by Katz, Avery
I suddenly realized what I had just admitted to myself.
My brain lit up and angels started singing hallelujah. I fucking loved Quin. I was madly, deeply in love with him. He was my soulmate, partner, and my best friend. I was such an idiot! It suddenly hit me how I’d never really told him how I felt. How we always fell asleep without confessing our feelings for each other. I needed to tell him that I loved him. Maybe the L-word was the missing link in all this.
29
Quin
The next morning, I woke up early with a headache the size of Texas. My brain was too consumed with work, so my dreams were a manifestation of that. I dreamed about our latest client and his nightmarish list of demands. Our deadline was weeks from now, but I was already worried about the outcome and his reaction to said outcome. We were facing a couple of glitches on the coding front and issues with the user interface. My team was having a minor setback, but it was nothing we couldn’t fix. I was disappointed in myself for allowing my personal life to bleed into my professional life. I was usually able to compartmentalize things, but the past months had been unforgiving.
I got up and padded barefoot to the kitchen. The vegan pizza we had for dinner last night did nothing for my hungry stomach. No wonder I slept terribly. I also forgot to eat my rice pudding thanks to Greg and his distracting presence. He was still sleeping on the sofa. I heard him cleaning it with my Hoover last night. He could be such a neat freak sometimes. I deliberately made a lot of noise in the kitchen to wake him up. He was a terrible, terrible cook, so I was surprised when I saw him fussing about in the kitchen last night. To top it all off, he wanted to sleep with me in the same bed. He was temptation incarnate. There was no way I was going to allow him into my bedroom again.
I made scrambled eggs with French toast and hash browns. Breakfast on the terrace was hands down my favorite part of the day. I switched the radio on and returned the copper pots and pans to their shelves. I made sure to bang them together to create more annoying sounds. I knew it was evil of me to wake him up, but he deserved it after showing up yesterday and refusing to sign those papers. I found bits and pieces of them on the balcony. He apparently tore them up and fed them to the wind. How environmentally friendly of him.
His royal ass finally woke from his slumber after the second round of banging. He stumbled into the kitchen looking way too handsome for someone with bed hair and droopy eyes. I had to look away and distract myself with making coffee, or I would have just reached out and ran my fingers through his shampoo-ad curls. He was too adorable for words.
“Are those hash browns?” he asked with hunger practically dripping from his voice.
“Yep,” I said, moving the plate out of his grasp. “This is mine. You are on your own, Gregory. Seriously. You should really consider leaving before I get back home from work.”
He made one of his trademark-annoyed faces and leaned against the marble counter. “This conversation sounds familiar. Allow me to refresh your memory. You told me to leave, and I said no. You clearly woke up on the wrong side of the bed today because you’re repeating the same thing in a more grumpy tone. My answer hasn’t changed. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving my husband and baby. Deal with it.”
I shook my head while smiling like a Cheshire cat on the inside. I loved this stubborn, persistent version of Greg. It reminded me of myself. Kind of. “Fine. Suit yourself.”
“Very well. How about I prepare Adley’s breakfast while you take your morning shower?” He offered.
“Okay.” I shrugged. “Just don’t set the kitchen on fire.”
“Yes!” He pumped his fist in the air like he’d just won the lottery.
I quickly ate my breakfast on the terrace and drank my coffee before hitting the shower. The rainforest showerhead I recently installed was phenomenal. It made me want to stay in there for longer than ten minutes. I was trying to conserve water, so indulging in long showers or even weekly bubble baths was out of the question. Wendy used to love running baths every single day. She had zero respect for the environment. I quickly rinsed my hair and body before drying myself off and getting dressed for work. Thursdays were semicasual so I threw on a pair of dark washed jeans and a striped button-up shirt. I combed my hair and sprayed a bit of perfume before exiting the bedroom. I crossed my fingers and made my way to the living room. I found Adley playing with her Mega Bloks eighty-piece set with Greg as her master builder. They were building some kind of weird-shaped animal or castle. It looked abstract to me.
It turned out that he hadn’t only fed Adley, but he also washed and changed her for the day. I was gushing on the inside but kept a cool facade on the outside. “I can babysit little miss sunshine here while you’re at work.” He offered. “I promise we won’t paint on the walls. Scout’s honor.”
“Thanks, but I prefer she spends the day with Mom and Hannah.” I walked over to my clean, fully dressed baby and picked her up. She smelled like a bottle of baby powder. Greg rose from the carpet and kissed her cheek.
I grabbed my laptop bag and made a beeline for the door. Adley sang her favorite toddler song on the way to Twin Peaks. I quickly dropped her off and drove to work. Traffic was a nightmare, so I took a shortcut to save time. My assistant met me at the door with a steaming mug of cappuccino. I was grateful for the extra dose of caffeine. We had our usual morning meeting in the conference room and ate our usual vegan cupcakes. Afterward, Alice and I headed back to my office and went over my to-do list for the day. She handed me a video game developed by two young programmers. They were UCLA graduates who wanted me to test it out and give them my feedback. I finished my meetings for the day and uploaded it onto my PC. I was in the middle of level one when Alice walked in with a beautiful bouquet of tulips in her hand.
“These just came in for you.” She placed them on my desk before going back to her workstation.
They had to be from Greg. Who else would send me red tulips? They were Raplen’s official flower. I heard that Queen Emmeline was obsessed with them. I brought them to my nose and inhaled their fresh scent. They took me back to the royal gardens of Lockridge Palace. There was a Selkie fountain right at the center of the hedge maze. Hannah and I discovered it while exploring the garden. Greg was in a storytelling mood that day, so he sat us down and told us a story about a mythical creature that resembled a seal and had the ability to transform into a human on land. The citizens of Raplen once believed that such a marine creature existed, so they sailed in search of it. It was quite the fascinating tale. It gave us major goosebumps though. Greg loved injecting horror into his stories. He had a blast scaring the crap out of Hannah.
I gazed at the tulips with a smile on my lips. I hated to admit it, but the bouquet was a really nice gesture. His actions and the way he catered to Adley were starting to get to me. There was no card on the flowers, but I knew for certain that Greg was the one who sent them. I sat back in my ergonomic chair and thought about our current situation. We definitely needed to sit down and discuss things. I was a tiny bit harsh on him last night. He knew how much I hated surprises, especially after what happened with Wendy. I was still trying to get over the nasty surprise I came home to all those months ago.
I left the office at six o’clock sharp and picked up Adley from my mother’s house. Louisa was hosting some kind of book club, so her friends were all there. They gushed over my daughter until Adley freaked out and told me to get her the hell out of there in her own toddler language. I was an expert at decoding her nonsensical words.
We were greeted by the smell of grilled salmon and baked potatoes. Greg’s blond head suddenly appeared in the dining room doorway. Adley instantly called out to him and forgot all about her biological father. “Daddy!”
“Hey, cupcake!”
“Where is that smell coming from? Did you manage to cook something edible while we were away?” I teased him.
“Come see for yourself.” He motioned for me to follow him into the dining room. There was indeed grilled s
almon and potatoes on that table. There was also a bowl of salad and sushi from my favorite sushi place on Ocean Drive. I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed the kiddie meal next to Adley’s high chair. “Thank God for catering because I am totally helpless in the kitchen. I made sure the food was made of organic ingredients. The salmon is also sustainably sourced, whatever that means.”
I shook my head and smiled as I placed Adley in her high chair and tried not to look too impressed. Greg waited for my reaction, but I sat down and wolfed down my food without saying a word. First of all, I was too hungry, and second of all, I was still doubtful about his commitment. After dinner, he volunteered to clear the table while I washed up and changed out of my work clothes. Ten minutes later, Adley was in her pajamas and sitting in her high chair in the living room. Apparently, Greg had another surprise up his sleeve. He wanted to show it to us before her bedtime.
I went into the kitchen for a glass of water and found him swearing at the lemon pie.
“So, are you seriously not going to say anything?” he said while tapping his fingers on the counter. “Nothing? Nada?”
“Ah. Yes. Thanks for the flowers.”
He snorted. “Really, Quin? That’s all?”
I turned to him with a frown on my face. “Why? What else do you want to hear?”
Greg tugged on his hair in frustration before blowing up like a pressure cooker. “Jesus. I freaking poured my heart out to you on that card and that’s all you have to say? A quick thank you like my feelings just don’t matter to you?”
“Greg, wait a minute. What card? What are you talking about? I never got any card.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” he muttered, grabbing my arms and shaking me hard. “I love you and want to be with you, you little fucker.”
Finally.
I smiled and teared up just a smidgen. My heart skipped a beat and tiny little fairies danced around it. I waited forever for him to utter those words. I almost divorced him for not saying them. I was just about to tell him how I felt when I heard a weird sound coming from the living room. My ear was accustomed to certain noises our penthouse made on occasion, but this was no ordinary noise.
I hurried back to the living room to check on Adley, but she was gone from her chair. I started to panic and frantically searched the room for any signs of my baby.
“Quin, what’s wrong?”
I suddenly realized that the front door was open.
“Shit. Quin, call the police!” Greg shouted before rushing out of the apartment.
I quickly called 911 and explained the situation in brief. Fear and panic set in as I hurried down the steps, eager to catch up with whoever took her. I suddenly heard a familiar cry of pain. The last time I heard it was when Greg fell off his old motorbike and broke his arm. I ran outside to find him bleeding and unconscious on the ground.
“Oh my God! Greg!” I suddenly saw a familiar champagne-colored Lexus speeding out of the parking lot. It was none other than Wendy’s car. I was torn between going after her and finding out if Greg was still alive. Before I could say anything, a red Toyota came crashing into the Lexus, sending it spinning in circles before hitting a lamppost.
I screamed and ran towards the damaged car.
30
Greg
I woke up to the sound of beeping and harsh neon lights. There was something jammed into my wrist and a light blanket draped over my body. I was dressed a hospital gown.
“Shit!” I croaked, glancing around the small hospital room. I was all alone with nothing but a small television keeping me company. I could hear the sound of nurses and doctors right outside my room. My heart sank, and my stomach clenched when I remembered everything that had happened the night before. Adley was kidnapped, and I rushed down the stairs to find Wendy pulling out of the parking lot. I ran after the car, but that psycho put her Lexus in reverse and tried to run me over. The impact sent me flying backward where I must have passed out from the pain. I removed the covers and checked on my leg. It was wrapped in a bandage, but luckily, it wasn’t broken. I remembered Quin’s terrified scream and the crunching sound of metal on metal. Oh God. What if something bad had happened to my baby?
My heart wrenched in sadness. I was completely devastated. I failed to protect little miss sunshine. I should have stayed with her in that living room and kept a watchful eye over her. Wendy must have taken advantage of our argument in the kitchen and snuck in to kidnap her. I sat up against the metal headboard and searched around for my phone. I needed to call someone. Anyone. I needed to know if Quin was okay. Why did Wendy have to ruin one of the best moments in my life? I finally told my husband that I fucking loved him. Why did she have to take this moment away from us?
The door suddenly opened, and Quin rushed into the room wearing his heart on his sleeve. His blue eyes were heavy with concern, and his shirt was splattered with blood. “Oh thank God, you’re okay.” He leaned over the bed and kissed me. It was a sweet, tender kiss. He pulled away and stroked my hair lovingly. “I love you. You almost gave me a heart attack. I’m too young for this shit.”
“I’m sorry.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. Tears stung my eyes while I stared at his bloodstained shirt. My hands trembled, and my heart raced inside my chest. I was so scared of asking him about Adley. “Where’s Adley? Is she alright? I’m sorry I didn’t get to her in time. Wendy was already in the car and in a hurry to leave. I tried to open the passenger door, but it was locked.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He rubbed my arm soothingly. “Adley’s fine, miraculously. My ex-wife, however, is...not. There was this other car that came out of nowhere and rammed into the Lexus. Wendy was going too fast, so the impact sent the car spinning three times before it crashed. Being in her car seat with the seatbelt on saved my baby. Wendy, however, went flying through the windshield and broke her neck. She wasn’t wearing her seatbelt. The scene of the accident was terrifying.” He shuddered. “There was blood everywhere. The guy who rammed into her was badly injured too. I heard he was in a coma.”
“Jesus.” I gasped. “I-I don’t know what to say. Sorry for your loss, I guess. Wendy tried to kill me though. She backed into me on purpose. I’m pretty sure she saw me in her rearview mirror.”
“I know.” He sat down next to me on the narrow bed and squeezed my trembling hand. “Thank you for going after my daughter. I saw the frantic look in your eyes when you stormed out of the penthouse. You were prepared to throw yourself under a bus to get to her.”
“Of course I was. She’s our daughter. I would do anything for that kid.” Relief washed over me at the good news. Adley may have lost a mother, but she gained a new dad. “I’m serious about the two of you, Quin. I really am. And I’m not saying this to get laid or anything.”
Quin chuckled. “I believe you, and we’re serious about you too. Adley and I got used to having you around the house. Just promise me you’ll stick to catering from now on. I can’t have you ruining my finest pots and pans.”
“Deal.” I nodded. “No kitchen. Anything else?”
“Yes. I want a proper wedding,” he said. “A wedding where we’re both sober enough to remember everything without the aid of embarrassing pictures.”
I laughed. “Sure. Sounds good.”
He kissed me again. It was a long kiss that could have turned into something more if not for my IV drip and my injured leg. Louisa barged into the room all of a sudden, putting an end to our kiss.
“For the love of God!” she exclaimed. “Here too?”
“I almost died, woman,” I growled. “You can’t seriously grudge me this?”
She finally rolled her eyes and said, “Well, you did redeem yourself last night by going after Adley. I heard about your attempts at stopping the car. That was actually very decent of you.”
“Thanks. This means a lot coming from you.”
She sniffled and moved closer to the bed. “Just because I yell at you all the time for breaking my son’s heart doesn’t mean that I do
n’t care about you. We’ve known you since you were a kid. Losing you to an accident would have been terrible.”
“Aww, Mom. That’s probably the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to Greg.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” she said before kissing my forehead, then leaving the room.
“Wow. That was unexpected,” I mused. “I should get hit by a car more often.”
“Don’t say that.” He smacked my elbow in a playful manner. “By the way, your entire family is on its way to San Francisco. Apparently, Danny told Rupert that you were involved in a major accident. Rupert, in turn, told your parents that you were badly injured. Major panic ensued, so they messaged me a while ago telling me that they were all coming in their private jets.”
“Typical Danny. Did you tell him that I was chasing after a car?”
“Yep. I also told him that you’ve sustained a minor injury, but he did not believe me.”
Quin and I had lunch together. Hospital food was the worst, so he went to the nearest burger place and smuggled them into my room. He closed the door and handed me my juicy burger. I was so damn hungry. Last night took its toll on my body. I was already suffering from a chronic case of jet lag due to my many travels. My body wanted to rest, but my brain refused to listen. Hannah dropped by to check on me. She brought me flowers and some kind of quartz healing stone. We played cards to pass the time and watched TV. Quin insisted on spending the night with me, so they brought him an extra bed. I used my royal status to pull some strings and ask for extra pillows and blankets. Needless to say, it worked like a charm.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my mother demanding to see me. Seconds later, my worried family members started piling into my room. There was an army of them. I even spotted rude Aunt Edith in the back. “Whoa. Did you guys come to conquer the Americas?”
