by Ruby Cruz
“It’s what friends do, right? And if you ever do want to talk about it, just call me. I’ll listen.”
“Being friends is definitely nice, but I for one hope Will gets off his sorry ass and makes you my sister sometime soon.”
When I didn’t say anything, she narrowed her eyes. “Do you know something I don’t?”
“I can’t lie and say we haven’t talked about it. Especially lately when everything has been in flux. It’s like after all these changes, we’re trying to latch onto something permanent.”
“Don’t worry, because if I know my brother, he’ll ask you soon.” She glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry, but I’m expecting a client in a few minutes. But I’m glad you stopped by and we were able to talk.”
“Out of curiosity, would you have avoided me forever if I didn’t show up today?”
She smirked. “Probably. I’m not like you. I don’t like confrontation.”
“Hey, it’s not like I look for confrontation.”
“No, but I tend to avoid it rather than face it head on. I admire that about you.”
The intercom buzzed and Charity said, “Miss Darcy, Mr. Rojas just arrived.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll be out in a minute.” She turned her eyes back towards me. “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t keep him waiting.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
I moved to leave, but she called out, “Hey, Lizzy. Thanks again for coming by and checking on me.”
“Thank you for reassuring me about your brother.”
She grabbed me in a hug again. “I owe you a drink. One of these days, we’ll actually have to go get it.”
“I’d like that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Emotional Reboot
Two hours later, I was pleased with myself. I’d caught up on my study modules and had made some headway in my notecards, transcribing most of my notes for Advanced Health Assessment. There were probably apps for that type of thing, but I retained things better when I physically wrote things out - a trick I learned when going for my bachelor’s degree.
I sighed. I missed having Luke as my study buddy, but at least I had the coming weekend to look forward to. Whatever Darcy was planning, I was game for.
I started when Mrs. Pratchett’s voice came over the intercom. “Lizzy, Miss Lydia is here to see you.”
Confused, I checked my phone. She hadn’t called or texted, which was unlike her. She wasn’t the type to just randomly show up at my house. “Thanks, Mrs. P. Could you please send her down?”
When I saw Lydia’s face in the doorway, I immediately knew something was wrong. “What happened?”
“The apartment is being fumigated,” Lydia managed to say as she grimaced and let herself into the room.
“What? Why?” I led her over to the couch in the living area and she sat with me.
“Mrs. Haskins said she found a roach in her kitchen. She didn’t outwardly say it was my fault, but you could tell she was implying it. Anyway, she wants me to pay for half the exterminator fee, but I can’t afford it. You know all those extra hours I’ve been working and the per diem job I got. I’ve been behind on my car payments, so I had to pay those off, and I’m still paying down all those charges on my credit card that George racked up months ago.”
“So, is she kicking you out?”
She shook her head. “Not yet, but she said she needed to get the place fumigated this weekend, she didn’t want to take any chances of having an infestation. Not that I blame her because…ew.”
“I can help pay for the exterminator.”
“That would be great. I hate asking for the help, you’ve already done a ton to help me out, but I just need a little more time to get back on my feet, you know?”
She looked on the verge of tears, so I patted her hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. And you’re more than welcome to stay here until the apartment finishes airing out. I’ll be away this weekend with Darcy anyway. I just have to clear it with Will and Mrs. Pratchett.”
“Are you sure, Lizzy? I know you’ve got a lot going on yourself.”
“It’s not a problem. Like I said, I’ll just have to make sure it’s okay.”
“Thank you!” She threw her arms around me. “I really didn’t want to go back to Mom’s house. She’s been driving me crazy lately. She gets mad at me for all this stupid shit and makes it seem like I’m irresponsible even though I’ve been working my ass off to pay things off. You’re such a great step-sister.” She wiped at her eyes and blew her nose with a tissue. “So, what’s on tap with you and Dr. Doomsday this weekend? Hot date in the city?”
I raised an eyebrow. “I know I asked you to stop calling him that.”
“I know, I know, sorry. It just slipped.”
“All I know is we’re supposed to have dinner with his aunt one night. The rest is a mystery.”
“Ooh, mystery date. Lucky you.” As much as she was trying to be happy with me, I could detect the tone of bitterness in her voice. Not that she didn’t want me to be happy, but I’d gotten enough ribs from her about my so-called charmed life with the rich doctor that I knew she was a little jealous of what I had.
I shifted attention off myself to grouse about another run-in I’d had with Dolores earlier in the week, where she said I’d documented some medications late. “It’s like she’s out to get me. The lady took twenty minutes to swallow those pills, and they were crushed in applesauce. I wasn’t about to document they were administered until I knew she actually swallowed them.”
“Hey, she wrote me up also for doing something similar. She’s a bitch.” An evil grin formed on her face. “Or, maybe she has a thing for Dr. Darcy and is totally jealous you’re dating him and this is her backhanded revenge.”
“No way. She’s got to be at least fifty.”
“Hey, people at that age still can have sex. It’s not like they’re dead.”
I had a mental flash of Aunt Jo with Jack “Strong Hands” Holden and inwardly cringed. “Yes, you’ve got a point there. And I really hate you for putting that image in my head.”
“What? Of Dolores with Darcy? Ooh, they’ve got the alliteration thing going. Must be a match made in heaven.”
“Stop. I can still kick you to the curb, you know. Speaking of which, do you still need to pick up some things from home? I can let you borrow some of my stuff if you need clothes.”
“I’m cool. I grabbed what I needed when I left in hopes you would let me stay.”
When I discussed her situation with Mrs. Pratchett, the older woman nodded grimly. “The poor dear, as if she hasn’t been through enough. Of course she can stay with us, though I would check with Dr. Darcy.”
“I plan to as soon as I can manage to get a hold of him, but I doubt he’ll have an issue with it.” After all, he’d paid twenty thousand dollars to help Lydia out before. Housing her for a few days while our apartment was being fumigated seemed like a small gesture in comparison to his earlier generosity.
~
I offered Lydia the use of my study wing until the apartment was habitable again. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how I’m going to pay you back, but I will.”
“Okay, I love you, but I really need to get back to studying. You can hang out, watch TV here, but I’ve got to get back to work if I’m going to have a chance of passing my midterms.”
“Oh, please, I know you. You’ll complain for ages when you study, but you know the material like the back of your hand and you’ll ace your tests in the end.” When I just stared at her pointedly, she held up her hands. “Okay, fine. I’ll be a good little girl and keep out of your way.”
Twenty minutes later, I’d finally gotten my groove back while studying in the family room when I heard Mrs. Pratchett at the front door.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, doesn’t anyone call anymore?” I muttered as I put my note cards down and moved towards the entrance way.
My
heart leapt when I saw Darcy was standing in the foyer, his eyes intense. “What happened? Are you okay? I thought I was supposed to meet you in the city tomorrow night.” He ignored me, just grabbed me about the waist and kissed me soundly until my knees felt weak.
He grinned as he pulled away. “Now I’m better.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t wait another moment to see you. I was visiting the Morristown office when I decided to come by tonight instead of returning to the city. I still have to be back in New York tomorrow to meet with my aunt about business but I thought maybe…”
He started kissing me again, but I stopped him reluctantly. “Lydia’s here. The apartment is being fumigated and she needed a place to crash. She’s in the study wing.”
He did not look pleased. “When were you going to let me know?”
“I left a message for you to call me which you obviously didn’t return. She’s my step-sister. I couldn’t turn her away, and I can’t exactly foist her off on Jane or Hal. They’ve got their own issues. It’s just for a couple of days, hopefully. Since we’re going away this weekend, I didn’t think it’d be a big deal.”
“Well, I did say this is your home also, so far be it for me to criticize you.”
“But you’re going to anyway.”
“I didn’t come here to fight you.”
“No, you just came for your conjugal visit.” I blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Is that what you think I want?”
I struggled to find words that wouldn’t be argumentative. “Like you said, you didn’t come home to fight with me, and I don’t want to argue either. Just drop it.”
His jaw clenched so I knew he was upset, but he didn’t voice it. “Fine. Maybe this was a mistake. It’s getting late and I have an early meeting tomorrow. I should probably head back into the city.”
“Will, please don’t be like this.”
He ran a hand through his hair, causing the ends to stand up, the disarray seeming to mimic the haggard expression on his face. “What would you have me do, Lizzy? I’ve been working practically twenty-four/seven. I’m exhausted, and all I wanted was to come home and spend time with my girlfriend, and she’s picking a fight with me.”
“I said I was sorry.”
His eyes flashed with frustration or anger or perhaps both. “But that doesn’t change that your comment must reflect how you must feel about this relationship.”
“You’re not the only one who’s tired. I know that you think my life is small and isolated, and you’re probably right. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a life. You’re gone, but my life still has to go on.”
He blinked at my words but the expression on his face remained the same. “So, what are you saying?”
“I’m not saying anything. I’m just stating the fact that you can’t expect me to stay at home just pining and waiting by the door for you to return like some lost puppy. I have my job, and my classes and also my family and friends.”
“And what about me? I’m not as important as them?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying! They keep me…occupied. They’re a distraction from the fact that every moment you’re gone I feel like my heart is empty.” My hand sought the spot on my chest, and Darcy followed the gesture with his eyes. “I want to be with you more than anything, but I can’t help it when I suspect that the only reason you stopped by tonight is so you could grab a quickie before you go back to the city.”
His gaze drifted up but did not quite reach my eyes. “Well, maybe if you really feel that way, I’d best just return to the city tonight and let you study and spend time with Lydia.”
He began to move away from me but I grabbed his arm to make him face me. “Stop twisting my words! I want to spend time with you, but you can’t expect me to literally drop everything with absolutely no notice. I think I deserved the courtesy of at least a phone call before…”
He yanked his arm from my grasp but made no further moves to leave. “Before what? Before I return to my own house?”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. Darcy was home and we were bickering over…what? I couldn’t even figure it out.
I exhaled loudly and attempted to quell the frustration within me. I forced myself to step towards him and lifted an unsteady hand to his cheek. It was rough with day-old stubble, a sure sign of how rushed he’d been in coming home to see me. I sighed again, this time more softly. “I’m sorry. Of course I want you to be here, in your own house, with me. I’m ecstatic you’re home, even though I might not be showing it at the moment.”
I stepped towards him again and wrapped my arms around his waist. He didn’t return the embrace, just stood stiffly in my arms. I didn’t care. I lifted my face. He avoided eye contact and stared at a spot over my shoulder. I stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his stubbly cheek, then again along his jaw, then his neck.
I knew I was having an effect because I could feel his pulse begin to quicken beneath my lips. I lifted my hand again, placed it on the back of his neck, and pulled his face towards mine. He resisted at first, but just as he reached the halfway point between us, he moved of his own accord and kissed me.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, the words a murmur against his lips before pulling away slightly. “I don’t want to fight with you and especially not over something like this.”
“I’ve missed you also. That’s probably why I feel like I’m going crazy.”
I kissed him again, and when our lips finally separated, I leaned my head against his chest. I could hear his heart beat erratically in his chest, the only indication of how much he was holding back.
“Well,” he began, his arms still wrapped tightly around me. “If you don’t want to have our conjugal visit, what do you want to do this evening?”
“I never said I didn’t want you,” I clarified. “You just should’ve called before you came.”
“I didn’t think I needed an invitation to see my own girlfriend in my own home.”
“I just would’ve liked a little heads up in the form of a call or text or even email.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“You definitely did that. Despite my complaints, it’s a good surprise.” I thought to the coming weekend. “Speaking of surprises, am I still meeting you in the city tomorrow night?”
“Yes. None of that has changed.” He sighed deeply and held me even more tightly. “Lizzy, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Something in his voice nagged at me, had me pulling away just enough so I could tilt my head up and look at his face again. “Are you okay? Do you need to talk about something?”
He kissed my forehead. “No. I’m just glad I was able to see you tonight.”
His phone buzzed from his coat pocket, and he closed his eyes with a sigh before extracting it and checking the screen. “I should take this.” He kissed me quickly before taking the call. “I’ll be upstairs in a minute.”
I watched him wander away towards the family room and sun room, leaving me to wonder exactly what had happened.
~
Hours later, Darcy was fast asleep when I padded back downstairs to get a drink of water and found Lydia sitting at the kitchen counter texting on her phone. “Hey,” I greeted. “I didn’t know you were still up.”
She hit a couple more keys before putting the phone down. “Yeah, couldn’t sleep.” She looked at me, a smirk forming on her face. “So, did Dr. Darcy give you any clues on what to pack for this weekend?”
“Absolutely none. All I know is we’re having dinner with his aunt, so I need to pack at least one nice dress.”
“In any case, I don’t think you need to pack that much. I don’t think Will is planning on keeping you clothed for very long.”
I blushed. “Shut it.”
“Oh, come on, I’m allowed a little fun. After a
ll, it’s not often my step-sister has a better sex life than I do.”
“It’s only because I have a regular boyfriend right now and you don’t.”
“Don’t remind me.”
I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and started pouring water from the dispenser in the fridge. “How is the sexile going?” I could imagine her self-imposed single status couldn’t be easy for boy-crazy Lydia.
She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s not like I have all that much money to go out to Riley’s or anything anymore anyway. It’s fine. Actually, it’s sort of nice to take a break from guys and not worry about pleasing anyone other than myself. And I mean that in the non-dirty way.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d hear that statement coming from your mouth. The not-minding-being-single one, I mean.” I regarded her over my water glass.
She shrugged. “Yeah, it’s sort of scary. I mean, I’ve never really been on my own like this for so long. It was like one relationship after another, and then I was with George. Now I’m finding out what it’s like without having a guy influence me.”
“That’s a very mature thing to realize.”
“Well, it’s easy to say, but not so easy to actually live. I still think about living with George and wonder what would’ve happened if he hadn’t left. If we would’ve been able to make it.”
I sat on the stool next to her. “He’s a poor example to set your standard by.”
“I know, but I still wonder.”
“Do you still have feelings for him? He’s been gone almost a year.”
She shrugged again and stared at her phone which was still in her hands. “I don’t know. Like you said, he’s been gone a while, but some feelings are still there. I don’t think they’ll ever go away, even after all the crappy stuff he’s done to me.”
“Maybe all you need is your emotional reboot and you’ll meet someone who’ll finally treat you right.”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But I think the priority right now is for me to treat me right.”
I couldn’t help but smile and grab her shoulders in a one-armed hug. “I’m so proud of you, my young padawan.”