by Rene Folsom
Taking a deep breath, I nodded to her and got up from the chair, my knees shaking like motherfucking leaves as I scanned the area. Of course, the asshole wasn’t hard to spot.
The sly smile he flashed back at me had my insides crawling. I clenched my fists, ready to fight to the death to see my grandmother. Glancing over at the nurse, she mouthed please, as if to reiterate her plea to take it outside.
Walking up to the man, I stood mere inches from his face and kept my tone low, steady, yet full of anger and hatred toward him. “How dare you?”
“Nice to see you too, doll. Care to take a walk with me?” he said, his arm outstretched and bent at the elbow, an obvious indication for me to grab hold. My skin crawled at just the thought of touching him. I’d have to take a bath with bleach afterward for sure.
Instead of allowing him to lead me out, I took point, walking ahead of him at an abnormally brisk pace in hopes his girth would make it difficult for him to keep up. As soon as we reached the sidewalk, I turned on him, my insides churning with pent-up anger.
“She’s the only grandmother I’ve ever known, Jim. You can’t keep me from seeing her,” I seethed, poking him in the chest with my finger and wishing I could just clock him upside his big head.
“Oh, but that’s where your wrong. I have all the power, and you have none. I can do whatever I please, and until you get me what I want, you won’t be allowed to step foot in this place again. Your little publicity stunt was cute, but now you need to be reminded of who you’re messing with.” His jowls were flapping as he spoke, his face inching closer and closer to mine until I could smell his breath stifling the outside air.
“You’re an evil man. It’s one thing to hurt me in order to do your evil bidding, but to hurt your own mother? How do you live with yourself?” It was all I could do to keep my composure, my anger turning to defeat with each passing moment.
“She won’t remember a thing. This won’t hurt her. It’s not like she can remember you. Hell, she can’t even remember your name!” he yelled, spit flying from his mouth and hitting me in the face. I felt like I was going to puke.
“She remembers me, names or not, she remembers me, and you’re hurting her by not allowing me to see her. This will be devastating to her, and she won’t even know why,” I explained, hoping a calmer approach will somehow soften his heart of stone.
Grabbing my arm, he pulled me close, my insides coiling with bile at the nearness.
“Ow!”
“Get me the Specter prototype, or you’ll never see her again. And don’t you dare think about going to the cops with this. If you do, that’ll be the end of your precious relationship with her—forever.”
With that, he pushed me away with force, turning on his heel and walking back into the nursing home.
My body wanted to collapse, wanted to just curl up in a ball and cry, but I knew that wouldn’t solve anything. However, this time, I had allies on my side. This time, I would go straight to the source.
I just hoped Liam still cared for me.
*****
It didn’t take but a few minutes to pull up to Liam’s condo, my heart pounding at the realization of what I was about to do.
The doorman announced my presence, and I was beyond grateful Liam agreed to let me up. My whole plan would go to shit if he would’ve refused me.
As soon as the elevator opened, I saw him there, standing, waiting, nothing but shock covering that handsome face of his.
“Wow, you look nice,” he said, his eyes roaming over my body from head to toe. Any other time and I would’ve been flattered, but now… now I was just determined.
“You know how you said you want me to tell you everything? You wanted me to come to you with my issues?” I said, the words rushing out in one hurried breath of air.
He nodded. “Yeah. What’s this all about?”
Walking over to his kitchen, I pulled out my phone and set it in the middle of the island, pressing the play button so he could hear.
His face was unreadable as he stood there, staring at the phone, trying to listen. The phone crackled, static replacing the words I tried so hard to document.
“No!” I screamed, clutching the hunk of metal in my hands and shaking it, willing it to work. I couldn’t have foiled this again. I thought for sure I had recorded the whole thing. “Liam, I promise! I had it all right here.”
“Had what?” he asked, concern etched in his features. He probably thought I was going stark, raving mad. I didn’t care. Hell, if I didn’t get a chance to see my grandmother again, I’d check myself into the goddamn loony bin.
“I recorded my conversation with Big Jim! I promise, I pressed the button!” I said, frantically fumbling with the phone to try and replay it. “C’mon. Play!”
Grabbing my wrists, Liam took the phone from my hands and set it gently on the counter, pulling me to him to hold me steady. My body shook beneath his strong hold.
“Calm down and tell me what this is all about,” he instructed, clutching my shoulders to distance himself from the crazy lady standing in his home.
Taking a deep breath, I recounted my entire experience, right down to the pussball touching me.
It wasn’t until I detailed the part where Big Jim grabbed me that his muscles tensed, his jaw working to keep his cool. When it was over, when I finally ran out of words, he turned to me, an unreadable expression on his face that seemed akin to a combination of remorse and pain.
“Maci,” he whispered, extending an arm as if to invite me in again. I didn’t hesitate. It was like gravity was pulling me to him, magnetically connecting me to his side. Hugging me, holding me, he brushed his hand over my hair, then my arm, before asking, “Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “Not physically. He did grab me, but it was more shock than pain. Emotionally though, he has completely ripped my entire reason for living out of my chest.” Looking up into his eyes, I tried to keep the tears at bay, again, knowing they would do no good in love and war. “I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, my voice catching on my sorrow.
“We’ll figure something out. I promise,” he said, his muscles tightening around me like a vice. I needed this. I needed him. I knew he wasn’t going to forgive easily, but just his willingness to help me was beyond what I could ever ask for right now.
*****
Liam and I spent the evening talking well into the early morning hours, until I could no longer keep my head up. We talked about some way we could get Big Jim off my back, we talked about what life was like as an author, we talked about what would happen if Jim actually got ahold of the Specter prototypes… on and on. Not once did we touch each other, other than maybe a handhold here or there. It was nice, getting to know him on a deeper level than before.
“Maci?” I heard my name, but grogginess was making it hard to figure out who was saying it. “I’m going to pick you up and take you to bed now.”
“Mmm,” was all I could manage as I felt warm hands snake beneath me and lift me off the couch.
Coming to my senses, I wrapped my arms around his neck an opened my eyes, finding a pair of deep blues staring back at me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, laying my head back down on his chest.
“For what?” he asked, chuckling as he gently set me down on the bed.
“For falling asleep on you.”
“It’s okay,” he said, pulling the covers back. “You need your rest.”
Even though my shoes were long forgotten, I was still wearing this full getup I sported to the signing. Sitting up, I made quick work of my clothes, deciding naked was way more comfortable than any other sleeping attire.
“Yeah, ahh, I might not be able to sleep next to you without touching you when you’re wearing… well, nothing,” he said, his voice void of humor.
“Like you had a chance anyway,” I responded, laughing as I curled onto my side. I felt him lift the covers over me, slowly inching them up over my body, until I was snuggled comfortably in h
is bed.
Liam stripped down while still within my eyesight, kicking his pants to the corner of the room before climbing into bed beside me, his Tetris lamp the only thing illuminating the night.
“Maci?” he whispered, his body adjusting beneath the covers as he attempted to get comfortable.
Twisting, I turned so I was face to face with him, needing to see him until I fell asleep.
“Yeah?”
“I still mean it.” His words confused me. What did he mean? Did he mean he still didn’t forgive me? Still didn’t trust me? I guess I couldn’t blame him.
Cracking an eye open, I asked, “Mean what?”
“What I said before I left your house Wednesday night.”
“That I’m an awesome gamer and you can never beat me?” I joked, knowing what he was getting at but not willing to accept it so easily.
“You know that ain’t true, ‘cause I’m the master. I just let you win because you’re a cute girl.” His smile seemed to glow beneath the lamp above our head as I lightly punched him. His hand was warm while it grazed my cheek. “I still love you. Call me pathetic, but no matter what happens between us... well, yeah. Just needed you to know that hasn’t changed.”
My heart leapt into my throat at his confession, unsure whether I was ready to accept it, let alone reciprocate.
“I’m so sorry I gave you a reason to doubt yourself, and I’m also really sorry I gave you a reason to doubt my feelings for you too,” I said honestly, needing him to know how truly apologetic I was.
All it took was a slight readjustment for him to touch his lips to mine. Tenderly, he kissed me, pulling away all too soon and taking my breath with him.
Chapter Sixteen
Liam: Thickening Plots
Lying there next to a snoring Maci, I was unable to sleep, the stress of the situation overwhelming me. I didn’t know what to do, how to fix the shit Maci had to deal with—the fact that we had a man like Big Jim in common made my skin crawl.
I had to wonder what would happen if I actually gave into him. What if I just handed it over and told him to leave Maci alone, would it fix things? Sure, it’d ruin my career, but she was worth fighting for. Then again, she probably would never let me go through with it anyway.
It was a stupid idea, to think I could sabotage my own company all over a girl. Yet, Maci wasn’t just any girl.
Nah, I had to get that idea out of my head. There was no way in hell I could hand over my most valuable prototype to my sworn enemy. Not ever.
Maybe there was something I could do, hire a lawyer or something, a legal fight so she could see her grandmother again. Of course, knowing Maci’s true identity now, I was certain she’d already thought of that. She definitely had the money to hire the best attorney out there. No way would she just take this shit sitting down.
We could always try to get more evidence, maybe record him and take it to the authorities, reveal Big Jim for the slimeball that he was. Then again, that would wrap up the Specter project in so much negative publicity that the marketing committee would shit a brick before being able to get it off the ground.
I hated how evil Jim Celeste was. He always had a smile on his face, acting as if he were your best friend—at least until he got behind closed doors. That was when the claws would come out. The man never hesitated to put a knife in someone’s back, all to save his own ass.
Looking over at Maci, I watched her face contort with discomfort, her brow furrowing as she dreamed. Obviously, it wasn’t a good dream. God, how I wished I could just take all her worries away. I felt so powerless in this situation, even though I knew I held all the power over it by having access to what Big Jim so badly wanted.
If it weren’t for Maci’s grandmother being pulled into this mix, I wouldn’t have any qualms about ignoring the bastard and moving on. But I was a huge softie. Seeing Maci with her grams was the most love I’d seen between two people in a long time. The adoration between those two ladies was strong, and who knew what kind of treatment her grams was getting without Maci being there.
I had to do something to fix it. I just didn’t know what.
Another thing I thought about was breaking it off with her. If she didn’t have me as a connection, Big Jim would no longer have the leverage over her that he did. But then, would he really back off? If I were out of the picture, would he give her rights to see her grandmother again, knowing his insistence to get his hands on the Specter was now rendered moot? Or, would he continue to punish her, putting distance between the only family she had all because she failed to win me over?
If I knew Big Jim at all, and I believed I did, he wouldn’t stop just because we made him think we were no longer together. Hell, he probably wouldn’t even trust her, not to mention the fact I wouldn’t be able to keep my distance from her.
My eyes hurt as I picked my phone up from the end table and activated the screen, the LCD being way too bright after my pupils had adjusted to the dark. Wincing, I tried to focus, deciding to busy my mind with some silly card game to tire myself out, or bore myself to sleep, whichever came first.
The light must’ve caught Maci’s attention, and I jumped when her arm reached over, her hand pushing at my face.
“Go to sleep, Allan,” she murmured against the pillow, her hair spread out over the plush surface like a pastel rainbow in the night.
“Wish I could,” I said, kissing the fingers that still lay on my face.
Twisting under the covers, she stared at me, her lips pursed into a slight pout. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her words still coming out in a sleepy slur.
“Just been thinking. Can’t seem to shut my brain off.” That was the reality of the situation anyway. Usually, if something was attacking me or my emotions, my brain would switch to overdrive, never allowing me a moments rest until I figured out a solution.
“Is it because of me?” she asked, her tone soft and vulnerable.
“Some, yeah. But I also can’t help but think that you wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for me.”
“And you wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for me,” she said, repeating my own words back, her tone getting a bit more energetic by the moment.
“Well, we’re just a pair, huh?” I said, a light chuckle to my voice as I contemplated what to say next. I really didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like we could compare our situations. I was worried about my company, and she was worried about her family. The two were never comparable, yet held the same weight, even though both meant a world of difference to us individually.
“I know my grandmother doesn’t mean much to you, so it’s really kind of you to even consider helping me with this.” Her voice seemed small in the expansive space of my room, yet I could still feel the warmth of her breath on my skin as she spoke, making my skin break out in goose bumps.
“Don’t you worry,” I said, dropping my phone on the bed between us and reaching out to touch her cheek. Her hair felt so soft beneath my fingers as my thumb grazed the raised portion of her cheekbone. “We’ll figure something out soon. Even if it means I don’t get sleep until we do, we’ll figure it out.”
“I actually get tired when I’m emotionally spent,” she said, her eyes closing as I continued my soft, circular motions on her face. “If I cry, or I come down from being extremely anxious, my body just shuts down, deciding sleep is the only option. Sucks to be so damn moody sometimes.”
“Nah, that’s just normal. Your body needs to rejuvenate after using up so much energy on emotions.” Holding my arm out, I silently invited her to come closer, needing to feel her against me. “C’mon now. Just sleep. We’ll be able to talk more about it in the morning.”
Before she settled, she reached between us, pulling my phone from beneath her body and handing it to me by setting it on my chest. She didn’t say a word, only cuddled closer, her breasts pressing against the bare skin along my side. I could feel myself getting hard just by the feel of her nakedness touching mine, skin
on skin, nothing but pure warmth.
With the confidence she was safe in my arms, I was finally able to doze, images of Maci consuming my every thought.
*****
The morning light came all too soon, my body covered in sweat as the sun continued to rise. It took me a few blinks to clear my vision and see that Maci was no longer beside me. Not that I was surprised. She had a habit of sneaking off in the mornings.
My body seemed sluggish as I dragged myself out of bed, the sheets coming with me in a heap as they clung to my skin. Making my way to the bathroom, grabbing a pair of boxer briefs along the way, I thought back to the night before and how much I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Maci Layne.
I looked at myself in the mirror, a thin, sallow man who desperately needed a shave job staring back at me. We’d talked most of the night away, yet I still couldn’t come up with any reasons for why she liked me. Considering she was turned off by me when we first met—scratch that—when we first met for the second time, obviously it wasn’t my appearance. Then again, she sure as hell seemed to be into me during that New Year’s Eve party, so maybe I was being too hard on myself.
Regardless, I knew she was so far out of my league in more than just the appearance department. She was intriguing in more ways than one, her newest confession about being my all-time favorite author topping the charts.
She continually surprised me, and her surprises often had me second-guessing what I could do to win her heart. After all, I’d told her I loved her, which was a big deal for me. Hell, I was under the impression that it was a big deal for any couple, especially when the man confessed it first. But, she’d yet to reciprocate, and I was dying to know why.
As much as I wanted to know, I also knew I couldn’t push her. No way would I pressure her into saying it back all because she felt bad for me. Pity love was not my thing.
Sighing, I knew I needed to get a grip and quit being a little girl. With all the stresses piled on Maci’s shoulders, the best thing I could do was be there for her, show her I could forgive and help in any way imaginable.