It's Always Been You

by Elle Wright

  Later, they sat facing each other, her legs flung over his. Moaning, she said, “This is so good.”

  “Want more?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  He fed her another spoonful of banana pudding. After they’d made love a third time, she’d told him she wanted something sweet to eat. He’d sneaked down to the kitchen, careful not to make too much noise and wake up Gloria, and pulled out everything he could find. In the bed with them was a bowl of banana pudding, a slice of lemon pound cake, a brownie and Jell-O. He broke off a piece of cake and popped it into his mouth.

  “How is it?” Love asked.

  Drake scowled. It wasn’t the best cake he’d ever tasted, but he liked to support entrepreneurs. One of the patient techs had ideas to start a cottage industry baking cakes and wanted him to be her taster. “Not good.”

  Love wrinkled her nose. “I told you to stop buying food from those people at the hospital. You never know what their houses look like. They could have bugs.” She shook her head. “Yuck.”

  “I’ll try anything once.” He squeezed her thigh, leaned in and kissed her. She caressed his face as they deepened the kiss.

  When she pulled back and dipped her spoon in the red Jell-O, he took a minute to look at her. She was a vision, with her hair wild and free. His oversize shirt hung off her shoulders, exposing her bare skin.

  They ate in silence, devouring the food in front of them. Finished, she fell against the mattress. “Woo, that was yummy.”

  He set their dishes on the bedside table and lay back next to her. They stared at the ceiling, seemingly in their own thoughts.

  “Drake?” she asked, rising up on her elbow and looking down at him.

  “Hmm?”

  “Did we just declare our love for each other?”

  Chuckling, he confirmed that they had in fact done that. “I meant what I said.”

  “Why do you love me?”

  He shook his head. Leave it to Love to ask the hard questions. “I’ve loved you since I was two years old.”

  “Drake, that doesn’t count. We were in Pull-Ups.”

  “It counts, because I feel like you being my best friend has contributed to the way I love you now.”

  “How so?”

  “I loved you before we were us, and I love you more now because we’re us.”

  “Aw, you’re so sweet. And corny.” She laughed.

  “I’m glad I can still make you laugh.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into him. “What do we do now?”

  From his experience with Love, he knew he had to let her set the pace. He knew what he wanted, and he didn’t second-guess it. They were taking a big leap, but he was ready to jump, as long as she was with him. The easy way they were with each other confirmed that they could make it work. The awkwardness of the morning after their wedding had disappeared. Love was comfortable with him, invested in them.

  “We take it day by day,” he said. “Are you good with that?”

  She pressed her cheek against his chest, kissed him right above his heart. “Yes, I am.”

  He heard the growl of her stomach. “Are you still hungry?”

  “Oh, my God, that is so embarrassing, and so not sexy.”

  “I can try to cook you something.”

  “I want to live to see tomorrow.” She giggled. “I have a taste for fish and grits, but it’s too late to eat. I’m already going to pay for this dessert break.”

  “Aw, shoot. I must have put it down if you’re talking about making my favorite meal.”

  She pinched him. “Shut up. Go to sleep. I’ll make you fish and grits tomorrow.”

  The room descended into silence again. He squeezed her tight. “Good night. I love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Chapter 16

  The Cadillac Club, an exclusive society, hosted a fund-raiser for the hospital every spring. Each year they awarded countless scholarships to prospective college students at the Annual Beau/Debutante Ball for high school seniors of color. They were also what Love considered a black elite social group.

  Ann Arbor had a large population of affluent African Americans—doctors, lawyers, business owners and executives in local companies. True, they donated money to countless charities, but in doing so, some of them looked down on the people they were trying to help.

  The Jackson family—more specifically, Drake’s grandfather—was a founding member of the club. They were honoring his father with an award for philanthropy, and Love had promised Drake she’d be at the gala—even though she hated events like these.

  Formal dinners were not her idea of fun, especially when it was an event that served one main purpose: to provide affluent individuals with a venue to act superior to other people. Love preferred low-key events. She’d rather be chilling in a bar with a bowl of peanuts and a big screen TV than attending a tense, stuffy dinner.

  As she and Drake walked into the ballroom, his hand on the small of her back, she felt extremely uncomfortable. It had been a week since they’d declared their love for each other, and things were good. But they hadn’t yet been around Drake’s father together.

  They’d spent the last week in a little bubble, holed up in bed or sneaking off at work to have lunch together or make out in the residents’ lounge.

  Love shifted, pulled at her gown. “I do not want to be here,” she grumbled.

  “We won’t stay long,” Drake whispered against her ear. “You look beautiful, though.”

  He’d told her that countless times already that evening. And she felt beautiful. Dr. Law had sent a limousine to pick them up, because heaven forbid one of his sons show up in a car. She’d been on edge for the whole ride, until Drake made her come so hard in the back of the limo she couldn’t think about anything but him.

  Sighing, she asked, “Promise?”

  “I’m counting down the minutes till we leave.”

  The ballroom was gorgeous. The dusty rose and champagne color scheme was elegant and timeless. It was obvious the club had spared no expense to ensure everyone enjoyed the party and would be talking about it for months. Waiters walked around with trays of champagne, floral arrangements graced each tabletop, silver gleamed in the chandelier lighting. Everything seemed to sparkle. Love was impressed.

  “Hey, bruh.” Drake’s younger brother Ian, one of the twins, approached them. The two men embraced and Ian gave Love a kiss on the cheek. “Hello, sister-in-law.”

  Love winked at him. He was like a little brother to her, too. “Hi, brother-in-law. You look good.”

  “And if you weren’t married to my brother, I might have to take you home for the night.”

  “Watch it,” Drake warned.

  “Hey, I call it like I see it, and your wife is wearing some dress.”

  Love thanked Ian for the compliment. It had taken her hours to get ready. She hadn’t been able to decide on what to wear. She’d purchased two gowns because she’d been torn. In the end, she’d chosen the black one. Nude mesh fabric with beaded accents created an illusion of a sheer back and side panels. It fitted her like a glove. Her hair was swept to the side in a delicate updo. From the moment he saw her, Drake hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her.

  “Dad was looking for you,” Ian murmured to Drake. “He was ready to send me out to fetch you.”

  Drake shrugged. “He knew I was coming. Where’s Myles?”

  Ian shrugged in turn. “Hell if I know. Probably working.”

  Myles was Ian’s twin brother, but the two could not be more different. Ian was carefree, while Myles was closed off, serious. Of all the siblings, Myles was the most like Dr. Law. The twins were only seven months younger than Drake. Dr. Law had had two women pregnant at the same time.

 
Ian was dressed in a charcoal gray tuxedo, his short hair and beard groomed. He and Drake were around the same height, while Myles was a little shorter. Love took a moment to admire her husband in his black tuxedo. She loved a man in a suit and Drake wore one well. Love hadn’t encountered a Jackson man that wasn’t fine. Even Dr. Law was a devastatingly handsome man.

  Ian nursed a tumbler filled with an amber-colored liquor. She suspected it was scotch. That was his drink of choice. “I was subjected to lecture two million ten about how he has high expectations for my career, and I should stop volunteering and focus on school,” Drake’s brother said drily.

  Ian spent time volunteering with the Red Cross. Love had worked with him on several projects, and she appreciated his heart for service. Dr. Law could learn a thing or two from his sons.

  “Where is Melanie?” Drake asked.

  “She’s out of town,” Ian said. “Claimed she had to attend a conference in Seattle. I think she’s full of it.”

  Melanie, or Mel, was the youngest of the Jackson brood. She was happily enjoying her college years, partying and traveling without a care in the world.

  “Aw, I was hoping to see her,” Love said.

  “Hello, family.” Myles, with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his heather-gray tuxedo, stepped up to them. He kissed Love on the cheek and shook Drake’s hand. “I see the gang is all here.”

  “I’m glad you finally left the hospital,” Love told him. Myles stayed at the hospital more than required. “It’s time you live your life.”

  “Congratulations on the wedding,” he replied, changing the subject. “I’m shocked. All these years, and you just up and decide to get married. I don’t get it.”

  “You sound like Dad,” Ian said. “I’m glad you did it, Drake. You got a good woman.”

  Drake wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her closer and placed a kiss to her temple. “I know. You don’t have to tell me.”

  “Well, if it isn’t my boys,” Dr. Law said as he approached. “And my new daughter-in-law.” He greeted his sons with handshakes and gave her a hug. “Good to see you, Lovely.”

  She smiled. “Same to you.”

  Love couldn’t help but feel some type of way about Dr. Law after hearing about how he’d lied to Drake about his mother for all those years. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind. One day, she’d get her chance.

  “Drake, I have some colleagues I need you to meet.”

  Love smiled when Drake shot her a look as he followed his father away. She scanned the ballroom and spotted her own dad on the other side of the room. She’d expected him to be there. He was a member of the club, although not as prominent as Dr. Law.

  Love walked over to the bar and ordered a club soda. She wasn’t in the mood for alcohol. She had an early shift in the morning.

  “Hello, Lovely,” her father said. “I was wondering if you were going to try and avoid me tonight.”

  She turned to him. “Hello, Dad.”

  He hugged her. “You’re beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Where’s your husband?”

  Love didn’t miss the sarcasm. Her father was still salty with her and Drake for getting married. “He’s with his father. Dad, I really need this to stop. I hate fighting with you.”

  He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry.”

  “Are you?”

  “I am. I shouldn’t have said or done the things I did. You’re my daughter, and I love you. I just want you to be happy. Can you forgive me?”

  Love eyed him. “Can you promise to leave Drake alone?”

  There was a long silence, and Love wondered what he was going to say next. Was this an act?

  “I promise.”

  She hugged her father, shutting her eyes when his arms closed around her. A hug from Dr. Leon Washington was a rare thing, and she savored it. “Thank you, Dad.”

  * * *

  Drake stood on the far side of the ballroom, a letter from Johns Hopkins in hand. They’d accepted him into their cardiothoracic surgery residency program. It was a fellowship that he’d applied for last year, before Love.

  Two months earlier he wouldn’t have hesitated. But now...

  “What are you going to do?” his father asked.

  Drake’s dad had given a lecture at Johns Hopkins and run into the chief of surgery while there. The two were old friends, and the other doctor had given him the letter to hand deliver to Drake.

  Scratching his forehead, Drake shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “You’ve worked for this.”

  Drake was skeptical about his father’s sudden show of support. He could see right through him. This was about Love, plain and simple. “I’m married, Dad. I can’t just up and leave. I can continue here.”

  “Son, this is a huge opportunity. You can’t pass something like this up.”

  “Don’t tell me what I can or can’t do. All of a sudden you’re concerned? I wonder why I find that hard to believe.”

  He caught a glimpse of Love walking toward them, and tucked the letter in his inside jacket pocket.

  “Hey, babe,” she said.

  Drake hugged her, kissing her brow. “Hey.”

  He couldn’t stop looking at Love. Her beauty glowed from within. When he’d first seen her dressed and made up earlier, he couldn’t breathe. It overwhelmed him at times, the way he loved her. The thought of leaving her made him sick.

  “I spoke with my dad,” she said.

  He glanced at his own father. “I’ll talk to you soon.” He led Love away without another word to him. “How did that go?” he asked her.

  “It went well. He apologized.”

  “That’s good.”

  She eyed him curiously. “Are you okay?”

  Drake wasn’t sure if he should tell Love about the acceptance letter, especially since they’d decided to try and make their relationship work. But he’d never lied to her before, not about anything serious. Sure, he’d told her on a number of occasions he hadn’t eaten her food, but this was big. Taking that fellowship would put them in different states for three years. Even if they did decide to try and make it work long-distance, the odds of them succeeding were low.

  “I’m fine, just irritated with my dad,” he told her. It wasn’t an outright lie, just not the entire truth. “Let’s take our seats. Dinner will start soon.”

  Drake and Love joined Ian and Myles at a table. His father was seated at the adjacent table with his current wife.

  “What do you have a taste for?” Drake asked Love, frowning at the menu card in front of him. He hated these highbrow events. The food always consisted of rubbery chicken, overcooked beef or dry fish.

  She hummed. “Um... I’m thinking the chicken dish. What about you?”

  “The rib eye.”

  “Okay, get your steak and we can share my chicken. I have to save room for my cheesecake.”

  Drake nodded, distracted by the skin peeking out through the slit in her dress. He reached out and brushed a hand over her knee. “I want to take you home.”

  “Yeah? I want you to take me home. But we have to stay, at least until your father gets his award.”

  “Drake?”

  He turned at the sound of his name being called. Howard and Dawn Harris approached the table. Though the couple were colleagues of his, he couldn’t stand either one of them. They were nothing but trouble, and had caused many problems at work.

  “Is that you, Love?” Dawn said in a saccharine tone.

  Love smiled brightly at them. “Yes, it’s me.”

  “You clean up nice,” Dawn said.

  Love tapped a finger on the table. Drake knew she couldn’t stand Dawn, either. “How are you two?” she asked.

  Drake picked
up his glass of cognac and raised it in greeting. “Hi, Dawn. Howard,” he said drily.

  “We’re good,” Dawn replied. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “Why not?” Drake asked. “My father is winning the award of distinction.”

  “I heard that you two are seeing each other now.” The other woman folded her arms over her chest.

  “We’re married,” he said. “Happily. But you know that, right? You’ve been the one spreading rumors about us around the hospital.”

  Love’s eyes widened, but she played along. “Which is surprising to us because you don’t know anything about our relationship.”

  Dawn’s cheeks turned red and she nervously clutched her purse strap. “Who said I did that? I rarely even think about you.”

  Love piped up, “Oh, how wonderful. I don’t think about you, either.”

  Without another word, Dawn pulled Howard away in a huff.

  Drake smiled at Love. “You’re brilliant.”

  She looked at him, her eyes sparkling in the dim lighting. “Well, you married me. I guess that makes you brilliant, too.”

  Chapter 17

  Love looked up when Drake walked into the bedroom. “Hey,” she said, setting her pen down on her book. “You’re home earlier than I thought.”

  “Yeah, I’m tired.” He undressed, then slipped on his pajamas.

  He sat on the edge of the bed, bowed his head. She crawled toward him and hugged him from behind, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Do you need anything? I made dinner.”

  Drake kissed her hand, held it against his mouth. “You are too good to me. I don’t deserve you.”

  “Yes, you do. We deserve each other.” She brushed her lips against his. “I can warm up some food for you.”

  Some women hated the thought of taking care of their men, but Love embraced it. She loved cooking for Drake, and making sure that he was eating well. It was relaxing to her, and not that different from how she’d been with him before everything changed.