Echo (The Butterfly Series Book 3)

by Isabella Redwood

  ‘Okay, so contractions are thick and fast then. Would you like to take a bath? Not quite the same as a water pool, but it may help and I have your favourite bubble bath.’ I took the strawberry and vanilla scented bottle out of the gift basket I had purchased for her. ‘Assuming it is still your favourite of course,’ I rambled nervously.

  ‘That will be great, thank you,’ she replied, smiling at me for the first time and my heart soared. My Caitlan was coming back to me.

  ‘Right, I’ll start the bath. Cross, ice chips are great, maybe you could ask the nurse for some and she could really use a couple more pillows,’ I suggested, heading to the bathroom.

  ‘Yes, of course, I’ll call for the nurse.’ He sprang into action, eager to do anything to help her.

  I opened the door to the bathroom and switched the light on. It was a typical hospital en-suite, except with a bath rather than a shower, toilet and two chairs to the side. Turning on the taps and adding the bubble bath, the scent filled my nostrils with its deliciousness. I felt a hand on my back.

  ‘You are pretty incredible.’ Nicholi pulled me closer to him. There were so many questions, but now was not the time and I just smiled in response.

  ‘Well, I have a little experience in this area, albeit C-Section, but I think this will help her relax. She loved the water,’ I explained, wanting to move closer and as far away from him as possible at the same time.

  ‘Okay, better go get the patient,’ I continued, watching his brow furrowing as he held me tighter.

  ‘After this, I want us to talk. Please don’t think the worst,’ he whispered, planting a chaste kiss on my lips. I felt my resolve weaken demonstrably and hugged him as tightly as I could. The desire pulsing yet the pleasure of being enveloped in his arms, so safe, equally intoxicating.

  Pulling away, I returned to Caitlan’s side and helping her out of the bed, walked with her leaning on me to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and hoped we would have a few minutes alone, to talk.

  ‘Wow, I look a bit worse for wear,’ she exclaimed catching sight of her bruised face in the mirror.

  ‘They will fade quickly. You look radiant and you are about to be a mother. I can’t believe I get to be here with you,’ I gushed, the tears flowing down both our faces. ‘I know how weird this is for you. Thank you for letting me share this moment with you.’ I was babbling, hardly able to form coherent words. Just being there with the person I never thought I would see again on Earth, so powerful, the memories flooding back.

  ‘I’m so glad you are here too,’ she began, as a contraction hit and I rubbed her back breathing with her as I was taught at the class we both attended. Years had passed, but the memories were vivid.

  Helping her into the bath, I watched as she lay down and relaxed instantly.

  ‘This feels so good, you have no idea. Well, actually you do,’ she smiled, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

  ‘I never delivered twins, but I can definitely help you as much as you want, now, after. Whatever you need, I’m here,’ I confirmed, taking her proffered hand in mine.

  ‘I loved the necklace, Lex, it was so beautiful,’ her voice pitching higher as another contraction hit. They were coming faster and faster and I knew it would not be long now.

  On cue, the nurse entered and checked her dilation.

  ‘Eight, wow, you certainly are a pro at this,’ I marvelled, and her face beamed with excitement and no doubt relief that it would be over soon.

  ‘Promise, you will stay, no matter what?’ she yelled as another contraction hit full force.

  ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ I reiterated, not sure, whether she meant now or the future, either way, I was here to stay for as long as she needed me.

  An hour had passed and after getting an epidural, her labour had slowed down considerably. The nurse was going to start some Pitocin to try to pick things up again and I went to grab a coffee, the emotions making me feel exhausted.

  ‘Damn it,’ I cursed at the machine as Nicholi approached.

  ‘What did it do?’ he asked, mocking a concerned face.

  ‘It ate my money and no coffee,’ I complained, finally giving way to a smile. There was no way I could be upset or angry around him. ‘Everything okay in there?’ I asked, taking his proffered quarters and trying again with a different machine successfully this time. ‘I will pay you back when I get change.’

  He scoffed in response.

  ‘You okay?’ I asked, noting he had not answered my earlier question.

  ‘It is surreal. I fell in love with a woman I thought was you. She loved my brother and then the real version returns. Yes, it is not strange at all.’ He sat down opposite the drinks machine, taking a sip of his coffee and running his hands through his hair.

  ‘That is so distracting,’ I confessed, the words coming out before I could stop them.

  ‘Really, well let’s just say I have not thought about anything else but being as close to you as possible for the last two days. Now that is distracting.’ He smiled the sexy smile that had me wanting to run to him and never let go.

  ‘So, what now?’ I asked, biting my lip to distract myself from the lost expression he was wearing whenever I mentioned the future.

  ‘Time to deliver some babies,’ he nodded, standing and dumping his empty cup into the trash. Finishing mine, I did the same and bumped into him as I turned around.

  ‘We are making a habit out of this,’ I began accusingly, my body longing at his proximity.

  ‘Told you, I can’t keep away.’ He shrugged nonchalantly.

  ‘Actually, you didn’t tell me that. The opposite in fact.’ I recoiled at the memory of last night and his, we can’t be together, ever, speech.

  ‘I talk too much, ignore me,’ he joked, leaning in to kiss my forehead. Every part of me was screaming out, don’t, you will get hurt, but instead I pulled him closer and kissed him as passionate as he had me earlier.

  We were both as breathless as each other as I pulled away and took his hand instead, not wanting to be an inch away from him, ever.

  ‘I’m holding you to this.’ I grinned at the intense look he was giving me, finally not sorrowful any longer.

  ‘Oh, I hope so,’ he teased seductively as his hand stroked my cheek, my body exploding with each touch.

  Three hours had passed and the contractions had not picked up enough for labour to progress. The decision was made to perform a C-Section and the hospital were only allowing two people into the room.

  ‘Nic, you should go.’ I urged him to take the place he was giving away to me.

  ‘This is your time. Everything was stolen from you. I intend to give you everything you should have had and more, starting now.’ He placed the hospital scrubs in my arms and ushered me to get changed. ‘I reserve the right to help you change if you don’t hurry up,’ his voice husky. My face was glowing at the suggestion and for once I was speechless.

  Changing into the green scrubs, I was grinning from ear to ear. Not only was I about to see my nieces be born, but the man I had idealised for years seemed to like me too. Realising I was sounding more like a teenager than a twenty-four-year-old; I shook my head and gathered up my sense with my clothing.

  ‘This way, please,’ the nurse advised as I looked at Nicholi for the last time, just wanting reassurance he was okay with this and he nodded as though he had read my mind.

  Cross was already in the room with Caitlan prepped on the bed and I joined them in the free seat. Caitlan reached out her hand and I took it eagerly.

  ‘I was just thinking, we will now both have scars,’ she whispered, as I kissed her forehead.

  ‘We will.’ I reached for her hand and watched as the surgeon began.

  The three minutes we waited to hear the first baby cry felt like hours.

  ‘It is a girl,’ the surgeon yelled out, and all I could see was a tuft of blonde hair as baby number one was lifted above the curtain.

  ‘Oh she is beautiful,’ Caitlan gushed
, the tears streaming down her face.

  ‘Just like her momma,’ Cross whispered, his voice cracking, the love emanating from him and surrounding her.

  In that one moment, I had never felt so much joy, love, and acceptance. They were the perfect couple and they had finally found each other.

  ‘Another little girl,’ he again shouted over showing us baby number two with the same tuft of hair and my heart melted.

  ‘They are identical?’ I almost sobbed, hugging Caitlan in the way I used to and was so thankful the awkwardness was dissolving. Nicholi was right, being here right now and experiencing this with her, we were back to our teenage years crying over flowers she had just gotten from Cross.

  ‘Yes, my little precious girls. Meet Alexa and Daisy,’ Caitlan announced, and once again, I was a blubbering wreck. ‘You were both named after your auntie and you are so blessed to have her in your lives.’ She kissed the babies that had been placed into her arms as I snuggled close to both of them.

  Cross was in complete awe, his eyes darting from his daughters to their mother and back. There was no mistake they were his biological children. They even shared the same little dimples every time they smiled.

  The happiness diminished as I thought of Nicholi waiting outside for news.

  Caitlan had nursed the babies and was napping with them with Cross at their side. I had looked everywhere for Nicholi and could not find him, sending him texts and voice mail messages to no avail. I was just going to ask the security department to put out an announcement for him in case his phone had died when the door opened.

  ‘Hey, I was calling and calling. Where were you?’ I asked, watching as he ignored me and walked slowly over to the two cribs, or as Caitlan called them, fish tanks.

  ‘I went for a walk to clear my head. Sorry, I should have picked up,’ he replied robotically, his eyes fixed on the babies as he leant in to kiss them both on the forehead. ‘They are beautiful, truly a miracle. I can see both Caitlan and Cross in them, a perfect mix,’ he advised, nodding as though he expected it all along.

  ‘Nicholi, I don’t know what to say?’ I edged closer and he turned to face me.

  ‘Have any ice cream left?’ he smiled briefly, but it did not meet his eyes.

  ‘I know a great place,’ I began, grabbing my coat and taking his hand. Closing the door quietly behind us, leaving the new family to sleep, I held Nicholi’s hand as we walked to the elevator.

  ‘Let’s take the stairs,’ he suggested, pulling me forwards into the stairwell and pushed me against the wall as our lips met for the first time.

  ‘You want ice cream right?’ I mouthed breathlessly in-between the flood of kisses that was taking me to places I had never dreamt.

  ‘Ice cream, right.’ Nicholi pulled away as though I had just rejected him.

  ‘Kissing is great too, I mean spectacularly so,’ I began, shaking my head for sounding ridiculous as I followed him down the stairs.

  ‘Can I drive?’ I asked, tentatively, his mood changing from one minute to the next and I was suddenly in an arctic storm of chilly.

  ‘Sure, why not.’ He opened my door for me as I climbed in and fastened my seatbelt.

  ‘I found this place when I was at a convention. The hotel food sucked and this was pretty much what kept me going for three days,’ I admitted, embarrassingly, except he was not laughing.

  ‘You were here, in Connecticut?’ he asked, looked angrier by the second.

  ‘Eh, yes, a couple of time,’ I almost whispered, glimpsing at him as we pulled up at the traffic lights. He was fuming and I knew this was not the reason why.

  ‘Nic, you have every right to be angry.’

  ‘You think? The mother of my son whom I scoured the earth for was right in front of me the whole time. Yes I do,’ he ranted losing control by the second.

  ‘I did not mean that.’ I regretted it instantly.

  ‘You don’t think that matters? We could have been a family. You should have been the mother to JC he deserved all these years. Fuck sake, can’t people drive,’ he yelled at the car that had attempted to pull into my lane causing me to break sharply.

  ‘It is okay, everything is okay.’ I tried to calm him, but it was pointless. It just made things worse.

  ‘How can you say that? Nothing is. Everything is so fucked up. Everyone believed you were dead, but I never gave up hope. You turn up, throw my world into a vortex and try to tell me it will all be okay? You are as fucking crazy as your sister,’ he ranted and that was the last straw.

  I pulled over and turned to face him. ‘You have no right to cast aspersions on any of us. If anyone should be throwing stones, it is me at your family. You do not get to turn yourself into the victim because you fucked my sister and weren’t the one who got her pregnant. It is terrible, but two beautiful innocent lives came into the world tonight and they need their family united, not tearing shreds out of each other,’ I shouted, the anger ebbing and flowing every time I looked into his heartbroken eyes.

  ‘I was supposed to be a proud father tonight, cooing over my precious daughters.’

  ‘You are a proud father.’

  ‘I had so many plans for our future and she ripped them all away without blinking.’

  ‘You will have everything you dreamt of.’

  ‘When I saw you I realised the love for her was not real. I mean, yes I did love her, but seeing you, holding you, kissing you, it does not compare. She was never mine because I was waiting for you.’

  ‘I am here now and I promise you, I will never leave again.’ Both of us were in pieces, physically and emotionally.

  ‘Oh, Lexi,’ he cried and pulled me onto his lap, kissing me with a million hopes, dreams, and desires. Some crushed, some yet to be realised, but all fuelled with the knowledge that we were finally, where we should be.

  ‘I can’t lose you. Not again.’ His hands were shaking as he caressed my cheek, brushing over my lips tenderly.

  ‘You won’t ever. You are stuck with me for as long as you want me. I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, just ask my partners,’ I joked, trying to lighten the mood, yet show him how sincere I was.

  ‘I am finally home with you and JC and there is nowhere else I ever want to be.’ I continued, kissing him once more and not stopping until neither one of us could avoid having to pull away.

  ‘Ice cream?’ I gestured, pointing out of the tinted windows the shop just up ahead.

  ‘Definitely,’ he nodded, opening the passenger door and setting me down, not letting go of my hand for a second.

  ‘They are so good, you will be spoilt for choice,’ I began as he kissed me once more.

  ‘Nothing can compare to that, but I will take sprinkles,’ he smiled seductively and I grinned back. This was certainly a night for ice cream.

  FOUR

  GOING HOME

  Ordering us both a banana split, I returned to our table and watched Nicholi on the phone. He was always in control of things from a professional point of view, so poised and authoritative; I admired him.

  ‘What?’ he asked, a perplexed expression on his face as I realised I had been staring at him the whole time.

  ‘Oh, sorry. I was just thinking what a great businessman you are and you would be such an asset to my company,’ I explained, pushing away the real reason I was staring at him and focusing on something I too had control over.

  My feelings at this point were in turmoil. Torn between how much I had fantasised about him as a teen and now sitting with the real thing. Not to mention the delicate fact that he had been in a relationship with my sister. Was he truly over her?

  ‘I’m honoured, really. But with everything going on and this, us being so uncertain, I would rather keep business and pleasure separate for now.’ He took a spoonful of ice cream and savoured it. ‘Wow, you were right, this is epic stuff,’ he marvelled, taking another spoonful and I resumed staring, but instead of at him, at my bowl. ‘Everything okay? What did I say?’ His brow was furrowing as he moved
closer to me.

  ‘You said nothing. I am just not as hungry as I thought I was. Shame it is ice cream, otherwise, I would have taken it to go for JC,’ I mused, smarting at how he had so easily brushed whatever we had off as nothing.

  ‘I was thinking JC could sleepover as planned at my mother’s and I could take you on a date. What do you think?’ His eyes lit up and I was completely thrown by his temperature change. El Nino had nothing on Nicholi Veneto.

  As much as I would have loved to just forget any feelings I had and walk away from the pain that would not doubt be inflicted by getting involved with him, I found myself nodding in agreement.

  ‘Great. I need to drop by the office for a bit. You can come if you would like?’ he asked, stroking his fingers against mine and I instantly began to thaw.

  ‘Actually, I need to go shopping. I want to get Caitlan a few things, a gift for JC and something to wear tonight.’

  I was not sure why I was reading my whole to-do list out to him. He just had the effect on me that I wanted to tell him everything at all times.

  ‘That sounds a lot better than paperwork. Can I come?’ he asked and caught me completely off guard.

  ‘Er, yes, I guess. If you won’t get bored. I love shopping, you may regret it later,’ I warned jokingly. My emotions ebbing and flowing under his direction and it was so unnerving yet tantalising at the same time.

  ‘I will take the risk,’ he winked, taking my hand in his and kissing it.

  I felt my heart flip-flop. Any kind of relationship with him was going to be a roller coaster ride for sure, yet I still felt like we belonged together even after all this time and everything that had happened.

  ‘Okay then, after you,’ I suggested, gesturing for him to lead the way, but instead he pulled me into his arms and planted a chaste kiss on my lips.

  ‘Ladies first,’ he whispered and I was once again a pool of ice cream floating in the bowl with bright pink sprinkles.

  We drove to the local mall and after purchasing a gift for Jacob, I headed over to the baby store with Nicholi at my side.