Love Amplified (Heavy Influence Book 3)

by Ann Marie Frohoff

  Hearing this made me more confused.

  Aly wasn’t confused at all, saying, “That means she’s been ready for this day all along.”

  “Wow. I’m leaving you all to attack this crazy, without me.” Nadine remarked, crabby and grabbed a stack of wedding magazines from the counter. She hugged them to her chest. “Marty, I’ll be upstairs.”

  Marty drew in a deep breath. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  Me either.

  I remained shell-shocked in my crouched position at Aly’s feet. She ran her hand over my shoulder and down my back making me arch into her like a cat. I pushed myself up to sit next to her. She was deep in thought.

  “What are you thinking?” I nudged her with my shoulder.

  “Just how lame she really is. It’s like she planned this.”

  I tipped back. “What do you mean planned? She couldn’t have planned this.”

  “Why not? You said she’d wanted a baby, a baby with Dump.”

  “What are you saying? That she used me for my sperm?”

  “Maybe not at first.” She jeered and sat up staring me in the eye. “Jake, you said she told you she’d planned to tell Jackson his father was Dump.” Then she pointed to the kitchen. “Who knows how long she’s had those papers drawn up. When is the last time you knew her to be in California?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t. She disappeared.”

  “I bet when she got sober…she decided to make you her sperm donor.”

  Aly got up and went to the papers on the counter, taking them into her hands. She stood there silently, reading them. I remained in a dead stupor on the sofa. Her hair was a drape around her face. I could only see the tip of her nose.

  “Petition to voluntarily relinquish parental rights.” She tapped the papers and stared at me from across the room. “Jake, I remember when you told me how distraught she was about not being able to have kids with Dump and how devastated he was that he didn’t save his sperm…and now she says she was gonna lie to her kid about his father…”

  “It makes me sick.” I winced.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “She really thought this through, didn’t she?” It was unfathomable.

  “Seems so. California?” Aly waved the paper in the air and tossed it to float back down to the counter. “I wonder whose name is on the birth certificate. It has to be you, right? If she wants you to sign away rights.”

  “Good question.”

  #

  Aly and I lay quietly, so still that the only sound I could hear was the high pitch ringing in my ears. It was a permanent side effect of loud music. I reached out in the dark, searching for her hand. My eyes adjusted just enough to see her bare arm lying next to her body above the blankets. Our fingers laced together and her heavy sigh released the scent of freshly brushed teeth. Her exhale reverberated through me along with a million misgivings. I hated that our whole relationship orbited around my impulses and lack of control.

  “The ultimate crescendo.” My voice croaked.

  “It sure is.” She said smoothly, like it didn’t matter to her.

  Did it?

  “I don’t know what to say about it, Aly.” I gripped her hand tightly. “I have to talk to Notting. I don’t know what to do.”

  Her hand slipped away from mine and the blankets rustled as she turned on her side to face me. Her hands slipped beneath her cheek. I copied her position. We lay there like shadows, staring at each other. It brought me back to my cramped room and narrow twin bed at my mom’s house, all those years ago when we’d lie together, afraid to touch, silent, scared to get caught – before our first kiss.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Her breathy whisper met my face, sending chills running across my arm.

  I caressed her cheek and her eyes closed.

  “Whatever you decide.” She said and kissed my hand.

  “What’s making you stay?” I asked.

  “I don’t feel like running.” She brought the palm of my hand to her lips and kissed it. “I know I don’t have answers. I just want to be here for you. I have this overwhelming feeling to protect you…like I just want to confront her, like I did on the street this morning.”

  Her words nearly brought me to tears. Too many lost years had gone by without her. I thought I’d never feel whole again, but our great divide was no more. Even with the heavy onus upon our relationship, she finally wanted to stay.

  I dissolved into her mouth.

  Making love to her was never second best.

  19

  Alyssa

  Sleep never came.

  A fire smoldered inside me and ignited in the middle of the night. I laid next to Jake, listening to him breathing and watched him sleep until 4 AM; until the inferno forced me from the bed.

  The pre-dawn air flowed over my skin like cool silk blowing in the wind. Each pounding stride vibrated up my spine. I ran through empty streets with cracks that looked like veins, leading me to a cold heart. The need to face Sienna was beyond my control.

  Sweat ran in beads down my face and I panted for air as I stood at the end of Sienna’s block. Dawn had broken and birds chirped, flying wildly, chasing each other through the trees. Even roosters sounded. I walked slowly down the street, sucking in deep steady breaths, feeling like I was coming in like The Terminator. I’d envisioned shaking Sienna’s head off her shoulders just a few hours before, so I was surprised at how calm I felt as I walked past her house. I eyed the yard like a panther in search of prey. It was only 6:30 AM. I would knock on her door at 7 – from what I knew about kids, they woke up early.

  I don’t care if I wake them.

  I took off running again, as if it would speed up time. My burning calves and lungs carried me around the block I’d walked the morning before. Running further down the residential street of small bungalow homes and plantation style mansions, I turned the corner onto a commercially zoned street. I ran past a bookstore, a souvenir shop, clothing stores, art galleries, and shuttered restaurants. A little coffee shop was open. I stopped to cool down and thought about walking in as I watched the people inside getting ready for their day. Instead, I walked back toward Sienna’s, impatient to tackle the monster. I was about a mile away. It would take me about twenty minutes to walk back.

  Perfect timing.

  By the time I got to the gate of her house, I had stopped sweating, but my skin and hair remained damp from exertion. I removed the elastic band that held my hair in a ponytail and combed the strands that stuck to my face and neck back into place. I twisted it into a bun at the top of my head – my attempt to not look insane. I finally felt a wave of apprehension and breathed steadily into it as I stepped to her front door. My clenched fist banged against the door harder than I expected, matching the quick pace of my heart. Before I could run away, which I was about to do, Sienna opened the door.

  My unexpected presence disturbed her, making her blink rapidly. She didn’t shrink away or slam the door in my face. Her only movement was the gathering of the fluffy white robe around her neck.

  “You’re not totally surprised to see me.” My voice came out strong, but not combative.

  She shook her head. “Not really. What do you want?” Her words had a little bite in them.

  Maybe she wanted a fight?

  “I don’t think you want to fight with me, Sienna.” I said, smugly. “You won’t get what you want, if that’s the case.”

  Her lips sealed, considering what I said. “What is it, Alyssa? What is it that I want?”

  Sarcasm was strapped to her voice, too much for my liking. “Where’s Jake’s son?” I said loudly, wanting anyone who was around to hear me. “Jackson, is it? Jake is Jackson’s father, right?” My voice grew louder with each word and I craned my neck to see around her, into the house.

  “Shut your mouth!” She spat and pushed me away from the door by the chest.

  I swatted her arm away with force and shoved her back. “What the fuck is wrong
with you?”

  She stepped out onto the porch, shutting the door behind her. “What’s your problem, coming here? This is none of your business. You need to leave or I’m calling the cops.”

  I laughed at her. “Oh, but I think it is my business, Sienna.”

  “How so?” She squinted hitching her hands on her hips.

  “Because the first question you asked him was if we were together. Clearly, that’s a thing to you.”

  Her eyes bounced between mine, recalling the moment, and said, “I was shocked to see you.” She pulled the robe around her tighter. “I don’t have time for this, Alyssa.” Her hand reached for the door handle. “You two are getting married, right?”

  I nodded, but offered nothing else.

  “Start your life with your own kids and leave us alone.” She opened the door and tried to dismiss me with a firm warning. “Don’t come here again or I will call the cops.”

  “Why did you do it, Sienna?” The question slipped from my lips, soft like the morning breeze.

  She swayed at my question and gripped the doorframe, sorrow shot from her eyes. I expected her to shut the door in my face, but she didn’t, and what she said next engulfed me.

  I felt her anguish.

  “Jake’s the closest thing…” Her voice was so soft I could barely hear her. “He’s as close to Victor without actually being him.” Tears welled in her eyes and she stared at me wistfully, like she was looking through me. “You’re going to have the life I was supposed to have.”

  Sienna quietly shut the door. I stood there in a bewildered state. Her perception left me feeling like I’d been pecked over by crows. I could barely feel my feet as I walked away from her house. The heaviness of our altercation wrapped tightly around my heart. Each of her last words stuck to me, as if attached by a nail gun, painful and true. I wondered if Jake would be upset with me for coming here.

  Marshall was the only one up when I arrived back at the house, just before 9 AM. He was startled to see me walk in the back door.

  “Oh my gawd, Aly.” He gripped his chest, feigning a heart attack. “I saw a figure flash by the window and…what are you doing?” He looked me up and down. “Early workout?” He sipped from the yellow cup in his hand, eyeing me curiously over the rim, and pointed at the counter to Jake’s legal papers.

  “Totally crazy, Marsh. You’ll never believe what I just did.” I grumbled and sulked into the living room, ready to confess my questionable judgment.

  He let out a gasp. “What did you do?”

  I filled Marshall in on what had happened with Sienna and Jake the night before, which explained the outrageous legal document. “And I couldn’t let this go without finding out on my own, you know…hearing her…explanation.”

  Marshall’s hand covered his mouth, rapt by the story. “You can’t make this up.” He pulled more pillows around him, tucking deeper into the sofa like he was watching a horror movie. His eyes were fixed on me, dilating like I was shining a bright light in his face. “And?”

  “We almost got in a fight.” I chuckled at the absurdity.

  “A girl fight?” His eyes bugged.

  His question made me laugh out loud. “I guess.”

  “This is fascinating.” His head shook quickly, aghast at the thought.

  I nodded. “Right?” I looked at him seriously and continued, going on to reveal Sienna’s disheartening answer to my question of why she did what she did.

  Marshall held back tears. “This is a totally fucked scenario. I would hate to be Jake…or you...what are you guys gonna do?”

  A discouraged sigh rushed out of me. “There’s nothing I can do.”

  I took the legal papers upstairs to find Jake on the phone. He looked relaxed at first glance. His shirtless body propped up by pillows with one arm behind his head. He was anything but. A deep crease was set between his brow and his blue eyes burned.

  He grunted into the phone. “Mhm, yeah.”

  I closed the door quietly and placed the papers on top of Jake’s bag and the frown grew more pronounced on his face as he watched me.

  “Hey, I gotta go.” He said into the phone. “I’ll call back soon and please don’t say anything to Kate. I…I’ll tell her when I get home.” Jake’s eyes closed and the phone popped out of his hand when his arm fell to his side.

  I assumed he was speaking to his father, Notting. Remembering that whole backstory was just as remarkable as this. “How much does he know?”

  “Everything.” He replied, brusque and the crook of his arm covered his eyes. “I don’t have to rush to any decision. I’m not gonna let her pressure me.”

  “Okay.” I didn’t expect him to.

  He peeked at me from under his forearm, noticing my condition. “Boy, you’re early today.”

  “I had to run all of this off.” I shook my hands as if to fling off the muck of the situation. I braced myself against the wall, kicking off my running shoes. I decided not to tell Jake about my visit to Sienna’s. If, and when, he found out, I’d deal with it then.

  We only had one more day together.

  Jake met me as I got out of the shower. He lingered at the bathroom door and stared at me strangely. I didn’t try to coax any explanation from him. We stared at each other as I patted my wet hair and ran a towel over my dripping wet skin. I didn’t want talk about Sienna and Jackson anymore. I didn’t want our last day together to be filled with what-ifs.

  “I don’t want to talk about them anymore, not today…if we can help it.” I blurted out and give him a rueful grin. He stepped closer to me. “Sorry, I just want to enjoy my last day here before I have to get my head into training and competing again.” I wrapped the towel under my arms, tucking it together at my chest.

  He nuzzled my ear, breathy, making me flutter somewhere deep. “Don’t be sorry.” His lips pressed just below my earlobe. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, either.”

  I turned to face him. He ran his hands over my wet hair, down my shoulders to my waist. He kissed my neck with warm wet lips and I felt his tongue swirl against my skin then lifted me up onto the counter.

  He turned and kicked the door closed.

  I held on to the feelings that were just so intense in the bathroom and wiped the towel between my legs. I smiled in spite of the unknown future. For a brief second, I wished I wasn’t on the pill thinking maybe I could get pregnant. I scolded myself for thinking such madness.

  What the hell is wrong with you?

  I laughed audibly at my lovesick-teenage audacity. Even then, that stupid thought never crossed my mind, and I glanced over my shoulder feeling silly. I heard the water running; Jake had gotten in the shower. I slipped on a simple white dress with an eyelet design and took notice of the messy bed. I tugged and fluffed the blankets to straighten them and Jake’s phone flew onto the floor with a thud. I picked it up and my nosy habit caused me to press the little home button. Texts and push notifications from people I don’t know popped up on the screen and my eyes ran down the list until they stopped at SIENNA.

  My heart lurched and I stopped myself from tapping on the name until I realized that her name isn’t lit bold. Jake’s already read it.

  I read the threat.

  20

  Jake

  I gave Ethan a light noogie atop his head as he stood bouncing on his toes with a chocolate cupcake in his hand. He refused to let me hold it and insisted on sitting in my lap. I whipped him around and picked him up by the waist, sitting him on my leg. We’re just outside The Creamery, waiting for Grace.

  “Chocolate’s my favorite.” Ethan proclaimed as he licked the frosting, half of it already gone.

  “You need to take a bite of the cake part.” I suggested, as he continued to lick it like an ice cream cone. “The best part is mixing the cake and the frosting together.” But by the time I got the words out, his little tongue swooped up the last of the dark, creamy topping.

  He looked up at me w
ith big blue eyes, and in a flash I’m reminded of Jackson and I shake it off. Ethan had frosting on his chin, around his lips and nose. I looked toward The Creamery doors for Grace. We needed napkins. I slid him off my lap just as Grace stepped outside.

  “I don’t want this.” He shoved the cupcake at me.

  “Dude, take a bite.”

  “I don’t want it!” He waved it in my face.

  “Whoa, buddy.” I grabbed his wrist. “You have to take one bite or I’m not buying you a cupcake anymore.”

  Grace heard our exchange as she approached and tried not to smile. She looked at ease, without a care in the world. She wore a pale yellow tube-top dress and it fit her just right. The sun had finally kissed her face and shoulders, her body is tan, and her blue eyes shone brightly in contrast to her black hair. There was a breezy aura about her today. She was happy. She licked her vanilla ice cream cone looking amused. She didn’t say anything to control Ethan, leaving me to my own devices. I couldn’t help but think this was how it would be having Jackson. I still hadn’t told Grace about him or what went down in Florida.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” I said and focused back on Ethan, “…dude, take a bite.” I struggled with him, pushing the cupcake toward his face, and now he thinks it’s a game.

  “No problem.” She laughed and still offered no assistance.

  I forced the cupcake to Ethan’s lips. “Bite it. Or you’ll be a cake face.”

  Ethan was now laughing from his core and it sent intense warmth flooding through me. I held his wrist tight and pulled him in between my legs. I plucked the cupcake from his hand and took a huge bite out of it.

  “Hey!” He shoved away from me and stomped his feet. He pouted and looked at me angrily.

  “What? You said you didn’t want it.” I curbed my smile and pretended that I was going to take a bite.

  “No!” He shouted.

  “Ethan.” Grace sent a warning in a low serious voice.

  “Do you want it?” I tipped my head at it.