by A. m Madden
—
“How do you feel?” I asked when she woke from another nap. Over the past hour we’d seen major improvement. Yes, she was more lucid and coherent, but the way she would grumble about being kept there when there was no need for it was a sure sign Maygen was coming back to us.
“Except for feeling like bugs are crawling beneath my skin, or that my head is pounding with a migraine, I feel better.” I wasn’t buying it. She was lying so she could get out of there, and I saw right through her.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously and she plastered on a cheesy smile that caused a spontaneous laugh to erupt within me.
“Well, you’ve been through a lot and we’re staying put until you’re better.”
“Bleh,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “This room smells.”
Moving to lie beside her, I pulled her into my arms. I could feel her internal struggle—her body wanting me, her mind wanting to go home.
“I need to walk,” she pleaded. “Please? I can’t stay in this bed anymore. I have to move.” Beneath the blanket she jiggled her legs maniacally, probably for effect.
“Baby, if the nurse says you can walk, then you’ll walk. If not, you won’t.” I challenged her with my stern look. When she pursed her lips, I fought the urge to laugh again.
“He’s right, Maygen,” Garrett said. “You just went through hell. Sit tight, and be a good girl.”
“Ugh, now I have both of you to deal with?” She rolled her eyes. “Suddenly you guys are best buds? Is this any way to treat your favorite girl?”
Her father and I exchanged our own eye-roll. “Are you still high?” I teased.
“I may feel loopy, but I know I’m feeling better and I want to go home.” She didn’t bother trying to hide her irritation. We both knew it wasn’t us she was annoyed at. Maygen Whitney had decided she was better, and everyone who disagreed would meet her ire.
“I’ll go get the nurse. She must be feeling better, back to being a pain in the ass.” Garrett winked and left the room.
Instantly, she turned her body to mine and smiled. Again I saw right through her, and knew what she was up to.
“Hi,” she said, before attaching her lips to the skin below my ear.
“Maygen.”
“What?” Her lips moved lazily over my skin, driving me insane in the process. She wasn’t playing fair. I pulled away and held her head in my hands.
“You didn’t see what we saw you go through. We want to make sure you’re okay.” I kissed her chastely, pulling away quickly. “Please cut us some slack.”
Her eyes bore into mine like blue lasers. “I heard what you said. I heard every word, David.”
“Good. I mean it. You need to listen to the doctors and nurses.”
She shook her head. “No. I heard what you said when I was out of it. I heard you telling me you love me.”
“I meant every word.” When I leaned in again she met my lips for a long, hard kiss.
“I love you, too. I wanted to tell you so many times.”
“I know.”
“There’s something else I want to say.” Her slim fingers traced my scruff before they skimmed over my lips. “David, I forgive you.” I sighed in relief. She smiled warmly and nodded. “I do.”
“Maygen.” Our lips instantly connected.
Was it the most romantic place to hear she did love me?
No.
Was it the absolute best thing to hear after the hell we’d been through?
Fuck yeah.
Did her admission that she forgave me actually affect me more than her declaration of love?
Probably. I knew she loved me. It was her forgiveness I desperately needed.
The nurse and her dad appeared as we were making out like horny teenagers. In a panic Maygen pulled away wide-eyed.
“Hot shot,” I muttered.
She poked her tongue out at me. My girl was back.
“I see our patient is coming around?”
“She’s itchy, and won’t stop scratching.” I counted off on my fingers. “She wants to walk around. She wants to go home. Oh, and she said this room smells.” I looked down at her and added, “Did I forget anything?”
“Traitor,” she muttered in mock anger.
“Smells?” the nurse asked, a smile playing on her lips. “All I smell is disinfectant and your boyfriend’s cologne, but her other gripes are understandable.” She disconnected the oxygen tubing. “We can remove this now. Are you still nauseous? Dizzy?”
“Not very.”
“She’s lying,” I offered, earning myself a hard poke in the ribs.
“Ah, I bet she is.” The nurse reached for a small basin in the bottom of an end table. “Use this if you feel sick. I’d rather you not run to the bathroom quite yet if you’re still dizzy. So, that means no to walking around.” Maygen huffed in frustration. The nurse was completely unfazed by her grumpiness. “I’ll go get you something to eat. That will help the nausea. Any special requests?”
“Yes. I’d like to go home.”
“Based on how you feel, maybe the doctor will release you later this afternoon. But I’m not making any promises.”
“Can I speak to him? I can convince him I’m fine.”
The nurse laughed. “We’ll be the ones to decide if you’re fine, dear. Let’s get you something to eat. Meanwhile, stay in bed since you feel dizzy, and be a good girl. Once you’re released, one of these handsome men will have to vouch that you’ll follow orders at home. I can see the challenge.”
“She’ll do what I tell her to do,” I immediately volunteered.
“I will?”
“You will.”
Chapter 37
Maygen
Coming off heroin was not a pleasant experience, unless you had a man like David Cavello by your side. Yes, the shakes, nausea, vomiting, and itching to the point I wanted to rip my skin off were awful, but now all I really felt in my heart was happiness.
It didn’t make sense after experiencing such a horrific ordeal to feel so content. The sorrow I felt had to do with Arnold’s murder, and the tears I shed were over his memory. He was killed in cold blood right before my eyes while protecting me. The image of Gloria shooting him without warning, without emotion, was one I’d never forget.
There was the entire issue of Reed being my half brother. I hadn’t spoken to him yet, and was anxious to do so. This had to have been messing him up.
Then there was me. I should have been consumed with thoughts of how close I came to being seriously hurt, or worse, to being killed. For whatever reasons, my brain wouldn’t go there. Denial maybe?
Whatever it was, and as irrational as it sounded, I simply couldn’t feel anything but complete and utter contentment. Of course it had everything to do with David. On the one rare occasion he left the room after I came to, my dad filled me in on every detail of David’s unwavering commitment to never leave my side. So in spite of the sorrow and the fear, I felt loved, felt happy, and felt safe…because of David.
After spending the night in the hospital, I was finally released the next morning. If it had been up to me, it would’ve happened sooner. I lost every battle I initiated, and the effort in doing so almost exhausted me more than going through heroin withdrawal. I hated being there even though most of the time I was out of it.
Since my apartment was a crime scene, an FBI agent accompanied my father as he quickly went in to get some of my things. My choice of residence was either my father’s place or David’s. Dad took it well when I said I wanted to go with David.
The moment we got to David’s place, I was on his couch with my feet up. “David, I have to pee.”
“No worries.” Before I could stand, he lifted me and carried me into the bathroom.
“Seriously?”
“I’ll be right outside.” He ignored my incredulous stare and shut the door, giving me privacy. I guess I should’ve been happy he didn’t insist on standing there as I peed.
It w
asn’t long before my dad arrived with my things. He stayed, accepting a drink. He listened intently as David shared details of his deployment. Not only were they communicating, but David was willingly sharing information. He had come such a long way from the man I met months ago.
Again a calming peace overwhelmed me. It warmed my heart to see they had moved on from their aversion to each other. I must have dozed off, and then woke to the sounds of them laughing. I couldn’t believe my ears, or my eyes. He and David acted as if they’d been friends for years, even joking about the upcoming baseball season. The entire visit was surreal in so many ways.
“I need to go talk to Reed,” my father announced.
“Dad, please ask him to call me afterward.”
“I will, sweetheart. I’m not sure what frame of mind he’s in, though. I’ll keep you posted.” He hugged me before turning to David. “I know I’m repeating myself, but thank you.”
“And I’ll keep repeating, no thanks needed.”
They shook hands. Dad gave me a warm hug and left David’s apartment smiling.
“Did you drug him?” I asked David, staring dumbfounded at the door after it closed behind my dad.
“No.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back into his body. “I’m very charming when I want to be.”
Turning in his arms, I lifted up on my toes to kiss his lips. “You are preaching to the choir, Mr. Cavello.” I went right back in, gripping the short hair on the back of his head. His lips moved against mine, but he slyly gripped my hands and pulled them away. Once I was successfully restrained, he broke the kiss. “Rest,” he said, pointing to his bedroom.
“I’m not tired.”
“Don’t care.”
“But I have a proposition for you.”
“No.”
I smacked his shoulder. “You don’t know what it is yet.”
He looked at me skeptically. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. First you take a nap, and then you can tell me what you are up to.”
Debating his offer, I replaced my hands in his hair. When he started shaking his head, I quickly rushed on. “Relax. I’ll do what you ask only because my idea is that good.”
“We’ll see.”
—
I woke with a start to voices in the living room. It was dark outside, making me feel very disoriented. When the haze of sleep lifted, I was reminded what had happened that woke me up. In my dream Gloria lifted her gun and shot me just as she had Arnold.
The clock on David’s nightstand read almost five in the evening. The first thing I thought of was how smug he’d be over how long I slept.
Reed, Dad, and David all looked at me when I entered the living room. “Well, well. Look who slept for hours,” David said with a grin. “You can just admit I was right and you needed the rest.” Lifting his hand palm up, he prompted, “Go on.”
“Fine. You were right.”
He patted his lap, and I willingly accepted. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
He gauged my short response and raised a brow. “Maygen.”
“I had a nightmare. I’m fine. I promise.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he changed the subject. “Nick called. You can return to your apartment. Your dad is having it cleaned tomorrow.”
“I’m not ready to go home yet.” Visions of Arnold lying dead and of Gloria waving her gun around were fuzzy in my mind, but I feared going home would open up the can of emotional worms I purposely kept the lid on.
“You take your time. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll go with you.” My heart swelled with love. I kissed him softly and he smiled against my lips. When we parted, my father’s smile matched David’s. He was now used to our affection, but Reed raising his brows reminded me this was a new side of David.
“Nick also said Jonah Michaels is deceased.”
“What?”
David nodded, his gaze moving between my father and me. “He died of an overdose last year, which could have sent Gloria into her psychotic spiral.”
I processed what that meant. The man who killed my mother was no longer a threat. The woman behind the whole thing wasn’t, either. I felt overwhelmed with emotion, and not just relief. I looked to my dad, who sat staring with tears in his eyes.
“Dad.”
Knowing what we needed, David caressed my hip and said, “Baby, I’m going to run to the grocery store to pick some things up.” Our eyes connected, his giving me an unspoken message that it was time to talk to my family.
“Okay.” I nodded knowingly. He kissed my cheek and helped me stand. “I’ll be back. You all take your time.” Grabbing his coat, he left his apartment to give us privacy.
I slowly walked closer to my father. Reading my mind, he stood abruptly and held me tight. We sobbed quietly for what we went through, what could have happened. Once we settled, an unspoken commitment between us meant it was over, and time to move on.
“Reed, how are you?” I said once I sat back down.
He shrugged, but his eyes told the real story. “It is what it is.”
“Sweetheart,” Garrett said, “Reed and I had a long talk. I gave him every detail of my relationship with Gloria from the moment we started dating. I’ll fill you in, but basically you know the most important parts.”
“I’m sorry, Reed. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I’m here for you, though. And I love you.”
“I know. I love you, too.” He looked at my father and added, “And I love you. I just need to process all this. I’m a very logical person. None of this makes sense to me. I…I don’t know what I should be feeling.” He shook his head, the frustration obvious.
Dad nodded, with tears in his own eyes. “Reed, I loved you like a son before all this. I know it’ll take time to build a new, honest relationship. I’m here for you, for Maygen. I’ll always be here. I love you both more than anything, and I’d do anything for either of you. Whatever you need from me, you know you have it.”
“I know, Garrett.” Reed shook his head and a short, sarcastic laugh escaped his lips. “Garrett? Dad? It’s amazing how life can change on a dime, huh? My issues are with her. I always hated her for abandoning me and feel no differently now. It was the reason I changed my name and ran from my past. I needed to redefine myself. My mother didn’t die, a stranger did. I have no emotional reaction to her demise.”
“Reed, the rest will come with time.”
“You’re right,” he said. “What I do know is I have the support of two amazing people who have always been my family, a loving wife, and a baby on the way. Beyond that, everything else isn’t important right now.”
“I can’t wait for that baby,” I said with a smile. “Be prepared for massive spoiling of my first niece or nephew.”
“Phoebe and I look forward to that, Maygen.” My half brother looked into my eyes and smiled. He then stood, came over, and took me in his arms. “I’m so sorry for what she put you through. I don’t have a doubt she’s rotting in hell.”
I clutched him tightly. I always believed things happened for a reason. Through the deceit under which I met David came love and happiness I’d never take for granted. Through the horror of becoming Gloria’s focus for revenge came the possibility that Reed was my brother, whom I could now be tied to by blood. How could I regret any of it?
—
David returned to find me on my laptop. “You’d better not be working.”
“Nope. Chatting with Betha. She says hi and can’t wait to double-date.”
“Yay,” he said sarcastically. I watched him as he carried a few grocery bags into his tiny kitchen. He looked so relaxed, something I’d never seen on him before. Even when our relationship was going well, there was always a tension about him. I loved seeing this side of David.
He came and joined me on the couch, lifting my legs and placing them on his lap.
“How are you?” I asked.
“I’m fantastic.”
I gauged his face, looking for signs th
at he was hiding something. “You promise me you’ll tell me otherwise? I know a lot has happened, most of which we haven’t fully digested yet, but I don’t want you to fall back into old habits. I want to be there for you, even when you feel lost. It’s probably going to happen again. If you need me to come to therapy, I will.”
“I know, baby. I promise. Right now, I’m good. I swear, I’m better than good. And yes, I don’t doubt my issues will surface again. They may never go away. But I will always lean on you when and if they haunt me again.” His hand gently cupped my cheek where the bandage still covered my stitches. “You have to promise me the same. This scar will be a constant reminder of what we went through.”
“I promise.” I leaned closer and kissed him long and hard. Reluctantly, I pulled away first. “So, we have to finish our discussion.”
“Which discussion would that be?”
“My proposition.”
“Ah, right.” He took the laptop that was now resting uncomfortably between us and placed it on the table. “Lay it on me.”
“Well, before all hell broke loose with Gloria, I was planning on asking you to redeem your Hamptons coupon. I thought we could have a romantic weekend, just the two of us, and I’d finally tell you that I loved you. My plans were ruined,” I pouted. “Not only for the obvious reasons, but I was forced to tell you how I felt in a stinky hospital room.”
“The Hamptons, huh?” He reached over and dragged me onto his lap.
“What better place to relax and recover than at a quiet, unused cottage right on the beach?”
He tried to act cool, but the subtle way his hardness pressed into me, the way his eyes widened just a tad, even the way his gaze moved down to my lips, all clued me in to his thoughts.
“It would make sense to take you away from the city, where there are too many distractions.”
“I agree. Dax wants me to take some time off. You’re in limbo waiting to hear back from the jobs you applied for. There’s really nothing keeping us here. Right?”
His eyes focused on mine. “Right.”
“So? Isn’t my plan brilliant?”
“How quick can you pack?”
Chapter 38
