Fighting For You

by Megan Noelle

  I reluctantly agreed and left the room to go rejoin Alex. He was watching some sitcom that I didn’t care about, but that was good enough for me. Being around Karly was making me angry, because even though she said she knew nothing, that clearly wasn’t true. I was the one who knew nothing, but it left me with enough of a question in my mind that I didn’t want to sit alone either.

  Alex and I watched a few episodes of whatever show was on TV. Every time he laughed, I joined in, even if I didn’t catch the joke. It was nice to stew in my own thoughts without someone hounding me about what I was thinking. But, finally, I broke the silence.

  “Everything’s going to be okay, right?” I wasn’t sure if the question was necessarily intended for Alex or if I just felt the universe needed to hear it.

  That very thought roamed around my mind countless times over the past several months and I felt I was long overdue for an answer. Alex reached his hand over and placed it on my knee in a comforting gesture. Our eyes met and he nodded his head.

  “Everything is going to be okay,” he confirmed.

  Even if he didn’t know that for sure, or if he was lying - I didn’t care. It was an answer and right now, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Corey

  It was almost two o’clock in the morning by the time I finally made it back to the city limits of Serenity Cove. Jazmin begged and pleaded with me to stay, but there was no way in hell I was going to do that. Running out on Dani without much of an excuse and then no call or text was bad enough. I knew I’d have some explaining to do, but I wasn’t ready for it yet. So the less time unaccounted for, the better. Besides, I still didn’t trust Jazmin for a second.

  I had no doubt in my mind that she was in deep shit and, for once in her life, she really needed someone to help her. That didn’t mean I trusted her. If I was going to help her, she needed to play by my rules. I wasn’t going to let Jaz come in and screw up my life now that I finally had exactly what I wanted.

  It was going to be okay. Dani would be mad but, by sending Alex, it showed that I was safe and thinking about her. Tomorrow I would let her yell and scream at me, just as long as it ended up with me holding her again. I had a thought of going to her house, but I wanted to wash away the stench from tonight. Every time I dealt with things in my past, I just felt dirty and I didn’t need to pass that feeling along to Dani.

  I pulled into the parking lot, turned off the engine and went upstairs. It wasn’t until I opened my door that I saw a soft glow of light from the living room. When I looked in, I saw my oldest sister, Abby, sitting with one leg crossed over the other. She was pissed and it was uncanny how much she looked like our mother when she wore that expression on her face.

  Abby held up her phone so I could read whatever was on the screen. Even from a distance I saw it was a text from Karly and it read: Corey’s up to something and it’s not good. My face grew hot, my palms began to sweat, and I stared back at her stern expression and the cold look in her eyes.

  “We need to talk,” was all she said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Corey

  “Christ, Abby! You look like a damn hit man waiting in the dark for me to come home.” Although I was serious, I was also hoping for a bit of a laugh or something to lighten the mood. Not even the corner of her mouth twitched up into a hint of a smile. Nothing good was going to come from the shit storm suddenly awaiting me.

  “You’d be better off if I was, Corey.” Shit, that was the truth. At least against a hit man I’d have a fighting chance.

  There were very few things in life that scared me, but seeing Abby stare me down with that knowing glare in her eyes definitely topped the list.

  “Before you freak out …” she didn’t even let me continue. Her hand rose up to silence me the same way she did when I was a kid and I stopped talking.

  Abby uncrossed her legs and stood directly in front of me, arms crossed over her chest. She fixed me with a deadly stare. Abby was one of the best lawyers in the state and I always knew she was a hard worker and passionate about her job. Even though she was petite and looked harmless, Abby could command a court room with her gestures alone. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen her this way, but it still freaked me out.

  “Don’t start with me, Corey. I know you are going to give me excuses or whatever, but I don’t want to hear it. Dani may not know what all is going on, but I do.”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  She didn’t falter as she continued her interrogation. “I don’t give a shit what it is because I know that you are getting in the middle of things that you swore you’d leave alone.”

  My fingers pinched the bridge of my nose as I thought of just how exhausting this whole situation was. I wish I could fight off Abby with a genuine excuse but I knew I couldn’t.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Actually, Core, it’s not! Do you remember everything that you went through? Do you remember everything she put you through?” Abby pointed at an empty space, but the look of sheer hatred in her eyes told me she knew who I had just come from seeing.

  “Of course I remember!”

  “So why in the hell would you put yourself through that again? Except remember, this time, it is not just you—you are going to be a father. You are in a serious relationship with the woman you claim is the one for you. Yet you are risking absolutely everything!”

  She didn’t have to tell me that since my guilt that was eating me alive. It wasn’t just Jazmin I was dealing with, but everything that came with that world. It was a dangerous place to be and now Dani was right in the middle of it.

  “I know all that, Abby! I’m not doing anything to screw up the life I have now.”

  She threw her arms up in the air. “Then what do you call all of this!? Did Dani know where you were? Does she know about Jaz or that she is a toxic waste that once destroyed your life? Because I have a feeling she doesn’t.”

  “No. Okay!” I yelled back. “She doesn’t, but I want it to remain that way. Jaz got into some bad shit and, yes, she is staying at my other bar, but I’m not back doing that shit with her. Besides, you know better than anyone that if I didn’t go to her and she needed something—she would come find me. That would bring her in town putting my family at an even bigger risk.”

  Abby sighed and rubbed her hands over her face.

  “I know about her persistence, Core, but you need to let someone else deal with her. Do you remember finally taking hold of your life? You were a wreck for years and absolutely not the brother I’ve known my whole life. You got clean—she didn’t. Then she continued to screw things up for you, trying her damndest to bring you back into the hell hole you escaped. Do you remember all that?” Abby pressed and I nodded.

  “Yes, Abby, I remember!”

  “What about when the cops arrested her because they caught her while she was in the middle of a drug bust? You made me fight for her to not go to prison and only get treatment instead. I didn’t want to do it, Corey. I wanted to fight to get her the maximum sentence possible and I would have won. It was only because you felt compassion for this person who deserved none, that I did it.” Abby stopped and shook her head, letting herself take a deep calming breath. “Do you want to know why I finally agreed to do it?”

  On one hand, I did and on the other, I didn’t. What Abby did for Jaz - I always knew it took a lot of work on her end but I never let myself think about it. It felt awful to think of all the stress I caused her during the most selfish stage of my life. I wanted to understand, but I was afraid that once I did, there would never be a way to make it up to her. But with that sad look in her eyes, I couldn’t say no.

  “Yes, I want to know.”

  “Because you promised not to talk to her again. Because you promised me I wouldn’t lose my brother again.” Tears sprung to her eyes and, in an instant, her chest was heaving up and down. I crossed the room and pulled her into my arms as she instantly she buried her fa
ce into my shirt. I kissed the top of her head and felt my own tears beginning to surface.

  “You’re not going to lose me again, Abby.”

  “Good, because you have no idea how difficult it was before. You’re the back bone of this family, Core, and if you leave we’ll all fall apart.”

  Very slowly, I rocked her back and forth. It didn’t matter that we were both adults because Abby would always be my sister. There was nothing in the world that would make me stop caring for and loving any of them. I hated seeing them upset, even more so when it was because of me. So I knew that I needed to make a change. Jaz wasn’t going to come back in and mess anything up for me and she certainly wasn’t going to harm the people I loved the most.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  *~*~*~*~*

  Despite the very early morning hour, Abby was convinced she was going to drive home. I very quickly informed her that would not be happening and instead I made the couch into a bed and let her take my room. She complained and fought me for a bit, but it wasn’t long after her head hit the pillow that she was completely passed out. It made me feel good to know that I was still able to help my sisters, but nothing felt better than knowing how much they wanted to help me. Since our sorry excuse for a father left us, I thought I was supposed to just be the tough guy. At times, I forgot that my sisters wanted to protect me, too.

  While I was tossing and turning on the couch, there was only one girl on my mind. I’d be damned if I spent one more minute away from her. After writing out a quick note for Abby, telling her I left, I hopped in my car and drove to the only place I wanted to be. It didn’t matter if it was almost four in the morning and that Dani was probably going to kill me—I couldn’t resist. I made a pit stop at a 24 hour mini mart and picked up a bouquet of roses that were wrapped and ready to go.

  I knocked on Dani’s front door with the realization that I still needed to get a spare key. When I saw Karly’s car in the driveway I laughed. Showing up this early in the morning was bound to piss her off. Then I’d be two for three when it came to making my sisters’ mad. I’d have to give Lainey a call later and do something to irritate her so she wouldn’t be left out.

  The door finally opened and Alex stood there, half-awake, with a smile growing on his face.

  “Are those for me?”

  “Smart ass,” I said with a laugh. “I got this now, thanks for stopping by.”

  He nodded his head and smacked my shoulder. “No prob, man. Your girl will be happy to see you.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping.”

  With that, I left Alex to make my way to Dani’s bedroom. Lately, she had been sleeping harder than usual; I had no doubt it was because of the pregnancy. I only hoped that tonight I was able to wake her up. Holding her was one thing, but I needed to talk to her - to have those tired blue eyes flutter open and look at me. I envisioned her soft pink lips very slowly spreading into a heart stopping smile. I couldn’t wait any longer. I burst through her door and was immediately relieved to see she was wide awake. With her back against the pillows, she had a pile of baby magazines scattered around the bed. She casually flipped through the one positioned against her upright legs as if it wasn’t four o’clock in the morning.

  “Hi, Baby,” I smiled and, it wasn’t until she looked my way, that I realized I wasn’t going to get the sweet greeting I had hoped.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  I felt my heart give a tight squeeze as I stared back her way. “Do you not want me here?”

  Dani shook her head and I felt my stomach sink. Had I already lost everything between us? “I do. But Corey, it is four in the morning. Why bother coming over here now?” she snapped at me.

  Proceeding with caution, I closed the distance between us. “Because I had to see you, Danielle. I have missed you so much since I left.”

  The fire in her blue eyes began to simmer down, but I knew I wasn’t completely in the clear yet.

  “Where were you, Corey?” Her body heaved in a sigh as she stared at me with the most heartbreaking look. Dani couldn’t even be mad at me like she wanted to and now, seeing this look, I wished should would. Fury, I could take, but this was something totally different. Her face showed how absolutely sick with worry she was; my secrets were tearing her apart on the inside, just as much as it was me.

  There had to be something to say here that would make everything better. I couldn’t give her all the information though, it just wasn’t possible. Instead, I’d try to give her as much of the truth as I thought was safe. As it just so happened, the information that wasn’t safe for her was what I had to hold back. I could already feel that topic growing a wedge between us and it was killing me.

  “I was up …”

  “Up north, I know.” She cut me off and rolled her eyes, her attention back to flipping through the pages of her magazine. Not that I believed she was actually reading any of it. I watched her eyes heatedly scan the printed words as I lowered myself on to the edge of the bed.

  “You know, I’m sick of this Corey!” she finally said, slamming her magazine down to glare at me.

  I gulped. What was the deal with these women in my life having the ability to scare the shit out of me with a single look?

  “I know you are lying to me!”

  “But I was up north,” I interjected, hoping to simmer the raging inferno that engulfed us.

  “Yes, Corey, I get it, but there is more to the story. You are hiding something from me that everyone else seems to know!” She threw her hands up in frustration. I opened my mouth but then she looked at me and I lost my train of thought.

  The broken and intense look she gave made my heart clench. As much hell as this woman has put me through, she’s had it in her life as well. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t hurt her—all Dani knew was suffering. A long time ago, I promised myself and her that I would never be the one to betray her, but, in her eyes, that was what I was doing right now. The worst part was I wasn’t able to clear the air and tell her everything was okay, because the plain truth was I had left her to go help another woman. Not just the night before, but many times over the past few months, I’ve had to go to Jazmin’s side.

  But I had to—if I didn’t there was always the risk that she would come here.

  “Omissions are lies, Corey. If we’re going to be together, we have to be able to trust one another and, right now, you are walking a thin line in that department.”

  I moved closer to her on the bed and took her hands within mine.

  “I know, Baby. You need to trust that I am not being unfaithful to you, nor am I doing something I don’t feel is the best for all of us. You just have to trust me. There are some things going on in my life that I thought were laid to rest. I need to take care of this—alone.”

  She looked from my face to my hands before letting out a sigh. “I won’t press anymore tonight, but you can’t just leave me in the dark, Corey. I’m your girlfriend and the mother of your child. I want to stand next to you, not behind you.”

  I felt my lips curl over my teeth in a wicked smile. “I love hearing you call yourself my girlfriend.”

  A soft rosy color crept into her cheeks as she crossed her arms playfully across her chest.

  “Isn’t that what I am?”

  I repositioned my body so I was resting above her. “That is exactly what you are.”

  She giggled against my lips as I leaned down to kiss her. I couldn’t deny how much I loved when she did that. As much as I loved our sensual, slow, tantalizing kisses, nothing compared to the way it felt to have her laugh against me. Maybe it was because the sound of her laugh was like nothing I had ever heard before. It was melodic, beautiful and, to know that I was the one causing that sound to bubble up, it made everything better.

  “Core, you’re gonna mess up the piles I made of stuff for the baby.” This was the first time I looked around at the mass of catalogs lying in a circle around Dani.

  “There’s a method
to this madness?” I gestured around.

  She smiled and pressed her hands against my chest to get me to back up. I didn’t want to leave even an inch of space between us, but I complied.

  “Yes, there is. Each pile represents something. This one is for cribs and furniture I like.” She gestured to one pile, and then moved to the next. “This one has beautiful room designs I like and this one has a list of adorable baby names that I thought were possibilities.”

  When I walked through that door, I wanted nothing more than to flip her onto her back and press my body against hers and feel her curves as the heat from her skin sizzled against my touch. I pictured her eyes glazing over and her nails digging into my back. I’d be lying, though, if I said the mention of names for our little one didn’t interest me.

  Every day, I thought of that little child in her belly and wondered about it. What was it going to look like? Who was it going to act like? Not to mention, were we going to have a sweet little girl that I’m going to be ridiculously protective over? Or were we going to have a little boy that I was going to bring up right? He would know how to treat women and how to work hard for everything he had.

  I felt my eyes lighting up as I looked at her piles. “Can I see them?”

  Dani went from looking sweet and interested to downright wicked. She looked like she had a secret, but the way her eyes trailed the length of my body told me exactly what that secret might be.

  “Later. I’m suddenly very hungry.” Her teeth bit down on her lower lip and I felt my cock twitch against my jeans.

  “What exactly are you hungry for?” I toyed with her. My fingers reached out and very lightly brushed down the length of her arm.

  I felt her shudder against my hand. If this girl is actually hungry for food she’s going to have to wait because there was no way either of us were leaving this room without a little playtime first.