She reaches over to pat my hand before opening a file. “Luc had a copy of your chart sent to me from the hospital.” She digs a pair of glasses from her jacket pocket and glances through the papers the folder contains. “I know I need to use that fancy iPad for all of this, but I still love to flip through pages.” Raising her brow, she whispers, “Plus, I’ve already broken one of the things by dropping it a dozen times.” I laugh in response, relieved that I’ve recovered from the threatened crying jag of a few moments ago. “All right, Lia, let’s look at your nose first.”
Gently, she removes the bandages and the splint from my nasal area, throwing them into the trashcan behind her. She gently probes my nose, causing me to wince, as the area is still tender. When she pulls back, I look up and ask, “Has it healed?”
She nods, saying, “It looks good. There is some remaining swelling, and as you noticed, it’s still tender. You may end up with a small bump on the ridge of it, but it’s too early to tell. Just let me know if you have any issues with severe congestion. As for your wrist and fingers, you’re a few weeks away from removing the cast. I’ll have the girls out front schedule another appointment for that.”
“Okay,” I say disappointed. I had hoped to get rid of it all today, but at least my nose is free now.
She drops back on her stool and studies me for a moment. “How are the contusions on your body healing?”
“They’re mostly fading now.” I hope she won’t press me on seeing for herself. That’s still not something I want others looking at, even if the evidence is almost gone now.
She nods, seeming satisfied with my answer. She looks in my folder again, asking, “Are you having any headaches, even minor?”
“Just a bit the first few days I was home but nothing since then.”
She makes a note in my chart. “Good. I’ll want to schedule one more CT scan just to make sure all of the swelling in your brain has subsided. According to your chart, it was almost normal when the hospital released you. Are you still taking the pain pills you were prescribed?”
“No,” I wrinkle my nose, thinking about how bad the pills made me feel. “I really haven’t needed anything, even Tylenol, in days.”
“And the only medication you’re currently taking is birth control pills?”
“Yes,” I say automatically before I freeze. My breath wheezes from my lungs, and I feel dizzy with shock. “No! Oh, dear Lord, I haven’t taken them since…” I’m in complete panic mode now, unable to believe that something I’ve done for so long has completely slipped my mind for not just days, but weeks.
“Lia.” She pats my knee reassuringly. “It’s perfectly understandable that you would forget that with everything that has happened. Have you had sexual relations since you left the hospital?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to believe this is happening. “Yes, daily…for four or five days,” I admit haltingly. Sometimes more than once a day, but I don’t add that part. Why, oh why couldn’t we have waited to have sex until I had seen the doctor?
She still looks calm, even in the face of my obvious distress. “Do you know where you are in your cycle?”
“I have no idea,” I say, wracking my brain. “I don’t have a period very often since I went on the birth control pills, so I haven’t been keeping up with it. I’ve never had a reason to.” She probably assumes I said that because I’ve always been careful when in reality, other than once, I never had sex before I met Lucian. “I’ll take one as soon as I get home.”
“No, don’t start them again yet. It’s probably fine, Lia, and I don’t want to scare you, but on the outside chance that you’ve conceived, you don’t need to take them until we know for sure. I…there is another option if you are interested. There is a prescription for a morning-after pill called Ella, which is actually effective up to five days after intercourse. This is completely up to you, Lia.”
I feel a wave of relief roll through me at her words. But before I can say yes, I’m filled with uncertainty. I know it’s my body, but isn’t this something I should discuss with Lucian? I can’t hide something like this from him, can I? “Do…I mean…is there time to talk to Luc first?” A part of me can’t believe I’m even asking her this. There is no choice to be made here is there? Lucian and I aren’t ready to be parents. I have a stepfather who tried to rape me somewhere out in the world and Lucian is mired in a past which still haunts him. What decision is to be made here? Shit, I still can’t do this without him knowing. I’ll tell him and then we’ll both just be relieved that we found out in time.
“I think it’s a very good idea to speak with your partner…or Luc, in this case. Just call my office tomorrow morning after you’ve talked it over and let me know what you decide. You’d need to take the pill at some point tomorrow, though, to ensure its effectiveness.”
We talk for a few more minutes before she ushers me to the door. Lucian is standing against the opposite wall, thumbing through his smartphone. For a moment, I’m afraid he overheard our conversation, but the easy smile on his face says differently. “Okay, baby?” he asks as he walks over to look at my newly uncovered nose.
Dr. Kay clucks her tongue at him. “Just couldn’t go to the waiting room as you were told, could you?”
He gives her his best innocent look. “I was staying close in case Lia needed me.” He gives me a wink, and we both know it’s because he wanted to avoid another possible run-in with Laurie. We say goodbye to the doctor and he peels off some bills to pay for the visit despite my protests. I make another appointment to have my cast removed and a follow-up CT scan. Lucian guides me through the Laurie-free waiting room and to the car idling at the curb. We say a few words to Sam before settling onto the leather seats. He picks up my hand, kissing my fingers before asking, “Did you like Dr. Kay?”
“She’s wonderful,” I murmur, still reeling from the conversation she and I had had. Should I tell him now? No, if I do, he more than likely won’t go to the office and he needs this today. He already seems more relaxed than he has in days. We’ll talk tonight when he comes home. I’ll make him dinner and wear something other than my usual home attire of yoga pants. “She sure knows how to handle you,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. I want his happy mood to continue, and he’s far too perceptive where I’m concerned.
My mouth drops open as he reaches down to palm his cock through the pants he’s wearing. “Well, she’s seen this many times through the years. It didn’t start out this big, you know.” I don’t know who’s choking on laughter more, Sam or me. The other man might not be able to see where Lucian’s hand is, but I’m certain by the way his shoulders are shaking that Sam knows what Lucian’s referring to.
“So, she’s holding that secret over your head?” I manage to choke out. He gives me a naughty look at my use of the word ‘head’ and I smack his leg. “Stop, Luc, or I’ll never be able to look the woman in the eyes again.” He removes his hand from his crotch, still teasing me playfully.
When we reach his office, he asks me if I want to come in. Even though I’m tempted, I decide to go back to the apartment to regroup. I also need to check my online grades from my final exams and make sure I have the classes I need before my last semester begins. In other words, I need to do normal things today to try to find my routine again and so does he. “Call me when you get home, baby,” he says. When I just nod, he adds sternly, “I mean it, Lia. I’m not trying to smother you, but at least for a while, I need to know that you’re okay.”
I cup his face in my hand, stroking his smooth, shaven cheek. “I know, Luc, and I promise I will.” He kisses my lips briefly and starts to exit the car before coming back and kissing me more leisurely. We are both breathing heavily when he finally pulls away. “Something to remember me by today,” he whispers as he steps out and shuts the door behind him. The ache between my legs after his expert kisses assures me that I will indeed think of him all day.
Lucian
Cindy looks up from her desk in surprise when
I stride off the elevator in front of her. “Luc! I wasn’t expecting you in today. How’s Lia doing?” She looks around behind me, as if expecting her to be there. If I had my way, she would be chained to my side right now and not going back home alone.
“Good morning, Cindy. No, Lia is on her way home. She had a doctor’s appointment this morning. I decided to come in for the rest of the day afterwards.”
Cindy crooks a brow at me and finally calls bullshit. “She kicked you out, huh?”
I grin as I say, “Something like that. Has Aidan had any problems while I’ve been away?” I know without a doubt that Cindy knows exactly what’s been going on at Quinn Software, so she’s my first stop before calling Aidan in for a status update.
“Things have been running smoothly, Luc. Aidan met with Kenson yesterday and said it went well.” Kenson is a software company I’m interested in acquiring. They are one of Quinn’s partners and would prosper under better management. Their current owners are too busy bickering amongst themselves to realize what a goldmine they’re sitting on. It’s a good time to buy while they hate each other and are ready to walk away.
“That sounds good. Can you have him come to my office, please? And Lia is doing well. It’s been tough for her, but she is starting to get back on her feet again.”
“I’m glad, Luc,” she says softly. “I’ve been praying for you both.”
I incline my head before walking into my office. It still looks exactly the same as when I left it in a panic to go find Lia weeks ago. I walk behind my desk and settle in my chair. Damn, I never knew how much I missed this normalcy until now. Before my unusual sentimental thoughts can continue, Aidan knocks once before walking in. His face looks drawn and tired, and I feel a stab of guilt at dumping so much on him so suddenly. “Luc! Good to see you back here, man. I wasn’t expecting that for at least another week.” I stand as he gives me a brief bro-hug before settling into one of the chairs in front of my desk. “So, I take it that Lia is doing well if you’re here?”
“She is doing better. She had a check-up this morning and was able to remove the splint from her nose.” Her usual pert nose was still swollen and now has a small bump on the ridge of it.
“That’s great, I’m glad to hear it. How is she doing…with the other stuff?”
I recline back in my chair, thumbing a pen on my knee. “It’s been hard for her. She’s dealing with a lot, but I think she’s turned a corner. Lia is much stronger than people imagine; she’s had to be. She caught me doing a line a few days ago,” I admit, needing someone to talk to about it.
His eyes are huge as he processes my words. “Shit! I thought you were trying to quit?”
“I was…I am,” I say as I run my hands through my hair. “After we made it home, some shit happened, and it just fucked with my resolve. Even though it makes me sick that she knows, maybe it’s better. I have to stop, no matter what it takes, and it was getting hard to hide. She deserves better than that.”
“So do you,” Aidan adds softly, ever the loyal friend. I think back to Lia staring at me in shock as I prepared to snort a line, and I want to be whole again for the first time in eight years. And not just for her. Finally, I want it for myself. I want to be a man Lia is proud to have by her side…always. There is no way her childhood Prince Charming used coke. I refuse to be another person in her life who has disappointed her, and that is exactly what I felt like. Even though she handled it better than I would have imagined, it was still a humiliating moment that I don’t want to relive. Aidan grimaces. “Does this mean you’re going to continue your new chain-smoking hobby?”
I shake my head, wanting to cringe at the thought. “Hell, no. I’m not sure why that offends you so much since you smoke.”
“I’m just a social smoker,” he grins. “Well, maybe a stress one, as well. Plus, the chicks dig it.”
“You fucking liar,” I deadpan. “In my brief time of smoking, I saw more female noses turning up as I walked by than I care to admit. My aunt may actually be relieved it’s not my vice of choice.”
Aidan almost falls out of his chair as he leans forward. “You’re not seriously going to tell Aunt Fae you’re doing cocaine?”
“I am,” I say calmly, although inside I’m just as nervous as he is. I love my aunt, but she’s probably going to kick my ass. I need her help, though. I don’t want to enter a treatment facility, but I know it’s going to be too hard to stop on my own and possibly even dangerous. I need her medical expertise.
“Dude,” Aidan shifts looking nervous, “please don’t rat me out. I haven’t done any of that in ages.” I give him a look that lets him know his life is his own. He knows I’d never betray his trust just as I know he wouldn’t betray mine. “So, you mentioned some stuff going on since Lia’s been home?”
I realize in that moment that Aidan and I haven’t had a chance to really talk in the last few weeks, which is unusual. He has been my confidant since we were boys, and there is very little of importance that goes on in my life that he doesn’t know. “Well, I know who Lia’s father is.”
He looks thoughtful for a moment before saying, “And this isn’t good news?”
Aidan, of course, isn’t surprised that I would look into Lia’s background. He doesn’t know that, unlike other women I’ve been involved with, it was almost an afterthought. I don’t think there could have been anything which would have kept me away from her. I was too far gone from the moment I met her. “You’ve heard of Lee Jacks?”
“Of course,” he answers before his mouth falls open. I seem to be surprising Aidan a lot today, which is hard to do. “You aren’t saying…” When I incline my head, he whistles. “Holy shit! How in the hell did that happen?” Before I can make a sarcastic comment, he waves me off. “I know how, smartass. I mean, how did Lia’s mother end up with Jacks? From what I’ve gathered, they wouldn’t exactly run in the same circles.”
“I believe that their circumstances were more similar at one time than they are now. It was just a brief thing, and he never knew about Lia. Actually, if I hadn’t tipped him off by checking into his personal life after finding out about the association with Lia’s mother, he would probably never have known.”
“Wow,” Aidan muses still looking shell-shocked. “Jacks is somewhat of a mystery man. But there are rumors and plenty of them. Does she know?”
“No,” I admit, “but I don’t know how long I can keep it from her. He’s pushing hard to tell her, but I think she needs some time to recover from everything she’s been through first. This will be a huge shock to her.”
“No kidding. If the guy has a single ounce of humanity in his body, then he’s got to be choking on guilt for all that Lia has endured.”
“Unless he’s a good actor, he’s feeling it. I don’t know if it’s driven by mere curiosity or something more, but he seems very drawn to her. Enough to crash our dinner last week to meet her.”
“This is like Jerry Springer shit,” Aidan marvels. “They write books about this kind of messed-up stuff. Wait; did he have anything to do with her mother turning herself in out of the blue?”
I had mentioned her mother’s arrest to Aidan over the phone but hadn’t gone into any details. “Yeah, and he’s looking for her stepfather.”
“Prison’s too good for that bastard,” Aidan snarls, echoing my sentiments exactly. It’s something Lee and I don’t see eye-to-eye on, but what am I supposed to do? Recommend he kill the sick fuck instead, or better yet, help me find him so I can have the pleasure? “Man, no wonder you’re stressed. That’s a lot to deal with.”
“It is what it is,” I say simply. I look him over, noticing again how tired he looks. “What’s going on with you? You look like shit.” Aidan and I are nothing if not blunt with each other.
“Thanks,” he says dryly as he runs a hand along his jaw. “I’m just not sleeping that well. You know I have problems with that at the best of times.” Aidan has always been somewhat of an insomniac, but it looks as if things have bee
n worse than usual lately.
“I appreciate you stepping in and running things here while I was with Lia. I apologize for dumping that on you; I know it was a lot to ask.”
“You know I’ve always got your back. And that’s not the cause of my stress,” he adds quietly. Fuck, I know what’s coming, and I don’t want to hear it, but it’s so clear that he needs to talk right now. There is only one thing, or one person that can brings him this low.
“It’s Cassie,” I say as more of a statement than a question. Where Aidan is concerned, no matter how many women he screws, it’s always her. He has spent most of his adult life trying to fuck her out of his heart and his head.
“Luc, it’s finally happening. She’s coming out of it.” I look at his hopeful face and don’t know what to say. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this from him through the years and nothing ever changes. When she said his nickname a few weeks ago, it gave him hope. I admit that it’s something new, but there have been other things which seemed to indicate she had some awareness of her surroundings and nothing’s ever come of it. No matter how I feel about Cassie, it kills me to see him go through this kind of torture.
“Aidan…you shouldn’t read too much into her saying your name. She—”
“It’s more than that,” he interrupts me, looking almost excited now. “Her doctor says she’s been interacting some with her nurses and the other patients.”
“Interacting how exactly?” I ask, feeling a ripple of unease running through me.
“Saying thank you and answering questions from fellow patients.”
My ripple of unease is more like a fucking tidal wave now. Aidan is right; this is a new development. Cassie has spoken through the years, but generally words that have no place in the conversation at hand. The doctors have always believed she was talking to herself and not responding to whoever is present at the time. She also has a gut-wrenching habit of rubbing her stomach and humming as if she were still pregnant and singing to her unborn child…my fucking child. I can’t be around her and risk seeing it. I told her doctor to stop sending me reports after the last one, which included that bit of information. It’s a completely messed-up state of affairs that I’m her legal guardian and pay for her care, even though she killed my baby and tried to kill me. It’s pure fucking guilt on my part. I long ago instructed the facility to send their reports to Aidan and Max; I simply couldn’t handle it. “Aidan,” I say, trying to get back on track, but still reeling from his news. “She has spoken at times through the years.”
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