Joe slinks down into the chair next to Katie. He swipes his hand over his face as it if will erase the worry that’s etched onto his features. “She’s stable now, but it was a heart attack. We knew that the chemo was weakening her heart, but it was worse than we thought apparently.”
Katie wraps her arms around her father and cries softly into his chest. “So what did they say, then? I mean is she going to be okay?” I ask, even though I have a pretty good feeling of what the answer will be.
Katie pulls back from Joe’s arms and wipes her eyes. She looks up at him expectantly. She’s obviously holding out hope for the best.
Joe clears his throat before speaking. “Well, if she remains stable, she might be able to go home in the next few days, but the doctors think . . .” Joe loses the battle with his emotions and begins sobbing.
When his sobs subside, he continues in a wobbly, uncertain voice. “They think this is the beginning of the end. They have to run a few more tests, but in addition to the heart attack, they’re pretty certain that the cancer is spreading. There isn’t anything that anyone can do at this point. They’re . . . they’re pretty much sending her home to die.”
Katie squeezes him tightly as he kisses the top of her head. But suddenly, I’m seething with anger and pain.
I shoot up out of my chair, suddenly overwhelmed by all of the sadness.
Maddy’s dead parents. My dead brother. Katie’s dead mom. Five long years of distance and emptiness. My current separation from Maddy. Enough is enough.
Joe stands and walks over to me. He can tell I’m pissed and he’s trying to comfort me, trying to be there for me, but there’s only one person from whom I want comfort. And now more than ever, I am going to get her back.
He claps a hand on my shoulder and I refuse to cry. I promised myself when I left that I would never shed a tear for my family again.
“I’m good, Joe. I just need to get out of here. I’ll be in touch.” Katie is shocked at my words. So am I, honestly. She probably thought everything would be like some happy little sitcom once Mom and I talked. Maybe it could have been. If we had years to heal our wounds, maybe it could have been a happy ending. Right now though, right now I just have to leave.
A tiny nagging voice in the back of my head tells me that I’m being an asshole, that I’m being a coward by always running away from my problems. Right now, that voice can shut the fuck up.
I don’t even look back to see the shock on their faces. I can’t. So instead, I turn my back on Joe and Katie and my dying mother because it’s easier than dealing with everything.
Sitting in the truck, waiting for it to warm up, I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn the power back on. The alerts that I’ve missed a call, a text message and that I have a voicemail all chime in, one after the other. I don’t recognize the number, but I open the text anyway.
When I see that it’s from Maddy, my heart thuds in my chest and my hands start shaking almost to the point that I’m unable to scroll through the message.
Maddy: Hey it’s Maddy. I had to get a new phone so I hope that you’ll get this even though it’s a new number. I miss you and I’m sorry for everything. Please call me. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I love you. I hope you still love me. xx
I call my voicemail and when I hear her soft, sweet voice, my chest constricts. She sounds sad, resigned almost. She hopes I still love her? Is she crazy? I can’t say I’m all that happy with how things went down, but I can get over it.
With now steadier hands, I dial her new number. It rings and rings and rings. When I get the voicemail, I’m beyond disappointed that it’s the standard recording; it’s not even her voice.
I call at least five more times and it all goes to voicemail. What the fuck? She calls me to tell me she wants me back and then she ignores me.
I dial Mel. I’m getting to the bottom of this once and for all. Mel picks up on the second ring.
“Reid? Where are you? Why haven’t you called Maddy? What the hell is going on with you guys?” She’s clearly surprised to hear from me, but not so surprised that her barrage of questions are kept at bay.
“Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I don’t have the time to get into it all. I had my phone off last night and Maddy called and I just tried calling her back, but she’s not answering. What the fuck is going on?” I know she can tell I’m pissed, but I don’t care. I need some answers.
“Um . . . I don’t know why she isn’t answering? She’s not here right now . . .” Her words fade into the background and I hear her moving things around.
“What do you mean she’s not there, Mel? Where the hell is she?” My rage is rising and it’s taking way too much effort to keep it in check right now.
“Ah ha! Here it is!” She sounds victorious. “She’s at work, but she must have left her phone at home. She’s not ignoring you.”
I let out the breath I was holding. I’m both relieved and frustrated. At least she’s not ignoring me.
“Work? She got a job? Already?” I hear Mel laugh at my surprise.
“Yes, she got a job! Babies aren’t cheap, you know.” I hear her chiding tone and right now I just don’t appreciate it.
“Listen, Mel. Think what you will, but I didn’t walk away. She pushed me away. But I’m ready to push back now. When will she be home?” She doesn’t respond right away. Did I just shock Mel into silence?
“Uh, well I’m supposed to pick her up at six.” She’s being a bit more reserved all of a sudden.
“Well, it looks like your schedule just cleared up. I’m coming there today and I’ll pick her up, just don’t tell her. Okay?” She doesn’t really have a choice. It’s what I’m doing and that’s that.
“Sure. Okay. I can do that. But listen, Reid. Take it easy on her. I’m not going to speak for her, but she knows she was wrong. She loves you. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know that. And if she didn’t doubt me at first, we wouldn’t even be in this situation.” The bitterness of my words is harsh; I know it. I’m just wound a bit too tight dealing with everything and I don’t mean to take it out on Mel, but I just need to see Maddy.
“Look, Mel, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to rip your head off. I know she loves me, and believe me, I love her. That’s why I’m coming there tonight. I’m going to prove to her, beyond any of her crazy doubts, that I love her and that she’s the only woman I want to be with.”
Obviously placated, she breathes a sigh of relief. “Good. I’ll text you the address. I guess I’ll see you later then.” She still sounds uncertain, but it’s not her that I need to convince.
As fucked up as I may be, I can’t stay pissed at Mel. “Thanks, Mel. I mean that. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Okay, Reid. Bye”
As I end the call, a little bit of the heaviness I’ve been feeling lifts. I can’t deal with my mom right now. I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to, but no matter what I make of my past, Maddy will be a part of my future. That much is certain.
I spend most of the afternoon driving around to waste time, but now that it’s nearly five forty-five, I’m jittery with nervous energy at the thought of finally seeing Maddy again.
It’s foolish really. We’ve only been apart for less than a week, but with everything that happened in that week, it feels like a lifetime since I’ve seen her.
I pull into a parking spot in the back of the lot. I feel slightly like a stalker, but I don’t want her to see me right away. Time feels like it’s at a standstill as I wait, not so patiently, for Maddy to exit the doctor’s office.
The parking lot has emptied out except for a few cars that are all parked in a reserved section to the side. They must belong to Maddy’s co-workers. There’s one car, however, that’s still parked in the main section of the lot. At about five to six, I see someone get out of the car. He walks to the front of his blue Nissan and leans against the hood. He’s obviously waiting for someone, but other than him there’s no one else in the lot.<
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A few minutes after six, a gaggle of women burst through the front doors. They’re laughing and chatting animatedly. A tall, slender, older woman, dressed in a business suit, leans in to give Maddy a hug. I can’t hear what she says, but I would imagine that it’s Maddy’s boss.
Maddy breaks apart from the group after saying goodbye and scans the parking lot. She wraps her arms around her chest to keep warm and while I would love to make her stand out there just a bit longer, I don’t want her to freeze. I just want her to think Mel forgot about her.
She looks beautiful. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail and her long, graceful neck is exposed. I can’t really make out much of her figure underneath the puffy, winter coat that she’s wearing and the baggy baby blue scrubs do nothing to showcase her fantastic legs. Just thinking about her strong, lean legs wrapped around my waist makes my cock twitch in anticipation.
Lost in my erotic fantasy, I don’t immediately notice it, but leaning-up-against-his-car guy is approaching Maddy. For a split second, I tense worrying that he’s going to harm her, but when I see her face light up in a huge smile at seeing him, fury takes over.
The fuck? She’s out of my life for less than a week. She’s pregnant with my baby. She calls me to tell me that she loves me and misses me. And then she goes behind my back? Yeah, I don’t think so.
I get out of the truck and walk over towards the two of them. Maddy’s back is to me as I approach her and her date, so she doesn’t see me right away. But once the guy sees me, she spins around to look at what has caught his eye.
Her face is shocked and when our eyes lock, my heart skips a beat. There’s a pull between us. As much as I hate to admit it, she owns me. Her eyes are magical. They dance with light and passion and when she looks at me, they are filled with love.
The love and passion that are sparkling in her emerald green eyes evaporate when she realizes the scene that I’ve just stumbled upon. I can only imagine what’s going through her mind, but I’m sure the images of me kicking Logan’s ass are flashing vividly through her mind.
I’m no more than a few feet from them when the guy pushes Maddy behind him to protect her from what he perceives as a threat. He’s not very far from the truth, but she’s not the one who needs protecting.
Menacingly close now, he pipes up. “Who the fuck are you? What do you want?” Okay, I’ll give the prick a little bit of credit for trying to stand up to me, but he has no clue what he’s competing against here.
The caveman in me wants to deck this guy and drag Maddy into a bed—any bed—and claim her, repeatedly, until she understands that she’s mine and no one else’s. I’m going to do that anyway, but hopefully I can refrain from knocking this guy on his ass. I’d like to have the use of my hands tonight.
My eyes never leave Maddy’s, but my words are directed at him. “Me? I’m the boyfriend, asshole.” Maddy’s eyes widen slightly as I say “boyfriend.” Did she really think we ever broke up?
I avert my gaze from Maddy for a minute to stare this douchebag down. “And who the fuck do you think you are?” He falters, not enough that most people would notice, but I’m in predator mode. I see his throat work hard to swallow past the newly formed fear. His pupils dilate slightly and the pulse beating in his neck picks up as adrenaline surges through him. If he thinks he’s going to win this battle, he is wrong—so fucking wrong.
He puffs out his chest as he says, “I’m Maddy’s date for tonight.” He snickers lightly as he says, “You know? She never mentioned a boyfriend when I asked her out. Must not be much of a boyfriend if she doesn’t even mention you.” He swells with pride at his snarky little quip. In the split second he looks away from me to gauge Maddy’s approval, I lay him flat on the ground as I drop my shoulder into his gut and take his legs out from underneath him with one of my own. I freaking love my takedown skills. I didn’t even have to bust up my hands. I’m definitely going to need them in a little bit.
I straddle over him and pull him up by the collar. “Whether she mentioned me or not, she’s mine, so lay the fuck off. Got it?”
Maddy still hasn’t said a word and I haven’t actually spoken directly to her. I’m pretty sure she understands my actions though. Wordlessly, I reach my hand out to her. This is her chance. If she still wants me, then she’ll come with me. This is who I am, who I’ve always been. If she can’t understand that I love her, that I want her more than anything, then it’s not because I haven’t tried as hard as I possibly could to prove it to her.
Hand still outstretched, I look her directly in the eyes, as I try to convey everything that I’m thinking, that I’m feeling. In what feels like an act of God, she understands me and laces her hand in mine.
Electricity fires between us. She’s wrapping her hand around mine, but I feel her touch everywhere on my body- tracing the lines of my chest and toned abs, tickling the trail that descends low on my belly, encasing my hardened length as she brings me to the heights of ecstasy that I’ve only experienced with her.
This is what Maddy does to me. She owns me, but tonight, tonight I’m going to show her that I own her.
As she steps over what’s-his-face, she bends down, without ever letting go of my hand, and says, “Are you alright? I’m sorry, Jay. I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you soon.” He tries to respond to her, but he’s still trying to catch his breath from my takedown.
When we’re a few steps past Jay, whoever the fuck that is, I turn her so that she’s facing me. “You will not talk to him soon. Over my fucking dead body.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I don’t give her the opportunity to form any words.
I wrap my other arm around her waist and pull her up to my mouth. When our lips crash together, my body shudders in delight. I let go of her hand and grab the back of her head to pull her mouth closer to mine. She’s not close enough because in this moment I could devour her. I’m losing myself in her taste, in her fine, perfect mouth. I can’t control myself—biting, licking, savoring—she’s just so fucking sweet that I know I will never be able to get enough.
Lust takes over and I wrap her long, golden pony tail around my wrist and pull her head back to expose the creamy, delicate skin of her neck. I see her pulse beat beneath the surface. Running my nose up the length of her neck, I inhale her scent—some fruity shampoo mixed with pure desire.
Almost involuntarily, my tongue darts out and runs a hot, wet, seductive path up from the small exposed patch of her throat to the tender spot of flesh right below her earlobe that makes her knees quiver.
And wouldn’t you know it? That’s exactly what happens. Lips pressed against her neck, I smile and whisper in her ear, “Did you miss me, Maddy?” Goose bumps pimple her flesh immediately and without having to say a word, I know her answer. Damn this bulky winter jacket for getting in my way, because my palms long to squeeze her pebbled nipples. I need to get her out of here now.
Hair still wrapped around my wrist, lips still pressed up against her exposed neck, I smile into her skin and say, “Now here’s what’s going to happen, Maddy. You’re going to text Mel and let her know that I came and picked you up like I said I would and that you’re staying out for the night. Got it?” She nods in response and my ego fist pumps the air knowing that I’ve rendered her speechless. “And then you’re going to shut off your phone and we’re going to a hotel so I can show you over and over again that you belong to me. Okay?”
This time I don’t wait for her response, verbal or otherwise. I just release her from my grasp and stalk away towards the truck. Sliding into the cabin, I look at her furiously typing away on her phone. I see her hold down a single button and I smile at her ability to follow instructions.
That’s a skill that will come in handy for her tonight.
When she gets in the truck, she’s still shocked into silence. “Where’s the nearest hotel?” I ask; my words are gruff and harsh. She seems surprised by my question, but after a kiss like that, what did she expect?
“There’s
a Holiday Inn on route 17. It’s only about ten minutes from here.” Her voice is timid and weak. She may be scared, but she’s got nothing to fear. I’m just here to take back what’s mine.
“Okay, good.” My curt response forces her to turn towards me, rather than facing straight in the seat. I shift the truck into drive and turn to look behind me before pulling out of the spot.
“Why are you so angry, Reid? What are you even doing here?” Seriously? That’s how she wants to approach this. Abruptly, I shift the truck back into park and it rocks a few times before stopping completely.
“Why am I angry?” The question comes out through my clenched jaw. I know I have to temper back my fury, so I take a deep breath and try to relax. I shift so that I can face her, so I can look into her deep green eyes.
“I’m angry that you pushed me away because I was shocked to find out you are pregnant. I’m furious that you think I can’t love you just because I can’t forgive my family. I’m beyond pissed that I actually listened to you and tried to make amends at home and all it did was cause more pain.” I notice her eyes widen in shock as I mention that I did, in fact, go home. “But what infuriates me, more than anything, is that you were about to go out with some other guy when you just called me yesterday to tell me that you missed me, that you still loved me.” I run my hand through my hair and let out a loud almost growl-like sound.
“I do still love you.” Her voice is no more than a whisper. She reaches out to grab my hand and I let her. I’ve missed her touch and right now, I could use some comfort.
Running my thumb over her knuckles, I gaze into her teary eyes. A single tear streaks down her cheek and I swipe it away with the pad of my other thumb. I release her hand and cup her soft cheeks in my palms. Grazing her soft, full lips with my fingertips, my body can’t help but react to her sweetness.
The Love Series Complete Box Set Page 32