Love In Rewind

by Tali Alexander

  "Hi Emily, I mean Ms. Marcus. Sorry, I meant to say Mrs. Bruel. I always think of you as Adele Marcus' daughter."

  "Doctor Monroe, please, can you tell me where my husband is? When was he taken? I woke up and he was gone."

  He gave a sigh and looked anywhere but at me. Why wasn't anybody telling me where Louis was? How could I have slept through him being removed from under me? Nothing was making sense today.

  "You do remember what happened during the night, right?"

  I shook my head from side to side, no, no. "What happened?"

  Doctor Monroe gave another sigh before continuing. "Mr. Bruel had a heart attack."

  "I know he had a heart attack, that's why he's here. But where is he now?"

  The young doctor shook his head before lowering it. In a defensive stance he wrapped his arms around himself and finally looked me in the eyes. When I saw his eyes, I knew. In a split second moment, like the one right before a train hits you, I knew my life was about to end at his next words.

  "Mr. Bruel suffered another heart attack during the night. We tried, but we couldn't save him this time. Emily, I'm sorry, he passed away at 7:21am…"

  7:21 … 7:21 … 7:21...

  I looked up to see Louis standing in front of me with his signature smile. The smile that always stopped the world and my heart. The smile that I knew was meant just for me. He looked like he did at that party eleven years ago.

  "It would appear that we share a birth date my lovely Emily. You see; you were made for me. You're my Bashert as my dad would've said."

  "Louis did you leave me?"

  "Little girl, I had to go."

  "Please, no…"

  "Don't cry baby."

  "So, I lost you anyway?"

  "You never lost me, Em. I was yours from that first day I laid eyes on you. You own every cell in my body. You are the only woman I have ever loved. Don't you know that? I lived for you, and to the last hour of my life you can not choose but remain part of my—"

  Beep…

  Beep…

  Beep…

  Beep…

  I jumped up in my sleep as if free falling. I snapped my eyes open and it was still dark. I was disoriented, gasping for air and crying uncontrollably. Machines all around me were buzzing and beeping. The screens were the only things illuminating the blackness. I wiped my tears and rubbed my eyes open to adjust to the darkness. I felt a hard unrelenting body under me. I could see Louis under me, motionless, but very much alive. Oh, thank you, God … thank God. He hadn't moved since I fell asleep singing to him earlier. His chest was rising and falling. The heart monitors displayed his heartbeat. I put my head on his chest, listening to his body. I took a big bulk of air in, still trying to catch my breath and stop shaking from the horrible nightmare I'd just come back from. Thank God, it was only a bad, horrendous dream. I wrapped every inch of myself around my husband. I wanted to be connected to him in any humanly way possible. I was NOT going to let myself go back to sleep. I was not going to let anything happen to him ever again. This man was my whole world. I needed to listen and watch his heart beat until the sun came up.

  "Louis, wherever you are, you need to come home … NOW!"

  Chapter 47

  Stop rewinding and press play...

  Louis

  I open my heavy eyes. I try to move but I feel cramped. I'm in so much pain. Fuck, everything hurts. I can't even take a deep breath. I look down to see the most beautiful girl in the world tucked under my arm. She is wrapped around me like a present. Please, don't let this be an apparition. If I wake up and Emily is not with me, I'll know I'm dead. I move my hand a little, glad to be in slight control of my limbs. I bring my other hand over to try and touch my wife.

  "Eeemmm" I say with a soft choked up voice.

  Why can't I talk, for fuck's sake? She doesn't move. I am too weak to try and speak again. I can feel her warm body pressed against me. She is here. She came back to me. I have to tell her that I love her. She needs to know what she saw is not what she thought. I only want my wife. I've only ever wanted her. Since I first looked into those eyes, I haven't wanted or needed anyone else. She needs to know our love will never be over.

  If I am given the chance to live, I will never have secrets from her again.

  Emily

  I opened my eyes hoping against reason that I was home with Louis in our bed. I was hoping it was all a bad horrid hallucination. But hearing the beeping machines and looking all around me, I knew my nightmare hadn't ended. I was still in hell.

  I disentangled myself from Louis and stood up. I kissed his head and was about to go call his doctors when he opened his eyes. Seeing his eyes looking back at me almost made me faint. My heart jumped out of my chest and I followed it right to the owner of my heart, body, and soul. I smiled and kissed his eyes.

  "Louis baby, you're up. Should I go get someone?"

  He shook his head slightly. He lifted his hand trying to touch my cheek. I leaned down to let him touch my face. I removed his oxygen mask to kiss his lips.

  "Em … Are … You … Real?" he asked.

  My heart broke into a million pieces.

  "Yes, Louis, I'm real and I'm here. I will never leave you again. I'm sorry I wasn't with you when this happened." I cried and kissed his warm beautiful lips.

  "I … am … sorry, too … I neeeeed—"

  I was kissing and touching every part of his face.

  "I know everything. It's okay; once we're out of here we'll figure everything out. Right now I need you to get better so we can go home." I couldn't stop touching him. I needed to make sure I wasn't hallucinating this. He was awake, talking to me.

  "Em, I neeeed to say this … Heaven by Warrant."

  Oh. My. God. Louis Bruel speaks my language! I needed to give him something back.

  "After All by Peter Cetera and Cher … once we get out of here you can look up the lyrics."

  He was kissing me back softly when two doctors and a nurse walked in. I was ecstatic I was here when the love of my life woke up. I kissed him and tried to move over to let the doctors check on him. He wouldn't let go of my hand and pulled me back down to him. Now that was more like the Louis Bruel I met at that party eleven years ago. I looked at him and was rewarded with a dimple-bearing smile. My heart most definitely skipped a beat.

  "I … Love … You … Emily Bruel, only you. Did I miss our birthdays?"

  "No Louis, you're just in time. Happy Birthday, my love…"

  Epilogue

  I'm fighting with myself. To call or not to call, that is the question. It's been two weeks since Louis came back home after being discharged from the hospital. He is up and about. We even made love for the first time last night. I was extremely worried about his heart I couldn't even beg him to be his usual rough self with me. It was still amazing to finally have that contact back between us.

  The last two weeks we spent endlessly talking, which was exactly what we needed after drifting apart for many months. He told me everything, including how close we came to losing our homes. I assured him that the only thing I wouldn't be able to deal with was losing him. I love our homes but they're replaceable. I wouldn't ever be able to replace him or us. He promised never to keep anything from me again and I promised never to assume things. Our new motto is "If you see something, say something."

  I told Louis about St. Lucia but I didn't go into details about William Knight, yet. I'm not about to break our new promise to each other about not keeping secrets by lying to him. I still haven't called Will back as promised. I feel I owe Louis an explanation first..

  I need to get this out of the way now and deal with my husband's reaction. I walk into his office to find him hard at work and sit down across from him.

  "Louis, I want to talk to you more about St. Lucia. I only told you part of the story."

  "Should I be sitting or lying down for this?" he asks in a mocking tone, while still answering emails at his desk. />
  "Just sitting. I want to start by telling you that nothing happened. I have always been faithful to you."

  He sits up in his chair, giving me one hundred percent of his attention now.

  I continue, "I met someone in St. Lucia."

  "Em, are you trying to give me another heart attack? Who the fuck did you meet?"

  He gets up from his desk and starts pacing the room like a caged lion.

  "Louis, if you want me to be honest with you then you better sit down and relax. I just told you nothing happened."

  "If nothing happened why are you telling me about it just now?"

  "Because something almost happened. I met a man as soon as I got to Le Spa"

  "Did you say Le Spa? You didn't tell me that's the hotel you stayed at."

  "What difference does it make where I stayed? It was the first place that a baggage porter recommended to me at the airport. I had no idea where I was going that day. St. Lucia was the first flight to leave New York and I just went."

  "Okay, go on … you met a man."

  "Yes, the resort was sold out when I got there so one of the managers came by to help me."

  "I'm sure he did." Louis is seething. Steam is coming out of his nostrils. Maybe I should've kept my big mouth shut. In hindsight maybe ignorance is bliss?

  "Louis, he was very nice. He gave me his room so I had somewhere to sleep."

  "You're fucking kidding, right Em? Let me guess—he very gallantly gave you half of his bed?"

  "Louis, it wasn't like that. I was a mess. I was crying. He was just offering a shoulder to cry on."

  He is now sitting back behind his desk with his hands wrapped around his midsection. Brooding is one way to describe his facial contortion. Louis is ready to fight. Who? I don't know but he looks as if he's about to ricochet off that executive chair.

  "Em, get to the part where something almost happens."

  "We got drunk. I wanted to forget about you. I wanted to dull the pain. I woke up in the morning and we were in bed together. Just sleeping! Louis, don't give me that look. I didn't have sex with him. I didn't even kiss him." My husband can't possibly think I slept with Will! But here he is, getting all worked up for no good reason. I add, "Will assured me nothing happened."

  "Were you naked?"

  "I had my panties on. He didn't touch me."

  "Was he naked?"

  "Yes, he was naked. But Louis, we didn't do anything. I told him I'm still married and that I love you and only you. I told him I wasn't interested in him, sexually. I didn't do anything for you to be upset with me. Will was the one who flew me home on his private jet."

  "What did you just say?"

  "I said, I didn't do anything for you to be upset with me about."

  "Did you say Will? Was it William fucking Knight who came to your rescue?"

  "How do you know his full name? Do you guys know each other?"

  Louis is running both hands in his hair, talking to himself with hand gestures and facial expressions. I've seen my husband mad and angry before but this is a Louis Bruel I have never witnessed.

  "Louis, calm down. You need to tell me what's going on. How do you know Will?"

  "Emily, in the whole wide world why did you have to go and find William Knight? Am I ever going to rid myself of that treacherous woman?"

  "Louis, can you please explain to me what's going on? I don't know what you're babbling about. What woman?"

  "William Knight is the late Isabella Knight's younger brother. You walked into her parent's hotel in St. Lucia."

  Fuck. My. Life…

  Acknowledgments

  There are truly many people I need to thank for helping me make my dream of writing a novel a reality. First, I need to confess that I'm slightly in lust with my husband. Well, more than slightly. So, to the man who makes my heart beat, thank you for inspiring me to be the best Tali that I can be. Thank you for loving me, and understanding all the crazy little things that make me happy. I started writing this fantasy for you and will continue writing many more fantasies because of you. Know that Everything I do, I do it for you (I'm going with the story that Bryan Adams stole my line). It has always been us against the world and I wouldn't want it any other way. Me, you, our babies and Chewbic, you are all my little slice of heaven. I LOVE YOU.

  Next lets talk about all my bitches. Yea, I said bitches! You know who you are, but I will list you anyway: Irene, Maya, Vicky, Rita, Karina, Angela, Ella and Alla. Thank you for being my sounding board, my crash test dummies, my beta readers or whatever you call it. Some of you had to endure this manuscript before it would be considered appropriate for human eyes or ears. I appreciate every single one of you ladies for supporting me, encouraging me and being proud of me. You spent hours on the phone with me listening and dissecting Emily and Louis ad nauseam. Without your valuable input this story wouldn't be what it is today. Writing this book was that much more fun because we got to do it together. I think it's been agreed that Louis Bruel will be played by: David Gandy with a dimple, in our fantasies. Emily is: you, me, and every other woman who reads this book.

  I would also like to thank my best friend and the woman who gave me life. I am very fortunate to have such a cool mom who doesn't judge her daughter for using the word "fuck" in her book like three thousand times. Mom, I love that you are always here for me and that you are part of every one of my life's endeavors. When I told you out of the blue one day that I was writing a novel you were excited and impressed and you didn't laugh in my face. You read Love in Rewind and loved it. You were one of my first supporters who urged me to finish writing this story and try and get it published. I hope that I make you proud. If I can be half the mother to my kids that you are to me, then I've succeeded.

  I also want to give thanks for my little sister. Michelle, life is just not worth living without you making me laugh every step of the way. You are the first person I speak to each day and the last person I text at night. I know how nervous you are for me, and how you want everything that I touch to be a success. I love you for that and for many other reasons and I appreciate you always. I hope you will continue to inspire me and hopefully give me some good material to keep writing. I live vicariously through you. So, don't let me down!

  To my A-team, Koa Beck and Rob Alicea. Thank you for being my sunshine when all I felt was rain.

  To Stephanie Lott from Bibliophile. Thank you for doing all the dirty work. I know it wasn't easy navigating the spelling/grammar minefield I put down on paper. But, you did it and you lived to tell about it, punctuations and all. All kidding aside, you really made sense of my rambling mess of a book. I bet you're reading my acknowledgment right now cringing and hitting your head against the wall…LOL

  Also, many thanks to my last line of defense Marie Piquette. You helped me so much, so very much. You are so smart, and so meticulous. I am so thankful … And I promise to never use so again, so help me God

  Lastly, thank you to each and every person who took the time out to read my book. I hope you all fell in love with Emily & Louis Bruel and enjoyed their love story as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life.

  xoxo Tali

  About The Author

  "Nothing really to tell, what you see is what you get."

  I am every woman out there that has fantasies in her head. I am a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a wife, a lover, a mother, and a friend. I happen to also be a Doctor of Pharmacy and a business owner by day, and now a writer by night. Writing and reading help me escape the scary world we live in. I hope my stories help readers experience many different emotions and ultimately, I hope I make them smile…

  Writing keeps me sane. I hope reading does the same for you.

  Many Thanks,

  Tali Alexander

  Contact The Author

  At:

  www.TaliAlexander.com

  TaliAlexanderBooks@aol.com

  Look for Book II from the

  Audio
Fools

  Series

  Sara's Love Story

  Coming in 2014