Drowning: An Angsty Standalone
Page 27
“Your best friends are there, and I want you to be close to them. Since we’ll be making so many more trips to Manhattan, I want you to feel at home when you’re there.”
“Adrian,” she whispers, dropping the box, so she can grab my face and pull it toward her.
Camille deserves so much of the credit here. I sent her over twenty listings, and she went to each one. She narrowed down the list to her two favorites, and while she visited those a second time, we video-chatted, so I could see them. Together, we chose the one we thought Andi would like best. Once Camille brought her there and told me how Andi had reacted, I knew it was safe to buy. We’re now in escrow and closing in a month, but nothing will interrupt this sale. The condo will be ours.
Our new place will also bring her closer to Charlie. During my trips out east, I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, and he’s a man I’ve grown to admire. His friendship means a great deal to Andi, and I know how much time she likes to spend with him. Getting more time with him will only make her happier.
“There’s a box you still haven’t opened.” I place the black box in her hand.
She looks at it and then glances back at me.
“Go ahead.”
“It can’t possibly be better than what you’ve already given me.”
Instead of answering, I watch her lift the lid, and I get onto one knee.
She gasps, the tears finally dripping down her cheeks. “Adrian, oh my God.”
I lift the diamond ring out of its holder and hold it against the nail of her finger. “It doesn’t matter if we’re on a train or in New York, all the way down in Miami or in Colorado; when I’m with you, I’m home. You’re my best friend, Andi. The only thing that will ever make me feel complete. The woman I see in my dreams and the only body I ever want to touch.” I rub the platinum band along the pad of her finger. “Marry me, Andi. Promise me that you’ll be with me forever.”
I want so badly to wipe away her tears, but I can’t move my hands away from hers. Not until she gives me an answer. At least one I can hear even though I see it long before it’s spoken.
“Yes, Adrian. The answer is always yes.”
Andi
I’ve never flown across the entire world before. To say I’m nervous is the understatement of the century. A total disaster, I could barely pack my bags, let alone drag them through the airport. But I did—with shaky hands and sweaty palms.
Ever since Adrian qualified for the Tokyo games, my nerves have been in check. That all fell apart when I realized Adrian would be flying with the team, and I’d be on a flight with his mother.
Now, for the next five thousand miles, I’ll be sitting in a tube next to my mother-in-law, praying I don’t throw up all over her—although there’s a chance she won’t notice. She’s been drinking since we got to the airport, so she might pass out as soon as we find our seats on the plane.
When it’s time to board, I hold Mrs. Dillon’s hand and guide her toward the plane.
“Are you ready for this?” she asks me, like I have a choice.
“I’m ready to see your son compete. This flight is just in the way of all the fun.”
She pats my hand and smiles. “He loves you so much, Andi.”
The second she pulls a crumpled tissue from her pocket and starts dabbing her eyes, I know this is bound to get ugly.
Twelve more hours.
By the time we find our seats, my stomach is cramping, and I need to pee.
I can hear my own mother now, saying, Why didn’t you go before you left the house?
Because I didn’t have to go then.
Another quick glance at our tickets, and I set my eyes on the back of the plane, figuring that’s where we’re headed. Before I can get another two steps, a warm hand grabs my arm and demands my attention.
“Right here, baby,” he says, like he’s supposed to be standing in first class, waiting for me.
“Adrian? What are you—how did you—your mother’s drunk.”
Laughing, he has the flight attendant bring his dazed mother back to the front of the plane and helps her into the seat behind us. She doesn’t even notice her own son until I tap her arm and get her attention.
“Adrian Dillon, what on earth are you doing?”
“It’s okay, Mom,” he tells her. “I wasn’t going to let my two favorite girls fly alone.”
He sets his eyes on me, and it’s like a warm blanket on a snowy night, right in front of the fireplace.
“Thank you,” I whisper as a tear falls. I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional, but I can’t shut off the waterworks now that they’ve started.
He takes my hand and sits me in the seat next to him. It’s not at all cramped like I was expecting. We even have a menu, and I’m pretty sure the seat reclines all the way down. I’d love nothing more than to curl up with a book and read, maybe even do a little writing of my own.
Mrs. Dillon peeks her head around my seat as she says, “Andi, they’ve got wine on this thing.”
All I can do is laugh, tears and all. I become even more manic when Camille and Russell step on the plane and shock the hell out of me, too. With my jaw on the floor, I watch as Camille takes the middle seat next to Adrian’s mother, like this is completely normal. Russell sits beside Camille at the aisle with a smile so wide, I just shake my head.
I stare at my husband, wondering how I got so lucky to deserve a man like him. He takes my purse and sets it on the floor before I drop it.
My stomach starts to churn again.
“Are you okay?” he asks when I know I must have started to look a little green.
How am I going to hide this?
When I come up with nothing, I change the subject. “I can’t believe you did all of this.” I take a sip of water. “How did you get out of flying with the team? Isn’t that a requirement? It’s the Olympics.”
He takes my hand and smiles. “You didn’t think I was going to let my pregnant wife fly halfway around the world alone, did you?”
My heart plummets to the floor. No! “What did you say?”
Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, his voice is soft and tender when he says, “Baby, I found the box in the trash yesterday afternoon. And you threw up last night and this morning.”
The tears return, and I feel like such a crybaby. What is wrong with me? “I was going to surprise you after you had your gold medal. I wanted it to be special.”
He laughs as he brushes my tears away with the back of his hand. “Trust me, Andi. It’s special, no matter how I find out.” Leaning across me, he grabs my seat belt and fastens it loosely over my stomach as he smiles. “I can’t believe a baby is in there,” he says as he stares at my shirt. “We made a human.”
“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” I don’t have a preference, just as long as it’s a healthy baby.
“Maybe it’s twins,” he says.
All the air rushes out of my lungs. I didn’t even consider the possibility. And I don’t think I want to. The thought of having one is still more than I can comprehend.
“How do you feel?” he asks sweetly. Not giving me a chance to respond, he keeps going. “Once we take off, I want you to turn this contraption into a bed and get some rest. You look tired.”
I realize this is going to be my new normal—a doting husband watching over his little family. The baby isn’t even here yet, and he’s already protecting us.
“I’ll take a nap, but you’re sure you’re not going to get in trouble for not flying with the team?”
“What are they going to do? Tell their most decorated swimmer he can’t compete? My family comes first, Andi. Always.”
Takeoff is a breeze because I’m already soaring so far above the clouds, it doesn’t feel like we ever left the ground.
This is living.
This is happiness.
Adrian is my happily ever after.
He fell from grace. We were down and out, but now, I stare at the diamond ring wrapped around m
y finger, and I believe that anything is possible.
This new chapter will bring more challenges. It’ll begin with morning sickness. It’ll be full of beautiful lullabies. But, no matter what evil comes our way, we’ll make it through any storm because we have each other.
“Thank you, baby,” he says barely above a whisper, still staring at my stomach. “I’m gonna love you so hard once the games are over.”
“I love you, Adrian. Thank you for saving me.”
He smirks and places a soft kiss on my stomach. “We saved each other.”
Jovana Shirley, you have blown our minds. BLOWN them. We have the best editor in the world. Your attention to detail is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. You made this process seamless, you made our words stunning, you made us fall in love with this story all over again. We heart you big time.
Letitia Hasser, you captured our vision immediately, and you brought our story to life. Thank you for being such a treasure to work with. We adore you.
Judy, we’re so excited to have you on our team. We can’t thank you enough for taking us on and giving our book so much love.
Linda Russell, you work tirelessly on our promotion and marketing, and we will never be able to thank you enough. We love you, lady, even when you’re holding that whip over our butts. Remember, we like your spankings to be extra hard. #CreamPuffsForLife
Donna Cooksley Sanderson, thank you for all your help with this story, all the time and dedication you put in to make sure everything was right. You’re so good to us, and we love you so much.
So much love and extra special shout-outs go to Susan Singer, Kimmi Street, Julie Healey-Vaden, Stacey Jacovina, Melissa Mann, the COPA ladies, Stephie Walls, Megan Decker, Tina Bell, Kaitie Reister, and Ashley Jasper.
A huge thanks to our reader groups—Marni’s Midnighters and Gia Riley’s Books. You guys are rock stars, cheerleaders, virtual tissues, hugs, and we’re so grateful for you. XOXO
Joe and Brian, we love you soooooooo much.
Bloggers, we appreciate all of your support. Your promotion, shares, likes, tweets, posts—it means everything to us. We couldn’t do this without you.
Lastly, a massive thanks goes to our readers. Thank you for buying our books, for reading our words, and for sharing this journey with us. You rock our whole world.
Marni Mann
Best-selling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their two dogs, who have been characters in her books. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.
Want to get in touch? Visit Marni at…
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MarniMannBooks@gmail.com
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Would you like to join Marni’s Facebook group, Marni’s Midnighters? Team members qualify for exclusive giveaways and are the first to receive sneak peeks of the projects she’s currently working on. Click HERE to join.
Other Books By Marni
STANDALONE NOVELS
Prisoned (Dark Erotic Thriller)
Wild Aces (Erotic Romance)
The Unblocked Collection (Erotica)
Pulled Beneath (New Adult)
Pulled Within (New Adult)
SERIES
The Shadows Series (Erotica)
Memoirs Aren’t Fairytales (Dark Fiction)
Scars from a Memoir (Dark Fiction)
Gia Riley
Gia Riley has been in love with writing romance since high school when she took her very first creative writing class. From the small but mighty state of Delaware, she’s a country girl at heart, traveling back to her roots in Pennsylvania as often as she can.
She’d rather pick truth than dare, bake than cook, and will always choose coffee over tea.
Just like life, her stories always have a mixture of heart and humor.
Want to get in touch? Visit Gia at…
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Website
giarileybooks@gmail.com
Click HERE to sign up for her newsletter.
Would you like to join Gia’s Facebook group, Gia Riley’s Books? Team members qualify for exclusive giveaways and are the first to receive sneak peeks of the projects she’s currently working on. Click HERE to join.
Other Books By Gia
STANDALONE NOVELS
In Pieces (Young Adult)
INTERCONNECTED STANDALONE NOVELS
Rock the Boat (Contemporary Romance)
Rock the City (Contemporary Romance)
SERIES
Lighter (New Adult)
Weightless (New Adult)
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