Forever with You (Fixed)

by Paige, Laurelin

  “That’s the one,” I confirmed.

  David stepped closer to me, concern on his face.

  “It’s nothing to worry about, David. She’s just not happy about me being with Hudson.”

  “Is she the ex?” Gwen asked.

  “Yeah.” When I’d said that in therapy, it was because it was easier. Now after the video, it was what I truly believed. “She is.” For the millionth time, my mind went to thoughts of her kissing Hudson. What else had they done? How close had they been? Had he slept with her?

  I swallowed the bile that threatened to come up. “So now she’s trying to scare me by showing up where I am. Sending me messages. Stuff like that.”

  “Do you want us to kick her out? I can call Sorenson up from the door.” Unlike Hudson, David’s protective mode was subtle, but I recognized it in his face all the same.

  “She’s not going to hurt me.”

  “Are you sure?” David put a hand on my shoulder.

  “No.” I stepped casually out of his grasp. Despite its innocence, his touch felt like a betrayal to Hudson. “But I don’t want her to win.”

  “Fair enough.” His body language told me that my brush-off had stung. Another reason it was good he was leaving.

  Gwen turned a plastic chair around and straddled it. “It’s creepy how she just stares at you like she does.”

  “Isn’t it?” I was still trying to decide how I felt about Gwen knowing about my private life.

  “We could spike her drink.”

  Now this sounded interesting. “With what?”

  “I don’t know. Spit.”

  I didn’t laugh, but I managed a genuine smile. Okay, Gwen was officially cool. And maybe I needed more people involved in my life—more than just Hudson and his family. The phone call with Brian, the run with Jordan, the day with Liesl—all of it reminded me that there was a whole world outside the one I’d been living in. A world with friends and interests that I’d forgotten about recently.

  Whether or not Hudson and I had a future together, I had a future of my own. I couldn’t ignore the people that belonged in that future anymore and just hope that they’d still be there when I needed them. And Gwen was now a part of The Sky Launch. That made her family. It was time to embrace her as such.

  But just because they were family didn’t mean I had to talk about everything with them. And talking wasn’t calming me down anyway.

  “You know what? I’m fine,” I lied. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s get back out there where we can at least keep an eye on her.”

  With Gwen in the lead, we stepped back into the club, the flashing lights and thumping beat washing over me with a familiar comfort.

  I ran into Gwen’s back when she stopped short. “Ah,” she said. “She knows we were talking about her. She’s calling in reinforcements.” She lifted her chin toward Celia. “See?”

  I looked toward my stalker and saw she had her cell to her ear.

  Just then Liesl walked over to me with the bar phone in her hand, the cord stretched almost to its max distance. “There you are, Laynie, phone call.”

  “Oh, shit.” Gwen’s eyes were wide, and I imagined they mirrored my own.

  Was Celia calling me?

  “Let me take it,” David offered.

  “And say what?” I shook my head decisively. “I’ve got it.” What was she going to say to me, anyway?

  I took the receiver from Liesl’s hand, my own hand surprisingly steady. “Hello?”

  “Alayna, where is your bodyguard?”

  The voice on the line shocked me more than if it had been Celia. “Hudson.” I said his name out loud, looking around at my coworkers so they’d know who it was. “Hello to you, too.”

  A mixture of disappointment and elation swept over me. I’d almost wanted the call to be from Celia—more and more, I was eager to confront her.

  But on the other hand, it was Hudson on the phone. Hudson! I’d longed for his voice all day. I didn’t even care about the circumstances for his call—he’d called, that was the point.

  “Ah, it’s not even her,” Gwen said. “That was some mind fuck.”

  David agreed. “I think she must have been checking messages. I never saw her mouth move.”

  I looked back at Celia, who was, sure enough, pocketing her phone.

  “Could you answer the question, please?” Hudson’s voice in my ear drew my attention back to him.

  It took me a second to remember what he’d asked—oh, about my bodyguard. As glad as I was to hear from him, I wasn’t about to make things easy. “Why do you care?”

  “Goddammit, Alayna!”

  His voice was so loud that I had to lean my ear away from the receiver. Well, what had I expected? That Reynold wouldn’t tell him? “I sent him home. I figured I didn’t really need him at the club.”

  “How’s that working out for you?” His sarcasm was lined with frustration.

  “I’m fine! With the security guards and cameras and the bouncers…” It took a second for me to realize what his statement meant. “How do you know she’s here?”

  “Because I’m outside.”

  “You’re outside? Why are you outside?” My heart sped up. He hadn’t just called, he was here. I covered the mouthpiece with my hand. “Liesl, hurry, grab the cordless.”

  Hudson continued. “Thank god your bodyguard works for me and not for you. You don’t have the authority to send him home.”

  Don’t have the authority…? “Jesus Christ.”

  “And when he noticed Celia…”

  Liesl handed me the cordless. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Alayna, are you listening to me?”

  “Yes. I’m working here too, you know.” I punched the talk button on the cordless and handed the other phone to Liesl. “Go on.” Then, I bee-lined for the front of the club. If Hudson was there, I wanted to see him, wanted to see the look in his eyes and in his face. See if I could read the emotion that I needed to see from him.

  “When he saw Celia entering The Sky Launch, he contacted me, as he’s supposed to do, and asked me if he should go in as well since you didn’t want him on the premises. I told him yes. So Reynold will be there whether you want him to be or not.”

  “Fine.” I didn’t really care anymore. “Send him on in.”

  “I already did.”

  “Of course you did.” I was almost at the bottom of the ramp now. The club was picking up for the night, and I was fighting against traffic. “But why are you here? You could have arranged all that over the phone.” Had he wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see him?

  He paused. “I wanted to be sure you were okay.” His tone was softer. It tugged at my chest.

  “I’m okay.” Well, since Hudson was still sleeping in another apartment, maybe that wasn’t the right word. “I’m safe, anyway.”

  “Good.” He cleared his throat. “Then I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Hudson, wait!” I was at the front door now, the night air cool compared to the warmth of the club. Not wanting to be seen, I stayed tucked behind the doorman.

  “What is it, Alayna?”

  I scanned the circle drive in front of the club. There he was standing next to his Mercedes, the emergency lights flashing as he paced the sidewalk next to the car. He was in another three-piece suit. It was late, why was he still dressed for work? And had he really driven all the way out to the club just to leave without seeing me face-to-face?

  My next words bubbled with the hurt I’d carried all day. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

  “Right now, yes.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “You’re protected. That’s what’s important right now.”

  He’d been concerned—that much was obvious. His hair was tussled as if he’d ran his hand through it more than just the one time, and his agitation was present in his stride.

  It wasn’t enough. If he really cared, I’d be in his arms. He’d have come in and found me instead of the other way around. “H
ave you considered that if you just told Celia that you’d left me that she’d probably drop this whole thing?”

  He shook his head, even though he had no idea I could see him. “I didn’t leave you.”

  “It sure feels like you did.”

  He leaned his hand on the top of his car and looked toward the club entrance. “Is that what you want?”

  “No!” Never. “No. I just want the truth. That’s all.” The doorman shifted, and my cover was blown. Hudson’s eyes met mine.

  We stared at each other, locked in our gaze, for several long moments. Even across the hundred feet of sidewalk, there was a current between us. An electric spark that ignited from so much more than chemistry or lust. It was an emotional charge that surged right from the heart of me. We were connected, so completely, that for the first time since he’d walked out of the penthouse the night before, I felt a flash of hope.

  He broke the gaze first. He looked to the passenger window of the car, as if someone were inside, talking to him through the glass.

  I stepped forward, squinting to see. “Oh my god, are you…?” My stomach fell. “Hudson, are you with Norma?”

  Hudson threw his hands in the air. “Not now, Alayna.”

  I started toward him. “Are you fucking kidding me? One day gone and you’re out with her?”

  He circled around to the driver’s side of the car. “It’s for business!” The door slammed.

  I picked up my pace, even knowing he’d be gone by the time I reached the curb. “At this time of night?” In a suit, by themselves. How fucking stupid did he think I was?

  “It’s…I can’t get into this right now.” He pulled out onto the road. “Why can’t you ever just trust me?”

  “Because you can never tell me the truth!” I watched the taillights of the car as they mixed in with the rest of the traffic. It was comical, really, to ask for his trust when I’d just witnessed him on what could be described no other way but as a date.

  “I have to go. I can’t talk to you while I’m driving.”

  I could hear Norma’s voice in the background. I wanted his attention on me, not her. “Wait, don’t—”

  “Goodbye, Alayna.”

  “—hang up.” The dial tone replaced his voice. “Dammit!” I screamed and threw the phone down on the sidewalk. Hard. It shattered into pieces. Seemed fitting, considering that’s how I felt inside.

  “Laynie, are you okay?” David’s voice was neither surprising nor comforting. Of course he’d come after me. It was a nice gesture—I just wished he were somebody else.

  “Yeah.” Total lie. My entire body felt weak. Like I could just fall over there on the sidewalk, unable to walk or even crawl back to the club.

  But I was strong. I could ignore the fact that I had died inside until I was alone at home. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said again. “I broke the phone.” I bent down to collect the pieces off the sidewalk.

  David squatted next to me to help. “It’s technically Pierce’s phone.”

  “Well, that makes me feel better.” Marginally. “Funny, this is the second phone I’ve destroyed on account of that man.”

  “Maybe that means something.”

  “Maybe.” I knew what David wanted it to mean. I didn’t want to think about what it could mean for me.

  When we’d gathered all the parts, David stood and held his hand out to help me stand. Reluctantly, I took it. He didn’t let go right away, though. Worse, I didn’t pull away.

  David studied me with soft eyes. “I’m not going to ask because I know what you’ll say. I’m just going to do.”

  “What?” Next thing I knew, I’d been pulled into his embrace. “Oh.”

  “It seemed like you could use a hug.”

  I hesitated for only a second. Then I gave in. For me, it was comfort from a friend, comfort that I needed. He may have taken it as more, but in that moment, my need outweighed his.

  Except then he pulled me in tighter. And his arms felt strange and his scent was wrong. As gently as I could, I began to push away. “I think I better…”

  David released me, his eyes pinned on the club door behind us. “Hey, look. She’s leaving.”

  I turned to look. Celia was indeed leaving. She’d seen our hug, I was sure. It didn’t matter. Even if she told Hudson, he’d been out with Norma Anders. I was certain his trumped mine in terms of disappointing a lover.

  David’s smile grew tight. “Man, I don’t know anything about her, but that smile was wicked. What a bitch.”

  The pain and hurt of the past twenty-four hours subsided then, leaving in its wake a tidal wave of rage. I was angry, so angry. While a lot of my wrath was meant for Hudson, the greatest portion belonged to Celia. Without her, Hudson and I might be able to work through our differences. But how could we when she was always around, reminding us of our pasts, stirring up our distrust?

  My hands balled into fists. “You know what? This is ridiculous. I’m confronting her.”

  “Laynie, I’m not so sure you should.” But that was the extent to which David tried to stop me.

  I’d covered more than half the distance between me and Celia when a figure stepped from out of the club and blocked my progression.

  “Ms. Withers.” Reynold put a gentle but firm hand up to stop me from proceeding. “Not a good idea.”

  He was right. As worked up as I was, I probably would have punched her. And though it would have felt good, it would be me with the restraining order then, not Celia.

  Still, I had to wonder what my bodyguard’s orders had been. Did Hudson mean to keep me from trouble, or was he worried if I talked to his ex that I’d learn things he didn’t want me to know? “One question, Reynold. Are you protecting me from her? Or protecting her from me?”

  “I don’t catch your drift.”

  And even if he did, he likely wouldn’t answer honestly. “Never mind.”

  By then, Celia had made it to the curb and was hailing a cab. Determined to not let her get away without some victory chalked in my square, I approached our doorman. “You see that woman? She’s not to be let back in here. Permanently banned.”

  The doorman nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ll hang her picture in the back room.” I’d print something off the Internet. Maybe it wasn’t a good move to let her know that she’d gotten to me, but honestly, I didn’t care about her game. I simply wanted my life back. Kicking her out of my club was a good first step.

  ***

  It was just past three when I crawled into bed. Though it still felt too big and lonely, I was pretty sure I was exhausted enough to sleep. It was worth a try anyway.

  Even with my determination, I was still tossing and turning when four a.m. rolled around. My insomnia turned out to be a blessing. Otherwise, I may have missed his call.

  “Alayna. I need you.” The ache in Hudson’s voice was new to me.

  I sat up with a bolt. “What is it?”

  “Mira. At the hospital.” He couldn’t even speak in full sentences. “The baby…”

  I was throwing on my yoga pants and a t-shirt before he finished. “I’ll be right there.”

  “Jordan’s already on his way to get you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hudson was waiting for me outside the emergency room when Jordan dropped me off at the hospital. He’d obviously dressed in a hurry as well. He was wearing jeans and a wrinkled polo I didn’t recognize.

  Though he didn’t smile, his eyes seemed to light up at the sight of me. “She’s not in the ER anymore, but this is the only entrance open at this time of the morning.” He was already heading toward the elevator.

  I trotted to catch up. “Have you seen her? What’s going on exactly?”

  “All I know is that she’s having contractions. Adam called as they were checking in and he texted me when they were moved to the OB ward.” He pushed the up button on the call panel. “I didn’t want to see her without you.”

  I reached out and grabbed his hand. He took
it without hesitation.

  He let go though, when the elevator arrived, gesturing for me to go in first. He followed and hit the floor button, then stuffed both hands in his pockets. He glanced at me sideways, and I felt his ache to touch me. It echoed my own yearning. Still, he didn’t reach for me again.

  The elevator began moving. “Alayna, about Norma…”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to do this now.” Didn’t he know that I didn’t care at the moment? In the past few weeks, I’d grown to love Mira too. If anything happened to her or her baby…

  But Hudson went on. “I need you to know—this business deal.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s very important and I’ve had to be sneaky about the whole thing. Tonight was about that. Norma was able to arrange what looked like a chance meeting with the sellers at a charity gala. When Reynold called and said that you sent him away and that Celia was at the club...” He trailed off and I knew he was imagining the worst. “I didn’t even think to arrange a ride home for Norma. I simply grabbed her and we left.”

  A pang of guilt burrowed through my gut. “Is the deal ruined?”

  “No. And it wouldn’t matter if it was.” He turned to me and brushed his thumb across my cheek. “You’re safe, precious. That’s all I care about.”

  I closed my eyes, savoring his caress.

  Then the door opened, and his hand fell to his side.

  We followed the signs pointing to OB, eventually reaching a set of doors that required us to buzz to get in. “Will they let us in at this time of night?” I asked while we waited for a response.

  “It’s my impression that babies are born twenty-four hours a day,” he said. “And we’re on her list.”

  Mira was only six months along, though. Hopefully her baby wasn’t coming any time soon.

  “May I help you?” a voice said through the intercom.

  “We’re here to see Mirabelle Sitkin. Hudson Pierce and Alayna Withers.”

  Instead of an answer, the door simply opened automatically.

  I smiled lightly. “I guess we’ve been approved.”

  Mira’s room was easy to spot because Adam, Jack, Sophia and Chandler were standing in the hall outside. Hudson went straight to Sophia. He put his arm around her and bent to kiss her cheek. “Mother.”