Absolute Zero

by Anlyn Hansell

  He watched her eyes blink every few seconds like clockwork, but she made no other movement.

  “Dr. Michaels asked me why I brought a stereo with me and I told her I was going to break dance for the staff. Isn’t that funny? She believed me for a second, I swear. You should’ve seen her face. Remember when you told that lady in the lobby that you blew up a man’s penis?” he asked. “I knew in that precise moment that I had to get to know you. Look how good my instincts are,” he stated before turning his head to look up above.” I had a feeling about you, Anne. It’s like I knew we had to be together. Who else would put up with either of us? Hmm?” he asked in a flippant tone.

  He let out a slow breath as the haunting music washed over him.

  “You fired me.”

  His heart stopped for a split second as his eyes slowly traveled toward her. Was he hearing things? Was his mind playing tricks?

  “What?” he breathed out after a moment.

  “You fired me,” she said again, a bit louder.

  “Annie?” he tried to keep his voice calm as he turned his head toward her. She was staring at him.

  She let out a long, shaky breath. “How long?” she asked softly.

  “How long?” he asked, clearly confused.

  “How long was I floating?” she asked through barely moving lips.

  “Almost two months.”

  She seemed to consider that for a moment. He sat frozen in his own chair, afraid to make any sudden movement when all he wanted to do was grab her and hold her tightly to him.

  “Hmm,” was her only response before her lips clamped shut.

  “Do you feel…all right?” he prompted.

  “Yeah. You know? When this happened the first time, when I was a teenager? The Doctor said I was in my ‘happy place’, that’s how I dealt with what I saw, but she was so wrong. There’s nothing happy about it. It’s like being in a jungle, constricted on all sides. You fight to get through it but it never ends. It’s extremely frustrating,” she said before sighing loudly.

  “I should probably go and get a Doctor,” he stated as he watched her closely.

  “No. Not yet,” she huffed out before pushing up from the chair. At his sudden movement, she held up her hand. “Don’t. Don’t get up, just sit there,” she ordered before turning her body and seating herself across his lap. His arms immediately clasped around her, his heart swelling as he tucked her head beneath his chin.

  “I’m sorry, I have to do this. I’m not much of a crier, but I feel like I need to bawl for a few minutes, if that’s Ok,” she stated softly. Her shoulders gave small jerking movements as he held her, trying to keep himself from squeezing too tightly.

  He planted long, soft kisses in her hair as his hand rubbed her arm rhythmically. After a few minutes and several sniffs, she finally lifted her head to look at him. His fingers immediately rose to wipe the moisture from her cheeks.

  “Sorry about that,” she stated before sniffing again.

  “No problem. Perfectly understandable.”

  “I need to talk to the Police,” she breathed out. “I need to tell Shay and Irene…he told me everything. He was so arrogant about it, almost like he was proud. He was a complete sociopath, Ian.”

  He didn’t want to talk about Rand, afraid it might set her off. He changed the subject. “They’ve all been here several times. I’ll call them tomorrow morning. Right now, I just want to hold you.”

  “Ok. Ian?” she asked.

  “Aye?”

  “Do I have any dignity left?” she asked quietly. He pulled back to study her face.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m wearing a diaper, Ian. They put me in a diaper,” she shifted on his lap uncomfortably as a grimace appeared on her face. “Please tell me you didn’t have to change my diaper…”

  “No.” he shook his head, trying to fight back a laugh.

  “Ugh. Good. Please tell me I didn’t…ahh…geez, never mind.”

  “It wouldn’t matter if you did. I’d still love you,” he tipped her face up to his once again.

  “Ian?” she asked as a comforted smile turned her lips up.

  “Hmm?”

  “Could you kiss me?” she asked almost shyly.

  “You don’t have to ask, hen,” he slowly, gently pressed his lips to hers, the sensations flowing through his body were almost numbing at the first touch between them. She responded by threading her fingers in his hair. He reluctantly pulled his lips from hers as an almost frustrated ‘mmm’ sounded from her throat. Their eyes held as a small smile spread across her lips once again.

  “Two months and that’s the best you’ve got?” she whispered.

  “I was trying to hold myself back,” he admitted softly before he felt her pull his head towards hers.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “I’m so sorry,” Anne whispered, looking from Shay to Irene. Their tear-stained faces were almost unbearable to her but they needed to know. Ian sat beside her the next afternoon, holding her hand pretty much as he did the entire night before and all throughout the next morning. It was as if he were afraid to let go.

  “I can’t believe it,” Irene whispered as the tears seemed to flow in a steady stream down her cheeks. She made no effort to wipe them away. “All that time,” she breathed out before sniffing loudly. “I’m glad I know. I always hoped she would come back, at least now I know…” she trailed off.

  Shay sat in silence, numb no doubt to the information Anne gave her. Anne purposely held back the more unpleasant things Rand told her. Shay’s heart was already broken; she didn’t need to tell her that he never loved her or their children. Anne sat in silence, her mouth working but no words forthcoming. She was tired, exhausted really, between the talking and the attention from the Doctors and nurses that seemed to visit steadily throughout the morning.

  The Detectives had already come and gone earlier, armed with a suspect to investigate – one David Sommerville, and all of the missing pieces they hadn’t been able to decipher on their own. Financially, a rather clear picture emerged of transactions made during the two year time frame, but the trail ran cold as to where that money ended up. David was probably unaware of the world of trouble he was in. She would almost like to witness it firsthand. Not only did he use her, he knowingly put her in the path of his psychotic friend. In her mind, he was just as bad as Rand. Once he was behind bars, she would breathe easier again.

  The nurse came in and politely reminded them that visiting time was almost over, prompting Shay and Irene to slowly remove themselves from the edge of the bed. Ian stayed firmly rooted as the nurse shot him a disapproving look to which he rolled his eyes.

  Anne watched as the two women wrapped one of their arms around the other as they wandered toward the door, turning to look once more. The sorrow on their faces was unmistakable and it caused tears to gather in Anne’s eyes. “Thank you,” Irene mouthed before turning and assisting Shay from the room.

  A long sigh escaped her lips before Ian’s grip tightened slightly. “I need some rest,” she breathed out as she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen up ever so slightly.

  “I promise I’ll wake up,” she added. “I have to. You have to get me out of here. The food sucks, place is full of crazy people,” she mumbled as her eyelids fluttered closed.

  “That was mean, I’m just kidding. Not about the food, though…” she whispered.

  *****

  “You’re like a furnace,” she stated days later, her eyes shooting him an amused look before his arms loosened from around her and the leg he had slung over her sometime during the night finally lifted. They had finally released her after two more days of testing and observation.

  “You act like I’m going to wander off. I’m not going anywhere,” she stated. He shifted his body to raise his head above hers.

  “I know,” he said decisively. “I’ve been deprived for two months, I can’t help it. Humor me, eh?” He lowered his lips to hers for a soft k
iss before rising up again.

  “It’s all your fault, you know. All this doom and gloom about the Universe. It makes me realize how precious life is, and how damn short it is. I feel like I have a second chance with you. I don’t want to waste a moment.”

  She smiled before raising her hand to caress his cheek.

  “We leave for Scotland tomorrow,” he stated softly. Her smiling face quickly morphed into surprise.

  “Wait. What?”

  “The Police said they’ll call when they need you. I’ve got a facility to move. Lachlan still needs your help with the Oxford project. We need to get back.”

  “I’m not…I’ve decided not to…I’m going to practice again. Neurosurgery, I mean, if they clear me,” she stammered out.

  “What?” It was his turn to look surprised.

  “I’m done with Pharmaceuticals,” she declared resolutely.

  “When did you decide this?”

  “Right after you fired my ass,” she shot him a glare.

  “I take it back.”

  “You keep firing me and hiring me back. This is the strangest relationship,” she breathed out before her eyes took on a serious glint. “I mean it though, Ian. I’m done.”

  “I had plans for you. I refuse to accept your resignation. What do you think about that?” he kissed the tip of her nose and offered up a smug smile.

  “Hmm. Three days back in the land of the living and already you’re ordering me around,” she pondered out loud as their eyes locked and held.

  “I have a question to ask you,” he said after a few moments.

  “No. I will not work for you.”

  “Not that, Mouth,” he huffed out as he turned his body away from hers. He was grabbing something out of the nightstand next to the bed. He turned back to reveal a small white box. Flipping it open, he fixed her with an intense look.

  “I wanted to take you someplace special and do this, but…I figure now is as good a time as any, eh?”

  Her eyes traveled toward the contents of the box. Her heart stilled as she gazed at the massive, twinkling diamond nestled into the interior.

  “When did you do that?” she finally stated as her eyes watched the prisms catching from the sun shining in through the window.

  “While you were floating. I’m the eternal optimist,” he whispered softly. “So… Annie? Darlin’ would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

  Her eyes were still fixed on the ring and everything it represented. It was something she had always secretly wanted but convinced herself she could do without most of her adult life. That was before she had met Ian. Before everything was bared to him, and yet he still wanted her, still loved her…

  “Annie?” she could hear his voice and yet she still couldn’t answer, couldn’t really take her eyes off the obscenely large diamond winking at her.

  Suddenly it was gone and his hand was gently turning her face to look at him.

  “Anne, the proper response is…”

  “Yes!” she answered enthusiastically before he could complete his sentence.

  Epilogue

  2 Years Later

  Her eyes scanned each image illuminated by the light panel on the wall behind her desk, before the sound of her office door clicking shut caused her head to turn.

  As soon as she saw him, she turned back to the images, a small smile playing on her lips as her gaze lifted to the ceiling.

  “You can’t just barge in here any time you want, you know. How did you know I’m not with a patient?” she tried to school her voice into something resembling admonishment even though her stomach fluttered at the mere sight of him.

  “I took my chances,” he responded lightly.

  “Don’t you have meetings today?” she asked as she felt his arms encircle her from behind.

  “Aye. It’s lunch time, though. I came to take my wife to lunch,” he stated before settling a lingering kiss to her temple.

  “I have an appointment in a half hour.”

  “Cancel it?” he responded before moving his lips to her neck.

  “No way. It’s the final consult before surgery tomorrow. I’ll have to pass. Maybe tomorrow?”

  “How about tonight? I’ll take you to…”

  “Ahh…yeah, about tonight…” she interrupted him, turning her body to face him.

  “What?”

  “Your Mom and Aidan are coming for dinner. Lena might come too…”

  His face immediately changed from a sweet expression to one of complete annoyance.

  “Naw, aww…Anne!” he blew out a breath before his eyes flared.

  “Well…they just got back from their honeymoon and they want to show us the pictures and Lena…she just likes my cooking,” she offered up a feeble argument that did nothing to appease him or at least wipe the expression from his face.

  “Why can’t ya just cook fish sticks and that cheesy macaroni garbage that Shay cooks? Maybe if ya didnae cook well, they’d leave us alone.”

  “Can you live on fish sticks and cheesy macaroni garbage?” she asked with a smirk.

  “Aye! Every day for the rest of my life if it means I get to have you to myself. Geez…” he scoffed as he shook his head.

  “You have me all to yourself next weekend.” She stated. She kept the fact that Shay and Irene would be visiting the weekend after that to herself.

  “Are ya sure? Ya dinnae invite anyone else?” he asked sarcastically.

  “It’s our anniversary. Why would I do that?” she asked with feigned innocence.

  “Is this the same girl who went out of her way to avoid people? Where’d that lass go? I think I miss her…”

  “Is this the same guy that yapped about a new lease on life, making amends, being a better person, life is precious, blah, blah, blah?” she countered.

  “I dunno who that guy is. Sounds like a complete twat,” he answered seriously as his hand snaked around her neck and pulled her toward him.

  “Don’t even think about it,” she shot him a warning glare.

  “Think about what? What am I thinking about, love?” he asked as one side of his mouth turned up in a devilish grin.

  “Some people have to work,” she whispered as his head descended slowly towards hers.

  “I have a half hour,” he whispered back as his eyes devoured hers. ‘Some people shouldn’t wear sexy skirts and make other people fantasize about them all morning. Some people are so rude,” he stated softly against her lips.

  “Some people…” she started before his lips captured hers, making her forget everything but the incredibly talented mouth that slanted across hers, taking her breath away.

  Acknowledgements

  You know you’re on to something as an author when every other song you hear on the radio reminds you of your two characters. I felt this way about this book. In fact, I was going to title it “Black Swan” because of a Thom Yorke song that really struck me but the title just didn’t suit. The song does, though. Actually, about half the songs on my I-pod reminded me of this story, these characters.

  This was supposed to be a zombie book, or at least that’s what I thought when I sat down to start writing this. I was inspired by the fairgrounds at the end of the road I live on – a huge fenced in land that only sees action once a year during the week-long fair in the town I live in. I drive by it every night and my overactive imagination conjured up creatures that live within the confines of the chain link fence. I couldn’t do it. I have a thing for zombie books but I just couldn’t flesh it out and to be honest – every scenario I came up with just didn’t seem believable as to why they existed. That’s funny – me wanting a believable explanation for zombies.

  I let my writing take me in a different direction. I did take inspiration from a large house situated on the ridge behind our house and the sharp curve in the road I live in – there’s no quarry there, but they are very numerous in this area. My original characters also received an overhaul. Anne was supposed to be dry and quiet. Ian was supposed
to be domineering and serious but as you can see, I just could not keep the snark from their dialogue. My husband is quite possibly the only person I know who is more sarcastic than I am and I think our conversations tend to color my writing.

  This book did a number on me for some reason, causing me to gain 11 pounds (yeah, I blame the book. It had nothing to do with eating ice cream every night), sometimes throwing me into a fit of depression, most of the time infiltrating my brain during work meetings and conference calls which is typical but not nearly as intense as it was during the writing of this particular book.

  I hope it kept you interested. I read every review I get and I take all criticism to heart. Not emotionally, but practically. Hopefully I gave you something that kept you reading. I even wrote out my love scenes which is awkward for me, but I gave it a shot…

  It’s long. Another marathon read, I know. I also know I could have split it up into two or three books and I debated that but decided that as a reader - I hate having to buy multiple books to get to an HEA. I see that in some reviews, comments about the length of my books – particularly the latest releases. I have this thing about developing my characters. I want you to care about them so I have to get you inside their heads, which can take a while. (I think I may be a little in love with Ian – don’t tell my husband.)

  I have a couple people I want to acknowledge. I tried something new – a read and review program and I made a couple of friends. I am sending this book to them to beta read for me. They are very encouraging and they get me and my strange sense of humor. I also want to acknowledge my fellow Gettysburg Writer’s Brigade buddies for sharing their insight on writing and publishing. What a fun group that is and I’m so glad I met them.

  I also want to thank anyone that takes the time after reading to actually give me some feedback through reviews. Like I said earlier, I love reading them – even the critical ones. I have a very small but loyal group that gives me wonderful feedback and maybe they don’t realize it, but they make my little heart swell with happiness when they tell me they love my writing. It keeps me going.