In My Heart

by E. L. Todd

  Apollo came around the bed to Lexie’s side then stood up on his hind legs. His paws rested on the bed and he whined quietly.

  “Awe,” Lexie said. “He wants to lay with you.”

  “No, he just wants to sleep,” I said with a laugh. “He’s used to sleeping on a bed.” I patted the bed and whistled. “Come here, boy.”

  He jumped on the bed then lay in the small area that I wasn’t touching. He formed a tight ball then rested his head on my thigh.

  “Such a good dog,” Carol said. “Loyal.”

  “Yeah,” Dad said. “When Conrad first got him I wasn’t too thrilled about it, especially when he took him to the office.”

  “But now he’ll always have a seat at the dinner table,” Mom said as she scratched him behind the ears.

  “He’s a good dog.” He was my closest companion. I’d never been into pets, but now that I had Apollo I wasn’t sure why I waited so long.

  “In here,” a voice sounded from outside, and it sounded like Heath.

  Roland walked in the door first, Heath behind him. He stopped and stared at me, and almost instantly it looked like he was about to cry. My face looked far worse than it really was but it would still scare anybody.

  Roland came further into the room, Heath lurking behind him. “Uh…” Now that he was here he didn’t know what to say.

  I looked away because I didn’t know what to say either. I was still pissed at him.

  Lexie eyed me then squeezed my hand. “Conrad, come on…”

  Dad cleared his throat. “Baby, let’s get something from the cafeteria. I’m a little hungry.”

  Carol picked up on the tension too. “I’m going to get a soda to help me stay awake. Come on, Macy.”

  The four of them left, and Heath stood outside the room and waited.

  Lexie let go of my hand and stood up. “I’m just going to…” She didn’t finish the sentence and walked out.

  Roland stood there on the verge of tears. He was never emotional with me but right now he was losing it. Was it the pain I was in? Was it the fact we weren’t friends anymore?

  “It’s not as bad as it looks…”

  Roland slowly approached the bed, his skin unusually pale. “Who did this to you?”

  “Georgia Price’s husband.”

  “Did you tell the police?”

  I shook my head. “Going through the process is a pain. It’s not worth my time.”

  “I think it is.”

  “And I’m sure he won’t bother me again, not with Apollo around.”

  Roland crossed his arms over his chest. He eyed Apollo for a long time before he looked at me again. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Me too. Apollo and Lexie saved my ass.”

  “I would have saved your ass too if I were there.”

  I dropped my gaze. “I know…”

  He sat in Lexie’s vacated chair and rested his elbows on his knees. “Is there anything I can do for you? Hunt down that asshole myself?”

  “No,” I whispered. “I’ve got too many people at my beck and call anyway.”

  “What’s one more?” he asked quietly.

  I rested my head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling, unsure what else to do or say. Roland used to be my best friend but now it was just awkward. There was significant distance between us.

  “I know now isn’t the time but…I love you. When Dad told me what happened I freaked out. The idea of losing you is one of the scariest thoughts I’ve ever had. I know I stabbed you in the back but I never meant to hurt you, Conrad.” He rubbed his palms together and stared at the ground. “I’m sorry for everything. I really am.”

  If Mom and Dad could forgive Lexie for what she’d done to me, then I should be able to forgive Roland. Lexie was right. Roland was just trying to protect me. He may have made the wrong decision but the intention behind it was all that mattered. “It’s okay.”

  Roland slowly turned to me, unable to believe what I just said.

  “I forgive you.”

  He covered his face and took a deep breath. It was too much to handle, the words he’d been waiting so long to hear. “You do?”

  “Yeah, man. I’m sorry I was so rough on you. I was just…not thinking clearly.”

  He lowered his hands and tears were in his eyes. “I really am sorry. If I could go back and change it I would.”

  “I know.” I grabbed his shoulder.

  Roland leaned over the bed and hugged me hard. His arms crushed my shoulders and he stayed there with his chin resting on my shoulder. Instead of releasing me after a second he just stayed there.

  I let the touch linger because I knew I needed it too. “Can I be your best man?”

  Roland took a deep breath and his chest pressed against mine. “There’s no one else I’d rather have.” He finally pulled away, the emotion written all over his face. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” Roland was the only guy I was affectionate with in this way. If it were anyone else it’d be stale and straight to the point. But our friendship was different. It started when we were born, and twenty something years later it was still going strong. He wasn’t just my best friend or my cousin. He was so much more than that.

  “We’re okay?” he whispered.

  “Yeah. We’re okay.”

  When he took another breath he finally relaxed. “Okay. I can actually get some sleep tonight.”

  “I owe you an apology too. I shouldn’t have been so rough on you. I forgave Lexie quicker than I forgave you.”

  He shook his head. “Please don’t apologize to me. You had every right to be upset.”

  “Okay…then it’s water under the bridge.”

  He nodded. “Water under the bridge.”

  Lexie poked her head in and gave us a smile. “Awe…I’m so glad you guys finally made up.”

  “Yeah…” A weight had disappeared from my shoulders. Holding onto my hatred was just hurting me in the long haul, and it was hurting Roland too. Despite what he’d done he was always there for me when it came to anything else.

  Roland patted my shoulder and looked like a whole new person. Instead of looking devastated he seemed happy. His eyes glowed with happiness rather than sorrow.

  Lexie came to Roland’s side and smiled. “We would love it if you and Heath came over for dinner and games…when Conrad is feeling better.”

  “We’d love to,” Roland said quickly. He wrapped his arm around Lexie’s shoulders. “You have a good woman on your hands.”

  I nodded. “I know I do.” Roland used to blatantly ignore her and treat her like dirt but now they were friends again. Lexie was able to forgive him despite how rude he was. Not many people would have been able to do that.

  “She could have rooted against me, which she should have after all the mean things I said to her,” Roland said. “But she didn’t. Because she knew you needed me. What could be more selfless than that?”

  “Chasing down my enemies with a bat,” I said with a chuckle.

  Lexie smiled. “I’m bat girl.”

  “Haha!” Roland said. “Such a lame super hero name but it works for you.”

  “Now I just need a cape,” I said. “And Apollo will be my sidekick.”

  Apollo bent down his ears like that was never going to happen.

  I scratched the fur between Apollo’s ears. “I think Apollo is a one man show.”

  Chapter Seven

  Slade

  I sat inside the recording studio with the microphone in front of me. They kept the lighting in the room low, and the clear glass in front of me reflected the glare at this angle.

  Don pressed the button to the intercom. “Start at the top.”

  I’d already played this song at least a dozen times but it was never good enough. Not playing with a band was difficult. It wasn’t really music anymore. But that was how the album was recording. They laid down the tracks and then spliced them together later. I still didn’t completely understand it.

 
; I played the song a few more times, and finally on the zillionth attempt they kept the recording. It was unnerving having three men stare at you as you played the same song over and over. It was more intimate than a concert so it was more awkward. The only person I could play music for alone was Trinity.

  At the end of the day I was exhausted. My fingers hurt from playing the same strings over and over again, and I was starving. The only thing they gave me was water and I didn’t want to act like a pussy and demand lunch.

  “Thank you, Slade,” Don said. “That was great.”

  Not that great if I had to do it so many times.

  “We’ll lay down a few more tracks here then finish the rest in LA.”

  LA? “Why in LA?”

  “There’s another producer there I want to work with,” he explained. “Don’t worry about it. It’s pretty common.”

  I’d have to leave New York. “How long will I be gone?”

  “Depends on how quickly you finish the record. Maybe a week.”

  A week was only seven days but when I was away from Trinity it was an eternity. “Okay.”

  “We’ll see you tomorrow.” Don let go of the intercom then started chatting with his colleagues.

  I packed up my things and immediately headed to Mega Shake. If I didn’t eat something right then and there I was going to collapse.

  ***

  When I walked in the door I almost dropped my precious guitar on the ground. Trinity stood there in black lingerie, black stockings all the way up to her thighs, black heels, and a push up bra that made her tits perky and fuckable.

  Damn.

  She held a pair of handcuffs by her pinky. They swayed slightly from left to right, the metal reflecting the light. “Hello, Husband.”

  I loved it when she talked dirty to me.

  I set the guitar down gently then ripped off my clothes without any care. I yanked my shirt over my head and almost ripped it, and then I unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them to my ankles. When I stepped forward my feet drowned in the jeans and I fell over onto the floor because I was in such a hurry.

  Trinity’s expression didn’t change with the exception of the slight rise of her eyebrows.

  “Don’t move.” I finally got the pants over my shoes then kicked them to the side. Then I removed my vans and got back to my feet. “Where were we?” I pulled my boxers down and revealed my throbbing cock.

  “Don’t trip this time…”

  I flung them to the side and they hit the glass windows. Then I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around her. The handcuffs were yanked from her grasp before I pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

  Her libido had skyrocketed over the past few weeks and I had no idea where it came from but it didn’t really matter. My wife wanted me all the time, and damn, I was going to give it to her.

  I got her into the bedroom where I handcuffed her to the headboard. She lay underneath me, vulnerable and unable to go anywhere. She was mine in every sense of the word.

  I removed her black thong but kept the stockings and heels on. I liked seeing those when I fucked her into the mattress.

  “What are you waiting for?” she whispered.

  I leaned over her and prepared to enter her. “For you to keep talking dirty to me.”

  She ground her hips against me.

  I knew what I wanted to hear.

  “I love you.”

  A moan came from deep in my throat. “How much?”

  “I love you more than anything in the world—except our baby.”

  I actually got chills. “That’s right.” I inserted my dick inside her and slowly stretched her. She was wet just for me. And so tight. “I love you, Wife.” I kissed the corner of her mouth then her neck. I loved the way she tasted, her sweat and natural scent mixed together.

  I was grateful I ate before I came home. I had a feeling we would be doing this for the rest of the night.

  ***

  My dick was actually sore from all the sex we were having over the course of a few weeks. But the pain was totally worth it.

  After I woke up I showered then headed into the kitchen for some coffee. Trinity was already there, reading a fashion magazine while she stood at the kitchen island.

  I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. “Morning.” I kissed her neck.

  “Morning.”

  I poured myself a cup of coffee then grabbed the plate of breakfast she made me. “Sleep okay?”

  “Like a rock.” She kept reading.

  We didn’t have a chance to talk last night so I thought I would say something now. “I’m going to LA for a week. We need to finish some of the tracks for the album there.”

  “When do you leave?” She didn’t seem upset that I would be gone.

  “In a few days.” I watched her face and made sure she was really okay with this. It was only the beginning and bound to get worse as time went on.

  But she seemed perfectly fine. “I would come with you but I can’t fly after my first trimester.”

  “That’s okay,” I said. “It’ll only be a week.”

  “Okay.” She turned back to her magazine.

  I adjusted my sweatpants because my dick was at an odd angle. “Are you sore or anything?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Down there,” I said. “You’re pretty tiny.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “She’s used to it by now.”

  I chuckled. “Okay. Good.”

  “How did the recording go yesterday?”

  “It was alright,” I said. “They had me play the same song at least twenty times before I got it right. And believe me, I sounded exactly the same each and every time. Annoying.”

  “That’s show business.”

  “I guess,” I said with a shrug.

  She closed the magazine then set her mug in the kitchen sink. “I should get going…”

  “Okay.” I hated it when we both went to work. It was the worst time of the day.

  She grabbed her purse than gave me a kiss. “I’ll miss you.”

  I squeezed her hips. “I’ll miss you too.” I loved it when she looked at me like that, like I was the single most important thing in her life.

  “You know what I just remembered?” she asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “My dad never mentioned the car incident.”

  Oh yes, he did. “I guess he never found out about it…” Mike told me not to say anything so I wouldn’t. Besides, Trinity would just feel awkward every time she was around him. And if I told her he yelled at me she would be pissed at him. They’d had enough fights to last a lifetime. I’d rather see them get along, especially since there was a baby on the way.

  “I’m glad that cop never said anything,” she said with a chuckle. “That would have been a nightmare.”

  “Yeah…”

  She gave me a slow kiss on the lips. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.” I squeezed her ass.

  “Hanky panky commences when I get home.”

  I grinned from ear-to-ear. “I’ll pencil you in. Even though my dick was sore that wouldn’t stop me. The sex with Trinity was totally worth the pain.”

  She reached her hand to my crotch and gave my erection a gentle squeeze. “See you then.” She walked to the door, her ass shaking from side to side as she moved.

  I stared at it until she walked out, obsessed beyond insanity.

  Chapter Eight

  Skye

  Cedric and I took a nap together on the couch. He lay against the back cushions while I blocked off the edge of the couch with my body. Whenever he slept he made gentle sighs and it was the cutest thing ever.

  I was in heaven.

  Who knew being a mom could be so amazing. Cedric hadn’t been in my life very long, but I was so madly and deeply in love I could hardly explain it. Cayson used to be the center of my world but that changed the moment Cedric got here.

  The front door opened and I knew Cayson
was home. “Hey, baby. It’s me.” He set his things down before he came into the living room. He halted in mid-step when he realized we were napping.

  I was already awake so I sat up and looked at him over my shoulder. “We’re just being lazy today.”

  “I can see that.” His eyes glowed every evening when he walked through the front door. It was obvious this was the only place he wanted to be. He kneeled down beside the couch then gave me a warm kiss. “That’s good. You guys should be resting.”

  “Cedric makes me lazy. Whenever he’s asleep I stare at him until I fall asleep.”

  “Good,” he said. “He’s looking after his mommy.” He leaned over me and rested his hand against Cedric’s tummy. He felt his chest rise and fall with every breath. “Hey, War Chief.”

  Cedric kept sleeping.

  “Isn’t he cute?”’

  “So cute.”

  “I just want to hold him and never let go.”

  “I know what you mean.” He pulled his hand away then ran his fingers through my hair. “Have you watched TV today?”

  It was an odd question—extremely odd. “No. Why?”

  His lips fell into a frown. “There’s more drama with your father.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care what the media says. They can all go to hell.”

  “I just thought you should know.”

  My dad was probably in meltdown mode right this second. “What’s going on now?”

  “The stripper from the joint is telling her side of the story. Basically, she said he came onto her, paid her for the lap dance, and even tried to spend the night with her.”

  “So stupid…” My dad would never do anything like that. “No one is going to believe her.”

  He shrugged. “People like drama so they probably will believe it.”

  “Whatever,” I said. “They can believe what they want.”

  “Sorry to bring it up,” he said. “I just thought you should know.”

  I felt bad for my dad. As I got older I understood him better. Then it became abundantly clear why he was so closed off from everything around him. He had no faith in people, and he certainly didn’t trust anyone outside of his inner circle. It surprised me he had the ability to love anyone at this point.

  “Maybe you should bring Cedric over there,” Cayson suggested. “Cheer him up a bit.”