by Kylie Walker
Derek laid two more bills in front of her and said, “If you tell me anything that I don’t already know, I’ll leave those here. If not, they go with me.”
She nodded and smacked her lips together before saying, “Dr. Hayward was an evil man. I hope that being locked up in that crazy head of his is God’s punishment for the evil things he did in his life.”
“What kinds of things?”
“Do you work with the police?” she asked, looking out her window like she expected them to be at her three story window.
“No, I’m a real estate agent. I’m just trying to help out a friend. Edith, if you took part in any of Dr. Hayward’s “evil” this might be a chance for you to redeem yourself.”
“I wasn’t any part of any of it. But I figured out what he was doing. He threatened me if I told anyone. My husband had cancer at the time...he was dying and I had a son to support...”
“Did he buy your silence?” Derek asked her.
“He threatened me, like I said. The money was...a back-up plan, I guess. There wasn’t that much of it and I refused to work with him again...”
“What did he do with the babies, Edith? They weren’t dead, were they?”
Derek was brought back to the present by the sound of footsteps on the deck. He looked up to see Chloe. Beautiful Chloe. He went back and forth in his head and his heart about what he was doing here. He knew she wasn’t Sarah. They looked exactly alike, but everything about them was different. Where Sarah had been all sweet and sunshine and goodness, Chloe was edgy and hard in places. Sarah’s mannerisms had always been cultured and lady-like and she’d been a little shy with her sexuality even after they were married for two years. Chloe was a sexual being whether she wanted to admit it or not. Everything about her exuded sensuality and it was hard for him to even look at her without getting turned on. But, he also knew the situation was strange and it lent itself to more than one problem if he took things with her any further. He just couldn’t seem to help himself.
“Hi,” she said.
He stood up and went towards her. She took a step back. They were back at square one.
“Hi,” he said, stopping about a foot away. “I’m glad you came. Come on, I have some coffee made downstairs.” He led and she followed. He offered her a seat and she perched herself on the edge of it like she was about to take flight. He poured their coffee and sat down. “How are you?” he asked her.
“I’m okay,” she said. She was clutching onto the cup and he noticed the bandage across her knuckles.
“What happened to your hand?”
She glanced down like she’d forgotten it was there and said, “Some guy got fresh.”
Derek tried not to laugh out loud but he couldn’t help but smile. He’d be willing to bet that guy didn’t get fresh with anyone else for a very long time. He took a sip of his coffee and said, “I found out some things, if you want to hear them.”
She was staring into her coffee cup as she nodded. He could tell that this was hard on her and his heart hurt as he said, “The first thing you need to know is that Trevor and Samantha thought that one of their children died. I saw the death certificate. They were told that she strangled on the cord in utero and was dead at birth. The doctor who delivered the twins was not Samantha’s regular doctor. He was out of town and this doctor told her she needed to have a cesarean section.”
“They didn’t ask for proof? They didn’t want to hold their dead baby, or at least see her?”
“You have to remember a couple of things, Chloe. This was twenty-four years ago. They did things differently then. The doctor was still the master of his domain back them. Then you also have to take into account that this was not a natural birth. Samantha was put under anesthesia and by the time she woke up, they’d taken both of the babies. They just brought Sarah back and that’s when they told her the other twin had died. They still grieve for her, Chloe. When I was asking questions and they had to remember the specifics of that day, their hearts were breaking.” He waited a few beats and when she didn’t say anything he went on, “The doctor who did the delivery has Alzheimer’s and can’t remember shit, but the midwife...she was a wealth of information.”
“Like what?” Chloe asked.
“She admitted to knowing that the doctor was “selling” babies. She said that he “stood in” for the regular OB/GYN when he knew multiple births were involved. Out of fifty-six deliveries in a five year period, fifteen babies were born stillborn. They were all children of multiple births.”
“No one questioned it?”
“I found evidence that the good doctor was relieved of his privileges at St. Peter’s about two years after Trevor and Samantha’s children were born. The records of that incident are all sealed however so I cannot find out the reason. He went into private practice after that, General Medicine. He developed Alzheimer’s at a fairly young age.”
“Good,” she said, almost so quietly that he couldn’t hear. Those were his sentiments as well. They were both quiet for a while and then she said, “So the odds are pretty good that these people are my relatives?”
“Yes, better than good,” he said. “What about your adoptive parents?”
She jerked her head up and looked at him sharply. “What about them?”
“I was just wondering if they were still living. Maybe we could get some information from them about the adoption...”
“No!”
He waited for her to expound on that, but she didn’t and the “No” was final.
“Okay, I have another question.”
“What’s that?”
“Can I tell Trevor and Samantha?”
Chapter 10
Chloe was quiet for so long that time that Derek thought she wasn’t going to answer him. When she finally did, she said, “And then what? We re-unite one big, happy family? I doubt that I’d be what they were expecting.”
“Chloe, they don’t have any expectations. Finding out their child is alive after all these years is a miracle on its own. These people are the kindest most non-judgmental people that you would ever want to meet. Their life was centered on family. Their family was taken from them way too soon. Besides, I think they would love you even if they didn’t suspect you were their daughter.”
“I don’t know how to be anyone’s daughter,” she said.
Derek wondered what else had been done to her. It made his chest hurt to imagine and he was almost thankful that she didn’t seem to want to tell him. “You don’t have to be anything to anyone that you choose not to be, Chloe. All I’m asking is that you let me tell them and that you agree to meet them...someday, when you’re ready.”
“I’ll agree to think about meeting them,” she said. “You can tell them, I suppose. I’m guessing if they’re rich, they’ll want a DNA test to make sure I’m not trying to scam them.”
“I doubt they’ll ask, but when the time comes, if that’s something you would like to do in order to be sure, I can arrange it.”
“Do you have other pictures of her?” Chloe asked. Derek didn’t have to ask who.
“Yes. Would you like to see them?” She nodded and he excused himself. He went into the bedroom and took out an album he had in his dresser drawer. It was an album that Samantha had given Sarah on her twenty-first birthday. It had photos of her from birth through that very day. A lot of the pictures had him in them too and he wondered for a second if that would bother Chloe. He decided that this was one of those things they would have to get past if they had any chance of any kind of future.
He took the album out and sat back down at the table. “You sure about this?” he asked her. She looked up and nodded again. Derek sat the album down and Chloe opened it to the first page. She saw the date of her birth at the top and underneath was pictures of a beautiful baby girl with tufts of blonde hair and big brown eyes. The tears already began to form in her eyes before she even turned to the next page.
He sat and watched her for a while and then suddenly feel
ing like he was intruding on an intensely private moment he got up and started moving around the kitchen. He took out some chicken breasts that he had in the refrigerator and began slicing it into long strips. He went back to the refrigerator and took out some vegetables and began slicing them the same way. When Chloe finished going through the book, Derek handed her a box of tissue. She wiped her face and then said, “Can I use the bathroom?”
He smiled, “Of course. You know where it’s at.” As he watched her go he felt his heart ache for her again. He couldn’t fathom finding out at twenty-four years old that you weren’t who you thought you were...especially if that twenty-four years had already been filled with so much pain. He took out a skillet and poured olive oil into the bottom of it. He was dropping the chicken in when he heard Chloe come back into the room.
“What are you making?” she asked.
“Stir fry. It’s my specialty.” She raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled sheepishly and said, “Okay fine, it’s the only thing that I know how to cook. But, it’s delicious. You’ll love it.”
“I’m not sure if I should stay...”
He turned so he was facing her and cautiously reached for her hands. She didn’t pull back so he took them both in his and said, “It’s only dinner, Chloe. I will never ask you to do anything that you don’t want to do or aren’t comfortable doing.”
She nodded and he could see in her eyes that she wanted to trust him. She was trying and that was all that he could ask for in that moment. He did wish that she would take off those contact lenses. He wanted to really see her eyes. Eyes were important to him. He truly believed that they were the windows to your soul. He wanted to see her soul and although he knew in his head that it was way too soon for him to feel that way, his heart said something different.
“Can I help?” she asked.
“Nope, sit down and relax and watch the master at work.”
She smiled, but to her credit she sat and watched and appeared to be interested. Every once in a while, her eyes would drift over to the album and he wished that he could read her thoughts. When dinner was ready, he fixed them both a plate and they took it up top to eat on the deck.
They sat at a little bistro table Derek had there and he opened a bottle of wine. After pouring them both a glass he picked his up and said, “To new friends.”
Chloe toasted with him and took a sip of her wine. She was quiet and he just let her be, knowing how much she had on her mind. The sun was beginning to set and as he agonized in his own heart over the pain and confusion in her eyes, he wondered if the beauty of the landscape only intensified it. Chloe was probably feeling that there was nothing beautiful right now about her crazy, mixed-up world. He knew that she’d been hurt and badly from the scars he had seen and felt. He knew that she didn’t seem to have anyone in her life other than a small handful of friends that she made at a place she despised.
She should be a teacher, sharing her knowledge with children and reaping the joys that – that would bring to them. Instead, she was stuck in a job she hated with people that as far as Derek was concerned, had no right to even be in her solar system. The defiant sky continued to adorn itself with the brilliant colors of orange and red and he watched her face as she glared at the swirls of color. Her eyes were pink from crying and only made darker by the reflection of the sky.
“This is good,” she said after picking through it several times and finally taking a bite.
“Thanks,” he said, “It’s my secret sauce that makes it.”
With a smile she said, “What’s so secret about it?”
“No one but me knows the recipe. I keep it in a locked box and have security guarding it around the clock.”
She laughed and he loved the sound of it. “It’s not really that good,” she said.
He grabbed his heart with his right hand and said, “Oh my God, that was a direct hit.”
She laughed again. “I was kidding, it’s fantastic.”
“It is,” he said, “but maybe you don’t get that because you’re not tasting it right.”
“I’m not tasting it right?” she said.
“Yes, there’s a certain way to eat certain delicacies...” She cocked an eyebrow and he said, “In some countries, my stir-fry is considered a delicacy.”
“Oh I’m sure,” she said with a grin.
“As I was saying, there is a certain way to eat it that intensifies both the flavors and the experience.”
“And how is that?” she asked.
“May I show you?”
“Okay...” Derek got out of his chair and took her by her hand. He pulled her to her feet and then reached down and picked up a spoon off the table. He slathered it with peanut sauce and then swiped it across his lips.
Chloe rolled her eyes and said, “What a lame way to get a kiss.”
“I’m completely serious here. It tastes ten times better this way. Don’t you want to try it?” He realized he was holding his breath, worried he was going to frighten her away again when suddenly she was on her tip toes and he felt her warm tongue run slowly across his bottom lip. She pulled it back in, smacked a few times and he said, “So what do you think?”
“I can’t be sure,” she said. Then she lifted up again and this time she ran her tongue across his top lip and again across his bottom. He could feel himself getting aroused and he was sorely tempted to open his mouth and join her tongue. He didn’t though; he stood still, waiting to see what she would do.
When she finished cleaning off his lips she said, “It’s definitely got more flavor that way. Stick out your tongue.”
“My tongue?”
“Yes, stick it out.”
He did as she asked and she picked up the spoon and ran it over his tongue. Then without further preamble she wrapped her hands behind his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. She let her tongue slip into his mouth as their lips met and she tasted him like he was a sweet piece of dark chocolate. He wrapped her up in his arms and held her tight while they kissed. She felt so good in his arms and he resolved then and there that he was going to do whatever it took to keep her there.
Taking a step back, she looked up at his towering frame and then her eyes fell to his chest. Chloe started unbuttoning his shirt. The material was thin but one could tell it was expensive. On the fourth button she could feel her hands start to tremble, not from fear, but uncertainty. Her eyes roamed his tanned torso as she unhooked the last button and pushed his shirt apart. She looked up at Derek, watching the intensity that pooled in his beautiful blue eyes. Pure desire was the only thing she saw. She watched as he slipped his shirt off, hovering above her and her entire body started to tremble.
Chloe couldn't fight the urge not to touch his skin, so she did. Her delicate fingers ran down his chest to his wash board abs as he dipped his head down to hers and kissed her again.
"Let's go downstairs." He whispered.
Reaching the bedroom his fingers lightly traced her arm and she could feel the heat from his touch. Chloe's hands ran the firm muscles of his abdomen and when she looked up at him, he was staring at her with such intensity that it made her weak in the knees.
There was absolutely no thought of resistance as Derek removed her clothes and then his own. His lips crashed into hers and their tongues dueled like it was their last night together. Chloe moaned into his mouth and ran her fingernails down his back pulling him in closer. She could feel the hardness of his cock press into thigh and she could feel herself become instantly wet.
Derek's large hands roamed her body and then gently dipped down to her pussy. His fingers grazed over her wet folds. She was so wet for him. Clinging on to his biceps for support, she leaned her head into his chest as she felt his fingers dip inside her. Slowly gliding in and out of her pussy, she let out a soft moan as he went deeper and faster, caressing her inner walls. His lips trailed down her neck and then he slowly eased her onto the bed.
Climbing on to the bed, his hand kneaded the soft flesh of Chloe'
s breast. His thumb and forefinger tweaked her nipple before his mouth claimed it in one mouth full. His lips and tongue rolled and sucked driving her crazy with desire. She arched her back pushing her breast further into his mouth when she felt his fingers slip inside once again and caress her inner walls. Chloe writhed beneath him and her breaths were coming in pants. She moaned helplessly as his fingers sped up their pace delving between her wet folds. Feeling the first wave hit her she bucked against his touch when suddenly his lips were licking her pussy as he finger fucked her harder. He lapped at her clit and sucked her wet pussy lips as her body exploded into a million pieces. Her hands fisted the comforter underneath her as she screamed out in pure ecstasy, as her orgasm rolling through her body.
"You’re so beautiful." His deep husky voice said as he looked up at her.
Breathing heavily, Chloe smiled and grabbed his shoulders, trying to pull him up to her. "I need you now Derek." She whispered.
She watched Derek climb on top of her and grabbed his cock in his hand. He slowly swiped his thick mushroom tip up and down her folds a few times and then lightly pushed in the tip. Pulling back out and then slipping the tip in just an inch. Seconds later Chloe could feel his thick cock make its way in completely filling her. She moaned as he slid in and out stretching her to accommodate his size. The sensation was almost too much to bare as she wrapped her legs around him, wanting him in deeper.
"You feel so fucking good Chloe." Derek whispered dipping down planting kisses on her collar bone.
She moaned out load, uncontrollably as he pushed in and out of her faster. Her nails ran the length of his back in a plea for more. Chloe started to buck wildly against his powerful thrusts as another orgasm ripped through her body, making her tremble and see spots.
"On my God." She screamed out as the wave hit her again and his last hard thrust rammed her hard and he exploded with her. They both collapsed, exhausted and panting for air.