Ruined: A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance

by Lisa Lace

  “I should thank you, you know.”

  “For what?”

  “For everything.”

  Zoe fixes me with an earnest stare. “It’s Laura. I’d do anything for her. She’s my best friend.”

  “Not just since the accident. Always. You’ve been there for her.”

  “She’s been there for me too.”

  “I should have been here more.”

  “You’re here now. It’s never too late to make a change.” She stands up and holds a hand out to help me up. “One down, one to go. Come on—let’s pry that Xbox controller out of Jack’s hands and make him play Kerplunk.”

  I take her hand and stand. I follow her downstairs to the living room where Jack is playing. All the while, I’m watching her every move, admiring her; that kind smile, those bright eyes, her vibrant red hair.

  With Zoe, I don’t feel like an outsider anymore. She makes this place feel like home.

  Zoe

  It’s early on Sunday morning. I was out late last night, catching up on work. I’m almost back up to speed and have had customers practically knocking down my door with orders. Apart from around Valentine’s Day, the weeks before Christmas are my busiest time of year.

  I’m curled up in my blankets like a sushi roll. Downstairs, I can hear some music video on the television, and Jack’s mischievous laughter echoing at something or other. I smile. I love the sounds of a family home. All that’s missing is Laura.

  I stretch, my toes poking out from the end of the covers, my hands reaching above my head. My whole body feels relaxed and rested. This is the best night’s sleep I’ve had since Laura was injured.

  Maybe it’s the peace of mind of having heard Laura’s voice and seen her smile, knowing she’s on the mend. It could be from living in a house with other people, rather than alone. Maybe it’s knowing that Tom is downstairs.

  I turn to my left, and my smile widens when I spot the wilted house plant, yellowed and half-dead, although it’s starting to grow a little stronger since I took over the watering. It’s the thought that counts.

  I sit up, immediately hearing a knock at the door.

  “Hello?”

  Jack rushes in and bounces on my bed. “Aunt Zoe! Uncle Tom says we’re going out today.”

  I bring my knees up to my chest and pull my covers over them. “He did, did he? And where did he say we’re going?”

  “He said it’s a surprise! Get up! He’s making pancakes.”

  I can smell them through the open door. “Mmm. I’ll be right there. Save me a plate.”

  Jack grins and dashes back downstairs. I’m filled with a warm, happy feeling, picturing Tom playing Super-Uncle downstairs, making pancakes and planning a day out. Super-Uncle suits him.

  I wrap my fluffy pink robe around me, slip on my polka-dot slippers, and head downstairs. Tom is standing at the stove with pancakes frying, a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder. He looks refreshed and content, and throws me a smile when I appear.

  I slip into a seat at the table beside Megan, who’s texting someone. Even she’s smiling.

  I grin at Tom. “Something smells good.”

  “Just getting us fueled for our big adventure.”

  “Which is?”

  He winks at me. “Whatever you want it to be. Maybe we should put it to a vote. Whatever you guys want to do. I thought we could visit your mom this morning, then go have a fun day out somewhere. It’s been a stressful week. Let’s go let our hair down.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” I say. I give Megan a nudge. “Your mom will be thrilled if you spend some time with your Uncle Tom, and it’ll give us something to tell her all about when we get back. What do you say?”

  “Fine,” she says at last. “I know it’s what Mom wants.”

  I take her by the shoulders and kiss her on the top of the head. “It’ll be good for you to have the chance to take your mind off things for a while, sweetie. You’ve had a lot on your plate. I know your Mom’s really proud of how strong you’ve been.”

  She smiles, gratitude in her eyes. She needs someone who understands.

  “Now we just have to think of somewhere that’s fun for all of us,” Tom says, laying a plate piled high with pancakes on the table, plonking down a giant bottle of syrup beside it. “Eat up, guys.”

  The pancakes are fantastic; warm and fluffy. I smile at Tom—this life suits him. We finish breakfast and discuss what we should do. We decide to go to a theme park in Saco.

  Jack is barely able to contain his excitement. Megan smiles at him. I look over at Tom, and he grins at me. I’m ready to have a wonderful day.

  We get ready and pile into Tom’s Mercedes. We swing by the hospital for a visit with Laura, and she’s thrilled when she hears our plans for the day. “That sounds wonderful, guys! Have a great time, and take lots of pictures for me.”

  Less than an hour later, we’re at Splashtown. It’s too cold for the waterpark, so we head straight for the rides.

  Tom buys tickets, and Megan and Jack stroll ahead of us, looking around and making a list of the rides they want to go on.

  Grinning, Tom nudges me. “Do you remember when you, me, Mike and Laura came here?”

  I have to search my memory back to my teenage years, but as I look around the sweeping rollercoasters and other rides, I remember. “Laura freaked out on the Thunderbolt and Mike took her to get some cotton candy and calm down.”

  “But we both wanted to go on Excalibur. Laura wouldn’t go, and Mike wouldn’t come without her, so we went on together. Remember?”

  I do remember—Tom flashing a grin before we fell over the edge of the tallest part of the ride, me screaming. Then hearing it turn to laughter as we came rushing down, us grinning at each other like crazy when we put our feet back on solid ground.

  I smile. “That was a lifetime ago.”

  “Yet here we are again.”

  I keep my eyes on the kids. Megan and Jack are over at a map of the park, looking at all the rides and talking about the best route around the park. Jack says something that sends Megan into peals of laughter, wearing a half-toothed grin as he chats to her.

  “They’re good kids. It’s great to see them smiling.”

  Tom holds out his hand to me. I look up at him, wondering where my priorities should be. I glance from Tom’s earnest smile to the kids laughing ahead and take his hand. I’m filled with butterflies when his fingers close around mine.

  This day is like a bittersweet fantasy. It’s wonderful to be with Tom, my hand in his, leading the kids around a theme park, taking pictures and watching them enjoy themselves, but none of it feels real.

  I’ve stolen Laura’s life for a day. These aren’t my kids, and Tom isn’t my boyfriend. Soon, he’ll be going back to New York. I didn’t realize how much I’d been yearning for a romance and family of my own until I stepped into her shoes.

  Tom is a dream. He goes with Jack on all the kid’s rides while Megan and I watch, waving and taking pictures.

  The highlight of the day is when we all ride the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster together.

  Jack wants to sit at the very front of the carriage. Megan sits behind him; I’m behind her, and Tom is in the back seat.

  I’m on top of the world as we climb up the rails, and when we tumble over the top and drop through the air, I laugh with everything in me. I can hear Megan shrieking and Jack screaming with joy. Behind me, Tom laughs like he’s having the best day of his life.

  Afterward, we crowd around the photo booth to see our picture at the top of the ride. Jack has his hands flying through the air with a massive grin on his face at the front of the log, Megan has her eyes squeezed shut, screaming; I have my head thrown back in a laugh, and Tom is grinning like I’ve never seen him smile before.

  Anyone would think this was our family.

  Tom buys three copies of the picture—one for him, one for Laura, and one for me. He hands me mine with a smile. “A day to remember, huh?”

  Yes—when
you’ve gone back to New York, and this happy day is only a memory.

  Tom

  Ten days later, and it’s the first Thursday of November. Thanksgiving.

  I’m in a stand-off with Megan. We’re leaning over a list at the kitchen counter. I have a pen in my hand, hovering over the paper. Megan has one hand on the counter, the other waving in the air.

  Megan’s complaining is so loud that it carries upstairs. Moments later, Zoe appears in the kitchen in her robe, sleepy-eyed. She looks from Megan to me. “Happy Thanksgiving, guys. What’s going on?”

  Megan points at me accusingly. “He hasn’t even got a turkey.”

  I throw Zoe an apologetic look. “I’m about to go and get one.”

  Megan throws her hands up in the air. “Who can get a turkey on Thanksgiving morning?”

  Zoe smiles and rests her hand on Megan’s shoulder, casting me a reassuring smile. “Good thing Aunt Zoe has it all under control, then, isn’t it?”

  I’m filled with a sense of relief. I was hoping for our streak of family fun to continue over the holidays, but Megan has woken up on the wrong side of the bed. She’s spent the last fifteen minutes listing everything I’ve already done wrong.

  “You have a turkey?” I ask.

  She smiles. “Of course, I have a turkey.” She pulls open the oven door, where the turkey, still in its plastic wrap, is sitting in a roasting tray. “It’s been thawing since last night, and I bought everything else we needed earlier in the week. Panic over!”

  Megan lets out a long breath. “Thank God someone knows what they’re doing around here.”

  “Hey, Meg, cut your uncle some slack, will you? It’s not easy to put a whole Thanksgiving together.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re the one who’s done everything!”

  Zoe raises an eyebrow. “And it wasn’t easy. Have you ever tried carrying a full Thanksgiving dinner home from work? The turkey alone was ten pounds! But dinner’s only part of Thanksgiving. Your uncle has prepared all these decorations and collected all those board games for us. Don’t you think that’s nice?”

  “I guess.” She flicks her gaze to me. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I say. “Your Aunt Zoe and I will put dinner together, and we’ll have a really nice day. I promise.”

  Megan goes upstairs to get showered, and I let out a long breath, leaning my weight on the counter. I look over to Zoe with a grin. “What would I do without you?”

  Zoe laughs, sweeping past me to pull out a bag of potatoes from a corner cupboard and a cutting board from behind the bread bin. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

  “I thought your parents hadn’t been around for a while?”

  “They haven’t, but I always order Laura’s turkey. The Thanksgiving turkey is Super-Mom’s kryptonite. She forgets every year.”

  “Are you kidding me? I thought Laura never missed a beat.”

  “It’s her one weakness.” Zoe winks at me and presses a finger against her lips. “I didn’t say a word.”

  I’m standing behind Zoe, and I reach over her to grab a knife from the block. I hold the position longer than I need to, breathing in Zoe’s sweet scent. Her hair smells like last night’s shampoo.

  She twists to turn her face to mine. She smiles.

  I lean forward and kiss her. She is so beautiful. Everything about her beckons me in. I want her. Zoe has kept me at arm’s length while we’re both in the house, not wanting to chase a passion while Laura and the kids need her. We haven’t been intimate since the night we went to dinner.

  Zoe returns my kiss. Heat floods through me. I’ve been waiting so long. I sense the desire in her. She lifts a hand to my face, pressing a palm against my cheek and spinning her body so that she’s facing me. I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close so suddenly that she almost trips. She giggles and wraps her arms around my neck.

  We’re deep in a passionate kiss when a thump upstairs makes us both jump back. Zoe flushes and immediately looks guilty. She clears her throat and tucks her hair behind her ear before turning back to the potatoes.

  I pick up the knife again and begin peeling. We don’t say anything, and when Megan strides through the kitchen a moment later to pick up her cell phone charger, she has no idea that we were locked in a kiss an instant before.

  Megan leaves, and I lean in toward Zoe, speaking softly. “Being so close to you is killing me.”

  She turns to face me, her eyes filled with longing. “I know, Tom, but we can’t turn the kids’ tragedy into our fling.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “I know. But we need to put them first.”

  I say no more, even though I want nothing more than to kiss her again. She continues preparing dinner. It’s hard to be near her every day and to have to hold back, but I respect her for drawing the line. She always puts everyone else first.

  Perhaps I would think she just wasn’t interested—if I wasn’t always catching her looking at me with big, affectionate eyes, or hearing her laughing at my jokes, or feeling her hand slip into mine when the kids weren’t around. I know she wants this, too.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever cooked for Thanksgiving before.”

  Zoe smiles. “You’re doing a great job. First the pancakes, now Thanksgiving dinner. You’re a natural in the kitchen.”

  I’m spurred on by her compliments and show off by throwing herbs into the stuffing mix like I’m a pro chef, with no real idea of what the end result will be. Around Zoe, I’m discovering many new things about myself, and rediscovering old interests I haven’t pursued for a long time. I always loved to cook.

  Between us, we prepare a feast. Before long, every pan in the kitchen is bubbling, and the air is filled with the delicious aroma of roasting turkey and yams.

  Zoe and I have been brushing against each other all morning in the kitchen. We haven’t kissed again, but the air has been heavy with desire. Every now and then, Zoe throws me a fond glance. I catch her often glancing at me over her shoulder. When I spot her, she grins and looks away.

  There are signs; the way she lets her hand rest on the small of my back as she passes by, the way she shares my cutting board, even though there are two others she could use. The attraction is palpable.

  Something more than that is happening. Life with Zoe feels natural. Each day, my guard comes down a little more, and I don’t need to wear the mask of Thomas Vermont. Zoe sees past all that, to the person I really am.

  We’re about to serve the dinner, so we call the kids down. Jack happily takes his place at the table, gripping a knife and fork in his little fists, eager to dig in.

  Megan stands in the doorway. She looks distant and tearful. All of a sudden, she throws down her hands. “This isn’t right.”

  Zoe looks up, perplexed. “Honey, we’ve done everything the way your mom would.”

  “I’m not talking about the turkey. I’m talking about the fact that Mom isn’t here.”

  “Sweetheart, you know she can’t be moved right now.”

  “No,” I interrupt. “Megan’s right. Laura shouldn’t be missing out on this.” I look over at my niece and smile. “Grab the foil, Meg. Your mom can’t come to Thanksgiving, so we’ll take Thanksgiving to her. Jack, grab the board games.”

  When I look to Zoe, she is beaming at me. She helps me put the food onto dishes, which Megan covers with foil. We pack up everything and the four of us head to the hospital.

  We get a few looks as we walk through the hospital with arms piled high with plates, but nobody says anything. A nurse or two throw us a kindly smile and let us pass.

  Laura doesn’t know we’re there when we first arrive, but Megan soon announces our arrival. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mom.”

  “Kids?” Laura’s voice is joyful. She laughs. “Tom, Zoe? Are you here too?”

  I step into her view and wave. “Still here.”

  Laura’s eyes brim with happy tears. They dart from side to side, taking in all the plates
and games. “You did all this for me?”

  I put my arm around Megan and nod my head toward her. “Actually, this was all Megan’s idea. She didn’t want to do Thanksgiving without you.”

  Laura turns her gaze to Megan and smiles, full of affection. “Thank you, darling.”

  We unwrap the food and take out the cutlery we’ve bought with us, and we each find a place in the room to eat. The kids sit either side of Laura on chairs, and Zoe and I perch on the windowsill.

  Megan and Jack talk at Laura a hundred miles an hour. After a while, I feel a gentle pressure on my shoulder and look down to see Zoe resting her head on me, a content smile on her face. I instinctively put my arm around her. She lifts her eyes to me, smiles.

  “Looks like Aunt Zoe and Uncle Tom are feeling festive.” Megan giggles.

  Laura grins. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “They’re being all smoochy on the windowsill.”

  “Smoochy, huh?”

  Zoe laughs. “There’s no smooching going on here.”

  “What is going on?”

  I look down at Zoe; she looks up at me. She’s the first to break into a smile. I grin in return, then clear my throat and address my sister. “Like Meg says, we’re feeling festive.”

  It’s a great afternoon. We play games, Megan moving pieces for Laura. Laughter rings through the room the whole time. If I close my eyes, it’s easy to imagine that we’re sitting in Laura’s living room instead of the hospital.

  We only leave when Laura begins to grow tired, and can’t hold back her yawns.

  Zoe leans over her and kisses her forehead goodbye. “Happy Thanksgiving, Laura. Keep getting better.” She turns to me. “I’ll start taking all of this back to the car.”

  “Meg, Jack—would you help your Aunt Zoe? I want a quick word with your mom.”

  After a day at Laura’s side, Megan’s willing to do as I say. She gathers up a few board games, kisses her Mom goodbye and follows Zoe to the car with Jack close behind.