by Lydia Rose
TRUST IN ME
By
Lydia Rose
Edited By
Holly Schneider
FOR LINDA ALWAYS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Author’s Books
CHAPTER 1
“Glad you could make it tonight, Jules,” Sandy said patting Jules’s back. “It has been too long my friend.”
“It’s good to be here too, Sandy.” Jules took a sip of her drink. She had not been able to meet her friends in over six months. It had been a hard two years for Jules Sommers. First, her father dies of a massive heart attack and then six months later her mother dies in a car accident. Jules knew there would be a third tragedy, but she never would have imagined what came next. Her sister, Eileen, being diagnosed with breast cancer, was the last thing she would have expected. It was so hard watching her sister go through surgery and then the chemo treatments. Jules had to watch her eight-year-old niece’s face lose what was left of her childhood. She became a small adult as she and Jules tried to take care of Eileen. The two women moved into the house that had once been their parents’ home so she could be there for her sister and niece. Alice watched as her mother was sick from the treatments, and each week she would become weaker and weaker. Her last treatment had been on Friday and that is the reason Jules was now sitting in a bar with her friends. The conversation Friday night had been hard.
“Jules, you have been taking care of me for months now. I’m done with the chemo and I want you to go out with your friends.”
“Eileen, I don’t need to go out. I’m fine staying here with you and Alice.”
Eileen moved closer to her sister and laid her hand on her leg. “This has been hard on you. I feel bad that you stopped your life to take care of us.” Eileen wiped at a tear. “I feel bad, but I know you did it because you love me.” Eileen forced a smile. “Now make me feel better and go out with your friends.” She slapped at Jules’s shoulder. “I promise not to die on you while you’re gone.”
“You are sick, Eileen. Do you know that?” Jules tried to joke and be happy that her sister was feeling a little bit better, but her fear of losing her was constantly on her mind.
“That’s what my doctors say,” she said wiggling her eyebrows.
Jules put her hand to her head and shook it firmly. “I’m not going to win this argument. Am I?”
“Nope. So go.”
“Okay, but I won’t stay out late.”
Eileen now began to shake Jules’s body back and forth. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Do whatever you want.” Her eyes saddened. “Just promise me you won’t leave me. I don’t think I could handle that.”
“I’ll do my best to honor that promise.”
So here Jules sat at a table in a bar drinking as if she was dying of thirst. After the third drink the room began to swim and she switched to water. Once she felt her legs under her again, she walked over to a table where a woman sat alone. “Would you like to dance?” she asked trying not to sway.
“No thank you.” She tapped her leg. “Bum legs.”
The music changed to a slow dance and Jules grinned. “Even with bum legs, you can dance to this.” Jules was lifting the woman out of her seat. As soon as the woman stood, she rocked back on her feet. “You’ve had as much as I’ve had to drink,” she said giggling. The woman didn’t comment, but Jules now looked at her. The woman was at least five inches shorter than Jules’s five-foot-seven frame, and her dirty blond hair came to just above her shoulders. It wasn’t until Jules took her in her arms that she noticed her beautiful hazel eyes. She pulled the woman to her and said into her ear, “I’m Jules.”
“Paige,” the woman responded.
Their feet barely moved on the dance floor because of the amount of alcohol that Jules had consumed. “You smell so good, Paige. If you only knew how long it has been for me since I held a woman in my arms,” Jules chuckled. The song ended and Paige began to pull away. “One more. Please,” Jules begged. “I promise I won’t bother you after that, but don’t walk away.”
“Do you want to come home with me? I live just a few blocks away.” Paige couldn’t believe the words had just left her mouth. It had been too long since she too held a woman in her arms and she wanted to take this woman home with her.
Jules looked at her face astonished that this beauty wanted to take her home. “Yes.” Jules waved to her friends as Paige led her out of the bar. There were a few times that Jules didn’t think she could make it, but Paige held her arm and kept her on her feet.
“We’re here,” Paige said as she opened the door to her apartment. “Go into the bathroom and change.”
Jules walked into the tiny bathroom and removed her clothes. There was a small light on in the bedroom and Jules followed the light. As she got close to the bed, Paige pulled back the covers allowing her to get into bed. “I might be a little out of practice,” Jules said with a giggle.
“Me too,” Paige answered softly. Her body was now stretched across Jules’s body. Quickly their hands began to roam and each fought to be on top. “Let me, Jules. I’ll feel more comfortable if you let me go first.”
Jules shrugged. “Whatever you want, babe.” She laid back down on the bed as Paige straddled her hips. Lips were now kissing her sensitive neck before she kissed her mouth with want. Paige used her hands and mouth to perfection. Jules could feel the wetness between her legs pooling with desire. “Inside, Paige,” she moaned as Paige’s fingers filled the wetness between her legs. Paige’s fingers slid slowly into Jules. Her moans were followed by her fingers searching for Paige’s opening. Together their bodies moved as if they were in a dance they had perfected for years. Jules climaxed first with Paige not far behind. They both fell together in exhaustion. “That was fantastic,” Jules said, still panting as Paige crawled up beside her. Sleep and alcohol took over and they fell into a deep sleep.
CHAPTER 2
Jules’s eyes opened and she couldn’t remember where she was. Looking to her right she saw the blond woman from the bar. The woman she had danced with last night. The woman who took her home. Lifting her head slowly from the pillow because of the pounding in her head, she went in search of the bathroom. Jules closed the door before she turned on the light. Her eyes were red and her lips swollen. Vague memories began to surface of them making love. She quickly put on her clothes and walked back to the bedroom to tell the woman she was leaving. As she walked into the room her eyes went to the naked body lying on the bed. She looked at the curve of Paige’s behind and her eyes continued down. Jules rocked back on her feet and closed her eyes tightly thinking this couldn’t be. Her eyes opened again and looked at the form with fear. What the hell? Her eyes now traveled to the night table and what was leaning against it. Her eyes opened wide and her breathing became labored. She closed her eyes again in an attempt to stop the room from spinning before she passed out. Walking quickly to the front door, she escaped before the sleeping woman awoke.
Sitting in her car in the bar’s parking lot, her mind was going in a hundred directions. The nausea hit her qu
ickly and she opened the car door and vomited. How could I not know? Was I that drunk? Jules drove home in a complete daze.
“Is that you, Jules?” Eileen called out as she entered the house.
Jules followed her voice to the kitchen holding her head. “Stop yelling. Who else would it be?” She opened the cabinet door and took two aspirins out.
“I know how your night went. Did you at least enjoy yourself?”
Jules swallowed the pills before responding. “It’s somewhat of a blur right now.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the kitchen table.
“Did you at least get laid?” Eileen asked grinning at her sister’s obvious distress.
“Keep your voice down. Your daughter is upstairs.” Jules let out a loud breath. “Yes.”
“Was she nice?” Eileen asked still wearing that grin.
Jules shrugged. “I guess.” There was no way that Jules was going to tell her sister that she ran this morning and why she had run away. “It was just sex.”
Eileen shook her head. “It’s time for you to find someone to share your life with, Jules.”
Jules clucked. “Yeah, just like you.”
“I have an excuse,” Eileen sighed. “You don’t.”
“Yeah, right. The last two years of our lives have been hell and you want me to bring a woman into this madness.” Jules picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. “I’m not ready for that.” Her voice lowered, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to allow someone else into my heart.”
“If I can get through this thing,” she said pointing to her breasts. “I’m going to look for someone.”
Jules looked at her sister and couldn’t believe the courage she had. She had not been brought down by what had happened to her parents or the disease. If only she could have that much courage. “You deserve to be happy, Eileen.”
“So do you, Jules. Don’t ever let anyone ever tell you, you don’t.” Eileen stood up and went upstairs to check on her daughter.
*
Eileen returned to work not even waiting until she had news on her final scans. She was determined to get on with her life and again Jules admired Eileen in her courage. Jules too returned to her routine of teaching fourth grade. After classes ended, Alice would join her in her classroom until Jules finished for the day. It was a system that worked for the family dynamic.
When Alice and Jules walked into the house one evening, Eileen met them at the door. “I’m clean, Jules.” Eileen looked down at her daughter’s face. “I’m going to be okay, baby,” she said, picking up the eight-year-old.
“You’re not sick anymore, Mommy?” little Alice asked with an anxious face.
“No, baby.” Eileen squeezed her daughter and then pulled Jules into her arms. “Thank you for everything you did for me, Jules.”
A shocked Jules now smiled. “I’d do anything for you, sis.” Could they all start to live again? Jules wasn’t ready to give in this easily because she feared if she did, their world would fall apart again.
“Let’s go out and celebrate,” Eileen said, dancing around the room.
“Whatever you want, Eileen.”
Unfortunately for Jules and Eileen, they let an eight-year-old chose where the meal would take place. Walking into the local pizza joint, they were led to a table. “I could eat a horse,” Eileen said smiling.
Jules looked at her sister’s thin frame and hoped that now she would be able to put some weight back on. Especially if she was determined to get out there and date again. Eileen’s relationship with Alice’s father didn’t end in marriage, but instead pain. Ken wasn’t interested in being a father and the moment he found out Eileen was pregnant, he split.
The three of them were eating their meal when Alice screeched, “There’s Mary,” she said already leaving her chair.
The two girls stood in front of each other giggling. “She’ll never finish her meal now,” Jules said quietly.
“Let her go, Jules. I’m sure she’s telling her best friend that I’m not going to die.” Eileen watched as Alice whispered something into Mary’s ear and now the girls were screeching again. “See.”
Jules watched someone approach the girls and her eyes opened wide. Shit. It’s her. Jules watched as the woman’s eyes drifted over to their table. She was now leading the girls back to the table.
“Hello, Eileen. I understand you’ve gotten good news?” she asked smiling.
“I did. We’re here celebrating the news.” Eileen motioned to the open chair. “Would you like to join us?”
“Thanks, but I’m just picking up a pizza.” She still hadn’t looked at Jules. “Kelly and Rich are on a date night.” Her eyes now moved over to the other side of the table. “Hello,” she said softly to Jules.
“Oh, I’m sorry. “Paige, this is my sister, Jules. Jules, this is Mary’s aunt, Paige Carter.”
Jules swallowed hard wondering if Paige would admit they knew one another. She smiled. “Hello.” But now watched as Paige’s face flinched in surprise.
Paige turned as her number was called. “That’s me. Eileen, I’m happy that you are going to be fine.” She looked at Jules. The smile disappeared from her face. “Jules.” Paige called to Mary and they walked toward the register. As her eyes glanced back at the table, she saw Jules watching her. So that’s why she left so suddenly. Just like the rest of them.
“What was that about?” Eileen asked quickly before Alice returned to the table.
“What?” Jules asked innocently.
Before Eileen could press, Alice came back to the table and was animated in her conversation.
Once they were home, Eileen sent Alice upstairs to change for bed and pulled her into the kitchen. “Sit down,” Eileen commanded. “Now what the hell, Jules?”
“What do you know about her?” Jules asked softly without divulging anything.
“Paige?” Eileen asked and Jules nodded. “She’s a sweet woman.” Eileen’s eyes closed softly and opened again. “Two years ago she was in the mall shopping when scaffolding fell on her. In a matter of moments she lost her legs and her career.” Eileen wiped a tear. “Paige was a pro golfer. There was nerve damage to her right arm besides her legs being crushed.”
Jules remembered the night they were together and her heart thumped remembering how Paige had used her hands on her. If there was nerve damage, Jules didn’t notice. “Wow.” This was the only response she could say after hearing Eileen’s words.
“So how do you know her?” Eileen asked to only receive a shrug from her sister. She now stared at Jules’s face and then as if a light had been turned on, she grabbed her mouth. “She’s the woman you slept with that night?”
Jules looked up shocked that her sister had guessed and guessed correctly. “I ahh...” She didn’t finish. What could she say to her sister that wouldn’t make her seem like the worst person in the world? How could she tell her that when she saw the prosthetic legs against the night table, she ran? She ran because she couldn’t take another person in her life that had something wrong with them. She had enough sadness to last several lifetimes and she didn’t want another to mess with her head. Eileen could read her sister too well and she heard the small intake of her breath.
“You weren’t interested because she’s handicapped? Oh, Jules.” Her sister’s head shook back and forth and a tear escaped her eyes. It hurt Eileen to think that because of her, Jules’s heart had hardened.
“It’s not like that, Eileen,” Jules said lying.
“Then tell me what it’s like,” Eileen demanded. “Didn’t you know that she didn’t have legs before you slept with her?”
“No,” Jules answered barely above a whisper. She turned and saw her sister continue to cry.
“This is all because of me,” Eileen cried. “You didn’t want to get involved with someone who wasn’t perfect. Someone that might need your help.”
Jules looked at her sister knowing everything she said was making her look horrible, but she was abso
lutely correct. She didn’t want to get involved with another victim and she thought of Paige as a victim. Maybe not of illness, but someone she might have to take care of. “I know you think I’m terrible, but my head is so fucked up.” Her own voice was filled with emotion. “I couldn’t handle one more thing. So yes, I ran from her.”
“Maybe it’s time to sell this house and you and I get our own places,” Eileen said sadly.
“No, Eileen. I know I screwed up, but I don’t want to leave here. I like having you close and if you need me, I’m here to take care of you. Besides, I would miss that little terror of yours.”
Eileen stared at her sister before speaking. “I am not your responsibility, Jules. We both have to take back our lives and start living again.”
“I agree, but we can do that here.” Eileen stared at the floor. “I’ll apologize to Paige.”
“If you apologize, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.” Eileen glared. “She may not accept your apology. I’m not sure I would.”
“I realize that, but I want to do it anyway.” Jules left the kitchen and climbed the stairs to her room. Doubting that Paige would pick up the phone, either not recognizing the number or knowing exactly who was calling. She began to type. “Paige, it’s Jules Sommers. I was wondering if we could get together at your convenience to talk.” Jules sat back on the bed and waited for her response. She figured Paige was probably questioning how she had gotten her number. Jules had taken the number from Eileen’s phone without her sister’s knowledge. It would have been just one more thing for her sister to be disappointed with her. Her phone dinged.
“I don’t know how you got my number, but we have nothing to discuss.”
“Crap,” Jules said out loud. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior that morning. I was completely out of line. I hope you will let me make it up to you.” Jules knew Paige wouldn’t bend easily. “I was an ass.”
“Fine. You’ve apologized. Now leave me alone and yes, you were an ass.”
“Well, that didn’t go as I planned,” Jules mumbled dropping her phone on the night stand.