Renewed: The Unexpected Series

by Roberts, S. E.

  “Ohmigod!” I exclaim when I take a bite out of the decedent lemon tart. “This is incredible! Sier, you made this?”

  She nods with a smile on her face. “Yeah, Grandma Rose has taught me everything she knows since I moved here.”

  “Can we just hang out here the rest of the week?” I’m pretty sure I’m going home forty pounds heavier, but I don’t care. This stuff is delicious.

  After reluctantly leaving the bakery, they take us down the beautiful boardwalk. The ocean is breathtaking and definitely something I could get used to seeing every day. As much as I love the weather, I made sure I brought a jacket for both me and Zoey. It’s a good twenty-five degrees cooler here than it is back home. I’d love to spend the summer here instead of in the fiery desert, but that’s where my guy is. After our conversation earlier, I feel much better, but I’m still worried about what he’ll say to me. I’m not naïve, I know that things aren’t going to magically get better, but I also know that they never will if I don’t put any effort in.

  I’m lost in thought when I feel Sier wrap her arm around me.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  I nod. “I’m perfect.”

  The words aren’t completely true, but I’m hoping that soon, they will be.

  38

  Evan

  I pull into Claire and Ryke’s driveway, parking my Jeep off to the side. Today was a day from hell at work, and I want nothing more than to drink my ass off and then pass out. Although, that’s probably not the smartest move, considering I have to be at the courthouse early as shit tomorrow. I find that working late keeps my mind off my girls a little longer. I mean, they always find a way to slip into my mind throughout the day, but at least I can focus on something else for a bit. At the thought of my wife, I get a pain in my chest. I take a few calming breaths before getting out.

  I unlock the front door and immediately hear a familiar sound. Zoey. What the hell is she doing here? Not that I’m not happy about seeing my daughter, but I would have left work sooner had I known she was here.

  I walk to the other side of the house where all the bedrooms are and finally find my screaming baby rocking with my sister in Aria’s room. I walk toward them and, without asking, sweep her out of Claire’s arms.

  “What’s the matter, baby girl?” I coo into her ear, and she starts to calm down a bit. I like to think that has something to do with me. She is a Daddy’s girl after all. I turn and look at my sister, and I’m sure she can see the annoyance on my face. “How long has she been here, and why didn’t you tell me?”

  She sighs as she stands from the rocking chair. “She’s been here since Lucy brought her around four. She had errands she had to run, so I said I’d watch her.” Avery is off work at three-thirty, so this isn’t making any sense.

  “Where is my wife?” I roar and immediately feel bad because now my daughter is crying in my arms again. I try to soothe her by rubbing her little back.

  “First off, calm your ass. Don’t come in my house yelling at me.” Damn, she’s about as feisty as Avery. “Second of all, Avery had to work late, so she’s still at the office.” God damn it. I hate that she works there at all, but that place isn’t safe at night. She’s smack dab in the middle of downtown Phoenix, and I’ve seen enough crazy shit over the years from being an attorney. I’ve told her numerous times that I didn’t want her working there late, but hell if she ever listens to me. Why would she?

  “Fuck,” I murmur. “Alright, well, she appears to be hungry, so I’m going to make her a bottle. Where’s her bag at?” I start walking out of the room with my daughter.

  “It’s in the front room on the couch.”

  I find Zoey’s bag and set her in Aria’s seat so I can fix her a bottle. No matter what happens with Avery and I, I will always be the best damn father that I can be. God, the thought of losing my wife makes me fucking nuts.

  I had to find out through my sister that her and Zoey were going out to North Carolina to see Sierra. I was a little pissed, but at the same time thought maybe it would be good for her to clear her mind a bit. I, of course, never had divorce papers made up. I’m not planning on it either. If she wants to be done for good, she can do it, but she’s going to hear me out before I sign a damn thing.

  “Hey, man,” Ryke says as he enters the kitchen. I run the bottle under hot water to heat it up a little. Zoey will only be unhappier if it’s cold.

  “Hey,” I mumble and know right away that he’s going to ask what’s crawled up my ass. Ever since moving in with him and Claire, we’ve gotten closer. I have other friends, but it’s different when you live with someone, and I can only tell my sister so much.

  “What’s wrong with you? Your daughter is in the other room. I thought you’d be happy to see her.” Great. Now I feel like shit.

  I huff as I mix the nasty-smelling powder into the water. “Of course, I’m happy to see my daughter, fucker. Some of us don’t have perfect little lives like you, Ryke.”

  Shit, that probably wasn’t the best thing to say. Open mouth, insert foot.

  “I’m going to let that slide because you’re in a pissy mood, but you know that neither me or your sister have always had it easy. We’ve had to work hard for what we have now.”

  And I know that’s the truth. Between him being cheated on by his ex and all the shit with Trevor Davis, they’ve been through hell and back. But that doesn’t make me feel any better.

  I walk into the living room to find Claire holding Zoey on the couch, who has thankfully stopped crying. I hate seeing her so upset.

  “You want me to feed her?” my sister asks.

  “No, I’ll do it.” I lift her into my arms. I need a part of my life back, and if being with my daughter is all I get right now, I’ll take it.

  “Are you pissed that I agreed to watch her?”

  I look up from my daughter who is guzzling her bottle like she hasn’t eaten in years.

  “What? Why would I be pissed about that?”

  She raises her eyebrows at me. “I know you hate that she works at the shit hole, but I wanted to see my niece.”

  “No, I’m not pissed.” I shake my head. “When did they get back from Sierra’s?”

  Zoey is starting to drift to sleep, so I put her in the portable bed Claire has set up in the living room, after kissing the top of her head. “Daddy loves you, baby girl.”

  “Just last night. I was surprised she went back to work so soon.”

  “I’m not,” I mutter under my breath.

  “Bro, you have got to stop with the macho asshole shit. That will not win her back.”

  I give a sarcastic chuckle. “I’m pretty sure nothing will help me get her back, so what difference does it make?”

  She stands when she hears Aria crying from the other room. I’m guessing Avery will be here soon, and she won’t be thrilled to see me. Oh well. I live here. What does she expect?

  Ryke goes to relieve Claire in the nursery, and she plops back down on the couch. I stare at her, trying to find the words to say.

  “How could she think I’d do this to her? To our family?”

  “Ev, it looked really bad. I love Ryke, but the same thing happened with us when we were dating, remember?” I do remember that. His ex tried causing them problems. Weird thing is, now Claire is friends with her.

  I nod. “Yeah, I do remember that.”

  “I loved him, but it still looked really bad. Monica was trying to hurt us, just like Mallory was trying to do.” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “I really can’t blame her, Evan. She loves you, and the thought of losing you to another woman, hurt her.” She pauses, so I can digest her words. “You have to remember that she just had a baby and is probably feeling a bit insecure right now.”

  “Goddamn it.” She’s right. I hate that our marriage has come to this. I just want things to be how they were before all this shit went down. I miss her so fucking much.

  “Being in a marriage with the right person is one of the best things th
at can ever happen to a person, but you still have to work at what you want.” She leans her head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling before she goes on. “Don’t give up on her.”

  Without responding, I stand from the chair and lift my sleeping daughter into my arms. I carry her to Aria’s room, where Claire has a second crib set up for her.

  I want nothing more than to be at home with my two girls. I just have to figure out a way to get her to understand that I’m not the asshole she thinks I am. Well, I am, but I’m the asshole that loves her more than fucking anything. So much it hurts.

  I kiss the top of Zoey’s head that smells of her lavender bath soap. Avery said it’s supposed to help her sleep better at night. Damn, maybe I should use some of that because I haven’t slept for shit lately.

  After gently laying her down, I walk back toward my sister.

  “How do I fix this?” I ask as I drop into the recliner and kick my feet up. I could really use a beer about now.

  “Bro, there’s nothing you can do until you both decide to stop being stubborn asses.” Her phone rings from the other room, so she starts to get up. “You two are the most bull-headed people I’ve ever met, and how you haven’t managed to kill each other yet is beyond me.” She walks toward the kitchen but turns around before leaving the room. “But I’ve never known two people who were more in love than you guys.” At that, she leaves me in my thoughts. She’s right. I love her more than anything. You hear about people splitting up because they’ve stopped loving each other. Well, that’s definitely not us. Since the day I met her, I’ve never stopped loving her.

  “Oh, God.” I hear my sister cry, so I immediately run to see what’s wrong.

  The look on her face tells me that something is seriously wrong.

  “We’ll be there soon.”

  She ends the call, and my world momentarily stops at her next words.

  39

  Avery

  “God, I’m fucking exhausted,” Carly says behind me as I shut down my computer. It’s nearing nine o’clock at night, and we’re just now leaving. Zoey and I flew home last night from North Carolina, and I should have taken the day off. “Why did Cruella get to leave before us? Such a bitch,” she mumbles, which has me giggling.

  “This actually surprises you?” I ask as I grab my Louis Vuitton bag from under my desk.

  “No, but I don’t understand how one person can be so evil.”

  “How long have you worked here?” I ask sarcastically as we head for the elevator.

  “Six years. You know this.”

  “That’s my point, biotch. Was Charlotte Kinsley not malicious when you started all those years ago?” We both know that there’s no possible way that the woman has ever shown any kind of concern for anyone but herself. It’s really no wonder that she’s still single at nearly forty.

  “Well, she definitely wasn’t this bad. I swear she has gotten worse in her old age.” We both burst out with laughter, knowing that Charlotte would have a coronary if she ever heard anyone refer to her as being old.

  I can’t stop laughing. “Can you imagine if she heard you say that?”

  “I’m totally going to say that shit to her whenever I decide to leave this hell hole.”

  I look at her and give her my best glare. “You are not allowed to leave until I do. You’re one of the only ones around here that I can halfway tolerate.”

  She smacks me in the arm at my smart remark. “Whatever. Fuck you.”

  “Hey, Marie. We’re the last ones here. We’ll see you tomorrow,” I say to the receptionist at the front desk. She’s a sweet older lady with a head full of white hair. She’s probably old enough to be mine and Carly’s grandmother. His daughter may not have a nice bone in her body, but at least Mr. Kinsley makes sure that security walks her down to her car when she has to stay late. I personally think it’s shit that they make her work so many hours, but I never hear her complaining about it. God, I hope I’m not still working here when I’m her age.

  She smiles up at both of us. “Could one of you help me get a box from the top shelf in the supply room before you go?”

  “Sure, I can do that,” Carly says and then turns toward me, “go ahead and go. I know you need to pick Zoey up from Claire’s.”

  “You sure?” We never used to walk to our cars alone, but now, there are high-end security cameras everywhere.

  “Yeah, I’ll be right behind you. Go.” She waves me off with her hand.

  “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I give her a half hug and wave goodbye to Marie.

  What Carly doesn’t know is that I’m planning on seeing Evan tonight and asking him to go somewhere with me so we can talk. I’m nervous as hell, but it’s time to talk to my husband. I’m still scared, but I feel like a bitch for ever thinking that he was capable of cheating on me. That’s not him at all. He’d never do something like that to me, and the fact that I felt that way for so long, makes me feel like shit. Will he even be willing to talk to me after the way I’ve acted? Hell, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle the rejection. What if he’s waiting for me with divorce papers in his hands? I shake the thought out of my mind. If I let myself get stuck in my head, I’ll be a chicken shit and never talk to him. That’s not even an option. We need him back.

  I walk to the elevator and push the button for the lower level. I hate being here this late, but I’m sure I’m leaving early compared to other people in the building. There’re all sorts of offices here, and I’m not even sure what all of them are for.

  “Have a good night, Mrs. Porter.”

  “You too.”

  I push through the door that leads out to the parking lot after smiling at George, the security guard who always stands inside the entrance to the building.

  Once I make it to my car, I reach into my purse to retrieve my keys. The light above my BMW is out, so I can hardly see anything. I hit unlock on the key fob and then tense at the touch of a hand on my back. What the…?

  I have no idea who’s behind me and don’t have a chance to look because in the next moment a cool material is being placed over my eyes. It’s tied tight, almost painfully. What the hell is going on right now?

  I start to scream, but then I’m cut off when something is placed in my mouth, silencing my cries.

  Next, my wrists are grabbed roughly, and I’m being dragged away from my car, but I can’t tell where I’m going, as I can’t see. I’m trying to pull away, but of course, it’s pointless because this person has a good grip on me. I have no idea what is going to happen to me.

  Thoughts of my husband and daughter flash through my mind. What if I never get to tell Evan that I’m sorry or have one last time to tell him that I love him? I’m going to die with him hating me. Tears prick at the back of my eyes.

  Now, I’m pushed up against what feels like a pole. It’s cool on my exposed skin. I feel my wrists being tied to it, then in the next second, my hair is being yanked, and I’d be surprised if half of it wasn’t just pulled out of my head.

  Pain. So much pain. I think I’m going to pass out.

  I start to slide down the pole, no longer able to stand, not thinking about what could happen to me. The pain in my head is causing a ringing in my ears.

  The worst comes when a foot connects with my ribs and then my face.

  There’s no way I’m going to make it out of here alive.

  I’m so tired. I can’t keep my eyes open a moment longer.

  40

  Evan

  “I need to see my wife, Avery Porter.” I demand when I get to the front desk in the emergency room.

  The young girl with short, curly hair, with a name tag that reads ‘Shelly,’ gives me a deer-in-the-headlights look. She appears to have no clue about what she’s supposed to be doing, but I don’t care right now. I just need to see my wife.

  “You’ll have to have a seat, sir. I’ll find out where she is.”

  I can feel the veins starting to pop out of my head, and I�
�m sure that my face is turning several shades of red. I don’t fucking have time for this.

  I see Claire running through the doors in the next second, worry written all over her face.

  She rushes up to me, out of breath. “What did you find out?” She bends over, grabbing her knees.

  “Not a damn thing.” I throw myself into a chair. I feel so useless. For all I know, she could be on her deathbed right now, and I’m stuck in this fucking room until someone conveniently finds the time to update us.

  We wait for what feels like hours, but it’s probably only been five or ten minutes.

  “Mr. Porter?” I hear the girl behind the desk call. Claire and I are out of our seats in record time.

  “Can we see her?” I have no idea what kind of shape she’s in. All we know is that some low-life fucker beat the shit out of her in the parking lot at her office. This is my biggest fear unfolding right in front of me, and I’m powerless to do anything about it.

  She stands from her chair and comes to stand in front of us. “Dr. Norton said you can go to the fourth floor where your wife is in a room, and he will be up to update you shortly.” I sigh in relief, although I’m not sure I’m going to feel the same once I see her.

  She walks to the sliding doors and enters a password into the keypad, and they slide open.

  “The elevator is to your right, and she’s in room 407.”

  Without letting her say anything else, Claire and I are sprinting to the elevator. I push the up button, silently willing it to open. Thankfully, we only wait a few seconds before it dings, telling us that a car is waiting to take us up.

  Once inside, I look over at my sister who has tears in her eyes. I lean my head against the wall and stare up at the numbers as each one lights up, indicating what floor we’re on. What if she doesn’t pull through this? What if I never get another chance to tell her I love her and apologize for being an ass? Fuck. I need her. Our daughter needs her. I can’t even begin to fathom a life without her in it.