I love my brother for what he is offering, but I wish he could see that it wouldn’t be the same. Yes, our DNA is similar. If I were to father a child though, I would want to know it was mine.
“Because they’d be your children, not mine.”
“That’s how Gabe and Chris made us—by finding some great lady who decided to share the joy of being a parent and gave our fathers her eggs so they could create us. That’s the same way you can have your own children. They’ll be smarter and strikingly hotter than if you gave your shit anyway.”
“It’s more than that, Matthew.” I’m about to open my mouth, but he shakes his head.
“Don’t, dude. Don’t bring Norah into this conversation because you know how I feel about her. For starters, she’s your Porter to AJ, the Lindsay to Gabe.”
“She was nothing like Porter.”
“Not in the abusive-junkie way. More like the one person you fell in love with, but she is not your other half. Walker is your other half. Pria is what Papi means to Gabe, the Mason to AJ. Jacob, you said it yourself the moment you saw her; you two are meant for each other—it’s written in the fucking stars, maybe next to Orion.”
We need this. She needs this. Maeve was right about one thing. It is time to let Pria go.
“I have to do this. Are you in or not?”
He gives me a sharp nod and disappears from the foyer.
“Stop worrying about the house.” Maeve sits on my bag as I try to close it. “The agent says it’s in great condition. The Deckers’ contractor did a great job within a couple of weeks. After paying them for what they spent, I’ll deposit half of whatever money we make out of it.”
“No. Keep the money. I have enough. Where are you moving to?” It’s been two weeks since the funeral and she’s been staying with her boyfriend. “With Ben?”
Ben is some guy who showed up at the funeral and wanted to beat Matthew for holding my sister’s arm. They’ve been dating for some time, but broke up a couple of days before Dad died. Now they’re back together and he’s not going to let her break up with him again. She’ll give me the entire story once I’m out of the States, she says.
“Not sure, but I’ll find a place, Cypriana.” She stands up and hugs me again. “Concentrate on your trip. I want you to send me pictures, lots and lots of pictures. Every day, every hour.”
“Are you going to continue working for Mason?”
I cut ties with the Deckers and the Bradleys after the funeral. Not willingly. The next morning after Jacob and I had that crazy confession-slash-passionate night, I found the bed empty, and a colorful note with one word.
★Sorry★
I woke up to several emails. Google alerts with Jacob’s latest indiscretion, his drunken night and pictures of the nameless girl he decided to fuck. I jumped out of bed, dressed, and headed to the office looking for some sort of explanation. The man who Mae and I saw ten years ago in front of the Decker’s old apartment stopped me. I couldn’t forget those same gray eyes. That scary face.
“This is for you.” He handed me a box with my belongings and his card; Arthur Bradley. “Call me if you have any questions. Please refrain from contacting them.”
“Thank you,” were only words I managed to say.
I received a letter signed by Christian Decker firing my company. They no longer required my services, but appreciated the work I had done for them. The amount they’d given me, which they disclosed in the letter, was identical to what they had paid me for the past months, including the retainer. In order to receive the money, I had to sign several confidentiality agreements, ensuring I wouldn’t release any personal information about the family, addresses, or phone numbers. It’s as if they stopped trusting me and I had become this unknown entity, a pariah that would betray them the moment they turned their backs. Why? I wouldn’t have. I love them all. It saddens me that they went through that whole process to get rid of me, to kick me out, to take away the security blanket of love they had given me. Is there something wrong with me? Just like when Mom died. The people I thought loved me turned me away. Left me.
After making the hefty deposit into my account, I sent a text to all of them apologizing for whatever I did wrong, and thanking them for everything they had done for my family and for me since the moment I met AJ.
“Yeah, the beef they have is with you, not me,” Maeve offers. So much for sisterly solidarity—bitch. “Anything else? Your flight leaves in less than three hours. We have to be at the airport two hours before, and I drive like an old woman.”
At least she’s driving me and not sending me in a cab. I glance at her, worried that she’ll be all alone while I’m gone. I swallow my pride, though, and send a text before I take my carryon bag to the car.
Twinkle: I’m leaving town. Can you please keep an eye on my sister?
Jacob: Sure.
Sure is the saddest word I’ve read in a long time. I wasn’t expecting, “Please don’t go, I love you.” However, something warmer would’ve been appreciated. My heart needs some TLC, the same heart he left out in the cold to freeze two weeks ago.
It takes more than an hour for my sister to drive all the way to the airport. She drops me off at the curb, gives me a quick hug, and makes me promise I’d only come back to the States if there’s a real emergency.
“What kind of emergency?” I question her logic. “Like you having a hangnail?”
“An earthquake, a terrorist attack, a tsunami.” I hug her and shake my head. “You have to forget that I’m sick. Ben’s a doctor and…we’ll take care of each other for as long as it’s possible. It’s time to be Pria…or Ana. Choose one and be happy.”
“Ma’am, I’ll have to ask you to move your car.” A police officer approaches and taps Maeve.
“Bye, Mae.” I kiss her cheek, hug her, and turn around. “I’ll miss you.”
“We love you, Pria.” She waves, and I don’t understand who this we she’s talking about is. Maeve might not realize that it is only her left in my life. I have been abandoned by those I had thought loved me.
I grab my boarding pass and my passport and head to the security line. The line takes longer than expected, and as I’m slipping my flats back on, I realize I board in twenty minutes. I hurry through the airport and skip the pit stop at the shops I’d planned. It’s a matter of minutes when I finally reach the gate. Scottsdale, reads the electronic board.
“Miss Cypriana Walker, please head to the airline counter with your boarding pass.” I have to look into changing my name.
Dragging my feet toward the counter, I show them my boarding pass and they exchange my seat 23E for 1A.
“There’s been a mistake.” I slide the paper through the counter back to the lady. “I didn’t pay for the upgrade.”
“They did.” She points behind me.
I turn around and there’s a group of people I thought I’d never see again. Confusion, sadness, and plain stupid tears slam against me in an instant.
“I thought—” A sob escapes me.
“So, we fire you. What’s the big deal?” Ainsley takes a few steps and hugs me. “You’re my best friend. Never forget that. We had to do it because we love you.”
“It’s all about tough love.” Maeve’s voice drags a chuckle. “Yes, I worked with them and for them, little sister.”
“That was a lot of money.” I turn to Christian Decker. “You didn’t have to. I failed you, and firing me without pay would’ve been enough.”
He hugs me too. “Sweetheart, you didn’t fail. Life happens, and the amount was set by Jacob and Gabe, not me.”
I search around, but he isn’t here. Only his parents, Mae, Ainsley, Mason, and Matthew.
“Attention, passengers: boarding flight 2678 to Scottsdale. We’re preparing to board our first class passengers and elite members,” the lady at the gate announces.
; Everyone hugs me and wishes me a nice trip. They hand me some envelopes and instructions in case I get lost or need help. Hugs, kisses, and tender goodbyes made my go-away pity party a happy fail.
“You promised you wouldn’t give up on him.” Matthew hugs me. “Don’t forget that…wait for him.”
“But, I’m done.” I touch his cheek and give him a kiss. “We’re not meant to be together, Matthew.”
“Well, then you shouldn’t have stolen his soul in the first place, or at least you should’ve returned it this time around. You seriously have it, you know that, right?” I shake my head and snort, trying to laugh and cry with his crazy talk. “Go, find yourself and then come back to us. Be careful and call if you need us.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s always with you.”
Jace: Stay safe, Twinkle.
“You failed me.” AJ walks beside me as we leave the airport. “I expected a last minute change of plans. A glamorous proposal with a quartet and doves.”
“Tell me, Princess, in that scenario of yours, was I running toward her professing my undying love and stopping the entire flight?”
“Of course, Prince Charming. Holding a ring in your hand and kneeling down; or is it dropping to one knee?” My sister makes me laugh with that ridiculous idea. “The entire airport will stop functioning as the personnel waits for you to say the magic words and for her to accept. After a true love’s kiss, we all would’ve clapped.”
Matthew, who is on my other side, laughs. “Such a refreshing idea. Never been done before in the history of cheesy events or movies. I should write a novel.”
She sticks her tongue out at him and flips him the finger.
“Thank you, Bradley.” My brother in-law gives me a tight glare.
I owe him big. Among other things he’s done for the past weeks, he had to call in some favors so the entire family could be at the gate to say goodbye to Pria.
“Nine, time to go home.”
“Mind if I drive her?” I fear Mason is going to hit me just for asking. “Need to run a few things by her.”
Like mending our relationship, because with everything that has happened with Pria and her family, we haven’t been able to sit down and talk about my jerk-like reaction toward her and the baby. Then I’ll talk about my plans.
“Home. Not the school or a shopping trip.” I salute him and press the key to unlock my truck. Mason pulls my sister into his arms and their little display of affection washes me with regret. I should’ve said goodbye to Pria.
“Stop manhandling my daughter, punk,” Chris yells from his car.
“You mean my wife and the mother of my child?” Mason doesn’t look at Pops, instead glaring at Matthew who is laughing. “Text me when you get there. I love you.” He bends down and kisses her tiny bump. “Love you, peanut.”
He opens the passenger door of my truck and helps her in, waits for her to adjust her seatbelt, and then closes the door.
“Don’t upset her, Decker, or I’ll break every bone in your body.” He pokes my chest with his finger.
“Fuck you. I know when to push and when to back off.” I push him slightly but I’m unable to move the asshole. “Stop treating her like a China doll or she’ll be the one breaking your bones.”
“Is this the part where you tell me the real plan and how you’re going to win Ana’s heart back?” My sister’s romantic shit makes my head hurt.
“Her name is Pria, not Ana.” I start the engine. “And I’m not here to discuss her.”
She throws her head back, hitting the recliner and making some noises I don’t understand—maybe just mumbling.
“Norah is your Porter.” AJ’s voice carries that edge of desperation and annoyance I muster to pull when taunting her. I don’t understand why it’s happening now and why she compares Norah with the low life she dated for years. “You loved Norah, she’s special in her own unique way—”
“Shut up, you two.” I stop them before this intervention gets out of hand. I was supposed to be the one talking. Not them. “Neither one of you can talk about my shit because you didn’t live it. I pray to God you won’t have to either. FYI, AJ, Porter abused you and cheated on you—for years. Norah died.”
“Yes, I know what Porter Kendrick did to me, but he was my first love. In my head he was the only man I’d ever love. Which is why I worked so hard to keep the relationship going, when in fact, I should’ve ended it. Please listen, Jacky, I have a point.” I growl, because she thinks she has a point, which means hours of discussing who is right and who is wrong until I find a way to shut her up. “The moment someone dies, their faults and imperfections vanish and they become a figure no one can touch. If Porter had died, I would’ve been devastated and forgotten all of the terrible things that he did.
“For you, Norah will forever be perfect, but she wasn’t. She was sick and she should’ve told you. After the accident, you were a mess. After she died, you became a zombie.” Another disadvantage of having my sister living close—she knows what my shit is all about. Not everything. My brother, Mason, and Pria kept certain things under wraps. Like the cemetery visits, which Mason hates because it creeps him out. “Wake up. We know firsthand that true love exists. The kind that warms your heart, brings it to life and creates music. Our parents taught us that if you find it, you don’t toss it away like last week’s take-out. For you, that love I’m talking about is Cypriana Marie Walker, who you just pushed out of your life.”
I slam a hand on the wheel and press my lips because this woman is pregnant and I won’t make her cry—but I could. Just to shut her up.
“You have to give love and life a second chance. I met Norah twice, during her last days with you. There’s no way I can say she was great or terrible. I don’t doubt for one moment that you loved her. Jacky, I won’t talk about what I don’t know, but what I’ve seen. One thing I witnessed is that Ana and you belong together. Since Ana appeared back into your life, the hurt was gone—the music came back.”
“The hurt is gone,” Matthew echoes. “Except when Pria boarded that plane.”
“Yep, that heart twitch wasn’t pleasant, and you noticed, Mattie. He watched her from afar like a sad man losing his other half.” AJ and Matthew are ganging up on me, a unique event that happens only once every other year. “Now, tell me why I’m here instead of the comfort of my car giving my husband a hand job while he drives. It’s fun to see my man exercising that perfect control while under pressure.”
“AJ, I don’t fucking care about your sex life,” I growl.
“Kidding; he wouldn’t allow that. It’s a matter of safety and all that.” She can’t contain her laugh. “Well, talk, or I’ll tell you about my now boring and not-so exciting married life. My pretty lingerie doesn’t fit. Missionary every night—sex only once a day. Being pregnant isn’t all hormones and crazy sex like I’ve read. More like mood swings, puking, poking—not as glamorous. I see doctors on a daily basis—soon we’ll meet our peanut, hurray. Not that you care.”
The car goes quiet and I remember why I wanted to chat with her.
“Princess, I’m sorry for being an ass with you. I love you and I support you.”
“I expected it. You don’t handle fatalities well.” She gives me that rolled eye exasperated glare she only delivers when I upset her and have to apologize. “However, there’s no guarantee that you won’t lose me, but I’ll do my best to stick around.”
“AJ, you told me you have a team and they know what they’re doing, right?” She gives me a squeaky affirmation. “Well then, I won’t worry. I’m sure they have everything under control. In fact, Matthew and I will be there for you. The kid is a Decker. We Deckers survive everything. Plus, he or she has the badass genes of a Bradley.”
“I love you, Jacob.” She gives me that evil smile. “Which is why I won’t give up until I see you happy.”
&n
bsp; I disregard her last comment and continue with the important stuff I wanted to talk about. “I want to start recording again.”
I look in the rearview mirror and Matthew crooks a brow and tilts his head, waiting for me to continue. Without A Compass isn’t getting back together. Trent and Grayson, our former bandmates, formed a duo, and they’re doing their own shit.
“Princess, all your shit is amazing and I’d prefer to play most of it than I would to sell it.” AJ has continued to write music. Some angst because that comes out naturally, but also romantic shit she writes for Mason. “Matthew has awesome crap too.”
“Because I’m awesome like that.” Matthew bobs his head, attempting to look all suave.
“Some songs are just for him—Mase,” AJ whispers.
“You mean we can’t take what you created, arrange it and play it?” I can’t help the sarcastic tone.
“Let it go. It was a great song,” Matthew growls, the cool in his voice gone. “When do I complain about you taking my shit?”
“Shit, not songs. It wasn’t just the one. It’s been more than one.”
“Children, children. Stop or I’ll send you to the chair and set the timer for thirty minutes.” She claps her hands while yelling Gabe-style. “Unbelievable. You two will never grow up. So, uh-hmm, you composed more shit?”
I have, and I’ve beaten myself up each time because I shouldn’t have. Pria unleashed it and I’m in a sublime and blissful hell of grief and guilt. A hell I’m fighting to escape, and in order to do so, I had to fire Pria and send her out of my life. It was for us both. She had to go on her quest, and I have to repair my heart.
“That doesn’t matter. I want to start a band. Plus, record a solo album.” I cut to the chase and forget about my demons. “There won’t be any major changes. The band will play here in town. That’s the second part of my plan: opening a venue to play and scout from the comfort of our own town. I’m about to buy the building for that purpose. Perhaps we dare to head south—Portland. We’ll record at Pop’s new studio; it’s at a walking distance from your house so your husband won’t freak-out as much. I haven’t tried it but it looks cool.”
Uncharted (Unexpected Book 3) Page 29