Forgotten Sweethearts: A Romance Novel

by Bender, Melissa

  “Did you ask her about the phone calls?” she asked.

  “The one where you told her to fuck off?” I smirked. “Oh yeah, she was pissed about that.” I had to laugh at the look on her face when she found out I had taken a holiday without her.

  Gabriella rolled her eyes. “Not that one, I meant the million she called when we were on holidays.”

  “No, I didn’t bring it up. Ignoring her is working the best for me. Otherwise, I’d end up fired, and after being there for so long, I don’t want that.”

  I found it hard to take my eyes off of her. She was always so beautiful. With a smile, she shrugged as if she was shy.

  “Okay, my turn to listen to you,” she said

  Nodding, I sat with my back against the wall. “I’m not going to lie. You have hurt me with this information about Scott. I wished you would have told me, but at the same time, I know why you didn’t. You feared him and being in such a broken place, there was no way you had the confidence I had taken away from you. You were emotionally fucked up, and I wasn’t there to help you on the other side. You kept silent and suffered quietly.”

  “I…” she began.

  “No, let me keep talking,” I paused, pulling her closer to me. “To know that you were beaten also hurts because I feel responsible for everything that’s gone wrong. I took unnecessary shit out on you, and you didn’t deserve that. God, I would ignore you and for what? No fucking reason. I belittled you. I damn well emotionally abused you, Gabby. I turned into a money hungry cockhead, and you still stuck with me.”

  She could always make excuses for me. Deep down, I turned into a man I never wanted to be.

  “When I asked for a divorce, I wasn’t thinking. I just said it, and you agreed. Damn, I was stunned because I never thought you would agree. I expected you to beg me, and you never did. You were strong and only began to grow stronger.”

  Smiling, as she kept silent, I caressed her cheek and rubbed her tears with my thumb.

  “Did you know that night in the kitchen, I was looking at you for the first time again, and I couldn’t get enough of you? I only began boxing to stop myself from jerking off so much. You would always cover up, and I loved your body no matter if you had gained weight or lost it. You’re always sexy in my eyes.” There was nothing about her that I didn’t love.

  She smiled, and that’s a sight I loved to see. “Will you finally tell me how you really hurt your hand?”

  “I was distracted, imagining you naked and lost concentration,” I smirked.

  A soft laugh escaped her throat. “I didn’t expect that. Wow!” She was all right. Her body shifted, and she looked up at me. Her dark eyes brightened by the film of water that I seemed to constantly put there. “We need to talk about the pink glitter glue.”

  “Firstly, I do trust you.” I needed her to know that. She never gave me any reason to falter my trust in her. “And the situation with the glitter and glue, I admit, I overreacted, but she wasn’t listening to me. I had told her, three times the evening before. She knew not to go into my office, and still, she did it. I am well aware of exploding on her and also you. You didn’t deserve to be yelled at.”

  “I don’t know what to do anymore, Brody. There comes the point where it’s easier to just give up than keep fighting for something that might not work.”

  My hold tightened as hot tears burned my eyes. “I don’t want to give up. Please don’t give up on us.”

  “Do you mean that? I don’t know if I can keep going. I mean who’s to say you’re not going to throw me out in a month when I do something to piss you off?” she asked. I had been waiting for that question.

  “I won’t kick you out, and I’m sorry I had ever done that. Please, I need you to trust me that you’ll believe it when I say, I won’t tell you to leave or ask for a divorce ever again,” I stated firmly, I realised what a mistake I had made. Every day without her in that house, it was torture. I needed her, possibly more than she needed me.

  “Your family hates me,” she finally said.

  “Does it matter what they think?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she nodded. “Of course, it does.”

  “I hated every minute of every hour that you were away. On the other hand, it made me see things from your perspective. Being at home, the kids screaming, cleaning, cooking and basically taking care of everything there, I took you for granted. Never did I see just how hard you’re working at home.” No way could I do what she did every day. “I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you, but I am serious. I want you back.”

  I was going to do anything and everything to get her back.

  “Brody, I’m afraid,” she whispered.

  I looked at her, seeing the hesitation in her eyes. Bringing my mouth down to hers, I whispered as I kissed her lightly, “Me too.”

  “We’re going to really have to work at this. No going to bed angry and I mean that.”

  “No more secrets,” I added. I was still deciding what the hell I was going to do with the news about Scott. I was ready to put him six-foot under for touching my wife. My blood boiled as I remembered the photographs.

  “It won’t be easy, and I don’t know if I can trust you completely. I’m always going to be worrying and wondering if you’re going to ask for another divorce. I would never cheat on you.”

  I knew that now. “I know.” I was fucking lucky that she hadn’t pissed me off. “We’ll earn it back with each other.”

  She never gave herself enough credit. She was a bombshell. Men looked at her with desire, and she never noticed. Thank God. Maybe if she did, then she’d be inclined to piss me off and go for someone more decent who would treat her better.

  “Cathy, she cheated on David, not the other way around,” I admitted, letting my own secrets come to life.

  Seeming surprised by this, her dark brows dipped in confusion. “What?”

  “She told you that he left her, but he was the one who walked in on her and another man. I didn’t want to tell you. She’s your best friend.” Her friend should have told her. I hated Cathy with a passion for fucking David and their daughters over.

  Gabby let out a sob. “See, everyone’s just lying and cheating. I don’t want a divorce, Brody. I can’t do that to Noah or Lila. They’re so angry at us already, and we’re only just going to hurt them even more.”

  “I won’t ever ask you for another divorce.” I shifted on the bed, so she was underneath me, and I placed my hand back against her flat tummy, fingers fanning out as I caressed where I baby was being kept safe. “I will, however, ask you to marry me again.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  He couldn’t be serious. “What?” I laughed a little as he sat up and pulled me by the hand so I was sitting on the edge of the bed. “You’re not serious.” There was no way until he dropped down to one bended knee.

  “I’ve never been more serious about anything, Gabriella. Will you marry me again? Let me show you just how much I love you and what you mean to me,” he asked and reached taking my left hand. His finger traced the small ring he’d given me many years ago. “Baby, we were young, and with the so many odds against us, I want nothing more than to do this again and make sure we never go backwards. I promise you that I will work every day to keep you in love with me.”

  “Brody.” I didn’t know what to say. I was a blubbering mess. Was this like the baby? Thinking that could be a good idea. But when I looked at him, I couldn’t want anything more than him for the rest of my life. “Of course, I will!” I’d be stupid not to give this a hundred fifty percent. “No mention of divorce ever, I mean it. It’s not an option, off the table and never back on again.”

  I waited for him to take the paperwork and toss it in the bin. Instead, he slid off my engagement and wedding band. I expected him to slide them back on. Instead, he moved them to my right hand and put them on the opposite finger. Pausing, he placed a kiss on the top of my palm and let my hand go. Holding up a finger as I continued to watch him, he reached in
to the black suit pant pocket and pulled out something — another ring. As I looked down at it, my eyes filled with water.

  “I will agree to all of that. Now, Gabriella Whittaker, will you marry me again?” he asked, sliding the beautiful and delicate rose gold teardrop diamond ring onto my wedding finger.

  This new one was huge. “It’s gorgeous.” Lifting my hand, I inspected it closer and took it back off. He stayed, kneeling as I looked on the inside of the band and frowned slightly. “Is that?”

  “The date I first fell in love with you, your first day of school.”

  This was the single most precious thing he had ever done for me — to take the time and do something random and completely unexpected. It just showed me how much thought he had taken into designing a new ring for me.

  Sliding the ring back on, I reached up and cupped his cheeks. “Brody, this is beautiful. I mean, I loved my rings before, but this is wow. I love it.”

  “You deserve it, baby,” he whispered and began to stand up. Only, he didn’t.

  He came at me slowly and lowered me backwards down to the bed. His touch was gentle and tender. “No more secrets,” he whispered against my collarbone, and he began kissing me.

  Nodding, I closed my eyes and breathed out. “No more assumptions.”

  “We’ll talk to each other.”

  “About everything.” Our eyes were locked, and I lifted my head to capture a kiss.

  My eyes opened when I felt his smile over my mouth. “If your cute butt is itchy, I want to know about it.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from giggling as I broke away from his mouth with laughter. “That’s never going to happen.”

  “Better,” he looked up and winked at me. “I mean it, sharing everything. We need to get back there.”

  “I do have an itch,” I said a little lower, raising my brow. My voice changed from amused to desire. “It’s a certain itch, which only someone can stop if you know what I mean.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Hmm, does this itch need me to undress you?”

  “We both need to be completely naked,” I smiled, wrapping my hand around his dark grey tie and pulling him down so my mouth was just against his. “Undress, baby!”

  Letting out a loud laugh, he jumped up and unbuttoned his shirt fast. His slacks were pulled down with his boxers. My husband was hard and ready to go. Another squeal escaped my throat as he pulled my legs apart and reached up underneath my bum. Grabbing the black material, he tugged my leggings off in record speed.

  Before he came back towards me, he stopped and admired me from down on the bed. His eyes came back up to mine when he smiled. “I love you, Gabriella, so much.”

  He climbed up over my body, my legs wrapping around his thighs automatically and locking him in. I grazed my fingertips up over his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I love you, too.”

  Our mouths passionately indulged in each other. Our sweat-clad bodies tangled underneath the white sheets. Hands rarely left each other’s skin. We were making love to music; making passionate and slow love, none of the hard, newfound sex that we had been doing so much. We went back to basics, and it felt better than ever. We were consummating the start of something new, a new beginning of our life, a new life that had been created together.

  My hand was outstretched above my head, and fingers entwined with him as his pace increased. Our bodies were so connected and in sync with each other, feeding off each other’s moans and groaning until we were at the peak together and climaxed with one another. My eyes never left his and vice versa. The intensity brought tears to my eyes and the love I felt right now was unbelievable, and it didn’t take long for Brody’s eyes to also water. Our mouths met again even hungrier with desire.

  I felt our connection blossoming and becoming stronger after we bared our souls and confessed our secrets. We could finally take that weight off our shoulders and not have any worry. We could truly focus on the future.

  As scared as I was, I was eager for it.

  Knowing that Brody and I was both on the same page, it was a huge relief of happiness. For better or for worse, we hopefully had just gone through the worst and was going back to the better.

  “Tell me about the restraining order. When did that happen?” Brody asked after a few moments of comfortable silence, propping himself on his side and walking his fingertips over the curve of my breast exposed to him.

  “When we came home, he was calling at first and would call up to ten times a night. I ignored him and then he started to text me.”

  “What did they say?” he murmured, listening to me closely.

  Even if I didn’t want to talk about this, I realised that I needed to. Part of my problem before was that I was scared of upsetting him or hurting his feelings. He needed to know these things, and even if it wasn’t good, he still had every right to know. “That he wanted me. If I didn’t answer his calls, then he would put my photographs online. I spoke to the lawyer when you sent him my way, and he helped get a restraining order.”

  “I will kill him.” He looked completely serious.

  Placing a peck on his shoulder, I shook my head. “No, you won’t. He’s your brother, and you’ll just beat him up.”

  With a sigh, he nodded back. “I should kill him.”

  “Just promise me that you won’t let him in our home?” I asked quietly. “I don’t trust him.”

  Lips skimming down to mine, he nodded. “I promise, baby.”

  I looked up, and our gazes locked. He was already pulling up to straddle my waist, hard and ready to go again. Our need for one another was becoming completely intense, and it was nowhere near sated.

  Brody had called his mother, asking her to collect Noah and Lila from school. We weren’t ready to leave and ended up ordering Chinese and getting back into bed naked to eat it. Both of us wanted to stay here until we were ready to go back home, united and sure of everything.

  If there was an ounce of doubt, then we weren’t leaving this room.

  Sitting up, I leant forwards as he brought over a piece of honey chicken towards my mouth between his chopsticks. This was the best dinner we had yet.

  “Yum,” I grinned, licking my lips.

  With a grin, he winked. “You are.”

  “Such a flirt,” I laughed and met him in the middle for a kiss. Yeah, best dinner ever.

  We finished and ended up lying in bed at opposite ends. His hand ran down and up my smooth skin when I asked. “How much do the kids hate me?”

  “They don’t hate you. They hate me,” he corrected. “Noah’s angry and Lila…” Blowing out a breath, “Well, she’s playing up pretty bad and won’t listen to a word I say.”

  “This affected them badly,” I said quietly. I hated that we did this to them. “We’re going to need to talk with them, sit them down and just really talk. They need to know that we’re not splitting up.”

  He laid there a moment, running his hands through his hair as he let out a yawn. “It’s my fault. I can take that blame. I know throwing you out was a dick move, and it affected them badly. I’m going to feel like shit every day about that, Gabby.”

  Sitting up, I moved towards him and straddled his bare lap. His hands automatically went to my hips where he drew circles with his thumbs. “Don’t, please, I don’t want to be one of those couples who dwell on the past. Yes, you hurt me so much, and I didn’t deserve to be thrown out. But by saying that, I can see your side of things. You thought I was cheating, you had become insecure with my feelings towards you.”

  He wasn’t going to take the full blown blame. It was me too.

  “How far along are we?” he asked, his hands now sliding to my tummy. “I’m so happy about the baby. I think I almost passed out in the office when you said you were pregnant.”

  Looking down at him, I rested my hands on his wrists. “Not the best way to tell you but we’re around eleven weeks. It scared me. I was happy but frightened. I didn’t want another baby if I couldn’t be with you,�
� I admitted. Not that I would ever do anything to change that but it would have just been awful not to be together. “I think the night you attacked me in the kitchen was when this happened.”

  “I was so hard staring at your ass bent over,” he groaned. “I’m hard now.”

  “I know you were, and now, I can feel how hard you are.”

  Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around me tightly. “You are so beautiful, and I promise that thing will change with work.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, tangling my fingers in his hair.

  “I have worked so hard for almost ten years, and I sacrificed my family for that. You waited for me, and I missed so much dance concerts, sports games and almost the births of our children. Gabby, I’m not missing anything more.”

  “Brody, what are you saying? You can’t quit work.”

  He chuckled, placing a kiss to the valley between my breasts. “No, because then we’d be broke, and we need money to pay bills unless you want to move in with my mother.”

  “Not happening.”

  He laughed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “No, I mean that from now on, it’s nine till five. But I can do most my work from home. Maybe once a week or twice, I’ll go into the office and do what needs to be done.”

  “You can do that?” I asked, my heart racing at the excitement of him doing all of this for us.

  “I don’t give a shit what they think. I’ve made them a lot of money. If they wish for me to continue doing that, then I will be taking time off. No work on weekends, either.” He was completely serious.

  He was so sexy when he talked this way. I was lifting my hips up and sinking into his hot flesh faster than ever. I didn’t move; just stared into his eyes so deeply that I was sure our souls were talking. “You have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear you say those words to me. It’s… Oh, God; I am so happy right now.”

  He was going to put us first. It was all I have ever wanted.