Forgotten Sweethearts: A Romance Novel

by Bender, Melissa

  I almost laughed at how serious she sounded. “Not if you tell me the truth.” Brody was calm.

  “I just heard you say something about divorce. Mama said it’s for people who don’t love each other anymore,” she said quietly. “Do you love mama, daddy?”

  Holding my breath as he answered her, “Of course, I love your mama. She gave me Noah and you, and I’ll always love her for that. Don’t worry your little head princess. Daddy isn’t going anywhere, all right?”

  Backing away, I ducked into Noah’s room and closed the door quietly before I broke down into silent sobbing. This was already interfering with them. The one thing I didn’t want them to do was to think about yet. He was still going to want this. I thought maybe it would be different but no. I knew it wasn’t.

  Noah’s door flew open, startling me as Brody rushed in. “Gabriella, are you okay? What happened?”

  No more beating around the bush.

  “What’s going on with us?” I asked through a cry. “It’s confusing me, and I-I am feeling things.” He moved, kneeling between my thighs and took the wet shirt from my hands. “I heard you talking with Lila.” I could only whisper that part to him. “How can you say those things… making promises to her?” I sucked in my breath, shaking my head. “You should have just told her the truth that I’m a bitch.”

  He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t ever call yourself that again. You’re nothing of the sort. I don’t know what’s going on with us either. I like how things have been with us, and I do not just mean the sex.”

  “I like how it’s been too, Brody.” Oh god, it felt so good to get that finally off of my chest. “The past couple weeks have felt like it used to, like how our family should be.” Leaning forwards, I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him back.

  “I know. It’s been nice,” he said quietly against my forehead, placing a soft kiss. “We have a lot to work on still.”

  “I know. We’re going to go away for a week. I’m afraid that it’ll wreck things even more. How are we going to handle things?” I asked, pulling back and sniffing away the tears, but relief flooded me as we both agreed on this.

  He shrugged and then smiled sadly. His eyes glossed over. “We just do what we’ve been doing for the past years. We fake it.”

  “We fake it,” I repeated. “All right then, let’s go on this holiday and fake being the perfect couple they all think we were.” If only it were that easy. “I don’t want to have to fake a happy marriage. We should just have that.”

  “I know.” He agreed, just as solemn. “Let’s not think about the divorce right now and take it one day at a time.”

  We were anything but that. They had no clue, and they wouldn’t.

  Brody and I were either going to come back from this trip, giving our relationship another shot, or calling it off and ending things for good. I hoped we’d work, but who knows.

  You can’t always choose the fate you’re given.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The morning we were meant to leave was a chaotic nightmare. My head felt ready to explode from a pending migraine that wasn’t easing up, and the children were dragging their feet to get ready. I could have screamed my lungs out, and they still wouldn’t listen. Brody had loaded up the car the night before, and we finally got to sleep at 10 PM. Not to mention, I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind about forgetting something.

  Maybe having three hours sleep was my problem.

  Who thought it was best to get out of bed at 1 AM to catch a flight at 3 AM? Oh, that’s right, the two people who booked this trip.

  Brody’s hand slipped over mine and squeezed my fingers. “Sleep on the plane.”

  “I hope those two would,” I said, nudging towards the kids.

  He chuckled and let out another yawn. “I’ve got the iPad. They’ll watch a movie or play games while we get some sleep or at least try to.”

  I couldn’t complain about things between us. We barely spent any time with each other. Brody was working so much that he would only come home to sleep, and then he was back in the office. Yes, it bothered me, but I didn’t say a word. If it means he was able to come on this trip, I would suck it up and deal with it. Oh, and no, we hadn’t had sex since that morning.

  All I knew was that we were trying. We were going to try to make another go of things before we call it quits for good. The weight of pending divorce had been lifted off my shoulders, and we were both on the same page with that, put it on the back burner and focus on us. We just needed to communicate more than we had done. We needed to express our feelings. No matter if it was something bad, we needed to talk.

  “This trip, it’ll be good for us,” I said to him, but more so to reassure myself that it would be. A positive frame of mind is what will keep me going.

  Lifting my hand, Brody brought it to his lips as he gently kissed my hand. “We need this. It’ll be good for us, Gabby. We need this.” He said again, sounding like he had to tell himself that.

  “I know,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze back. We really needed it.

  Arriving at the airport, we checked our baggage in. I took hold of Lila’s hand while Noah walked with Brody. Spotting his family in the cafe, we walked towards them. They were all dressed and looking marvellous in fresh faces and done hair. Here I was, not an ounce of makeup and my hair in a messy bun on the top of my head. I had thought I was just lucky to have dressed in some leggings and a baggy off the shoulder shirt. If it weren't for Brody putting the kids in the car, I’d have been coming here in my PJs still.

  “Morning,” Jessie beamed. “You, kids, want some breakfast?”

  “No,” Lila yawned, her hand tugging on mine. “I want a doughnut.”

  I covered my mouth as I yawned after her. “Really, with sprinkles or just icing?”

  “Both,” she giggled. “Please?”

  Brody chuckled. “All right, come on. You two can get doughnuts and hotdogs before the flight.”

  “I would have suggested some fruit or yoghurt.” Jessie frowned. “Brody, you really should feed them a little healthier.”

  My husband raised a brow at his sister. They had an “older sister, little brother” syndrome and bickered like crazy when they weren’t getting along. “When you have your own children, you can feed them whatever the hell you want.”

  “Tulip loves her Greek yoghurt and muesli,” Rose piped in, pointing that out.

  Noah scrunched his nose up. “You’re weird, though.”

  Oh, my God. “Noah!” I whispered, dying of embarrassment. “Don’t say that.”

  He shrugged and tugged his dad’s hand. “Can we get a coke?”

  “Nice try.” Brody shook his head as he laughed, giving Noah’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “No way, you can have orange juice or water.”

  I sat down and pulled out my phone to play words with friends. I needed the distraction. “Babe, can you grab me a coffee?” I asked, unbeknown to me I had just called him babe in front of his entire family.

  Looking up, I noticed him smirking at me. “Come for a walk with us. I’ll get lost, and we’ll miss the flight.”

  “You better not,” his mother warned, glancing up from her newspaper. “Brody, don’t you dare wander off? You already damaged your hand punching tables. I won’t have you trying to miss the flight on purpose. Work can wait.”

  I stood up and held in my giggle. “He won’t miss the flight. We’re only going over there.” Pointing towards Krispy Kreme doughnuts, I was going to grab a box for the flight, screw the diet. I was starving for pastry.

  Brody slipped his hand around my lower waist, pulling me closer into him, and I tried to control my heart rate. “Did you talk to your mother after she hung up on you?” he asked once we were on our own.

  Shaking my head, “No, I didn’t call her back. I can’t help something that isn’t my fault.” Sighing, she overreacted.

  Mama has been trying to get us to take a family trip to Italy so we can all go bac
k and visit relatives I haven’t seen since a child. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to go, I would, but she wanted me and the children to go without Brody. It all came back to me not marrying an Italian. My sisters were on the call too as they liked the group chat. I felt outnumbered and ganged up on when mama accused me of treating Brody’s mother better than how I treat her. Trying to explain, it was useless. She didn’t believe me when I said the trip was booked and paid for; she hanged up on me.

  “Don’t worry about her. She’ll get over it.”

  I glanced up at him and nodded. “You’re right. She will…” not.

  We grabbed our food. I hesitated on whether to eat anything just yet. I’d lost all this weight, and I didn’t want to go back to how I looked before. It smelt incredible, but was it worth it? The struggle was real.

  Brody leant in and roughly whispered to me, “Eat, or I’ll feed you.”

  Blushing as Scott glanced over, his eyes lingered on me for far too long as I pretended not to notice. “I’m going to eat, I just…” I trailed off, ashamed of what I was thinking. “Are you sure you don’t like me more now because I’ve lost weight?”

  When he didn’t speak, I knew he was pissed. Standing up, he looked over at his parents. “Watch the kids for us. We’re going to grab a couple things for the flight.”

  “We are?” I asked, looking confused.

  “Yes.” He nodded and took my hand. Almost pulling me from my chair, “We are.”

  Walking to the small news agency in the airport, I went to the magazine racks. Brody grabbed a couple bottles of water and some chewing lollies so the kid's ears won’t pop. He came over and looked at the magazine I held in my hand.

  Blocking my path, he flicked his eyes up at mine. His gaze was strong and dominant. He was angry. “I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully, and if I hear any more about your weight, so help me God, I will have you bent naked over my knee and your ass red from my palm.”

  Oh my God… was it possible to have an orgasm from words?

  His blue eyes were hard to mine, figure intimidating me as he stood tall. “You have never once been unattractive to me. Yes, you were a lot thinner years ago, and that’s only due to not having the children yet. I couldn’t give a shit how much weight you gained. You’re still as beautiful as the day I first laid eyes on you in class. I love seeing your breasts bounce and your thighs touch. I love that you’re not afraid to sit and eat bread just for the fucking hell of it. You get me hard a lot more than you’ll ever know.”

  “Brody,” I cut in. A woman quickly walked past us. The look said it all. She heard him.

  “I’m not done speaking.” He overrode me with his tone. “I know that I’ve put these insecurities in your head. I didn’t tell you enough how sexy and beautiful you are. I’m going to try to make that right, but I need you to do something for me.”

  I waited to make sure it was okay for me to now speak. “What is that?”

  “Please don’t turn out like my sister or brother’s wife. You enjoy food; it’s in your heritage, and I have always loved that you’re never afraid to eat what you want. I see that today, and I miss it.” He came in closer, his hands against my hips and gripping them tightly. “I love your body, even more, today than years ago. Want to know why?” he asked, and I nodded. “Because this body carried our two children. That alone is far more attractive than someone who’s a rake like my sister. I promise you. I have never once thought you needed to lose weight. You’re not as big as you think you are. Gabby, you don’t see yourself the way I see you. You’re absolutely breathtaking.”

  That was probably the one thing I least expected to hear. Smiling, I nodded again and leant into him. My forehead against his lips and he kissed me gently. “I am not sorry for losing the weight because it made me feel more confident, but I will lay off the health kick.” I wanted to stay looking nice for him.

  We bought some items and made our way back to the others. For Brody to put himself out there and say that to me, it truly meant the world to me. I had always thought of myself as unattractive after having the kids. To know that he was always and still is attracted to me, it was a major confidence boost.

  Finding seats on the plane, we were behind everyone else. Noah and Lila were in front of us, sharing a bag of mixed lollies and watching Finding Nemo on the iPad while Brody and I sat quietly behind them. Both of us fairly exhausted. I was pleasantly welcoming the sleep that wanted to claim my body.

  Lying my head against his shoulder, he held my hand and rubbed his fingertips over the top of my skin. I was nervous about flying. I hadn’t been on a plane since I was a child. I didn’t want to sit by the window. I couldn’t look out and not panic about being so far above the ground. Brody was doing his best to calm my nerves.

  “Sleep, Gabby, it’s okay. You’re safe,” he whispered soothingly, placing a tender kiss to my temple.

  Closing my eyes, I soon drifted off to sleep, and it had never felt better.

  When I woke. The plane was still dark. Most people were still asleep. Glancing towards Brody, he was sitting upright with his legs spread, looking uncomfortable but comfortable enough to make the most out of his position. His height was a bastard on tightly spaced spots like planes.

  I unclipped my belt and checked the kids. Both were asleep. Good. Hopefully, they slept until we were about to land.

  I just sat there, watching Brody and taking in his appearance. Even dressed down, he was extremely handsome. As I kept staring at him, my feelings began to stir inside my core, and his words from earlier played over in my mind.

  Soon, I was moving closer and undoing the metal zipper on his navy jeans.

  Stirring in his sleep, I slipped my hand inside his zipper and began to rub his growing erection through his boxer shorts. My core heated up as I felt him thickening, growing against my palm. Squeezing and stroking, I wanted him now.

  “Gabby,” he whispered. “Wha—”

  I pressed my lips to his to silence him. I kept my eyes open and whispered over his mouth, “Shhh… tell me if someone’s coming…” Biting my lower lip, I pulled back and said even softly, “Besides you.”

  My hand pulled him out of the pocket in the cotton boxers. I stroked him slowly until he was rock hard and oozing with precum, and then I lowered my head with an eager and welcoming mouth.

  “Gabby,” he sucked in a sharp intake of breath as my tongue swirled around the top of his head, flicking the ridge with my tongue before engulfing him again. “Holy fuck…” he groaned, fingers through my hair as I began to suck him quicker.

  Hearing him moan only wanted to make me suck him deeper. Using my hand to play with his balls, massaging him and stroking him, I felt him pulsing inside of my mouth. A thick stream bursts from his tip, filling my mouth. His fingers now pulling at my hair and holding my head, he jerked his hips upright and thrust more into my mouth as he climaxed.

  Swallowing because I most definitely wasn’t going to grab a sick bag and spit that into it. I sat up, a small smile twitching on the corners of my mouth as he stared at me lustfully.

  “Fuck,” was all that he could muster up to say. Once his breathing returned to normal, he fixed his jeans back up and placed his palm against my cheek. “You didn’t… did you enjoy it?”

  “I liked that,” I said honestly. I really enjoyed being able to pleasure him that way without anything in return. Oh God, I hope no one heard or seen what we were doing back here.

  Getting some sensation back in his body, Brody pulled me towards him. “Feel free to do that whenever you want.” He kissed me, passionate and deeply. Pulling back, he smiled once more. “You’re amazing. Fuck, I want to take you in the bathroom, but we’ll get caught.”

  “Maybe on the way back home?” I flirted, biting down on his bottom lip as we kissed some more.

  He was beginning to become flustered again. “What’s gotten into you? You’re… Jesus, I can’t even explain what that was or felt like.”

  With a s
oft smile, I rested my head against his shoulder and reached down, taking his hand in mine and playing with his fingers. “You just made me feel…” I knew I was blushing. “You made me feel sexy, Brody.”

  With a kiss on my forehead, he wrapped his arm around me, resting his hand on my hip where he played with the bare skin of my hip. “You are sexy, Gabby, and I’ll make you feel like that more often. I promise.”

  “You’re just saying that to get head again,” I teased.

  I waited for his laughter or the cheeky answer. But it never came. With a soft murmur, he spoke, “No, I should have never stopped making you feel that way.”

  The kids woke up just before the plane landed, and then we all got off the flight. The hot air and smell of sea water were fresh in the air. Such a gorgeous view to be looking at and it was only beginning to get better.

  Brody and I had been extremely cuddly as we boarded another flight to make the short distance to Hamilton Island Airport. Lila wanted to sit with her dad, and Noah wanted to sit beside his grandpa. I was going to sit alone or with Lorraine as I thought until Scott slipped in the seat beside me.

  I pushed myself closer towards the window seat and tried my best to ignore him as I listened to Lila and Brody taking behind us.

  “Daddy, what can we do on an island?” she asked.

  “Swim,” Brody replied. He had no clue how to make something sound interesting even the way he said swim sounded boring and forced. He’d been unaccustomed to not having to go and do these fun activities. Simply, he didn’t know how to make them sound appealing to children.

  “Is there parks or somewhere to play?” I could hear the frown in her voice.

  Smiling, I turned and glanced up at them through the crease between the chairs. “Sweetheart, you’re on an island. We can play in the sand and search for shells even go for walks in the deep jungle. Maybe we’ll find some animals like on Madagascar.”

  “You got the bikini out and ready, Gabby?” Scott grinned. “Or is Brody forcing you to wear a one piece.”