by Claire Adams
“I spent a couple of nights in a jail cell a few weeks back,” I said.
“No way,” he said, with raised eyebrows.
“I was accused of drug dealing.”
“You are fucking kidding me.”
“Nope,” I said. “I was being framed, but we had to have a trial…the whole nine yards.”
“I take it all charges were dropped against you?”
“Of course.” I nodded.
“Damn, you’re right… I need the details,” Paul said.
“I’ll tell you all the details.” I nodded. “We have many more visits to look forward to now.”
Paul smiled and nodded at me, recognizing the promise that I was making to him at that moment. “Anyone special in your life?” Paul asked.
I hesitated. What should I say? I had a girlfriend…sort of? I wasn’t really sure at the moment. “Well… it’s complicated.”
Paul rolled his eyes. “My life is complicated, Phil,” Paul said. “Yours is a fucking dream.”
“I’m actually here with someone.”
“Oh?” Paul asked, immediately interested.
“Her name is Megan.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Well…she was,” I said uncertainly.
Paul looked around the room and caught sight of Megan. “Is that her?” he asked me discreetly.
“Yes.”
“She’s a stone-cold fox,” Paul said. “She’s too good for you.”
I smiled. “I agree…but we’re sort of in limbo at the moment. It’s—”
“Let me guess?” he said, cutting me off. “It’s a long story?”
I smiled. “I’ll tell you about it on my next visit.”
“Fine.” He nodded. “Well, invite her over here and introduce me. You brought her in here for a reason.”
I stood up and gestured for Megan to join us. She looked a little nervous as she walked over, but she gave Paul a beautiful, open smile and leaned in to hug him before he did.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Paul,” Megan said, sitting down next to me. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I wish I could say the same.”
“Hey, now,” I said, feeling strangely at ease in this unusual situation.
“So, Megan, is this your first trip to prison?” Paul asked.
“It is.” She nodded.
“I hope that Phil didn’t drag you here?”
“Not at all,” she insisted. “I wanted to come. I wanted to meet you.”
“I wish we could have met under different circumstances.”
“I don’t know; this makes for a pretty interesting first meeting.”
Paul smiled, and Megan looked instantly horrified with herself. “Oh my God…was that just a really insensitive thing that only assholes say out loud?”
Paul laughed and looked at me. “I like her,” he said.
We spent the rest of the hour talking about random things. Mostly, I listened to Paul and Megan exchange stories about me and felt strangely happy. It was the closest thing I’d gotten to a family dinner, except that we weren’t at home and there was no dinner on the table. But still, my mood only improved as the minutes ticked by. Megan and Paul got on well, and there were no moments of awkward silences between any of us.
When the guards came in to usher us away, Megan looked up in shock. “Already?” she said. “That can’t have been an hour.”
“You’ll have to visit me more often,” Paul said.
“I will,” I promised again.
“Not you,” he said. “I was talking to Megan.”
I smirked at Paul as he gave me a good-natured wink and Megan laughed. As we stood up to say goodbye, I felt a little tug of emotion come over me, and I started to unravel, realizing that I was going back to my life and Paul was just stuck here within these walls with no family and no one to lean on.
Paul seemed to sense what I was thinking because when he leaned in to hug me, he whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine here.”
“I’ll come back in a few weeks,” I said.
“I believe you.” Paul nodded.
Then he gave Megan a hug and disappeared out a different door with the guards. Megan and I waited until he had disappeared completely from sight and then we walked back out of the prison, collected our phones, and headed to the car. We walked in silence the whole way, but I was conscious of Megan glancing over at me every now and again.
The moment we got in the car, Megan put her hand on mine, and I took a deep breath that made me feel much better. Then we started the drive back home. We didn’t really talk much during the journey, but we didn’t really need to. It was enough to just be with Megan. When I stopped outside Brent’s apartment, I turned to her and kissed her softly on the cheek.
“Thank you,” was all I said.
“Anytime,” she replied.
Then she got out of the car with her bag and walked away from me, and I wondered why I felt so sad at the image of her retreating form.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Megan
My phone rang, and when I glanced down, I saw that it was an unknown number. Curious, I picked up, keeping my voice low so as not to disturb everyone around me.
“Hello?”
“Is this Ms. Megan Jacobs?”
“Uh…yes?” I replied.
“I’m calling to inform you about your husband.”
“What?” I said, in shock. “I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
“You are Ms. Jacobs, are you not?” the woman on the other line asked.
“I am, but…”
“Your husband was brought into the hospital an hour ago, and he listed you as his next of kin,” she told me. “Mr. Phil Roberts.”
I blood went cold. “Phil,” I said, in a panic. “What happened?”
“He was brought in an hour ago—”
“What happened?” I demanded again.
“He was in an accident, ma’am,” she replied. “I—”
“Which hospital?” I asked rudely.
“Heart’s Cross.”
I didn’t even say thank you or goodbye. I just hung up, grabbed my purse, and headed for the door. It was only when I heard my name being called that I realized I was at work and I couldn’t just walk out without an explanation.
“Megan?” Marta was calling out after me.
“It’s Phil,” I said, turning back to speak to her. “He’s been in an accident.”
“Oh my God!” she gasped.
“He was working this whole morning,” I said. “I don’t know how bad he is, but I’ve got to get to him now. He’s at Heart’s Cross.”
“You go ahead,” she said immediately. “I’ll make your excuses.”
“Thank you so much, Marta,” I said gratefully, as I turned and raced for the exit.
It took me almost twenty minutes to get to the hospital, and my stomach was in knots the whole time. I had to take the subway, and I bumped into three different people because my mind was so scattered. The third guy smelled of alcohol and cursed at me violently, but I barely cared. I just walked onto another section, sat down, and prayed that by some miracle somehow the train would pick up speed.
My mind was reeling. What if this injury was life-threatening? What if he didn’t make it? What if he was left paralyzed or horribly disfigured? The what ifs were driving me insane and I immediately regretted not asking the woman who had called me more questions about Phil’s condition. I couldn’t even be happy about the fact that Phil had listed me as his next of kin because I was so worried about how I would find him when I arrived at the hospital.
When I got to the hospital, I headed straight for the emergency room and asked about Phil Roberts, but no one seemed to know whom I was talking about. I didn’t even have anyone to call and ask about him. I decided to go to the main reception and ask someone there. I was about to ask one of the women behind the counters on the first floor when I spotted a face I recognized.
&nb
sp; I remembered him testifying for Phil at the trial. He was one of the guys that worked alongside Phil at the fire station, and I was pretty sure his name was Ryan. I walked up to him immediately.
“Excuse me?”
He turned around, and it was obvious from the expression on his face that he knew whom I was. “Hello,” he said. “You’re Megan, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Is Phil all right?”
“Who called you?”
“The hospital,” I said, tripping over my words. “But she didn’t tell me what happened or how badly Phil was hurt. I don’t have any details, and I’m scared shitless. Is he okay? Was it a fire? Was it an accident?”
“Whoa, whoa,” he said. He put his hands on both my shoulders and looked me right in the eye. “It’s okay, calm down. Phil is fine.”
I stared at him for a moment, not daring to believe him just yet. “He’s…fine?”
“Well…maybe that’s overstating it.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you sit down while I explain?” Ryan suggested.
“No, thank you,” I said firmly. “I’d prefer to stand. Actually, I’d prefer you explain what happened while you take me to see him.”
“Fair enough.” Ryan nodded readily. “His room is on the fifth floor.”
We boarded the elevators and Ryan hit the fifth floor. As the elevator started its ascent, I looked towards Ryan, who wasn’t explaining what had happened as fast as I would have liked.
“We were called in for an emergency,” he started. “It was a house fire that had got out of control. Our team was the first responders. By the time we got there, however, the fire had spread through the entire first floor, and it was swiftly traveling up to the second. That was where the children were.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed, starting to feel a little light-headed.
“We had to move fast, otherwise we knew there was a possibility of losing the children,” Ryan explained. “Phil and Mel went in to get them. Everything was going well, but on his way out, a piece of burning wood crumbled down and hit Phil on the leg. It burned through the protective covering on his leg.”
“Oh my God… is he—”
“He’s fine, don’t worry,” Ryan said. “He’s awake, he’s lucid, and he’s already a pain in my ass. He sent me down for ice chips.”
“How’s his leg?”
“Bandaged up nicely,” Ryan replied as we closed in on Phil’s room. “The burns are second degree, so they’ll cause him some pain, but that should fade with time. He’ll have a few blisters and redness, too, but again, that should heal with time. He’s also got a sprained ankle, which means he needs to be on bed rest for about a week, which puts him out of commission as far as work is concerned.”
“I bet he wasn’t happy to hear that.”
“Not even a little bit,” Ryan agreed, with a smile.
Ryan led me to a door and then pushed inside without even bothering to knock. Phil was sitting in the center of the small room on a hospital bed with his leg bandaged up and placed carefully on a pillow. There were two other guys sitting beside him. Both I recognized from the trial, but I remembered their names because of all the stories that Phil had told me about them.
“Look who I brought,” Ryan said, gesturing me inside.
I walked in and went straight for Phil’s bedside, as the men moved out of my way.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Of course.” Phil nodded. “I’ve had worse before. What are you doing here?”
That made me pause. “Uh…the hospital called me.”
Then I saw realization dawn on Phil’s face. “Oh fuck, they asked me about family when they brought me in and… I didn’t have anyone, so I guess I gave them your information. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t apologize,” I said immediately. “I’m glad the hospital called me.”
Someone cleared his throat behind me, and Phil looked up with a start. “Sorry, Megan, these are my partners in crime, Mel, Kendrick, and Ryan.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” I said, shaking their hands.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Megan,” Mel said. “We’ll give you two some privacy. Come on, boys.”
When we were alone, I turned to Phil and took his hand, without worrying about what he would say or how he would feel about it. I just wanted to touch him.
“I was so scared when I got the call,” I said. “I think I jumped to worst case scenario.”
“You don’t have to worry… I’m fine, as you can see.”
“Still, this is all part of your job.”
“Always has been.” Phil nodded.
“When are they discharging you?” I asked.
“In a few minutes,” he replied. “The doctor will come in and change my dressing and then I’m free and clear.”
“I’ll help you get back home.”
“You should be at work.”
“Fuck work,” I said firmly. “You need me more.”
Phil looked amused, but he didn’t insist that I go back to work, and I took that as a good sign. Once he was discharged, Phil handed me his car keys and Mel, Kendrick, and Ryan helped him into the car. Then I drove us back to his building and helped him up the stairs to his apartment. It wasn’t the easiest job in the world, and his crutches kept getting in the way, but we managed.
Once we were inside, I settled him down on the couch and made sure he was comfortable. Then I ran around like a headless chicken, getting dinner ready while making sure the apartment was clean and organized.
“Megan, stop,” Phil said, unable to do anything more than talk to me. “You’re not my maid or my nurse.”
“You need clean sheets on your bed,” I insisted. “And I want to make sure there aren’t any tripping hazards lying about. Also, I’ve kept all your creams and medicines on the counter next to your bed, so you won’t forget to take them.”
“Oh, don’t worry, the pain will remind me,” Phil joked.
I whirled around. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“No, no… Megan, come here and sit with me, please?”
Unable to resist, I joined him on the sofa. We sat only inches apart and even though it wasn’t as close as I would have liked, it was a start. We ended up watching a bunch of movies while eating our dinner and the whole time we argued about which characters were our favorites and which ones were just plain annoying. Four hours later, and I could tell that Phil was exhausted, and to be honest, so was I.
I helped him to bed and got him settled under the covers. His eyes followed me everywhere, and I felt slightly self-conscious, but also slightly aroused. I tried to remind myself that this did not mean that we were getting back together, but still, I hoped. Once Phil was nice and comfy, I moved towards the door to off the light.
“Where are you going?” he called.
“Um… Well, I thought I’d sleep on the couch tonight.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “No,” he said, at last.
“No?”
“Stay with me tonight,” he said. “In this bed.”
I stared at him, wondering what this would mean for us. I decided not to ask about that just yet. It was enough right now to know that he wanted to me next to him while he slept.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yes,” Phil insisted, without hesitation.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Phil
I woke up twice in the middle of the night. The first time, I stirred and hit something soft and curved next to me. I tried to turn, but my ankle was killing me. Then I heard a sigh that made my cock stiffen, and I felt Megan’s arm curl around my body. Slowly, so that I didn’t disturb her, I turned. She was lying next to me on her side; her breathing was quiet and peaceful.
I was sorely tempted to kiss her full, luscious lips, but that would be wrong of me. I was the one who had asked for time. I had asked for time so that I could make a decision about us. I didn’t have the right to kiss her now�
�especially since I hadn’t given her any indication of where we stood. I stared at her until I fell back asleep. The second time I woke up, she had turned away from me, so I couldn’t see her face.
I stared at her back, imagining how lovely it would be to just call out her name and have her to turn towards me with a smile on her face. I wondered how I would feel tomorrow when she was no longer sleeping by my side. The thought itself depressed me, and I wondered if that was my answer in a nutshell and I was just too damn proud to admit it.
When I woke up the next morning, feeling a little pain and discomfort in my leg, the left side of the bed was empty. I sat up slowly and looked around. I could see Megan’s things lying around, so I knew she was still in the apartment.
“Megan?” I called.
A couple of seconds later, she rushed into my room. “Hey,” she said. “Are you all right? How do you feel?”
“Uh… I feel…”
“Pain?” she offered.
“A little,” I nodded.
“Painkillers,” she said immediately. “But first, you need to eat something.”
She helped me out of bed and into the bathroom, where I brushed my teeth while Megan stood next to me. Then we went into the kitchen through the living room where breakfast was already laid out on the table. My eyes went wide as I realized how much trouble she had gone to. There were pancakes, waffles, chicken, cream cheese, salmon, orange juice, and an assortment of different kinds of fruits.
“Whoa,” I breathed.
“I didn’t you what you’d be in the mood for,” Megan said. “And I figured…breakfast buffet!”
“This is insane,” I said, as she helped me into a chair.
“No, it’s not…”
“Salmon and cream cheese,” I said, pointing out all the food. “Strawberries and kiwi…you’ve blown a chunk of your paycheck on this breakfast.”
“Hey, I’m not being totally altruistic. I’m planning on stuffing my face, too.”
I smiled. “You really shouldn’t have done all this.”
“I wanted to,” Megan insisted. “Now come on… what can I get you? Waffles or pancakes?”
“Why are there two plates of pancakes?” I asked.