Finally My Happy Ending (Meant for Me Book 3)

by St. James, Brooke

  "It's pretty good, huh?" I agreed.

  "It'd be better if we were on my couch instead of Mickey's spare bedroom."

  "We'll take what we can get," I said.

  He ran his hand over my head, and down my shoulder and arm. "Are you cold?"

  I shook my head.

  "Are you comfortable?"

  I nodded.

  "We should try to get some rest before morning."

  I nodded again. I drifted off to sleep easily. I felt cozy and protected, and I knew my body needed the rest.

  It was light out when I opened my eyes again. The curtains were drawn, but light was spilling in through the cracks. Brock was still in the same position, but he must've been waiting for me to wake up because I heard him whisper, "How do you feel?"

  "I'm better," I said sleepily. "What time is it?"

  "It's almost nine."

  My head popped up, and I looked at him. "I'm late for work," I said with wide eyes.

  He smiled. "I've been in touch with Shane. He called your school to let them know. He told them you'd be out for a few days. It's all taken care of."

  I sat up, propping myself up on one arm and looking down at him. "How long have you been up?" I asked.

  "Couple hours."

  "And you just laid here?"

  "I was your pillow," he said.

  I smiled at him and ran a hand through my hair. It occurred to me for the first time that I probably looked like a train wreck. I had always taken measures to fix myself up when I knew I was seeing Brock, so he had never seen me looking terrible.

  "I'm a mess," I said, checking under my eyes for makeup that had gone astray.

  He pulled his arm from underneath me and sat up before cupping his hands on each side of my face. "You're beautiful," he said. "And you're alive."

  I smiled. "I had all sorts of crazy dreams," I said.

  "I know, you told me about the one about your grandmother."

  "Oh, I forgot about that one." I smiled. "That was a good one. I forgot I told you about that."

  He let his hands fall before sitting up to stretch his arms toward the ceiling. "You also said you were madly in love with me," he said, groaning as he stretched.

  I giggled. "Did I really?"

  "Yep," he said.

  I knew he was joking because I remembered most of what I said—at least I thought I did.

  "What'd I say?" I asked.

  "You said I was hot for wanting to take Mickey out, and then you said you were planning on kissing me sometime in the very near future."

  I laughed. "I think I might remember saying both of those things."

  He smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat. I stared at him wondering what I had done to deserve a man like him.

  "How do you feel about trying to stand up?" he asked.

  "I think I could," I said.

  "Let me text the doctor first so he can come in here."

  I nodded, but got to the edge of the bed while I waited.

  Brock must have sent the text quickly, because within a few seconds, I heard a few light knocks on the door and glanced at it to see that it was opening.

  "How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

  I nodded. "Better."

  "You wanna see if you can get up and moving?" he asked.

  I nodded again.

  "Sit back and let me check your vitals one last time," he said, crossing over to my side of the bed.

  As he was doing that, we heard another set of taps on the door.

  "Who is it?" Brock asked.

  "It's Leo."

  Brock looked at me as if wondering if I was okay with seeing Leo, and I nodded at him. Brock went to the door. His body was huge and athletic, and I watched as he crossed the room, thinking he would have no problems backing up all those threats he made.

  "What's the matter?" the doctor asked quietly from by my side.

  I looked at him with a questioning glance. "Nothing."

  "Your heart rate sped up significantly. Does Leo make you uncomfortable?"

  I shook my head. "I'm fine," I whispered. "It's just Brock, I was just thinking about Brock."

  He smiled and glanced in Brock's direction, and I did the same. We watched as he opened the door to let Leo in. The big man came in cowering behind a huge bouquet of flowers with at least a dozen balloons attached to them. Several of them were the shiny kind that said things like get well with pictures of Band-Aids.

  He handed the bouquet to Brock and came to stand at the foot of my bed. He took a folded handkerchief from the pocket of his sweat suit and used it to wipe his forehead. "I'm really sorry about everything Ms. Trisha," he said, bowing humbly. "Pauly and me never meant for you to get hurt or almost die or anything."

  He was all torn up about it, and I wondered how in the world he got by as an errand boy for someone like Mickey. He didn’t seem like he was cut out for the job. "I know you didn't Leo," I said.

  He looked at Brock. "I'm glad she's doing better," he said nodding.

  Did he wipe a tear?

  "I told Mickey y'all are lucky she's all right," Brock said. "You'd be in a world of pain right now if she wasn't."

  "I can see why you care so much for her," Leo said. "She's a real sweet girl." He looked back at me and repeated the phrase about never meaning any harm. The big brute was so beat up and apologetic that I called him over to my bedside to give me a hug. The doctor stepped out of the way with a tired sigh as he waited for us to finish. We talked for a few more minutes, during which time he asked me straight out if I forgave him, and I said I did. Leo walked out, giving me wishes for a quick recovery.

  The doctor gave Brock a long list of instructions as he took out my IV, and within thirty minutes, we were on the highway headed south.

  Chapter 18

  Brock and I talked about it on the way home and decided it was better if we kept the whole ordeal under wraps. I would, no doubt, be tempted to tell my roommates when they asked where I'd been, but I knew we'd be better off not discussing the whole thing openly. Of course, Brock's brother knew about it, and he would tell Emily, (since that's just what couples do) but Brock asked the two of them not to tell anyone else. I figured if, by some crazy turn of events, I went into anaphylactic shock from the antivenin, I would have to come clean about everything, but for now, we'd remain quiet about it.

  I stayed home from work for the next two days. I wasn't terribly sick, but I could still feel the chemical effects of the ordeal, so I decided to take it easy.

  Brock's pending trip to Miami snuck up on us. He was scheduled to leave Thursday and stay through the weekend. He had some pieces showing at an art gallery there and was supposed to make an appearance at an open house.

  He had mentioned me going with him a few times during the past couple of weeks, but once the whole snake bite fiasco happened, it was obvious that it was best for me to stay home and take it easy. He offered to cancel his trip, but I insisted I was fine.

  It was Tuesday afternoon by the time we got back home, and Thursday snuck up on me. It had been such a whirlwind that I hadn't even had the chance to kiss him yet. We had plenty of opportunities, but it just hadn't happened. I think he was waiting on me to be fully recovered, and I was still too dazed and confused to even get that.

  He came to see me right before he left for the airport, and I really wanted to kiss him then, but we were in my living room, and my roommates were all in there with us. On one hand, the anticipation was almost unbearable, but on the other, I loved him too much to let it happen. It was like I was scared that if we kissed, things would change between us somehow, and that was the last thing I wanted.

  Emily called and asked if she could come over that Thursday evening after Brock had already left for Miami. She and I didn't really make a habit of hanging out, but I figured she wanted to see me since she knew the whole story about everything that happened. She asked if I wanted to grab a cup of coffee, and since I hadn't been to Common Grounds in a good minute, I agreed.
r />   Emily came to my house to pick me up, and we drove over there in her car. "How are you doing?" she asked as we settled into my usual spot on the little leather sofa near the back wall of my favorite coffee shop. Her expression told me that she wanted to talk about my ordeal, and I was relieved to do it.

  "I've been telling my roommates I'm not feeling well, which is true, but it's a relief to talk to someone who knows everything. I mean, Brock knows obviously, and we've talked about it, but you know, it feels good to talk to a girl."

  She gave me a caring smile as she put down her coffee and reached out for a sideways hug. "Shane told me everything," she said. "So you don't have to relive it if you don’t want to. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

  I nodded and adjusted in my seat. "I'm good. Today's the first day I feel like it's really getting out of my system. I've been going stir crazy at the house all day, so I'll probably go back to work tomorrow."

  "Brock told Shane that you had to be careful for some sort of allergic reaction."

  "It happens to a small percentage of people, but I think I'm in the clear. I'm feeling pretty good."

  "Was it scary with those guys or whatever?"

  "They weren't as scary as the snake," I said. "That was the freakiest thing that's ever happened to me by far. It was like a big, long tube of dry, scaly muscular sand that just latched onto my leg."

  "Can I see it?" she asked curiously.

  "It got away," I said.

  "Not the snake, the bite marks."

  "Oh yeah," I said. "I lifted my pant leg and pulled down my sock so she could take a look. It wasn't infected-looking anymore, but the two puncture wounds were still very much there.

  She gasped as she stared at it. "That's insane! I can't believe it really left two little holes like that." She looked at me. "Why'd you guys decide not to tell anyone?" she asked.

  I shrugged. "The situation was pretty sketchy. Those guys were tied into his friend Tyler, and we just thought it was best if we stayed quiet about it. Brock left it up to me. He said he was okay with me coming clean about everything, or going to the cops or whatever, but I thought it was best this way. It's kind of silly, but I actually sort of liked one of them and hated to see him get in trouble."

  She stared at me with her mouth hanging wide open. "You liked one of your kidnappers?" she whispered.

  I giggled. "Not at first, but you should've seen him after that snake bit me. He turned into a papa bear."

  She laughed. "That's crazy. Shane said they had a personal ER doctor at the guy's house."

  "Yeah, I guess the guy's rich or whatever. It was a really nice place. I was probably better off there than in an actual hospital."

  "And they took you because they wanted Brock to fight or something?" she asked, still trying to get her story straight.

  "Yep. He had done it once before when he was trying to get my ring back. Apparently, they wanted him back and thought the only way to get him to do it was to use me as leverage."

  "From what Shane says, they were in over their heads with Brock. He said he knows a bunch of elite military stuff and could just wipe them out before they knew what was happening."

  I laughed, remembering Brock's little warning speech to Mickey. "Brock told the guy he was a Christian now, and he was trying his best not to brutally murder anyone."

  That cracked her up. "Seriously?" she asked.

  I nodded and giggled as I took a sip of my coffee.

  "He loves you, you know."

  She made the statement as if it were something casual, but it made me choke on my coffee. I coughed into my fist a couple of times before asking, "What?"

  It made her laugh that the statement shook me up. "I figured you already knew that since you're the one who's in a relationship with him," she said.

  "I wouldn't necessarily call it a relationship," I said. "I want it to be, don't get me wrong, but we're taking it really slow."

  She furrowed her eyebrows at me. "You are? I don't think that's how Brock sees it."

  My heart started beating rapidly and I grew short of breath at the thought that Brock had been talking to his brother and Emily about me. "What-did-he-say?" I asked, pushing playfully at her leg with every word.

  She cracked up, but then regarded me seriously. "I can't believe you don't know this already. He's totally crazy about you. Shane said he's never seen his brother like this."

  I covered my face with my hands and squealed, causing her to crack up.

  "It's hilarious that you didn't know," she said.

  "I knew we liked each other, but he's so quiet and reserved, and I've been so worried about not rushing things that we've just been going really slow. He kissed me on the forehead when he left for Florida, but that was it."

  "You've never even kissed?" she asked in wide-eyed shock. "The way Shane tells it, y'all are as good as married."

  "We kissed, but it was right at first before we were even really seeing each other. I felt bad about it like I was rushing into things, so I told him I didn't want to do it anymore. Now I regret ever saying that, because it's like we're both scared to do it."

  "Well, you've just got to do it," she said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "You've just got to lean up there and put your mouth on his. That's all there is to it. When's he coming back from Miami?"

  "Monday evening."

  She clinched her fists and made a silly, over exaggerated face. "Uhhh, that's forever!"

  I laughed. It felt great that she understood my pain.

  "You're kissing him Monday," she said. "And you're telling him how you feel, too. I know he loves you. It's ridiculous for you guys to pretend you don't love each other for the sake of taking it slow."

  "I just thought he'd want to do that since he was a decent guy," I said.

  "He is a decent guy," she said. "But that doesn't mean you've got to be on some sort of timetable with falling in love. Love doesn't work like that. The timing was crazy for Shane and me too. Sometimes you just have to be okay with doing something that feels crazy. God's timing isn't like ours, and neither are His plans."

  "When you put it like that it makes me feel silly for making us hold off."

  She slapped at my leg. "You are silly for it. Just follow your heart. Do you like Brock?"

  I sat there for a few seconds not knowing what type of answer would do justice to that question. "I like him so much that I'm absolutely terrified of losing him," I said. "I think that's why I've been so careful."

  "You can't let fear rule your choices," she said. "He loves you, Trish. I wouldn't tell you that if I didn't know it were true."

  "Okay, so all I have to do is figure out a way to tell him I want to stop stopping if that makes any sense."

  "It makes sense, but there's one thing you're forgetting."

  "What?"

  "It's much faster to do and easier to comprehend than telling him you want to stop stopping."

  "What is it?"

  Her eyes widened. "Kiss him for crying out loud! I can't even believe you two haven't done that."

  I was giddy at the thought. I took a sip of my coffee as I imagined when and how it would all go down.

  "Hey, this might be weird, but while I'm playing matchmaker, I have one more question for you," she said.

  "What is it?"

  "The guy who was at your house when I picked you up just now… the one you hang out with all the time… his name's Ryan, right?"

  I nodded.

  "I know you're going to think I'm crazy because I'm always trying to set my friend Chelsea up with someone, but she's a great girl who just happens to have terrible taste in men. I'm afraid she's going to end up with someone like my ex who will abuse her if I don't intervene and find her a decent man."

  "I would actually love to hook her up with Ryan," I said.

  "You would?" she asked, looking surprised.

  "Yeah," I said, nodding.

  "I think somewhere in the back of my mind I thought Ryan and I might end up togethe
r if we never found other people. He and I are just such good friends and so compatible that I thought maybe we would settle for each other if no one else came along. Maybe a tiny piece of me felt a little guilty that I've been so swept away by Brock—like somehow I'm leaving Ryan behind."

  "I know you knew I was trying to set Chelsea up with Brock or whatever. I hope that doesn't make you dislike her. She's a really cool girl."

  I shook my head. "It would actually be a perfect scenario for me if Ryan could find love through all of this. It would be the proverbial cherry on top. I think he'd like Chelsea too. She seems like his type."

  Emily clapped her hands and squirmed in her seat like a kid at Christmas. "We'll figure out a time and place to have them accidently meet once you're all the way back on your feet." She paused and smiled at me. "So do you need any help getting dressed for Monday or is that overstepping my bounds?"

  "What's Monday?"

  "Making out with Brock, of course!"

  I laughed and pushed at her leg. "It's not overstepping your bounds, but no, I don't need help you big goofball. I'm just gonna wear my normal clothes, and there probably won't be any making out. I'm sure I'll barely be able to give him a peck on the cheek without my heart flying right out of my chest."

  She squealed. "It's gonna be sooooo romantic!"

  "You're so funny," I said, smiling from ear to ear.

  Emily and I sat on the couch and talked for a while longer. She told me to be sure to call her if I had any snakebite drama or just wanted to talk. I was glad we had that time together. I really liked her, and the insight she gave me on Brock's feelings was most certainly a bonus. I went to bed that night feeling like Monday couldn't come soon enough.

  Chapter 19

  I went to work the following day. It was Friday, so my workweek felt like it was over as soon as it started. Not telling my students and colleagues about my abduction and subsequent snakebite was more difficult than I thought it would be. The temptation to share such a crazy ordeal was almost too much, and I felt the story on the tip of my tongue, threatening to come out when people asked me where I'd been. It was tough, but I made it through the day without mentioning it.