I lifted her back higher until she was arched off the bed and increased my tempo again. My balls were tightening, and I knew I couldn’t last much longer.
“I’m so close, Rem,” she moaned.
“Me too, beautiful. We’re gonna come together.”
She just nodded, her hands gripping the sheets on either side of her body. I hitched her thighs up higher, squeezing them as I raced us toward our climaxes. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back.
“Look at me, Belle. I need to see you when you come.”
Her heavy-lidded eyes met mine and in them I saw how much she cared for me. How deeply her feelings ran. I may have had my doubts in the past, but looking at her now, they were all swept away. I knew she loved me just as much as I loved her.
Her whole body froze as she clamped her legs around me. “Remy,” she gasped.
“Yes, Belle. Come for me.”
She groaned, her head turning from side to side, but her eyes stayed glued on mine. “I love you.”
Those three words were all it took. I pumped myself into her twice more before I erupted, my orgasm rocking my body as I came harder than I ever had in my life. My head fell back as I squeezed her legs, milking the moment as long as I could. When I was finally spent, I collapsed next to her, dragging her sated body into my arms and kissing her forehead.
“I love you too,” I mumbled against her skin.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around my waist, her chest still rising and falling rapidly with her quick breaths. We lay like that for a long time as the sun continued to rise and our heart rates returned to normal. I didn’t know what could possibly make us move until a loud gurgle sounded from Belle’s direction.
She giggled. “I guess I’m hungry.”
I kissed her again and pulled away. “And I’m keeping you from that five-star breakfast you made.”
She tossed her pillow, nailing me in the back of the head. “Frosted flakes are a top-notch cereal. You’re lucky I didn’t make you something like Raisin Bran.”
I smirked over my shoulder and I pulled my boxers back on. “You’re right. I’ll consider myself lucky then.”
“You better.”
I chuckled and pulled my dying phone out of my pocket. “I should call my secretary and let her know I’m not coming in today,” I mumbled as I pulled up the contact.
“Can I use your phone when you’re done?”
I turned to her as I dialed my secretary and waited for her to answer. “You never told me what happened to yours.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line and looked away. “Nick knocked it out of my hand, and it shattered on the ground.”
My jaw clenched hard as I watched her fidget with the edge of her blanket. “We’ll get you another one today too,” I promised.
She shot me a small smile before climbing out of bed and pulling her shirt back on. Helen finally answered, and I explained I wouldn’t be in, asking her to forward anything important to my email. After that, I handed the phone to Belle and walked into the kitchen to wait for her.
When she came out of her bedroom, her brows were furrowed, and she was biting on her lower lip.
“What’s wrong?”
She shrugged. “I told my director I wouldn’t be in and sort of glossed over what happened with Nick last night. He promised to call the shipping company and get him reassigned.”
I crossed the room and grasped her arms. “That’s a good thing, right?”
She shrugged again. “It’s just weird. It’s like the more people that I tell, the more real it gets. As soon as you picked me up last night, it was like what happened with Nick was a distant memory. The longer I spent with you, the more I was able to forget it even happened. Now it’s a new day and I have to deal with it again and I feel like I might not be strong enough to do that. I kind of just want to crawl back in bed and pretend it never happened.”
I stared down at her for a long time while she chewed on her lip and my heart cracked in my chest. Finally, I sighed and pulled her into my arms. “Belle, I’m glad I could help you escape what you went through last night, but like you said, now we have to deal with. But we’re dealing with it, not just you. I’m going to be there with you every step of the way. Every time you feel like you can’t do it, I’ll be there to remind you how brave you are. How much I believe in you. How much I love you. Reporting this to the police and reliving it all over again isn’t going to be easy, but you’re so much stronger than you think you are and if you’re feeling weak, you’ll have me to lean on. Okay?”
She pulled away just enough to meet my eyes. Hers darted back and forth between mine a few times before her lips tipped into a small smile. “I don’t think I could do this without you,” she said softly.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I know you could, but you don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere.”
She sighed and squeezed me tightly. I dug my face into her soft hair and did my best to infuse her with my strength and belief in her. I didn’t want her to have to go through this, but I knew she needed to, and I also knew she would come out the other side even stronger. It was just who she was.
When she pulled away, there was a wry smile on her face. “I think your breakfast is too soggy to eat by now.”
I chuckled. “No worries, I can make us some French toast or something.”
She stuck out her bottom lip. “But it was supposed to be my turn to make breakfast. It’s not my fault you distracted me with sex.”
I laughed again and pulled her against my chest. “I couldn’t resist.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just sit down and I’ll pour us some more cereal.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We ate a quick breakfast, and when we were finished, we got ready to head to the police station. I gave the bartender a quick call, and she consented to us forwarding her information to the authorities in case they wanted to question her too.
We spent a long time there as Belle went over her story multiple times for the police officer and let them take pictures of her bruised neck. I never left her side, just like I’d promised. My hand stayed wrapped around hers the whole time, so I didn’t miss when she began to shake slightly next to me. My heart broke over and over every time they made her retell the events, but I’d never been more proud of her. Belle kept her chin up and her voice level and told them everything they wanted to know. We’d even brought her ripped shirt with us and told them to keep it. She didn’t want it back, anyway.
When we left, she was unusually quiet, not that I blamed her. I tried tempting her with some of her favorite takeout, but she insisted she wasn’t hungry and just wanted to go home. She even used my phone to order a new cell for herself through her carrier company instead of going to the store in person. So, I drove us back to our place in silence, one hand on the wheel and one hand clenched between hers.
It was late afternoon by the time we got home, and Belle insisted she wanted to lie down. I led her to her room, intending to give her some space, but when she asked me to stay in a small voice that sounded nothing like the strong woman I fell in love with, it was an easy decision.
“Just let me give Gramps a call real quick and let him know I can’t stop by tonight.”
She sat up straighter. “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about that. You should go take care of him. I’ll be all right here.”
“Not a chance, Belle. He’s always telling me I’m babying him, anyway. He’ll insist I stay with you no matter what.”
She bit her lip and looked down at her hands. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Just let me call him and I’ll be right back.”
Stepping into the kitchen, I closed her door behind me and dialed Gramps’ number.
“Remy, my boy. How’re things? Is Belle all right?”
I sighed. “Yeah. She had some trouble with a colleague of hers. He got handsy, and she had to fight him off. I skipped work today so I could go with her to report him to the police.
”
“Son of a bitch.”
“Yeah. My thoughts exactly.”
“Well, I hope you’re takin’ care of her, Son.”
“I am, Gramps. That’s kinda why I called. I don’t think I should leave her alone today. She seemed okay this morning, but ever since we went to the police she’s been really withdrawn and upset.”
“Then you stay there and help her.”
“What about you? Are you going to be okay for the night?”
He scoffed. “I’m a big boy, Remy. I can fend for myself. Besides, you keep so much damn food in my fridge I could feed half the block. I’ll be fine. You tend to Belle. That’s where you’re needed right now.”
I blew out a deep breath. “You’re sure?”
“Positive. You watch out for your girl and I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t worry about me.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Okay, Gramps, I will. Your nurse should be by in the morning, anyway. If you need something, she can get it for you.”
“Quit babyin’ me, Remy.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Thanks for understanding, Gramps. I’ll be by to see you tomorrow.”
“That’s good, Son. You just remember what I told you last night. You let her take care of you every once in a while, you hear me? You don’t always have to be the strong one. You can give that burden to someone else sometimes.”
“I’ll try, Gramps, but right now she needs me.”
“And you’ll be there for her like no one else could. But one day, the roles will be reversed. You make sure you let that girl in and help. Promise me.”
I sighed. “I promise.”
“Good boy. Now, I’m hangin’ up. Wheel of Fortune is coming on after this commercial.”
I chuckled. “Okay, Gramps, I’ll let you go. Have a good night.”
“You too, Son.”
With that, I hung up and went directly back to Belle. Gramps was right. She was the one who needed me right now. I had to do everything I could to help her past this. If that just meant holding her, that was what I’d do.
That night was rough. Belle cried off and on for most of it while I did my best to dry her tears and not let her see how my heart broke with every one of her sobs. I’d never felt so helpless in my life, but she assured me over and over that all she needed was for me to hold her. So, I did what she asked. I let her cling to me like a lifeline as she cried and sniffled for hours.
Thankfully, she fell asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning and I drifted off soon after. It wasn’t until my phone rang the next morning that either of us stirred.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “Let me just turn it off.”
I rolled over in bed and picked up my phone to send the call to voicemail when I saw it was Gramps’ nurse. I swiped at the screen and held the phone to my ear.
“Hey, Linda. Everything okay?”
“I’m afraid not, Remy.”
My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as my hands began to sweat.
No.
“When I arrived this morning, I found your grandfather collapsed on the floor of his room. It looks like he was having a heart attack. We’re in an ambulance on the way to Rhode Island Hospital right now but it doesn’t look good. I’m so sorry, Remy.”
Chapter 42
Belle
“What?”
I cracked an eye open at Remy’s frantic tone and turned toward him. His back was ramrod straight but his shoulders were hunched. Almost like he was trying to protect himself from something. I sat up and placed a hand on his bare back, but he didn’t acknowledge me.
“How long ago did you leave?” He paused for a moment before saying, “Okay, I’m on my way.” With that he hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed next to him. He dipped his head, burying it in his hands and my stomach twisted painfully.
Something wasn’t right, and I was afraid to find out what it was.
Remy’s shoulders began to shake, and my heart cracked in my chest. Despite my hesitation, I knew I couldn’t just sit here. I scooted toward him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Rem, what’s going on?”
He shook his head and jumped to his feet. I almost fell over sideways with his abrupt movement, catching myself at the last second.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I need to go.”
He stomped out of my room without another word as I sat there stunned. What the hell just happened? And who had been on the other end of that call? Was it something to do with his job? If he got in trouble for taking yesterday off with me, I was going to feel awful.
I stayed in my room for a long time as I struggled with what to do. If he wanted to talk to me, then he wouldn’t have stormed off like that. But it was clear something was wrong and if I could help, I wanted to. Finally, I decided not knowing had to be worse than knowing. Clearly something was upsetting him, and I needed to find out what.
I climbed out of bed and threw on my baggy nightshirt before heading toward his room. I knocked, and when there was no answer, I let myself in.
Remy was standing in the middle of the room facing the other way, his phone held to the side of his face. His shoulders were so tense they almost reached his ears and his free hand was in a tight fist at his side. I wanted to go to him but kept my distance and stayed in the doorway.
“Remy? What’s going on?”
He turned around to face me and my stomach dropped. There was anger mixed with a sorrow so deep, my hands began to shake. As I watched, his eyes filled with tears before he looked away.
It was in that instant I knew something was really wrong. And it wasn’t as trivial as getting in trouble at work. Something had happened to shake this infallible man, and I was afraid of what could do that. Of what could topple someone like Remy MacAlister.
“I understand. I’ll be there soon.” With that, he hung up his phone and tossed it onto his bed. When he looked back up at me, the look on his face was devastating and my heart leapt into my throat. “Gramps is dead.”
All the air whooshed out of my lungs and I had to grab the doorframe to keep myself upright. “What?” I gasped.
“Died on the way to the hospital just now.”
I took one shaky step forward. “What happened?”
He shrugged and looked down at the floor. “His nurse said she found him on the ground in his room, probably having a heart attack. I won’t know more until I get to the hospital.”
My eyes filled with tears as I watched Remy’s shoulders hitch with a stuttered breath. “Oh my God, Remy. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head again, his lips pressed into a tight line. “You’re not the one to blame here, Belle.”
I frowned as I took another step toward him. “What do you mean? Who is to blame?”
He looked up then, fire in his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? It was my job to take care of him and I didn’t.”
My brows furrowed deeply as my brain whirled in my head. “Remy, what are you talking about? He had a heart attack. How were you supposed to stop that?”
“I don’t know, Belle!” he yelled. I jerked back in surprise at his tone. Remy hardly ever raised his voice, and he never spoke to me like that. He ran both hands down his face roughly. “All I know is it was my job to watch out for him and as soon as I dropped that ball, I lost him.” He chuckled humorlessly. “It’s just another death I can add to the list that I’m responsible for.”
“What are you talking about? You’re not responsible for this.”
“The fuck I’m not, Belle! He was my responsibility! He relied on me to take care of him and I couldn’t even fucking do that! I guess I can be thankful that he only died because of my neglect and not as a direct result of me.”
I reached out to grab his arm, but he jerked away from me. “I don’t understand. Who do you think died because of you?”
“I don’t think, Belle, I know. My parents would still be alive today if I hadn’t made them agree to come visit me. I knew they shoul
dn’t have been out driving in that storm, but I was selfish.”
He ran a rough hand through his hair and huffed out a deep breath. “I’d just moved into my first apartment and they’d been promising for weeks to stop by, but something always came up. When I woke up that morning, and it was snowing, I knew I should call and tell them they didn’t have to keep their promise. That they could come some other time, but I was fucking selfish, and they died because of that. That was my fault just like this is my fault.”
I shook my head as a tear escaped my eye and ran down my face. I hurried to wipe it away before he saw it. I didn’t have a right to cry. Not when Remy was feeling the way he was. Not when it seemed like his whole world was crashing down around him.
“Oh, Remy, that wasn’t your fault. Your parents were grown, and they made the choice to drive in that mess because they loved you. They just as easily could have cancelled your plans, but they didn’t. No one’s to blame there. It was just an accident.”
He shook his head and turned away from me to yank open one of his dresser drawers. “You’re wrong, Belle. I’d bitched over and over about them not coming to see my new place and if they’d tried to reschedule, I would have been an even bigger asshole. It’s my fault they were afraid to cancel those plans, and that made me and Ryder orphans. I took my brother’s parents from him because I was a self-centered piece of shit. And now, our grandpa’s gone too. We have no one left because of me.”
My chest burned as my heart broke inside me. It was clear that Remy believed every word he was saying. That he’d had those thoughts in his head for years, slinking around the edges of his mind, slowly poisoning him. My arms ached to pull him into them, but I knew he wouldn’t let me. Knew his only goal was to self-destruct, and the helplessness was drowning me.
“Remy, listen to me. Your parents were in an accident. And Gramps had a heart attack. None of that was your fault. Besides, Gramps died on his way to the hospital! What could you have possibly done?”
He shot me a narrow-eyed look before he turned back toward his dresser. “I could have recognized the warning signs last night and gotten him help.”
Beyond Beautiful (Love in Providence Book 2) Page 37