by S. E. Rose
Lyla had only taken one step inside the house by the time Nate was safely behind closed doors. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and she turned and leaned back against the wall.
“Is there ever a dull moment in this house?” Amery asked her as he stepped inside and came to stand in front of her.
She shook her head as she managed to look up at him through her embarrassment. She sighed and looked around, realizing that Gran Mill was nowhere to be seen.
“Gran!” she called out as she scooted past Amery and went into the kitchen. Then she went to the garage and found her grandmother’s car missing.
“Nate!” she yelled.
Nate’s door creaked open. “Yes?” he responded.
“Where’s Gran Mill?”
“How should I know? She’s probably still living it up at the casino,” he answered.
She looked at the clock on the microwave, 10:30 p.m. “No way. She never drives this late,” Lyla said. She pulled her phone out of her bag and dialed Gran’s number. No answer. She racked her brain trying to remember who Gran said she was going with to the casino.
“Gertie?” she asked as she pressed call.
“Lyla? Is that you, honey?” Gertie answered on the first ring.
“Is Gran with you?” Lyla asked. She could feel Amery’s eyes boring into her as she spoke.
“No, honey. We left the casino about an hour ago. Why?” Gertie asked.
“She’s not home, Gertie. Any idea where she might be?”
“Try Roger,” Gertie answered.
“Oh, right,” Lyla said. “Uh, OK. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Lyla hung up and called Roger from a number written on the bulletin board next to the fridge.
“Well, this is a late-night surprise,” Roger answered.
Lyla’s heart sank. “Roger, it’s Lyla, not Millie. You haven’t seen my grandmother, have you?”
“Not tonight,” he said. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Gertie and she went to the casino tonight and Gertie said they left over an hour ago and Gran Mill is not home,” Lyla explained just as her call-waiting began to buzz.
“Roger, I have to take this. I’m sure she’s fine,” Lyla said and switched calls.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hello, is this Ms. Perkins?” the voice asked.
“Yes, it is,” she said as chills went up her spine.
“This is Baltimore General Hospital. Your grandmother was brought in tonight following a car accident,” the voice began. Lyla sank to the ground.
“Your grandmother is in surgery but managed to convey your name to the doctor on call in the ER when she was brought in,” the woman on the other end of the line explained.
“Is she? I mean, is it serious?” Lyla asked.
“I can’t talk with you over the phone, but you should come down here as soon as possible,” the woman said. She proceeded to give Lyla some additional information on where to go once she arrived. Lyla disconnected and stared at her phone.
“Lyla? What’s wrong?” Amery asked as she realized he was on the floor with her.
“Gran,” she managed.
“Nate!” Amery yelled. Nate came bounding down the stairs.
“What’s wrong!?” he said loudly in a panicked voice as he looked at Lyla.
“Gran,” she said again. She looked up at Nate, her eyes filling with tears. “There’s been an accident,” she managed to whisper before completely breaking down. Amery pulled her in against him, rocking her gently as she sobbed. “S-she’s a-at the h-hospital in s-surgery,” she sobbed.
“OK, let’s go,” Nate said as he helped Amery and Lyla to their feet.
Chapter 12
Amery
They took Nate’s car and Amery sat in the back with Lyla, who had stopped crying, but now was just staring out the car window. Nate didn’t say a word as they parked at the hospital and made their way to the waiting room for the OR.
Nate checked in with the nurses’ station and then the three of them sat and waited. About an hour later, a doctor came out and asked if they were there for Millie Perkins.
“Yes,” all three answered simultaneously.
“I’m Dr. Roberts. I operated on your...er...grandmother?” he started and all three nodded. “She’s doing well and is in recovery. You can go back to see her in about thirty minutes. She sustained a rather severe fracture to her left femur that we had to repair using some pins. We were concerned that she might have internal bleeding, but we were able to rule that out with some initial scans. She has a broken right wrist as well, but that was a clean break that we were able to set without any surgical intervention. She also has a few cuts and bruises, but overall she’s a very lucky lady,” he finished and looked at them. “Do you have any questions for me?”
“So, she’s going to be OK?” Lyla asked as tears filled her eyes.
Dr. Roberts bent down and patted her knee. “Yes, she’ll be just fine,” he said. “She’ll need some physical therapy for a few months, but otherwise, she should be as good as new.”
“Thank God,” Nate sighed and clutched Lyla’s arm.
“I’m around if you have any additional questions. And a nurse should be out shortly to take you back to see your grandmother,” he said. They shook hands with the doctor and then sat back down.
Lyla was very quiet, and Amery sat studying her for a while as they waited. Even with red-rimmed eyes and a pink nose, she was still gorgeous. He wondered how traumatic it was to be here for her, now that he knew about her past. He looked over Lyla to Nate, and Nate gave him an imperceivably nod.
They were ushered back a few moments later. Amery kept a hand on Lyla as they walked to a small hospital room.
“How’s the car?” Gran Mill croaked as they entered her room.
“Gran Mill!” Lyla cried out and ran to her grandmother, burying her head against her chest.
“I’m fine, my sweet girl. But I’m pretty sure my damned insurance company is going to total my baby,” she grumbled.
“I was so scared,” Lyla whispered, lifting her head to look at Gran Mill.
Gran Mill patted her on the arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get a chance to call. By the time I got here, they wanted to scan me, and then I was wheeled off to surgery. I gave them your number and said to call you and explain that I was fine and just needed a minor surgery on the old leg,” she said.
“Well, the hospital can’t give out personal information over the phone like that, Gran,” Lyla said as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I see, stupid rules,” she said.
Lyla laughed and it warmed Amery’s heart a bit. They stayed and chatted with Gran Mill for about an hour. She relayed what had happened, which was apparently a drunk driver leaving the casino that crossed a median and hit her head-on but fortunately her car had taken the brunt of the impact and not her.
Lyla got all the police and insurance information Gran had received and told her to rest up and not worry about anything. Nate drove them back to the house and then offered them drinks. Lyla nodded and excused herself for a moment.
“You think she’s alright?” Amery asked Nate as he made them martinis.
“She’ll be OK. She’s a survivor that one. I mean literally, she is a survivor,” he explained.
“I know. She told me about her family,” Amery noted.
“Oh?” Nate said, surprised.
“Yeah, at Kent’s the other night,” he added.
“Well, wow. Yeah, she doesn’t talk about that much,” Nate said.
“I can understand that,” Amery sympathized. He realized Lyla had been gone for quite a while, and he was concerned.
“She’s probably at the clubhouse,” Nate said when he saw Amery looking back toward the family room.
“The clubhouse?” Amery asked, confused.
“Out back,” Nate said as he nodded in the direction of the backyard.
Amery walked out through the French doors in th
e family room and onto a rather spacious deck. There was also a sunroom off the far side of the family room that opened onto the deck as well. He surveyed the backyard and smiled. It was quite a yard, not Kent’s per say, but impressive. There was a small firepit, an intricate swing set, a hot tub, a small cement pad with a basketball hoop on one side and in the far back in a very large tree was one of the coolest tree houses he had ever seen. A spiral staircase wrapped around what appeared to be a massive, old oak tree. About a story off the ground was a yellow house the size of a small room with a front door, and windows with actual glass and shutters. It even had a screen door on it, and it had a wraparound porch with white spindles. A light was on in the tree house, and he realized it was wired with electricity. The roof had shingles and the tree trunk ran through the middle of it. He could see a spiral slide coming down from it on the far side as well as a rope ladder.
He walked over to it and climbed the staircase. He peeked inside when he reached the balcony and on a bean bag in the corner sat Lyla, her head rested against a wall and she was looking out at the moon. He surveyed the small room. Nate and Lyla’s names had been carved into the tree. The room had several bean bag chairs, a small table, a wall with chalkboard paint, and a mural of cartoon characters. It was fantastic. A small lamp sat on a table in the opposite corner from Lyla, it was on a dimmer and set to the lowest setting, low enough that the moonlight lit up Lyla’s face more than the lamp. Tears streamed down her face. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and protect her from the world, from ever feeling any more pain, but he knew that wasn’t possible.
“Lyla?” he asked softly, not wanting to startle her.
She turned slowly, trying to wipe away tears. “Yes,” she murmured.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he crawled into the tree house.
She looked away again and her lip trembled. He crawled over to her and took her in his arms and she began to weep again. He held her tightly and stroked her hair and her back.
“Shhhh...it’s OK, angel. It’s OK. Let it out,” he said soothingly as he held her. After a few minutes, her sobs slowed.
“I hate going to the hospital,” she admitted to him.
“I bet,” he said.
“I thought...what if something had happened to her, what if...” She trailed off as she couldn’t let herself say the words out loud. “I’d be all alone,” she said.
“You have other family, no? And, you have Nate,” he comforted her.
“Yes, but I don’t really speak with my extended family. My uncle lives abroad, and Nate, he’s my best friend, like my brother, but he’s not obligated to love me,” she confessed. She was afraid of being alone. He got that now.
“I’m sorry,” he said to her as he continued to stroke her back.
She just nodded. Then she sighed, deeply. “Do you think we’ll ever have a normal date?” she asked him as she pulled back and looked up into his eyes.
He laughed a big belly laugh. “I think I like our track record so far,” he said.
She looked confused. “But...,” she started.
“You are by far the most interesting person I’ve ever dated, Lyla. There hasn’t been a single dull moment yet,” he laughed.
“I’d love a dull moment,” she huffed, crossing her arms and it only made her a more endearing, angry Tinkerbell.
“Lyla, I wouldn’t change a single hair on your head,” he said softly.
“Well, they aren’t gray yet,” she grumbled, and he laughed again.
“Nate made us drinks and I think you could use one. Come on,” he said to her and started toward the door. “By the way, I love the place you got here. Very stylish,” he said with a grin.
“Shut it,” she groaned as she followed him out.
“I mean it. I’d have died to have a tree house this cool when I was a kid,” he acknowledged.
“My grandfather built it for me the summer after my parents died. I was sad and one day he asked what might cheer me up. I said a tree house and the very next week, he had his architect friend draw up a plan, and they hired their contractor friend to build it,” she explained.
“Well, it’s impressive, to say the least,” he said as they headed back inside.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” she agreed.
After drinks, Nate excused himself to go and take a call from Brian, and Amery and Lyla sat quietly on the sofa.
“I should probably head home,” Amery said. He saw Lyla’s shoulder’s slump a bit and it made him want to grin. “I have to be in Ohio on Thursday and Friday and then after the gala, I have to be up in northern Jersey for a few days, but I’d like to see you again.”
Lyla’s eyes lit up and she grinned. “Really?” she asked.
Amery took Lyla’s martini glass and set it down. He pulled her toward him. “Yes, very much so,” he said as he slowly leaned down while pulling her tiny frame up until their lips met. “The sooner the better,” he murmured against her skin as he kissed her slowly, relishing in her taste and smooth, soft texture of her lips.
“Alright, I better go,” he whispered against her jaw a few minutes later. He knew if he didn’t stop himself, he’d take it too far and he didn’t want to rush things with his Tinkerbell. She was fast becoming too important to him and he had a sneaking suspicion that when he did spend the night with her, it would be amazing.
Lyla’s eyes remained closed for a moment as he pulled away, and it took all his self-control not to lean back in and continue kissing her. Finally, she opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
“When?” she asked.
“When what, angel?” he said, stroking her hair.
“When can I see you again?” she asked, her voice filled with hope.
“How about I take you for dinner after work on Wednesday?” he suggested.
“OK,” she said with a smile.
“If you need anything at all, with Gran Mill or anything, before then, just call me, OK?” he said.
“OK,” she said with a shrug. He held her arms and looked at her.
“I mean it, Lyla,” he declared.
She bit her lip and nodded, and he had to think of a hundred unsexy things before he stood up and embarrassed himself.
She followed him to the front door, and he turned as he opened it. “I’ll see you on Wednesday,” he reiterated, and she nodded once more. He leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss before heading to his car.
She stood in the doorway until he had pulled out and he waved goodbye to her as he headed home.
Lyla
Monday night, Gran Mill was released from the hospital to a rehab facility. Nate and Lyla spent the entire day getting things set up and the entire evening making sure Gran Mill was situated. Lyla didn’t even want to think of all the work she had to get done before the gala. She was getting constant texts from Kevin, who wanted to make sure the last of the photo shoots was set up to his liking.
Between the photo shoots and Gran Mill, Lyla barely had time to think about her Wednesday date with Amery. Tuesday night, she got a text from him.
Amery: I’ll pick you up at 7.
Lyla: (thumbs-up emoji)
Nate walked into her room, interrupting her thoughts.
“Hey, remember you asked me about Brian’s dick?” he said.
“What?” Lyla asked and stared at him as though his head had just sprouted small aliens.
“I just texted you a dick pic,” he said with a shrug and took an uninvited seat on her bed.
“I’m sorry. You did what?” she asked incredulously. She looked down at her phone and gasped as a picture of Brian’s junk filled her screen.
“What the...Jesus...is this for real?” she stammered as she examined the photo.
“And now you understand,” Nate said.
“Well, I can see what the attraction is about now,” Lyla said as she stared at the photo.
“I just wish I knew if he was really into me or not. I mean he’s been hard to read,” Nate said.
>
“Oh geez, are we having a girl-talk moment,” Lyla said as she assumed the required belly down, feet in the air, head in hands pose on her bed and swung her legs back and forth so that her giant fluffy monster feet slippers were launched across her bed.
“Well, you’ve met him. What do you think?” Nate asked her.
She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t get strong relationship vibes from him, Nate. Maybe he’ll just take a while to warm up, but I just...I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
Nate lay down beside her and assumed the same pose. They’d had their girl talks in this manner for years. And it was comforting to Lyla that even with the recent chaos, this part of her life had remained the same.
“What do you think of Amery?” she asked Nate as she bumped shoulders with him.
Nate grinned. “Well, he’s super-hot. I mean I’d hit that. Are you gonna let him put his eggplant in your taco?”
“Ew. Come on, I’m being serious.”
“Uh, so am I. He is hot. I mean not like Ward hot, but hot,” Nate said.
“True that. Holy smokes, Ward is like a one hundred on a scale of ten. I’ve never seen anyone even remotely as hot as him,” Lyla acknowledged.
“Yeah, no shit. I can’t believe we all got to hang out the other night. That was like a total wet dream,” Nate said grinning.
Lyla rolled her eyes.
“No, but seriously, Ward was actually really cool. I didn’t expect that,” Nate admitted.
“Yeah, he was funny. Of course, he looks like a Greek god, is funny, smart, athletic, and rich. Yeah, he’s a real loser,” Lyla said laughing.
“Oh, and I definitely saw an outline, and he makes that dick pic look like a Smurf took a selfie,” Nate said.
Lyla’s mouth dropped open. “Isn’t there like a limit on how big of a penis you want in a boyfriend?”
Nate shrugged. “I guess, but you know what they say,” he said waggling his eyebrows. “Size matters.”
Lyla hit Nate on the arm. “You are sick! You know that, right?”
Nate laughed. “Sweets, you’ve known that your whole life.”
Lyla rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess I have.”
