His phone buzzed after his first bite.
“Goddamn it!” he muttered with a sigh.
He went to the bathroom and got her ibuprofen. He kissed her forehead while she swallowed them down.
“I’m going to come back with an AirCast for your wrist. It doesn’t appear to be broken, but I’m pretty sure you sprained it when you fell. Try to keep ice on your cheek. Your chin will be okay.” He had put a Steri-Strip across it after he was certain she didn’t need stitches.
“Thank you, Dr. Landis. However can I repay you?” She fluttered her eyelashes, trying to be seductive.
“Maybe staying conscious would be a good start,” he said with a wink, and then he kissed her once more before he left.
He was back before she left for work, and fit the brace on her wrist.
“Are you sure I need this?” she asked as he pulled the Velcro closed.
“Do you want to come down to the hospital to get an X-ray? It’s not broken. It’s either sprained or strained. We would put a brace on it either way.”
“Fine.” She frowned at the inconvenience.
“You can take it off when you’re relaxing at home, but leave it on when you’ll have a tendency to use your hand.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“No problem.” He kissed her. “How do you feel today? Dizzy?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Make sure you eat,” he commanded. It was kind of cute when he acted all authoritative.
“Yes, sir. I will.”
He kissed her cheek tenderly where she had a huge bruise that had morphed into a black eye overnight.
“Maybe you should take the day off,” he suggested.
“No. I’m so close to the end of the year. I only have two more days. I have seniors freaking out about college. I need to be there.”
“Just be careful, and if you start to feel funny, for the love of God, sit down right away.”
“I can do that,” she promised. He gave her another kiss before he left.
Roslyn was a mess when she saw Lexi walk into school. She had to answer ten million questions and Roz still seemed skeptical. Roslyn had been in an abusive relationship in college, and Lexi realized she must look like someone beat up on her rather than like she took a fall.
“That’s just not what happened,” Lexi said, trying to reassure her. “I passed out and fell. That’s all. No drama or anything. Jeremy actually got me the splint and took care of me. He’s great. He’d never do anything to me.”
“We’ll go out after work,” she said. “I’ll call Riley and Nichole. She’s a doctor. I think you should get a second opinion.” Lexi nodded, though she wasn’t really up for going out. But if it would convince her friend she wasn’t in an abusive relationship, she’d make it through.
Lexi got to Ralphy’s before the other girls. They were probably changing into something dressy. Lexi didn’t give a crap. She felt like hell and wasn’t looking to pick anyone up at the bar.
She ordered a Corona and a rum and Coke, again without thinking.
When the bartender brought the drinks, he automatically placed the Corona at the empty seat next to her.
“Son of a bitch,” she whispered as she looked at the innocent gold and blue bottle that caused her more pain than her sprained wrist and twisted knee. Why couldn’t she just get over him already?
Instead of asking the bartender to take it away, she let it sit there. Maybe it would make guys think she had someone with her. Not that anyone would be approaching her with that shiner and the wrist brace.
She rested her head on her hand, feeling like a truck had run her over. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted . . . she wanted Ian to take care of her.
She wanted him to tuck her into their big bed and fluff her pillows like he always did when she was sick.
He made her feel cherished and cared for.
She desperately tried to force the main character of her fantasy to be Jeremy instead of Ian, but even her imagination had his phone go off a few seconds into the daydream. The truth was, Jeremy didn’t make her feel cherished and cared for. He made her feel like one of his patients.
She angrily pushed the daydream away.
Jeremy was a good guy. He wasn’t Ian—she knew that—but he wanted her and Ian didn’t. She’d have to find a way to make it work.
Ian was on his way to visit his sister when he saw Lexi’s car parked at Ralphy’s.
He kept driving, but as if possessed by some spirit that needed to see her, he turned around and went back to the bar. In the parking lot he pulled out his phone.
“What?” Kelly answered.
“Hey, I’m not sure if I’m going to make it in time for dinner. Go ahead and start without me. I’ll be there later.”
“Whatever,” she said and hung up. Kelly was still angry that he wasn’t doing what she wanted. Maybe stalking Lexi at the bar would be a step in that direction.
He walked into the bar after scouting out the parking lot for any other cars that looked like hers. He didn’t want to intrude if she was there with peckerhead.
Lexi was sitting at the bar alone, an empty bar stool on either side of her. On the bar to the left of her was a bottle of Corona.
He stopped walking and then remembered her story of ordering him a drink without thinking. He’d had the same thing happen to him. Except he’d been with Meeghan, and Meeghan didn’t drink rum and Cokes, she drank Absolut Razz and Sprite. He had blamed the mix-up on the bartender.
Ian sat down to her left and took a sip of his beer, waiting for her to look over.
When she did, he nearly fell off the stool.
Her eye was black and her cheek was swollen. She was wearing a cast.
“What the hell happened to you?” he said, loud enough to get the attention of everyone else in the bar.
“I fell.”
“You fell?” he challenged. He’d seen this in Lifetime Movies. When a woman said she ran into a door or fell, it meant she was being abused.
I. Will. Kill. Him.
“Relax. This isn’t one of those Lifetime Movies. I really did fall. I swear.” Damn. How did she know he watched Lifetime Movies?
He nodded slowly, not having any choice but to believe her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“You ordered me a drink.” He calmed down slightly and picked up the beer as she shook her head.
“I did that by accident.” She frowned and let her head rest on her palm.
“I know, but I’m not going to let it go to waste.” He winked at her. Her drink sat in front of her untouched.
“Are you okay?” He let the worry he was feeling coat his words.
“I promised I would meet some friends here, but I just want to go home to bed. I feel like hell.”
“Come on. I’ll take you home. They’ll understand.”
She pulled out her phone and sent a text before she pushed her drink away.
Ian got up and winced as she struggled to get off the stool.
She was wearing those pants that weren’t pants and weren’t shorts. Her knee was swollen, stretching out the fabric.
“Where did you fall?” he asked. They had stairs at the house.
“In the kitchen. I passed out.”
“You passed out? Why didn’t anyone call me?” he asked as he walked her out to his car.
“Why would anyone call you?” That was a very good question. He wasn’t her husband. He didn’t have any right to know what was going on with her.
She stopped at her car and pulled out her key.
“I can drive you,” he offered.
“I need my car.”
“Right. I’ll follow you home and make sure you get in okay,” he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
“Thanks.” He might have overdone it a little when he reached across and buckled her seat belt. He didn’t care. He just wanted to be close to her.
When they got to the house, he quickly ran over to
help her out of her car.
Peckerhead pulled in right behind her as Ian had his arm behind her back.
He got out and smiled widely while shaking a bottle of pills.
“I brought you some Vicodin,” the asshole said. “I thought you might be a little stiff.”
“She can’t take Vicodin. It makes her sick,” Ian snapped, happy in the fact that he knew way more about her than this guy did.
“Thank you anyway,” she said with a smile in his direction. Ian stepped away so peckerhead could help her inside and take care of her. The happiness he had been feeling from touching her faded away pretty quickly.
Peckerhead was taking all his jobs.
“Take care, Lex. Call me and let me know how you’re doing,” Ian said as they reached the door.
“Thanks,” she said as she dug out her keys.
She never called.
Lexi’s phone rang the next week, and she smiled as she answered.
“Do you like Mexican?” Jeremy asked.
“Yes.”
“What do you want me to bring you?”
“Chicken enchiladas and a tostada.”
“On its way.”
“You know you don’t have to bring food just so you can come over,” she told him.
“I know, but considering your stunt last week, I feel I need to make sure you eat. Besides, I haven’t had anything that didn’t come out of plastic since I saw you last week.”
“Okay. I’ll set the table. We’ll make it an official meal.”
“Alexis?” His tone was serious.
“Yeah?”
“I’m staying tonight,” he said, his voice sounding confident, though there was still an underlying question.
“Okay,” she answered.
“I mean it. I’ve made arrangements and everything. No calls, just me and you.”
“Okay,” she repeated confidently. Most of her was confident anyway.
As soon as she was off the phone she sprinted upstairs to shower and shave her legs. She put on a nice sundress and, because she didn’t have time to dry her hair and do anything with it, she braided it off to the left side, hoping to distract attention away from her fading bruise.
When the doorbell rang, her heart started hammering.
This was it. She was going to have sex with someone other than Ian.
She was moving on.
Jeremy smiled when she opened the door, and her heart calmed down substantially.
It was going to be fine. It was Jeremy. She wanted to do this. Even if her body didn’t seem to be responding the way it should. She would just have to remember how this was done.
She practically jumped in his arms, kissing him as he tried to get in the door with the bags of Mexican takeout.
“Mmm.” He mumbled against her lips. “You must really like Mexican food,” he teased, making her laugh.
Jeremy was funny and sweet and sexy, and he wanted her. Why couldn’t she get her instincts to kick in?
When she released him, he did his routine checkup, turning her head this way and that to see if her injuries were healing.
“The cast?” He raised his brow.
“I’m not using my wrist right now.”
He nodded and headed for the kitchen. She followed behind him excitedly. It had nothing to do with the food. Her body, heart, and brain were at war with one another. No one seemed to be on the same side. She wanted him. She wanted to feel good again.
He pulled the first dish out of the bag and opened the container. She smiled and put her face near the food to get a whiff of the delicious aroma and spices, except it wasn’t delicious at all.
It was bad.
She gagged. Then, when she realized it was going to be more than just gagging, she ran away.
She barely made it to the powder room before throwing up.
“Alexis? What happened?” Jeremy asked from outside the door.
“Don’t you smell that? I think it’s rotten.” She rinsed her mouth and threw water on her face before coming out.
“What’s rotten?” He looked stumped.
“I’m not sure, but something stinks.” She covered her nose when she went back out in the kitchen.
He looked at the food and then looked back at her as she reached out to steady herself against the doorjamb. She felt dizzy again.
“Why don’t you sit down?” he suggested. He guided her into the living room and knelt down by her knees.
“Alexis? When was your last menstrual cycle?” he asked in his official doctor tone.
“What?” She almost choked at the question.
“When did you have your period last? I’m being a doctor right now.”
She shook her head.
“My cycle has been messed up since I had all the fertility treatments. I don’t always get it.”
“Is there any way you could be pregnant?” he asked.
She snorted. “No. Trust me. It’s not possible.”
“It’s just . . . the food isn’t bad, and that quick reaction is exactly how my wife was when she was pregnant with our daughter.”
“I told you I can’t get pregnant!” She threw him the back-off look.
“Okay.” He held up his hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Do you want something else?”
“That thing you had smelled pretty good,” she said.
He put it on a plate and brought it in for her.
“I’m sorry I suggested you were pregnant. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he offered as he sat next to her and kissed her head.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m a little sensitive about that subject.”
“Understood. I won’t ever bring it up again. I promise.”
He stayed with her that night, but nothing happened between them. He still seemed worried about her being sick and that had kind of put a damper on things. They fell asleep on the sofa again. It felt nice to be in his arms. It wasn’t the same as being in Ian’s arms. But she felt . . . safe at least.
She didn’t know when that feeling went away; probably when Jeremy left in the wee hours of the morning.
She found herself floating in the cold ocean. Pieces of burning wreckage were scattered everywhere as she bobbed in the choppy sea.
Around her were other people, strangers holding on to other pieces of debris.
“Ian?” she called loudly. Her throat was sore, but she continued to yell as she realized some of the debris wasn’t from the wreckage. There were bodies floating in the water, too. “Ian!” she yelled more desperately. She needed to find him.
She maneuvered her makeshift raft through the bodies, checking to see if she recognized anyone. She could hear someone calling her name in the distance, but it wasn’t anyone she knew. She ignored them and continued looking for Ian.
Finally, she came across a body floating on the surface of the black water. She recognized the shirt as one she’d bought Ian for Christmas the last year they were together.
She abandoned the wood that was keeping her afloat so she could swim to him faster. She needed to save him.
“Ian!” She gasped as she got to him and turned him over. Ian’s brown eyes stared up at her blankly. His swollen white skin was covered in gashes. “Ian!” she screamed and sat up on her sofa, coughing and covered in sweat.
She looked around and found her phone on the coffee table.
She didn’t think. She just dialed. It was almost four a.m.
Chapter 11
The phone woke him up. He cursed at it because he’d only crawled into bed two hours earlier. Living alone and working from home meant he could keep whatever crazy schedule he’d created to keep equal amounts of busy and exhausted enough to sleep.
When he saw who was calling, he became more alert.
“Hello? Lex? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
She let out a deep breath, and for a moment he worried she’d dialed him by accident.
“You’re okay?” she asked. She sounded so relieved, he
wanted to be there so he could wrap his arms around her.
“Yeah. Are you?” he said.
“I’m sorry to call you so early. I just had a terrible dream, and I had to hear your voice so I knew you were okay.” Her voice trembled from fear, and his desire to go to her became unbearable. He wanted to ease her worries, but he lived on the other side of town. By the time he got there, she wouldn’t need him anymore.
“I’m fine, Lex. It was just a dream. Are you okay now?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t. It’s nice. I like that you’re dreaming about me. Though maybe not the nightmares.” He tried to joke, to make her feel better. It worked. She laughed a little. “Tell me about it.”
“I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
“All right. Then lie down and tell me about something else until we fall asleep again,” he suggested, not wanting to get off the phone.
“Remember when we went to Cancun?” she asked.
“Yes.” He smiled. “You had that tiny black bikini that drove me crazy.” She laughed. Maybe he hadn’t ever told her it drove him crazy. He should have.
“The sand and the water were so warm.”
“Yeah. I remember.” He was smiling at the memory.
“We swam at night with the moon reflecting on the water.” He heard her yawn, and it made him yawn, too. He lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes. They had done more than swim in the water that night. It had been the trip on which they’d started trying to have a baby. They thought it would be cool to get pregnant at some amazing location and then give their kid some bizarre middle name so they’d always remember it.
It didn’t work out like that, but apparently they did still remember the trip.
“We lost the bottoms of that black bikini in the water,” he said sleepily.
No answer.
“Lex?” He listened and could hear her steady breathing on the phone. She’d fallen back to sleep.
He propped the phone between his ear and the pillow and fell asleep listening to her even breaths.
When Least Expected Page 13