An Exceptional Twist

by Kimi Flores

  Since it was August, the weather was mild. She opened up all the windows to let the evening breeze in, then emptied all of the vases around the living room and kitchen, spilling a little putrid water on her jeans. Grimacing, she decided it was definitely time for that shower now.

  The warm water poured over her head, relieving all the stress from her drive and the repulsion over the funky spilled water. Running her hands through her long, thick hair, she thought about the last week.

  Staying at her mom’s had been relaxing, exactly the break she needed. But she was happy to be back a day early. Elena showed up every day with her minions, using all of her evil powers to make Leah’s stay uncomfortable. What’s Elena’s problem? Doesn’t she know her crap got old a long time ago?

  Ben wasn’t kidding when he told Leah that he didn’t have time for a relationship. She only got to see him on Tuesday and Wednesday, when she met him at the park for a run. Each time, he’d just finished playing basketball with some friends, and was pretty smelly when she got to him. She enjoyed spending those few hours exercising with him, but it would have been nicer to actually go out on another real date before she left.

  The soft towel she picked up was so comforting that she hugged it to herself. When her warm body touched the material, the smell of laundry detergent drifted in the air.

  Mmm! I love that smell.

  When she started to wrap it around her hair, the phone rang. Padding her way to the counter where she’d left it, Leah took a quick peek around the room. She didn’t know why. No one was there.

  Old habit. Being the only modest girl in her house growing up, it was still weird being naked in her own space.

  “Hola, chica,” Leah sang into the phone when she saw it was Abby.

  “Hey. Are you finally coming home tomorrow?” Abby complained.

  “Well, grumpy, I’m actually home already.” Through their short phone calls, Leah was noticing Abby’s fuse was getting shorter and shorter.

  Chuckling to herself, she thought, I’d be aggravated if Stefen was invading my home, too.

  Suddenly, Abby said, “I’m on my way.” Then the line went dead.

  Looking at her bare body, then longingly at her bed, Leah grumbled, “Guess I’m not going to sleep yet.”

  Within ten minutes, Leah was dressed in her comfy clothes, and Abby was parked on the opposite corner of her couch, staring off into space with her droopy eyes. She looks like a zombie. With a warm cup of blueberry herbal tea in her hands, Abby wrapped herself up in a blanket that was usually draped over the arm of the sofa.

  “So what’s going on? You look like shit.” Leah sipped from her own cup of tea, eyeing her exhausted friend sporting bags under her usually stunning blue eyes.

  It had been quite a while since Leah had seen Abby so weary. That troubled her. She couldn’t help her snide thoughts. Is Stefen to blame, again? Then she almost felt guilty when it hit her.

  Morning sickness.

  “Thanks for sugar coating it,” Abby replied dryly before setting her cup on the table and shutting her bloodshot eyes.

  “Seriously, are you still getting sick?” Concern laced Leah’s words as she furrowed her eyebrows.

  Abby scooted further down on the couch. “I’m so tired, Leah. I just want to sleep for an entire month.”

  Abby looked completely spent. Leah felt bad that she’d been out of town most of the week and not here to help. Placing her hand on Abby’s shoulder, she gave a light squeeze.

  “That’s typical, though, right? When Elena was pregnant, she couldn’t get through the day without a nap. At the time, I thought it was because she was lazy, but I’ve heard it’s normal.”

  “I guess, but it’s been the longest week ever. I know you probably don’t want to hear about it.” There was a strange emphasis on ‘it’, and Leah knew Abby meant Stefen. “But it’s been really difficult.”

  Guilt chipped away at Leah as she fiddled with a throw pillow from the couch, doing everything she could to avoid Abby’s dazed expression. Her best friend was having a problem that she really didn’t want to know about. I’m such a selfish bitch.

  Abby’s feelings mattered, but she didn’t want to talk about Stefen or what a pain in the ass he was. She already knew first hand. He’s probably being a big baby, too. .

  Finally, she looked up, trying to appear sympathetic, when she was really just nodding along, attempting to block Stefen out.

  Breathing out heavily, Abby kept going. “Unless Caleb or I help him down the stairs, he’s stuck in the bedroom because of the double vision in his one eye and the dizziness from his concussion. I know he feels like a huge burden, having to rely on us, so he’s trying to be as independent as he can. Yesterday, he almost made it down the stairs by himself, but he missed the last few and hit the floor hard, right in front of me. We thought he dislocated his good shoulder.” She placed her hand on her chest as though relieved. “Thank god, he didn’t.” Abby spoke as if she was talking about her own child.

  Leah had seen her friend’s motherly intuition kick in as soon as she became close to Madison, but now, with the pregnancy and having to take care of Stefen, it seemed like those instincts were in full gear.

  “Why don’t you hire someone to help out?” That seemed like an obvious solution, but Leah knew Abby’s answer before she even said it.

  By now, Abby was completely laying down on the couch with her eyes shut. She huffed, making sure to get her point across. “I don’t want some stranger in my house, roaming around all day and night. That would be even worse than to take care of him myself.”

  Rubbing her hand soothingly over Abby’s calf, Leah spoke softly. “They wouldn’t need to be there when he’s asleep.”

  Abby opened one eye. “He has horrific nightmares and wakes up the house, shouting like he’s been set on fire. It’s awful, Leah.”

  Nightmares? Leah gulped.

  The thought of him being terrorized in his sleep was cracking the protective coating she’d wrapped around her heart. He was so strong and independent. She couldn’t even imagine what it was doing to his ego to wake up in the middle of the night, screaming like a child.

  Abby closed her eyes again, and Leah sank into the couch, her eyes coating with tears. As much as he’d hurt her, she still had feelings for him, and no one should have to go through this.

  Hiding her sniffle, Leah gave a solemn apology. “Are you serious? I’m so sorry, Abby.” She changed the subject quickly. “Any news about Julianne?”

  Caleb’s childhood nanny, Julianne, had planned on moving into Abby’s bungalow right after the wedding, when she got a call from a family friend that her ailing sister was on her deathbed. She’d been stuck in her hometown since the wedding, several months ago.

  “Yeah, her sister passed away. She left everything to Julianne. She decided to stay, at least for a while. Besides, she’s an old lady. We wanted her to come out here to retire, not care for a full-grown man who she wouldn’t be able to physically help anyway. Can you imagine her dressing him?”

  Visions of his amazing body filled her mind. Yes. Yes, I can imagine what that would be like. Leah smirked, thankful that her friend’s eyes were closed.

  Wait a minute. “Do you help him get dressed?” Why do I sound jealous?

  Abby placed her arm across her forehead. “Not really. He manages a little and doesn’t want my help with that. That’s been more of Caleb’s job. I’ve had to help him with his shirts a few times, but that’s it.”

  Breathing out, Leah wondered, why am I so relieved that she hasn’t seen him naked? A vision hit her upside the head of him sprawled out in her bed that one night they were together. Stefen might be a lot of not so great things, but he was definitely easy on the eyes.

  Abby lifted her head, peaking at Leah with a smile before laying it back down. Crap, she noticed me looking off all dreamlike.

  Fumbling with her words, Leah said, “So um, you’re going back to work soon. You’ll need to have someone. I can see
how worn out you are. You need help.”

  Abby was drifting, her voice almost slurring. “I don’t have to think about it right this second.”

  Within minutes, Abby was passed out, snoring as loudly as Dani normally did.

  Cocking her head to the side, Leah thought, that’s new. She stuffed a throw pillow under Abby’s head, then sent a Caleb a quick text.

  Leah: Abby is knocked out on my couch.

  Caleb: Awesome! Please let her sleep!

  Leah: Of course! Just wanted you to know.

  Caleb: Thanks for being such a good friend.

  Gazing down at her exhausted, hormonal friend, Leah sighed. If I was such a good friend, I’d put my own shit aside and be there for her.

  Briefly closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. She wondered how she was going to get any sleep with thoughts of an injured and helpless Stefen rolling around her mind. Abby would never ask, but there was no way Leah could let her keep going like this.

  Before she crawled into bed, she made a decision.

  Stefen was finally starting to feel better, and then he had to take that damn spill down the stairs the other day. Now the little bit of pride he had left was shot to hell, and his muscles felt like they were back at square one.

  It was frustrating, feeling like an invalid and stressing out the people around him. He wasn’t used to this. He was independent and active. He enjoyed taking care of himself, and now he was reduced to spending hours in a bed. His body craved his morning jogs. Even with the physical therapy, he was starting to stiffen up from being so still.

  He wondered where Abby slept last night. Leah’s no doubt. It was a freaking miracle Caleb slept through his nightmares. They were probably the worst part of this hell. Stefen would startle awake, in a cold sweat, usually screaming like a little girl. But that was only the half of it. The vivid images were what kept him awake the rest of the night.

  The fear that he was putting his loved ones at risk consumed him night and day, tightening his chest. He felt like he was suffocating.

  Normally, Abby rushed in with her soothing voice and lulled him back to sleep, similar to the way a mother would sing to a child. He’d grown to not only appreciate her, but Abby now had her own special spot in his heart.

  Deciding enough was enough, Stefen tried to come up with another plan. There had to be another place to recover without inconveniencing anyone. But after hours of thought, he was drawing a blank, which in turn frustrated the hell out of him.

  He heard a knock on the door, then Abby’s gentle voice. “Stefen, are you awake?”

  Picking up his heavy head—he was still suffering from a gnarly headache—he noticed how well rested she looked. “Yeah, good morning.” He yawned and stretched in the awkward way he’d grown accustomed to these past few weeks.

  Abby was smiling in a strange way, and he froze as Leah walked behind her. This wasn’t how he wanted her to see him. He hoped his disfigured eye would’ve been fixed by a plastic surgeon before they met up again. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t help but stare at Leah. He was both shocked and captivated.

  When Leah stepped through the doorway, it was as if they were suddenly in one of those cheesy eighties movies he loved to watch. The daylight from the hallway illuminated the outline of her hair as she swooshed it over her shoulder in slow motion, at least in his mind it was slow motion. He could practically hear a song from the band, Spandau Ballet, playing in the background.

  Leah’s loud gasp brought him back to reality. They were not in a romantic movie, and he could see the horror in her face. He was a monster.

  She was trying to look everywhere but at him. Of course she was. He looked hideous. Grunting in irritation, he fought the urge to punch the wall behind him.

  Abby glanced back and forth between them. “I’m sorry to just spring this on you, but Leah’s agreed to help out, and I can’t turn her down.” Abby shifted from one foot to another, biting her lip nervously. Hearing her friend’s response seemed to have her second guessing this plan. “I need to go talk to Caleb. Are you guys all right if I leave the room?”

  No. Don’t leave. Though he felt like a baby thinking it, he couldn’t stand Leah seeing him like this. After everything he’d done to her, the last thing he wanted was to be alone with her.

  “We’re mature adults, Abby,” Leah said weakly, twisting her fingers. “We’ll be fine.”

  Stefen blew out a sigh of annoyance, sneering at her turned face.

  I can read between those damn lines. She means that she is mature enough. They both watched Abby leave the room.

  “Why are you here? It was nice of you, but…I can manage,” he finished bitterly. He couldn’t manage. That was the fattest lie he’d ever told, but he had to know her reason for being here.

  Was she going to rub his nose in the fact that he couldn’t take care of himself, or did she genuinely care about his recovery? Maybe she just wanted to see what a freak he was now.

  Finally making eye contact, Stefen recognized the cold mask she wore. He’d worn that same disguise many times himself.

  Raising her eyebrow, she answered, “Don’t be mistaken. I'm not that nice. I'm only doing it for Abby. Besides, I wouldn't leave an injured dog in the street, either.”

  Well, that makes sense. She’s only here to help her best friend. That thought stabbed at his heart. Of course she isn’t here for me. I’m the villain in this story.

  Using his good arm, he rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand, then ran his fingers through his hair. Without any thought, his words came tumbling out of his mouth. “I really screwed up, Leah. You must hate me.”

  Honestly, she had every right to, but that fact didn’t soften the blow.

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

  He pulled the blankets higher to cover his bare chest and visibly wounded shoulder. “No, not really.”

  Leah pinched her lips together, then slapped her hands down on her legs. “Okay, then. First things first. What do you need help with?”

  Great, pity help. Whatever. As much as he didn’t want to, he needed her help getting dressed. “Can you hand me a shirt?” He pointed to the dresser behind her. “Third drawer to the left.”

  As he watched her stroll to the bureau, he let his eyes wander to his favorite part of her body— her curvy ass.

  She looked over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes at him.

  How does she always know? He almost laughed at the thought.

  Placing her hands on her hips, Leah scoffed at him, “Really, Stefen? Haven’t you grown tired of that game?”

  Game? This wasn't a game. He just loved her voluptuous rear.

  A small smirk made its way onto his lips as she turned back to the dresser. He still loved her feistiness, but decided not to answer as she pulled a T-shirt out of the drawer and threw it at him with a little more enthusiasm than necessary.

  The shirt landed just out of his reach, making him stretch farther than was comfortable, but he refused to let her see him suffer.

  This was the first time he’d put a shirt on by himself, in front of another person. But he didn’t want her help if he could just manage to do this on his own. He pushed forward, yanking his arm halfway in, while his head got tangled. Frustrated, he cursed under his breath. “Mother fu—”

  “Are you going to be this stubborn about everything, or are you actually going to let me help?”

  He couldn’t see her through the material but imagined she was amused and had a smart ass smile on her beautiful lips.

  Pay back is a bitch. But he hoped Leah would cool the attitude, at least until he felt better.

  Humiliated, he slumped his shoulders in resignation and peeked through one of the arm holes. “Can you please help me?”

  Stefen watched Leah sashay toward him, certain that it was out of pity. He didn’t deserve her help. As she came close, he discreetly breathed in her unique floral scent. Damn, did he miss her.
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br />   She leaned over him, tenderly leading his head and arm through right holes, when something captured her interest. He pulled the shirt down to cover his stomach and followed her line of sight. She’d noticed the souvenir he’d bought at the airport and placed on his bedside table.

  “Why do you have that?” She pointed to the dancing flower pot identical to the one in her apartment.

  He shrugged his shoulder, embarrassed that she spotted the knickknack. “It reminded me of what you said.”

  Her eyes widened as she jerked her head back. Astonished, she spoke softly, “And what was that?”

  This was his chance to switch the mood, so he decide to tell the truth. The whole truth. “You said that it was the little things that could brighten up even the worst days.” Unsure of how she would react, he added, “I wanted something to always remind me of you. No matter how big of an ass I was, you constantly cheered me up.”

  She took in a noticeable swift breath. “You remember that?”

  Did her lip just tremble?

  Looking down at the comforter, then back up at her, he shrugged. “Of course I do, Leah. I memorized every moment we spent together, every word, the movements you made, and how you always smell like flowers.”

  Backing up a step, Leah gulped loudly, her chest rising up and down. Caleb chose that moment to storm into the room.

  Nostrils flaring, he raised his finger, throwing it accusingly between them. “Oh no, uh-uh. This is not happening. No way, Leah. We’ll figure something else out.” Clearly upset, his fists clenched by his side.

  She whipped her head in Caleb’s direction, and Stefen swore he heard her grunt softly. “It’s fine, Caleb. This is what Abby and I do. We help each other out. Stefen can’t even put on a damn shirt, and poor Abby is either puking her guts up or knocking out at the drop of a hat.” Well shit. “I have time right now. Expect to see a lot of me.” She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.

  Ha, yeah Caleb. What she said. Damn he loved her sassiness when it wasn’t aimed toward him