by E. L. Todd
He clenched his jaw.
“You told me you were soul mates. You don’t believe that anymore?”
His eyes didn’t meet mine.
“You can’t say something like that then go back on your word,” I said. “You meant it when you said it.”
“Maybe I was wrong.”
“You weren’t. You want to know how?”
He turned back to me.
“Because despite what you did, you still love her. If that doesn’t mean you’re soul mates then I don’t know what does.”
His eyes softened slightly but he didn’t react in any other way. “Slade, you don’t even like Skye most of the time. Why are you fighting so hard for this when you know it’s completely her fault?”
“Because.”
“Because why?” he pressed.
“I know you’ll be miserable without her.” It was the ugly truth. “The rest of your life will be spent in sorrow. It’s much better to push through this with Skye instead of choosing that path.”
“But I don’t trust her.”
“Give it time.”
“I don’t have any faith in our relationship.”
“Give it time,” I repeated.
He shook his head but didn’t say anything else.
“You’re having a son with her.”
“I’m not staying with her for the kid. My son will understand that.”
“But he won’t understand why his parents aren’t together when they love each other so much.”
“Slade, this isn’t a fairytale. Shit happens.”
“But don’t let that shit destroy you.”
He held up his hand like he had enough. “I’m done talking about this. The only reason why I’m not throwing you out or snapping at you is because you’re the one person I can actually count on. You’ve had my back through and through. But now you’ve had your say so we need to move on.”
It would be stupid to press the argument. I would have to try another time.
“Now please go get my things.” Cayson stood up and started unpacking. “It’ll make it much easier on her if she doesn’t have to see me.”
“You mean make it much easier on you.”
He turned around. “Sorry?”
I shook my head and stood up. “Nothing.”
***
I knocked on Skye’s door and felt a migraine thudding behind my eyes. I knew this conversation with Skye wouldn’t go over well. She would cry and I’d have to console her. Her tears didn’t irritate me.
But they hurt me.
Skye opened the door. “What happened? Did Cayson say something?” She was pent up and desperate for any news.
I walked inside. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” she asked. “Did you talk to him?”
“Yes…”
Her eyes fell. “It didn’t go well?”
“Not this time. But I didn’t expect to change his mind with one conversation. He’s mad right now. Eventually, that will pass and he’ll be himself again. Don’t stress about it.”
“Don’t stress?” she asked incredulously. “I could lose my husband.”
“It’ll work out. I promise.”
“How can you make a promise like that?”
“I just can.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m going insane. I’ll do anything to get him back but I can’t think of anything. He won’t talk to me. He won’t see me.”
“You’re lucky you’re pregnant. You always have that at your disposal.”
“How?” she asked.
“All you have to do is call him and say the baby is kicking and he’ll be here in a heartbeat.”
“I’m not going to use our son to manipulate him.”
“Why not?” I asked. “He’s the best weapon in your holster.”
She paced the floor. “So, that’s why you stopped by?”
I cringed because I didn’t want to do this. “Actually…he asked me to come get his things.”
All life left her eyes. She fell into darkness right before me. The pain shined in her eyes, and her skin whitened like she just lost all her blood. She somehow cowered without moving. A piece of her soul disappeared.
“I’m sorry…I know this sucks but one day he will come back.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
“You can sit by the pool while I do it. You don’t have to watch.” There was no way in hell I could stand by and watch Trinity walk out on me.
“No…”
“Don’t subject yourself to the torture.”
“No, you aren’t getting his things.” Her voice was firm despite her weakness. “If he really wants his stuff, he can come get it himself.”
I hadn’t foreseen this. “What will that accomplish?”
“He has to watch the look on my face as he leaves me.”
“I don’t think that’s going to help matters…”
“Maybe it will. There’s no way he can take his things from the house we bought together without feeling something. I’m not letting you take anything. Go back and tell him that.”
I didn’t see the point in arguing with her. She was too far gone. “Okay.”
She stayed in the entryway, her mind working furiously.
“Can I say something?”
“What?” she whispered.
“I know it’s gonna sound weird.”
“I’m desperate, Slade.”
“If you have sex with him, it’ll probably help.”
“I had sex with him then he left me ten minutes later,” she argued.
“No, you have to do it after the fight. If you can get him to do that, it’ll help.”
“Slade…there’s no way I can seduce him.”
“I think you’re ugly but he doesn’t. Be sexy. It’s really hard to seduce a girl, unless you’re me, but it’s not hard to seduce a guy. He’s still in love with you so you have a good chance. I’m telling you, there’s nothing more powerful than making love. It’ll definitely soften him up. I told him the same thing when you were pissed at him.”
Recognition came into her eyes. “He almost succeeded…”
“Try it on him.”
“I don’t know…”
“You told me you were desperate. That’s my best advice. It doesn’t matter how angry Trinity is with me. When we’re together, everything is better. It literally can fix anything.”
She looked uneasy. “I don’t know if that will work on him…”
“Just keep it in mind.” I headed to the door. “You know, you can call Trinity and I if you need anything. And we got an extra bedroom if you want to stay with us.”
Her eyes softened. “That’s very sweet of you. But I’ll be okay.”
“Well, the offer is still on the table.”
***
I entered Cayson’s new apartment.
“That was fast.” Cayson was unpacking his dishes.
“She wouldn’t let me take anything…”
He stopped what he was doing then faced me. “Are you being serious?”
I nodded. “She said if you want it, you have to get it yourself.”
He leaned against the counter and sighed. “I was trying to do her a favor.”
“Well…she didn’t take it that way.”
“So, she’s not going to let me get anything? Is she just going to block my ever move? Honestly, I never expected her to act that way.”
“She doesn’t want to stop you from getting your things. She just wants you to be the one to do it.”
He stared at me.
“And I think you don’t want to get your things either, honestly.”
“Just because I’m pissed off at her doesn’t mean I enjoy seeing her sad. I’m not sick like that.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “No, it won’t be easy to officially leave that place. But I’ll get through it.”
“How about you just leave it there for now a
nd—”
“We’re never getting back together.” He shot me a glare. “Just accept it.”
Shit, he was mad.
“Now stop being Skye’s cheerleader. You’re on my side, remember?”
“I am your cheerleader.” I said it with a straight face.
“If you and Trinity were going through this, I’d have your back through and through.”
“Actually, Trinity and I have been through a lot. And all you did was try to get us back together. Even when I didn’t want to get married and commit to her, you told me I should—because you knew it was best for me. I know Skye is the best thing for you…even if you don’t see it.”
He clenched his fists. “The only reason why I’m not screaming at you is because you were loyal to me when no one else was.”
“And I’m still loyal. Maybe you should listen to me.”
“No, I think you need to listen to me.” He abandoned the boxes and grabbed his keys and wallet. “I’ll be back soon. Keep unpacking.” He walked out and slammed the door.
I immediately texted Skye. He’s on his way. Look sexy.
I’m pregnant. I can’t look sexy.
Think of something.
***
Theo walked into the shop after it was closed. “What’s up?”
I was tuning my guitar. “Nothing. About to have band practice.”
“Oh, right. That’s tonight, huh?” He looked surprised.
“If you didn’t know I had band practice then how did you know I was here…?”
“Uh…I was just walking by and saw you through the window.” He looked around like he was searching for something.
His behavior was odd, to say the least. “Can I help you with something?”
“No, just hanging out.”
“Well, we’re about to start band practice so maybe you should leave.”
Theo acted like he didn’t hear me. “What happened with Skye and Cayson is pretty crazy, huh? Divorce?”
“They aren’t divorced yet. And they aren’t going to get divorced if I can help it.”
“Cayson is innocent, right? So why aren’t they back together?”
“Cayson is hurt Skye didn’t believe him in the beginning.”
“Oh…” He nodded his head slowly. “I guess that makes sense. But to break up over it? That’s surprising.”
“They’re going to stay together. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Okay, cupid,” he teased.
I glared at him. “You have somewhere to be?”
He glanced out the window and saw Dee approaching the shop. “Yeah, I was just on my way out. See ya.” He didn’t even let me say goodbye before he opened the door for Dee. “Hey, what’s up?” He played it cool.
“Nothing much.” She held up her guitar case. “Just here to practice.”
“Like you need any practice.”
Was he trying to flirt with her? He was doing a piss-poor job.
She chuckled. “Thanks. What are you doing here?”
“Slade and I were just hanging out…”
“We were?” I blurted.
Theo ignored me. “Yeah, Cayson and Skye are going through a rough patch and we were trying to figure out how to fix it.”
“I distinctly remember you calling me cupid,” I snapped.
“Anyway…” Theo carried on like I didn’t exist. “It’s been hard on all of us.”
“I bet,” Dee said. “Good thing they have friends like you two.”
Theo shrugged in a modest way. “Well, I try…”
I rolled my eyes dramatically.
“I guess I should set my equipment up.” Dee couldn’t get around Theo because he was blocking the entryway.
“Oh…yeah.” Theo stepped aside and tried to brush it off.
Their junior high routine was getting old. “Listen up, girls.”
They both looked at me.
“Dee, you’re single. Theo, you’re single and you’ve been single for nearly five months. You two are going to go on a date. How about Friday night?”
Dee blushed but smiled at the same time.
Theo looked like he wanted to murder me. He mouthed, “You’re a dead man.”
“Friday works?” I asked.
“I’m free,” Dee said.
Theo turned his head in her direction when she responded. “Yeah, I’m free too.”
“Great,” I said. “A verbal agreement is a binding contract in the state of New York. You two are going out on Friday. Now Theo, get the hell out of my shop so we can practice.”
Theo had a stupid grin on his face. “I’ll see you then, Dee.”
“Sure.” She gave him a slight wave.
Theo walked out and finally disappeared.
“Pussy,” I muttered under my breath.
“I think it’s cute.” She set her case down.
“Cute?” I asked in surprise. “He acts like his balls are the size of marbles.”
“Theo is really handsome and charming. The fact he didn’t hit on me right away was a turn on. Guys take one look at me and go for the kill. Theo actually took his time and got to know me.”
I rolled my eyes. “He was never going to ask you out. It’s pretty pathetic I had to do it for him.”
“You still think he’s a great guy.”
“I never said that.”
“You wouldn’t have allowed him to go out with me if you thought otherwise.”
She caught me.
She gave me a triumphant look. “Wow, I actually shut you up.”
“Congratulations. My wife is the only other person who can accomplish that.”
Chapter Ten
Arsen
I kept going over the proposal in my mind.
I wanted it to be perfect—for her.
Silke wasn’t the type of girl that needed flowers, candles, and a fancy restaurant. She wanted something personal and close to the heart. And of course, I would give it to her.
It was hard to get through the week because it was all I was thinking about. I wanted to make Silke my wife. She pretty much already was—just not on paper. Abby loved her and I knew we would make a great family.
It’s what I always wanted.
I was constantly distracted at work because I kept going over the plan in my mind. Sometimes I thought about changing something but then I realized I was thinking about it too hard. I needed to let it be and chill out.
I was paranoid about the ring. What if Silke went through my stuff and accidentally found it? It would ruin the surprise and she would know it was coming. I kept it in the safe in my office to make sure that didn’t happen. Only I had the combination besides Ryan.
Everything was under way and I just had to keep my cool. Silke hadn’t noticed anything, or at least she hadn’t mentioned it. Like every other night, I came home and had dinner with my family. Then we watched TV before we went to bed. When Silke and I were behind closed doors, we made love like usual.
So, everything was going smoothly.
Sherry and Levi hadn’t made another appearance in weeks. They seemed to be off the map and finally took the hint that I wouldn’t change my mind about them. I felt a little guilty toward Levi because he hadn’t done anything wrong but I needed to put myself first. Besides, I had a little girl to take care of. The last thing she needed was any instability. She was doing really well even though her mother was gone. I couldn’t afford to mess that up.
Stewart spoke over my intercom. “Someone is here to see you.”
“Who?”
“He said his name is Levi.”
I froze on the spot and felt my calmness evaporate. Just when I thought I was safe he came up again. Why would he bother me? Why would he waste his time? I was pretty cold toward him last time we spoke. I just assumed he wouldn’t want anything to do with me.
“Sir?”
“Yeah?”
“Should I let him in?”
If he were anything like my mother, he would just keep coming back.
“Yeah.”
“Very well.”
I leaned back in my chair and tried not to snap. Levi was a good guy and didn’t deserve the same cruelty as my mother.
Levi stepped inside and kept his gaze averted. He wouldn’t look at me, either out of anger or shame. He sat in the chair facing my desk and stared at his hands.
What was going on?
He didn’t initiate a conversation.
“Levi, can I help you with something?” He never acted this way before. It was like he was a different person.
“I’m sorry to bother you…”
“Everything okay?” I leaned forward. Concern came out of nowhere and gripped me by the heart.
“No…I’m not okay.” He closed his eyes like he was trying not to cry.
He was this worked up over the fact I didn’t want a relationship? “Levi, it’s nothing personal. Don’t take it that way.”
“It’s not that.” He opened his eyes and they were moist with tears. “I’m not supposed to tell you this but I feel like I should. If it were me, I’d want to know.”
What was he talking about? “What is it, Levi?”
He took a deep breath like he was trying not to cry. “Mom…she’s in the hospital.”
Surprisingly, I actually felt my heart kick in with adrenaline. I actually felt fear even though I wasn’t sure why. “What happened? Was she in an accident? Is she going to be okay?”
He shook his head. “She’s not going to be okay.”
A thousand questions circled my mind. “Levi, what happened?”
“She has cancer.” He said it like it pained him. “Lung cancer. She was diagnosed four months ago, apparently. She never said anything to me until last week. And she didn’t accept treatment for it. Now it’s too late…” The tears spilled over and fell down his cheeks.
I froze in place, unable to process what he just said. “What…?”
‘The doctor said it could happen at any moment. She asked me not to tell you…I know you don’t care about her and want nothing to do with her. But I thought…I just thought I should tell you just in case I was wrong.”
I leaned back in my chair and felt the overwhelming panic descend. My mother was in a hospital and she was taking her final breaths. She was about to leave this earth forever. “Why did she refuse treatment?”
“It was really expensive. She didn’t want to ask me for anything. I wouldn’t have minded in the least but…she said she wouldn’t take anything from me.”