  “Cody.” I trot back down the stairs, having no idea where he is.

  “In here,” his voice responds.

  I startle, jumping back when Cody’s profile appears in the kitchen. The same room I just walked through.

  “You scared the shit out of me.” I keep my hand over my chest. “It’s like you disappeared into the shadows and reappeared. I didn’t see you when I came in.”

  He shrugs. “I was napping on the couch.”

  “Well, hell, you’re like a superhero, being all stealthy and shit.” I walk toward him. “How was your day? Did you take your meds? And do your stretches?”

  I shake my head slightly, knocking away the damn doctor mode, but I can’t help myself. It’s embedded in my DNA.

  “Yes, yes, and yes. I’ve checked all the above boxes,” he mutters, taking a bag of marinated chicken from the fridge.

  “Are you okay, Cody?” I stutter in my step, getting closer to him yet knowing something is off.

  He turns to stare at me. There’s silence slicing between us. I’m not sure what to make of it, but I’m not about to turn away. There’s an eerie brilliance of evil brewing levels below us, but it always has. We both know it—two kids from the wrong sides of the track. Bertie’s parents worked their damn ass off to get her into the college of her dreams. Her tattered jeans and worn Chucks were glaringly obvious to anyone studying the social classes of our hometown. Two kids from the wrong sides of the classroom yet we always magnetized to one another. There was no exception once we entered the same plane.

  “I’m fine.” He steps toward me. “Tough
day on me doing everything to recover.”

  I’m not an idiot. I know there’s so much more behind his words. I don’t have the courage to ask about it, falling back on my training as a doctor.

  “Are you feeling okay?” I step closer, as if we are calling each other out in a high-stakes poker game. “How was your temperature? Did it spike? You know that’s not a good sign.”

  “Oh yeah.” He smirks, closing the distance between us with his large palm tugging my hip towards him. “It spiked.”

  “Yeah?” I trail a finger down his jawline.

  “It did.” He pulls me closer. “It’s weird. It happened the moment you walked into your own kitchen. Something really strange happened, Doc.”

  I throw my head back and laugh hard until my stomach hurts. “You’re so cheesy, and like I’ve said a thousand times, some things never change.”

  “The greatest singer once said,” he pauses and smirks, “just shut up and kiss me, or as others like to say, a long story straight.”

  And that’s when it happens—all the wrongs in the world are righted as Cody’s full sexy lips cover mine. We move in unison with all the worries in the world erasing at once. Hands roam and clothes shed. Cody admires my body just as he did last night and the first time we were together and the same way he made love to me the night before he walked out of my life.

  The passion and angst simmering deep down in my core out-powers my previous thoughts. Cody wipes away every single thought and worry with each move of his body against mine. It’s magic, the purest sense of voodoo, so intense I’m hypnotized sucking in and memorizing each move. I’m so entranced in him that I don’t blink when he winces in pain. I’m too entranced in us to listen to my doctor brain. He’s giving me all of him, and I’m soaking all of it in. What we are doing is so much more than science. It’s more than life. It’s everything.

  ***

  We remain breathless on the floor of the entryway hall as the timer on my phone and his go off at the same time.

  “The bus,” he whispers against my temple.

  “The bus.” I clench his back.

  As much as it pains me, I pry myself from Cody’s body. It isn’t easy as we are tangled as if you don’t know where one begins and the other one ends. It’s a struggle in itself to gather all of our clothes.

  “Hey, Cody.” I tug my tee over my head, swiping my hair out in a fan before glancing over at him. “Thank you.”

  He stills, processing those two words more than he needs to. I watch as his thick throat gulps down. The awkward tension is back. I know beyond the black and white print in any textbook or medical file that he’s keeping something back. The pain is written on his features, and I want nothing more than to wipe it away.

  “For what?” Two simple words.

  “For being you,” I respond.

  He chucks up his jeans, fastening them, then has me in his arms again, our foreheads pressed against each other as he stares me down.

  “Letting me back in and sharing everything with me you’ve worked so damn hard to gain.” He tilts his head, kissing my temple. “That’s something I’ll never take for granted. I’m always here for you, Bertie.”

  Before I have the chance to ask what in the hell is going on my phone alarm begins serenading us again. It’s a beacon that tears the two of us apart. Cody grabs my hand and opens the door, leading me out to grab my girl from the bus. We don’t exchange another word until the big yellow bus pulls up in front of my house.

  “She’s amazing, Bertie.” Cody squeezes my hand, not making eye contact. “She’s perfect, and don’t let anyone else tell you any different.”

  It’s acceptance and goodbye all wrapped in one. After the day I’ve had, I can’t comprehend a damn thing. My little princess doesn’t acknowledge me as she bounds off the bus and darts towards us. It’s not me she goes to. With her arms wide open and a huge smile plastered on her cherubic face, she heads straight for Cody aka Junior.

  “Junior, I called a kid ‘pecker’ in class today. The teacher didn’t hear, and I guess this kid’s dad calls the dog pecker all the times and then kicks at it.” She smooshes Cody’s face with her tiny palms. “After lastest recess, he told me he thought I was going to kick hard at him. I was just so, so mad I remembered one of your words, but now we are good friends, and I didn’t even kick him. I ignored him.”

  Cody doesn’t have to fake or mask his smile as he beams wide at her. I’m not sure how her dad would’ve reacted, but I do know he’d want a man like Cody in her life embracing and loving the hell out of her, even if it wasn’t conventional.

  “Well, good one, squirt, but let’s not use that word again.” He shrugs, keeping my hand in his and turning to the house. “Let’s shelve that word, but damn—darn good use of it.”

  I get caught up on the fact Cody corrects himself every chance he gets. He has never put on a fake persona. Nope, he’s been himself, teaching my daughter all kinds of naughty words and yet at the same teaching her appropriate ones.

  Junior and Cody ditch me the second we enter the house. The two of them don’t let the feet of snow stop them from grilling the chicken outside on the barbecue. I watch from the inside, feeling like a figurine trapped in a snow globe. It’s hell, and I don’t care for the feeling. I sense Cody pulling further and further away from me. It frightens and liberates me at the same time, and there’s no way I can explain it.

  My little girl jabbers away while jotting down in a notebook with her neon pineapple marker. The scene I’m observing is an eager waitress taking orders. Cody is the chef and customer at the same time.

  “I’ll take a C,” he replies to something she told him.

  I near the French glass doors to overhear their conversation.

  “The large size or small order?” she asks, tapping the end of the marker to her chin.

  “Large size of course.”

  “Junior.” Cody giggles wildly. “You always order the large ones. I need to learn my small size letters.”

  “Large size.” He flips the chicken on the grill then goes to her.

  They continue the letter game as if they’ve done it their whole lives. The innocent and loving child has no idea Cody keeps flinging safe letters her way. It doesn’t matter as her smile shines to life with each of his praises. She even shakes her head as he holds his hand over hers as he shows the correct way to write a letter. They continue this over and over until the chicken is cooked.

  I tried my best to whip up a salad and warm some rolls all the while watching their shared interactions. Cody doesn’t get frustrated at his student’s backwards letters. He simply holds his large hand over hers, helping her form them correctly. Hot, searing tears form, and I do my best to fight them back. Blink by blink and slice by slice of juicy red tomatoes, I bat them away.

  I’ve never been stuck in such a hard spot. The saying between a rock and a hard place has nothing on the predicament I’ve found myself in. Cody has a life five hours away, and mine is here. It’s not as simple as walking away. Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into everything I’ve built up. I’ve scratched and clawed my way this far; I’m not about to go begging for help. Yeah, it’s plain stupidity, but I can’t ignore it.

  “Mom.” Cody tugs on my t-shirt. “Why are your eyes watering?”

  “Onions, silly.” I wipe underneath my eyes, not even realizing those tears finally won out and spilled over.

  “Um.” She taps her chin and rolls her eyes. “You are chopping a tomato.”

  I open my mouth, but there’s nothing to say. She’s caught me, and one thing I’ve never done is lie to my girl. But there’s no way I can begin to explain to her what is causing the tears.

  “Must be one of those onion-possessed tomatoes.” Cody scoops her up in his arms, hoisting her over his shoulder in a fireman pose.

  “Junior, you’re lying,” she manages to get out through giggles.

  “Nope, it’s a real thing. They are super rare.” His voice fades as he rounds th
e corner. “The chances of slicing into one are about one in a trillion.”

  She laughs louder, and I relax back on the counter. Just like our love—it’s a one in a trillion chance of ever finding it again. That’s something I can’t let go off. It doesn’t matter our lives are in different spots. I’ll battle my way through to make it happen.

  “Mom.” Minutes later, Cody comes racing into the room. “We are making slime after dinner.”

  When I turn around, eyes free of tears, Cody is hefting in the largest container of Elmer’s Glue I’ve ever seen. Junior packs in another box of shit. I have no idea what’s going on.

  “I’m going to practice my letters in the slime.” She plops the jug on the table. “It’s going to be so, so fun.”

  She scrambles up onto a dining room chair.

  “Dinner first, missy.” Junior ruffles her hair. “And that means trying everything we cooked.”

  She turns up her nose but finally surrenders, agreeing. To say dinner was awkward would be an understatement. Cody didn’t pick up on it, rambling non-stop from topics ranging from letters to how snow melts. The only sound that comes from the adults are a few grunts and clanking of forks.

  “Let’s clean up the dishes, so we can get busy on the slime.” Junior stands up once he’s polished off all the chicken left on our plates. “Your mom can take a shower then join us.”

  “Yes, yes, yes.” Cody bounds from her chair, actually taking her plate to the sink.

  It’s a rare occurrence. Actually, it’s a first. I’ve always been so exhausted once I was able to cook a full meal and not some nuke-and-cook meal that I’ve never made her take her plate to the sink. The dirty dishes were always an afterthought. They’d get cleaned up one way or another.