Time Stands Still (Forever and Ever #51)

by E. L. Todd

  Dad’s shoulders finally loosened from his rigidness. “Alright. Your mother is still upset. I should probably be with her.”

  “I agree.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair short before he clapped me on the shoulder. “You know where to find me if you need anything.”

  “I know.” He pulled me in close then placed a kiss on my forehead. He didn’t usually show me that kind of affection. The last time he did it I was a child. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay. Tell Lexie I said hi.”

  “I will.”

  He finally walked away and headed toward the elevator. He wasn’t even gone from my sight when he loosened his tie around his neck.

  I walked into my office and got straight to work. I had fires to put out everywhere, and I didn’t have a minute to spare. My head had to be in the game, and I had to focus.

  ***

  Slade walked into my office after lunchtime. “Hey, bro.”

  “Hey.” I put down my tablet and dropped the stylist on my desk. “What brings you here?”

  “To see how you were doing.” He wore his dark jeans and a t-shirt, exactly the same way he looked in high school. His style didn’t change despite all the major life events he’d experienced.

  “Me?” I asked incredulously. “I should see how you guys are doing.”

  “We’re fine.” He sat in the comfy chair and rested his feet on my desk.

  I shot him a glare.

  He didn’t move his dirty shoes. “I mean, Trinity is a little shaken up but she’s bound to be. It’s one thing after another with her. I’m considering moving her to an island somewhere so no one can bother her ever again.”

  I snapped my fingers and pointed at his shoes. “You mind?”

  “Mind what?” he asked with a blank stare.

  “Get your nasty ass shoes off my desk.”

  He pulled them down as he rolled his eyes. “My shoes aren’t nasty. Your face is nasty.”

  “Everything about you is nasty.” I felt like a five year old but my inner child didn’t seem to care.

  “What were you doing in Washington anyway?”

  “Dad and Sean set up another division there. I went to check it out.”

  “Say what?” He interlocked his fingers behind his head. “Just when they retire they decide to expand? Assholes.”

  “I think they started this project a year ago when Skye was still on the payroll.”

  “Oh…she really dropped the ball.”

  “It’s okay. I understand why she wants to stay home.”

  “Whatever, man. She’s a slacker.” Slade would tease Skye any chance he got. He hated her like a sister but loved her like a friend.

  “Trinity isn’t going to stay home?”

  “I don’t know…she goes back and forth. She was planning on selling the company so she could travel with me. But she would never let me give up my dream for her, and I would never let her give up my dream for me.”

  “But you guys both have a lot going on. Something’s gotta give.”

  He shrugged. “We’ll figure that out when Olympia gets here.”

  “How’s her pregnancy?”

  “She’s fine. Uncomfortable and anxious, but fine. She’s been really worked up over this Maximum Shot thing. We went to the doctor to give her some Ativan but she can’t take anything when she’s pregnant.”

  “So what have you been doing?”

  “We do yoga and meditate.”

  I couldn’t picture Slade doing the crane or twisting his body in strange positions. “You? Yoga?”

  “It’s not as bad as you might think. It helps her relax so I don’t care if I look like a dork.”

  “Olympia is almost here, right?”

  Slade nodded. “Yep…just around the corner.”

  “Nervous?”

  He shrugged then crossed his arms over his chest. “Not sure.”

  “You aren’t sure if you’re nervous?” I asked in surprise. Last time I asked him about it he sounded totally freaked about having a daughter.

  “Well, I was really nervous. I wasn’t sure if I would be a good father and everything…but then Trinity said a few things to me that helped.”

  “Like?”

  “I’ve always put her first since we got married. Before that…I wasn’t the best guy in the world.”

  I knew that all too well.

  “But since that day I’ve bent over backwards for this woman. And with all the shit that has been going on this past year, I’ve protected her and kept her safe. Now that I’ve been through that I feel like I could protect her from anything. And that includes Olympia.”

  When he put it like that I couldn’t help but agree with him. “That’s true. You’ve really gone above and beyond.”

  “So I think I can do it. I hope everything from here on out will be smooth sailing, but you never know. At least I’m prepared.”

  “I think you’ll be fine, Slade.”

  “Thanks.” He looked out the window, a distant look in his eyes. “So, when’s the wedding?”

  “I don’t have a clue.” Lexie and I talked about going to Hawaii, but after Roland was captured, we hadn’t thought about it since. “And it’s not important right now. We’ll do it some other time.”

  “It is important,” Slade argued. “Come on, we need something good in our lives right now. Something to balance out all the bullshit.”

  “Let’s wait a few weeks and talk about it.”

  “I guess you would wait until after Olympia is born. She could be the flower girl.”

  Slade’s eyes softened at the thought. “That’d be really cute…”

  Seeing his face light up at the mere suggestion made me realize how different he was. When he found out he was having a girl he was practically repulsed by the idea. But now he actually seemed excited. “It would be cute.”

  “So, do you know where you’re going to have it?”

  “We’re thinking Hawaii.”

  “Hawaii?” he asked in surprise. “A destination wedding?”

  “Yeah. Lexie wants something small. And I don’t care where or when the wedding is. And I certainly don’t care how many people go.”

  “I’m down for Hawaii,” he said. “I’ve never been.”

  “I think we could all use a vacation anyway.”

  “True that, bro.” He put his feet on the desk and leaned back again.

  I narrowed my eyes in irritation, unable to believe how quickly he forgot. “Dude, take your feet off my desk.”

  “Oh shit. Sorry.” He pulled them off and chuckled. “I have the memory span of a dog.”

  “I picked up on that.”

  He rose to his feet. “Well, I just wanted to check in. Hadn’t seen you since you got back.”

  “Thanks. I’ll come by later. I want to see Trin.”

  “Good idea. She’d be happy to see you. Bring Lexie too.” Slade and Trinity weren’t her biggest fans, but they warmed up to her over the past few months. After everything that happened, their prejudice didn’t seem to matter.

  “I will.”

  Slade fist-bumped me before he left. “Catch you later, Tiger.”

  “What did you just call me?”

  “Tiger. You know, like the big cat.”

  “I know what it is. I just don’t understand why you’re calling me that.”

  “Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll call you Con. Boring ass name.”

  “It’s not boring. It’s a warrior name.”

  “No. Cedric is a warrior name. Get it right.” He snapped his fingers before he walked out.

  When the door was shut I turned back to my desk and saw the drop of dirt from the bottom of Slade’s shoes. I flicked it off with a sigh of irritation before I got back to work.

  ***

  The second I walked in the door it was World War II.

  “Don’t. Touch. My. Stuff.” Lexie threw a pillow hard at Macy, hitting her right in the face. “After all the shit we’ve been
through we have to put up with this too?”

  Maybe I could walk out without them noticing me.

  “Conrad!” Lexie marched to me, her face red and the vein in her forehead throbbing. “This is exactly why I said she can’t stay here. She went into our bathroom and used my really expensive shampoo.”

  “Baby, just use my Head and Shoulders bottle. It’s two-in-one.”

  Lexie’s face darkened even further. “Excuse me?”

  Macy put her hands on her hips. “Take that, brat.”

  “Con, grab her bags and put them outside.” Lexie’s hand shook with anger. “I don’t want her here anymore. I mean it.”

  Macy stuck out her tongue. “I ain’t going nowhere.”

  I just walked through the door and I already had a headache. Maybe letting Macy stay with us wasn’t the best idea in the world. I eyed Apollo on the floor. He rested his head on his paws, looking bored out of his mind. He usually greeted me when I got home, but he was sick of all the fighting. “Not to sound insensitive, but my family just went through hell. I really don’t want to have to deal with your pathetic bullshit.”

  Macy’s face went pale.

  Lexie did the same.

  “I almost lost my cousin. You two have each other but you’re fighting over stupid shit. This place is big enough for all the three of us. Stop being bitches to each other and start being friends.”

  Lexie crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze directed to the floor.

  Macy looked at me then quickly turned away in guilt.

  “Macy, over here.” I snapped my fingers then pointed to the spot directly in front of me. “Now.”

  Macy kept her feet still for a moment before she obeyed me. Dragging her feet the whole way, she finally stopped in front of me.

  Apollo rose from the ground and came to my side, sitting at attention like he was keeping the two girls in line.

  “Alright.” I grabbed both of their arms and forced them to face each other. “You guys have a lot of history. I mean, a lot. You’ve both done and said terrible things to one another. You’ve both hurt each other beyond reason. I understand why it’s so difficult for the two of you to get along. But it needs to stop now—and not just because we’re living together. We need to make a change and move forward in a positive light. My sister and I have butted heads a lot over the years, but we’ve never been this vicious to each other. You need to listen to and respect one another. I think that’s the problem.”

  Lexie was closed like a clam. Macy was just as stubborn.

  “This is what we’re going to do.” I crossed my arms over my chest and watched both of their faces. “I think the reason you two fight like this is because you resent each other from things in the past. We aren’t going to move forward until you truly forgive each other. So, you’re going to talk it out until you both feel comfortable. And when that moment comes, you’re going to shake hands and truly move on. No one is leaving this apartment until you forgive each other for everything. Alright?”

  They were still silent.

  “Macy, go first. Tell Lexie how you feel.”

  Macy looked at the ground, unable to meet her sister’s gaze.

  “Come on,” I pressed. “Nothing will happen until this is resolved. I know sisters fight, but not like this. End this feud now.”

  Macy kept her silence, her lips pressed tightly together.

  I turned to Lexie and silently commanded her to step up.

  Her only response was a glare.

  “Lexie—”

  “I feel like the loser sister.” Macy’s voice didn’t come out venomous like it did just a moment ago. A touch of vulnerability radiated in her voice, unmistakable. “You’re perfect at everything, and I’m tired of having to compete with your successes. Everyone compares me to you, and I’m tired of being viewed as your younger sister instead of a whole person.”

  At least the ball was rolling. I didn’t make a sound so I wouldn’t interrupt their conversation. Maybe this would lead nowhere and just make everything worse. But if there was any chance of reconciliation I had to take it. Sisters shouldn’t be at each other’s throats all the time.

  “I know I shouldn’t have slept with Jared,” Macy whispered. “It was wrong and I feel so terrible. If I could take it back, I would. I was just jealous you had someone who loved you for you. But at the same time I don’t want to take it back because you found Conrad…and Conrad is a million times better than Jared ever was.”

  My eyes softened.

  Lexie’s face was still unreadable. Her war face was on, refusing to let anyone penetrate her hard exterior.

  “I fight with you because I want to bring you down to my level. I wish I were happy like you. I wish I found Prince Charming. I wish I had a job that I loved. All I’ve been doing is wasting away at Mom’s house because I’m too weak to stand on my own two feet. The truth is, I’m ashamed of who I’ve become, and I hate the fact that you’re so much better than me.”

  Lexie finally softened, her eyes becoming forgiving and genuine. She listened to her sister’s words with an open mind. The resentment and hatred finally dimmed away, even if it was for just a moment.

  “I know you haven’t really done anything to me and I’ve been a total bitch to you. But every time you take the high road it just makes me hate you even more. Every time you fall down and get back up stronger than you were before, it just reminds me of how weak I am. You’ve been through so much but it never gets you down. And you have a man that still wants to marry you after you left him. I mean…I’ll never find someone like that.”

  I watched Lexie and waited for her to say something sweet, something consoling.

  “Macy…” She tried to find the right words but her mind and mouth weren’t working properly. The air was too dense with emotion. She had to put all her resentment aside and move forward, but was that possible for her? Lexie was the victim in everything. She was the one who had to deal with Macy’s jealousy and terror.

  If Roland or Slade had ever slept with Lexie behind my back, I wouldn’t be able to forgive them—not for a while. I understood how difficult this was for her. She had to let go of an evil and dark past. No one could hold it against her if she couldn’t. But I hoped she would. “Macy is your sister, Lexie. She’s family.” I had to give her a gentle reminder to move forward, to find a new beginning. Sometimes we all needed a gentle push to keep going.

  Lexie shut her mouth again, unsure what to say.

  “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you,” Macy pressed. “I know I’m the problem, not you. I purposely antagonize you and bring out the worst in you. I know these terrible actions come from my jealousy. I’ll work on it. No, I’ll stop. I don’t want it to be this way. Mom kicked me out and you were the only person who took me in…I had nowhere else to go.”

  I stared at Lexie and hoped for some kind of reconciliation. I wanted to give her a nudge but I already did. This was out of my control. I had to hope it panned out on its own.

  “I feel like if I forgive you it’s just going to keep happening,” Lexie finally said. “You apologized to me once and then we went back to where we were.”

  “I know…you’re right.”

  “I want to move forward and start a new relationship. But I don’t trust you.”

  Dammit.

  “I understand,” Macy whispered. “But…could I have one more chance?”

  I put my hands in my pockets and waited.

  “I know I can be better,” Macy said. “I want to be closer. I don’t want us to fight all the time.”

  “I don’t want to let my guard down and then get hit right in the face,” Lexie said. “Attacks aren’t so terrible when I know they’re coming. But the unexpected ones are the most difficult to swallow.”

  “I know,” Macy whispered. “I get it.”

  If I didn’t intervene this would go nowhere. “Lexie, come on.”

  She turned to me, rage in her eye. “I know you’re trying to help but you
can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do just so your house will be quiet. You understand just as much as I do that she’s the problem, not me. Why do I have to be taunted and then expected to be forgiving? That’s not fair. I’m tired of this situation being unfair.”

  I understood that all too well. The responsibility fell to her when it shouldn’t. “I know. It doesn’t make any sense. Macy is the one who takes time out of her life to make you miserable. Why do you have to be the bigger person?”

  She couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes.

  “The answer is, you have to be the bigger person because you are the better person. Just as Macy said, you’re the strong one. You’re the one who has the ability to fall down and get back up. You have the power to be good when others don’t. This is your sister we’re talking about, and if you can find the strength to move past this and start over, you should.”

  “What if she pulls the same shit in a week or two?”

  “If she does, then I stand beside you. You shouldn’t have to deal with someone who does nothing but tortures you. If someone is toxic, they should be removed from your life. But I also think you should give as many chances as possible before it comes to that.”

  Macy bowed her head, listening to our conversation while trying to disappear at the same time.

  Lexie sighed and turned back to her sister. “I’ll give you one more chance. But this is it, Macy. Anymore bullshit and I’m done with you.”

  “Okay,” Macy said. “I understand.”

  “I’m sorry you feel overshadowed by me but that’s not my doing. That’s just your perception. Maybe Mom and other family members talk to you that way, but I have nothing to do with that. Stop resenting me. Stop being jealous of me. I’m just living my life and doing the best thing for me.”

  “I know,” Macy said. “So…can we start over?” The plea was in her voice, the hope something good would come of this. The fact she wanted forgiveness and to start over.

  Lexie sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. Her decision balanced on the edge of a knife. It could do either way. Her fear held her back but her hope for a new beginning pushed her forward.

  I didn’t pressure her because I wanted this decision to happen on her own. I wanted her to step into this new relationship with her own two feet. If I made her do it, it would never function the way we wanted it to.