by Alisa Mullen
“Hey, Niall. What a big boy you have become. Nick has missed you so much, baby,” I kissed him on the forehead.
“Da Da Da,” Niall blubbered and blew a bubble with his mouth. I half chuckled half sobbed at his response to being in my arms. He was so beautiful. He was my son. I put him on the floor and opened my arms to Lizzie. She looked at me skeptically.
“Are you sure you want to touch me?” she asked.
“More than anything in the entire universe,” I breathed.
She landed into my arms and her arms looped under my arms and up to my shoulders. She pressed hard against me and I immediately responded physically. She giggled into my ear and started to kiss my neck all over. My girl was kissing me. She was my best friend. I missed her smell. I missed her wild red hair. I missed her in my arms.
She told me she was sorry and she was so confused. She said our relationship progressed so fast. She said she was petrified that she was becoming too dependent on me. She told me she was lost without me nonetheless. She told me that she cried every time Niall said “Da Da”. She needed her ring back. She needed our bed back. She wanted my body and my heart back.
“My body, mind, and soul were yours when I first met you, Lizzie,” I whispered. “You have all the power to break me but please don’t. It really fucking hurts.”
She looked deep into my eyes and searched for the truth, my love, and my promise. It was effortless to show them to her.
“I won’t break your heart intentionally ever again,” she firmly stated. I pulled her back into a hug. “I can’t promise I won’t break your mind and your body again, though.” she laughed nervously.
“You are a real tease, Lizzie O’Malley,” I growled in her ear. She continued to giggle and I could see the illumination take over the dark in my body, in our room, and in our world.
“Ass,” she poked me and kissed me hard on the lips. I grabbed on to her lips with mine and eagerly intertwined them. We moaned into each other as we opened for each other’s tongues. I couldn’t suck on her mouth enough. Our kiss was breathtaking. She felt perfect. I loved this woman and I couldn’t wait to make her my wife.
“Baby, I need to be part of you right now. Can we put Niall in his playpen?” I asked.
I was practically begging her with my mouth, my hands, and my voice. I craved her. I didn’t realize how much I had missed making love to her.
She pulled away gently and I smiled. Her worried expression made me stiffen and I wanted to push away the foreboding dreadful feeling crawling up my chest.
“Nick?” She asked with uncertainty.
“Hmm,” I hummed into her hands as I kissed her palms.
“Niall and I are not alone, babe. Teagan came with us.” She paused, waiting for my reaction. I stopped kissing her palms and didn’t look at her. I tried to reason it out in my brain why Teagan would be here. I wasn’t shocked or mad. It was a puzzle to the Mr. Hughes debacle that was. She took my silence as a sign that I was displeased. I was, but not at her.
“I am so sorry. I needed to see you before I took him out to my parents. He is trying to get a hold of Freddie. I think he went back to Ireland. I offered to take him to a hotel but he is so weird. He doesn’t want me to be out of his sight.” Her anxious look told me everything. I knew why he was staying close to her. It was to break us up. It was his little fucking game. The question was what was in it for Teagan?
“Sooo…,”she drew out the word. “He is in the living room. I knew you would be upset. I mean, shit, this is so uncomfortable but I thought coming to see you first would be better than taking him to my parents. I can go. I can beg or demand him to leave. I will do whatever you want me to.”
She was practically hyperventilating and I warmly kissed her forehead. Lizzie was always trying so hard to fight against the worst shit storms people threw her way.
She grabbed on to my hands forcefully. With the most intense voice I had ever heard from her, she stated, “I don’t want that man in there. He is a stranger to me now. I can’t believe I ever felt anything for him. You… you finally made me understand how a woman should be treated. I didn’t bring him here to hurt you…” I placed my fingers over her lips.
“Stop talking,” I firmly said. Her eyes widened and she nodded. “I can feel your love and passion for me, Lizzie. I don’t give a shit about that guy except he gave us Niall. I almost want to thank him,” I chuckled.
“But more than that, he has information that I need. I am not mad at you but the information he has will probably make you see my angry side.” I released my fingers from her mouth. She looked at me with confusion.
“I can’t tell you anything yet,” I shook my head. “Don’t ask.”
I walked around the bed to Lizzie’s bed side table and opened her drawer. I pull the black box out and open it. I took the amethyst ring and round back to her, getting on my knees once more. “Marry me, Lizzie. If we could do it in the next five minutes, marry me. If we could do it in five years, marry me. But more than anything, do you promise you will never ever take this ring off your finger?” I asked with a plea.
“I do. I promise,” she smiled and it was brilliant. I pulled myself up to her and kissed her again. This time it is a shorter one because I had a plan and I am going to see it through.
“Take Niall to his room and come meet me in the living room,” I dictated. She nodded submissively and pulled Niall up to walk out of the room. I hope that when she finds out what Sam and her father did, she won’t take that ring off. I silently ask the universe to give her strength for what she is about to find out.
I stood in front of the full length mirror and gave myself a pep talk. I was about to meet the man that once had Lizzie’s heart, who got her pregnant, and then took off. I wanted to punch him. I wanted to challenge him to a weight lifting contest or a sword fight. I shook my hair out and unclenched my jaw and my fists. I would be the better guy. I would get to the bottom of why he was back in Lizzie’s life. God, please help me to be the better person in the next five minutes.
I walked out of the room to hear talking and laughing. Lizzie’s laugh was nervous. Teagan’s accent was fucking thick. She asked him about his job and he spoke casually like nothing earth shattering had ever happened between them. Did he even care about Niall? I stepped into the living room to find Lizzie sitting in the farthest chair from Teagan. He was sitting on the couch with a leg propped up on his knee. His hair was neatly done and he was wearing a striped collared shirt. His look was exactly like Freddie’s.
When he saw me, he smiled and rose from the couch. He came to me with his hand outstretched. I looked over to Lizzie, who shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know what I should say or do either. Thanks, Liz. A little help here, please?
I shook his hand quickly. “Nicholas Sawyer,” I stated.
“I’m Teagan. But you probably already knew that. Hey, I hope I am not overstepping anything by being here right now. Lizzie said you would be cool,” he said sheepishly.
I crossed my arms and looked down at him with my chin up. “Well, Teagan. I am not so sure why you are here. Could you please enlighten us why, after all this time, you sought out my fiancé?”
I guess he didn’t expect me to be so blunt because he paled and stumbled back a little. He gained his composure and stepped back towards the couch. I looked over to see Lizzie watching me with a small grin on her face.
I am doing what she always wanted to. What happened to the girl that would have kicked the shit out of him? I thought about that for a minute as I stared back at her. She turned her head back to Teagan with a scowl and waited for him to answer.
“I...I am here because I was told that Lizzie wanted me back in her life. Back in Niall’s life. She told me she had an abortion so believe me. I didn’t know. I came to America, to Boston, to find out what she needed from me.” He wouldn’t make eye contact with me. Lizzie groaned and she stood up to come stand next to me.
“I see.” I looked him up and down. He was a litt
le shit. What the fuck did Lizzie ever see in this guy? Freddie had ten times more class than this idiot.
“Did Colin Gallagher send you?” Lizzie blurted out. She looked worried and was biting her nails. Who the hell was Colin Gallagher?
Teagan looked at her just as perplexed as I was and shook his head. She exhaled loudly and backed off. Teagan turned back to me and shrugged.
“So, tell me Nick. What does Lizzie want? She appears to be happy. She says she didn’t want me to come to America,” he taunted me with a slight flash in his eyes. “I don’t believe her, of course. She practically begged me to stay a few summers ago so what I think is this. Lizzie does want me here and just doesn’t want you to know her real feelings.”
Lizzie practically pitched herself at him in anger. I pulled her back before she could get into his face. There she is. There is the little spit fire.
“Teagan, I am happy. I didn’t ask for you to come here. Nick and I have more than enough love and finances to make sure Niall will never go without. We are expecting another child and I…” My eyes snapped over to her in surprise. Out of everyone to tell first, she told Teagan? Why?
“Lizzie.” I put both of my hands on her face. “Love, go take a shower and get cleaned up. I have to go to Texas and I want you and Niall to come with me.”
She looked confused and baffled. I gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. She looked over to Teagan who was looking down at the ground and he was smirking. He really didn’t care about her. He didn’t care that she was mine now.
“I never begged you to stay in the States, Teagan. I begged you to get the fuck out. It seems I am asking you to do that again. So get the fuck out of my apartment.” She leaned into me with a kiss and walked out of the room. I waited to hear the bedroom door shut. My girl was home and I smiled inwardly.
I walked to the bar and poured some whiskey into two glasses. I handed one to Teagan and sat down in the chair next to the couch.
“Martin Hughes.” I threw his name out there and took a large drink from my glass.
Teagan’s eyes flashed in a moment and then he smoothed his face over in a casual manner. I steadily watched him for minutes waiting for his reply. I watched him down the whiskey and set the glass down on the table.
“Martin Hughes,” I repeated accusingly. He sighed and threw his hands through his hair.
“He said he would set me and Moira up for life,” he started. I grinned. I had him. I had Mr. Hughes.
“You are one sick son of a bitch,” I sneered.
I pointed to our bedroom. “That girl went through hell getting over you. I couldn’t even crack her shell for months. You came here for money? You came to cause a scene for us. It isn’t going to work, Teagan.”
I stood up and started towards the bedroom, prepared to start packing again.
“Get yourself ready, too. You will be joining us on our trip to Texas.” I didn’t look back for his reply. He didn’t even deserve one more word out of my mouth.
As I was about to turn the door knob to our room, I heard footsteps leading to the foyer. I marched back to find Teagan’s back heading for the elevator. I quickly walked up behind him and threw him up against the wall. Hard.
“You fucking son of a bitch. What? Are you taking off again when Lizzie needs you? Is that what your scrawny fucking ass does when shit gets real? Did you know that Lizzie gave her heart to you and you stupid mother fucker tore it to shreds?” I seethed my questions in his face and he tried to break from my hold as he said nothing.
“Did you know that her brother was killed in a car accident that has left her whole family hanging on by a thread? You walk back into her world, into her life and you can’t even look Niall’s way. He is your God damn son and you want money? Is that it? How much was that rich bastard paying you to cause more pain to my fiancé? I hope it has been worth this trip down memory lane. Please. Enlighten me. How much money did he offer you?” I asked.
I was trembling with anger. My fist was ready to punch him in the face. I wanted to strangle the life out of his stupid fucking Irish face.
He resigned to look at me coolly and said nothing. I punched the wall an inch from his head and his eyes widened at the sudden wreckage of plaster and insulation falling to the ground. I felt nothing.
“Tell me you sick bastard. How much money did our dear Mr. Martin Hughes pay you to ploy Lizzie into a relationship with you again?” I was infuriated. Spit was coming out of my mouth and my saliva hit his face like rain splatters.
“One and a half million American dollars,” he snapped, trying to stand up straight. I laughed. I laughed so hard that my face hurt.
“Nick?” Lizzie’s small voice came from behind me. I didn’t have to look at her to know she was scared. She had never seen me like this before and I didn’t know how much she had heard from our conversation.
“Elizabeth, say goodbye to Teagan. He will be flying home to Ireland on the next flight,” I stated, still looking pointedly at Teagan.
Teagan looked at her and had the audacity to give her a small grin. I smashed him up against the wall again and made him look at me. “You will never ever fucking dare to look at that woman again. You don’t deserve her to even breathe in your direction. She will not talk to you, smile at you, or even look at you after you leave this apartment. You deserve nothing. You will go the fuck away and you will stay away.”
I closed my eyes preparing myself for what I was about to do in front of Lizzie. With my teeth clenched, I firmly growled, “I will have my accountant send you two million American dollars and a contract that states you will not disclose any information about Lizzie, Niall or me to anyone for as long as you live. You will never contact us again or ask for more money from me or anyone else regarding Elizabeth and Niall O’Malley. If you so much as breathe our names again, your sweet little Moira will wonder why her boyfriend is locked up in American prison. Do you fucking understand me, Gallagher?”
He didn’t say a word. With his eyes still looking behind me at Lizzie, he nodded and I let him go. He slid back against the wall and I turned to face the love of my life. She was crying. When she looked at me, I didn’t see disappointment or anger. She wasn’t scared of me. I saw her love for me radiating through her tears and I knew she understood everything. She turned to Teagan and choked out a sob.
“You…are the worst human being I have ever known,” she whispered to Teagan. “I pray to God my baby grows up to be like his real father instead of his sperm donor.” Teagan gave her a troubled look and stood up to his feet.
Lizzie came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I pulled her closer, hoping my trembling body would stop with her touch. We watched Teagan get into the elevator together in silence. When the elevator doors closed, we both blew out breaths in unison. We stood there for a while embracing each other. Something huge just happened for us. It was a critical part of our path that will help to shape our future together.
TWENTY ONE - SAM
I sat in the lobby at Fifteen Beacon for two hours on Saturday, waiting for Nick to come pick me up. Although he had hung up on me the day before, I knew he considered my meeting with the O’Malley’s to be important. I had left my new apartment a mess. My shampoo was in the kitchen. My clothes were in the pantry. My television wasn’t hooked up but the cable box was. My shoe collection took up the whole living room.
Did I need that many pairs of shoes? In Texas, I wore so many different pairs; I hardly ever wore the same ones twice. In Boston, I stuck to two comfortable pairs. I needed a night life again so I could wear those shoes. I thought about asking Nick to go dancing with me. Well, once he wasn’t angry with me anymore.
Wait a minute, to hell with my shoes. Where the hell was Nick? I never even told him I was moving out so he had to come here to pick me up. I was going to face Conner’s parents today per his request and he was late. Seriously screwed up. He was the one that put this dreadful idea into my head and it was the only thing taking up head space for days. I
tried calling his home number but there was no answer.
I hated voicemail. I had used it once before. I left a message for a good friend about a year ago and she never called back. Tested and failed. So when Nick didn’t answer, I just assumed he was on his way to get me. Every single time I called him I sat back down on the leather couch and thought, “He will be here in twenty minutes”. Then twenty minutes passed by and he still didn’t show.
Fed up and anxious, I hailed a cab and gave the driver his address. I was going to talk to his parents whether or not he was pissed off at me. Fucking asshole. I had given myself multiple pep talks. I stayed up all night writing down my feelings about what happened. I wanted to tell Conner’s parents that I blamed myself. I wasn’t just some bitch that killed their son on purpose. I lost a piece of me that night, too. I finally wanted to take the blame for all of it.
As I stepped out of the cab, I saw an angry looking blond guy practically running out of Nick’s apartment building. I squinted my eyes in confusion as he rushed passed me. He looked familiar but I shrugged it off. I watched him get into the same cab that I had just gotten out of and heard the Irish accent as he asked for Logan airport. Holy. Shit. That is Teagan.
I dashed into the building and prayed all the way up in the elevator that Nick wasn’t left for dead. Teagan looked like he was running from or ready to kill and he was heading to an airport? That was not a good combination. Where was Lizzie? The answer to that question came all too quickly when I got off the elevator and saw Nick and Lizzie tangled up in a kiss like their lives depended on it. She was making little moans and he was clearly about ready to rip her shirt off by the way his fingers were pulling at each button. She put her hand over the fly of his jeans and whoa!!!
I cleared my throat but they didn’t hear me. He groaned her name and started to kiss his way down her neck as she closed her eyes, pleading for him not to stop. This was live porn and I was just standing here. I was invisible. I tried to think of something to do. Should I grab a magazine and wait? Should I push the button for the elevator again? Wait, hadn’t they heard me come in? Was this a joke?