by Aceves, Gigi
UNFORGETTABLE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
THE FORK IN THE ROAD
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
Author's Note
Bonus Scene
Sneak Peek
Acknowledgments
Playlist
About the Author
Books by Gigi Aceves
Unforgettable
Copyright ©2015 by Gigi Aceves
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in whole or in part by any means.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or are either fictitious or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Editor: Angie Davis
Interior Design and Formatting: Perfectly Publishable
Cover Design: Heather McNeal
Photographer: Kim Williams @ http://w2photography.net/
Cover Models: Brandon, Stacey & Kellan Ashley
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to receive and a time to lose.”
~Ecclesiastes 3~
THEN
“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG?”
“I . . . I don’t know! Oh, God! You have to call my mom!”
“I’m calling 911, then I’ll call your mom.”
“God! Just hurry!”
“I need an ambulance at 1770 Red Cedar Drive! Hurry, please!”
Whimpers. . . . agonizingly awful to hear.
Blood . . . a lot of blood.
Screams. . . . gut wrenching screams.
“Mom! I need my mom!”
“I’m calling her right now.”
“I’m losing my baby. . . . oh God!”
After what seems like a lifetime of waiting, the EMT’s load her, and we’re heading to the hospital only to be told what we already knew, that we’ve lost our child. I hold her hand as she whimpers and cries. Her despair plus my own hit my heart with the greatest of intensity, forgetting is an impossibility. How can God allow this? How can this happen to me? Why would he bless me with something, then take it away? Why?
“The baby . . . lost . . . haven’t we. . . .”
“Miss, please calm down. We’re almost there.”
“I’m sorry . . . so sorry,” I finally find my voice, though shaky.
I sit here in a stark white, chemically clean room trying to comfort her while waiting for someone to comfort me, and the word that repeats itself reminds me how horribly traumatic this whole experience turned out to be.
Unbearable. Losing my child leaves a huge hole in my heart. I don’t think there’s any amount of time that could possibly allow it to heal.
Never. Not again will I allow myself to feel this, ever.
Forget. Is it even possible? I don’t think so, because this kind of loss is and never will be forgotten.
Overcome. At times, I know I can be free of the pain. Allowing myself to be free of it is the problem.
Regret. There’s no amount of explanation anyone can give me that will make me stop feeling this way.
Guilt. I’m the cause of it. If only I hadn’t touch her that night. . . . if only.
Excuse. I wish I had one. I wish God could give me one. Maybe there is one, I just refuse to accept it.
Time. It heals all wounds, so they say.
Torture. Not a day goes by that the thought of it won’t hurt.
Anger. At whom, I don’t know . . . maybe, I should be angry at me.
Broken. That’s how I feel right now. I pray that God blesses me with someone who’ll understand my past and my fears.
Loss. I hate that word. I hate what it makes me feel. What it makes me think. What it has made me.
Empty. That’s exactly how I feel right now. Even after, I’ve made the decision not to feel this way ever again.
NOW
Déjà vu, I think that’s what I’m experiencing, right now. The same word that wrapped my young mind some eleven years ago now cloaks me again. Pain—unbearable pain squeezes my nonexistent heart, and I’m sure the heart of everyone in this room.
I realize quickly that what my young, angry, fearful mind thought of back then, is the opposite of what I’m thinking right now. At least, what I’m trying to tell myself, willing it into submission, not surrendering to the pull of negativity.
Unyielding. Our love will survive anything . . . at least, that’s my hope.
Never-ending. Our love is, even after death.
Forever. With no end, that’s our promise. A promise we intend to keep.
Only. Our love. That’s all we’ll ever need.
Raw. That’s exactly how I feel right now because of my fears, not just my own, but for them. . . . for us.
Glorious. Every waking moment . . . every shared kiss.
Everything. My entire happiness centers on our love, and if God takes my love away from me, I’d soon follow.
Totally. In this. Come hell or high waters.
True. Our fears are . . . but so is our love.
Able. Our love is. I’m hoping it’ll survive the heartbreak facing us.
Brave. In my weakness, my love became my strength.
Love. It’s what we’re so proud to have, and what we both fiercely protect.
Enduring. Our faith . . . it’s what I would like it to be.
Until fate steps in and changes all of it.
But, I stand. . . . I stand for us.
TAMI
MY HEAD IS POUNDING AND my whole body is hurting. I’m annoyed and upset that I’m here when all I want is to escape the reality of finding out the man I love, the man I see a future with, sees a different future for us. I slowly open my eyes and find my mother staring at me, a blanket of concern covering her face.
“Oh, thank God; you’re awake.”
Just then, a doctor comes into my room holding a clip board. My mother eyes him cautiously while I just want to get this over with, so I can be released.
The doctor gives me an encouraging smile then says, “You have a mild concussion from the accident. However, I want to keep you here for a few hours for observation since your blood pressure is a little elevated. Any headache, chest pains?”
“Slight headache. My neck’s bothering me right here,” I say pointing to the tender area around my neck.
With a quick arch of his eyebrows and flipping of a few papers, he gives his final verdict. “At least, we know your seatbelt works.” He smiles and his eyes crinkle at the sides. “Seatbelt burns will do that. Your headache is more than likely because of the concussion; however, your high BP reading could be contributing to that as well. If it doesn’t go down, I’ll keep you here overnight.”
Groaning loudly, “I’m sure i
t’s because of the accident.”
“It could very well be, but let’s wait and see, okay?”
Nodding my head, my mom pats my hand then stands up. “I’m gonna go tell your dad and the boys what’s going on, especially Brian. He’s going out of his mind wanting to see you.” Shaking her head, she says, “I swear, every single one of you kids will give me a heart attack one of these days. First Jake and Trish, then Roxy and Cody. Now, it’s you and Brian.”
Still blubbering about investing in aspirin, my mom walks out with the doctor. I’m now alone, trying to remember what happened before and during the wreck. What rings loudly in my brain is what I heard Brian say about not wanting kids. I’m not surprised since he has been avoiding my questions for the past few weeks now. My question is, what am I going to do about it?
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Trish’s worried voice wipes away my troubled thoughts.
“I’m okay, but you shouldn’t have come. The quads need you.”
She waves me off and says, “Jake is with them, plus my mom is there. Besides, you don’t want Jake here. LT’s caveman state of mind is all you need.” Trish leans forward and whispers, “I feel bad for Sophia. I wouldn’t want to be in the same room with LT. I just hope he won’t get into trouble.”
“How’s Brian doing?” I ask, but my mind is stuck with the name Sophia. Is she the one that hit me?
“It’s hard to say. You know he’s so quiet, unlike Jake and Cody. He just sits there, but you can feel his tension. It’s . . . it’s very nerve wracking. I think I’d rather have Jake go caveman, instead of being like Brian.” She narrows her eyes at me sensing the trouble I’m trying to hide from everybody. “Something is wrong. What is it?”
She knows me too well, and I owe her so much not to be honest. “When dad was talking to the boys last night, I overheard Brian tell LT and Cody he never wants to have kids. That explains why he has been ignoring me every time I ask him about it.”
“That’s a typical guy reaction though, T. I mean, guys don’t typically wake up one morning like we do and have the desire to want a child. It’s a common reaction if you ask me.”
“I don’t know, Trish. It’s not like I want to have a child right now. He could have expressed the willingness to have one, but at the same time stress the fact that he doesn’t want one immediately. I would have understood that, but giving me nothing except total silence means something else.”
“I don’t know. I think you’re over thinking it. We’ve all been under a lot of stress, and only now we’re relaxing. I’m sure having kids is one topic he doesn’t want to discuss.”
“Maybe.”
A part of me wants to accept Trish’s take on this, but the other part of me, where logic lives, tells me to reject such thoughts. There’s something unsettling about his absolute quietness and elusiveness on this subject that doesn’t sit well with me.
“Stop that! There’s no maybe between you and Brian. Do you need me to call Roxy to set you straight?” Trish raises her brow at me while tilting her head to the side.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m the one who sets both of you straight. I’ll try not to think about it, alright? But, I’m not going to ignore it either.”
Sighing, she reaches for my hand. “Tami, Brian adores you. Heck, he’ll do anything for you just like Jake would for me and the quads. For now, I want you to ignore anything other than getting better, okay?”
“Why don’t you ask LT to drive you back? I’m sure Jake is worried sick. You know how he gets when you’re not around for a long period of time. Kiss the quads for me, will ya?”
“Jake is fine, besides he wants me here. I’ll send Brian in. Hopefully, LT’s done grilling Sophia.” She giggles then says, “It’s weird calling her that, you know. She’s super nice and wants to meet you by the way.” She abruptly stops to look at her phone, then smiles showing me Jaelin and Jillian sleeping next to Jake.
“Jake is so in love with them, Trish.”
“We’re so in love with him, too.”
My mom walks in just as Trish is kissing me goodbye. They talk for a couple of minutes more, of course, about the quads until my dad walks in with tension veiling his face.
“Sweetheart, how are you feeling?” My dad’s familiar voice calms me.
“I’m fine, Dad. Trish mentioned Sophia. Is she the one that hit me?”
“LT’s asking them questions while they field their own. He may have exchanged a few choice words with Ms. Sophia Andrews.”
My jaw drops with my dad’s revelation. “Are you serious? Sophia Andrews, as in the President’s daughter? Wait. . . . you said LT is grilling her? Poor girl.”
Dad shakes his head and grins, “That’s LT for you. He’s fiercely protective of those he loves, and he doesn’t cower over titles and status.” My dad’s cell rings twice before he picks up and mouths ‘Jake’ as he follows Trish out.
My mom’s silence allows my heart and brain to focus on Brian. My heart dances, it pulses its normal strength, leaps its normal height every single time the mere thought of him enters my mind. I can’t fight the attraction; I can’t deny my feelings any more than I can lie to my heart. But, that has got nothing to do with what I need to know, what he needs to admit, and the painful reality of knowing the truth. My mom always tells me, there’s a time and a place for everything, and while my heart wants to ask ‘the question,’ lying in this hospital bed isn’t the right place.
Though, there may never be a right time for someone to break my heart.
BRIAN
“I don’t need to be checked! I need to know if she’s okay.”
“For once, if you’ll listen and follow rules, I think you’ll find yourself less involved in situations like this,” LT’s remark earns him a stare down from one of the Secret Service agents, and a death glare from the President’s daughter, Sophia.
Agent Taylor, who’s standing in front of Sophia raises his hand. “I suggest you stand down, sir.”
LT smirks and says, “You want me to stand down? We don’t know what’s going on with one of our own because of irresponsible decisions made by yours.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve said it a billion times,” Sophia’s shaky voice slices through the stress filled air in the room.
“How about you say that to her parents, then think about yours and how disappointed they’d be hearing about this,” LT answers without blinking an eye.
I let LT square everything away. As I sit here and wait, I’m finding out how painfully exhausting this waiting can test someone’s patience. LT’s little outburst occupied my brain for a good minute or two until my mind drifts back to her. After Jake’s cancer scare and Cody and Roxy’s close call with the cartel, I’ve been on edge, knowing that anything can happen that could tip the balance of my life.
This accident tipped it, alright.
Gunny walks back into the waiting room, jerking his head toward the direction of Tami’s room. Not waiting for him to say anything, I walk out and straight to my heart. I know she’s feeling like crap as she’s all banged up, and seeing her in this state makes my blood boil. So, I brace myself before I push aside the curtain that separates us.
“Angel, how are you feeling? I think I’ve aged ten years since we got that phone call,” I blurt out as I kiss her on her forehead.
I let my lips linger as I normally do. If only I could attach myself to her, I’d do it. I’ll never forget the look on Roxy’s face when she came running to let us know what happened. My heart literally stopped. Even as my training kicked in, it can only take me so far. When fear of the unknown threatens the love of my life, everything stops.
It stops—but what makes me move is the love we have.
“I’m okay. What happened?”
My eyes are steady on hers while I link my fingers with her cold ones. “You’re not going to believe it, but the President’s daughter T-boned your car. Gunny and LT are still talking to the Secret Service.” My wandering eyes move about her face,
but never stray anywhere else. “How are you really feeling?”
Inhaling deeply she answers, “I’m really okay, except . . .” pointing to her head, sighing slowly. “ . . . this persistent headache that doesn’t want to go away. Hopefully, it will soon since I really want to get out of here.”
Now that I’m here, facing my angel, I’m tongue tied; only because before we got the call, LT and I were shooting the shit regarding neither of us wanting to have kids. My guilt of being away from Tami, and what I was saying gnaws at me. I should’ve been with her, instead of sharing with my boys a secret that I should’ve told her from the very beginning.
I let her sleep, or more like I told her to do so. I sit here and watch her, memorizing the shape of her luscious lips, her almond shape eyes, her delicate nose, and her widow’s peak that shapes her face. When she wakes, I hope she opens her grey eyes to meet my green ones to ease the ache I feel.
After almost an hour of watching her, a nurse walks in, checks her blood pressure which wakes her, and tells me she’ll be spending the night since it’s still above normal. She goes back to sleep, and before she totally goes under, I start running my thumb against her cheek, one of my favorite things to do.
“Angel, open your eyes. We need to tell your parents you’re spending the night.”
Her eyes flutter for a moment before opening. “Hey,” she mumbles, then licks her lips.
I don’t ask for permission, I just cover her lips with mine. A few pecks turn into something more, and momentarily, my heart calms, my guilt diminishes as my lips devour hers, my tongue spearing, invading what’s mine, and giving her what’s hers. Reluctantly, I let her go after a few more pecks.
“What was that for?” Her eyes dance with something I can’t pinpoint. It seems to be part happiness, part sadness. . . . sadness from what I don’t know.
“I just miss your lips, angel. I’ll be right back.”
As I’m about to turn, she pulls my hand stopping me. “Wait. Why don’t you go with them? I’ll be fine here.”
“No! I want to be where you are,” I say, looking at her incredulously.
Does she want to get rid of me that badly? Somehow, I think she does.
