by Sam Destiny
“How sure are you that your husband won’t ever return and that your daughter will be locked up while I will walk free? Can you guarantee that?”
A small smile played over Thea Karmison’s face and Aly had the hint of an idea how beautiful the woman once must’ve been. A trophy, without a doubt, in her husband’s collection of riches and awesomeness. “I’m so sure that I’d bet my entire fortune on it.”
Aly couldn’t deny that she liked that answer, but since she was standing by the deathbed of the only man she had ever loved, she wasn’t yet up to generosities.
“Maybe, in six months or so, you can call Alessandro up and talk. And by a call, I mean via phone and nothing else.”
Thea slowly nodded, her eyes going to the blanket-covered body behind Aly. She wouldn’t step away from his head, wouldn’t give a woman who had allowed his abuse to go on to look at his broken form.
“I hope he comes out of it. He deserves to be thoroughly loved without reservations,” the woman mumbled thoughtfully.
“He is thoroughly loved,” Aly assured her, crossing her arms in front of her body.
“How are you?” Thea asked, and Aly wanted to give a pert reply, but then she reconsidered.
“I have a broken son thanks to our family. He cried himself to utter exhaustion on his father’s lifeless body. I have a concussion, and while I’m heavily medicated, I can feel all the bruises your daughter caused me because they serve as a vivid reminder of what Jam has gone through for years. A man I loved all my life protected me, and I didn’t even know it. The way it looks, I won’t have a chance to make it all up to him, so what do you think? I’m alive, and for now, I guess that’s all I can ask for.”
Thea nodded and then turned just as a nurse came in. “You need to leave, Miss Rhyme. Your body needs rest and your son is awake, asking for you. That crazy woman told him to stay where he was.”
Crazy woman? Aly arched a brow. It had been a while since she’d heard Phil called that. “I’m going,” she promised.
“Yeah, he won’t go anywhere anyways,” the nurse replied nonchalantly, and Aly felt like committing murder.
“I think we need another nurse to watch over Jam,” Thea decided from the doorway, and Aly gratefully looked at her. For once, they were on the same page at least.
“Alessia, you’re still here.” The young doctor came back in, and Aly looked up. She had lost track of time, but she didn’t mind.
“I’ll be here until he either opens his eyes or his heart stops beating,” she replied. “Hey, Lucy.”
The woman came over, her straight hair falling down her shoulders, making her small face look even slimmer. “I brought you food,” she told Aly. Alessia just nodded.
“Thank you.”
“I brought you a Chai Latte, too,” Lucy went on and this time Aly’s head whipped up. “Honestly?” she asked, craving the sweetness.
“You’ll get it under one condition,” Lucy replied, settling down in the chair across from her. It was for whoever else visited Jam. Most of the time Greg sat there.
“What’s that?”
“Tell him good-bye and start living your life again. You are wasting away in front of my eyes, and I will not and cannot ignore that any longer.”
“Keep the Chai. He’s here because of me, and I left him once before already. It’s never going to happen again,” Aly insisted, her head whipping up just as Lucy jumped.
“He reacted to your promise,” she announced, and Aly quickly quenched all hope that was threatening to rise up.
“Watch,” she said, taking Jam’s hand. “Always and forever. That’s how long I’ll be yours,” she whispered, and there was a series of spikes in his brainwaves.
“Does that happen every time?”
“Every time I promise to stay with him,” she agreed, and Lucy turned to her.
“Okay, so you know it means nothing, right?” she asked and even though Alessia had tried hard to tell herself the same thing, it made her angry to hear it from Lucy’s lips.
“Forever, Jamison, right? You promised me.” Another irregular wave.
“Alessia,” Lucy started
“Always.” It was nothing more than a hushed whisper.
Utter silence spread in the room as the cardiogram registered an increased heart rate. Jam coughed between them, and Lucy jumped into action while Aly stood frozen.
“Mr. Loane, you’re awake,” Lucy exclaimed, and Jam coughed again then cleared his throat.
“I promised,” he rasped out, and Aly couldn’t do anything but stare. His head turned, his green eyes finding her.
“What? Disappointed now?” He wanted to know, forcing a smile even though it was clear how much pain he felt.
“Fucking idiot,” she fussed, feeling hot tears streamed down her face.
“Doc?” he asked, and Aly watched as Lucy paused.
“Mr. Loane?” Lucy inquired.
“Is it okay for me to be kissed?”
“Can you breathe?” she asked and then took the mask from his face. It sounded harsh, but at least he was drawing the air into his lungs all by himself, holding out a shaking hand to her. Aly wanted to weep with happiness. Maybe, just maybe, they had gotten a lucky break.
He hurt everywhere. Even the tip of his little toe hurt. But Jam felt it all. Every little bit. It made him want to call out in triumph, but then, his throat hurt, too. What he still needed to do, though, was to hold Aly just to make her realize he wouldn’t go anywhere.
Fighting against the darkness that had been ready to keep him under had been everything but easy, yet she had been his guiding light. Her voice had been present in his mind, and some words reminded him why he needed to fight the darkness.
Forever.
He had wanted that with her and nothing would ever be able to keep him from that.
“Aly,” he whispered, and she came closer, ignoring his hand while reaching for something that doctor woman held out. Ever so carefully, Aly reached out and lifted his head. Boy, it hurt like a bitch, and she instantly apologized as he winced. Holding a cup, she carefully let him take a sip from the straw, and the cool liquid eased his aching a little. His eyes never left her face, and his heart swelled with how much he loved her.
“You were really ready to sit by my side until it went one way or the other?” he asked, and she looked at him.
“I was ready to take you home and take care of you if you woke up and weren’t your smartass-self.”
“I didn’t want that for you,” he whispered. Talking hurt, but he wanted to speak to her.
“I wanted that for me,” she said decidedly, and he reached out with his good hand, the one that wasn’t in a cast, and cupped the back of her neck.
“One kiss,” he pleaded, and she wrinkled her nose. It was too cute.
“You don’t smell too good,” she teased, and he was about to protest when she lowered her lips to his anyway. “But I still love you,” she promised, and he couldn’t help but smile until he remembered why he had ended up here.
“Did I … did everything work?”
“Well, I officially am Alessandro’s mother now. Only we still need to have him renamed. And Thea Karmison swore that her daughter would be locked away. You saved your son and me,” she replied, and Jam couldn’t help it as a tear slipped down his cheeks.
“I hate to interrupt, but we need to run tests now that you are awake,” the doctor interrupted, and Jam noticed that she was blushing. Obviously, she wasn’t used to that much open affection. Oh, if Jam could do as he wanted …
“Sure,” Aly mumbled, stepping back. Jam wanted to protest; instead, he looked at her, keeping his eyes trained on her face. He knew they’d be together forever now, just as he had promised her.
Another ten years later…
Aly took a deep breath, looking at the snow-covered beach.
“Mom, are you coming?” Alessandro stuck his head out of the back door and rolled his eyes at her. “Terra will eat all the pudding if you do
n’t come,” he fussed, and she laughed.
“You can start without me,” she answered, and he came closer, easily towering over her. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, hesitating while watching her face.
“What is it, Mom?”
Twenty years of age and Alessandro didn’t mind the slightest to show his soft side. He had so much from his father that sometimes Aly wondered if he had any of her traits.
“It’s Christmas, Lesso,” she mumbled as a way of explanation, and he drew her to his chest. Would she ever get used to the fact that he was a muscle-packed, almost grown up man?
“Everything worked out. We are fine. Dad is here. You got a beautiful little daughter that I adore to pieces. And you have me, your son. You’ll always have me, Mom. Everything you've been through for me, all you’ve done … no one else can say that about their mother.”
She wiped away a tear, not stepping away. She wouldn’t ever cut a hug short, especially since Alessandro was ready to move out and live with his girlfriend. Aly loved her like a daughter, but still, letting Lesso go was hard. Very hard.
“Mom, can we eat? I’m starving,” Terra called from the inside.
“Brat,” Lesso called back, his tone loving.
“Cut it out, you two,” Jam’s voice came just before he appeared in the doorway. God, Aly loved him now more than ever. She wasn’t sure if that was really possible but still.
“Hey, beautiful,” Jamison greeted her, and Lesso let her go.
“Ugh, I rather go back inside. I feel PDA coming.” Lesso shook his head as if he was still ten years old and found kissing disgusting.
“Are we gonna do that melancholic thing every year, babe?” Jam asked and gently framed her face.
“I won’t ever stop reminding myself of how close I was to losing everything, Jam.”
“Things turned out perfect,” he reminded her, and she nodded. As her son had guessed, he leaned in and kissed her deeply, making her whole body tingle. She would never tire of the feeling of his lips against hers. “Come on.”
He grabbed her hand and drew her inside to the totally overflowing living room.
“Ah, beautiful Mrs. Loane,” Thomas greeted her, winking at Dorly. The two had hit it off the first time Aly had invited the judge to her house by the sea, and it made her heart swell that they both had found one another so late in their lives. Aly guessed they’d now live forever; that was how happy they seemed to be.
“Mom!” Terra jumped off her chair, and even though she had Jam’s green eyes, the girl looked every bit like her mother. Aly loved it.
“Let’s get started,” she decided, and everyone started to clap. Across the room, she caught the eye of her brother, and Greg slightly nodded at her. They finally had a huge family again, and while their parents probably were watching from heaven, she knew that everything was finally good.
The End
Thank you to my best friend Yvi and her little boy, who has the best mom ever. You two inspire me and make me feel the love! ;-)
Thank you to my betas Erica, Lucy, Staci, Aimie and Ewelina who always rock my life with their feedbacks and comments.
A huge shout out goes to my CS Chicks, as always. I love how well this thing between us works, because whenever I need encouragement, I know I can find it with you. Thank you.
Jenny Sims, your editing is very thorough and I’m super impressed and grateful I found you. Keep on rocking, girl.
Daniela, thank you so much for giving Aly and therefore AJ a face that makes it as beautiful on the outside as I hope the story is inside.
Terra, you crack me up, and have my back every damn time I need it. You are fun and tough and I wish I’d be just a bit like you.
Last but not least, the biggest thank you goes to all of you readers. Thank you for buying this book. Thank you for buying the rest of my books. Thank you for being the best readers in the world, because just one sentence from you makes my day. Come and talk to me if you want to. Tell me what you thought while reading. There’s nothing more fun. Thank you.
xoxo,
Once upon a time there was a young girl with her head full of dreams and her heart full of stories. Her parents, though not a unit, always supported her and told her more stories, encouraging her to become what she wanted to be. The problem was, young Sam didn't know what she wanted to be, so after getting her A-levels she started studying Computer Science and Media. After not even one year she realized it wasn't what her heart wanted, and so she stopped, staying home and trying to find her purpose in life. Through some detours she landed an internship and eventually an apprenticeship in a company that sells cell phones. Not a dreamy career, but hey. Today she's doing an accounting job from nine-to-five, which mainly consists of daydreaming and scribbling notes wherever she can.
All through that time little Sam never once lost the stories in her heart, writing a few little of them here and there, writing for and with her best friend, who always told her to take that last step.
Only when a certain twin-couple entered her mind, bothering her with ideas and talking to her nonstop did she start to write down their story - getting as far as thinking she could finish it. Through the help of some author friends, and the encouragement of earlier mentioned best friend, little Sam, now not so little anymore and in her twenty-seventh year, decided to try her luck as an Indie author. She finished the story of the first twin, Jaden, and realized she couldn't ever stop.
So, it really is only after five that the real Sam comes out. The one that hungers for love, romance, some blood, a good story, and, at the end of the day, a nice hot cup of Chai Tea Latte.
And if the boys are still talking to her, she'll write happily ever after.
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