by K. L. Jessop
“May…be.”
“Wow. If I asked my Makenna to buy me one of these, she’d reply that I was sick. Because you know, her Mommy and Daddy can’t possibly have any kind of sex life after our kids have grown up as we’re too old.”
“Well, you are pushing the age limit,” Asher shouts from the kitchen as he gets us some more beers. “Can you still get it up without having to take Viagra?”
“How’s life with fucking your right hand, shithead?” Mark quips back.
I laugh.
Asher puts the beers on the table. “Touché.”
“Think. He. Gay,” Pete says, causing us to laugh. He looks different today, a little off color and tired, but that hasn’t stopped him wanting a beer with the boys sipping from the bottle through a straw.
“So, Fiona has no idea you have this?”
“He only does it when she’s at work,” I add. “I’d love to see her face when she realizes. Then again, I’d love to see her reaction more when she finds out that it was Nora that bought it.”
“She will freak the fuck out.” Asher chuckles, coming to sit beside his father. “This is the one time I’m impressed with Nora’s ridiculous online shopping habits.”
“Same,” Pete chuckles. “Like. Mother.”
“Pop, Nora is nothing like Mom when it comes to shopping. That girl has more clothes than a Hollywood actress.”
“Clearly a woman thing,” Mark adds, taking a sip of his beer.
It’s one of the many reasons I’m attracted to Nora. She’s a young woman with class and attitude, constantly wrapped in slogans and denim. She doesn’t care for the latest fashion labels, nor does she have regular manicures with nails too long for her to handle or fake lashes that make her eyes look heavy. She’s natural, comfortable in her own skin, which makes her even more desirable.
“Nora just likes to take care of herself. There’s nothing wrong in that,” I say, adding another piece of the puzzle to the board.
“Why do you always defend her?” Asher questions, frowning at me.
I have to think about how I’m going to respond because what I want to say is completely different from what I should. I want to tell him that I do it because for some reason, he doesn’t see Nora for the woman she’s turned out to be and still sees her as that little bundle of pink. I want to tell him I defend her because she’s everything I think about. I want to tell him I shouldn’t have to fight my feelings when it comes to her, but I do because I don’t wish to jeopardize the brotherhood we share. I want to say all of that and more but know that I can’t. So, I say the only thing I know won’t cause world war three.
“Someone’s got to defend her when your moody ass is around.”
Pete laughs. “Agreed.”
“Don’t you start, Pop. We all know she can do no wrong where you’re concerned.” Asher jokes, nudging Pete’s arm.
“She… Special.” Pete smiles and the sparkle in his eyes shows just how much love he has for his daughter. Their bond is inseparable.
“Damn right she is,” I add. “Besides, she’s my little lady. I’ll always have her back.”
“And we were friends before she even came on the scene, so what does that make me to you?”
“A pain in his ass that he hasn’t been able to get rid of.” Mark chuckles.
“Fuck you, Twilight,” Asher snorts, taking a long pull of his beer before nudging Pete’s arm. “You see what I have to put up with, Pop?”
“Mean. What. We… Put—"
Both Mark and I burst out laughing before Pete has even finished. “Yes, Pete. You tell him.”
“You take that back.”
“Don’t do it, Pete. You’ll regret it,” Mark says.
Asher presses his hand against his chest and leans over pretending he’s wounded. “Dad, I think my heart’s just crushed.”
“Do you even have a heart?” I joke.
That earns me a punch on the arm. “Fuck off, dick head.”
“True. Though. Son.”
Asher laughs, kissing his dad on the head and ruffling his hair as he heads for another drink. “When you all have quite finished.”
“Man, we haven’t even started,” I say, just as my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Taking it out, I smile at the name on the screen. “Shortcake? Everything all right?”
“You boys still at mine? Wanted to know if you all wanted pizza?”
“Nora wants to know if we want pizza?” I ask the others.
The room fills with cheer and I hear Nora laugh.
“I take it that’s a yes then. I won’t be long. Try not to drink yourselves stupid before I get back. I don’t plan on looking after drunken men tonight.”
“I think you’d make a good nurse,” I say quietly so no one can hear. “You can bathe me down and rub my back anytime you like.”
“Goodbye, Grayson,” she says a little breathless causing me to chuckle. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Hanging up the phone, I turn back to the guys. “Food will be here soon.”
“She’s a great girl. You created a good one there, Pete,” Mark says.
“I. Know.”
“Why does my sister always ring you and never me?” Asher asks, still in the kitchen.
“Dude, how many more times? No one likes you.”
Mark bursts out laughing. “Ah, Asher, you’re really taking the punches tonight aren’t you.”
“And I can throw them back twice as hard.”
“You punch like a girl,” Mark quips.
“But I can shoot like a fucking warrior.”
“Is that with or without your pink tutu?” I question.
“With of course. I’ve even got one with glitter on it.” He laughs, heading out of the kitchen toward the bathroom.
“You off to cry into your pillow?” Mark asks, just as his phone begins to ring.
“Naturally.”
As Mark excuses himself, I sit back with a grin on my face, realizing I haven’t had this sort of presence in my life for a long time, and even though it’s playful and brings a smile to Pete’s face, to me it’s more than what anyone could ever imagine. When Mom got sick, I’d been suddenly swallowed up in a world of solitude and confusion, regardless of how many people were around me. Living with someone who is an alcoholic and who constantly pressurizes you to feed their deathly habit, the world can get pretty fucking dark. And it’s times like these that I realize I should have held on instead of pushing them and everyone else aside like they meant nothing.
“Nora was right,” I say, looking up at Pete. “Old times really are the best ones.” A twist of guilt suddenly hits my stomach as I look at the man in front of me and see how much he has deteriorated over time.
Sitting forward, I place my hand over his and squeeze it gently, holding his stare with conviction. “Pete, I’m so sorry I haven’t been around. I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I hid away. I failed you by doing that because I wasn’t here.”
“No.” There’s a look in his eyes that I can’t work out, but I can tell by his body language that he wants to talk yet his limited speech is preventing him from doing so. All I can do is listen and piece together the gaps. “Not. Fail. Y-you. Hur…ting.”
I nod, knowing he is referring to my mother. “I was. But that doesn’t excuse my behavior toward you and Fiona. Or Nora. I pushed her away, Pete.”
“I. Know.” He pauses and his chest rises and falls as if he needs to fill up his lungs to be able to push his words out. “P-promise. M-me…”
“Anything.”
“Look. After. H-her.”
I frown. “Nora? Of course, I will.”
“P-promise. Me. Sh-she...” He closes his eyes and groans in frustration because he can’t get out his words, but when he opens them again, the look he had that I couldn’t read has been replaced with one that fills my stomach with dread, sending my mind in a spin.
“She. Will. N-need… Y-you.”
Just as I’m about to
ask him what he means, Asher returns with Nora, who is carrying three pizza boxes. Her eyes find mine before a smile breaks across her face, and I’m thankful for her arrival because she’s now broken the unease that has just filled my body from her father’s words.
“Hey, Pop,” she says, coming over to her dad and studying him for a moment. “You look tired. Do you feel okay?”
“Good.”
She holds his gaze a little longer, and I can see from her eyes she’s not convinced but goes with it anyway, kissing him on the head and stepping away. “Okay.”
“Do I get one of those?” I grin, pointing to my cheek for a kiss.
“Nice try,” she heads over to where I’m sitting on the other side of the table and places her hand on my shoulder. “You’ve already got donuts out of me. That’s enough affection for one day.”
“Then I’ll look forward to that peck on the cheek tomorrow.” I wiggle my brows, itching to reach out and touch her.
“You keep dreaming, old man.” She taps me on the shoulder and heads over to Asher, who is in the kitchen.
“Right guys, I’ve got to head out. The wife calls,” Mark says, coming back in and kissing Nora on the cheek, thanking her for the pizza before taking a slice. “Asher, come by Cole Security tomorrow. I’ve asked the boys to meet us there to discuss things before flying out Friday.”
“Got it.”
After saying his goodbyes to Pete, Mark comes to me and grips me on the shoulder with a squeeze. “Good to see a smile on your face, Gray. It makes you look pretty.”
“Not as pretty as you, big guy,” I joke. “See you around.”
“Hey, Pop, you want some pizza?” Nora asks, taking them out of the boxes as Mark heads out of the door.
“N-No.”
“Dad doesn’t deserve pizza. In fact, neither does Gray. Everyone has been ganging up on me tonight.”
“It’s about time someone did.”
I burst out laughing. “I’d give up, Asher. You’ll lose no matter what.”
“I think you might be right,” he replies with his head in the fridge. “Shit, we are out of cold beer.”
“There’s some in the garage,” Nora says as Asher heads out to get more.
Looking down to where he was sitting at the table, I notice there’re five empty bottles, three more than myself and Mark have drunk, and my conversation with Nora from earlier comes back to the forefront of my mind.
“Grayson, come gets some pizza.”
I look back at Pete. “You sure I can’t get you anything?”
His only response is a shake of his head as he stares into space. He’s changed. He’s gone quiet and is not the Pete I was with just moments ago. But then not being around to witness his usual mood changes, I put it down to being the new norm for him. Heading over to Nora, I take the opportunity to have her to myself for a few seconds. Placing my hands on her hips and stepping close, I don’t miss her reaction. Her golden skin breaks out in chills and she clears her throat, no doubt trying to gain control. But the hunger in me wants more, and I don’t think twice when I press against her a little harder and lean down to whisper in her ear. “What are you doing tomorrow, Shortcake?”
“I-I’m not sure. Why?”
“Thought we’d do something. Together.”
She looks up at me with those damn flush cheeks and eyes full of wonder. “Like what?” she whispers, and I have to fight the urge to not press my lips against hers, telling her in one swift movement what I’d really like to do.
She’s forbidden, Grayson.
Moving from behind her to give us both some distance, I turn and rest against the countertop. “Anything.”
“Won’t Asher be around?”
I shrug. “Even if he is, doesn’t mean I can’t share myself with you, too.”
She smiles, dropping her gaze from me as the sexual tension flickers between us. “As much as I would love to spend time with you, I said I’d be here with Dad as I have work the day after.”
I’m about to reply when a noise from the other side of the room catches my attention. Looking over at Pete, my back straightens when I see his eyes roll back, right before his body starts to vigorously convulse with a seizure. “Shit. Pete!”
I’ve left Nora’s side in seconds and her cries for her father tell me she’s registered what is happening, screaming for Asher to come quick as I wheel Pete’s chair away from the dining table.
“All right, big guy,” I reassure him, gently protecting his head as my heart races in my chest, my body riddled with panic. “Asher, get in here!”
“Fuck. Dad!” Asher rushes inside in full panic mode as he tries to bring his dad around who is still thrashing in his chair, making a noise that makes me feel sick to the stomach.
“Give him space, Asher. Call 9-1-1!”
“No. Dad. Please!”
“Asher, Goddammit,” I push him back. “Call 9-1-1!” I order, taking over the situation as I’ve now got two people freaking out around me and one other needing medical help. As Asher finally dials it in, I without looking, ask Nora for help. “Nora, how do you tilt his chair back? He needs to be flat as best we can get him.”
I see her hands do something with his chair, but my eyes remain on Pete, watching for any sudden change.
It’s going on for too long. It’s not slowing.
“We’ve got you, big guy,” I reassure him, swallowing the lump in my throat, hating the fact there’s nothing else we can do. “You’re going to be okay.”
“They are on their way,” Asher flusters, coming back over to his dad. “You hear that, Pop. They are just around the corner.”
Just as the paramedics arrive, Pete’s seizure reduces, and his body slowly relaxes. Asher fills them in with what happened, and I take a step back to allow them some space to treat him. With a heavy exhale, I release all the tension and panic that’s been tight in my chest and rub my hands over my face.
“You did great work,” one of the Ambulance crew says, gripping me on the shoulder and nods behind me. “Your friend may need some reassurance.”
The second he says the words, my stomach drops. In all the panic, I hadn’t registered Nora’s reaction to what has just happened.
Turning to look at her, my heart sinks when I find her as white as a ghost, trembling in the corner of the room as she hugs her waist with tears streaming down her face.
Chapter Fourteen
Nora
I can’t breathe.
I feel numb.
I don’t know what is happening.
One minute everything is like it should be and the next, Grayson and Asher are yelling and rushing around dad while he…
Oh, God.
“Nora?”
“I-I… H-he…” I stutter not able to get my words out. Warm hands cup my cheeks as my body fights to keep it together. I’ve never seen that. I didn’t like witnessing that. I slam my eyes shut, trying to remove the haunts of seeing him that way as the ache in my body becomes unbearable.
“Look at me, Shortcake.”
When I open my eyes and look up at Grayson, I see the distress in his, and it only validates everything I’m feeling inside as my steady stream of tears now burst from my chest. Pulling me toward him, he holds me close, stroking my hair as I cling on to him like my life depends on it.
“Shh, it’s okay.”
“I felt so helpless. I should have done something. Why didn’t I do anything?”
“Nora, listen to me.” He pulls back, taking my face in his hands again. “There was nothing any of us could have done but get help. He’s got that now, and is going to be okay.”
“How do you know that?” I cry. How does anyone know that after everything Dad has been through?
Bending at the knee, Grayson comes down to meet me at eye level. “He’s come through worse. He will get through this. Okay?”
I nod, but not yet believing the words that he has spoken.
“Sir. Ma’am. We are taking him to the hospital n
ow,” the paramedic says, looking at us both.
“Where is Asher?” I ask, wiping my eyes. “Is he with Dad?”
“Your brother is already in the ambulance. Will you two be following us in?”
“Yes. I’ll drive her.”
“Is he okay?” I ask the man looking at me with concern as fresh tears threaten. “My Dad. Will he be okay?”
“He’s in the best hands now.”
What does that mean? Does that mean he’s not going to be okay?
I suddenly feel lost when Grayson leaves my side, and I watch him move around the kitchen, picking things up but not registering what they are. Turning back toward the dining table, I focus on the puzzle pieces that are now scattered everywhere. Dad’s wheelchair sits empty, and the sight of it makes my blood run cold. It’s only been minutes without him, I don’t think I can handle a lifetime.
“I can’t lose him, Grayson,” I whisper, as he comes back to me.
Tucking my hair behind my ears, he tilts my head up to look at him, studying me for a moment as he wipes away my tears. “He is a fighter. He is a soldier. Nothing will change that, and your dad has more strength in him than you know. He’s going to be okay, Nora.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because I believe it’s true,” he whispers. “And you also have to believe that, too. Your dad won’t want you to be this way. He won’t want you thinking these things either. He’s strong; you need to remember that, okay?”
I nod, knowing he is right. Dad wouldn’t want me to be this way, but it’s hard not to feel anything else right now.
“I can’t hear you,” he whispers.