Power of Attorney: A Novel (A Greenburg Family Book 1)

by Lang, Alice

  She touched his arm and led him to the sofa, urging him to sit. She chose a chair, and when she was settled, he began.

  “One day, dad took me out to meet someone. His ‘old friend,’ as he told me, who had come back from Europe. She was nice though. We hung out in the park together and then we went to the restaurant to eat. And when we went back, dad asked me if I liked her. I said ‘yes, she’s really nice.'”

  Patrick heaved a sign and rubbed him temples before running his hand over his face. “That was how he argued with mom the next day. He said, ‘Patrick even like her, he said she’s really nice.’ One week after that, they divorced.” Patrick’s voice was shaking. The memory of that day had haunted him like a shadow that never left his side. It became the mark that he could not get rid of.

  “My mom couldn’t look at me for months, but I couldn’t go with dad. Not when he use my words as an excuse for himself. I trusted him. I let myself befriend that woman and essentially gave him my permission to replace my mom. I swore to myself that I would never trust someone that easily if my own father could hurt me like that.” he voice trailed off; he didn’t need to continue.

  Sarah felt as if there was a snake coiled within her heart as she listened to Patrick. She couldn’t imagine what Patrick must feel like right now, remembering himself as that helpless little boy.

  “I let my mom down. I let Henry down. I’m sure that when you walked in my office on that day, I let you down too.”

  Sarah’s stomach dropped as she listened because she knew it was partially true. Patrick was nothing like she expected; she had been let down. She couldn’t help that she felt that way; he was rude, perfectly horrible. But she didn’t think he was horrible now.

  “It’s true. You were nothing like what I was expecting and I was taken by surprise by your behavior and attitude,” I could do nothing but agree. “But, I know for a fact that you are the best lawyer out there. I mean, you might not know this but you actually are the inspiration for many law students out there. We look … I look … up to you.” Sarah wasn’t lying; she wasn’t the only one who was inspired by Patrick. There were many others who keep pushing on because they wanted to be just like him.

  “I know that seems like we worshipped you or something, but you give a lot of hope to people there.” She wanted to say that he gave her hope, but she knew he already knew that.

  “And from what I can see, whatever happened between your parents wasn’t your fault.”

  He interrupted her, lifting his hand to halt her words. “I gave my dad the reason-”

  She interrupted him right back. “It was his decision to use those words Patrick; you were a child. He was trying to justify his actions and was prepared to use any weapons he could. There’s no way you could have known the consequence of your words, no way to even know why he was asking you that question. You were a child.” she stressed.

  Patrick used to win against everyone but ever since this woman came into his life, she has left him speechless on many occasions. There was something interesting about Sarah that Patrick couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

  “You are just a human, Patrick. I know it might be too late to say this,” because she once expected too much of him too, “but I think you did a good job so far. You’ve done so much for Henry, even Henry agrees with that. Your move today might not be the best or most honest, but your intentions were good.” Sarah took a second to collect herself. “Patrick, I might not love Henry the way he wants but I can tell you do. If there is one person who wishes him nothing but happiness and love, it’s you.”

  Sarah watched Patrick’s face shift from disbelief to uncertainty and finally to peace. She knew he put so much pressure on himself to be perfect. Maybe for a second he could let that go.

  “Thank you, Sarah. It means a lot for you to say that,” Patrick whispered quietly. “You know, I think you’re the first person to ever praise me as a brother. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear it.” He smiled this time. Not the usual smirk he gave her when they were spatting in the office, but a real, genuine smile of relief. Sarah moved back to the sofa and sat beside him, holding his hands with her warm one.

  “That’s what partners are for, right? Admit it, you can’t do a thing without me.”

  “I was fine on my own.” Patrick chuckled a little, and it made Sarah smile too.

  “Well, I made your work a lot better. It would have taken you ages to schedule the jury on your own.”

  “You’re right,” Patrick agreed and raised his eyes up to meet her. They were full of that light again, the light she fell in love with. “You make a lot of things better.”

  Somehow, as they were staring at each other, the distance between them grew less and less. Sarah couldn’t take her eyes off him. Her hand ghosted to his cheek as she tried to draw into that little smile she had never seen before. She wished this was how Patrick looked every day. Still, she wouldn’t mind the grumpy Patrick, not after she had gotten used to it now. It was a part of him, and there was nothing about him she would change.

  The kiss came so naturally that Sarah wondered if it was meant to be. It wasn’t a heated kiss but a slow passionate one, full of comfort and relief. Their foreheads touched as their arms encircled the other. There were no words between them, only the soft sound of their breath, their lips.

  That sank into each other, kisses deepening and before long, they found themselves in Sarah’s room.

  Their hands traced over each other, becoming familiar, stripping layer upon layer of clothes away. Outside of clothes, then inside of clothes which were gently removed. Why hurry when they had all the time in the world?

  Through half-closed eyes, Sarah enjoyed watching Patrick’s passionate face. He looked cute with those rosy cheeks, much to her amusement. Sarah laughed a little when Patrick struggled with his pants and was glad she didn’t choose to wear jeans today or it might have ended up with a lot of frustration. She lay down on her queen sized bed, the one she never thought she wouldn’t share with anyone.

  They took their time and used precaution, wanting everything to last. Everywhere their skin touched left goose bumps. The cold air of the room made the heat of their skin stand out more than ever before. Patrick’s lips brushed Sarah’s ears causing her to whimper. His breath tickled as he trailed a path down to her neck.

  His other hand trailed down to her navel and explored her body with the gentlest of touch. Further down it moved, burning a trail until for the first time he touched her most private parts. The pleasure was enormous, and her legs unconsciously spread apart as she welcomed the foreign intrusion that had never felt so sweet. Every time he moved, she couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of bliss. Still, she knew this was just the beginning.

  Slowly, he moved within her, one finger and then another. Sweat rolled from her eyebrows; her throat was parched from her breathy moans.

  He caressed her, filled her with his fingers and moved his body between her legs. She welcomed him, welcomed this and nearly cried out as he pushed into her body.

  Pure pleasure swept through her as he slipped into her warmth. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and she sighed as his mouth found hers again. He groaned as they fully connected and her legs wrapped around his back.

  In and out he moved, finding a rhythm to his thrusting. Her nails sank into his skin as she held on for this most pleasurable ride. Their breath was in sync with the slow ebb and flow of their body. In between, there were no words, just the sound of two people drinking the sight of each other with the sound of passion they created. She didn’t open her eyes as she wanted to feel this moment rather than observe it. No eyes were needed to see what was going on around her. Each trust emitted a spark behind her eyes, and a small moan escaped her mouth. There were sounds of skin slapping on skin that were drowned out by their moans.

  She could feel Patrick’s hand cupping her cheek as his face went down for another kiss. It wasn’t long until their breathy moans became more vocal. Sarah could f
eel herself burning, heat pooling down her stomach. It was as if something inside her was about to erupt. She also knew that Patrick was close too as he felt him move his face to the crook of her neck as if he was trying to hold back something.

  The peak of their love making came down in a loud gasp made by Sarah, followed by Patrick’s sudden grunt. Her nails dug into his skin as their orgasm rode to its completion. Time stood still, and her mind became hazy with the afterglow. After a while, she opened her eyes and gazed into his deep greens. They were glistening with love and desire but, there was also something else hidden in there too. Gratitude.

  She smiled as she gave him one last kiss and then closed her eyes again, lulled to sleep by her deeply relaxing body.

  In her dreams, she saw his eyes again, those beautiful green irises that were so hypnotizing. It wasn’t just the eyes though, or the brilliant mind behind them. There was something about Patrick Greenburg she couldn’t explain.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Patrick had never slept so well, and his bed was softer than he remembered. That’s when he realized his bed was never this soft. Startled, his eyes opened quickly only to be assaulted by the bright sunlight filling the room.

  For a moment, he didn’t realize where he was. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks… he was in Sarah’s bed. If he were at home, Patrick would be enjoying the fresh weather with a good jog and some good tea. However, this morning he was on the run for another reason – he was desperate to exit the room!

  The memory of how he got here in the first place began to come back to him after his initial moment of panic. He felt his face redden and his skin prickled with static electricity as he remembered every moment of last night.

  Patrick groaned into his hands. He was torn between punching himself to death and jumping out of the window. Or perhaps it was possible he could do both.

  Glancing around he looked for Sarah, but her side of the bed was cold. Listening intently, he heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. She was showering which provided him a good opportunity to disappear for a moment. He needed that moment to process what was going on in his life. Breaking is own person record for speed dressing, Patrick was dressed and out of the apartment in a flash. As he closed the door, he hoped she would understand.

  “What have I done?” he asked himself out loud. He just slept with his partner who was dating his little brother. Patrick did what he did best … run.

  He wanted to blame last night on the ‘heat of the moment’. He had been depressed, and Sarah was very good at giving him advice and restoring his confidence.

  He wanted to deny that last night was an act of love and passion. But he knew better, it would be a lie. Last night was the definition of love and passion; it’s wasn’t the ‘heat of the moment’ or any other excuse. Their time together was the culmination of the lust and affection that they had had for each other since day one.

  He wanted to deny how truly happy he felt when he was with Sarah Blake. What he said last night was mostly true; Sarah did change many things for the good. His office became alive with her around. It was no longer just him and a computer or a bunch of papers. It wasn’t his. It wasn’t hers. It was theirs.

  Realizing that Sarah made him a little happier was one thing, he also realized she made him hate himself a little less too. He had never revealed so much about himself to anyone, had never felt so connected to another soul.

  Remembering how much he shared with her worried him a little. He still didn’t trust anyone completely. He was also afraid she would rub salt in his wounds, or judge him harshly for his action.

  Deep down he didn’t think so, he instinctively knew she was different. She never ceased to surprise him. While trust was still a foreign thing for him, Sarah made it easier for him to try.

  He raked his hands through his messy ginger hair. He needed to think this through. They both needed time; he realized. He was confused; she must be too, plus she needed to sort things out with Henry.

  Was Patrick really a coward? He wondered if the temptation to run was because he was afraid she would say no. He wondered what was going through her head last night. Sarah was unpredictable; she already demonstrated that to him clearly. Even if he thought he had her, she would turn the table around, and Patrick would lose. Yes, Patrick realized that he couldn’t beat Sarah if the battle was about feelings and emotions. He wasn’t good with giving into human nature.

  He wondered if he should message her or give her a call, to explain why he had left. Would she be mad? Knowing Sarah, she probably would. How could she not be?

  His phone’s screen flash, Sarah had left a message. He had missed her call and was uncertain what to do. Her name was wrecking his brain.

  An hour later, Patrick reached his apartment. He’d needed to clear his head, plus the idea of being around others on the bus made his mind go numb. The muscles in the calves were begging for him to sit down. His feet were dragging as he stumbled on the steps to his room. He imagined that everyone in the office would have given anything to see him in this state. He gave up and sat on the last step, head bowed down in defeat and exhaustion. What should I do? What was stopping him from confessing to her, telling her how he felt, or at least asking her out? He didn’t want to give in to the rules he made to himself years ago. He didn’t want to make the same mistake and feel that disappointment ever again.

  “Wow, never thought I would see the day Patrick Greenburg came home in a mess.” Of all the people he wanted to see today, the owner of the voice wasn’t even on the list. Patrick raised his head to see Henry in front of him. Something in his stomach dropped at the sight of his brother. Talking about trust, he just betrayed his brother’s trust by sleeping with the girl he was dating. From the tight, blank look on Henry’s face, Patrick could only assume that Henry knew he lied to him and was assuming what happened afterwards. The usual happy face Henry wore was gone. He was angry, frustrated and on the edge. And Patrick was the reason of it all.

  “Had a nice night?” Henry asked, the note of sarcasm was strong. Patrick could feel the heat of Henry’s anger simmering in the undercurrent of his words. He knew what was going to happen. He knew that facing Henry was something unavoidable, but he never thought he would face it this soon.

  “Henry, I am-”

  “You know what?” Henry interrupted it. “I trusted you. You are the last person I expected to stab me in the back.”

  Patrick knew he deserved this. No matter how much he tried to sugar coat what he did, the fact still stayed the same. He had hurt Henry. There was nothing he could say to make it better or justify his action.

  “I knew the chance of getting together with her was very slim. I know that she admires you. I know she might never think of me other than a good friend. But at least let her say that to me, will you? Was that really too much to ask? I’m not blind Patrick!”

  It was another fatal error Patrick had made. He thought that Henry blindly loved Sarah and did not know her true feelings towards him. Perhaps the person who was really blind was himself.

  “If you know then why did you ask her out? You even asked me about it!”

  “It was a trick question. I wanted to see if you were interested. God, are you really so dense. Pat?!” Henry took a few steps closer and kept talking through gritted teeth. “For all my life, I’ve been compared to you or Jane. I’ve always been a step behind, walking in the shadow of the Patrick Greenburg.” He paused, fists clenching at his side. “For once I got a chance, even if it seems impossible, I got a chance to do something before you. And guess what… you have to ruin it too!”

  “Henry…”

  “I’m not the same little brother anymore Patrick. I can deal with heartbreak. I can deal with being rejected and failed relationships. I don’t need someone to break it for me, especially you!”

  Patrick never knew his little brother felt the pressure he and Jane unconsciously created by their talents. He never knew he was hurting his little brother by just bei
ng himself. Or trying to protect him. Did he really set a standard for his brother that seemed impossible for him to follow?

  “Henry…I’m sorry for what I did. This is my fault.”

  “Damn right it’s your fault,” Henry accused. “I looked up to you, respected you, and appreciated all that you sacrificed to help me. You have been my rock,” he exhaled a deep breath. “And now this.”

  When Patrick said nothing, Henry continued. “Was it really so hard to admit your feeling? All this happened because you just didn’t have the balls to tell her how you felt.”

  Patrick wanted to say that Henry was correct. He didn’t understand his feeling and didn’t know why he acted this way. He was a coward and hadn’t resisted temptation last night.

  He knows that a simple conversation would have stopped all of this. A few words from his mouth could have alleviated all this pain.

  “It’s more than that. Henry, I know now. About how I feel…”

  “How?” Patrick braced himself a little. “How exactly does the Patrick Greenburg feel? I’m breathless to know.”

  “Sarah and I…last night…we, uh, were…together-“

  The sentence wasn’t even fully complete when Henry pounced. Suddenly his fist was in Patrick’s face, and stars burst around his vision. Henry had punched him. Hard. And was simply walking away, not looking back.

  Patrick watched his brother’s retreating back. The punch hadn’t hurt that much although Patrick felt sure his pain would blossom later. He didn’t care; he had deserved. Hell, he deserved even more.

  As he rubbed his jaw and stood up, on the way to the freezer for some ice. Patrick felt another pain deep in his chest. The pain of knowing he had destroyed his brother’s trust completely.

  Patrick remembered another time when the Greenburg family fell apart and this time, he wasn’t sure he could find the pieces to fix it.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Every pair of eyes landed on Patrick as he walked into the office. He looked ridiculous, he knew, wearing big Ray-Ban sunglasses, especially of a cloudy day like today.