“That’s why you divorced her?” I asked, finally understanding. There were so many lies to wade through that it was no wonder he never wanted to tell me. God, the turmoil he must have experienced because of it.
“Yes. I’d already planned to leave her when Linc turned eighteen – I was counting the days – but as soon as I heard that, it was the final straw. I was done.”
“Wow.”
“I confronted my father and mother. Dad didn’t even bat an eyelash. All he said was, ‘oh, she finally told you.’ The only reason I’ve talked to him since is for Linc. Linc loves him. It’s the only good thing Dad has ever done – shown Linc the attention he never paid me. And Mom… Well, I couldn’t blame her, even though she knew all along. My father turned her into a shell of a person. She does whatever he tells her to without questioning it. Still, I haven’t seen either of them since. I speak to them on the phone occasionally, when it has to do with Linc, but other than that, I’ve cut ties with them.”
“I have no idea how you did it.”
I didn’t.
Having so many people that should have spoken up for you betray you like that was horrendous.
“That’s not all,” he revealed, his voice weaved with pain. “Gwen tried to kill herself the day after she told me. If it were any other person, I would have considered it a cry for help. But, with Gwen, it was a last ditch effort to keep me on a leash. She thought I’d run back to her if I knew she needed help.
“Her error was doing it right before Linc got home from school, though. He found her, Samantha.” His voice broke, overwhelmed by what Linc had endured. “She had taken an entire bottle of Vicodin and was convulsing when he found her.”
My heart stopped and then pounded in my chest.
Linc.
Ben’s anger and Linc’s reaction today made perfect sense. Using something as horrible as suicide as a tool for manipulation was revolting.
“For her, luckily, Linc got there in the nick of time. She could have had permanent brain damage and so on and so forth – the list of complications is long. Why she chose that is unfathomable.
“She was ordered to stay in the psych ward for thirty days. I used that time to get Linc out of town. He needed to be far from her as she unraveled, so he went to London to be with his aunt. I packed Gwen’s belonging and dropped them off at her parents’ house, washing my hands of her.”
I wanted to pump my fist in the air and yell ‘go you!’ for having the foresight not to keep Linc around. However, all of his sadness when I met him made so much sense. My beautiful Ben has been through hell and back.
And sweet Linc… It was no wonder he acted out when he got here. My heart wept for the poor kid.
“I filed for divorce while she was locked away. That set her off even more. She started making threats towards my dad, hoping that I would cave if it meant protecting him. After everything, I wasn’t cowering down to either of them anymore.”
“I don’t blame you. I would have told them both to go jump off a cliff.”
“Yeah, well…she got out, and within days, she was back on the Vicodin and booze. She was making threats to me, calling me and slurring her words. I think my dad set her up.”
Wait…what?
“Set her up,” I repeated
“High and drunk off her ass, she drove to the store, but she says her steering wheel stopped working. It was a miracle she walked away with only scratches and bruises. However, she hit a van with children in it. One of them was in the hospital for months. Yet again, her father stepped in. Instead of jail time, she was ordered to do a year of rehab. It was the reason I was so shocked to see her. She shouldn’t have gotten out until well after the beginning of next year.”
“You think your dad did that to her?” I asked, floored.
“It shut her up for a while,” he stated, with no doubt anywhere to be heard.
“Whoa. Remind me not to get on your dad’s bad side.”
“Don’t. Don’t ever joke like that.” His words were harsh and loaded with severity.
“Shhh,” I whispered. “It’s not like I plan on meetin’ the man.”
“That’s not exactly true,” he mumbled – it was so quiet, I almost missed it.
“What?” I asked.
What has he left out?
Ben flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. I sat up and watched him from over my shoulder.
“What?” I repeated.
He ran a hand down his face. “He showed up today.”
“You’ve got to be kiddin’ me?!”
No way had that man shown up the same day as Gwen.
Is our luck that shitty?
“He knocked on my door right before I left to come here,” Ben revealed, his tone clipped and angered.
I rolled over and rested my chin on his belly. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” he whispered, not meeting my eyes.
“You have nothin’ to be sorry about,” I told him, my brows furrowing. “I’m sorry that you’ve dealt with so much bullshit in your life. None of it was fair. You’re a good man for stayin’ with Gwen that long and tryin’ to help her.”
Ben scrubbed his jaw. “It was weird, though.”
“What was weird?”
“My dad. He’d lost a lot of weight and wasn’t himself. Shockingly, he came to warn me that Gwen was on her way. I think he tried to beat her here.”
I repeatedly blinked, stunned. “Say what?”
“I know.” Ben shook his head. “He’s never tried anything like that before. He’s always thrown me under the bus, not saved me from it.”
“Wow, honey. You’ve had a really bad day.”
The worst day.
Ben dipped his chin and met my eyes, a smile ghosting his mouth. “It hasn’t been all that bad.”
My lips twitched. “No, not all that bad.”
His expression gentled. “That’s it, sweetheart. That’s all of my sordid past. I’ve got nothing else to tell.”
I crawled onto my knees and then swung a leg over his waist. I pressed my palms against his chest and hovered over him, hoping he’d recognize my sincerity. “I hurt for you. You’ve been through so much, Ben. I hate it. But I don’t see where you did wrong in this. I believe you are honorable and good. There’s no reason to be ashamed of that.”
“I come with all this. All these people that-”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t care. Being with you far passes any drama they can bring into our lives.” A smile curved my lips. “Does it seem like I’m goin’ anywhere?”
“No,” he whispered, his eyes gleaming as they roamed my nude body. “It looks as if you’re staying for the long haul.”
I reached between us, finding him hard. “Damn skippy,” I assured him and positioned him just right. Biting my lip, I sunk down onto him, taking him deep with one thrust. “You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life.”
“I can agree to that.”
Chapter 30
Samantha
One thing I loved about our family business was that if I was sick or had an emotionally draining day, like yesterday, Mom and Dad could cover for me. I called them last night and asked if they’d mind. Mrs. Birdie and Teresa – since she covered for me yesterday and heard all about it – had already flapped their gums about what happened with Gwen, so Mom and Dad were prepared.
That meant sleeping in.
Well, it would have if Ben hadn’t awoken me in the early morning hours and made love to me.
But I was far from complaining.
I heard footsteps near the bed. I cracked one eye open as Ben strolled out of the closet wearing only a towel.
Yum.
I was lying in bed on my stomach, but as he meandered around his room, I rolled onto my back to further appreciate the view, the sheets falling to my hips.
After our talk last night, we decided to go to his house. Dr. Melbourne couldn’t stay, and we thought it was best that Linc wasn’t home alone while G
wen was in town.
You couldn’t be too careful.
Ben caught me staring and winked. “You’re up.”
“No thanks to you,” I ribbed, yawning.
He flashed me an arrogant smile and dropped his towel. “I believe it was you moaning yes and begging don’t stop not too long ago.”
“I did do that, didn’t I?” I mused, tilting my head to get a better look.
“I have to go to work,” he commented and stood at the end of the bed, peering down at me. His cock grew to half-mast in front of me.
“I know.” My words were a throaty purr.
“You’re making that very difficult for me.” He pointed at my naked breasts. “Cover those up, or I’m gonna be late.”
Brazenly, I tucked my hands behind my head and pushed out my chest, giving him a show. “Did you say somethin’?”
His laugh was deep and rich, stimulating a shiver from me. Much to my disappointment, he nabbed a pair of boxers from off the top of the bedspread and pulled them on. I was even more disappointed when he donned a set of scrubs.
“You’re no fun,” I griped and pulled the covers over me, burrowing into the pillows.
Ben sat on the bed and started putting on his socks and shoes. “I missed half a day yesterday. Some of us have to work.”
“I work,” I grumbled. “I wanted to spend some time with Linc before I went in.”
Ben paused for a beat and then finished tying his shoes. He leaned over me, resting both hands on either side of my shoulders, and smiled down at me. “I didn’t say this yesterday, but it needs to be said.” There was a gleam of love and gentleness in his expression. “Thank you for trying to protect him yesterday. Seeing you stand in front of him like that…that meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to Linc, too. He said something about it last night.”
“He did?” I whispered.
I didn’t do it to get any praise from either of them. I only had Linc’s wellbeing in mind.
“He said his mother has never done anything like that for him.”
I brushed some wet hair from his temple. “That hurts me to hear,” I murmured. “But I’d do it again if I had to. You aren’t the only one I love, Ben. I love your son, too.”
His eyes became bottomless abysses of warmth. “I know,” he whispered. “And I love you for it.”
My body grew liquid.
“Love you,” Ben whispered and stood.
Observing him as he grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone and stuffed them into his pockets, I replied, “Love you too, handsome.”
“I have to go, or I’m gonna be late,” he added, walking around to the other side of the bed.
“Okay, honey.”
He planted a knee in the bed and pulled down the sheet, exposing my breast again.
“Hey!” I cried, trying to grab the sheet.
Ben wasn’t having it.
As he pushed me down against the mattress, he hovered over me and kissed my nipple. He placed another one on my sternum and then finished with one on my lips, lingering for a moment before climbing out of bed again.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he told me, grinning.
I laughed at him. I loved how playful he could be. “Okay, handsome. Hurry home.”
As he walked out of the room, I thought I heard him say, “I like the sound of that.”
I did, too.
One day, Sam.
Now that Ben was gone, I yawned again and rolled onto my belly, snuggling against a pillow. I laid there for a few moments, then realized it was no use.
So much for sleeping in this morning.
I was more than wide awake.
I decided to make Linc a big breakfast as a surprise. He was in bed when we arrived last night, so he had no idea I was here.
Determined to give him the best damn breakfast to cheer him up after yesterday, I hopped out of bed.
∞
I didn’t know what Ben would do without me. Before I began staying here so much, they lived off steak and potatoes and frozen dinners. Ben’s pantry was stocked with nothing but junk food and snacks loaded with sugar.
And he was a doctor!
That changed pretty quickly.
I didn’t watch every morsel that passed through my lips. I could eat ice cream or a piece of homemade pie without thinking twice. In my mind, food was one of God’s greatest gifts. If you couldn’t enjoy it, what’s the use?
With that said, I was conscious of the quality of food I put in my mouth. Fruits and veggies were here for a reason people, and processed food should be kept to a minimum.
So, I went grocery shopping.
And I had continued to do the shopping or tagged along with Ben when he did it.
That meant the kitchen was well stocked with everything I needed to make Linc a scrumptious breakfast.
I was pulling my homemade cinnamon rolls out of the oven when Linc’s door clicked open. His footsteps were light on the hardwood as he walked down the hallway and joined me in the kitchen.
“Hey, klutz,” I called out, shutting off the oven. I sat the pan on the stove and turned towards him, smiling.
Motionless in his tracks, Linc stared at me, blinking rapidly.
“Linc?” I questioned, wondering what was wrong with him. It was sweltering in the kitchen, so I pulled my hair on top of my head and put it in a knot as I watched him.
All of a sudden, Linc rushed me.
I froze in shock, my hands halfway in the air.
What on earth?
Linc crushed me against him, his strong arms squeezing my much smaller body. He tucked his head into my neck and held me for dear life.
My heart broke for him all over again.
I wrapped him in my arms and hugged him. “Everythin’ is okay, Linc.”
“I was scared you were gone for good,” he whispered, his voice rough. “I was afraid Mom scared you off from us.”
“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” I assured him, stroking his hair.
Had I realized how much running away would’ve affected Linc, I would have stayed no matter how upset or mad I was.
His words were muffled against my neck. “But what Mom said…”
“Wasn’t true. I knew that. I didn’t leave because of her.” I pulled back and cupped his cheek, peering up at him. I hated seeing that much turmoil in him. “That was between your father and me. It had nothin’ to do with your mother or you. We needed to work out some things. And we did. You’re father and I are good. Solid.”
“Thank God,” he murmured and hugged me again. “I was terrified I’d never get to eat your mom’s cooking again.”
I knew he was trying to save face, so I let him have that.
“Is that the only reason you keep me around?” I teased, digging my fingers into his side.
Squawking, Linc squirmed to get away from me and my tickling fingers. “Hey! No fair!” He laughed as he put some distance between us. “That’s just mean, Sam.” He held up both hands, wiggling his fingers with mischievous intent. “I always get even.”
I pointed at him in warning. “You dare, and I won’t let you have breakfast.” I stepped to the side, revealing the tray filled with cinnamon rolls and a pan of scrambled eggs, and popped open the microwave, where I’d stashed a whole plate of bacon to keep warm.
“I thought something smelled good,” he groaned, his eyes lighting.
I grabbed the plate and carried it to the bar. “It’s almost ready.”
Linc beamed at me. “Right on!”
I snorted and nabbed the bowl of icing. “Grab somethin’ to drink and sit.”
He gave me a theatrical salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Chuckling, I frosted the cinnamon rolls, making sure they were slathered with the gooey yumminess.
“Do you want some more coffee, Sam?” Linc questioned, holding up my empty mug.
That was another trait he inherited from his dad – he could be so dang considerate sometimes.
“Sure thing, kiddo.”
“This smells really good, Sam,” Linc gushed as he filled his plate.
“Thanks,” I murmured, piling mine high. Between sex this morning and cooking for the last hour, I burned a lot of calories, so I was starving.
We ate in silence, too busy stuffing our faces to start a conversation. Linc was able to garble all of his food and go back for seconds within minutes, pleasing me. There was something fulfilling about making a meal and watching someone enjoy it.
I was halfway done when Linc pushed his plate aside and rubbed his belly, moaning. “That was great, Sam.”
“Glad you liked it,” I told him, sipping my coffee.
“Liked? More like loved,” he retorted, smirking.
I laughed and shook my head at him, digging back in. Linc stared off into space as I took a few more bites. I could tell something was on his mind – strange vibes emanated from him.
After a few more minutes of silence, I was over it.
“Out with it,” I pressed.
If he needed to talk to someone, I wanted him to know I was always here to lend an ear.
He chewed on his lip, unsure.
“Linc, you can talk to me about anythin’.”
Finally, he blurted, “My mom wasn’t a good mom.”
Shit.
Of course I knew that, but it wasn’t something I wanted to agree upon with him. Gwen was still his mother. I would stand up for him no matter what – put me between him and a mob of crazies any day – but I wasn’t about to bad mouth the woman in front of her son.
“Okay…” I trailed.
He shifted, uncomfortable with the topic. “Well… She was drunk a lot, you know?”
Double shit.
“Your dad said she was an alcoholic,” I stated, my phrasing slow and drawn out.
He nodded slowly. “It was bad.”
“She did it in front of you a lot?” I questioned, wanting to curl my lip in disgust.
“Pft,” he waved a hand at me, “all the time. Vodka was her favorite. She had bottles stashed everywhere. Dad went through the house at least once a week and poured them out. She got good at hiding them. I drove her most places, too.”
Fated Bliss (The Bliss Series Book 2) Page 36
