Intertwined Hearts Series (4 book collection): (Intertwined Hearts, An Exceptional Twist, Tangled Paths & Grafted Vines)

by Kimi Flores

  The ice was probably stale, but I didn’t care.

  I poured a mixture from both bottles into the glass, then took a large gulp. During the flights, I had a lot of time to think. All thoughts, of course, led directly to Leah. Breaking hearts was something I was used to, but hurting her made me feel like a villain.

  That didn’t change the fact that I had a good thing going in Chicago and wasn't interested in letting a girl ruin it. At least this was the argument I kept telling myself, ever since the moment I left her bed. I was dreading the day that Caleb found out. It was bound to be soon. And I’d get a call, Caleb’s irate voice in my ear, as I would have the privilege of listening to what a shit I’d become.

  I’d honestly be surprised if Caleb didn’t fly all the way to Chicago to string me up by my very favorite body part.

  After swallowing more of the sweet, spicy liquid, I walked back through the living room and grabbed my suitcases. By now, they felt as if they weighed a ton. Lugging them down the long hallway, I approached the bedroom door and heard a noise. Instantly on edge, I tried to squash the paranoia that spiked my pulse. I’d received a few threats before leaving for Santa Barbara. I hadn’t taken them seriously, but now I wasn’t sure.

  Cautiously, I turned the corner and peered into my room. Spotting the woman in my bed, I let out a loud sigh of relief, and braced my hands on my knees. “Lisa, you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?”

  Her long fake eyelashes fluttered over greyish-blue eyes. “You specifically said you wanted me in your bed when you got home. Don't you remember?” Pouting her collagen injected, gloss-covered lips, she flicked her curly, platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder.

  The seductive look she gave me would have done me in a month ago. Not so much now.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  Slowly, she pushed down the steel grey and white bedding, revealing her naked body. I’d seen her without clothes too many times to count, but for the first time ever, I wondered how she didn't topple over when she stood.

  Her silhouette was similar to a stick figure with huge inflated balloons popping out of her chest. Ugh. How could I have ever been attracted to her? Unlike Leah, there wasn't one natural thing on this woman. I was partially to blame after suggesting all of the alterations she’d had done.

  We'd been in and out of each other's lives since we were teenagers. She was my first screw. Long ago, though, Lisa was in love with Caleb and thought she was going to make him jealous by screwing me. Little did she know, Caleb was glad when she stopped hanging all over him. She’d been at my beck and call ever since.

  Now, the thought made me sick to my stomach.

  Shoving my hands in my pockets, I dipped my chin down and peered up at her. “Uh—yeah. Sorry I did forget. I'm really tired and just want to crash. Do you mind leaving?” I asked sheepishly, knowing her temper. She was about to flip her bitch switch.

  Her face reddened as she jumped out of bed. “What? Are you shitting me, Stefen?” Scrambling around for her clothes, she shot daggers at me with her eyes. “I don't know what the hell happened to you in Santa Barbara, but the Stefen I knew would have been naked and in bed with me by now, no questions asked.”

  She angrily stomped around the room, collecting her clothes. She snatched her underwear up from the floor, yanked them on, but struggled with the hooks on her bra.

  Glancing around, uneasy, I put all my cards on the table. “I know. I'm sorry. I'm just not into it. We've been playing this game for too many years. Aren’t you tired of it, too? You really need to find another guy who can give you what you want. I'm not that guy. I never will be.”

  Apparently, I’m not the guy for anyone.

  I braced myself for her wrath.

  She stalked up and slapped me across the face. “How dare you do this to me! You have no right to just cast me aside, Stefen. I’ve only played this game with you because you strung me along all these years.”

  Stunned, I rubbed the side of my face. “I never pretended with you, Lisa. You knew what we were. I can’t offer you anything more.”

  Jerking on her skintight jeans, tiny tank top and designer high heels, Lisa barked, “I’ve put up with all the whores you’ve slept with and thought you might actually grow up some day and choose me, but I guess that was my mistake. Don't ever call me again because I won’t come next time.”

  She stormed out of the room and down the hall.

  I yelled after her, “Leave your key on the front table.”

  Running my fingers through my hair, I knew she wasn't going to leave her key. The door slammed so hard, the windows rattled. I’d have to get the locks changed tomorrow. There was no way she would give up that easily, either. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last time I’d see Lisa Feldner.

  Completely worn out, I shed my clothes and headed into the shower, my mind wandering back to Leah. “Shake her off, man,” I scolded myself.

  Maybe I should’ve let Lisa stay to help get rid of my shitty mood.

  No, that wouldn’t have been a good idea. I wasn't sure I was that guy anymore.

  Even though it wasn’t quite dark outside yet, after getting out of the shower and drying off, I slid on a pair of soft cotton pajama pants and crawled under the covers. It was nice being in my own bed again, but it was too quiet. I got up and turned on some mellow music, keeping the volume low. Climbing back into bed, I fell fast asleep.

  A strange sound woke me up several hours later. The music was still playing in the background when I saw a dark shadow at the open bedroom doorway. My eyes weren’t able to focus in the pitch black, but I had a good idea who it was. “Lisa, I told you I’m not interested. Please leave.”

  I started to put my head back on the pillow when I heard a loud male voice. “Not Lisa, you son of a bitch.”

  Pure adrenalin shot through me as I jumped out of bed. My eyes frantically searched the room while I quickly assessed the situation. How many intruders? Do they have weapons? Can they get weapons? I didn’t have the answer to those questions.

  Ready to defend myself, I rushed toward a burly figure who appeared to be unarmed, but something hard hit the back of my head. As I fell to the floor, I saw several shadows now hovering over me, each taking their turn as they punched and kicked me. Pain erupted through my entire body with each blow.

  Although I covered my head, a couple of hits made it to my face. I felt myself start to black out. Then, suddenly, it was over. Unsure of how many assailants there were, I saw several unfocussed large frames running out the doorway.

  Blood trickled down my lip, pain radiated everywhere. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t move to get the phone, the throbbing was too intense.

  The room spun and I felt life draining out of me.

  Oh shit, am I gonna die?

  Darkness found me as I inevitably passed out.

  ⁂

  Leah

  After tossing and turning all night, there was only one place I wanted to go this morning. But it was still difficult for me to even pull into the driveway. Although it was now my best-friend’s home, there were still so many memories tied to Stefen, no matter how brief his stay was.

  Before I made it to the front door, Abby came out to greet me. “Everything all right? You sounded upset when you called.” She wiped her hands on her apron as she approached.

  “I just need a friend right now. I have to make a decision, and I’m at a loss.”

  She looped her arm through mine, pulling me inside of the house. She’d settled well into her new role as wife and mother and was absolutely glowing.

  What am I going to say? This was exactly what I didn’t want to do.

  I’d wanted to keep Abby out of this whole mess but didn’t have anyone else to turn to. I could call Dani, but this wasn’t the kind of thing I wanted to discuss over the phone. Especially since Dani didn’t know what I’d done with him.

  I’m not looking forward to that conversation.

  “Have a seat.” Abby took of
f the apron and tossed it on the kitchen table, joining me on the couch that separated the informal dining and living room. “What’s up?”

  That familiar aroma hit my nose once again. I’d left several flower bouquets around the house the beginning of the week, but this smell was unique, different.

  Roses. Damn him.

  Stefen made it seem as though he was bringing flowers to other women he’d met in Santa Barbara, when in reality, he bought them for Abby and to butter up Celeste.

  Jackass!

  Reigning in my temper, I gathered my thoughts. I bit the inside of my cheek, mulling over what to say. “Well, Stefen is trying to use his money to make up for being an asshole— again.”

  Surprised, Abby jerked her head back, “Wait, have you talked to him today? Caleb is worried sick. He kinda harassed Stefen about growing up and that moving closer to us could help out. I guess Stefen flipped out, saying he didn’t want to hear any more. Now Caleb can’t get a hold of him.” Abby fiddled with her fingers, clearly torn.

  “Maybe he’s just pouting and ignoring Caleb’s calls.” Because he has no regard for anyone else’s feelings.

  Patting my hand, she agreed, “Maybe you’re right. Okay, go on. What did he do?” My friend was listening, but I could tell her mind was elsewhere.

  Figuring I may as well just get it all out, I relayed everything that had happened at the studio the day before.

  Frowning, she seemed confused. “But why is he so concerned if things didn’t work out between you? Maybe he actually feels guilty.”

  I snorted. “I doubt Stefen has ever felt guilty about anything.”

  Then I remembered Toby. I sighed, “There might be another reason. He went to high school with a boy that had Down syndrome who somehow got to his calloused heart and apparently there’s a small part of him,” I pinched her fingers to show just how small, “that can actually show compassion for others.”

  Abby’s eyes were wide, and I wondered if maybe I was sounding more hateful than I wanted.

  A deep voice rumbled from behind us causing me to jump in my seat. “Stefen told you about Toby? He doesn’t tell anyone that story.”

  We looked up. Behind the couch stood a suspicious Caleb. His lips were tight, eyes narrowed, and jaw set.

  Oh crap, how much did he hear?

  With a slightly shaky voice, I answered, “Yeah, he went to one of my classes and told me about Toby on the way home.”

  Caleb bent over the back of the sofa to kiss his wife, then rested his elbows on the edge. He looked pointedly at me. “Are you going to tell me why Stefen should feel guilty?”

  Saved by the ringing of his cell, I breathed a sigh of relief. He squinted at the caller ID, then left the room as he answered.

  Throwing myself back on the couch, I groaned, “What am I supposed to tell him, Abby?” Now Caleb knows. What a mess.

  She softly rubbed my arms. “The truth. Now that he knows something, I can’t lie to him. You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t worry about it.”

  Caleb came flying back into the room with absolute terror on his face. “Babe, I’ve gotta go to Chicago. Stefen’s in the hospital, and they don’t know if he’s going to make it.”

  ⁂

  Stefen

  I woke up in a haze. I grimaced at the taste of blood in my dry mouth. Why is it so bright in here?

  It took a moment to be able to lift my heavy throbbing head. What the hell is that beeping sound? Only able to see out of one eye, I scanned the sterile room. Am I in a—hospital?

  That’s right. I’d almost been beaten to death. Shit, what did they do to me? I tried to move, but was only able to grunt in pain.

  The noise woke Caleb, who’d been sleeping next to Abby by the bed. He rushed to my side. “How do you feel?” His question also woke Abby, who rose and stood alongside her husband with glossed over, weary eyes.

  My voice was hoarse. “Like a couple of thugs broke into my house and beat the shit out of me.” I tried to laugh, but everything hurt so I stopped mid-chuckle. “How long have I been here?”

  I could hear the hesitance in Caleb's voice. “A couple days.” Caleb looked away and said, “Let me go tell the nurse you’re awake.”

  He left while Abby stared at me in a daze.

  “Damn, every inch of my body hurts. Was it that bad?” I looked down, only able to see the blanket that covered my body. Scooting my numb ass to the side a bit, I felt a tube brush against my leg.

  What the fuck?

  Discretely, I reached under the covers and gave it a light tug, instantly realizing what it was.

  A fucking catheter?

  Abby gulped down her tears. “It was horrible, Stefen. I was so mad at you—then I was afraid we were going to lose you.” The waterworks finally escaped her eyes.

  Mad at me? Does she know about Leah?

  Not wanting to explore that idea, I focused on the here and now. “Tell me what the damage is before they come back.” I struggled to get comfortable without moving the covers. I had no intention of flashing Abby my new attachment.

  Swiping under her eyes, Abby sniffed. “Well, in a nutshell, you have a concussion. Your left eye socket was fractured. Your left arm, collar bone, a rib, and nose are all broken, and you have a punctured lung. The doctor can give you more details, though.”

  I blinked at her, dumbfounded. Oh, is that all? “Damn, they really did a number on me—ouch.” I winced, trying to switch positions, but changed my mind when the entire left side of my body started burning.

  Caleb returned with a doctor in tow. “Good to have you with us again, Mr. Hunter. I’m Dr. Hernandez, how are you feeling?”

  I looked down at my broken body. How the hell do you think I feel, dumbass? “Not so good.”

  The doctor started checking my vitals. “I assume you know the extent of your injuries, but I'll give you a run down on what we've done so far. We repaired your orbital fracture. We normally wait until the swelling goes down to operate, but a muscle was stuck between the broken bones so we had to make an incision on your eyelid. It should heal well and the scarring will be minimal.”

  I reached up, tentatively touching the edge of the patch over my left eye.

  “You may have problems with your vision for a while, but we'll have to take that one step at a time. That patch,” he pointed with his pen, “will have to remain on for the next couple of days.”

  I dropped my hand back to the sheet, resigned. Sighing, I wondered how much worse it could get. The eye injury was a serious enough problem all on its own.

  Speaking in a clinical fashion, Dr. Hernandez lifted his chin and looked down. “You have a minor concussion, and although headaches are common, you should be fine as long as you continue to rest. We reset your nose. That should also heal nicely. As far as the clavicle fracture goes, you’re lucky there was no nerve or blood vessel damage. The bone was displaced. We had to reposition it using screws. You’ll need to use a sling until you’re fully recovered, but that will probably help with your broken forearm that we cast.”

  My head throbbed, taking in the overload of information. It was a lot.

  The Doctor peered down at the chart in his hands. “You’ll also need physical therapy once you’ve fully recovered. The puncture in your lung is very small, and we believe it will heal on its own, but it will have to be monitored to make sure. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about your fractured rib. That just has to heal on its own. We have you on antibiotics and pain medication intravenously. Our only concern at this point is the swelling around your eye. We’ll keep that patch on it for now. I know it’s a lot to take in, but do you have any questions?”

  Clearly overwhelmed, I shook my head. What the hell else could be wrong with me? I’m already Frankenstein.

  Dr. Hernandez lowered his glasses to the bridge of his nose and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, one last thing. I noticed you had some bruising on your other shoulder. It appeared to be a small bite mark, a few days older than the other injuries. I assu
me it has nothing to do with the attack?”

  Oh, shit.

  “Nope,” I said hastily. Abby and Caleb looked at me funny as I chuckled somewhat nervously. “Different incident.” Laying back, I wondered what that warm feeling was on my face. Then I realized. I’d never blushed a day in my life. Awkward.

  I caught Caleb’s glare and Abby’s mouth hanging open. Obviously they knew exactly where that mark had come from.

  Pushing his glasses back in place, Dr. Hernandez wrapped it up. “Okay, then,” he said pleasantly. “I’ll be back to check on you later. And now that you’re awake, a police officer will be in at some point to take your statement. The one stationed at the door is only here for security measures while you’re healing. Better to be safe.”

  As a lawyer, I knew this translated into ‘We don’t want you to sue us. Better to cover our asses’. The doctor left the room after scribbling a few more notes in his chart.

  I looked up at the ceiling, realizing how serious this was. “My dad have anything to do with the cop at the door?”

  Caleb nodded. “Yeah. You were brutally attacked. He’s paranoid. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

  “Where are my parents?”

  “Oh honey, we were supposed to call them as soon as he woke up. I'll take care of that.” Abby whispered something to Caleb, then leaned over and gently kissed me on the forehead before leaving to make the call.

  I peered up at Caleb with my one functioning eye. “Man, how are you so damn lucky to get two extraordinary women in one lifetime? You really are one fortunate bastard, aren't you?”

  Caleb frowned, “Yes, I am, but apparently you are not. Your dad told me what was really going on with those threats. They had nothing to do with a jealous guy. Why didn't you stay longer? Or better yet, why didn't you just move? I’ve been asking you for years.” Caleb crossed his arms over his chest.