by Skye Turner
Saying my goodbye’s and promising to let her know how tomorrow goes, I give Bradi a quick hug, we part ways, and I head home.
Chapter Three
Liam
I’ve been driving around Baton Rouge all day. Literally, just driving. I saw a few houses that caught my eye. I need to call Alec, my friend Erik’s boyfriend and a damn good realtor, and let him know I’m serious about moving into my own place.
I can’t stay at Dade’s with Clove there. She’s walked in on me with women twice now! I mean, yes, the first time was my fault since we were in the media room, but this morning I was in my room. My room. In private. But the look on her face… I don’t get it. I know I hurt her feelings, but shit! She’s so young and innocent. Everything I do pisses her off.
Yes, as soon as Dade gets home, I am moving into my own place. I don’t need to feel like an asshole when I didn’t do a damn thing wrong. Screw that.
As the sky is starting to darken, I pull into the driveway in front of the house. I don’t see Dade’s Hummer, so I’m assuming Clove is still out doing whatever she left to do this morning.
I’m starving and pizza sounds good. I’ll call Cruz. He might want to come hang out… a bonus is he can act as a buffer!
Whipping out my cell, I push the button and speak, “Call Cruz.”
Within seconds, the phone is ringing. I love modern technology! He picks up.
“What’s up, man?”
Laughing, I say, “What are you up to tonight?”
“Nothing. Just hanging out at home. Why? What are you doing?”
Shutting off my truck, I get out and grab the mail from the mailbox as I walk to the door. “I was thinking of ordering a pizza and watching shit on Netflix. I don’t feel like going anywhere. Want to come hang out?”
He chuckles.
“You mean do I want to protect you from Clove? Yeah, I need to shower. I just worked out. I can be there in half an hour or so. I want a super supreme. Thin crust. Order me a large.”
Throwing my keys down onto the foyer table, I head towards the kitchen for a beer. I hear humming. Oh, great! I answer Cruz. “Yeah, I’ll get you a large. See you in a few.” Walking through the door I plan to just grab a beer and head to the media room. Instead, I see Clove standing on the counter on her tip toes, trying to reach something on top of the cabinets. Her shapely legs are on display by her very short cotton shorts. My eyes travel to slim hips, and wait, why is her dark hair to the middle of her back?! What the hell?! I must make a noise, because she turns with a start and shrieks. She loses her balance and starts to fall. Oh, shit! Racing across the kitchen at almost inhuman speed, I catch her before she hits the ground. My pulse is racing.
That would have been very bad. Holy shit!
I don’t realize I’m hugging her tightly to my chest. Breathing deeply, I try to get my pulse to slow down and I suddenly grasp just how snuggly she’s cradled in my arms. As I look down, her doe eyes are looking up at me with a shocked expression on her face. She’s breathing just as deeply as I am.
She just stares up at me as I continue to hold her. I stare back. Her face lost color when she fell, but being in my arms must be embarrassing her. Her cheeks start to darken and her breathing escalates. I see her eyes move to my lips.
God, she’s beautiful. Wait, what? No, no she is not beautiful. She’s Clove.
Put her down. Put her down right now!
Who am I kidding?! I’m not putting her down. She’s beautiful.
Before I even know what I’m doing, I lower my head to hers, and I brush my lips gently across her mouth. She gasps and looks at me in awe. Without stopping to think it through, I lean in again, and kiss her softly.
What am I doing? What the hell are you doing, Liam? Stop. Don’t kiss her. She’s Clove.
What am I doing?
I’m kissing Clove while she’s cradled in my arms in the middle of the kitchen… and she’s kissing me back. What is happening?!
Her lips are soft as her tongue tentatively rubs against mine. She gasps again and pulls away. I sigh and set her down on her feet. She takes a step back, reaching for the counter at her back. Her breathing is shaky.
Her eyes are huge and luminous and her face goes white again as a look of panic crosses it. I open my mouth to say something… but she turns on her heel and races down the hall. I hear her bare feet slapping the stairs as she runs up them.
What. The. Fuck. Was. That?!
Standing in the middle of the kitchen while I get my bearings for a few minutes, I start to realize I just kissed Dade’s baby sister. I just kissed Clove. Groaning, I see my phone on the counter, where I apparently tossed it while catching Clove, and grab it. As soon as the pizza is ordered, I head to the media room where the bar calls my name. Screw the beer, I need some Jack.
Deciding to take the bottle with me to the sofa, I throw myself into it and decide to just swig from the bottle. What the ever living hell was that?! Why did I kiss her?!
I’m not certain of how much time has passed when I hear Cruz use his key in the front door and call out from the foyer, asking where I am.
I holler down the hallway, “I’m in the back.” Is my voice slurring a bit?
He walks in and shakes his head as he sees me sitting on the couch, staring at a black screen on the TV with a death grip on the Jack Daniels bottle. He half smiles and asks, “Clove?”
I don’t answer. I just flip him off and take another swig.
He chuckles and mutters, “That good, huh?”
Laying my head back against the couch I sigh and act like I don’t hear him. My head is a little fuzzy. I guess I had quite a few shots?
In typical Cruz style, he doesn’t push for details and just grabs the remote and turns on the TV. After finding the guide, he asks, “The Avengers, Fear Factor, or UFC fights?”
Opening my eyes a crack, I peer at him. He’s looking at the TV and not at me. I kick him and he looks at me. “Whatever. Something where shit gets blown up is good with me.”
Smirking slightly, he says, “The Avengers, it is.”
The doorbell rings and he asks if he needs to pay for the pizza. I tell him my wallet is in the foyer and ask if he minds getting it since my legs are not really all that steady and the couch is pretty comfortable.
Five minutes later, he’s back with the pizza and some beers from the kitchen. He sets a box down in front of both of us and pops the top off of two beers. He takes the bottle of Jack Daniels from me and sets it next to the couch before he hands me a beer. “Did Clove eat yet? Should I take her some pizza?”
I glare at him and grit out, “How the hell should I know?! I’m not her damn caretaker.”
He raises his hands in the air. “Down, boy. Don’t jump my ass. I just asked if she wanted pizza. Calm down.”
It must be the alcohol because the next thing I know I’m blurting out, “I can’t calm down. She messed with her hair and now it’s all long and she’s sexy and she fell. I caught her and she was all soft. She’s a girl! I kissed her. She freaked out since I’m apparently disgusting or something and she ran,” I wave towards the hall and the stairs, “up there. I don’t know when that was. Maybe she’s hungry… Dade’s going to kill me.”
Cruz is staring at me in shock. He finally shakes his head and says, “She fell? Is she ok?”
Glaring at him, I chug my beer. “I didn’t hurt her! She was on the counter and I startled her or something. She turned and fell, but I caught her. Her hair. It’s long. Her hair is not supposed to be long. She did something.” I’m jabbing my finger at him in the air.
“What?” He’s shaking his head back and forth and looking at me strangely. “Her hair is not long. It’s short. What are you taking about?”
He’s looking at me like I’m crazy. Hell, maybe I am. I kissed Clove. It had to be the adrenaline. I would never kiss Clove. She just looked so different.
Sitting up, I try to speak slowly. “Her hair was short this morning when she walked in on me and Celia
. I swear, she’s a cock block! Then, she insulted me and Celia left and I drove around all day looking at houses. She came home and now her hair is long.”
Cruz is trying to hide a smile and failing miserably. He chuckles softly and says, “She got extensions? And who the hell is Celia?”
I slap the couch in frustration. I’m making perfect sense! At least I think I am. “I don’t know. I’m not a hair dresser, asshole. Her hair was short and now it’s long. Celia is a girl that I met running this morning.”
Why is he not understanding me? I’m speaking English!
He can’t hold in his laughter any longer. Cruz rarely laughs, but when he does, he really laughs. This is one of those times.
He manages to speak through his laughter. “Ok, so you brought a girl you just met home and Clove walked in. Again?” He laughs heartily. “And you kissed her tonight?” Shaking his head he mutters, “Dade is going to kill you. You’re lucky she just ran away and she didn’t smack the hell out of you.”
Remembering her face, I mutter, “She didn’t want to hit me. She kissed me back. But she’s scared of me.” Running my hands over my face again, I smack myself. “I can’t believe I kissed her. She hates me. Something is wrong with her. Women like me!”
What was that look on her face about? It was almost like she worshipped me. But that doesn’t make sense. She detests me. And I detest her, too. She’s a royal pain in my ass and I’m sick of her acting like I did something to her. She did feel good in my arms though.
Shut the hell up, Liam! You need a woman. Go get your phone and call one. Or two. You need to stop thinking about Clove.
While I’ve been debating on calling a willing woman for the night, Cruz has made up a plate of pizza. He sees me looking at his hands and says, “I’m going to take this up to her. We have plenty and I doubt she will come down here. I’ll be back in a bit. Don’t drink anymore while I’m up there.” Shaking his head he walks to the bar and opens the fridge. Grabbing two waters, he turns and tosses me one, “I want to see her long hair. She was already pretty, but if she made you lose your cool… well, she must be a knockout now.” He shrugs and walks out the door.
My chest gets tight and I grab a piece of pizza and shove it in my mouth. I’m just hungry. If Cruz is interested in Clove, he should go for it. But he won’t. He never does… That gives me a small measure of relief. Besides… she kissed me back…Whatever. I’m not thinking about that. Clove is trouble and I am not interested in trouble.
Dammit, I need a woman.
While I wait for Cruz, I grab my phone from the coffee table and open my contacts. Scrolling through them, I wait to find one that catches my eye. I scroll and scroll and none jump out at me. That’s never happened before. Damn Clove! She’s messing with my mojo.
Tossing the phone on the cushion beside me, I flip through the guide and again nothing jumps out at me. Pulling up Netflix, I search for a movie I haven’t seen. My phone buzzes.
“Jessie
What’s up, Pretty Boy? Miss me yet?”
Jessie is such an asshole, but he’s one of my best friends and he’s engaged to Blue now. Thank God those two finally got together! Eight years of sexual tension is more than enough for me to witness.
Blue is probably the only girl I’ve ever been close to. I like her and respect her and we’ve never had sex. She’s one of the people who knows the most about me and the fact that she’s now engaged to my best friend is pretty cool. She makes him a better man, though he’s still Jessie to the core. They fit together like yin and yang and they have a pretty amazing dynamic.
Crazy that first Jude and now Jessie have been tamed. Two of our five guys are all monogamous and shit. But whatever, it works for them.
Jessie and Blue are taking some “them time” in NOLA. They just bought a house there where they can have some alone time.
What was I doing?
Oh, right. I need to fuck with Jessie. I kissed Blue awhile back and it finally made Jessie realize that he wanted her. I’m a shit starter like that, but I really did want what was best for the both of them, and lo and behold, I was right. I do love pushing his buttons about Blue though. I am after all the “Pretty Boy.”
“Liam
Hell, no. I don’t miss your ass. But I miss my girl. How’s Blue?”
I sit back and wait with a grin.
“Jessie
You mean MY girl? I’m the one who put a ring on her finger, asshole. What’s been going on?”
He did indeed ask her to marry him. And she said yes.
“Liam
You did. You did. Same old. Same old. When are y’all coming back?”
His reply is not instantaneous, so I decide to start picking up the leftovers while I wait for him to text back. I do miss having him around and with Jude and Lexi on their honeymoon and Dade in the Caribbean, it’s been quiet. I’m not used to that. Thankfully, I can always count on Cruz to be around. He never goes anywhere or does anything.
Finally, my phone pings.
“Jessie
Aw, you DO miss me! No worries, bro. We’ll be back by the end of the week. You can have your Jessie fix. Blue is missing everyone, too. Well, when I let her out of bed that is.”
Rolling my eyes, I mutter, “I do not need that visual, asshole.”
As I’m about to text him back, I hear a guttural scream from upstairs and then Cruz is hollering, “LIAM! Dammit, Liam! Get up here now. Something is wrong. Something is wrong with Clove! Bring your phone and hurry!”
Without missing a beat, I race up the stairs. As I hit the top, I hear another pain filled scream, and I then I see that Cruz is asking Clove what’s wrong with panic in his voice.
Tearing into her room I see her on her bed. She’s in the same short shorts and tank, but her tank is plastered to her with sweat and she’s as white as a ghost. She writhing and moaning in pain.
What the hell?!
I shout at Cruz. “What the fuck?! What’s wrong? What did you do, man?!”
He looks at me in horror. “I didn’t do anything. I knocked and knocked and she didn’t answer. I was putting the pizza down and heard moaning and screaming. So, I knocked again and when she didn’t answer, I tried the door. It was open and she was like this.” He gestures helplessly to the bed. “What’s wrong with her?! What do we do?”
I look at Clove and her face is creased with pain. Her eyes are scrunched shut and tears are rolling down her face mixing with the sweat. Crouching in front of her, I ask, “Clove? What’s wrong? Look at me.”
She won’t open her eyes. It’s like she doesn’t even hear me. I throw my phone at Cruz and tell him to call 911. He punches in the numbers and I try to talk to her to have her tell me what’s wrong. I hear him talking, but can’t make out the words. She still won’t open her eyes. It’s like she thinks the tighter she squeezes her eyes shut, the less pain she’ll be in.
I’ve never seen anyone writhing in that much pain in my life. What’s happening? I need to call Dade.
I try to talk to Clove again. “Clove. Clove, please open your eyes. Tell me what hurts. Tell me what’s wrong? Clove… CLOVE!!”
Nothing… She curls tighter around herself and then she screams again. My blood runs cold at the sound.
It seems like hours later, but was probably a few minutes, Cruz is ushering paramedics into the room. I never saw him leave to open the door. As they move her to the stretcher and start an IV, one of them, a female says, “Are you allergic to anything, Miss Rodrigue?” Clove doesn’t answer, just screams again. The pretty medic looks to me. “Is she allergic to anything, sir?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that.”
As Clove moans again, the female paramedic tells the male to start a drip and she looks at me. I’m standing in the middle of the room trying to comprehend what is going on and thinking I’m in the twilight zone. I realize her lips are moving. She’s talking to me.
“You can ride with her or follow us. We’re
taking her to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.” I nod. I can’t drive. What?
Cruz grabs my shoulder and says, “Come on. I’ll drive.” He answers the pretty paramedic. “We’ll follow you if that’s ok?”
She looks at him and then at me and nods. Then they rush to get Clove down the stairs as her pain filled screams start again and she starts shaking uncontrollably.
I watch them load her into the back of the ambulance and the medic repeats that they are taking her to the Lake.
I nod as Cruz pulls his truck up behind the ambulance. Just before they shut the doors I hear, “My baby. Please let everything be ok with my baby. Please, God!” And she screams again.
The door shuts and Cruz ushers me into his truck.
I don’t realize it, but I’m mumbling. Finally, Cruz hollers my name, snapping me out of my stupor. “LIAM! What the hell are you saying, Liam? WHAT?”
I look at him. Flatly, I reply. “A baby. Clove is pregnant.”
Chapter Four
Clove
Oh my God. Please tell me that was a nightmare. Dear God, that had to be a nightmare. The pain. I’ve never imagined pain like that. What happened? Wait… what’s that sound? Is there something in my hand?
I open my eyes and take in my unfamiliar surroundings. I’m in a hospital. It was real. Oh my God, my baby! As I reach for my stomach, I feel a pull and look at my hand. An IV is on the top of my left hand.
A voice breaks in and I look towards it. “The baby is ok. You’re both ok.”
My eyes fill with tears as I see who’s sitting there. I swear that’s not the voice I thought I’d been hearing in my head. But I smile at Cruz. His light eyes crinkle a bit at the corners. His face is lined with tension and worry.
“Thank you. What happened? What happened to me? Was it a complication of… of the pregnancy?” I ask delicately.
He smiles slightly and covers my hand. He’s so sweet. I can’t believe they found out like this. Oh God, Liam knows…
As his large hand covers my small one, I don’t feel so scared. I’ve been terrified lately and feeling so alone.
