by Sarah Skye
I take a step toward her just as she turns to me. “You made me espresso?”
“Of course.”
A smile tugs at her lips. “Of course you did. Thank you.”
I pour her a cup. Together we sit at my kitchen island side by side, eating and drinking.
“How was your morning?” I ask before taking a bite of banana pudding. “Holy shit, this is good,” I say with my mouth full.
She chuckles before clearing her throat. “I had brunch with friends.”
“Nice.”
“I saw Lily and Harmony.”
I make a “huh” noise, keeping my eyes on the banana pudding. That’s what those looks are about.
“I almost told them about us.”
I nearly choke on a vanilla wafer. As I cough through the shock, Morgan thumps my back. She hops up to fetch a glass of water, and I down half of it before I can speak.
“What do you mean, you almost told them about us?”
She bites her lip as she tugs at the hem of her crop top. Then she leans down to brush away something I can’t even see off her yoga pants. Her fidgeting then becomes tugging at the stretchy headband she’s wearing before letting out a breath. “Honestly? I just thought that maybe… they would understand… about us.”
I let out a laugh so loud, she frowns. I cover my mouth and clear my throat.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “I mean this in the nicest way possible, but… what the hell would make you think they’d be on board with finding out their friend is getting together with their ex? Who, last time I checked, they both still hate?”
The way she opens her mouth but no words come out is pretty damn adorable.
Soon she’s frowning. “Why are you smiling?”
“Because you’re really goddamn cute when you’re flustered.”
A smile spreads across her face. I move to hug her, but she steps back and crosses her arms. Uh oh.
“Okay, maybe that was a bit naive of me to think that I could tell them about us given your history with both of them,” she says.
“You don’t have to be so diplomatic. You can say exactly what it is.”
She practically winces. “We both know what you did, Marco. We don’t need to rehash it.”
“Okay, fine. So what’s the issue here that’s got you backing away from me like I’m covered in fleas?”
“It’s just… okay, look. I told them that I ran into you the other day. I left out the details, but even with that brief mention, it was pretty clear still that they’re both not fans of you.”
“That’s not the least bit surprising.”
“Yeah, but…”
The way she gnaws at that perfectly plump bottom lip drives me wild. I force myself to refocus. I can feel her pulling away more and more by the second. And I know why.
“You don’t like the idea of getting together with me after what I did to Lily and Harmony.”
Her brow lifts the slightest bit. “Wow. Just laying it all out there, aren’t you?”
I shrug. “It’s the truth.”
When she sighs, her shoulders slump. But then she looks me straight in the eye. “I know you’re not the guy you were when you were with them. You’re different now. You’re a truly good person now, I see it in so many ways. The way you take care of Gram. The way you’re in therapy. The way you talk about your emotions instead of acting all aloof and callous like you used to. I like you, Marco. I more than like you, actually. I care about you so much. And I want to be with you…”
As much as her words are everything I’ve wanted to hear, I still brace myself. Because I know there’s a catch coming.
“But…” She hugs her arms around herself. “I’m trying to figure out a way to make this work and not lose my friends. I just don’t know if that’s possible. It’s hard enough doing this.” She gestures between the two of us.
“This?”
“Hiding you from Lily and Harmony.”
Her words don’t sting like I think she assumes they will. They’re the truth, and no one should ever feel bad about telling the truth. I’m learning this myself. Thanks, Dr. Imana.
The truth is also this: I was an asshole, and a liar, for a really long time. I’m trying my hardest not to be that way anymore, and I think I’m doing a pretty good job, but that doesn’t take away from the pain I caused. Morgan’s hesitance to be with me is a consequence of my past behavior. I can’t change that; I have to accept it. And I want to show her that I’m here for her in whatever way she wants me—if and when she’s ready.
“I get it. Truly.”
I let a small smile slip and almost laugh when she makes the most bewildered face.
She tilts her head forward. “Okay, that’s definitely not how I thought you’d respond.”
This time, when I reach to take her hand in mine, she lets me.
“What you said last night, about not being so self-deprecating all the time and trying to be the best me I can be every day? I’m into that, one hundred percent. But I also know I fucked up before. A lot. And two of the people I fucked over just happen to be your close friends. I don’t expect you to just overlook that.”
I give her hand a gentle squeeze. “I know I still have a lot left to prove. If you want to dial things back, take it slow, think about us, or whatever, I want you to do it. I’ll be here.”
Her smile cracks slightly. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
When she interlocks her fingers with mine, my heart practically leaps. Her chest rises slowly with each breath. I can tell she doesn’t want to leave, and that’s a good thing. It’s going to make this part a lot easier.
“But let me say this.”
I lean down, letting my lips hover just a couple inches above her mouth. That floral-earthy scent of hers coats my lungs as I inhale, slow and steady. My heart is racing, my skin is on fire, and my dick is currently aching to have her right here, right now.
I swallow it all back and make sure my voice is as steady as I can make it. “No matter how you feel about me or our situation, it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I want you, Morgan. More than I’ve wanted anyone. You’re incredible. Everything about you drives me wild, and I’ll wait as long as you want me to.”
A low, strangled noise escapes from her throat. Her sea-blue eyes are wide and unblinking as she looks up at me.
“We’re both aware of just how well we get along, how much we like each other—how badly we want each other.” My voice is practically a growl. Good. I want her to hear it. “And I really don’t think it’s going to be that long before you’re ready to jump my bones.”
With that, I lick my lips, let go of her hand, and step away from her. I walk over to the espresso maker and lean against the counter, taking in the stunned look on her face. It takes everything in me not to laugh. A smirk manages to escape though.
I gesture to her empty espresso cup. “You thirsty for more?”
Her face scrunches into something between a glare and a smile somehow. Goddamn, it’s cute.
“You arrogant bastard.”
“That’s what they tell me.” I top off her cup and pass it over.
She swipes it away and downs it. Then she slams the cup on the counter and wipes her mouth on the back of her hand. I don’t miss the frustrated smile tugging at her lips.
She starts to speak, but my phone ringing interrupts her. I walk over to the coffee table where I left it and answer right away when I see it’s Nina.
“Hey, Nina. Everything okay?”
“Oh yes, fine, fine. I just had a question. About legal guardianship.”
“Legal guardianship?”
Morgan’s expression turns concerned as she walks over to me. I put Nina on speaker and tell her that Morgan is with me, then ask her to explain what she means. Nina dives into a confusing story about how some guy from some company called her this morning, asking if she’s considered finding a legal guardian to help her with her affairs as she reaches this advanced stage
of life.
I can tell by the hard set of Morgan’s jaw and the way her eyes go wider and wider as Gram speaks that she’s seconds away from flipping out. I lead her to sit on the couch with me and offer a patient, “okay” every minute or so through Nina’s explanation.
But then she says something that makes my blood run cold.
“The man mentioned something about a conservatorship. Was that what he said? Goodness, I don’t even know if I’m pronouncing that word correctly.”
“You are.” I grit my teeth as I try to drown out the alarm bells in my head by calling up the years of legal experience I have under my belt. She goes on to say how this man said he could help her explore the benefits of a conservatorship.
“What the hell?” Morgan says softly. “Is this stranger cold-calling my grandma to get her to enter into a conservatorship? How is that possible? How did he even get her number?”
Her voice grows louder, and I mute the phone.
“I don’t know. I’ll take care of it. He’s not getting near Gram.”
Morgan’s shoulders ease the slightest bit, as does the worried wrinkle in her brow.
I unmute my phone. “Nina, listen to me. I need you to look up this guy’s phone number and give it to me.”
“Oh, no problem! I wrote it down right here along with his name and all the information he gave me.” She says it so cheerily.
I gesture for Morgan to hand me the notepad and pen sitting at the end of my coffee table, then scribble down everything she says.
A firm called Gregor, Lindenstrom, and Holm.
An offer to help seniors like Nina sort out their legal matters so they don’t have to worry about such stresses as they age.
A request that Nina make an appointment to meet with a representative with the firm to talk about all of her options.
And a name that sets off rage inside of me.
Rick Heyden.
I bite my tongue so I don’t say, “That worthless fucking piece of shit” out loud.
I swallow the fire in my throat and force calm in my tone. “Nina, don’t call them back, alright? If they try to call you again, don’t answer. I’ll handle everything for you.”
“You’re sure it’s not too much trouble?”
“Not at all. I’m happy to do this. I’m a lawyer, and this is right up my alley. Morgan and I will come check on you tomorrow once everything is settled to update you, okay?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you, Marco.”
“Of course.”
I ask Morgan if she wants to say goodbye to Nina, which she does. When I hand her the phone, I fetch my laptop from my office and get to work.
First I write a threatening yet professional email to Rick Heyden and the partners at the firm Gregor, Lindenstrom, and Holm, instructing them to never call Nina again. I’m her lawyer, and they will only ever contact me from now on. Then I send a complaint to the state bar, reporting the firm and Heyden for unethical conduct. Then I email a handful of media outlets telling them about a predatory law firm that’s targeting vulnerable senior citizens. I include my contact info for them to reach me for an interview.
“Marco.”
Morgan’s gentle tone yanks me out of my rage frenzy. “Yeah?” I flinch at how hard my tone is.
“What’s going on?”
I sigh, rub a hand over my face, and tell her everything. Heyden and that firm are known for contacting senior citizens under the guise of helping with estate matters and long-term care. But in reality, they prey on unsuspecting elderly people and manipulate their billable hours for ungodly amounts of money. When the legal bills are too much for them to pay, Heyden’s firm intimidates them into signing over their assets. They’ve been at it for years and are loathed in the legal community.
“In the worst instances, I’ve seen some people have to sell their houses and dig into their retirement to pay Heyden’s firm back. All for some bullshit legal services they didn’t even need in the first place. The firm makes shit tons, and the poor person they swindled is left with nothing. It’s goddamn sickening.”
Morgan’s eyes water, and I realize how angry my tone is. I jump up from my desk and walk over to her, pulling her into my arms, forcing my voice to soften. “No way in hell they’re doing that to Gram.”
“But… how is this legal?”
“Because our legal system is full of loopholes and they find ways around it. It’s fucked.”
“How did they get her number?”
She nuzzles into my chest and sniffles. I know she’s upset, but I have to close my eyes and take a second. As fucked up as this situation is, the way Morgan snuggles up to me, like I’m the one person in the world she feels safe with, is heaven.
“They buy databases from all sorts of places. Hospitals. Insurance companies. It’s a lot easier than you’d think, sadly.” I take a few seconds just to hold her. “Do you still have my phone?” I ask in a gentle tone.
“Yeah. Here.”
When she hands it to me, I dial Heyden’s number and walk out of the room into the hallway. Mr. snuggles-and-gentleness are gone as soon as the doorknob latches.
“Heyden here.”
The curt way he answers makes me want to reach through the phone and punch him.
“Rick. It’s Marco Woodruff.”
“Shit, really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
He chuckles. “Haven’t heard from you in ages, man. Last I heard you got fired from Maldonado’s firm.”
“That’s true, but that’s not what I’m calling to talk about. Stay the fuck away from Nina Walker.”
He stammers. “Wh—what? How did you know—”
“I’m her fucking lawyer. That’s how I know.”
More stammering.
“Hang on, I didn’t—”
“Shut the hell up and listen to me. I’ll keep it simple. Delete her number. If you so much as think about calling her again, I’ll end you. And you know I have the means to do that.”
“What the hell? Don’t you threaten me, you washed-up—”
“It’s not a threat. It’s a fact, Rick. We all know what you’re about. It’s just that everyone else is too busy with their own shit to do anything about it. But I’m not busy anymore. I have all the free time in the world to take you down, and I will. I just reported you to the state bar. And I have a dossier on you and your firm that I’m sending to every news outlet in the metro area.”
“Shit.”
“Shit is right. Get ready, it’s about to hit the fan.” I hang up, my heart in my throat as adrenaline thunders through me.
When I spin around, Morgan is standing there, her mouth open, clearly stunned. “Holy shit. Remind me never to fuck with lawyer Marco.”
I let a smile slip. Damn, it feels good after all that.
Her own smile disappears after a second. “Are you sure we shouldn’t head to see Gram right now?”
“Positive. It’ll only freak her out if we show up unannounced and spew all this legal crap at her.”
“You’re right.”
“She’s okay. I promise you she is.”
Her gaze falls to her socked feet before she looks back up at me and steps into my arms again. “Thank you,” she whispers against my chest. “For helping Gram. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t been around to take care of this.”
I close my eyes and breathe deep. “Of course. Nothing will happen to her while I’m around. I promise.”
We stay like that for what feels like minutes. She starts to pull away. I almost plead with her not to, but I bite my tongue.
She needs time. Be patient.
“I should go.” The way she says it, it’s like she’s trying to convince herself.
I reach over and tuck a chunk of her hair behind her ear. “Okay.”
She licks her lips, a dazed look in her eyes as she gazes at me. Like she wants to do the exact opposite of leaving right now. She reaches up and pulls me to her,
kissing my cheek. Every single inch of me catches fire. But then her hands fall away, her lips are gone, and she turns to leave. I follow and walk her to the door.
“Thank you again. For everything.”
“Of course.”
She stands there, shuffling her feet for a few seconds before flashing a pained smile and slipping out.
When I close up behind her, I let out the breath I’ve been holding. I fall forward, my forehead lightly hitting the door as I let out an exasperated chuckle.
“Fuck,” I groan, before walking over to the living room and collapsing on the couch. I lean my head back and close my eyes. Waiting is the right thing to do. I’ll do it for as long as Morgan needs. It’s just going to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought. And in the meantime, I’m hard as hell. Again. As usual these days whenever I even think of Morgan.
A loud knock pulls me out of my muddled thoughts.
I’m buzzing as I walk over to the door. There’s only one person I want to see on the other side of it.
When I open up, I don’t even have time to smile.
She jumps on me. Her mouth is on mine in less than a second.
18
MORGAN
Okay, so I asked the Universe for help and—
“Mmph, thank god you—”
“Shh.”
“Mmkay.”
And then I get some leech lawyer trying to hoodwink Gram, and Marco—
“Ooft,” I groan as I bump against the wall.
“Sorry.”
“Shh. Just kiss me.”
“Mmkay.”
And here he is, saving the day again. Kind and patient and so fucking there again. Universe, I’m taking the sign and running with it.
With that, I thread my hands into Marco’s dark hair and squeeze his hips tighter with my legs. He groans against my lips and thrusts, driving my shoulders into the wall again but I don’t care. No, I do care—I absolutely love it. His mouth rips away from mine and travels along my jaw, wet lips and rough stubble and, god, is it amazing. He’s quit talking thanks to my stubborn insistence, but his whole body is speaking to me. And everything he’s asking, everything he’s wanting, I’m answering back with yes, yes, oh hell yes.
