Feeling uncomfortable I needed to change the subject. “Okay, I’ll just grab a bag with some things.”
Turning my head to Dylan I asked, “Do you think we can change the move to another day?”
As the last word left my mouth there was a loud knock on my door answering the question for me. It was the moving company. “Too late,” Dylan replied with a sly grin.
“Okay. Nathan can you move Anna to her bed so I can pack?”
He nodded walking into my bedroom lifting her up in his arms her dark long hair swished back and forth. She looked like snow white in a modern fairytale as he gazed down watching her sleep, his eyes softened. I could see that he cared for her.
The continuous knocking at the door brought me out of my daze. I opened the front door to two male movers with three ladies wearing t-shirts that said, “We Pack For You.” Looking past them out on to the road I saw a truck with the same logo. They entered the apartment and went straight for my bedroom. Three ladies with large boxes and markers in hand charged off to work. I watched sadly as the last six years of my life was packed away and color coded.
Two hours later, the two male movers removed the last remnants of my existence from the apartment. It was the end of an era and my best friend was sad and passed out.
The movers gave instructions to meet them at Dylan’s condo and then they were gone.
“I hate to leave now,” I said to Nathan.
“She’ll be fine, we had a misunderstanding. I’ll take care of her,” he said placing a hand on my shoulder. He looked in need of a hug so I reached over and gave him one.
“It’s better you don’t stay here Alexis. Anna told me that they abducted her, you should have said something… I thought she was brushing me off, but my gut kept telling me it didn’t make any sense and then I sensed you were hiding something when I saw you at the courthouse.”
“I’m sorry Nathan, but they threatened both of us, I did the only thing I thought I could do to keep her safe,” I explained, feeling guilty about lying to him, but then realizing he had to lie too because of his job in Kauai, he definitely misrepresented his identity. Even though he had good reason. “I’m still worried Nathan.”
“I know this was a typical mob way of assuring they got what they wanted. When you testified the way you did in the courtroom saying all those nice things about Luc I knew they had you in their back pocket. I didn’t understand what they had over you, now I realize it was Anna. That’s what they do, they detect your weakness and use it against you. It’s good you left Luc, even though I sense you may still be his weakness.”
“I know and that is what scares me,” I admitted, hoping he could offer some advice.
“Look, I know you don’t want my help, but maybe I can put in a request, the investigation is still ongoing maybe someone can keep an eye on you…you know to make sure they aren’t following you or anything,” he said in a by-the-way fashion that I could tell was not very by-the-way.
I looked over to Dylan and he placed a hand on my shoulder. He shook Nathan’s hand. “Thanks Nathan, that sounds good,” he responded for me.
“Dylan?” I looked to him with a raised brow.
“What Lex, you need all the protection you can get,” he said feigning innocence. Like he just didn’t answer and make an important decision for me. I wasn’t mad though I knew he was doing it out of love. My overprotective alpha.
“Will do,” Nathan replied referring to his offer.
Dylan and I followed the moving truck back to his apartment. The movers brought everything up to the condo while the ladies unpacked my things. They were swift and organized. When they were done I asked for the bill, but Dylan cut in and said it had been taken care of.
“Come on Dylan, you know I don’t like to owe people,” I chided him.
“Oh! Now you’re saying that I’m people?” he smirked crossing his strong arms over his chest.
“Come on, you know what I mean, I like my independence. I already owe you rent for letting me stay here.”
“Lex, you’re going to really need to stop with this 'I owe you' thing. I don’t like it, I owe you, I messed up. I should have come after you seven years ago. Please let me do this for you, everything I have, it’s ours,” he pleaded.
“Okay, I’m hoping to start working back at Mickey’s tomorrow. Anna mentioned he hired a bodyguard to stand out front so that gives me a little relief…” I began to explain as I noticed Dylan’s eyes bugging out of his head.
“Lex,” Dylan cut me off. “You shouldn’t go to work. We don’t know what the threat is from Luc’s family. As it is, I’m worried about you at school and trust me when I tell you that I have enough money to support the two of us. I get that it’s hard for you to rely on me financially, but we are good babe. You are mine, that means I take care of you and you of me. Just think about when we have babies, will you let me take care of you then?” he asked surprising me.
My jaw dropped, Dylan and me babies? ”Dyl, I,” I paused the thought of having babies with him was blissful even though I knew we needed our time to get reacquainted….. “I, uh….” I didn’t know what to say.
“Just please agree here, don’t torture me,” he said jokingly but there was truth to his tone.
“I need to pay you back,” I repeated. There was still a part of me that was the fifteen year old girl who didn’t have toothpaste in her house. I had to work. I could only rely on myself at the end of the day.
“Heck no!” he replied, but the fight had left him as he saw I was working my way through what he was offering. “Stubborn girl,” he shook his head.
I didn’t know what it was, but the way he did that, called me stubborn girl, he’d been doing it since we were small. When I was young it made me smile, but now it got me all fired up.
“Okay Dyl,” I finally replied conceding.
“Thank you,” he exhaled a long breathe and gave me a kiss on the forehead. It felt like he understood what I was battling with and that meant everything.
Chapter 31
Twisted Love
Lexi
Beep, Beep, Beep,
I slowly awoke to an annoying beeping sound that wouldn’t stop. At first I thought it was a garbage truck from outside, but then I realized it was coming from Dylan’s alarm clock. I forced myself to reach over the bed to stop that wretched noise.
“Seriously Dylan, the alarm is on your side it means you turn it off,” I bit out, not being much of a morning person.
“Shit Lex, I feel like I fell asleep an hour ago,” he said with a muffled voice through his pillow. It was a Thursday morning and I had to get to class and Dylan was supposed to go back to work today.
“Seriously, get your ass out of bed,” I ordered with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Mmmm,” he groaned. “I like bossy Lexi, come here babe,” he pulled me into him until I fell on top of him feeling his hard length pressed into my stomach making me hot.
“Dylan you can’t be late, get your ass out of bed,” I insisted even though every ounce of my will power was being challenged. I would have loved nothing more than for him to drive his thick length into me one more time. After our hot night together, I felt sore everywhere, but I couldn’t seem to get my fill of him.
It took a moment to snap myself out of my Dylan induced daze. Then I walked into the bathroom to get ready for class. I had to give Lindsay back her binder. I told her I would return it to her the same day and now two days later I still had it. She would for sure think I was a crazy person. Dylan was back to work so it meant he wouldn’t be able to come with me to class and according to what Nathan said yesterday I was still a target. I knew at this point I couldn’t spend my day to day life living in fear, but I also couldn’t live in denial and forget about the threat. I felt stuck.
***
After convincing Dylan for a whole hour that I was okay to go to school on my own, I found myself sitting in class with zero patience, listening to case law which if I hadn’t
already gone mad, would make me mad. It was strange how my entire perspective on life had changed since my near death experience. I’d read stories about people almost dying and how it changed them, but you don’t really get it unless you live through it. Becoming a lawyer was the last thing on my mind. It used to be a force that drove me forward to push harder and get better grades. Now I just wanted to get out of here and figure out how I could start a fresh new life.
I can barely focus on anything the professor said. My mind drifted to Dylan, sleeping in the same bed together, and the naked show he put on for me this morning. My chest warmed, among other things, from the thought. I tried to refocus unsuccessfully. My phone vibrated in my back pocket and I hoped no one heard it. I slid it out of my pocket and peaked under the table, it was a message from Dylan.
Hey babe still thinking of that great behind of yours. ;) See you back at the condo later.
Lexi: Cut it out.
Dylan: Never!
Lexi: You’re frustrating.
Dylan: If you only knew.
I didn’t respond further, he was playing hardball. No pun intended. Luckily he was not here because I must have turned three different shades of red as I slid down in my seat and let’s be honest, I had to keep some dignity about myself.
***
I arrived back at the condo in the late afternoon, an exhausted shaky mess. Dylan wasn’t home. I sauntered into the kitchen to make myself a tea and was tempted to spice it up with a little cognac, but then my rational inner self appeared, reminding me that I could never turn out like Mom. I knew a little drink at the end of a stressful day should be something normal, but fear of turning out like her always drove my decisions and I quickly shut the cabinet and opted for a plain old chamomile tea. I still didn’t know all the details of how Mom became an alcoholic, a part of me worried there was a genetic link and I never wanted my life to come to that. I threw my bag on the floor by the couch and fell back. It’s been a while since I had to sit in class,, it was draining. Thinking of Mom reminded me that I had to call her and tell her that I moved in with Dylan. I dialed her number on my new phone and a few rings later she picked up, “Hello,” she answered almost as if she didn’t recognize the number. She probably didn’t I rarely called.
“Hi Mom.”
“Alexis, to what do I owe this pleasure?” she asked politely. I was glad to hear that I caught her in a good mood.
“I wanted to let you know that I was moving in with Dylan,” I replied hesitantly. I don’t even know why I was hesitant, I told myself I didn’t care about her opinion. Deep down I knew I was lying to myself. She was my mother and I cared.
“I’m happy for you,” she said with a soft tone and I almost pictured her smiling. I was thrown off.
“Really?” I asked surprised.
“Don’t be so surprised Alexis, don’t you think I know I wasn’t the mother you and Ashley needed?” she asked but I assumed it was rhetorical so I didn’t answer. “I knew, don’t think I didn’t love you, I loved both of you. I’m sorry for my wrongs, I did the best I could,” she drifted off into a sigh.
Wow I was totally taken back. I had always wanted her to admit how fucked up she was when we were growing up and this was it, my apology. It wasn’t exactly how I thought it would be. Saying she did the best she could was a gross understatement but for Rose White it was something. Whoa! She admitted a fault. I didn’t know what to say or how to answer. Her apology was too late and I was seriously fucked up, but besides that it also warmed me to know she loved us, that we were loved despite the disaster that fell upon us.
“I love you too, Mom,” was the only truth and response I could think of.
“I know, I remember,” she said in a very vague way. What did she know? What did she remember? That I had to take care of her drunken ass as a child? That my childhood had been stolen from me because I was busy taking care of her and the house? I knew I had to let my past go. I knew I had to look to the future. Having Dylan back in my life gave me the purpose I needed to look forward.
“Dylan, is a good boy Alexis. You will be happy with him. I wish you the best of luck,” she replied warming my heart. I think this was the best conversation I ever had with her.
“Thanks Mom, he is. You have a good night.”
“You too, Dear,” she replied. Holy cow there must be flying pigs because my mom used an endearment toward me. I inwardly chuckled and wondered if she was getting soft in her old age or if she had come to some realizations too. I hoped so for her own sake. I stared at the blank screen of my phone for a moment and thought of Anna. I needed my daily dose of her, I missed not living with her even though it had only been one day.
“Hello,” she picked up after two rings, but her voice was groggy.
“Hey, did I wake you?” I asked knowing the answer.
“Uh yes, is everything okay?” she asked with a concerned tone.
“Yeah, sorry go back to sleep.”
“No it’s okay, I’m awake, I just crashed after class, I’ve been so loaded with work and Nathan buried in me.”
“Ew!! Anna seriously?” I chided her, feeling like that was too much information, even for us.
“Sorry Lex, but it finally happened and holy shit. We went at it for hours. He explained that he felt bad about how I lost my virginity. He said he was in a bad place at the time still grieving over his sister and he went through a rough spurt of drinking and fucking around and well, basically being an all-around asshole. He wanted to make it up to me for that night, but it was hard when I couldn’t remember him. He thought if we spent enough time together that the memory would come back to me and although he felt familiar, I never remembered. Shit! What does that say about me Lex?” she sighed into the phone. I sympathized with her having been in a similar mindset.
“Anna, don’t beat yourself up. You probably drank a lot that night, just like I did so that you could go through with it. We were both clearly in a lot of pain for different reasons and well…we did what we did. At least we’ve learned from our mistakes. I don’t want you to grovel about your past. You need to look to your future and it sounds like maybe you and Nate are destined to be. I mean what are the chances of you guys ever meeting again? And under the circumstances of him being assigned to Luc’s case? That’s straight out fate my friend.”
Anna giggled into the phone. I was glad to hear that I’d cheered her up and she wasn’t a giggler so I was extra happy that she was giggling.
“I didn’t mean to leave you like that yesterday, I wanted to talk to you before I packed everything and left,” I muttered, feeling a bit guilty for moving out while she was passed out.
“Bandita, I told you your time here was up, it was just too dangerous for you to stay,” she said, being the good friend that she was. Even though that place had been dangerous for her too.
“I know. Clearly things are dangerous for you too Anna. They took you…I was so scared when they took you,” I confessed as my chest tightened. “You don’t understand what that did to me Anna, I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“I know Bandita, it was hard, but honestly they didn’t hurt me they just held me against my will, which was awful, and felt terrible, but I’m here, I survived, they allowed me to move around the hotel room. I was just stubborn and scared so I wouldn’t eat their food and I didn’t want to shower because I wasn’t sure about that creepy guy that they left to watch me….” she said and I could hear the shiver in her voice. “I know how you feel though Bandita, I felt the same way when I found you after the attack.”
“I know, it all seems so crazy, all of it. Things like that shouldn’t be happening to simple girls like us.”
She bursts out laughing. “Lex, nothing about us is simple.”
“Okay, maybe you’re right on that one. I hope things will start settling down for the two of us.”
“I think they already have Bandita. You look pretty comfortable with Dylan, and I’m definitely into Nate. In fact, I’ve
never been this into anyone.”
“I know,” I smiled. “Just a sec Anna, I just got a text.”
I pull the phone away from my ear to see that Dylan had sent me a text.
Hey babe, sorry I’m going to be back in the morning I’m pulling a twenty-four hour shift. I need to make up for lost time and prove myself. I love you, and hope to be there when you wake up in the morning. Anyways, I like the way your behind is all nice and warm for me when you wake up.
Reading Dylan’s endearing words caused my chest to warm. I pressed my thighs together feeling a delicious clench as I envisioned him making love to me first thing when I woke up. Although the bed would feel lonely and empty without him tonight. Even though I was guessing given his choice of profession that I may have to keep the bed warm for him on many nights.
I’ll miss you, I will keep the bed and my behind warm for you when you get back in the morning. Love you, Lex
Suddenly, I heard Anna’s voice through the phone reminding me that I left her on the line. “Lexi, you with me there?”
“Sorry, Anna, it was Dylan, he’s pulling an all-nighter at the hospital.”
“Aha,” she giggled again. “I’m so happy for you Lex. You know I always used to think that love was so twisted in a bad way. You know after my parents divorced and my mama lost herself. Then after everything that happened with…” she paused, I knew she was talking about her brother. They weren’t blood related, they were both adopted but over the years she dropped tidbits of information and she never said it but I could tell he did something very bad to hurt her.
“It’s okay Anna, it’s good to talk about things, you know you can trust me with anything and that I would never judge you.”
“I know Lex, my brother, he made me do sexual things with him when we were staying in foster care together. I had trusted him, he was my big brother for as long as I could remember… and when he did things to me. All that trust went down the drain…” she sighed and her voice cracked.
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