by Harper Sloan
And to be completely honest, I don’t want to be away from him.
I still have my apartment, but the majority of my stuff has slowly started to make its way to his house. Some of it because I need it, but I’m starting to wonder if he is pocketing my belongings and then moving them to his house when I’m not looking. Either way, we are pretty much living together at this point.
Our second fight was over my car. Even though it was ready a few days after Mandy pulled her crazy on it, Greg, without letting me know, told the mechanic to sell it. The next day a brand new Honda sat in the driveway of his house. We fought about it for a good day. He had to endure my silence, but when he finally had enough, he calmly told me that he wanted me safe. My old car couldn’t offer that so he took care of it. When that didn’t work, he pulled me close and said, “Baby, after I lost Grace in a car accident, do you think you could please just give a little here? I want to know you are safe when I can’t be with you.” Yeah, call me whipped but that is all it took.
We have done all the traditional couple things. We date, we go out with friends, he met my mom, and we have tons and tons of sex. I am starting to believe that Greg Cage is unbelievably close to perfection.
Things with Susan have also calmed down over the weeks. She’s called a few times but usually only when she is drunk out of her mind. Mom and I think she will eventually forget that Cohen exists and just leave us alone.
One thing we don’t have to worry about is Mandy. That is another promise that Greg kept. The next day, he drove me to the police station and helped me fill out the necessary reports to have a restraining order against her. Although he assures me that it won’t ever be needed, he still feels better knowing it’s there. He didn’t tell me until later that week that he had a ‘come to Jesus’ (as my mom calls it) with Mandy. I don’t care what happens to the bitch, but according to him, she is back on her meds and seeking help. ‘Back on the meds’ should have been clue enough that she really is a psycho bitch. Maybe next time, she will keep up with those damn pills. All that matters is he says that she won’t be a problem, and I believe him.
About two weeks ago, I started to bring Cohen around. If there was any doubt left in my mind that Greg was the perfect man, watching him with my nephew squashed it. It is clear that he is meant to have children in his life but when he started asking me about my plans for the future when it came to Cohen, I start to worry a little that maybe kids aren’t something he wants. I can’t help my fears; it all just seems so perfect that I keep waiting for ‘it’ to happen and all of this to just blow up in my face.
So, I told him the truth. I wanted Cohen. My mom wants me to have Cohen. He is a crazy-as-hell three-year-old boy who needs someone that can keep up with him. He smiled and told me that was a great plan, and then continued to sit there with me for hours and plan our future with Cohen in it.
That was also the night that I realized I had fallen in love with him.
* * *
We are closing in on autumn and the weather is still nice enough to enjoy being outside for long periods. So here I am, in Greg’s kitchen, making lunch for the two most important men in my life. Greg and Cohen are spending some time doing what Cohen calls ‘man fluff, no hips,’ which, when translated by a hysterical Greg, means ‘man stuff babe, no chicks allowed.’ They left a few hours ago to do whatever it is that boys do. My mom has graciously taken me up on my offer to start having Cohen spend some weekends with me. Now that I have somewhere I feel safe enough to take him, we are finally spending some quality time together.
I have just cut up the last sandwich when I hear the front door open and little feet pound down the hall.
“Melwee! Melwee, look what I got!” And like a flash, in comes Cohen with a bright red cape flapping behind him. “Greg said this would help me fight ninjas. He said that all ninjas are scared of superheroes. He said that if I have a cape I have MAGIC! Magic powers that ninjas can’t fight because they aren’t SUPERheroes! Melwee! Do you see? Can you see it?” The whole time he is giving this speech, he doesn’t once take a breath. By the time he’s finished, he has to take a few deep ones just to stay on his feet. I look over and see Greg leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his thick chest and a huge grin on his face. I give him one of my own before turning my attention back to Cohen, who is now spinning in circles and kicking his feet out every few seconds. My guess, he’s fighting ninjas now and completely forgotten about us.
“Come here and let me see your powers, little man. I can already tell that the ninjas are going to be so scared of you! I bet they don’t even come near Nana’s house anymore!”
He stops his weird twirl kicking and jumps into my arms. “Can you feel my power?” he whispers loudly into my face. “Greg said that I have powers against you too,” he says still whispering loudly.
“Oh he does, does he?” I ask and look over at Greg, watching as his silent laughter shakes his body.
“Co, my man, not something you’re supposed to tell the ladies.” Greg laughs in response to Cohen and walks over to ruffles his hair.
“Alright, tell me, little guy, what kind of powers do you have against me?”
“I can make you love me!” He laughs and looks over at Greg nodding his little head, “Greg said that I can make you love me and all I have to do is smile! He told me it worked on him, so it has to be magic powers, Melwee! He told me. He said all I have to do is smile and everyone falls in love with me because I’m special like that.”
Well. Shit. My throat has closed up now and I can feel my eyes prickling. I am going to cry. “He did?” I croak.
“Melwee, what’s wrong with your face? You look funny. Like that time you dropped something on your foot and yelled that really bad word; your face looks like that.” He takes both my cheeks in his small hands and moves my head around, studying every inch. “Yeah, you look funny.” Then he wiggles to get down and takes off running through the house, yelling for the ninjas to watch out because he’s going to hunt them down.
“You should probably go make sure he doesn’t destroy the house,” I whisper to Greg, who is now pulling me into his arms.
“Don’t care about anything in the house he can break.”
“Not even your brand new flat screen?” I question, still trying to control my emotions.
“Nope.”
“Not even that really expensive computer?”
“Not even that.”
“You love him?” He bends slightly and places a kiss on my nose. When he pulls back, I can see it. His smile is huge, all the way to his eyes, making his laugh lines deepen. Those blue eyes I love so much are sparkling with humor, but clear as day, I can see it.
“Yeah, Beauty, I love him.”
“Oh.” Pathetic but that’s all I have for him. I am sure my ‘funny face’ just got funnier. I can’t stop the tears if I try. The thought of this man, who has already stolen my heart, loving Cohen as much as I do, is just too much to hold in.
“Babe, how can you can be so blind when your eyes are wide open? Even if he wasn’t the coolest kid I have ever met, even if I didn’t enjoy the hell out of my time reliving my childhood with the little guy, he is part of you. No, he isn’t yours and I understand that, but he is part of you, and Beauty, how can I not love that?”
Oh. God.
“Oh,” I repeat and crash my head into his chest. He laughs a few times before cupping my face and lightly pulling my head off his chest.
“Oh? That’s all you got for me?” He jokes. How he can joke right now is beyond me.
“What do you want me to say? You need to be clear with me, baby, because I don’t want to misinterpret something you could be saying right now.” My voice sounds funny and the tears have already started falling freely. He just keeps smiling down at me, both of his warm palms against my neck and his thumbs keep sweeping away my tears. All the while, he just keeps smiling.
“Alright. I love having you in my house, going to sleep with your body pressed
close to mine and waking up with you still in my arms. I love coming home and having dinner with you in my house, watching movies on the couch with you laying on top of me. I love getting your calls every time something ridiculous happens that you just can’t wait to tell me about. I love Cohen. He’s amazing, and one day I would love to be a permanent part of his life. But, I don’t love him because he’s great. No, I want to be a permanent fixture in his life because I am deeply in love with his aunt. Beauty, I love you.”
“You love me?” I whisper again after a few moments of just taking him in.
“Yeah, I do. Completely.” His strong voice wraps around me and his love is like a blanket of warmth. I can feel it like a tangible thing taking over the room.
“I love you too. God, I do . . . so much.” My silent tears have turned into sobs now. He lets my face go for a second, but only to pick me up by my hips and sit me down on the countertop. My legs open automatically, and he steps in, arms going around my body as he tucks my head into his neck.
“Baby, best I can see, this is a good thing. Why are you crying about it?” he asks, his voice rumbling against my ear. He stands there with my head against his chest and lets me have my moment. Silently being my rock, my strength, and just lets me have this.
When I hear some loud bangs and Cohen’s battle cry of victory, I know it’s only a matter of time before our moment is interrupted. I pull back and wipe my eyes before looking into Greg’s eyes.
“You love me?” I ask again, but this time letting my happiness show, and I smile so big, it even hurts a little.
He throws his head back and his laughter rings out around us. “Yeah, I do.”
“That’s good.”
“You’re wrong, babe,” he says with a smile. “It’s not good, it’s fucking amazing.”
* * *
Since it is Sunday and Greg and I both start work pretty early, we bring Cohen home before dinner so that we can go out and have some us time before the week starts. This is also something we try to do during the week. When things get crazy at the Corp Security offices, it is sometimes past dinner when he gets home. So if we have time, we make it a point to spend special time like this together.
‘Super Co,’ which is what we have been instructed to call Cohen now, takes off into my mom’s house the second Greg parks. His cape flaps in the wind behind him, and we can already hear him starting his speech with my mom. Greg walks over and takes my hand before we head into the house.
When we make it to the kitchen, Cohen is still screaming about all his magic. “Oh my, that is some good news, baby.” My mom smiles at us and gives Cohen a big kiss before he runs off to his room to make sure there aren’t any ninjas.
“That boy is so funny sometimes,” she says shaking her head. “Meli-Kate, come here baby.” I let Greg go and walk into her arms. “You look happy today,” she whispers in my ear.
“I am,” I whisper back. “I really am.”
“That’s good, baby. You deserve that.” She pulls back and gives me a kiss on my forehead before turning to my man.
“Come here handsome and give this old lady some thrills.” And here starts my mother’s weekly enjoyment in my boyfriend and embarrassing me at every turn.
“Lilly,” he says and walks up, wraps his arms around her, and lifts her off her feet in a big hug.
She laughs loud and slaps him playfully on the arm when he lets her down. “Such a strong man! Take my girl home and show her a good night.” She giggles and I turn beat red.
“Mom! Jesus!” They both laugh, enjoying this new tag team effort to embarrass me.
We stay in the kitchen for a while before Greg excuses himself to go say goodbye to Cohen. How did I miss how much he cares for my nephew for so long?
I don’t realize that I have been looking at the empty hallway in a daze until my mother’s soft laughter curls around me. “Oh, my darling girl, you have it bad.”
I look over and smile at my mother. Her eyes are misting with emotion but sadness isn’t one of them. Her smile is huge and you can tell she is happy for me to have found this. “You have no idea just how bad I have it. He’s incredible mom and he loves Cohen. Can you believe it? He loves that crazy kid just as if he were his own. Just like we do.”
“I know that, baby. Could’ve saved you the trouble of figuring out all this on your own but I knew you would get there. He’s a keeper, Meli-Kate. I know I don’t have the best record when it comes to judging men. First with your father and then . . . well, I just don’t. But, with a man like that, there is no doubt. He is the kind of man you dream of baby. Don’t ever let your past cloud that knowledge.”
“I won’t. I love you, mama.”
“I know that, sweetheart.” We give each other a hug and sit down to chat about things happening this week while we wait for the boys to do their thing. About thirty minutes or so later, Greg comes walking back in laughing.
“He was just mid-sentence and fell asleep. We were sitting there talking about the best ways to take out flying ninjas and bam, his little head just face planted into my lap and he was out. Lilly, I went ahead and changed him into pajamas so you wouldn’t have to bother with that.”
She smiles brightly at him, leans in, and whispers in my ear, “Keeper.”
Not long after that, we leave and head downtown to our favorite burger joint. We have just sat down when his phone rang and he excuses himself to take the call outside. He has only been gone a few minutes when he comes back inside looking agitated.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just some shit from Axel but no big deal. Look, I ran into Mandy outside. Nothing happened, but let’s get out of here, okay?”
Damn. Just when you think that woman is gone for good. “Sure, baby.”
We pay the bill and get our meals boxed up. On the way out, I see Mandy standing next to a few girlfriends. Doesn’t bother me to see her, but what does bother me is the look she gives me. She might fool others, but I can see the pure evil behind that carefully crafted mask. And I just know she isn’t done with us.
* * *
That night, after three mind-blowing orgasms, I lay wrapped in Greg’s arms and asked him about his call with Axel. I had forgotten that when he mentioned Mandy that he looked upset, more upset that he normally is when seeing her face. I don’t like knowing he is bothered with anything if there is a chance I can help it.
“Baby?” I question, lifting my head off his chest.
“Hmm,” he responds, still running his fingers across my back. His eyes are closed and his face is blank but peaceful.
“What did Axel want tonight?”
His eyes snap open, and a look that I don’t like at all replaces his blank expression. He’s hiding something and doing a shit job at it. “Nothing Beauty. Just some shit we have been discussing for a while now.”
I could press, and my gut is telling me I should, but my pride is stopping me. I know him, and whatever is bothering him is cutting him deep. He’ll tell me when he’s ready, but I hate thinking there is a secret between us.
“Okay. If you want to talk, just let me know.”
His eyes flash but whatever it is that was there is gone before I can figure it out, “I know. Love you, Beauty.”
“Love you too.”
For the first time in weeks, my sleep isn’t peaceful.
CHAPTER 20
Greg
I have been lying in bed with Melissa draped across my body for the last two hours, unable to fall asleep. Today had been a perfect day, but when Axel called, and two seconds into the conversation asked me if I had told her yet, my mood quickly went to shit. When we weren’t doing this back and forth debate over why it was so important that I do it right now. It turned heated before I could stop it.
I know he is right. I need to tell Melissa my connection with Simon Wagner. And I needed to do it yesterday. The more time that goes by, the more the ball of worry grows in my gut. I don’t think she would have taken it so bad if I tol
d her sooner, but now that we are both solidly invested in this relationship and our feelings are finally put out there, well . . . I don’t think this is going to go well.
Turning around after biting out, “I’ll fucking tell her about Simon tomorrow; just shut the fuck up about it,” and seeing Mandy standing behind me is not a welcome site. There’s no telling how long she has been there but any amount of time is too long. I have stupidly just let it all out and if she has been there long enough, she knows the one thing that I am keeping from my girl, the one thing that might have the power to come between us.
I don’t even spare her a second of my time. I walk in, grab my girl, and get the hell out of there.
And not once since that phone call has my heart calmed down. I need to tell her and then deal with the fall out. I can tell when she questions me about Axel’s call that she doesn’t completely believe what I have to say. With good reason too, since she knows me well enough to know I am keeping something from her.
* * *
The next morning isn’t much better. We both oversleep, so by the time we make it downstairs, we have just enough time for a quick kiss before we head to work. I follow behind her, and watch her pull off into her office before continuing down the street to Corps.
Things around here have, thankfully been quiet over the last few weeks. Luckily, the gold sidewalk seems to keep Sway in a good enough mood that he doesn’t mess with us nearly as much as he used to. I did catch him sprinkling glitter on Coop a few times, and that is enough to keep us all laughing for a week, at least.
Emmy is doing better, but I can still see some pain in her eyes. She has decided it is best to distance herself completely from Maddox. I don’t know if that is something she is consciously doing but he isn’t happy about it.