Just Exes

by Charity Ferrell

  Luke softly knocks on the guest room door. “Ready to head to the station? Detective Lewis is working on the case.”

  Andy is in good hands. Cory Lewis is the best homicide detective in the state and my friend of three years. I have faith he’ll help me in every way he can.

  “Don’t think I’ll ever be ready for this,” I mutter.

  I go to the kitchen and pour a shot of Jack when the doorbell rings.

  Luke comes walking into the kitchen. “Someone is at the door for you.”

  Fuck!

  The shot burns down my throat when I take it, and I march into the living room. “Swear to God, if it’s the fucking mayor, I’ll flip.”

  “Not the mayor, just the woman in love with you,” Lauren says.

  Thirty-Four

  Lauren

  Kyle had pulled through with helpful information by the time I landed. There was no certainty of Gage being at the home of his best friend and coworker in Chicago, but it was all I had to run with on short notice. No one has been able to reach him.

  He looks tortured when I step to him. His dark eyes are glassy, his face drained of all color, and his chin is trembling. I wrap my arms around him as a shield of comfort. He shoves his face into my shoulder and pours every emotion onto my skin. I rub his back, using my hand to make small circles while sniffling away my tears.

  Even though I never had the fortune to meet Andy, he’s in my heart because Gage is in my heart. And, just like that little boy I couldn’t save at the hospital, my heart aches that another innocent child was selfishly hurt by someone who was supposed to care for him.

  Why?

  How?

  How could anyone hurt a child, kill a child?

  Andy along with so many others were innocent souls taken too soon.

  Gage’s eyes are bloodshot when he finally pulls away, and silence envelops us while we make eye contact.

  Please see the apology in my eyes.

  He needs to know that I have his back as he prepares himself to endure days of hell. I have so many questions that I’m scared to ask.

  Was it Andy they found? How? Where?

  “So, you must be the infamous Lauren?”

  My hand flies to my chest when the man steps away from the wall at the corner of the room. I forgot we were in someone else’s home. He’s tall and tan-skinned with a sleeve of tattoos.

  I hug myself into Gage’s side and nod. A soothing comfort wraps around me as he pulls me closer to him.

  “I’ve heard so much about you.” He holds out his hand. “Luke.”

  I shake it. “Lauren. Those are all good things you’ve heard, right?”

  He uses the back of his arm to dust away the sweat on his forehead. “I’d be a liar if I said yes. They’ve all been bad.”

  No shocker there. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Gage convinced the entire city to hate my ass.

  I don’t look at Gage. He had his reasons for being upset with me.

  “Hopefully, you’ll make me change my mind about you,” Luke says. “I’m getting good vibes from your showing up here, and you have my gratitude for that. I’ll give you two time to talk.” He nods toward Gage. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

  Luke squeezes Gage’s shoulder before walking out of the room.

  I pull away and turn to face Gage. “If you have somewhere to be, I don’t want to keep you.”

  Pain closes over Gage’s face, and his voice shakes. “I need to go to the station and talk to the detective in charge of the case.”

  “Oh.” The word pops out of my mouth.

  Does he want me to leave?

  He slides his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “You want to come with me?”

  I wipe away my tears. “Of course. I’ll be at your side whenever you need me.” I point to my outfit. “You mind if I change real quick?”

  He shakes his head and shows me to a bedroom down the hallway. I set my bag on the bed next to another one that I assume is Gage’s. He lightly kisses my cheek and leaves the room without saying a word. I have so many questions to ask him, but now isn’t the time. I change out of my dress into a simple summer dress before going to the restroom to wash my make-up off.

  Gage and Luke are waiting for me when I return to the living room, and Gage’s hand stays on the base of my back when we follow Luke to his SUV. Gage slides in the backseat next to me, and I grab his clammy hand in mine after we buckle our seatbelts.

  “I owe Hudson one hell of a wedding gift for your bailing to come here,” Gage says.

  I shake my head. “You don’t owe him anything. They understand.”

  “Did you tell them about Andy?”

  I swallow. “They know who Andy was, but the details aren’t my story to tell.”

  He blinks. “Kyle?”

  “He knows about Andy and helped me find you, but that’s it. He needs to hear everything from you.”

  A stressed breath pulls from his chest. “I have some explaining to do. My dad … he told me why you broke up with me.”

  I squeeze his hand. “Let’s not talk about that right now, okay? Our problems don’t need to be fixed in one day.”

  My stomach curdles when Luke turns into a back parking lot of what I assume is the station. He slips out of his seat and meets us outside, and we walk in as a team with my hand in Gage’s, and Luke’s arm swung over his shoulders.

  All eyes are on us, and I scan the room to find faces filled with empathy, pain, and fear. These people were coworkers to both him and Missy and also most likely knew Andy. Their hesitation is evident, and a few gain the courage to head our way and hug Gage.

  We crowd into the detective’s office, and he shuts the door behind us.

  I sit down next to Gage, and Luke settles against the wall.

  “I wish I had more for you,” the detective tells Gage. “The medical examiner told me she’d call the minute the autopsy report was finished. You’re my friend, so I promise to pass along all information as soon as it comes, okay? Give me a day, and I’ll have more answers for you.”

  I expect Gage to fight for more information, but to my surprise, he only nods. I’m not sure if he came looking for answers or wanted peace of mind that the body hadn’t been identified yet. He wants to know but doesn’t. It would answer his questions but set him back.

  When someone goes missing, there’s still the hope of seeing them again. That faith ends when they’re confirmed dead. Your wish turns into dust, and the fear that you’d never hug them again is validated.

  I spot a mob of camera crews in front of the station when we leave to head back to Luke’s, and it gives me a bad feeling in my chest. It doesn’t hit me that the reporters were at the station for Andy’s story until we get to Luke’s house. News vans and reporters with microphones swarm Luke’s front yard when we pull up. They want someone to answer questions about Andy.

  That someone most likely being Gage.

  Luke parks in the drive and peeks back at us with a distraught look on his face. “Looks like Andy’s story went viral.”

  My attention moves from the crowd to Gage. Every muscle in his body is tense.

  “You two going to be okay while I run errands and attempt to ward off these scavengers?” Luke asks.

  I peek over at Gage for the answer.

  He nods. “We’re good. Thanks for everything, man.”

  Luke unbuckles his seat belt and fishes in his pocket before pulling out a key. “I’ll be here for anything you need. I’d suggest going through the back. You know the way.”

  My heart races as we quickly slide out of the SUV. Our heads stay down, our gaze low, and Gage’s hand finds mine as he leads me through the fence to the back door. I hear Luke warning the media scavengers to step off his property at the same time Gage unlocks the door. He bolts the door when we safely make it inside, and his hand is back in mine while I follow him to the bedroom.

  I stand in front of him while he sits down on the edge of the bed in exhaustion. He
groans and slowly looks up at me in pain when I run my hands through his messy hair.

  “I need you, Dyson,” is all he says before his hands venture up my summer dress, and he drags my panties to my ankles.

  There’s no hesitation before I pull my dress over my head, toss it to the floor, and drop to my knees. His lips part when I loosen his belt and pull his pants down. My job tonight is to help him forget about his pain—at least temporarily—and heal the scar tissue over his heart that Missy caused.

  His cock springs forth, ready for me, and I draw him into my mouth. His breathing quickens when I pull away to lick him up and down. He grabs the comforter in his fists, and the muscles in his legs tighten as he uses his power to keep them straight.

  He’s restraining himself.

  “Take me how you want,” I say around him. “Fuck my face how you want.”

  My words flip the switch in him. His hand leaves the bed to wrap around my hair, tugging it back, and his dick falls from my lips. He hisses and yanks me back to him, my mouth open, and clenches his hands around my strands.

  His hips tilt as he feverishly rams his erection into my mouth, going deeper with each stroke. I let him control my every move, stopping myself from gagging, and I give him what he wants. What he needs.

  “Fuck, you suck me so good,” he says between breaths. “Reach down and play with yourself.”

  I’m soaked, and my thighs are sticky with my juices when I do as I was told.

  “How wet are you for me, Dyson?” he asks in a strained voice.

  I stroke my clit one time before pulling away and holding my finger up to him. I’m surprised at how well I’m multitasking. I gasp and nearly fall back when his hand loosens on my hair, so he can lean down and suck my finger.

  “So wet,” he says. “So delicious.”

  I cry out at the loss of him when he pulls away again, and then I stare up at him, licking my lips, already missing the taste of his pre-cum.

  He pulls his shirt off and pats his lap. “Come here, baby.”

  I climb on him and moan when his fingernails bite into the skin at my hips.

  “Ride me, Dyson. Ride this pain from me.”

  And that’s what I do.

  I grip his shoulders while carefully guiding his erection inside me. He doesn’t loosen his hold on me as he rocks his hips up to go deeper.

  My body quivers as he fills me up, and I set a pace that borders the line of steady and hard. It’s rough but intimate.

  His large hand wraps around the back of my neck, and he pulls my face down to his. “Did you miss this cock, baby?”

  I pull myself up and slam down on him harder. “God, yes, so bad!”

  His nose nuzzles mine. “Mmm … I sure missed your pussy. I’ve been dreaming about being inside you again.” He groans and pumps his hips up. “So fucking good. Bounce on me.”

  His eyes stay on me as our sweaty bodies move against each other's.

  “Take me. Take it all,” I moan out, dragging my nails along his back.

  “Damn, I love you. I love you so damn much.”

  My stomach fills with sparks at his admission, and I can’t stop myself from responding truthfully, “God, I love you.”

  His palm finds the roundness of my ass, and he slaps it. His mouth meets mine, and he gives me a different kind of kiss. It’s filled with steam and intimacy but also trust and apology.

  We ride out our orgasms together, and he holds his hand over my mouth as I scream out my release. I work on leveling my breathing when he brushes my sweaty hair from my face and strokes my cheek.

  “Thank you, Dyson,” he says, his voice dark and masculine.

  He takes me with him while falling on his back and grabs my hand in his, guiding it to his chest. My fingers shake as he slowly drags it to his side, straight to the scar I asked about before.

  “This scar … it’s from her,” he whispers.

  I run my finger over the scar again. “Huh?”

  “It’s from Missy.”

  I rise up onto my elbows. “She stabbed you?”

  He nods. “After she was brought into the station for questioning. No one searched her, given her position at the station and who her family is. When I walked into the interrogation room, she snapped and stabbed me with a knife she had in her pocket.”

  I bend down and kiss the scar. “I’m sorry she put you through so much hell.”

  He pulls me into his arms, my chest against his, and his lips hit mine. “You said you love me.”

  I slap his chest and blush. “So did you.”

  “There’s never been a time I didn’t love you.”

  “You need to call your dad,” I say, turning on my side and nestling myself against Gage’s chest.

  It’s late, and we’re cuddled in Luke’s guest bedroom after our second round of sex and a much-needed nap. The sound of Gage’s phone ringing non-stop is what woke us up.

  Reporters and news outlets had managed to get his cell number. He turned it off, gave the detective my number, and asked Luke to keep us updated regularly. He’d have details before anyone. We haven’t turned on the TV in fear a story about Andy would pop up.

  Gage has been keeping to himself, not bothering to call anyone. I’ve stayed in contact with his dad, giving him the little updates I have, and everyone in my family tree has texted me. They don’t know the details, but they’ve given me nothing but words of support for Gage.

  “The news hit Blue Beech yet?” he asks.

  I nod.

  “Figured it wouldn’t stay quiet for long.” He shakes his head. “This is what I was afraid of. I guess money can’t cover everything up.”

  I run my hand over his smooth chest. “Are you … are you going to have a funeral for Andy?”

  Is it too early to ask that?

  “We had one. An empty casket. In the back of my mind, I thought I’d never find him. I knew what Missy had done. At first, she’d admitted to killing him, but she wouldn’t tell us where he was. He deserved a peaceful good-bye.” A scoff leaves him. “I’d put a million dollars down that she and her family are pissing themselves at this moment.”

  “Do you think you’ll visit her now?”

  “Missy?” He shakes his head with a twisted sneer on his face. “Fuck no. No matter how many times she calls, I’ll never visit that piece of trash.”

  I nod before resting my head on his chest. He’s had an exhausting day. Sleep is what he needs because I’m not sure what kind of news will be coming our way tomorrow.

  I jump and drop the water bottle in my hand when a light flips on.

  Luke walks into the kitchen, shirtless and wearing only a pair of athletic shorts. “Shit, sorry. I just got back from the gym and didn’t think anyone would still be awake.”

  It takes me a moment to catch my breath. “It’s fine. I can’t sleep, and not to mention, my work schedule has turned me into an insomniac.” My shifts are ever-changing. In the past month alone, I’ve worked every shift available.

  I step out of his way when he walks around the table to the fridge and grabs a bottle for himself.

  He opens it before taking a giant gulp and stares my way, as if he’s assessing me. “Are you back with him … permanently?”

  If I had a single friend, I’d try to set her up with Luke, especially after seeing his six-pack and deep V that disappears underneath his shorts. It’s not only his looks he has going for him, but I’ve also witnessed his character. He’s been a good friend to Gage, and he was Gage’s backbone when Andy went missing.

  “That’s my plan,” I answer.

  “I talked to his dad today. Amos said he’s the one who asked you to break up with my boy.”

  I stare down at my bare feet and silently sip my water. Amos might’ve admitted to what he asked, but that doesn’t stop the guilt from surfacing. I didn’t have to agree and go through with it. Leaving Gage was ultimately my choice. I chose his father’s happiness over his. I only wish the younger version of me saw it that way
. I never thought about what walking away from Gage would do to Gage.

  “Does Gage know Amos told you?”

  “He said something about Amos telling him but I’m not sure how much. I’m nervous about bringing it up right now. He has so much going on and our relationship problems seem so small at the moment.”

  “You’re a loyal one.”

  I glance back up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t throw people under the bus, and you keep your word. You think about people. Shit, from what it sounds like to me, you have a heart of gold.”

  If only.

  “Not everyone would agree with that statement.”

  “Not everyone knows the real you.”

  I shuffle my feet. “I grew up in a tight-knit family. My parents taught me to have people’s backs.”

  He nods, giving me a warm smile. “I like that. If only my mom had those same values.”

  “Bad childhood?”

  “Grew up in South Side, Chicago. Dad left my heroin-addicted mom at the word pregnant. My grandma took care of me the best she could with the pennies she got from Social Security.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, my tone gentle.

  “Don’t be. It only made me stronger.”

  “How did you and Gage meet?”

  He scoots out a chair, gestures for me to sit down, and takes the chair across from me when I do. “Funny story. First time I met him was at a bar. We got into some bullshit fight over a pool game and managed to give each other a black eye. And what do you know? I show up to training at the police academy to find him there too. We became friends, graduated from the academy together, and got hired at the same precinct.” He chuckles, grinning at the memory. “We call it our fight to brotherhood. Gage was my partner for a short time until The Storm of Missy came riding through. Her daddy dearest donates a courteous chunk of change to the city annually, and she was rewarded with choosing her partner.”

  “She chose Gage.”

  “She chose Gage.”

  I shiver at that revelation. Missy got everything she wanted and still wasn’t happy. “I’m glad he had you there for him when his world fell apart.”