“Shhh. We don’t need to talk about that right now.”
“No, we do. I didn’t give you a chance to choose. I should have let you choose. We could have figured it out together.” He fell into a coughing spasm and she again, helped him sit up and breathe. The wrenching pain on his face made her heart ache while he pressed his palm against the center of his chest.
“I’m going to get your cough syrup.”
“No.” He fell back exhausted. “It has codeine in it. You know that stuff makes me pass out for days.”
“Which is exactly what you need right now.”
Despite his protest, she rushed to the kitchen, his apology tearing away at the last of her defenses. She tried to push it down, to concentrate on the task, but her hands shook so bad she had to grip the sink for thirty seconds before she could hold the small measuring cup and pour.
He was coughing again when she passed over the threshold. Body doubled over in pain. She tried to recall if the last time had been this severe and wondered if she needed to take him to the hospital.
As soon as he quit coughing, she sat on the edge and held the cup for him. “Drink this. It will relax your lungs and help the coughing so you can breathe better.”
He shook his head.
“Take it now or you’ll have to fend for yourself.”
He growled but tossed the medicine back in one easy swallow.
“Good.” She set the cup on the nightstand and straightened his bed. “Now lay down and I’ll be right back with your soup.”
Sean complied that time without protest, whatever fight she thought he might have was gone.
She made it only three steps away when she heard him whisper, “I’m so sorry, April. I let you down and I’m so, so sorry.”
Luckily she was out of the room before the first tear rolled down her cheek.
Chapter 27
Sean woke in a wet tangled mess, but felt exceedingly grateful since it meant his fever had finally broken. He’d been oscillating between consciousness and oblivion since coming from the doctor’s office, and April had seemed determined to keep him that way. The minute he’d start to feel a little clarity, she would stick that blasted cup of liquid in his mouth and he’d be out again before he could string two sentences together.
He pulled his hand free from the cocoon around him and checked his watch. It was four in the morning… He scanned the face closer… on Sunday? He’d been out over twenty-four hours?
Panic slammed through him as he sat up and searched for his caretaker. She sat curled on a club chair she must have pulled in from the living room, a throw pillow under her head and a blanket wrapped tight around her.
He moved slowly, detangling his coverings as quietly as possible, and stood. His head still hurt, but the pain was manageable and the wheezing in his chest seemed to have quieted some. He squeezed his eyes shut, then his bladder cramped with an immediate need for the restroom.
Tiptoeing, he made it to the bathroom and closed the door without waking her. He could only imagine how exhausted she must be, especially after such a long week at the office. But that was his Jelly Bean. Inside that blistering shell of determination and sass, she was the most caring, loving person he’d ever known.
He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to the door, unfamiliar tears forming behind his eyelids. This was a turning point. He knew it. Her staying said more than words ever could. She loved him. And they still had a chance.
A hot shower and good tooth brushing later, Sean emerged feeling like a different man. April hadn’t moved an inch, but she looked terribly uncomfortable. He quietly tugged at the sheets on his bed, balling the material up into a sweaty pile. The pillow cases were next, then the duvet cover. April’s breath remained a steady stream.
Picking up the mound, he eased from the room and tossed them into the laundry room tucked off the kitchen.
April had been busy while he slept. The kitchen gleamed from a fresh cleaning and a basket of laundry was now folded and carefully placed by the wall.
“What’s going on in your head?” he mused to himself. She cleaned when she was nervous or stressed or in denial. He wondered if it were all three.
After getting the washer started, Sean shut the door and grabbed a fresh set of sheets from the linen closet in the hall. As quietly as before, he dressed the bed, replacing the duvet with a thick blanket he’d found in the office closet.
With an extra dose of caution, Sean cradled April in his arms and lifted her from the chair. She stirred only a little when he lay her down on the clean sheets, but quieted again as soon as he tucked them back over her. She looked so young when she slept. Free of the pressure she carried around each and every second.
He stayed longer than he should, watching her, until his chest spasmed and he felt the need to cough again. Determined not to wake her, he slipped out of the dark room, leaving her to sleep in peace.
Chapter 28
April shut the door to her condo as quietly as she’d closed Sean’s door just moments before. He must have gotten up sometime in the middle of the night because she’d awoken cozy in a strange bed and had found him fast asleep in the living room. He lay stretched out on the couch, the TV at a low buzz and the remnants of a late night snack on the coffee table. She’d been a coward choosing not to wake him as she snuck out, but she had no ability to face him just yet, especially when the weekend had done nothing but make her more confused.
The only thing she wasn’t torn about was the impending need to stop Aiden from showing up here in—she looked at her watch and cringed—two hours. If she was lucky, she’d catch him before he left Houston.
Phone clutched in her hand, April pressed his number and chewed on her lip while she waited for an answer.
“Good morning,” he said with a little too much cheer.
“Hey.” Relief worked through every limb. “I’m so sorry to do this to you, but I’m not feeling well, and I’m going to need to cancel our plans today.”
“What’s going on?”
She walked through the living room, caught site of Journey’s shoes and purse. She must have come back sometime while April was at Sean’s. “Nothing big. Just a bad headache, and I haven’t gotten much sleep.”
“Well, you’re in luck, because I’m an easy guest and I know how to make the most outstanding omelet you’ve ever eaten.”
“Aiden, I—”
“It’s too late to protest. I’m turning the corner to your condo right now.”
Anxiety shot through her stomach and every inch of her skin turned electric. “You’re here?”
“Nearly. Do I need to grab some groceries or are you stocked?”
Unfortunately, she had everything he’d need sitting in her fridge. Desperate, she grabbed the carton of eggs and tossed them in the trashcan. “My eggs are expired, so you may want to pick up some fresh ones before you get here.”
“You bet. See you in a few.”
April ended the call and rushed to the shower.
She’d deal with this. She would.
But it wouldn’t be with Sean’s scent all over her.
By the time security called to confirm Aiden’s arrival, April had showered, changed into a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt, and tidied up the small mess Journey had made. She didn’t have time to bother with makeup or tie up her loose, damp hair, but this was Aiden and he’d seen her in far worse condition. Of course, she’d been in high school then, so she didn’t quite know if that counted.
The knock felt like a timer’s buzz. She’d made a choice and now she had to deal with the consequences of that decision.
She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and crossed the room. Through the peephole, she could see Aiden holding a grocery bag in one hand, while texting on his cell with the other. He was pure sophistication, dressed in a blue suit, no tie, and white crisp shirt. No wonder her mom loved him so much.
She swung open the door. “So, I guess ten o’clock means eight thirty?”
She shut the door behind him, having no idea how she was going to manage the next few hours. Sean deserved more than a random run in with Aiden. He deserved an explanation and a proper good-bye. And despite her attempts to give him one at least five times now, she’d yet to find the courage to actually say the words.
“Nice place.” Aiden set the eggs on her spotless counter. “I see your propensity for neatness hasn’t changed.”
She walked over to join him in the kitchen, rubbing at the tingles that hadn’t left her skin. “You’re just as freakishly clean as I am.”
“I know.” He turned and his eyebrows scrunched, apparently looking closely at her for the first time. “What are you wearing?” There was a catch of laughter in his throat, and he reached out to finger a strand of her wavy, damp hair. “You look like you’re sixteen again.”
“Hardly.” She pulled away, annoyed by the sentiment. She knew she came off younger than her age, but sixteen was a stretch. “News flash: when you show up two hours early, you don’t get to complain about what you see.”
“Oh, I’m not complaining. I think you’re cute.” He smiled and took her hand. “Have you eaten?”
She shook her head, hating that he was being so cordial when all she wanted was for him to take his carton of eggs and walk out the door.
“Then I’ll get started.” He perused the kitchen, opening cabinets until he found the one that held her skillet. The same skillet Sean used to use every morning to fry bacon or sausage or whatever hearty protein he ingested to keep up with his overactive metabolism.
She suddenly needed to move. “Let me show you around first.”
“Okay?” He said as if she’d surprised him. “Breakfast can wait.” He set the skillet on the stove and closed the cabinets he had opened.
He followed her out of the kitchen, but not to the living room as she’d hoped. Instead he walked straight to the wall of pictures in the dining room. She hid her internal cringe as she joined him.
“Interesting choices,” he said with absolutely no emotion.
“Talk to Journey. She insisted on hanging them.”
He poked the glass of the one memorializing Sean’s proposal. “I remember that night. Your dad was so enraged, he took a town car to the beach house and didn’t return to work for two days.”
April pressed her lips together. “I didn’t know that. I thought Sean talked to him first.”
“Oh, he did. He just didn’t respect your dad’s answer.” With that last sentiment, Aiden carefully removed the frame from its nail and placed it upside down on the table. “I think Journey can find a more appropriate picture. Especially now that your parents are likely to come for a visit.”
The tension in his jaw said his insistence had a lot more do with him than her parents, but she didn’t argue. Sean was supposed to be completely out of her life. Aiden had made that condition clear at dinner, as did her father at the party. Neither of them knew he was living right next door.
Not wanting to stay in front of the memories any longer, April tugged on his hand. “Come on, the tour is not over.”
He came reluctantly, but seemed to relax when he crossed the threshold to her bedroom. “This is quite a step up from your American Girl doll phase.”
“I hope so. I haven’t been into dolls since I was ten.”
“Nice try. I specifically remember you keeping at least two of those dolls until you were thirteen.”
“Of course you do. You drew a mustache on Kit and then blamed Andrew for it.” She’d been irate and retaliated by burning a stack of his baseball cards. “Because of you, I didn’t get to go to the spring dance.” She hit his arm just because it felt justified. “I really did hate you back then.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Well, you were an easy target.”
“And now?” She glanced up at him having no idea where the question came from. Maybe it was the convenience of it all. How one evening with him had caused such a severe change in her trajectory.
“Now… you’re a lot less predictable than you used to be.”
“How so?”
“Well, for starters, you used to have to eat breakfast within twenty minutes of waking up or you were a bear for the rest of the morning. By my calculation, you’re pushing an hour now, and still distracting me from making you eggs.”
As if her stomach had ears, it growled in agreement. “I guess I am a little hungry.”
“I thought so. Let’s go. I certainly don’t want to give you any more reasons to pick a fight with me.”
“I haven’t been picking a fight.”
He snorted. “You’ve been snippy since I walked in here. But I’ve narrowed in on your pattern. I pursue, you retreat, I call you out on it and then we finally have an enjoyable moment.” He laced his fingers through hers and guided her to the hallway, halting them both right outside Journey’s closed door. “I know my being here is hard for you. I never approved of your relationship with Sean, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize how it still impacts you.”
Aiden’s ability to read her was becoming far too invasive. “I just have to get used to it,” she admitted.
“It’ll be easier next time I come. And eventually you won’t think of him at all.”
If only that could be true.
He continued moving forward, and she followed him back to the kitchen in silence. She pulled up a stool while he grabbed a mixing bowl from below the island.
“Cutting board?” he asked.
“The drawer to the right of the fridge.”
He spun around, pulled the cutting board out, and tugged a chef’s blade from the block next to the stove.
She watched as he sorted through the vegetables and chopped them into tiny cubes, not even complaining when she snuck a few from the pile. It was odd, feeling comfortable with him, but she did. They talked about work, about her parents, even Andrew, all without contention or grumbling. Aiden had been right that first night at dinner. Being with him wasn’t a hardship and weeks ago that probably would have been enough to satisfy her. But now, there was a void she couldn’t seem to shake, one shaped exactly like the man who’d pleaded for her to forgive him.
Aiden cracked his second egg into the bowl. “So how did your friends take the news of the two of us?” The question was posed in the same casual manner the rest of their conversation had been, but she sensed a tightness to it that surprised her.
“Do you actually care?”
“Maybe a little.” He reached for another egg. “Mostly because I know that you do.”
“I think they’ll always be biased.” It was the most truthful thing she could say. Even if Aiden wasn’t the guy who’d tormented her growing up, he’d still never be Sean, and that was the only match her friends would ever accept.
“Yeah, I can see that.” He added some milk to the mix along with salt and pepper. “Especially once you move to Houston.”
“Houston?”
“Well yeah, that’s where the company is.” He studied her confusion. “Your dad is getting an office ready now. The in-house legal job is yours as soon as you accept it.”
“Accept it? I haven’t even talked to him about it.”
“He called to tell you on Friday.”
She closed her eyes, fighting back a sickening tumble in her stomach. She’d never called them back. Not her mom, nor her dad. She’d been completely consumed with taking care of Sean. “I…um… never got a chance to call him back.”
“Well, you may want to.” Aiden shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know anyone else who so easily blows off the call that makes all their dreams come true.”
The life that could be hers flashed before her eyes like a movie reel. Parties and dinners. Aiden by her side, handsome and attentive, talking business with each of their guests. It was the world she grew up in. A w
orld so familiar, she didn’t have to live it to know exactly how it would turn out.
The sizzling sound of butter and a knock on the door pulled her back from the future.
Aiden tilted the pan while the butter slid across the Teflon. “Expecting someone?”
“No.” She eased from the stool and padded over to the peephole. Knots formed immediately in her gut. “It’s my neighbor. I’ll be one second.”
“Okay, hurry up, this won’t take much longer.”
She eased the door open, slid out through the smallest crack possible, and shut it tightly behind her.
Sean was barefoot, still in the gym shorts he’d been wearing when she passed by him on the couch, though now he wore a gray t-shirt as well.
Raw emotion built inside as she watched him stand there, hair sticking up in two places, a sleep line across his left cheek.
He must have seen the shift because he stepped forward, an aching sweetness to the smile trying to form on his lips. “You didn’t say goodbye.”
“I didn’t want to wake you.” Tears pricked at her eyes. There was no denying the truth any longer. She loved this man. Had always loved him.
The movie reel of her future changed—this one laced with affection and joy. The two of them cuddled on the couch, two rambunctious boys jumping on Sean’s chest. There would be no parties or pretending. No cocktail dresses or talk of stock prices rising or falling.
He took another step closer. Close enough for him to brush his fingertips down her cheek and linger there. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
The air shifted and she knew this moment was different from all the others. Before, their connection had been through memory, rehashing a time when they were bonded through love and trust. This time, there was a new bond. One forged by an apology and two days of nursing him back to health. She’d been wise to flee this morning. Sean Taylor had once again crawled into her heart and made her want to leap from any height to be near him.
The Truth Between Us (Bentwood Book 2) Page 20