by Liz Peters
She’d somehow managed to navigate around the classroom full of five-year-olds without falling and breaking the other leg in the process. That in itself was an accomplishment, but it meant that she was so exhausted at the end of each workday that all she’d wanted to do was go home, collapse on the couch and take a nap. Jeremy had been the reason that she’d been able to do that.
Every night had ended up with him showing up at her doorstep. He would always have something in hand whether it was take-out for two, or something he was planning to cook for her while she sat on the couch and waited for dinner. No matter how many times she might insist that she could help or that he didn’t have to do so much, he was always insistent that he wanted to help her.
“Besides, I owe you a few favors.” That was always his go-to line.
It was one Laila was starting to appreciate more than she even knew. She probably could have muddled around and made herself a sandwich or something every night, maybe even scarfed down a granola bar or called out for a pizza, but she would have crashed in bed immediately after that. It would have meant that after teaching and trying to take care of herself at home, she would have been so far behind in everything else that it would have taken her until after Spring break to catch up. At least this way, she could grade papers while she sat on the couch if she felt like it, and rest as much as she needed to in the meantime.
❖
It was Sunday, the day that Stephanie was due to come and pick up Jesse after his weekend at Jeremy’s apartment. As usual, Jeremy had also insisted that Laila come over and spend the weekend with them while he was in town. He didn’t let her lift a finger over there either. At least she could do her part with keeping Jesse entertained while his father had things to do around the house. Laila was starting to get spoiled. She enjoyed their company more than anything else, but she always left before Stephanie was due to arrive and pick up her son each Sunday. She told herself it was out of respect, but she knew there was much more to it than that. She just didn’t think she was up for another confrontation with that woman. The very thought of it left her feeling exhausted.
Jeremy was due to come over and join her as soon as Stephanie and Jesse were gone, but she was surprised to hear a knock on the door long before that was due to happen. If it were Jeremy, he’d have just let himself in with the key that she had made for him. It couldn’t have been him, but she had no clue who it might be.
Getting up off the couch and heading to the door was always a challenge, but it was one she was starting to get used to after all the time she’d spent on these crutches. According to the doctors she had at least two more weeks to go on them, even though it was starting to get a little tiresome. By the time she managed to get to the door and open it she was half out of breath and a little bit irritated at being bothered out of the blue. She was driven by her curiosity to find out who might be waiting on the other side of the door.
Laila twisted the locks open and then the knob, hopping out of the way of the door that swung inwards into her foyer as she looked with a shocked expression at who was waiting for her on the other side. There was Stephanie, dressed impeccably without a hair out of place. Suddenly, Laila felt very self conscious about the sweatpants, hoodie and ponytail she’d managed to get herself into this morning. It had been the first time she’d gotten dressed entirely on her own since the accident, and it was mostly because of how easy it was to put on comfy clothes as opposed to work clothes. Nevertheless, she guessed she was going to have to stand here and have whatever discussion that Stephanie had shown up for looking like this since there was nothing she could do about it now. She made an instant decision to claim her position since this was her turf.
“Hi, Stephanie. I wasn’t prepared for having company today, so I can’t invite you to stay. What’s up?” She raised an eyebrow, hoping that the other woman got the hint that she really wasn’t up to another lecture.
“Do you mind if I come in? I’ve got something important to say, and I’d rather do it inside rather than out here on the sidewalk. I’ll keep it short and you’re welcome to say no. I know we haven’t exactly been friends before now.”
“Ya think?” Laila wasn’t certain where that came from. Maybe it was a side effect of the exhaustion or the irritation from having to get herself up off the couch to come answer the door with a broken leg.
She half expected Stephanie to say something rude in reply, but the other woman just sort of laughed nervously. Laila stepped out of the way, letting Stephanie into the apartment before shutting the door behind them. Stephanie walked into the living room and turned to face Laila who was moving at a much slower rate. Rather than acting like she was in charge, she seemed a little hesitant, almost unsure.
Although caught off guard, Laila took charge of the situation. “Please sit down. I’m going to, because standing up here on a pair of crutches isn’t my idea of a good time.” Laila sank onto the seat, not sure why she was still being a little defensive, but she was already anxious about what was going to come next.
Stephanie sat on the couch, though she was perched on the edge with her hands on her lap rather than sinking down into the cushions like Laila was. She obviously wasn’t comfortable and Laila wasn’t doing anything to try to ease it. This was her territory and, broken leg or not, she was calling the shots. Besides, she was in no mood to play hostess.
“l’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here. I haven’t even been over to Jeremy’s place to see Jesse yet. I just wanted to stop by and have a little chat with you first.”
Laila sighed, pushing herself forward in the chair to lean in closer. She didn’t know where this was going, but there was something she wanted to get out before Stephanie started her lecture.
“Listen, Stephanie. I know it’s my fault that Jesse ran out in front of that car to start with, but I promise I’m not being irresponsible with your son. He’s important to me, and I really care about him. More than my own students. I just...”
Stephanie held up one hand stopping her in mid-sentence. If she was going to be this hard to deal with then there was no amount of apologizing that Laila was going to be able to do to make it up to her or change her mind. The next thing that Stephanie said was the very last thing Laila expected to hear.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I don’t know what Jeremy has told you, but I never blamed you for that.”
Laila was totally taken aback, and it was impossible to hide. She could only shrug before trying to come up with a response. It was a little much for her to process when she’d been expecting Stephanie to come in guns blazing when instead she was being contrite.
“Jeremy and I haven’t talked about you.” One simple sentence, but it said a lot. Stephanie needed to know she wasn’t the center of their relationship. It was the truth. Not because Jeremy didn’t tell her things. The two of them talked all of the time, but Stephanie was never one of their typical topics of conversation.
“I see. Well, I do hope he’s been taking care of you. You shouldn’t have to take care of yourself in your condition. No. I didn’t come here to get you to apologize. I came to say thank you and to do a little bit of apologizing myself.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” She instinctively could not let her guard down with this woman, and wasn’t going to let her go without more of an explanation.
“I treated you a little harshly the first time we met. I was being defensive and worried that you weren’t going to be good for Jesse, but you’ve changed my mind. Or I’ve changed my own mind. These last few weeks since the accident have given me a lot to think about.”
“I just know that if you’re the type of woman to put your life on the line to save my little boy’s then you’re exactly the type of woman that I want spending time around him. I feel he’s as safe with you and Jeremy as I do when he’s with me. And I really wanted to thank you for what you did. I don’t blame you, and I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been paying attention.”
<
br /> Laila wasn’t sure, but she thought Stephanie’s eyes were tearing up at the revelation. It wasn’t anything like the last time that they’d seen each other. This was a side of Stephanie she wasn’t expecting to see, but it was nice to know that maybe there was some common ground the two of them could meet on. Mostly, she just sat there blinking trying to figure out what to say next.
“I don’t know what to say, to be honest.” She was still in shock when Stephanie replied.
“I suppose you don’t have to say anything, and I know you don’t need my permission to date Jeremy. He’s my ex-husband, so I have no claim over him, but I want you to know that you have my blessing.”
“That means a lot. I mean... I care about Jesse and Jeremy. They’re some of the most important people in my life, and I know that you and Jeremy are the most important people in Jesse’s life. It’s important to me that you know I have his best interests at heart.” Laila finally found her voice to say what was in her head, and she meant every word of it from her heart.
“I’m not going to keep you much longer. I know that you have other things to do. You and Jer probably have plans tonight, and I don’t want to interrupt them any longer than necessary. I’ll just let myself out to pop over and pick up Jesse, and I’ll send Jeremy your way before I leave. Thanks again.”
Stephanie was already on her feet when she started talking and at the door by the time she was done. Laila said her goodbyes and sank back into the chair she was settled into with a sigh. That was a total shock, but it gave her some peace of mind to know that Stephanie didn’t absolutely hate her guts. It made her feel a lot better about everything, and she could finally settle in and look forward to spending the night with the guy who made her happier than anyone else in her entire life.
Chapter Fourteen
Jeremy
Jeremy wasn’t sure what had happened this afternoon between Stephanie and Laila, but he did know they had seen each other before she came over to pick up Jesse. Stephanie had a huge smile on her face when she’d glanced over her shoulder on the way out the door with a comment about how his ‘girlfriend’ was waiting on him over in her apartment. That was a first; his ex-wife was definitely warming up to Laila ever since the accident. That was something he had only dreamed of.
Jeremy knew his feelings for Laila ran deep, but he hadn’t dared to hope he could have ever found someone who felt the same way about his son as he did. That wasn’t something that you did not let go.
Ever since the accident, he and Laila had developed something of a domestic routine and he gained comfort from that. They’d been together a lot before that — having dinner, hanging out or going on dates. But ever since then it had been more of just the domestic day to day stuff. He cooked for her. They hung out watching television and fell asleep in each other’s arms. It was something he didn’t want to give up when she was finally well enough to do everything for herself.
He hadn’t expected to enjoy having her over at his place so much. The entire apartment felt empty without her and Jesse in it. Jesse would be back in two weeks, but Laila was still living in her own apartment and he was in his. The bottom line was this place felt like a home when she was here, and he was starting to realize that he wanted that full time.
He had a proposition for her as soon as he walked across the parking lot, but he had no idea how she was going to receive it or how he was going to bring it up. Jeremy couldn’t remember being this nervous about anything at any point in his life.
Five months... It had been five months since the day he’d first spotted her across the parking lot and she’d spilled coffee all over her clothes. This was fast, startlingly fast. Perhaps the accident had accelerated things, but he was certain he wanted this more than anything he’d ever wanted before. But did Laila want it too?
There was really only one way to find out. Jeremy grabbed his keys before sliding on a pair of shoes and his coat to walk across the parking lot. Laila was waiting for him. Stephanie had told him that, and if that wasn’t a tacit approval to take this to the next level from his ex-wife then he didn’t know what was. Letting himself into Laila’s apartment was a habit by now. He’d done it so many times, and he had already called ahead for Chinese to be delivered so neither of them was going to have to worry about dinner for the rest of the night. They were just going to focus on spending some time together.
Laila was curled up in the chair in the living room. That one was her favorite. He found her there more often than not, but there was something about the look on her face that made him grin. She was happy, and he hoped it had something to do with the fact that Stephanie had left her less than an hour ago.
“Hi.” Jeremy smiled over at Laila, and she lifted her hand wiggling her fingers in a greeting.
“Hi, there. So, I’m guessing Stephanie and Jesse are gone?” Laila raised her eyebrows in question.
“Yep, they’ve been gone for a bit, but I was cleaning up a little over at my place and I called in an order for your favorite from the Chinese place down the street. They should be here any minute.”
The fact that they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door confirmed that he was absolutely correct. It was the delivery guy, and Jeremy paid him and left him with a tip before bringing the bag into the living room. He set it all up across the coffee table, laying everything out before he went over to help Laila up out of her chair.
“Come on, Beautiful. Let’s hang out in here tonight. I’ve got a few things I want to talk to you about, and I want to be comfortable while we do.”
Laila let him help her up, using him to help her hop over to the couch without bothering to make him go get her crutches. It was a move they had perfected over the past few weeks, and just another indication to him that things were going to work out just right. He got her settled into the couch and started eating on the sesame chicken that she ordered every time they got Chinese before he even thought about broaching the topic weighing on his mind.
“So, you said you had something that you wanted to talk to me about. Should I be nervous or something?” She shot him a look from the side that betrayed the fact that she was already nervous about what he was going to ask, even if she didn’t need to be.
“I don’t think you should be nervous. I mean maybe I’m the one that needs to be nervous.” He laughed, poking at the dish of sweet and sour pork in front of him with the end of a single chopstick while he worked up the courage to just spit out what he was thinking.
“Why would you need to be nervous?” This time Laila put her utensils down and turned to face him, making sure the conversation was focused on him for the moment.
“I guess there’s no other way to say it than to just say it.” Jeremy put his own chopsticks down before turning to face her and taking a deep breath. It was now or never. “So, we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, and I’ve enjoyed it. I hope you have too.”
Jeremy took a pause, waiting for Laila’s reaction. She seemed a little confused about what was going on, but she nodded before scrunching her eyebrows together.
“I mean... I broke my leg and got beat up a bit, but considering all the alternatives, I’ve been having the time of my life.” She laughed a little, shrugging. “I still have no idea what you’re trying to ask me, but I can promise you that I’m not going to run out of here screaming. I can’t run.”
This time it was Jeremy’s turn to laugh. She had a point. She was a captive audience and wasn’t going anywhere, but she might kick him out if this didn’t end well.
“I guess I just need to put it out there: I know you’ve been living over here forever, and I don’t want to take your independence away from you. I just know that having you in my life the way you have been for the past few weeks made me realize something.” Jeremy knew he was rambling, and it was all about nerves. The best way to get it all out was just to ask the question. “I was wondering if you would move in with me.”
A million emotions ran through her face, a
nd he was having a hard time reading them all. Jeremy was just going to have to wait for her to come up with some kind of response, though it was hard to be patient while she sorted her thoughts. He could feel the next sentence come bubbling up out of his chest.
“It’s okay if you say no. That isn’t going to change anything between us. I promise, nothing is going to change unless you want it to. I just know that having you in my arms every night and doing all the stupid everyday stuff with you has been the best thing I’ve ever had, and I don’t want to let go of it. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me you don’t want me around. I just want to have someone to come home to every night, and I think you want the same thing. Just stop me if I’m taking this too far...”
Laila shook her head and put a finger over his lips to stop him from talking.
“Jeremy, hush. Give me a chance to answer. I promise you’re going to like what I have to say. You’ve been amazing since I broke my leg, and I know I haven’t always been the easiest patient to deal with. I’m stubborn and independent sometimes. I know that, but if you want me to live with you, then I can’t imagine anything else I’d rather do.”
The grin on her face was everything that he wanted to see. Laila was just as excited about this as he was. It was honestly more than he could have asked for. Instead of talking, Jeremy wrapped his arms around her, pulling Laila in for a kiss that had all the things that he couldn’t say in it. It felt like magic. It was Laila who pulled away first, leaning her head against Jeremy’s, though her eyes were still closed. She took a deep breath, murmuring one soft sentence in the small space between them.
“I love you, Jeremy Nichols.”
It was everything he needed to hear. “I love you too, Laila Reid.”
This time she pulled him in for the kiss. Jeremy had no idea how the details of a new life together were going to work out. He certainly didn’t feel the need to figure it all out now. He was content to know they were good together, they wanted each other, and that happiness was theirs for the taking.