Love Hurts (Forever and Always #17)

by E. L. Todd

  That meant the world to me. “I promise there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  She pulled away and looked at me. “I’m sorry for everything.”

  I rubbed my nose against hers. “It’s more than okay. That could have gone quite differently. I can tell you’ve grown a lot.”

  “I know Kyle cheated on me, but I need to put that in the past and really move on. You’re nothing like him.”

  My arms hooked around her and I rested my chin on her head. This was exactly what I wanted. Even though I had a horrible night at the bar, coming home to this made it worth it.

  She pressed her body against mine, cuddling into me. “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “You have my attention…” I smirked then looked down at her.

  “Come to bed and you’ll see.”

  “You don’t need to tell me twice.”

  I made sure the door was locked and I turned off all the lights before I went to bed. When I walked inside, she was just wearing slutty lingerie I bought her.

  This was going to be a fun night.

  I decided not to bring up Zahara. Hazel could only take so much at a time, and now wasn’t when it should be spoken of. Besides, I wasn’t thinking about Zahara anyway. The only person on my mind was Hazel, the love of my life.

  10

  Hazel

  I was nervous to meet Flynn’s friends. If they were anything like him, then there shouldn’t be any problems. And after meeting his annoying brother, Cade, they couldn’t be that bad. But still, I knew I was being observed closely.

  “Why are you nervous?” he asked. He held my hand while we walked up the street.

  I shrugged. “Why whouldn’t I be? Weren’t you nervous to meet mine?”

  “No.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re so damn cocky.”

  “What? If they didn’t like me, whatever. I know you’d still stick around.”

  “Cocky…again.”

  He smirked. “Just be yourself. If someone doesn’t like you for you, then it’s not a loss anyway. And my friends are important to me, but if they didn’t like you, I wouldn’t give a shit.”

  “I guess that makes me feel a little better.”

  “But they will like you,” he said firmly. “If I’m in love with you and living with you, you’re automatically in. Girls are the complete opposite. You need their approval before you decide anything. That’s the beauty of being a dude.”

  “We’ll see…” Even after the pep talk, I was still nervous.

  Flynn opened the door for me and we walked inside.

  Two guys were sitting in a booth, empty glasses on the table. They noticed us when we walked inside. “Wow. Those two girls are hot.”

  Flynn rolled his eyes. “Shut the hell up.”

  “I love lesbians,” the second one said.

  Flynn punched him in the arm then waited for me to sit down. “These are my idiot friends.”

  I extended my hand and shook the burly one’s. “I’m Hazel.”

  “Johnny.” He winked. “I know exactly who you are.”

  I turned to the other one. “Hi.”

  “I’m Ian,” he said. He looked at Flynn. “I can tell she’s second guessing everything.”

  “No, she’s not,” Flynn said firmly.

  “I can see it in her eyes,” Johnny said. “Now that she sees how much hotter we are, she wishes she met us first.”

  I smiled. His friends reminded me a lot of Mike and Sean.

  “Go to hell.” Flynn guided me into the booth then sat next to me. His arm moved around my shoulders. “What do you want to drink, baby?”

  “Wine is fine.”

  “K. I’m getting a beer.” He stood up and approached the bar.

  Now I was alone with his friends. “It’s nice to put faces to names. He talks about you guys a lot.”

  “I’m sure they are nothing but good things,” Ian said.

  “Actually, he said you both are douchebags,” I said honestly.

  Johnny laughed. “I like her.”

  “Me too,” Ian said.

  Well, that was easy.

  “So…you got a sister?” Johnny asked.

  “A brother—if you’re into that.”

  He cringed. “Eww. No.”

  I chuckled. “I have a mom.”

  Ian shrugged. “I’ll take it.”

  “But she’s married.”

  “Then I’ll take it,” Johnny said.

  “You two are desperate, huh?” I asked.

  “We just like playing the field,” Johnny said. “It’s not the same without Flynn. He used to be the leader of our trio. Now Ian and I have to pick up girls all alone.”

  I smirked. “That’s pretty sad if you need him to help you get laid.”

  “She’s like a girl version of Flynn,” Ian said as he looked at Johnny.

  “She is.” Johnny nodded. “So, you like him, right?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I’m living with him. I think I more than like him.”

  “Well, we don’t want him to get hurt,” Ian said. “So, if you aren’t serious with him, just let him go.”

  I couldn’t tell if they were being serious or not. “I love Flynn.”

  “Good,” Johnny said. “Because he deserves someone good.”

  Judging their words, I assumed Flynn had been hurt before. I’m guessing Zahara burned him pretty bad whenever they broke up. I didn’t like thinking about her because it made me depressed. There was someone before me, and a possibility that he may have loved her more than he loved me. But dwelling on the past would change nothing, so I stopped thinking about it. “He’s in good hands.”

  Ian nodded. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

  Flynn returned with the drinks. “They didn’t grab your boob or anything while I was gone, right?”

  “No…” I gave him a panicked look. “Should I be prepared for that?”

  Johnny rolled his eyes. “He’s just being a jackass. Don’t listen to him.”

  That was a relief.

  Flynn passed me the wine and returned his arm to my shoulder. “I told you there was nothing to worry about. They are both morons.”

  “We can hear you,” Ian said.

  “I know,” Flynn said without looking at them.

  We discussed work and sports. I could tell the guys were just as into baseball and football as Flynn was. When I got bored, I stared at Flynn while he spoke, wanting to be alone with him so we could fool around.

  Johnny worked as a copy editor for a magazine, which was something I did not expect—not in a million years. And Ian ran his own app company. He developed prototypes and put them on iTunes. Apparently, he made a good living doing it. I liked his friends even though they kinda threatened me. But it was good Flynn had someone to watch his back.

  The door opened and a group of girls walked inside. Flynn stared at them and I wasn’t sure why. He never checked out other girls in front of me. Two of them were brunettes, and another one was blonde. The fourth girl had dark skin and hair. Even from a distance, I could see how beautiful she was. She was exotic and unique. I feared for the worst, but then I realized I was being paranoid. There was no way that was his ex. I shook it off.

  “Hazel and I are going to call it a night,” Flynn said. He hadn’t even finished his beer.

  “Okay…” Johnny stared at him then glanced over his shoulder. “Oh. Okay. See yeah.”

  What was that about?

  Flynn put the cash on the table then pulled me out of the booth. “Come over for the game tomorrow.”

  “We’ll be there,” Ian said.

  Flynn put his arm around me and pulled me out of the bar. When we were a few feet away, I turned to him.

  “Something wrong?”

  “No.” He stared straight ahead.

  ‘Then why did you want to leave so suddenly?”

  He shrugged. “I’m tired. And I’m horny.” He grinned down at me then rubbed his nose against mine.

&n
bsp; Well, I was horny too but that wasn’t surprising. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

  “Yep.” He guided me back to the apartment, still quiet.

  It seemed like there was something bothering him, but if he didn’t want to talk about it, I couldn’t force it. I just dropped the subject.

  When we got home, he relaxed and immediately pulled me to bed. After he set the alarm and changed, he pinned me down and had his way with me. After the sun went down, he immediately wanted me in a romantic way. It was something with the moon, I swear.

  I completely forgot about his odd behavior once he was inside of me. It felt too good to think of anything else. He held himself over me and looked into my eyes, locking our bodies and minds together. He brought me to my climax then pushed me to the edge all over again. Even though it was late, we kept going, not caring about losing sleep.

  11

  Mike

  The house was finally furnished and all the details had been handled. We had power, water, and garbage ready to go. Cassandra was anxious to officially move in. She couldn’t contain her excitement and she hated being at the apartment. Eventually, we had nothing left inside and it wasn’t a home anymore. I sold her old apartment then broke my lease for the place I occupied. Everything was finished.

  When we left the apartment for the last time, Cassandra wasn’t emotional about it. The place wasn’t as magical as my last apartment. That was where we first got together, first kissed, and first made love. But that was already gone.

  She held her purse over her shoulder and walked out, ready to leave.

  “Excited?” I asked with a smirk.

  “Are you kidding me? Have you seen our house? It makes this place look like garbage.”

  “Thanks,” I said sarcastically.

  “You know what I mean.”

  We left the keys on the table and finally left. I stuffed our remaining belongings into the backseat of the car and the trunk. Of course, Cassandra offered to help, but I forced her to sit in the passenger seat and wait. Her independence was annoying sometimes.

  After we arrived at the house, she jumped out and started to spin in a circle. “We’re finally home.”

  I smiled while I watched her. I liked knowing I made her happy. We were beginning our lives together, and I knew it would be joyful and perfect. She changed my life for the better. I hated thinking about my life before her. It was depressing.

  “Spin with me,” she said.

  “Sorry?”

  She spun in a circle on the grass, her arms hanging out. “Spin.”

  “You look stupid.”

  “Shut up and do it.”

  I sighed then stood beside her, spinning around. “It’s not that fun.”

  She laughed then sat on the ground, catching her breath.

  I immediately rushed to her. “You okay?” My hand was on her stomach.

  She smirked while she looked at me. “I’m fine. I just don’t have as much energy as I used to.”

  “Because Andrew is stealing it from you.” I lifted up her shirt and kissed her stomach.

  “You really think it’s a boy?” Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

  “Yep. I would know.”

  “I’m the one carrying him like a cow.”

  “You aren’t a cow. You’re hot.”

  “You have weird fetishes…”

  “All I know is I think this is really hot. If that makes me creepy, so be it.” I stood up and pulled her to her feet. “Now let’s finish packing. I’m starving.”

  I carried the rest of the bags inside and she hung up our clothes and stowed away our toiletries. The house was far too big for just two people, but I knew it would become crowded after we had our other two children. Cassandra only wanted to have one more, but I’d make sure that wouldn’t happen. I’d knock her up anyway.

  She cooked in the kitchen and danced around in the spacious opening. I watched her from the couch, knowing how much she loved this new house. I was grateful I got it. Now I didn’t feel bad for pimping my dad out like a whore.

  My phone rang and I saw Sean’s name on the screen. I groaned.

  “What?” she asked.

  “My idiot brother.”

  “You act like you hate him but you love him so much.”

  “It’s a constant battle.”

  “Just answer it,” she said. “He never calls you.”

  “Fine.” I took the call. “What?”

  “Hello to you too,” he said sarcastically. “Settled in the new house?”

  “Yep. Cassandra is making dinner.”

  “Congratulations. Scarlet and I have a house warming gift for you.”

  “You can give it to me later.”

  “So, I’m calling about something else,” Sean said.

  “What? My fiancé and I are about to eat dinner.”

  He sighed. “We’re going to the doctor’s office tomorrow with Mom. Dad wants you to be there.”

  “Why?” I felt my heart rate increase.

  “We’re going to discuss the tumor and her options.”

  I sat up. “I thought you said she was okay? You told me she was going to be fine.”

  “Dad wants to be cautious. He said it’s important to be proactive, not reactive.”

  Now I was scared. “So…is it cancerous now?”

  “No, nothing like that. But we should all be there as a family in case we need to make any decisions.”

  My mom and I used to be close before she flipped the fuck out, but now I felt like a jackass since she was sick. She and I had butted heads, but I loved her very much. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. I wanted my kids to know their grandmother since Cassandra had shitty parents. “I’ll be there.”

  “You can bring Cassandra.”

  “I wouldn’t go without her.” I needed her.

  “I hate to drop this on you right now. The last thing I want to do is ruin your happiness.”

  “Shit happens,” I said darkly.

  “You’ll be alright?”

  “I got my girl.”

  “Okay…let me know if you need anything.”

  I hung up without saying another word.

  Cassandra stopped working in the kitchen and came to me. “Everything okay?”

  “No.”

  She sat on my lap then hooked her arm around my neck. She didn’t pressure me.

  “My mom is going to the doctor’s office tomorrow. I guess we’re going to discuss what we’re going to do about the tumor…”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Sean said she was okay, but if she was, why would we need to do this?”

  “It’s better to have all the information on hand.”

  I sighed then rested my face in her neck. “I haven’t always gotten along with my mom, but I never wanted this for her. I feel like a jackass for being so harsh with her. If she died…I’d never forgive myself.”

  “She’s not going to die,” she said firmly. “People suffer anomalies all the time. I’m sure we’ll figure out what to do. She’ll be fine, Mike.”

  “I hope so.” I kept my face buried in her neck, loving the way she held me. Everything was better when she was in my arms. Nothing could hurt me.

  “I made your favorite dinner,” she said, trying to cheer me up.

  “Steak and potatoes?”

  “Yep.”

  “Hmm…that sounds good.”

  She moved off my lap. “And we’ll have dessert.”

  “Ooh…I like that even better.”

  We met at the doctor’s office the next afternoon. I wasn’t looking forward to this, but I had to pretend I wasn’t scared around my mom. Being upset would just make her upset.

  Cassandra held my hand the entire time, being the rock and support I needed. I gave her everything, my entire heart and my full attention, but it was nice knowing she returned that love when I needed it. When I couldn’t take care of myself, she was there. And that was one of the best things about having her in my l
ife. With her, I could fall apart and admit I was weak. But to everyone else, I had to be strong.

  Sean came to me then hugged me. We hardly hugged. Only on certain occasions. “Glad you’re here.”

  “Yeah,” I said quietly.

  Scarlet was at Sean’s side, being his anchor. His arm was around her waist but she leaned into him, acting as a crutch.

  Cassandra did the same for me.

  “She’s going to be okay,” Sean said, looking at me.

  “I hope so.”

  He patted my shoulder. “Dad has all the connections. She’s in the best hands.”

  “I know,” I said.

  My parents walked into the lobby, holding hands. My dad was wearing a suit, looking spiffy. My mom wore a peach dress with a white cardigan. She looked elegant just like she used to before the divorce. My dad was smiling at her, making her laugh. It didn’t seem like anything was wrong.

  “Hey, kids,” my dad said, still holding her hand. “Thanks for coming.”

  “We wouldn’t miss it,” Sean said happily.

  Now that my mom was here, I acted tough. “Let’s get this over with before I fall asleep.”

  My dad walked to the counter and checked my mom in. Minutes later, we were escorted to a patient room. It was a tight squeeze for all six of us, but we made it work. We were quiet when we first entered the room. The fear and stress was etched onto my mother’s face. I wanted to get her mind off of everything.

  “Cassandra and I finally moved into the house,” I said.

  My dad stood in front of my mom, holding both her hands. “Yeah? You like it?”

  “It’s great. And my fiancé likes it especially.” I squeezed her to my side. “Now I get even more sex.”

  Cassandra’s face reddened. “Do we have to talk about that now?”

  “Yep.”

  My mom looked at Cassandra. “How’s the pregnancy treating you?”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “It would be easier if someone actually let me do things.” She cast a glare at me.

  I shrugged. “I’m trying to pamper you and take care of you. So shoot me.”

  “Maybe I will,” she threatened.

  My mom gave me a light smirk. “I’m glad my son is treating you the way you deserve, Cassandra. He’s a concerned and caring man, at least with you.”

  “I guess he’s not so bad,” Cassandra said with a sigh.