Meant to Be (Forever and Always #12)

by E. L. Todd

  We fell into a conversation about work and Scarlet’s horrible driving. She was a good sport about it even though she was annoyed. She’d sacrifice anything to make Mike laugh.

  After we finished dinner, we headed to the sidewalk.

  “Let’s head back to the house for drinks and board games,” I offered.

  It was the middle of the week, so I knew everyone wanted to go home and get to bed before work in a few hours. But everyone was a good sport for Mike.

  “Sounds like fun,” Ryan said. “We got to play Twister. Any excuse to look at Janice’s ass is a good excuse.”

  She rolled her eyes but smirked.

  “Monopoly,” Cortland said. “Because I always win.”

  “You always, always win,” Hazel countered.

  “I like Jenga,” Andrew said.

  “We aren’t in the twenties anymore, Dad,” I snapped.

  “Still fun,” he said with a shrug.

  Mike scratched the back of his head. “I’m going to call it a night. See ya later.” He sounded like a man on suicide watch. It was depressing just to hear him talk.

  “Mike, come over,” Scarlet pressed. “We’ll play strip poker.” She winked at him.

  Hell no, we aren’t playing strip poker with other men. I held my tongue so I wouldn’t make my brother uncomfortable.

  “I…I just want to be alone.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I appreciate everything you guys are trying to do but…nothing is going to make this better. I lost the most amazing thing in the world and now I’m alone. I’ll always be alone…”

  I was speechless at his words.

  “Night.” He headed to his Jaguar and got inside then took off.

  Ryan sighed. “This sucks.”

  “Yeah,” Cortland added. “Now I know what you guys went through when Monnique and I broke up.”

  Scarlet seemed to be the most upset. “I hate this.”

  I wrapped my arm around her waist. “He’ll get through this, baby. I know he will.”

  “I just hate seeing him in pain.” She ran her fingers through her hair.

  “I know. We all do.”

  When we got home, we sat in the living room and watched TV. Scarlet was a morning person and I was a night owl, so she was falling asleep in my lap before midnight.

  My dad sat on the other couch and watched the late night talk show. He was quiet and dark for most of the night. My father and I were wounded because Mike was in pain. Like all families, when one person was injured, we were all injured.

  Scarlet mumbled in her sleep so I knew it was time to get her to bed. I scooped up her small body in my arms and headed for the stairs.

  “Sean, come back when you’re done. I’d like to talk to you.” He said it quietly.

  “Sure, Pops.” I carried her to our bedroom then tucked her into bed. I peeled her clothes off and she helped me, her eyes still closed. I kissed her forehead then headed to the door.

  “Aren’t you coming to bed?” she said with a raspy voice.

  “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

  “Okay…” She cuddled with a pillow and drifted back to sleep.

  When I came downstairs, I sat next to my dad. “What’s up?”

  “You visit your mother yet?” He didn’t look at me when he spoke, his eyes still on the TV.

  “No, I’ve been busy…”

  “It’s been a month, Sean. You told me you would talk to her.” The disappointment and anger was in his voice. He hardly ever got upset.

  “I know… Mike’s break up has taken a lot of my focus.”

  “You aren’t with him all the time, and he’s a man who can take care of himself. You’re there for him as much as you can be, but you need to be there for your mother too. I know she hasn’t been the best person in the world, but she’s your mother and you need to be there for her. No matter what happens, we’re still a family. Your mother would help you in a heartbeat if you needed her, and I expect that same loyalty from you.”

  His words wounded me, just like they always did. “I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

  “When?” he pressed.

  “I don’t know…soon.”

  He gave me a firm look.

  “Tomorrow. I’ll go tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Mike’s going through a hard time. Do I really need to drag him along too?”

  “No. Leave him be.”

  That lucky bastard.

  My dad turned off the TV. “Good night.” Judging by his clipped tone, he wasn’t in a good mood.

  “Goodnight.”

  He walked up the stairs and entered his bedroom. I heard his bedroom door close.

  I walked to my bedroom then pulled my clothes off. Scarlet was curled up in the bed like she hadn’t slept in three weeks. All this drama with Mike was really taking it out of her.

  I got into bed beside her then set my alarm.

  She stirred beside me. “Bout…tum.”

  I raised an eyebrow, not understanding a word she said. She was probably still asleep. “Night, baby.”

  She reached for me across the bed but hit my face instead. I was annoyed by the hit but she was so cute I couldn’t stay mad. I knew what she wanted. I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her to my chest. She sighed happily once she was in place. Scarlet was almost a foot shorter than me, and she was half my weight. Having her on top of me was like balancing a quarter. She was weightless. I closed my eyes then moved my fingers through her hair. Feeling elated with my wife in my arms just made me feel worse for my brother. I had the most amazing thing in the world. My life was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.

  “Come on…” Her eyes were still closed.

  Was she dreaming? “Baby?”

  “Make love ta me…” She took another deep breath and didn’t move.

  I smirked. “You want me to make love to you while you sleep?”

  “He mur blah…”

  God, I had no idea what she was saying. “Go to sleep, Scar.”

  She clawed me gently.

  I wondered how long she would keep this up. “Fine.” I rolled her to her back, laying her gently on the mattress. “I’m obviously not going to get any sleep until I have sex with a semi-conscious person.” I hooked her legs over my shoulders then leaned close to her. This would be a lazy fuck.

  Her hands moved up my arms and she opened her eyes slightly. I slipped inside her, noticing how wet she was. She must have had a sex dream at some point. It better have been about me.

  She moaned quietly while I rocked into her with a repetitive pace. I wasn’t in the mood to give her all my best moves. That was the best thing about being married. There were times when we just wanted to get off then go to bed without saying a word.

  I knew she hit her threshold when her nails moved into my skin. Her moans became louder but they were still raspy. Feeling her small form underneath me, tangled and folded, made my cock twitch with pleasure. I didn’t stop myself from coming. I joined her and released at the same time. I filled her so many times, I didn’t understand how any room was left.

  When we were both satisfied, I pulled out of her then moved to my back. Scarlet crawled back onto my chest and fell silent immediately.

  “Good. Now I can get some rest.” I kissed her forehead then drifted into dreams of my wife, the object of my every fantasy and thought.

  15

  Hazel

  I hadn’t stopped thinking about Flynn since our last conversation. It replayed in my mind over and over. He was so witty and quick on his feet. He always had a response to every statement I made. But he was so calm and collected at the same time. Nothing made him uneasy.

  When I went to practice at our next session, I tried not to look at him. The last thing I wanted was for him to think he’d gotten under my skin—which he had. My mind started to wander to those artic eyes and that chiseled physique. I mean, I assumed it was chiseled…his clothes indicated it was.

  After I tightened my shoes and hit
the stage, I concentrated on my steps and moves. I forgot about Flynn entirely, for a moment at least. When we took a break for lunch, or water and lettuce, the girls swarmed to him like they usually did. I tried not to let it bother me but it did. And it shouldn’t bother me. He was hardly my friend.

  I didn’t bring any food because there were no groceries at the apartment, and I didn’t have any money to buy them. I’d have to wait until my next paycheck before I could do anything. My stomach rumbled in hunger. I thought about asking Cortland if I could borrow some money from him, but I felt too guilty just thinking about it. It was wrong to borrow money from friends. I took a seat in the corner and downed my water. Hopefully, that would sate my appetite until I went home.

  “Hey.”

  I looked up and saw Flynn standing over me. I wasn’t expecting him to talk to me. “Where’s your fan club?”

  He smirked. “Probably still huddled in the same spot watching me talk to you.”

  I glanced at the girls, seeing their looks of disapproval as he spoke to me. I hated girls. They were so catty.

  He opened his bag and tossed me a sandwich. “It’s turkey and cheese.”

  God, I was so starving but I tried to hide it. “No, thank you.” I handed it back to him.

  He held up his hand. “I brought my own. You never bring lunch but you never leave to get food so I assumed you were hungry.”

  Damn, this guy really did watch my every move. “Oh.”

  “Flynn!” Dan, the director, called him from the back of the auditorium.

  He peered over his shoulder then turned back to me. “I got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay. See ya.”

  He headed to the back and engaged Dan and two other men in conversation. As soon as he was gone, I devoured the sandwich and felt my stomach tighten as food was deposited. It felt so good, I thought I’d cry. I hated being poor. I never had food because most of my paycheck went to rent. I’d loved hanging out at Cortland’s place because he was good company and usually cooked for me. I never told anyone that I was barely keeping my head above water because I didn’t want any sympathy. If it really bothered me that much, I could get a real job. But I loved dance too much to turn my back on it.

  After I was done with my sandwich, I opened my phone and played a game. I glanced up and looked at Flynn’s backside a few times. His shoulders were broad and his waist was small. When my eyes moved down to his ass, I knew I should stop. I concentrated on my phone.

  “Hey.” Vanessa was standing in front of me, the queen bee of the show.

  “Hi.” She and I never spoke, so this meeting was misplaced and awkward.

  “You and Flynn friends?” she asked. Her arms crossed over her chest.

  “What business is it of yours?” I shouldn’t put up such an attitude but I couldn’t help it. No one could come up to me and ask me a question like that without even knowing me, especially if she was a bitch.

  Her eyes flashed open like I just slapped her. She clearly expected me to tell her everything she wanted to know because she was just so perfect and amazing. She got whatever she wanted. “You sleeping with him?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Who I sleep with is none of your business.”

  “Well, Flynn is mine so you should back off.”

  “You can have him. I don’t want him.”

  That dulled her anger a little bit. “So, you aren’t into him?”

  This bitch wasn’t going to leave until I threw her a bone. “He’s my friend and boss. That’s it. Now get the hell out of my face.”

  She didn’t like that response. After she glared at me, she walked back to the huddle of her friends.

  The rest of the week continued the same way. Flynn always went out of his way to say hi to me. And he brought me lunch. I pretended I didn’t care and I wasn’t hungry, but I devoured that thing like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. I desperately needed to get paid but that wouldn’t happen until the end of the month. The only thing I had at the apartment was peanut butter, saltines, and bread. I had toast every night for dinner for the past few nights. It was pathetic. I was certain I was malnourished and unhealthy.

  When Saturday night came around, I was nervous. And I never got nervous. I tried on three different outfits until I wanted to scream. I decided to go with jeans and a blouse. I wasn’t in the mood to be fancy and pretty. In fact, I didn’t expect this to go anywhere so it didn’t matter.

  I arrived at the ice cream parlor ten minutes late because I had to walk instead of taking a cab. And I hadn’t factored in how slowly I would move due to my aching feet.

  I peered through the window and saw Flynn sitting at a table full of kids. Surprised, I stared at him for a second. They were playing heads or tails. Flynn would flip the quarter in the air and the kids would call out their answer. I watched the smile on his face while he entertained the table. He was so lively and carefree. It seemed like nothing bothered him or got under his skin.

  I walked inside then approached the table. “I didn’t know you were a babysitter on the side,” I teased.

  “And I didn’t have anything else to do while I waited an extra ten minutes.”

  I smirked. “Touché.”

  He rose from the table. “Keep the quarter, kids.”

  “Yes!” the smallest boy shouted.

  He smirked then stepped toward the counter, eyeing the menu. “You look great.” He said it without looking at me.

  “Oh. Thanks.”

  He cleared his throat. “And I…?”

  I chuckled. “You look nice too.” He was wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt. His clothes weren’t impressive but his body was. I noticed it immediately. He must play sports or actively seek the gym on a regular basis.

  “What are you going to get?”

  Honestly, I was hungry for food, not ice cream. But I wasn’t going to complain. “Just a single scoop in a cone.”

  “Come on…that’s pathetic.”

  “I try not to eat too much sugar on an empty stomach.”

  “Hypoglycemic?” he asked.

  Was he a doctor too? “Slightly.”

  He nodded. “Then let’s grab dinner first.”

  That’s not what I meant. “No, this is fine.”

  “But you just said you haven’t eaten.”

  “I’m good. Don’t worry about me.” Please, don’t worry about me. I had five dollars in my checking account. If we ate anywhere, I’d overdraw then I would owe a twenty-five dollar fee. I’d take the hit but I just couldn’t afford it. And I was way too proud to ever admit it.

  He eyed me. “Well, I haven’t eaten either. Let’s get some grub then come back here for dessert.”

  “Nah, it’s—”

  He walked out the door without giving me a chance to talk.

  I sighed in frustration then followed him. He was standing on the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets. “What sounds good to you?”

  How did I get myself into this mess? The only way I could save face is if we went to a food cart. “Let’s just get a hot dog.”

  “A hot dog?” he asked incredulously. “When I go on a date, I don’t take her out for a damn hot dog.” He laughed at his own comment.

  “Well, you wanted to get ice cream. That’s not exactly romantic.”

  His arm moved around my waist. As soon as he touched me, I inhaled deeply, caught off guard by the sudden and unexpected affection. He leaned his face toward me. I could feel his warm breaths fall on my face. “I’ll give you romantic.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek then stepped away.

  My cheek burned like it’d been burned by a firework on the Fourth of July. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might give out. I wasn’t sure if it was because his touch was so unexpected or because I felt something for him, but it happened too quickly for me to process.

  “How about Chinese?” he asked. “Everyone likes Chinese.”

  “Sure.” I was too winded to fight him.

  We walked a few blocks together, say
ing nothing in particular. He asked me how my day was and I asked the same of him. But I was in a daze so I couldn’t think straight. I probably looked like a loser to him. It was just a kiss on the cheek but it really ignited my senses.

  When he said he wanted to get Chinese, I assumed it would be a little hole in the wall shop. But we stopped in front of a four star restaurant where a line stood outside. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

  “I don’t think we meet the dress code…”

  “But our wallets meet the money code. That’s all they care about.” He headed to the podium and spoke to the host. “Hey, Toby.”

  “What’s up, Flynn?” He smiled at him then did a quick hand shake. “You’re eating here?”

  “If I can get in.” He peered at the line waiting. “Looks crowded tonight.”

  “Not for you.” He winked. “Come with me.”

  Wow. Did he just pull that off?

  Flynn beckoned me over. “Let’s get our grub on.”

  I sighed then followed him. I guess I’m going to overdraw my bank account after all. I may have to ask Cortland for money out of necessity. It was about survival now.

  We arrived at a table in the corner. A single candle was in the center of the table, burning dimly. The romantic aura made me a little uncomfortable. I kept thinking about Kyle and our first date. Even in that moment, I thought he and I would last forever. I was totally wrong about that.

  Flynn sat up straight then handed me the menu. “The kung pao chicken is good.”

  ‘Thank you for the suggestion.” I opened my menu and browsed. I cringed at the price.

  I sneaked a few glances of Flynn while he read his menu. His ice blue eyes were glued to the selection before him, but I noticed the brightness within. His chiseled jaw had a small line of stubble like his hair was finally starting to grow back after a shave. His broad shoulders looked chiseled with muscle. I could tell by the way the fabric clung to his body. When I realized I was staring far too intently, I looked down.

  “What did you decide?” Flynn put the menu down.

  “A salad.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “And…?”

  “A water.”