by Sandi Lynn
“What happened?” Scott asked.
“I got a job in the city taking care of a terminally ill patient with brain cancer.”
John arched his brow.
“Well, that’s good, but how? You didn’t say anything about an interview.”
“Mr. Grayson just called me today. He said he got my number from the family member of one of my previous patients. It just so happened I was already in the city, so we met. I start tomorrow. He’s sending his driver to pick me up at nine o’clock.”
“His driver?” Scott asked. “Who is this guy?”
“His name is Carter Grayson.”
“The Carter Grayson? Carter Grayson of Grayson Enterprises?” John asked.
“Yeah. Do you know him?”
“No. We know of him,” John spoke. “He owns half of New York City.”
“I’ve heard he’s not a very nice man,” Scott spoke. “His father owned a small mom and pop real estate company that was going under. After his father passed away, Carter took over, turned it around in a matter of months, and expanded from selling homes to buying and selling properties. He has the biggest real estate company in all of New York. I’m sorry to hear about his sister.”
“She’s young and she’s dying. But, unlike her brother, she has a lightness that washes over her. His aura is just all darkness.” I sighed. “I’m going to go upstairs, take a bath, and get packed.”
“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll see you in the morning before you leave,” John spoke.
I went to my room, started the water for a bath, and then pulled my suitcase from the closet. I couldn’t stop my mind from thinking about Carter and the way he rudely dismissed my hand when I introduced myself. How could someone be so rude? But as rude as he was, it didn’t take away the fact that he was so damn sexy. Living in the same house with him was going to be a challenge. I already knew it. He didn’t like me and I needed to prepare myself for the abuse he was going to throw my way.
The next morning after getting dressed, I dragged my suitcase down the stairs and set it by the front door. Walking into the kitchen, I smiled as the aroma of my father’s crepes filled the air.
“Good morning, pumpkin,” my father Scott spoke.
“Morning, Dad.” I kissed his cheek. “Where’s Dad?”
“He had an emergency at the hospital. He told me to give you a big hug and kiss for him before you left. He felt bad not being able to stick around and say goodbye.”
“It’s okay. He has lives to save.”
I poured myself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the island where a plate of crepes was waiting for me. My dad plated his and took the seat next to mine. After we talked and finished breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Upon answering it, a man who was about fifty years of age stood tall and proud in his black suit in front of me.
“Miss Benson, I presume?” he spoke.
“You must be Juan.” I held out my hand.
He gave me a slight nod as he placed his hand in mine and lightly shook it.
“Are you ready to leave?” he asked.
“Yes. Here’s my suitcase. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Very well.” He smiled.
I walked back into the kitchen and hugged my dad goodbye.
“I’ll miss you, pumpkin.”
“I’ll miss you too. But you and Dad can come visit.”
“We definitely will. Stay in touch. At least once a day.” He kissed my head and walked me to the door.
“I will.” I smiled.
Juan seemed nice. A lot nicer than his boss, Mr. Carter Grayson. I sat in the back of the black Bentley while he drove me to Carter and Nora’s Fifth Avenue penthouse. When he pulled up to the curb, I climbed out and he grabbed my suitcase.
“I’ll bring this up for you,” he spoke.
“No need.” I grabbed it from his hand. “I can do it. Thank you for picking me up and driving me here.”
“You’re very welcome, Miss Benson.” He nodded.
“It’s Zoey, Juan. Just Zoey.” I smiled as I wheeled my suitcase through the double doors that Joseph held open for me.
“Good to see you again, Zoey.” He tipped his hat.
“Good to see you too, Joseph. Have a good day.”
“You too.” He grinned.
I took the elevator up to the Grayson penthouse, and as soon as the doors opened, I stepped onto the exquisite black and white marbled flooring and took in a deep breath. This was going to be my home for the next couple of months.
“Hello,” an older woman with auburn hair pulled back into a bun spoke. “You must be Miss Benson, Nora’s nurse.”
“Yes, I’m Zoey.” I extended my hand to her.
“I’m Sadie, Mr. Grayson’s housekeeper. I’ll show you to your room.”
I followed her down the hallway and followed her into the room next to Nora’s. It was stunning. Solid hardwood floor with a chevron pattern greeted me as well as the gray-colored walls. A canopied bed dressed in white was the focal point of the room. The view was spectacular from the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Madison Square Park. In front of the windows was a window seat made of white buttoned material that would make the perfect spot to cuddle up and read a book or stare out into the New York City night.
“This is exquisite,” I spoke. “Is Nora in her room?”
“Yes. She’s sleeping right now. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Sadie.”
“You’re welcome, Zoey. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
“I think I will as long as Mr. Grayson isn’t around.” I smirked.
She let out a light laugh. “He can be a little tough to be around sometimes.”
Sadie left the room and I began to unpack my suitcase. Once I was finished, I stepped into Nora’s room and found she was awake.
“Good morning.” I smiled.
She held her hand out to me. “Good morning. Welcome to Casa Grayson.”
“Thank you.” I placed my hand in hers. “Did you have breakfast yet?”
“I ate a small amount.” She lightly smiled. “It looks like it’s a beautiful day outside.”
“It is. There’s just a light breeze and not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, we won’t have too many more of these days.”
“I want to go to Central Park,” she softly spoke.
“Okay. Let’s get you ready, then.”
Once I helped Nora get ready, I wheeled her down to the lobby where her driver, Frank, was waiting for us.
“Frank, this is my new nurse, Zoey. Zoey, this is Frank.”
“Nice to meet you, Zoey.” He smiled as he lightly shook my hand.
“Nice to meet you too.”
I helped Nora into the car while Frank folded up her wheelchair and put it in the trunk. Once we arrived at the location Nora requested, I wheeled her to the Conservatory Gardens.
“There’s a bench over there under the archway.” She pointed.
Once I wheeled her over and helped her from her chair and onto the bench, I took a seat beside her.
“This place gives me so much peace,” she spoke.
“It’s beautiful here.” I smiled.
“I’m sorry if my brother was an ass to you.”
“Don’t worry about it. He certainly is a grumpy man.” I laughed.
“He’s not like that all the time.” She looked over at me. “Hell, who am I kidding, he is like that all the time. I just don’t want him to scare you off or something.”
Placing my hand on hers, I spoke, “He won’t. I’m here to take care of and help you, not him.”
“I don’t have much time left on this earth and he’s having a hard time dealing with it. I’m going to need you to help him get through it. Can you do that, Zoey?” she asked.
Her concern for her brother touched me. She was putting him first before herself.
“Of course I’ll try to help him get through it. But I can only do that if he allows it.”
“He
won’t, but you’ll have to try. Please promise me you’ll try.” She squeezed my hand.
“Yes, of course I will.”
“Thank you.”
We talked for a bit more and then I wheeled her around so she could touch and smell the beautiful flowers that surrounded the area. This garden was a sacred place and I knew why she felt so peaceful here. We spent a couple hours in Central Park and then she asked to go home for she was exhausted.
When we got home, I helped her into bed, gave her the medications she needed to take and waited until she fell asleep.
Chapter 5
Carter
After I left the office and arrived home, I found Zoey sitting at the island eating the dinner Sadie prepared.
“Where’s Nora?” I asked as I set my briefcase down.
“Hello there.” Zoey smiled. “How was your day?”
“It doesn’t matter how my day was. How is Nora doing today?” I snapped at her.
“She’s sleeping.”
“Did she eat?”
“She ate a little bit. We went to Central Park earlier for a couple of hours.”
“Why did you do that?” I asked as I poured myself a scotch.
“Because she wanted to go.”
“And do you really think it’s a good idea that she leaves the house? What if she catches something? Her immune system is weak and you of all people should know that,” I spoke with irritation.
“The risk is high, but she knows that. It’s good for her to spend some time outside this house.”
“Even if it kills her?”
“She’s dying, Mr. Grayson. What part of that do you not understand?”
I glared at her. How dare she.
“Your job is to take care of Nora, not make me understand what the fuck is going on. I’m fully aware she’s dying.”
“My job is to not only take care of the patient, but to also help the family get through it.”
I downed the last drop of my scotch and slammed the glass on the counter.
“I don’t need your help, Miss Benson. Not now, not ever.” I pointed at her.
“You need more help than you realize,” she spewed.
“What’s going on in here?” Nora asked as she wheeled herself into the kitchen. “Carter, I could hear you yelling from my room. Why are you yelling at her?”
I walked over and kissed her forehead.
“I’m not yelling. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get changed. I’m going out tonight.”
“I don’t want you to go out. I want you home with me,” she spoke and I froze in place.
“I’ve already made plans, Nora,” I softly spoke.
“You always have plans, Carter.”
“I have a life too. I’ll stay in tomorrow night. I promise,” I spoke as I walked out of the kitchen and headed up to my room.
After changing my clothes, I went downstairs and asked Zoey to come to my office.
“I want to make sure you stored my phone number in case of an emergency, and I want you to clear it with me before you leave this house with Nora.”
“Yes, Mr. Grayson. I have your number stored and I will clear it with you before leaving the house with your sister.”
“That’ll be all, Miss Benson.”
She gave me a light nod, and as she began to leave my office, she turned to me.
“It’s Zoey, Mr. Grayson. Just Zoey.”
I swallowed hard as she walked out. Looking at her number in my phone, I sent her a text message.
“For emergencies only.”
“Of course,” she replied.
There was something about that girl that irritated me, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. She irritated me in Starbucks and now she irritated me in my own home. I needed to get a grip. She was here for Nora. Staying away from her would be in both our best interest.
Zoey
Nora confided in me about her brother’s excessive going out and how much it bothered her. She accused him of running away from reality and hiding in the depths of sex and booze.
“Who’s Angelique?” I asked her.
She looked at me with wide eyes. “Did Carter mention her name to you?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Then how do you know that name?”
“She told me.”
“Angelique told you?” Her eye narrowed at me.
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible. Angelique is dead.”
“I know she is.”
“Zoey, you’re kind of freaking me out right now. Angelique was Carter’s fiancée before she died five years ago.”
“They were going to have a son,” I spoke.
“Yes, she was pregnant.” A look of shock splayed across her face.
I gently smiled. “He looks just like Mr. Grayson.”
“How do you know all this? It isn’t possible.”
“I have a gift, Nora. Is that the reason your brother is the way he is?”
“Yeah, pretty much. When I was eighteen and he was twenty, our mother passed away from cancer. It was really hard on our dad and he couldn’t recover. A year after her death, he committed suicide to end his pain and suffering. Then, Carter met Angelique and she was the love of his life. A couple years later, she got pregnant and he proposed. They were going to wait until after the baby was born to get married. She was at a crosswalk waiting to cross the street, and when the signal turned for her, she started walking and a drunk driver came flying around the corner and hit her. The paramedics said that she only lived a few minutes after she was hit. They rushed her to the hospital to try and save the baby, but by time they got there, it was too late. Please, don’t ever tell him I told you this. He doesn’t talk about it at all. In fact, he went to great lengths to keep it out of the press when it happened. After that, he changed. He just wasn’t the same. Now I’m dying and he can’t handle it. In his thirty years of life, he has experienced way too much death with the people who meant the most to him.” Tears formed in her eyes.
“He’s in a dark place, Nora. His energy is very dark.”
“I know, and I’ve tried to help him, but I can’t. I can’t die until I know he’s going to be okay.”
I reached over and grabbed hold of her hand.
“Everything will be okay. He will be okay. I promise.”
Who was I to make a promise like that? Sure, everything would be okay for her in the afterlife, but for Carter, he would forever be imprisoned in his own personal hell. A hell he chose to stay buried in without any attempt to break free. A place where he felt safe from the turbulence and unfairness of his life. After tucking Nora into bed and making sure she was comfortable, I went into my room and attempted to turn on the TV, but it didn’t seem to work. So, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down on the couch in the living room. At about midnight, I heard the elevator doors open, so I quickly turned off the TV and went into my room.
I could hear his footsteps down the hallway and then they stopped at Nora’s room. A few moments later, the footsteps started again down the hallway, then stopped. Climbing into bed, I settled myself into a comfortable position. It wasn’t too long after that, I heard the faint sound of music playing. I lay there and tried to listen, but I couldn’t make out what song it was. Why was he playing music at this time of night?
I climbed out of bed and quietly walked out of my room and down the hallway where the music was coming from. Stopping at his office door, which was slightly ajar, I carefully peeked inside. Carter sat there in his chair with a drink in one hand and a picture in the other while the song Unchained Melody played quietly in the room. I couldn’t stop staring at him as he stared at that picture in complete despair and agony.
Chapter 6
Zoey
A week had passed and his attitude toward me was still the same. Bitterness, anger, and hate consumed him. He was broken. So broken that merely existing was what he'd become accustomed to. The one thing he didn't understand was that we
were all broken in one way or another. Yet through all the jagged edges of the pieces that made him up, he was still strangely beautiful.
Nora had Sadie prepare a special dinner for the three of us. Carter had agreed to stay in and she wanted me to join them. I felt unsure because I knew he wouldn’t approve of it. It was six o’clock when he stepped off the elevator and made his way into the kitchen. He mumbled a hello to me and then walked over to Nora and kissed her head.
“How are you today?” he asked her.
“I’m fine. I had Sadie prepare dinner for us.”
“Good. I’m starving.”
“Zoey will be joining us,” she spoke to him.
“I see.” He glanced over at me.
“It’s okay, Nora. I’ll go to my room so you and your brother can have some time alone.”
“Don’t be silly. We want you to join us. Don’t we, Carter?” she spoke through gritted teeth.
“If she feels more comfortable in her room—”
“Carter!” Nora loudly voiced.
“Please, join us, Zoey. It would be ridiculous for you to eat in your room,” he spoke.
“It’s okay, really. I don’t mind.”
“Enough with the arguing. Nora wants you to sit with us and so you shall. Understood?” His brow arched.
“Sure. Fine.” I lightly smiled. “If you insist.”
I helped Nora from her wheelchair into a seat at the table and then took my seat next to her while Carter sat across from me.
“Tell us about your family, Zoey,” Nora spoke. “So far since you’ve been here, I never really asked you about them.”
“I have two dads who have raised me since I was a baby.”
“Your parents are gay?” Carter asked as he picked up his fork.
“Yes. I was left on the stairs of the church they attended,” I lied.
“Oh my god, you poor thing. So you never had a mother?” Nora pouted.
“No.” I gave a small smile. “But, John and Scott, are the best parents anyone could ever ask for. They gave me a good life.”
“Do you still live with them?” Carter asked.
“I do. Right now it doesn’t make sense to get my own place since I’m not home much, with my job and everything.”
