A Lifetime With You (Falling For A Rose Book 5)

by Stephanie Nicole Norris

  “If you tell me where your pants are, I’ll grab them for you,” he said.

  Mia looked affright. “And have you go through my drawers, I don’t think so.”

  “You must be cold,” Jonathon said. “I’ll get you a blanket instead.”

  “Why, you don’t like looking at my legs?” she crooned.

  “Is that why you asked me over here, Mia, to look at your legs?”

  Mia wiggled her brows. “Maybe.”

  Jonathon gauged her reaction. She could’ve very well been telling the truth. Mia wasn’t one to hold her tongue, but his eyes slid back down to her bandaged ankle, and he surmised that she was telling a joke.

  “What do you need?” he asked, his voice holding a depth that Mia loved.

  “I was trying to fix some leftovers, but it wasn’t working out too well.”

  The smoke detector sounded, and Jonathon whipped around and headed toward the kitchen. An eye on the stove had caught fire, and whatever was in the skillet was smoking. Jonathon took the burnt cookware off the stove and set it in the sink, rinsing it under cold water. In the refrigerator, he pulled out a small box of baking soda and turned it over onto the kitchen eye, efficiently dousing the flame.

  Jonathon cast an eye over the kitchen and went about the task of fixing the leftovers for Mia. Although Mia and her brother shared an apartment, the guy was never home. This was looking to be a long night, and Jonathon hoped her brother would be back soon.

  “Octavia!”

  “Give me the iPod.”

  “No,” Octavia responded.

  “Did you just tell your mother no?”

  “Dad, watch out!”

  Octavia rose to a sitting position, her breathing exasperated as she shook off the dream. It was back as if it had known she was alone again, and now the nightmare would wreak havoc on her. Octavia pulled her hands up and dropped her face inside her palms. She was tired. Friday had been the busiest day ever. Taking time off during the week to have a mini vacation with Jonathon was the most relaxed she’d felt ever. Now that that was over, Octavia gathered, it was back to business as usual. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and sighed at the hour.

  2 a.m.

  Octavia dragged herself out of bed and pulled the nightgown over her head, tossing it in the bin of clothes that sat by her door. She slinked into her bathroom and washed her face then crept back out and noticed the flashing light on her cell phone. Picking it up from the table, she opened it and read a few text messages from Jonathon.

  Octavia had never made it back to her cell phone after Steven’s appearance. Her mind had been jumbled, and she knew why. If Jonathon had walked in while Steven was there, Octavia hoped he wouldn’t notice Steven or wouldn’t care that he was in her home. But somehow, she knew that wouldn’t happen. Octavia didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed when Jonathon didn’t show up. But whatever had come up, Octavia knew was important, or he would have been there with her. With the cellphone in hand, Octavia lifted the basket of clothes and took them to the laundry room. She powered the machine on, and as it filled, Octavia added laundry detergent. Pulling out her cell, she leaned into the washing machine and dialed Jonathon. When Octavia received his voicemail, she figured Jonathon was sleep, but she took her chances to dial him anyway. Octavia missed Jonathon and wanted to hear his voice if nothing else.

  Sitting the phone on top of the dryer, Octavia added her linens then closed the lid on the washing machine. Steven had taken phone calls all day without complaining once. It was a nice change to the grumbling Selena seemed to do when she was taking calls. At 9 p.m., when the phones were cut off, Octavia had offered Steven something to drink and eat, which he gladly accepted.

  “If you need anything,” Steven had said, “call me, my number’s the same.”

  Octavia left the laundry room for the kitchen and filled a tall glass of water but only took a sip. Her mind wandered as she strolled to the living room and peeked through the blinds. All was silent, and the street was deserted. When her phone rang out, the familiar tone brought a smile to her face.

  “Hey,” she answered.

  “I’ve missed you,” his rough voice grooved.

  Octavia closed her eyes and rested in the sound of his deep vocals.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she responded.

  “Are you okay?” Jonathon asked.

  “I would be better if you were here. What happened earlier? I should be asking if you’re okay.”

  Jonathon shifted the phone from one ear to the other and pulled himself to a sitting position. “I’m fine. Mia broke her ankle at work and was home alone, so I came over to give her a hand.”

  Octavia’s sanctuary dispersed, and her eyes opened.

  “You’re over Mia’s house now?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “She’s stubborn, but I can get her together when necessary. I had to force her to go to bed. Can you believe she was trying to give me the bed and sleep on the couch?”

  The knot in Octavia’s stomach was unnerving to her. She knew Jonathon, and this wasn’t a reason to worry. So why did she feel annoyed? Octavia didn’t have a problem with Jonathon helping a friend, but spending the night? Wasn’t that crossing a line if they were together? Octavia’s thoughts backtracked; they hadn’t given each other titles, but after everything they shared, surely they didn’t have to spell it out. Right?

  “Okay…” Octavia said. “Well, I hope she gets better. I’d better let you go.”

  “Are you having nightmares again?”

  Octavia hesitated. “I’m okay,” she said soothingly. “I’m going to try and get a few Zs. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Octavia…”

  Octavia clutched the phone in her hand. “Yes?”

  “If you have a problem with me being here, just say the word, and I’m gone.”

  Octavia wavered. If Jonathon didn’t see a problem with it, why should she?

  “I’m fine, Mia’s your friend, and she needed your help. Simple as that, right?”

  The phone went silent before Jonathon responded, “Right.”

  “Good. Then I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Octavia ended the call and hung her head. Her thoughts ran rapidly before they settled on Steven. He was a friend too, so it shouldn’t be a problem if Octavia had a light conversation with him.

  “No,” she declined, shaking her head and traipsing to the couch to plop down. Octavia reached for a pillow and clutched it to her chest. Her mind jumped from Jonathon to Mia, to Steven before the darkness of the room took over, and she fell asleep. When the reoccurring haze of her parents’ accident came into focus, Octavia snapped back to reality and groaned. She wasn’t getting any sleep like this.

  She grabbed her cell and went back to Jonathon’s number. He said he’d leave if she wanted him to. Octavia bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to be that clingy friend, so she scrolled past his name to Steven’s. Her eyes hovered over the glowing cell as she took in the time. 3 a.m., Octavia sighed and forged ahead, hitting the call button. The phone rang three times before a rough voice answered.

  “Hello?”

  “I’m sorry for waking you.”

  Octavia could hear shuffling in the phone as Steven sat up. “Octavia?”

  “Yeah,” she said.

  Steven glanced at the time and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  He sounded sincere, Octavia thought. “I can’t seem to sleep, so I figured I’d call to keep you up since I had to be.”

  Steven chuckled. “You’re so cold.”

  Octavia grinned. “Sorry.”

  “I don’t mind being awakened by you. Why can’t you get any sleep?”

  Octavia paused. “Bad dreams.”

  “Damn,” he said. “I can come over and keep you company if you’d like.” When Octavia didn’t respond, he said, “Or we can stay on the phone, it’s up to you. I have no other intentions than to keep you company.”

  Octavia bit her bottom lip. “Fo
r now, the phone conversation will do. I just need a little help shifting gears. If I put my mind somewhere else, I might be able to get some sleep with the little night I have left.”

  “Okay.” Steven sat back against the headboard. “Tell me, Octavia, how did you get involved with Ayana Bradwell’s case?”

  “Officer Davis knocked on my front door one morning. Because Ayana is one of my neighbor’s children, he was interested in whatever knowledge of her I might have. Which wasn’t much. I’d seen Ayana a few times walking to the bus stop while I was running out the front door. Late for work.” She chuckled and so did Steven.

  “So, he asked you to open your house as a station?”

  “I told him if there was anything I could do to help to let me know. That’s when he asked me about it. This is the second weekend actually. It was just last weekend when he came around.” Octavia thought about telling him what Officer Davis had mentioned earlier. But if they called the search off, the volunteers would probably be one of the first to know about it, so she kept that information to herself. “How did you get involved?”

  “My father’s an officer with Chicago PD. He asked me if I could help with the search, and I told him I could. So here I am.”

  “Is this your first weekend out?”

  “No, I was here last weekend. I thought there was a break in the case when they found Ayana’s book bag.”

  “I did, too,” Octavia said.

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you seeing anyone, Octavia?”

  Octavia hesitated. Steven had thrown that in there so fast she almost missed it. “Yes, I am,” she said.

  “I’m going to be blunt here, but I think you already knew that.”

  “Mmhmm.”

  “I’d like to redo our last date. I want you to know the real me.”

  “So that guy I went on three other dates with wasn’t the real you?” Octavia said, twisting her lips.

  Steven chuckled. “I can see how what I’m saying now may sound ridiculous, but no, it’s wasn’t the real me. I’ve always lived to this image I thought everyone loved. I’ve been practicing it for so long I got lost in it myself. I’d like to show you the truth.”

  Octavia pursed her lips. “I couldn’t go out on a date with you when I’m dating someone else, now could I?”

  “Yes, you could.”

  Octavia laughed and dropped her head in her hand. “What did I expect you to say?”

  “I don’t know,” Steven said, getting in on the joke. “Does he know what kind of a gem you are?”

  Octavia raised a brow. “You do?”

  “While I might have been a fake, I saw the real you, Octavia. And now that we’re in good standing, I plan to stick around until you tell me to beat it.”

  “All right, that’s enough for tonight. I’m going to bed.”

  “It’s all good,” Steven said. “I know where you stay.”

  “I’ve got a gun,” she teased.

  “Yeah, but you’re too civil to shoot.”

  “Don’t try me. Good night.”

  “If you need me, I’ll be here.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Good night,” Steven said.

  Octavia disconnected the call and went to dive in bed. After that conversation, she didn’t want to do anything but forget it. Thankfully for the rest of the night, she’d been able to sleep soundly.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The day started off at a regular pace but quickly picked up as more volunteers made their way in and out. Selena had returned along with Claudia, but Desiree was somewhere underneath Julian. Octavia couldn’t blame her, there was no other place she’d rather be than underneath Jonathon. Damn those Rose men, she thought and wondered if Samiyah, Desiree, and Claudia had gone through the same type of jealousy she felt when thinking of Jonathon and Mia.

  This morning when Jonathon called Octavia wasn’t so thrilled to find out he was still at Mia’s, but she didn’t reveal that frustration, instead, choosing to be the understanding friend. Octavia rolled her eyes. It was lame, and she couldn’t help but feel possessive. Nevertheless, their repartee had been pleasant the full few minutes she spoke with him. Steven had also returned; it didn’t surprise Octavia, especially after their conversation last night. The moment he walked through the door, they’d spotted each other, and Octavia offered him a warm smile.

  “Good morning,” Steven said.

  “More like, good afternoon, don’t you think?” Octavia reverted to the time. “It’s after twelve.”

  “I would’ve been here on time if someone would’ve let me come over last night.”

  Octavia pursed her lips. “In your dreams,” she said, laughing.

  “Probably, but I’m willing to stick around and test out that theory.”

  Octavia rolled her eyes then walked away. Steven was happy to be on the other end of her smile and not the scowl he’d gotten yesterday when he’d shown up at her residence. He went straight to the phones where he’d planted himself in a chair for most of the day. Claudia, Selena, and Adam were in steady rotation and the day ran smoother than Friday. For the remainder of the evening, Octavia moved the roses that had been left in her room that week to different areas of the house. The bloom on the beautiful red flowers were humongous, and you wouldn’t have known they’d sat in her room all week.

  Every time she strolled out with another bouquet, the girls would look at her with raised brows.

  “Must be Jonathon’s doing,” Selena said, sliding up to stand next to Claudia.

  “She isn’t dating anyone else, is she?” Claudia asked.

  “I think Jonathon is the only one, but when this guy came in yesterday, they were all googly eyes at each other, so I’m not sure,” Selena said.

  The ladies turned to check out Steven from head to toe.

  “He aight,” Selena said. “He’s no Jonathon though.”

  “That’s for damn sure,” Claudia said.

  They watched Octavia disappear into her bedroom and come out with another bouquet. She passed through the living room and glanced Steven’s way. He threw a wink in her direction, and she tried to hold back a smile as she sat the roses on a table.

  “I don’t know,” Claudia said. They both glanced at one another then went back to their duties.

  The day turned into night. Before long, it was 9 p.m., and the phones were off.

  “Would you like some company tonight?” Steven asked Octavia as she stood by the front door and watched Adam make it to his car.

  “I think I’m good tonight,” she said.

  “Are you sure?”

  Octavia laughed. “Yes, I am.”

  “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  “I do.”

  Steven reached out and touched her chin then left. He was acting completely different from the way he did months ago. But it was too bad. Although Octavia could see Steven as a possible friend, there could never be more between them. Jonathon was all she wanted and thinking of him now, Octavia pulled her cell out and dialed his number.

  “Hey love, I was just thinking about you,” he answered.

  Chills ran down her spine, causing Octavia to shudder. “Were you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you come over?”

  “Jonathon, can you help me in the shower?” Mia’s voice rang out in the background.

  Octavia’s whole world froze. Her mind went blank before she came back. “You’re still over Mia’s?” she said, unable to hide the frustration she felt.

  “For the time being,” Jonathon said with an exhale. He turned to speak over his shoulder. “If you give me a minute, I’ll help you to the door. You can manage with the crutches the rest of the way, right?”

  “Yeah,” Mia said.

  Octavia took in a deep breath. “I’ll let you get to it then,” she said, disconnecting the call.

  “Everything all right?” Selena said, sliding in front of Octavia.

  “Yeah, why do
you ask?”

  “Because for a minute there, you look like you’d seen a ghost.”

  Octavia plastered on a phony smile. “I’m good. Are you leaving for the night?”

  “Yeah, Imma get on out of here.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

  “I’ll be here around one tomorrow. A girl has got to get her beauty rest at some point, right?”

  “Yeah, I forgot you have ten thousand things to do as your nightly ritual.”

  “As long as you know it.”

  They laughed, and Selena left. Octavia closed her door and went straight to the bathroom for a shower. She wanted to soak in the tub, but ironically Octavia craved to escape reality for the dream world. Thinking about Jonathon at Mia’s the entire weekend made her sick, and she’d gotten her wish, diving right into dreamland when her face hit the pillow.

  Sunday afternoon was pleasantly quiet, with a few volunteers coming in here and there. Octavia had to wonder if all the volunteers from Friday and Saturday would return for the last day of the search with the low volume of traffic coming through. But for now, she would just be grateful the house wasn’t full because at any given moment it could be. Octavia stood in the kitchen at the sink, rinsing off potatoes she would cut up and turn into seasoned baked potato wedges.

  It would be a fun snack for anyone who came by and hopefully the tasty treat would help brighten their day.

  “Excuse me.”

  Octavia shut the faucet off and turned to look at Steven. “How can I help you?” she said, grabbing a hand towel to dry her fingers.

  “Do you mind if I use your bathroom?”

  “There’s one in the hallway right outside the door.”

  “I know, it’s occupied. I was hoping I could use the one in your bedroom.”

  Octavia opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “If not, it’s okay. No pressure.”

  Octavia smirked. “Sure, why not.” She tossed the hand towel down on the counter and strolled from the kitchen. Behind her, Steven admired her ass in the denim jeans and the sway of her hips. He took a chance by stepping close to her. When Octavia felt a sudden brush, she turned quickly and stepped to the side to peer at him.