by Delisa Lynn
“Yes. I have never loved anyone but you. I knew that, someday, I would be in your arms for good.”
Audrey walks in with Zander and says, “Holy hell, I fucking knew it. Tatum, you can finally bang the hell out of this hottie. Once you get better, of course, but hey…it gives you something to look forward to.”
“Audrey, you talk too fucking much. Do you ever know how to shut the fuck up?” Zander says, glaring at her.
“Ahh, fuck you, Zan. I don’t understand why the hell you always run your pussy eater. That’s why you’re single,” Audrey says as she crosses her arms.
“No, I’m single because I can’t deal with people with mouths like yours. That’s all you do is run it, and the shit that comes out of it…Who the hell would want to kiss someone that fucking talks like that?”
“You probably do, you damn dickwad,” she yells as she places her hands on her hips.
“Fuck…” Zander roars.
Then Zander grabs Audrey and kisses her so hard that Tatum and I both stare at them in shock. I don’t know what to say, so I just laugh at them. Looks like we’re going be one big happy family.
***
It’s been eight weeks since I’ve seen Lila and since Tatum and I have become a couple. I told Tatum everything about Bryn and how I thought falling in love with Lila would take my mind away from her. She’s moved into the loft with me. Eventually, we’ll move to the farm. I’ll be opening a practice there and Zander will help me run it. I’ve been so busy with Tatum that I haven’t talked to Brody. I hope everything is okay with him.
Alyssa finally took the hint and stopped coming around. I think Audrey or Tatum said something to her, because I haven’t seen her in weeks. Not that I miss her. She is so annoying.
Tonight is the night that Tatum and I are going to finally make love. It’s been years in the making and it’s finally happening tonight. I’m working late, but I have big plans. I’m having dinner delivered along with ten dozen roses, a dozen for each year that Tatum and I should have been together. I went to the lingerie shop and picked her out a sexy nightie. Hell, just thinking about her in that nightie made me hard. I’ve been waiting for this night for so long.
When I get back from lunch, I have a message from Brody. I call him back because it sounded urgent.
“Hey, Brody. It’s been a while. Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Evan, Lila was in a bad accident and they don’t think she will wake up. I thought you should know. It happened on her way home from New York. Nikki has been in California for two months.”
“I’m just now finding this out? You couldn’t call me when it happened?”
“Dude, it wasn’t my place. I’m sorry, but she is at the hospital where Addison was if you want to go see her.”
“Thanks, Brody. I’ve had a lot going on. Tatum and I are together now. It’s a long story. I will fill you in later. Thanks for calling me.”
I have to go see Lila. I need to tell Ta everything, including the last night Lila and I were together. I call Ta and ask her to pack us a bag because we’re flying to San Francisco. She doesn’t ask any questions. She meets me at work and we head straight to the airport, where I tell her everything about Lila from day one until two months ago. She says she understands everything and she’s glad I’m going to see her.
A few hours later, Tatum and I arrive at the hospital. I ask the front desk receptionist what room Lila is in. The receptionist tells me she’s in ICU and that only family is allowed to visit. They tell me her husband is up there.
I find Liam and talk to him. He surprises the hell out of me when he shakes my hand and thanks me for coming. I introduce him to Tatum, who still has some bruising. She says she will wait while I go in to see Lila. Liam says she may never wake up. I guess the plane crashed on her way home that night.
Lila looks so peaceful, just like she does when she sleeps. She’s in a coma. I’ve heard that sometimes people in comas can hear you, so I talk to her just as I would if she was awake.
“Hey, Lila. It’s Evan. I’m so sorry this happened to you. So much has happened in the last two months. You need to wake up for your girls and for Liam. They love you so much. He looks so lost without you. I don’t think he would ever be able to move on if something happened to you. You’re his world, Lila. I know you may not be able to hear me…I love you and always will, but I have moved on. Remember Tatum? She is Zander’s sister. We finally found our way back to each other. You’d like her. You both have a lot of the same qualities.”
I sit on the edge of the bed. “She’s had a tough time. Her ex-fiancé, who she didn’t love, held her hostage, beat her daily, and then tried to kill her. She will be okay now, though. I’m going to take good care of her. Now you, darlin,’ you need to wake up so Liam can continue to take care of you. He needs you, Lila. Remember that time we went ice skating? You looked like Bambi skating. You need to wake up and tell your girls that story. I’m sure they would love it. Lila, love, you know I will love you until my last breath. We had some good times. You’re not done living, though. You have such a great future ahead of you,” I say, resting my hand on hers.
“Come on, just wake up and live that life, the one you dreamed of. I better go for now, but remember, you have so many people that need you. Nikki really needs help planning that big wedding of hers, so get better, baby. I love you, Lila Rae.”
I kiss her forehead and walk out to my future.
“Liam, thanks for letting me see her. I appreciate it. I wish you all the best. Please call me if anything changes.” I shake his hand.
“Thank you, Evan, I know how much she loves you and you, her. I will let you know what happens. Hey, would you and Tatum like to meet Addie and Maddie? They’re in the cafeteria with my mom.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” I grab Tatum’s hand and follow Liam down the hall. The moment we get to the cafeteria, I spot Maddie and Addie right away. They look so much like their mother.
“Hey, girls. These are Mommy’s friends, Evan and Tatum. Can you say hello to them?”
“Hi, Evun and Matum. Nice meet you, Mummie’s friends,” Addie says.
“Hi. Nice meet you, like Addie say,” Maddie says.
“Hello, girls. You both look like your mommy, and I have heard so much about you from your Aunt Nikki,” I say. I don’t want Liam or the kids to know that I was with Lila while she was in New York.
“You know Aunt Nikki?” Maddie asks.
“Yes, I went to school with her and your mom. Uncle Brody is my best friend.”
They both giggle and hug me. It makes my heart melt.
“Our mummy is sleeping. She wake up soon, the doctor say.”
“Yes, she will,” I say to Addie.
“I better go. It was nice meeting you two. Take care of your daddy while mommy is sleeping.” I hug them. They hug Tatum too.
Tatum and I leave the hospital and go to a hotel. Other than when I said goodbye to my mother, talking to Lila while she’s in a coma was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Poor Liam. He was so pale. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. I can’t imagine his pain.
“Evan, you did really well, considering everything. I’m really proud of you, babe,” Tatum says as she holds my hand.
“Thanks, love. I meant everything I said to you. You are mine, and I’m yours. No one will change that, ever. It’s you and me, baby. Now, we are having our night,” I say with a wink.
“Oh, I’m more than ready. If you want, you can just take me right here.”
“Hell no, I have waited too damn long to make love to you and it is going to be in a bed, where I can do whatever I want.”
She laughs. “Well, you better drive faster, because just thinking about you inside of me has me wet as hell.”
***
Once in the hotel room, I turn on the radio and “Fall” by Clay Walker is playing. That’s the perfect song for Tatum and me. We’ve overcome so many obstacles. Now she’s finally mine, and I need h
er to fall into my arms.
I start kissing her. She moans right away. This is the moment we’ve both been waiting for. I take all of her clothes off and she lies on the bed. I take my clothes off and start kissing her all over. “Baby, I need to be in you now,” I say as I rub myself against her.
“Just give me all of you. We can do the other stuff later. Right now, all I want to feel is you inside of me. I have wanted to feel you inside of me for so damn long.”
She strokes me and guides me inside of her.
I kiss her. “Goddamn, baby, you feel so good.”
“Mmm…Evan, I love you so much. Give it all to me. Please don’t hold back. You won’t hurt me.”
“Are you sure? The doctor said eight weeks.”
“I’m fine. It’s been over eight weeks. Just give me everything you’ve got.”
She grabs my ass. I can’t believe Tatum Kelley is finally mine. I’ve loved her for so long. Loving two women at the same time was a fucking headache. I’ll always love Lila, but this is where I belong, right in the arms of my girl. I want to thrust into her hard, but I don’t want to hurt her. She keeps wiggling under me, indicating that she’s ready for me. I’m finally going to give her exactly what she wants.
“Oh hell, baby. I’ll give you all of me.”
I make love to her nice and hard, like she wants. About a half hour later, she arches her back. I know she’s coming. I ride mine out with her. I don’t know if it’s because we waited so long or what, but this was the best damn sex I’ve ever had.
I lie next to my sweet woman and say, “Tatum, I love you.”
She laughs and says, “Evan, I love you too.”
“Ta, will you be my wife?” I ask as I prop myself up on my elbow.
“What?” A huge smile appears on her face. “I would love to be your wife! That’s the greatest proposal ever. You make sweet love to me, then ask me to be your wife. Epic, Evan, epic.”
“Well, I could’ve waited to ask you, but I thought we could go pick the ring out together at Tiffany’s since we were planning on going shopping in Hollywood anyway,” I say as I kiss her nose. Her beautiful smile spreads across her face.
“Yes! Hell yes, I will. I’ve dreamed of being Mrs. Evan Martin since you kissed me on the way to Mable’s when I was thirteen. I need to call Audrey. She’s going to fucking scream.”
“Really? Calling Audrey now?” I laugh.
She straddles me. “Okay, I’ll wait until we pick out the ring.”
“I love you, soon-to-be Mrs. Evan Martin.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tatum
The night that changed everything keeps replaying in my head. I wanted to leave Thayer for so long. He wouldn’t let me, though, and he knew I had always loved Evan. He always threatened that he would kill us both if I left. Finally, that night, I’d had enough.
I made dinner. We ate, and then we headed to bed. I didn’t feel well, considering I was, at the time, three months pregnant with Thayer’s child. I’d been having complications and wanted to sleep. Well, he had other plans for me.
He wanted to have sex, and because I wouldn’t, he started hitting me. I was used to it at that point, but I had someone else to worry about—my baby—so I tried to perform just so he wouldn’t hurt the baby. Well, it wasn’t good enough for him. He kept saying I was cheating and the baby wasn’t his, and if he couldn’t have me, no one could. I tried to explain and he just kept getting more frustrated. He pushed me down and started kicking me. I felt such a terrible pain in my stomach that I knew he had already hurt my baby.
Audrey, my wonderful friend, had given me a gun, and I kept it under my side of the bed. So, as he was kicking me, I took the gun and tried to shoot him, but again, he had other plans. He took the gun from me and I thought, for sure, I was dead. He shot me in the side and said, “Now, his baby is dead and you will be next. Then I will kill him.” By him, he meant Evan, who I hadn’t seen in years. I never had sex with anyone other than Thayer.
Once he shot me and saw the blood, he freaked out and tried to stop the bleeding. All I could think about was getting out of there. I could hear Audrey in my head cussing at Thayer and telling me to kill that dickwad. Adrenaline kicked in as I jumped up and took the gun. I wanted to hurt him, not kill him.
“This is for all the years of torture you have put me through, Thayer. I hope, in prison, you are someone’s prison bitch and they rape you, just like you did me all those times. I hate you. You are nothing but a dirty, motherfucking dickweed”
Then I shot him in the shoulder. I wanted to blow his dick off. I hated him, and I hated that I ever let him touch me the way he did.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Six Years Later
Evan
Today, Tatum and I are celebrating our baby girl’s sixth birthday. Scarlet reminds me so much of her mom. Her blonde curls cascade down her little frame. She is so excited about today’s party. She requested that she have not one pony, but two.
“My mom will be here soon to help with the kids. I need to finish decorating the back yard,” Tatum says. I hear a knock on the door. She looks at her phone. “Oh, she’s early. Great, because I can use the extra time. Get Emmette, please.” She kisses my cheek.
When I walk into the living room, I see Tatum with her back toward me and the door half closed. “Baby, is everything all right?” I ask as I walk toward her.
“Why don’t you tell me, Evan?” She opens the door, and my knees almost buckle under me. Standing there is none other than Brynlee.
“The fuck?” I growl. “How did you know where I live?”
“Evan, I-I know it’s been a while, but I needed to see you. I didn’t want to come here, but I had no choice.” She looks frail. The once beautiful young woman I loved looks a lot older.
“That doesn’t answer my goddamn question, woman. I’ll ask again. How do you know where I live? What do you want?”
“My husband is a mayor. Can we please talk alone?” She motions toward the porch.
“Nope. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of my wife.” I wrap my arms around a shocked Tatum.
“Please come in, Bryn. Evan, take her into the family room. I need to check on the kids.” Tatum squeezes my arm.
“Again, I’m so sorry to come here like this, but I have no other options. My husband and I need your help. We’ve waited for a match for so long and haven’t had any luck.” Bryn starts to cry.
“What are you talking about?” I ask as I run my hand over my face. I throw my hands out in front of me. “Just fucking tell me why you’re here, after all these years.”
“Our son…he needs a kidney transplant. He’s been sick for a few years and no one is a match. I never meant for you to find out like this.”
My knees buckle right from under me and hit the hardwood. I feel as if all the air has left my lungs. I can’t have heard her correctly. “Excuse me?” I choke out.
“Our son. I never aborted. My aunt and uncle took care of Elijah until he was eight, then my uncle was really sick, and my husband and I took full custody. He looks so much like you.” She wipes her tears. “I’m so sorry.”
“You’ve kept my son from me all this time?” I steady myself to my feet. I look up and see a red-eyed Tatum with her hand over her mouth.
“My parents made me. You have to believe me. I loved you and Elijah. I was so young and had already had a miscarriage and wasn’t sure I would even carry full term. Then, once I had him, I wanted to tell you, but again, my parents wouldn’t allow me. They said they would cut me off completely.”
“You mean you’ve kept your child from his father all this time? He has to be, what, like eighteen?” Tatum asks.
“He’s sixteen, almost seventeen. I never wanted to ruin your life, Evan. He knows about you, and he does know that my parents are the reason you didn’t know about him. He’s been sick the last five years. It’s been getting worse. I need to see if you’re a match. He’s going to die if he doesn’t
get a kidney.” She places her hand on my arm.
I yank my arm away from her. “Don’t you fucking touch me! Get out. Get out of my house, now.”
“Please, my son, our son…” I stop her before she can get any more words out.
“You lied to me, kept my own flesh and blood away from me for how many fucking years? Get out. I’m not giving you a fucking thing.”
“Evan, I need to see if you’re a match. He’s in the hospital in Birmingham. I know this is a lot, but please rethink it. If you’re not a match, maybe one of your other children is?”
“Why here?” Tatum speaks up.
“We’ve lived in Alabama for the last three years. We moved here for my husband’s job. He’s the mayor of Birmingham.”
I point my finger in her face. “You’ve lived right here, in the same area code as me, for the last three years, and now you want to contact me? Jesus, your husband is Mayor Quirk? William Quirk is your fucking husband?” Her husband is well-known in this state and he’s been playing daddy to my son right here under my nose.
“Yes, he is. I am so, so sorry. Please, here’s my number if you’ll reconsider. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’ve always loved you, and still do.”
I flinch at her words. I loved her for so long. I mourned the loss of her and my child for years before I moved on. Now, seventeen years later, she pops up, wanting one of my kidneys.
“Bryn, I think my husband needs to calm down. Please leave and one of us will contact you about seeing if Evan is a match.” Tatum places her hand in the small of Bryn’s back. How the fuck can she be so nice to her?
“Thank you so much,” Bryn says as she walks through the door. I stand, my hands over my head.
Scarlet runs into the room. “Daddy, what’s wrong?”
Shit, her birthday party. “Sweet pea, it’s nothing. Just some grown folk stuff. You ready to have the princess and pony party?” I ask, picking her up and hugging her.
