Onyx (Jewels Cafe Book 10)

by Melissa Adams

  I smile for a second, thinking that in the past I’d be absolutely elated to be looked after by a hottie like Thor, but when I look into his light blue eyes, I think about a pair of darker blue eyes and my heart breaks all over again that the boys didn’t even check on me before I was taken away.

  Thor hands me over to a nurse who immediately begins to check my vitals while he quickly informs her of why I’m here.

  The nurse looks kind but overworked on this snowy Christmas Eve.

  “They closed the highway because of the blizzard they predict for tonight, so we’re the nearest hospital for the four towns around us and we’re swamped. Would you mind staying with this young lady while I find her a doctor and order an x-ray of her leg?”

  The hot paramedic nods and once the nurse leaves my bay, he sits down and asks me how I’m feeling.

  “My leg and my head are both throbbing. The leg more than my head, the headache is dull now.”

  He nods and tells me that he thinks that the leg is broken.

  “It’s a shame that you got hurt. My shift is almost over, do you want me to go and find out how your mom is doing as soon as the doctor gets here?”

  His kind tone makes me miss my boys even more and my voice breaks when I thank him.

  “Thank you, Thor. You’ve been so kind—”

  I stop in my tracks, wishing for the floor to open up and swallow me whole when I see his grin and I realize that I just called him Thor out loud.

  But he doesn’t seem mad and he chuckles pointing at his name tag before reassuring me.

  “It’s Max. But don’t worry, I’m used to it. I think I’ll get a haircut in the New Year.”

  I don’t tell him that he’d look hot with any haircut and thank him again as we’re joined by a doctor ushered in by the nurse from earlier.

  Onyx

  “SO MISS MANCINI, IT looks like you have a fracture to the lower part of your tibia and a mild concussion. Which color do you want for your cast? A nice red one for Christmas?”

  I’m about to tell him no, that I fucking hate Christmas when the curtain that gives my bay some privacy is violently opened and three boys literally spill into the small space.

  “Onyx, baby how are you?”

  “Sweets, I was so fucking worried about you!”

  “Cutie, you must be freezing in that strapless dress! Do you want my leather jacket?”

  Robyn, Allan, and Dylan are looking at me with matching concerned expressions and I’m so overwhelmed by so many different emotions that I can’t even speak and all I manage is to burst into tears.

  Which makes all the boys run to my side.

  The doctor looks perplexed, probably wondering which one of them is my boyfriend but he doesn’t say anything and when he excuses himself to go find the nurse who had just left us in a rush, Robyn addresses him answering the question the doctor asked me before they literally burst into the bay.

  “She wants purple. It’s her favorite color.”

  When we’re alone, I notice that they’re all still wearing their tuxedos from the show.

  “Are you coming from the theater? How did the play go?”

  My voice is stiff and cold as I try to stop crying and try to regain my dignity.

  Robyn looks confused while Allan shrugs.

  “We don’t know. I guess Miss Devlin used our understudies or she cancelled it. But to be honest, I don’t give a damn about the play. We left immediately when they said that they were taking you here but didn’t let any of us ride with you in the ambulance. Sorry it took us so long, baby. First we had to de-ice the car and then the roads were so dangerous that—”

  “Or more than anything, Allan drives slower than my great grandma. But yeah, that blond paramedic and the principal didn’t let us ride in the ambulance and then it took us forever to get here. It’s snowing a lot.”

  I burst into tears again: I’m sure it must be the concussion that’s messing with my emotions, I’m not always such a fucking hot mess.

  When the guys crowd me again, asking me what’s wrong and if they need to call the doctor, I come clean about my feelings.

  “I ... I thought you guys had stayed to finish the play. I thought you didn’t care if I was hurt. I’m sorry, I know I suck.”

  I lower my gaze, ready to face their disappointment but I’m wrapped in Robyn’s arms and when I look up into his deep blue eyes, I realize how wrong I was to think that he didn’t care.

  “I guess I deserved it. I walked away from you twice but that day in changing room was the very last time I ever walk away from you, Onyx. I swear that I’ll always be by your side, no matter what. But please don’t cry, sweet thing. When you cry, I feel paralyzed. I love you, Onyx.”

  Allan comes to surround me with his arms from the opposite side.

  “We’re idiots for not telling Mrs Hamilton that we were coming to the hospital. But we were scared that someone would try to stop us. Onyx, no one’s ever been as important to me as you are. Well, maybe except Robyn. But please believe me when I tell you that I love you with all my heart and my feelings for you grow every day.”

  Dylan steps in front of me and glares at his bestie before taking my hand in his.

  “Hey what about me?”

  Allan chuckles.

  “Yeah, you’re growing on me too dude. A bit like fungus.”

  Dylan rolls his eyes at Allan but then sets his incredible hazel gaze on me.

  “Onyx, I don’t want to rush things but just know that I’m falling for you. Hard and fast. There’s no other girl, and there’s never been from the moment we walked into each other outside of Mrs Hamilton’s office. I actually texted you to tell you that we were coming while we were de-icing the car.”

  I squeeze his hand and explain that my phone is with my street clothes in the changing room at school.

  He brushes his lips against mine and this is how the doctor finds us when he comes back to put my cast on.

  He asks the boys to step outside but there’s no convincing them to leave my side.

  18.

  The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

  Onyx

  ALLAN PARKS IN MY DRIVEWAY and when I ask Dylan for the crutches they gave me at the hospital, he chuckles as if I’d just told the funniest joke he ever heard.

  Instead he opens my car door and hauls me into his arms, carrying me to my front door while Robyn unlocks the door.

  “Thank you, but I could’ve walked.”

  He deposits me on the couch and shakes his head.

  “Under the soft layer of fresh snow, ice is starting to form. I didn’t want you to fall and break your other leg or worse.”

  I sigh with mock frustration.

  “Are you guys gonna coddle me now?”

  Allan smirks when he says that the doctor discharged me into their care and taking care of me is what they’ll do until my parents get back home.

  I wanted to go see my mom but after getting quite dilated, she got stuck at six centimeters and the doctor said it could be a long night and with my concussion, I needed to rest, so the guys took me home under strict doctor’s orders.

  Before we left the hospital, we caught up with Mrs Hamilton, who’d been waiting for me and had news for all of us.

  The show had been cancelled and a new one would be scheduled once I was up and running again: apparently the whole town wanted to see me play Scrooge.

  Valentina hadn’t taken the news gracefully and had a major meltdown in front of Miss Devlin.

  She complained that she tampered with my shoes for nothing and that everyone in Silver Springs was an idiot because she was twice the actress I was.

  Mrs Hamilton had informed the principal that she had my shoes and that together with what Miss Devlin had heard was enough to expel Valentina, effective immediately.

  The student counselor informed me that I could press charges and that a police investigation would be carried out but I don’t want to take this any further.

  I know wha
t Valentina did was terrible and it wasn’t her first attempt to harm me but I hope that being expelled from school will give her a much needed reality check.

  The boys fix me a snack and after we eat, I snuggle on the couch between Dylan and Robyn, basking in their warmth and almost drifting into sleep.

  The day has been harrowing to say the least and I’m still anxious about my mom and wish I were there with her.

  “Before you fall asleep, baby, there’s something the guys and I wanted to give you. Merry Christmas.”

  Allan crouches at my feet and hands me a little red velvet box with a pretty silver bow tied on top.

  “Oh, guys! My presents for you are upstairs in my closet. I can go get ‘em ...”

  Robyn places a soft kiss on my knuckles and tells me to stay put.

  “Our other presents for you are at home. We can exchange them later or another day, if the blizzard doesn’t end. But this one is from all of us and we wanted to give it to you tonight.”

  Dylan tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.

  “Open it.”

  I untie the bow with trembling fingers and gasp in awe and delight when I see the beautiful white gold chain with the most exquisite pendant.

  It looks like some kind of leafy plant with berries on it. The berries are diamonds.

  I beam at the guys and tell them that it’s beautiful and I’ll never take it off.

  “It’s mistletoe.”

  Robyn explains with a grin, taking the necklace out of the box and securing the clasp around my neck.

  His face is mere inches away from mine and his warm breath tickles my lips when he whispers that since I’m wearing mistletoe, a kiss is in order.

  His lips are warm and gentle and the kiss is as sweet as the first we shared many years ago.

  “You were my first kiss too, Onyx.”

  I feel my heart burst with love for this gorgeous, smart, serious boy and I’m about to say something when I’m pulled away from his arms and another set of lips land on mine.

  Dylan’s kiss is hotter and faster, more impulsive like the sexy, black haired boy I’m beginning to fall for.

  And when my heart fills with so much emotion that I don’t think I can take it, Allan takes me into his arms and whispers against my lips:

  “All those years ago, before the party, I hung mistletoe all over the house to have an excuse to kiss you. We know that didn’t work out, but now you’ll always wear it, so I can kiss you any time.”

  His brown eyes are warm and intense and I smile, cupping his perfect jaw with my hand and bringing his face closer to mine.

  “Do you think you need an excuse to kiss me, Allan? I love you.”

  The kiss that follows reaches deep into my soul as his lips own mine with the scorching hot passion that Allan puts into everything he does.

  Our tongues tangle together and we kiss until we’re both breathless.

  Onyx

  I WAKE UP TO THE SOUND of someone clearing their throat behind the couch where I fell asleep wrapped in Allan’s arms.

  I open my eyes and I see Robyn asleep on the recliner nearby and Dylan wrapped in a throw blanket on the floor.

  The throat clearing noise happens again and Allan groans, nuzzling my neck and trying to hide his face in my hair.

  “Hmm, whoever’s being a dick, shut up! People are trying to sleep here.”

  The noise happens a third time but it’s no longer behind us and I see my dad’s shoes stopping right in front of the couch we slept on.

  “Dad?”

  Allan immediately wakes up, shooting up to a seated position and I can’t help but smile at the redness that creeps up his neck when he looks at my father.

  “Oh, shit! I mean, sorry sir. I’m Allan Lindley, your daughter’s boyfriend. Merry Christmas sir.”

  My dad tries to look stern but I see an amused glint in his eyes and I’m relieved he’s not mad because this is the second time he’s caught me and Allan in a compromising position.

  But any thoughts of embarrassment dissipate when I see Mom standing behind Dad with a little bundle in her arms.

  I wobble to her, using the couch for support and look at my sleeping baby sister, in awe at how tiny and perfect she looks.

  “Mom, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?”

  Dad gives her an eye-roll and explains that Mom raised hell to be discharged so that she could be home for Christmas.

  “The only reason why they agreed to let her go is that the doctor who delivered your sister happens to live on our road and will be home all day today.”

  Mom nods.

  “Yeah and I got his cell phone number and I had to swear that I’ll go in for a check-up tomorrow morning. But now Onyx, meet your sister: Obsidian Elisabeth Mancini.”

  “You called my sister Obsidian?”

  Dude, she’ll be mad when she’s old enough to understand that my mom’s obsession with black precious stones gave her one of the weirdest names I’ve ever heard.

  “It’s quite a mouthful.”

  Dad graces Allan’s comment with another fake stern look and explains that we’ll call her Cindy.

  “Do you want to hold her?”

  Mom passes me Cindy and as I hold my baby sister in my arms, I’m overwhelmed by love, joy and sadness at the same time.

  My parents notice the look on my face and ask me what’s wrong.

  “I don’t know. She’s so beautiful and perfect and she needs us. All of us. Have you two decided on a truce? Look, I know you guys have stuff to figure out about the divorce, but can you try and be nice to each other for Cindy’s sake? I don’t want her to grow up seeing Mom aiming at your head with the toaster, Dad. Whatever shit’s going on between you two, can you try and get along for her sake?”

  A look passes between my parents and Mom wraps one arm around my shoulders.

  “We were gonna tell you at dinner but since we spent all night at the hospital and neither of us remembered to take the ham I was gonna bake out of the freezer, we might as well tell you now. Your dad and I decided to give our marriage another try.”

  She must see my perplexed expression because she explains:

  “I know your father cheated. But I’m not completely blameless in what happened. I got wrapped up in some personal things and I drifted away from him long before he strayed. But we never really stopped loving each other. Your sister is living proof of that.”

  I feel tears streaming down my face and for the first time in forever, they’re tears of happiness.

  My mom voices my feelings when she kisses my temple and then Cindy’s forehead.

  “How’s this for a Christmas miracle?”

  And she’s right: I think Christmas has redeemed itself once and for all, as I look at all the people I love the most all in the same room.

  I nod and when Allan comes close to me and asks to hold the baby, I pass him Cindy extremely carefully.

  He beams at my baby sister and his voice is full of wonder when he says:

  “She’s beautiful, Onyx. You two have the same lips and eye shape. And you look even more wonderful than usual with her in your arms, you know? I think holding a baby suits you.”

  I don’t have time to comment on his words, because my dad intervenes.

  “Young man, you better not be getting any strange ideas in your head. Onyx is only eighteen and if you both don’t finish college and get married before even thinking about babies, I— ”

  I groan, embarrassed and touched at the same time by my dad’s protectiveness while Allan tries to explain that he didn’t mean what Dad thought.

  “Ha! If you keep this up, I’ll be Onyx’s parents’ favorite boyfriend in no time!”

  Dylan taunts his bestie with a shit eating grin but Dad turns a confused look toward me and the guys.

  “What does he mean my favorite boyfriend? Which of these young men are you dating, Onyx?”

  Oh sweet baby Jesus! I told Mom about my unusual dating situation but
not Dad.

  I’m saved from explaining everything by Cindy, who wakes up and starts crying loudly, waving her tiny fists in the air.

  “Ok honey, that’s enough for now. We’ll talk about the boyfriends situation later on. It’s past noon and both your youngest daughter and I are starved. If I feed her, can you find something to feed the rest of us? It’s still snowing heavily and I think the boys should let their parents know that they’re safe and sound and they’re gonna spend Christmas here.”

  Dad throws one last suspicious look at the boys but then considers that there isn’t a lot fit for a Christmas meal.

  “We’ll have to order Chinese food, hoping that they can deliver it in this weather. I’m sorry girls, we might end up with boxed mac and cheese.”

  Allan clears his voice and offers his help:

  “We might not have to resort to that, sir. I looked in the fridge last night when I made a snack for Onyx and I saw that you have all the ingredients for my pasta with vodka sauce. If you give me twenty minutes—”

  “Dad, his pasta with vodka sauce is delicious.”

  I say blushing at the memory of eating that on Allan’s lap, wearing just one of his shirts after he and I made love for the first time.

  “Ok, if Onyx says it’s good—”

  Dylan and Robyn both chide Allan.

  “Way to get into Onyx’s dad’s good graces. You giant suck-up!”

  “Oh don’t worry, guys! While Allan cooks, you two can set the table while I go check on my wife and youngest daughter. Onyx, baby, you sit down and then I’ll come check on you too. Mom and I spoke to your doctor before coming home.”

  “I’m fine, Daddy. Better than fine.”

  Dad shows Dylan and Robyn where to find everything to set the table and after lighting the fireplace, we settle down with a hot cider by the bay window near the Christmas tree, observing the guys fast at work.

  I hear a clicking noise, as if someone were tapping on the window and when I turn, I see Fred on the window sill.

  I open the window and look into his inquisitive, black beady eyes.