Infinitely Mine (Incapable Part Three)

by Skye,Marie

  I nodded, looking at my hands. It had taken me a while to find a doctor to reveal my entire history to, and apparently I had done so in just the right amount of time. Turned out, one of my fallopian tubes had failed me. Who needed good karma in their life, right?

  “Do you have any questions, Emmalin?”

  I nodded, finally looking up from my hands. “What are the odds I’ll ever be able to conceive? Because I want to, and not from being raped.” I knew my question was blunt, but that was who I was—straight to the point.

  She pursed her lips and her eyes held a glint of sadness as she sighed.

  I slowly stood up. “Meredith, I like you, but whatever was between Grayson and me is just that—between Grayson and me. I’m sorry you don’t agree with whatever is going on, but I don’t appreciate any accusations either.”

  She held up her hands defensively. “I’m not accusing. It’s just that he won’t talk, and I’m worried.” She sighed. “Does any of this have to do with the robbery?” She frowned. “None of us got to see you after you were shot, but we were so glad you were ok, believe me, and…” Her voice trailed off.

  I had forgotten everyone was told it was a robbery. I crossed my arms and stared at the TV, the credits now rolling. “Meredith, I appreciate you for looking out for your brother because I know you want what’s best for him. I get it, but he appears to be fine, and I’m not going to entertain this conversation anymore.” I walked toward the door and opened it. “Thank you for coming.” My voice cracked, betraying me.

  She slowly got up and walked my way. “Before I go, I wanted to give this to you.” I watched as she reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope. “Abby has a recital in a few months. It’s for family only, and well…you’re family to us. No matter what, we love you. She reached over and placed it on the small table by the door. She gave me a tight hug. “Thank you for your kindness, Emmalin.” She smiled before leaving.

  Chapter Eleven

  Grayson

  “So that’s her?”

  I kept my eyes on Carmen as I answered Chace. “That’s her.” We both watched as she admired her basket of red roses. It was funny to me how it was the stark opposite in comparison to Emmalin, who hated red roses.

  “She looks so…lost. Do you believe any of those things Dale told you?”

  I ran my hand through my hair. After putting that bullet through his chest, I had looked over every piece of paper in his flat with a fine-tooth comb. He may have lied about Emmalin to piss me off, but one thing it didn’t seem he was lying about was the situation with Carmen. Thinking back on my time with Carmen, I started thinking about whether or not we had really been in love or not. I had been, but perhaps she had just been in love with the idea of money.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Mandrake. Would you like to try talking to her today? She’s being taken to her room." I turned my attention to the nurse that had walked up on us. I looked back at Carmen as she was being wheeled inside to her room. I watched as she disappeared around the corner. She may or may not even remember me, so it could all be wasted breath. I could leave that place and not even bother, because it might not even make a difference.

  I finally turned to the nurse.

  “Yes. I would like to talk to her.”

  Her eyes widened in shock then she told me her room number, although it was unnecessary.

  I already knew her room number.

  Chapter Twelve

  Carmen

  There was another drawing of a picture in my room. Every day when I came back from my outing, there was a picture of a flower at the desk. A black flower. Still wet. I only knew it was there every day because of the journal I was forced to keep, and every day I apparently wrote that there was a picture of a wet, black flower on my desk. It angered me to see it.

  Flowers should be happy colors. Black flowers are for the dead. I grabbed the picture by the unpainted edges and balled it up as best as I could.

  I paused at a knock on my door.

  “Carmen, you have a visitor. Grayson Mandrake. If you need anything just let me know.” The door clicked shut behind the nurse and I listened to the sound of footsteps entering into the room. I knew that name. I knew that name well. It was one I couldn’t forget, even if I wanted to.

  I turned my wheelchair to face the man I hadn't seen face to face in many years. He still looked the same. Older, and more defined, and my God, he was gorgeous. His features were more structured. My eyes slowly raked over every inch of his face, from the fine curve of his nose down to the stubble along his strong jawline. Time had done him well. He'd always been a fine specimen. It was hard to believe he was mine once, and I had screwed that up by being manipulated by my uncle with his greed and power. I knew that now. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

  I cleared my throat. "It's nice to see you."

  He started to scowl, but quickly masked it. "Well, I can't say the same about you."

  I winced. He was angry—with good reason, of course. "Would you like a drink? They make really good mock mojitos here."

  He stared at me, his forehead creasing.

  "Explain."

  His voice was dark and menacing. I was nervous.

  "Let me help you out Carmen, because chances are since your memory is poor, you won't remember most of it anyway." He stood up, taking a file out of his inner breast pocket and laying it on the table next to me. "Do you remember these? This is your signature, right? You and Dale plotted against me all those years ago. The life insurance policy, you remember that, right? What about this, the layout of the grid of the car used to cause the accident meant to kill me. Any of this ring a bell?"

  He went on and on, and the truth was, my memory was indeed poor, but no matter what, I couldn't forget any of what he was presenting to me. That was the part of my brain that wouldn't go away. It wouldn't shut off, no matter how much I willed it to, and it haunted me day and night.

  "I remember," I whispered.

  "What!"

  I sniffed. "I said, I remember."

  He stood back, hands on his hips, seething. He turned around, facing the wall. “I guess better planning should’ve been in order, right?” he said in a low voice.

  My tears now fell freely. “Grayson, I didn’t want to do those things. Dale…” I stopped talking, because I couldn’t remember. I tried searching my useless brain to remember. Please, please remember just this once. He slowly turned around to face me.

  “Dale said…” I looked up at him as I pleaded, and he stared back with some of the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. The funny thing was, I was a mess, and his eyes were calm, cool, and collected. They looked at me with the utmost disgust and pure hatred.

  He walked toward me, and it was the first time he had come near me since entering the room. He leaned over me. “It doesn’t matter what Dale said, does it? None of it matters anymore, because you’re a failure. You both were.” He stood up and straightened his tie. “The irony in all this is a few months ago, I told the person I love more than anything in the world that I wish I never met her. I was angry at her for leaving, and now I know why she left, because she was giving me a chance to be with my wife. I’m leaving here to go fight for her, because she’s worth fighting for, and I’m actually not taking no for an answer. No one will ever fight for you Carmen. You’re not worth it. It’s you I wish I never met.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Grayson

  I headed back out toward the veranda where I had left Chace. I hadn’t thought I would be that calm about the whole thing, but surprisingly I was. Something about her being in a fragile state had ruined my tirade.

  “You get what you came for?” Chace was sipping on a glass of lemonade.

  I looked at him thoughtfully. “One more thing. I need to see Lydia first. I’ve made arrangements for her. I’ll see you back at the hotel.”

  I didn’t wait for him to answer before I walked down the corridor leading me to Lydia’s room. I knew it was time for her afternoon painting. She
was carefully laying out her paints, just like last time. I knocked on the door and she turned to look at me, smiling.

  “Grayson. You’re still here?”

  I casually walked in, placing a chair beside hers, and sat down. “I am, but not for long. I’ll be heading back home to the States soon.”

  She nodded with a longing in her eyes. “That sounds lovely.” I watched as she picked up her brush and dipped it in a peach color. I sat watching her for a bit, mesmerized by the stroking of the brush on the canvas.

  “You really do some amazing work, Lydia. I never knew you were into art.” She smiled shyly at me. “I wanted to let you know that I would be taking over your care from now on, Lydia, and I mean that. As soon as that painting is dry, you’re free to leave.”

  She paused before looking over at me. “I don’t understand.”

  I took the paintbrush out of her hand and set it on the table, then retrieved the documents out of my case. “Here are the papers to your new flat.” I reached into my breast pocket and retrieved the keys. “And your keys. All you have to do is sign and they’re yours. It’s a charming cottage located in Belgravia, not too far from Buckingham Palace Gardens. Two bedrooms, two baths. You’ll have lots of space for your art. I’ve checked it out, it’s quite nice. I’m almost jealous, really. Fully furnished. Of course if you don’t like any of it, you’re welcome to change it. There are funds set aside for that.” She watched as I laid out pictures of each of the rooms, showcasing the furniture and layout of the flat.

  “I also had the wardrobes fully stocked with clothing as well, to get you started. There’s a car for you to get around in, and an attached garage. You also have an interview on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. sharp for a job at a local art gallery. The details are in the portfolio here. I expect you to be on time, and to impress.”

  She looked up at me, startled. “Grayson, I don’t understand. I was never allowed to leave. Dale said—”

  I sharply cut her off. “Dale is no longer. He didn’t have any concern for your well-being. It turns out he never did.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “I want to make sure you receive the care you deserve. I want to do this for you.”

  She placed her hand on my arm. “They hurt you. They made you trust them first.” I stared at her a moment until she looked back down at the pictures. She looked back up at me. “Can I get a dog?”

  I laughed. “It’s your house.” I stood up. “The agreement is, you have to see your therapist twice a week. If they feel you’re having any triggers then they’ll increase it, and you have to comply. I’ll be updated on all of your progress.”

  She nodded happily as I headed for the door. “Oh, and Lydia—I hope to see you for Christmas.”

  I was halfway down the hall when I heard my name being shouted.

  “Grayson, wait!”

  I turned and Lydia practically jumped on me with a hug. Her face was streaming with tears. When she finally pulled back, she looked up at me with her pale blue eyes.

  “Thank you. You’re the only one that ever talked to me. I have something for you.” She handed me a rolled up canvas. “I wanted to thank you for believing in me, and I know you said you and your friend Emmalin were broken up, but I don’t believe that. I still remember what you said. You said you loved her more, and that sometimes people are broken. Tell her that hearts can be fixed, too, okay? Give this to her. She’ll see.”

  Lydia kissed me on the cheek and smiled before turning and heading back to her room for what was probably the last time. I slowly unrolled the canvas, and saw it was a picture of a big heart. It wasn’t a red heart, but a deep dark shade of purple, and it had stitches throughout it, mending its tears.

  It was absolutely stunning.

  ***

  “She did what!”

  Chace looked up at me from his seat on the plane. We had been in the air for two hours, and I was behind on getting my status updates from all things stateside, including all things Emmalin. Chace cocked an eyebrow at me and I waved him off.

  “When was this?” I listened on the other end of the phone, and I could feel my blood pressure rising. “Fuck!” I banged my fist down on the table in front of me, causing my glass of ice to spill over. I hung up the phone. I looked over at Chace, seething.

  “Stock market crash while you were out?”

  I shook my head. “Worse. Meredith went to see Emmalin.”

  He flinched. “Ouch. I imagine they didn’t braid each other’s hair and have a pillow fight in their underwear.”

  I glared at him. “No, I imagine they did not.”

  He looked at me in shock. “That’s unfortunate. Your sister is hot. So is Emmalin. I’m not sure who is hotter. If I had to choose I would go with Emmalin.”

  I kicked his cup of ice into his lap and he jumped up. “Chace! Shut the fuck up.”

  He scowled at me as he cleaned the ice chip remnants off his silk shirt. I ran my hand through my hair. This was such a fuckup. I knew what Meredith was trying to do, and while I appreciated her looking out for her big brother, she was jumping into the deep end.

  “What’s the problem if Meredith talks to Emmalin? They’re friends right? Aren’t you going back to stake your claim?”

  I sighed. “I haven’t told them anything.” I stared out the window and thought about the past months, especially how I had treated Emmalin. Yeah, I wanted to go back and stake my claim, but would she have me? I wouldn’t.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Emmalin

  “Are you fucking serious? When was this?”

  I blew on my tea before taking a sip. “A few days ago. She just showed up. I wish you were here to see my face. I about fell over when I saw who was on the other side of the door. First Chace shows up, then Meredith. Who next, Captain America?”

  “Wait, back up, Chace showed up?”

  “Isabella, can we focus on my issue first, before we talk about your impending love life? What do I do? Do I even do anything?”

  She was quiet.

  “Good advice, thanks.”

  “I don’t know sweetie. I mean, I see where she was coming from. They love you, and she was just protecting her big brother because he hasn’t taken the breakup well, but it doesn’t give her the right to come charging in either, not when she doesn’t know why you left.” She paused. “And if I’m being honest, none of us really know why, Emmalin,” she said, pressuring me gently.

  I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Talking about it wasn’t going to help, and was only going to piss me off, so I decided to change the subject. “Yeah, Chace came down about a week ago. I think you need to shit or get off the pot. That’s basically what I told him. Otherwise I’m tired of you two pussyfooting around.”

  She let out a boisterous laugh.

  “I’ll talk to you more later on, my break is over. Love you!”

  “Love you too, babe.”

  I hung up, more frustrated than ever. I couldn’t exactly call Grayson and say, Hey, your family is ganging up on me, could you ask them to ease up a bit? I blew the hair out of my face. It didn’t matter anyway. He was in London rekindling his old love, his one true love. They’d forget all about me in no time. I pulled up a picture on my phone of me and Grayson. I tear fell on the screen.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Grayson

  “You sure you want to do this?”

  I paced outside my parents’ house and looked up at Chace. “No, but I have to.” Shit, I was nervous. My palms were sweaty, and I started jogging in place to calm myself down.

  “You have to relax, man. You’re getting yourself worked up.”

  My eyes darted to his. “I’m about to do something I swore I would never fucking do. I’m betraying a trust to gain another’s. In this case, another’s being my entire family, and the betrayal being Emmalin. Hell, that even includes you.”

  I continued to pace up and down the walkway before finally taking a deep breath and knocking on the door. After a few moments my mom answered and smiled.
“What are you doing knocking? You have a key.” She engulfed me in a hug, pulling me into the foyer. Chace followed in behind us.

  She turned to Chace. “Oh this little rugrat, come here you!” He grinned wide as he picked her up and she yelped, swatting at him.

  “I’m not little and you know it.”

  “No, but I remember when you were. You were such a terror, and a mean little shit.”

  “Mom!”

  I turned to the sound of Meredith’s voice as she entered the room with Noah on her hip. “Language.”

  “Oh come on Mer, he’s heard worse, I’m sure.” Chace goaded her on and Meredith shook her head, smiling. I stood there frozen with a smile on my face, watching the bantering back and forth.

  “The sitter just arrived to take Noah and Abby to the movies since Grayson wanted to talk to us, so they’ll be out of our hair for a few hours.”

  I smiled, hoping that was enough time. I rubbed my hands together—still clammy. Thirty minutes later, Abby and Noah were gone, and after a few pleasantries, I had gathered Meredith, my parents, and Chace into the dining room. I watched as my mom fussed over drinks like it was a dinner party.

  My dad finally turned to me, interrupting my mom telling Meredith about some new design she’d found on Pinterest. “Lorraine, I’m sure Grayson called us here for a reason.”

  I nodded, cleared my throat, and took a sip of my ice water, suddenly wishing I had something stronger. I shut my eyes and exhaled. “I need everyone’s word that nothing leaves this room.”

  Meredith gave a nervous laugh, and I slammed my hand down on the table, eliciting complete silence. All eyes were now on me as I surveyed each and every person. “I said, I need everyone’s word that nothing leaves this room.”