Simon laid his exhausted wife on the sofa. “Here you go, Babe.” He tucked a pillow under her head.”
“Thanks, hun.” Regina rolled on her side and fluttered her eyes closed.
Maybe I should try to get her in the bed. What had once been a retreat for them now hosted some of Regina’s worst nightmares. It was understandable why she wanted to avoid it. Nah, starting a petty argument about where she sleeps will only upset her more.
Regina moaned and struggled upright. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
He grasped her arm and elbow as she rose. “It’s no wonder; they pumped you with so much fluid through that IV.” He chuckled to mask his concern. The emergency room doctor diagnosed Regina with dehydration and put her on a drip. He wanted to keep her for observation, but of course she didn’t cooperate. While signing herself out, Simon listened to all the doctor’s instructions—plenty of fluids, water, Gatorade or something similar. He stored it with all of the other instructions from Regina’s obstetrician to keep his wife and baby as healthy as possible.
“Gina?” Simon placed one ear close to the bathroom door. “Do you want something to eat?”
“No.” She opened the door and sidled past him. “I’m not hungry.”
Simon followed behind her. When was the last time she ate? He’d started checking the trash for empty containers and the sink for dishes. There was rarely anything there. “Come on. The doctors said you need to drink and eat. Just a little. You have to think about the baby.”
She stopped and balled her fists. “Don’t you think I’ve been thinking about the baby?” She walked around the side chair, eyebrows furrowed. “Every waking hour, I think about the baby,” she spat through her bared teeth. Her brows softened, and she began to cry. “I’m sorry.”
He put his arms around her. Toni told him to expect mood shifts, but they still jolted his heart. “It’s okay,” he soothed, rubbing her arm. “I’m just worried about you.”
“I know.”
Simon reclined on the couch and rested Regina’s head on his chest. If only there was a way to make all her suffering disappear. He squeezed her trembling body, willing all his strength and love to her, hoping it would help her find a way out of all the misery tearing them apart. “Listen, Babe,” he said when she calmed down. “I really need you to eat something. I’ll go and get you whatever you want.”
“All right. Eggs?”
“I figured you’d say that.” He jumped to his feet and soon, the pan was crackling on the stainless-steel stove. He laid a napkin over her lap and presented a fluffy, yellow mound. “Toast?”
“No.” Regina sniffed over the plate and took a few bites. “I guess you’re getting kinda tired of cooking these for me?”
“Not at as long as you’re not tired of eating ‘em.” It was wonderful to see her chewing. “Would you like ma to make some of that chicken and rice you like?”
“Yes, that would be nice.” She poked at the pile of eggs. “Do you remember how he smiled?”
“Who?”
“Jeremy.” Her face became blank as she stared off into space. “When he smiled at me in the courthouse today. Do you know how many times he smiled at me like that—at a meeting or when we talked in the hall?”
“Regina, please, don’t.” Simon put his hand on her leg. “He’s not worth it.”
“It’s the same smile he had while he was choking me and trying to rip off my panties.” She looked at Simon. “It’s what I see in my nightmares.”
He put his plate on the coffee table and moved closer to his wife. I just got her to eat. She can’t go back. He touched her forehead to his. “Please, forget about him.”
“That’s never gonna happen.” She pulled away and sighed. “But, I’ll work harder to keep what he did from eating away at me. I was getting better before. I can do it again.” She stabbed some eggs on the fork. “These are good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Oh.” Regina rubbed her stomach and laughed. “Apparently she is too.”
The rest of the evening went well. There were a few times when Regina smiled and even laughed, and it felt like it used to be between them. Maybe they were turning a corner. Regina yawned, and stretched before she laid her head on Simon’s lap. “You wanna watch so’in?” Her relaxed New Yorker accent crept out.
Simon reached for the remote and turned on the TV. “Sure.” Yawning and rubbing his wife’s belly, he flipped across the tiles on the screen. By the time he selected something and looked down to ask her opinion, a soft purr drifted out of her nose. He smiled, shifted his weight, and put his feet on the coffee table. It was the closest to normal they’d been for a while.
***
Holding his shoes in one hand and backpack in the other, Simon padded to the front door in his socks. He turned the knob and spied over to Regina, who was sound asleep for the first time in weeks. She’d slept on his lap all night. The leg cramps and knotted neck muscles were totally worth her sleeping without night terrors. He spent the morning trying to be as quiet as possible while getting ready for work.
Satisfied that he’d accomplished his objective, Simon stepped through the doorway and watched Regina’s beautiful face disappear. A fluttering pink slip stuck to the door caught his attention. Tension pinched the back of his neck. The slips were a product of the building co-op board. They frequently decorated apartment doors with warnings for countless and often tedious infractions. He pulled down the paper and read. “What the hell? An eviction notice?”
Chapter 37
Give it to Vince
“I don’t believe this.” Simon folded the paper and headed to work. Once on the train, he sat down and started to read it. He’d barely got past the first sentence when his phone rang. “Hi, Toni.”
“Hey, Simon. How’s Gina?”
“She’s doing better.” Simon folded the paper and returned it to his pocket. "The ER doctor said she was dehydrated and exhausted.”
“That’s not good.”
“No, but she did eat and drink last night.”
“Great.”
“And she didn’t wake up in the middle of the night. She was still sleeping when I left.”
“I’m relieved to hear that. I was really worried about the effects of long-term sleep deprivation. It’s only one night, but hopefully it is a sign that she’ll go back to a normal sleep pattern in the near future.”
“I hope so.” He rolled his neck and arched his back in the seat. Every bump of the subway was a reminder of how tense and tender each muscle was. The couch was taking its toll. I can’t wait to sleep in my bed with my wife cuddled next to me again.
“Maybe I should stop by to see her after my last patient.”
“How about this weekend? Thanks Toni. Bye.” Simon leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It soon bobbed to the swaying motion of the train as the click clack lulled him. He bolted upright after he opened them just as the subway doors closed and the train crawled away from his stop. “You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me.”
***
Simon wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and paced in front of the elevator doors, occasionally looking at the lit numbers above them. His little detour took valuable time from an already tight schedule. It was important to get everything done and get home at a decent hour. He took the co-op notice from his suit jacket pocket.
Notice: The Co-Op board has received several complaints of nightly disturbances coming from your apartment…
“Sons of bitches,” he spat under his breath. As unbelievable as it was, he and Regina were potentially about to be homeless because the people living around them lost their patience with her night terrors. He continued to re-read the notice until the elevator dinged. Simon balled the paper into his fist and shoved it into his front pocket before storming between the opening doors. Like hell am I gonna allow them to kick us out of our home. Not after everything we’ve been through. He clenched his teeth and fumed. Regina’s already raw nerves couldn’t handle any more stress—neither coul
d his. He shoved passed people and down the hall to his office.
“Good morning, Simon.” Corella’s warm smile did not incite his usual charm. He rushed past her into his office, barely mumbling a response.
Slamming the door, Simon sat at his desk and repeatedly pounded his fist on it before bracing his head between his thumb and fingers. He ignored the knock on the door and concentrated on massaging his throbbing temples, contemplating possible approaches to prevent the insensitive jackasses at his building from tossing them out. Regina smiled back at him from a silver-framed photo. He traced around her image with his forefinger. She had to be protected from all of this.
“Hey, Si.” Vince Deckland strutted through the door pulling his cufflinks.
Simon didn’t even bother to look in his direction. “Not now, Vince!”
“You got a minute to help a colleague? I have this-”
“I said not now, Vince.” Both Vince and Corella at her desk behind him popped up their heads. Simon placed his fisted arms on the desk that shook from his violently tapping his heel.
Vince stopped in his tracks and stared like a deer in headlights. His hand kept pulling his cuff taught. For a moment, each man was motionless, then Vince started to back towards the door. “Okay, got ya, Simon. Sorry for disturbin’ you.” He did an about face to the door, closing it and returning to Simon’s desk. For the first time, he didn’t garner an obnoxious sleaze ball grin. “Look. I know that you’ve been going through some stuff lately, with that guy on trial for attacking your wife.”
Simon loosened his fists and let his shoulders relax, but he kept his lips tight. I’ve no patience for Vince or one of his dumb comments today.
Vince looked down and tapped the desk. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” He met Simon’s gaze. “I’ve got your back.”
Simon took a deep breath and pulled his chair under him. “Thanks.” Vince lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile that exposed his professionally-whitened teeth. Simon shook Vince’s outstretched hand and answered his cell phone. “Hi Marc.”
“Hey, man. How is Gina doing?”
“She’s fine.” Simon watched Vince’s back as he headed for the door.
“There is something I need to tell you. I just got a call from Faisal at D.A.’s office. He wanted to give me a heads up. Jeremy accepted a plea deal: fourth-degree aggravated sexual abuse.”
Every muscle in his body shook with rage. “What the hell do you mean plea?” Vince jerked and pivoted on his shoes as Simon shot out of his seat. “He won’t even get 5 years. The ADA said—”
“Man, fuck the ADA. You know they’re going to take a plea instead of risking a jury verdict.”
Simon rubbed his neck muscles. “So, Regina testified, when she didn’t have to? She went through all of that and made herself sick for nothing?”
“Yeah. I think Jeremy was gonna plea out anyway but waited until Gina testified just to be in the room with her again.”
Vince, jumped back into the door as Simon barreled past him. “I have to get to Gina before anyone else tells her.” Blasting past Corella, he stopped and went back to her desk. “Corella.”
“I’ll reschedule your appointments for the day.” She tried at another warm smile.
Simon sighed. “Thanks, Corella.” Everyone in the hall moved to the side, clearing a path for him. A knot twisted at his empty stomach.
“Simon.” Vince came racing up to him.
Simon kept moving. “There’s no telling what will happen if Gina is alone when she finds out about Jeremy.”
“Simon, wait.” Vince grabbed his arm. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, but thanks.” Simon squeezed through the opening elevator doors. Vince started to walk away. “Hold up.” He pressed his arm against the elevator door and jammed his hand in his pocket, ignoring the huffing coming from the other passengers. “Can you help me with this?”
Vince unfurled and read the paper. He squinted and met Simon’s gaze. “What the fuck?”
“Yeah,” Simon said tight-lipped. “They’re trying to threaten eviction because my wife has night terrors. You heard the scum that assaulted her just copped a plea? I have to be the one to tell her.”
“Go.” Vince folded the paper and stuffed it into his suit with a smug look. “I got this. You take care of that tall drink of hot chocolate,” he shot over his shoulder, strutting down the hall.
Shaking his head, Simon let the last statement slide. “Thanks, Vince.” The blond lawyer flicked two fingers in the air. Simon backed into the elevator. “I need to get to Gina and fast.”
***
“Gina?” Simon tossed his keys on the counter. Smells from the kitchen wafted into his nose. Last night’s dishes laid in the dish rack and a half-eaten slice of toast sat on a plate next to a mug of tea. He smiled and put them in the sink. She’s eating and cooking. Regina’s belly bumped his back. Her arms wrapped around his waist.
“Hi.” She laid her head on his back and Simon’s heart soared. “You snuck out this morning.”
Simon turned and his heartbeat quickened. The dark circles had faded from around her eyes and they glistened with a light that hadn’t been there for a long time. “You were so peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you. Forgive me?” He pressed his lips to hers.
She pulled him as close as her belly allowed. After their glorious kiss, she stepped away. “I think I will. Why are you home so early?” She waddled to the stove and swirled a large wooden spoon in the steamy pot.
“I had some extra time, so I decided to spend it with my wife.” He nipped the back of her neck and stroked the expanse of her stomach with both hands. His nose captured her intoxicating scent, sending waves of desire through him. He backed away and circled the kitchen island, adjusting his pants as he sat. Any indication that he wanted her sexually heightened Regina’s anxiety, so it was important to hide his obvious state of arousal. “Smells good.”
“It’s for dinner, so it won’t be ready for a while.” Regina’s bounteous curves jiggled and swayed as she turned and settled one hand on the counter with a spoon protruding from it and the other on her hip. “So, you just had all this extra time?” She clearly wasn’t buying his story.
“Yes.” He purposefully set his gaze to her face, fighting the urge to stare at the glorious cleavage popping out of her top. Black braids splayed from the intricate cornrow pattern on her head and cascaded over her shoulders, drawing lustful attention to the brown globes sitting right below them.
She shook the spoon at him, causing her breasts to jiggle. “You just wanted to check up on me.”
They offered too much titillation. “Guilty.” Simon bolted out of the chair and strode to the sofa. “Can you get me some water?” He flopped down and inhaled the air around him. Shifting in his seat, Simon concentrated on controlling his body’s responses to Regina. He’d longed for her these past months, but any kind of intimacy was out of the question. She was healing, and he accepted that, but times like these were torturous.
“Here you go.” Regina handed him a bottle of water and held the back of the sofa, settling onto it. “Since you’re here, you can help me with something.” She reached for a book on the coffee table.
“What?” Simon put the bottle on his lap. His entire body shivered, but the cold sensation was doing a good job at suppressing others.
“Baby Names. There are like a million of them.”
Simon twirled a braid around his finger while she flipped through the pages of the book. “You look so beautiful.”
“Mmm, thank you. You’re kinda good lookin’ too.” She held a pen and pad in front of him. “Are you gonna help me name your daughter or not?” Her raised eyebrows and the smile twitching at the corners of her slightly pursed lips lit his spirit. She hadn’t been this casual for so long. He would do anything to keep her content.
Simon kissed her tenderly on the mouth. “Of course.”
Regina’s beach-ball-sized belly bobbed as s
he slid down the couch. She propped a pillow behind her back and placed her feet on Simon’s lap. “Look at those, Young.” She pointed to her puffy ankles, wiggling her plump toes.
He smiled and began to caress her swollen feet. “How about I rub them for you?”
“It’s the least you can do, since you’re the one responsible for me being in this condition.”
“Wouldn’t that be the fault of a defective condom?” Simon made sure not to look in her direction for a response. He focused on pressing his thumbs at the bottom of the chubby brown feet and managed to maintain a straight face until a pillow crashed into his head.
“For real?” She let out a soft giggle. Finally, the air around them was not filled with tension and dread.
He leaned and kissed the portly tummy. “I’ll happily take full responsibility for our daughter. Although, you were just as excited as me that morning.”
“Baby names, Young.” He messaged his wife’s feet while she called out names. Occasionally, he would go wash his hands and stir the pots on the stove as directed and was delighted to bring Regina whatever snacks she requested. Elation washed over his heart at the sight of her biting an apple as she thumbed through the book of baby names. She was eating and laughing. Telling her about Jeremy’s plea would potentially destroy the fragile serenity filling their home. I’m gonna hold off telling her. The peaceful moment with his family also soothed his fried nerves—he wasn’t going to just end it.
Noise from the evening rush-hour traffic filtered through the windows. He put the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on before collapsing on the couch.
“Delicious, babe,” he announced while stifling a burp. “It’s been a long time since I ate like that.” So busy monitoring Regina’s diet, he’d neglected to eat properly.
“I’m glad you're satiated, counselor.” Sitting with her legs crossed on the couch and caressing her tummy, Regina continued to scour the book. It was their second round because she wanted to make sure she hadn’t missed the perfect name. “Jordan?”
My Way to You (Brothers in Law Book 1) Page 27
