I'll Be There

by E. L. Todd

  I tried not to let my own insecurities break us apart again. “You’re right. I’m very happy.”

  “Good.” She gave me another kiss before she grabbed her purse off the counter. “Then let’s go before we’re late.”

  I took her hand and walked out with her. Her hand was small in mine. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to get used to that type of affection. The differences in our sizes made it awkward to touch each other. But now it was uncomfortable not holding her hand.

  “How’s it going with Operation Cayson?” Trinity asked as she walked beside me in her pink heels.

  “Super well.” I smiled just thinking about it.

  “Tell me.” Her excitement shined in her eyes.

  “Skye and Rhett have been hanging out a lot, and Rhett talked about how cute he thought she was. He said it right in front of Cayson. Dude, he got so mad.”

  “Dude?”

  “Sorry,” I said quickly. “Bad habit. Anyway, Cayson was not happy. When Rhett was gone I told Cayson he shouldn’t be mad. This was what he wanted. Did he really think guys would be immune to her?”

  “What did he say?”

  “Nothing,” I answered. “But he looked devastated. Then I said I doubted Skye would go out with him anyway because it was too soon.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because I have to make sure this doesn’t make Skye look bad. It might piss off Cayson more if she moves on too quickly. It’s tricky.”

  “So, you think it’s working?”

  “I know it’s working.” Nothing could whip Cayson into shape like a handsome man sniffing around Skye. “We made up some bogus story about them, Skye and Rhett working together on some investments, so Cayson thinks they spend a lot of time together. I want him to realize that Skye won’t go out with him now, but she will eventually. Rhett is hot and charming…he’s a catch.”

  Trinity raised an eyebrow.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I’m glad this plan is working. They need to be together. Their separation has gone on long enough.”

  “Just give it a few weeks,” I said. “Cayson will come back to her. He played right into my hands.”

  “Let’s just hope he never figures it out.”

  “He won’t. I made sure of that.”

  When we arrived at the doctor’s office, we took a seat and waited to be seen. My fingers were interlocked with hers and I rested my hand on her thigh. I was a little nervous about the procedure Trinity was considering. I couldn’t risk any damage to her, not my wife. As much as I wanted to have children, I couldn’t risk her safety. I would much rather adopt than put her in danger.

  We were finally guided to the doctor’s office where we took a seat. My heart was beating fast in my chest but I tried to play it cool. I needed to be brave and strong for Trinity. I was the man of the relationship and I needed to look my greatest fear in the eye and conquer it.

  “I’m glad to see you again,” Dr. Ridley said. “I know our last meeting was a bit shocking.”

  “We just needed some time to accept it,” Trinity said. “But we’re okay now.”

  “So, you’d like to proceed?” Dr. Ridley asked.

  I nodded.

  “Well, artificial insemination is a popular option for couples in your position. That’s something we can consider.” He kept his hands on the desk as he spoke to us.

  “I don’t want Trinity to be in any danger,” I blurted. “If there’s any possibility that she could get hurt, die, or become infertile then we aren’t doing it. I’m not letting anything happen to her. This is my wife we’re talking about here and I’m not letting a single bad thing happen to her—”

  “Honey, calm down.” Trinity patted my thigh.

  “He’s just concerned,” Dr. Ridley said. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “So, tell me everything I need to know,” I said.

  “Well, it’s a very common procedure,” Dr. Ridley said. “We abstract the egg, fertilize it, and then return it to the uterus. She won’t even have a scar. It can be down as an outpatient because it’s so simple.”

  That made me feel a little better. “What kinds of complications are there?”

  “Well…the patient can become infertile but that’s extremely rare. In my twenty years of medicine that’s never happened.” Dr. Ridley said it like that wasn’t alarming.

  “Then forget it,” I said. “Absolutely not.”

  “Slade.” Trinity turned her gaze on me. “That’s not going to happen. Just calm down.”

  “Trinity, you could lose your ability to have a child,” I snapped.

  “But that’s not going to happen,” she said calmly. “It’s always the worst case scenario when it comes to you.”

  “Actually, no,” I said. “I’m the most chill person in the world. When it comes to you it’s the worst case scenario.”

  She sighed in irritation. “If this is the only way we can have a baby then I’m doing it, Slade. That’s what it comes down to.”

  When she put it like that I knew there was no argument.

  “So…we’ve come to an agreement?” Dr. Ridley asked.

  Trinity waited for me to respond.

  I only nodded.

  “Well, I should tell you about the expense of this procedure. It’s going to cost you about twenty thousand dollars,” Dr. Ridley said.

  “That’s fine.” Trinity didn’t blink an eye over it.

  “Okay, then,” Dr. Ridley said. “Then we just need to schedule the procedure. How about tomorrow?”

  That was fast.

  “The sooner the better,” she said.

  “Excellent,” Dr. Ridley said. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

  ***

  I walked into my dad’s shop. He was behind the counter but he looked exhausted and irritated. Maybe he just had a bad customer. “What’s up, Dad?”

  He looked up at me but didn’t look happy to see me. He usually smiled or made some kind of joke. “What’s up?”

  “Can we talk?”

  “I’m all ears.” He still seemed irritated.

  “Something up, Dad?”

  “I’m just…nevermind.” He shook his head. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Trinity is doing artificial insemination tomorrow,” I said. “I’m a little nervous.”

  “Don’t be,” Dad said. “That’s a really common procedure.”

  “You know anything about it?”

  “I know lots of stuff about different things,” he said. “Don’t be nervous. If everything goes according to plan you should have a kid on the way. And I’ll have another grandchild.”

  “Yeah, I guess…”

  He clapped my shoulder. “It’s natural to worry. That’s all husbands ever do—worry about their wives.”

  “I feel like I’m doing that every second of the day.”

  “And it’ll only get worse when you have kids.”

  “Oh…great.”

  He leaned against the counter. “Just be supportive. I’m sure Trinity is nervous even if she doesn’t show it. Keep her calm and don’t stress her out. That’s your only job right now.”

  “I can do that.”

  “There’s the spirit.” He eyed the clock on the wall. “Well, it’s nearly closing time. I’m finally free.”

  “Dad, what’s wrong?” I knew he was trying to act like everything was fine when it wasn’t. I thought it was odd that he didn’t tell me. He usually told me everything. Well, almost everything.

  “I’m just worried about Arsen.” He had a distant look in his eyes, like he was thinking about several things at once. “He’s taking his mother’s death pretty hard. No matter what I say I can’t seem to reason with him.”

  “Oh…” Arsen had been under the radar for a while. I just assumed he needed space from the rest of the group. “Is he okay?”

  “Not really.”

  “Should I talk to him?”

  “No,” Ryan s
aid quickly. “Just leave him alone. I’ll handle it.”

  Dad could usually talk to Arsen about anything. They were together all the time. In fact, Dad spent more time with Arsen than he did with me. It never bothered me because I knew Arsen needed a father figure in his life and I didn’t mind loaning my dad out. He was the best father in the world. I couldn’t hog him forever. “Well, I’m here if you need anything.”

  “Thanks. But it’ll pass. It always does.”

  “Silke is doing okay?” I wasn’t the protective older brother type but I looked out for my sister when I thought she needed it. When she and Arsen broke up, I spent time with her and went to the movies with her. I teased her a lot, but I really did care about her.

  “She’ll be fine. She’s worried about Arsen too.”

  “Well, I hope everything works out.” I’ve never lost a parent before. And I still had my grandparents. I couldn’t imagine being in Arsen’s shoes. His mother’s death was a million times harder because the relationship was so strained. That was something I couldn’t even imagine.

  “It will,” he said. “It always does.”

  ***

  I couldn’t sit still because I was nervous. Every single day I worried about Trinity. Did she get to work okay? Did she need help getting groceries? When she went out with Skye did guys bother her? Worrying was a natural part of my day. And now I was even more worried because she was about to do a procedure, no matter how rudimentary it was.

  We were escorted into a room with a chair and all the supplies. A gown lay on the chair for Trinity to put on.

  “Before we get started, I need you to take a pregnancy test.” Dr. Ridley handed her the cup. “We can’t do this procedure if you’re pregnant.”

  “But you said we can’t get pregnant,” I said.

  “It’s not impossible,” he said. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  Trinity took the cup into the bathroom and did her business.

  I kept pacing and shifting my weight. They were going to stick a needle inside her and obtain an egg. Would she be in pain? Would there be repercussions? I knew I needed to calm down but that was damn hard.

  “It’ll be alright, Mr. Sisco.” Dr. Ridley remained in the chair as he watched me.

  “Yeah…”

  His eyes followed me as I walked back and forth.

  Trinity emerged from the bathroom and handed over the cup of urine. Dr. Ridley handed it off to a nurse, who left the room with the specimen.

  “Let me do a check up before we get started.” Dr. Ridley took out a stethoscope and listened to her heart and lungs. Then he looked into her eyes and measured the dilation of her pupils. He checked her everywhere.

  I continued to pace.

  “Slade, sit down,” Trinity said. “You’re making me nervous.”

  I did as she asked without objecting.

  The nurse returned with the results and handed them over.

  Dr. Ridley glanced at it then turned away. But then he grabbed it again and took another look. His eyes widened slightly and a slow grin stretched his lips. “Well…how about that?”

  “What?” Trinity asked.

  “What?” I repeated.

  Dr. Ridley handed her the paper. “Congratulations. You’re pregnant.”

  What?

  Did he just say what I think he said?

  No fucking way.

  Trinity examined the paper with the same shocked expression. “What…?”

  “You’re having a baby,” Dr. Ridley said. “Looks like you don’t need this procedure after all.”

  Trinity’s hands shook as she held the paper.

  I jumped to my feet and felt my heart kick into overdrive. “We’re having a baby?”

  Dr. Ridley nodded.

  “Holy fucking shit, we’re having a baby.” I gripped my skull and froze on the spot.

  Trinity’s eyes watered. “We’re having a baby…”

  “Yes!” I fist-pounded the air. “We did it!”

  “We did it.” Tears fell down her cheeks but she was smiling at the same time.

  “Baby, you’re pregnant.” I grabbed her cheeks and stared at the happiness on her face. She’d never looked so beautiful before. The glow of joy radiated all over her face. I’d seen her happy several times but this was a whole new level.

  “I know.”

  “I got you pregnant.”

  “You did.”

  “This is amazing.” I kissed her then pressed my forehead to hers. “We’re having a baby.”

  “I know.” Her hands moved around my wrists. “I’m so happy.”

  “I’m happy too.” I was going to be a father. I was terrified for the longest time but seeing the euphoria on my wife’s face chased away any fear I had. My job was to make her happy and I achieved that. Now wasn’t the time to be scared. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.

  Chapter Nine

  Skye

  Rhett sat across from me in my office. He stopped by for lunch everyday because there was a small possibility that Cayson might make an appearance. He hadn’t yet but Rhett didn’t want to miss a single opportunity.

  “Has he called?” Rhett asked.

  “No…” I couldn’t tell if this plan was working or not. “He walked me to my car that one night…that was unusual. He was avoiding me until you started paying attention to me.”

  “Believe me, this is working.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ve dropped hints about being into you and he didn’t like it one bit.”

  “But he hasn’t said anything to me…”

  “Give it time.” He gave me a sad look. “I promise I’ll get your husband back. You just need to trust me.”

  I was so impatient. What people didn’t understand was every second of this anguish felt like an eternity. I just wanted to go back to what we were. My life was so perfect before I ruin it. “I don’t expect him to take me back at the drop of a hat but I wish he would just give me a chance…I could prove how sorry I am if he gave me that.”

  “He will,” he said. “He made it abundantly clear that you’re still his…even though you aren’t. The more he sees you with me the more he’ll realize that I’ll get you eventually…it’s only a matter of time.”

  I felt so deceitful doing this. I was playing games with Cayson, but since it was working I couldn’t stop. Cayson didn’t seem so pissed off anymore. Now he was somber, even sad. Wasn’t that better than his previous rage?

  “Ms. Preston?” My assistant’s voice came over the intercom. “A man is here to see you.”

  Rhett’s eyes met mine.

  My heart raced. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Cayson…” Since she was my assistant she knew what was going on in my personal life. She understood the significance of him being there. My hand started to shake because I suddenly became nervous.

  Rhett immediately adjusted his clothes and pivoted his chair closer to the desk. Then he nodded.

  “Send him in.” I let go of the intercom button. “Shit, what do I do?” I was panicking like a cockroach that just lost its head.

  “Be natural,” Rhett said. “You and I are working on that retirement program. That’s it. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “Okay…”

  “Take off your wedding ring.”

  “What?” I blurted.

  “Take it off. You’ve worn it long enough. Now make a stand and remove it.”

  “Uh…” I never removed my ring. It was a part of me.

  Rhett held my gaze. “Do you trust me?”

  I didn’t move.

  “Just trust me, Skye. Take it off and put it in a drawer.”

  I only had a split second to make a decision so I pulled it off and tossed it in the drawer before I slammed it shut. The second I did that, the door opened and Cayson stepped inside. When he saw Rhett, his body immediately stiffened in irritation. He stared at Rhett with subtle hostility.

  “Hi…” I tried to act natural but I was
struggling. “Rhett and I were working on that retirement program.”

  “Didn’t realize it required so many hours.” Cayson’s voice was cold, and it was directed at Rhett.

  “Well, there are a lot of full time employees at the company,” Rhett said. “These things take time.” Rhett retained his cool indifference like Cayson’s presence didn’t affect him in the least. He relaxed in the chair and remained calm. He turned to me. “Let’s go to that Thai place we had yesterday. Man, that was some good grub.”

  We didn’t have Thai yesterday but I played along. “Good idea.”

  Cayson didn’t react noticeably, but a storm was brewing in his eyes. He discreetly glanced down at my hand and honed in on my ring finger. His gaze lingered there for several seconds before he looked away.

  “Is there something you needed?” I asked. Pretending like I wasn’t dying inside was nearly killing me.

  Cayson stared at me then glanced at Rhett. “Nothing…” He turned away and headed to the door. “I’ll talk to you later.” He walked out without saying goodbye, and it was clear he was irritated.

  Once the door was shut I covered my face with my palms. “This is a nightmare…”

  Rhett had a smile in his voice. “No, this is a dream.”

  I lowered my hands and looked at him. “What?”

  “He’s burning alive from the inside out. That guy is crashing down.”

  “And that’s a good thing?”

  “It’s definitely a good thing.” He leaned forward. “He’s either going to call you later or stop by the house.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s gonna want to talk about me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s going to ask if you’re seeing me.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Yes. And make sure you say no. We’re just friends and there’s nothing going on.”

  “You really think he’ll call?”

  “Positive.” Confidence was in his eyes. “Make sure he understands you wouldn’t see anyone else this quickly after your breakup. It’ll take a long time for you to ever be in a place like that. But make sure you make it clear you enjoy spending time with me and I’ve become a good friend. The point we’re trying to make is you have options and one day you’ll take advantage of those options if he doesn’t take you back.”