Those thoughts were interrupted when raised voices echoed off the walls into the bedroom. They were still far enough away so I knew they were coming from somewhere downstairs, which made me feel relieved as I assumed it would be on the other side of my door at that point. I stood up and stepped slowly to the door and locked it. I felt like a child pressing my ear against the door, but I wanted to hear what was happening. The curiosity got the best of me. The door was a heavy thick piece of oak and let very little in, including sound.
I strained to make out what was being said, but I only heard raised voices and not words. It was loud murmuring filled with anger and passion. I looked at the water glass on the nightstand and grabbed it. I didn’t know if the glass to the wall trick was something that actually worked but might as well give it a try. I pressed it to the wall and my ear on the other end. I was surprised. It did work, sort of. It made the noise louder but not clearer. I still could not make out what they were saying.
I gave up. There was no point, as I could not change the past. I moved away from the window and crawled into bed.
I was exhausted from emotion and felt beyond drained. The thought of sleeping and giving my mind a vacation by having sweet dreams felt like the right thing to do at the moment. I must have been very tired because I soon fell into a deep slumber.
***
I awoke later. I had no idea how much time passed. I crawled out of bed.
Then I heard yelling. Now it all came flooding back. I had forgotten that I fell asleep because I was a prisoner in this room while Mark dealt with Karen. I couldn’t take this anymore. I was leaving. I needed to get to my car. I grabbed my purse and car keys and snuck down the stairs. I managed to get to the front door and escape. However, the door closed loudly behind me.
“Is that her? Is that the whore you have staying in our house?” she yelled at him.
“Karen. Stop this. Come back inside. You are being a fool.” Mark said it sternly but it was loud enough for me to hear and it was obvious she was coming out the door. I went quickly to my car and opened the door.
I didn’t know what to do. I was embarrassed by her insults. Though she had every right to call me that, considering I had played the part of the other woman. It still felt awful. I sat in my car and turned the engine on. I saw Karen come out the door.
I looked at her in her fury and distressed state of fear. I had not seen her since the hospital. I forgot how stunning she was. Her long blonde hair was set against very pale skin with striking blue eyes and full lips. She was tall and thin and had an elegance to her when she moved. She was still elegant even when she was yelling and being crazy like she was then.
I looked at Mark for some sign of what to do. I needed guidance. Mark looked up at me and motioned for me to leave.
“Is this her?” She yelled at Mark. “Is this the whore you’ve been hiding? She was in the house the whole time? You are unbelievable!”
I didn’t want to acknowledge her at all. I wanted to leave as quickly as possible. I put the car in drive.
“Where do you think you are going? You slut. Mark is mine! That’s right, leave and never come back!” she yelled after me. Mark pulled her back. I was realizing just how crazy she must be.
“Do not talk like that to her!” Mark yelled at her as I drove away.
I was surprised by his defense of me, as I wasn’t expecting anything. I was not used to anyone standing up for me. I usually had to do it myself. I was so focused on leaving as soon as possible that I didn’t even give a thought to my feelings, or that anyone else should. I drove slowly to my apartment and waited for a call from Mark. It never came. I fell asleep with the phone in my hand.
Then two nights later, I was in a deep sleep. I was sleeping like a baby because the past few nights had me so exhausted from hours and hours of waiting to hear from Mark. Then I heard something that woke me up. It was my door buzzer. I looked at the clock. It was two a.m. I walked to the door and slowly pulled it open. It was Mark. He looked disheveled and worried.
CHAPTER 10 - Separation
“Mark? How did you get here? You shouldn’t be driving.” I was truly concerned, as he did not look well. His blue eyes weren’t as bright as they usually were and he did not have that glow about him.
“I took a cab. Can I come in?” he whispered.
I moved aside and let him in. I closed the door behind us.
“I’m sorry I waited so long to contact you. There’s something I need to tell you but I was struggling with whether I should or if it would make a difference.”
“Okay, I’m listening,” I sat on the edge of the bed and listened as he told me a very long story. It was about Karen and everything that he had went through with her up to that point.
He said that after I left she told him that she wanted to get back together. But the weird thing was that she somehow knew that he would be going back to work. She was after his money once more.
I listened with complete disbelief. How could anyone so stunning be that crazy? I would almost think he was lying if I had not experienced a little of her crazy myself a few days ago.
He continued on and the story got worse. Karen continued to be persistent with Mark, trying to win over his affections by constantly being around him. He again tried to explain to her that they were not a couple anymore and that he wanted a divorce. She was not happy about this and declared that she was pregnant with Mark’s child. Being the man that he is he accepted her word and prepared to take on the responsibilities of fatherhood. Then after some time, he forced her to take a test and she was not pregnant.
Of course, it turned out that she was lying and faked the entire thing to force him to get back with her. Mark sat next to me on the bed and was silent for a few seconds. I tried to take it all in. Then he said, “That’s it. That’s all of it. I had to know the truth before I contacted you because I didn’t know what was happening.”
“I see. I’m in shock. I had no idea.”
He grabbed my hand in his and continued, “I wasn’t rejecting you. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to go down that path. A romantic path with you to explore it and see what could be, but she wouldn’t allow it. I didn’t want any harm to come to you; I have no idea what she’s capable of. That’s why I just stayed away from you until I figured things out. I’m very sorry that you had to endure that. I hope that one day you will forgive me.”
“I forgive you, Mark.”
“I honestly don’t know what to do. My attorneys are encouraging me to place a restraining order on her so that she has to keep her distance and maybe it will make her get out of my life completely and grant that divorce. I agree with them, but I haven’t been able to do it. She is still a woman and I would never treat a woman as badly as that. Besides I know what it’s like to want someone and not be able to have them.”
I sighed involuntarily as soon as the words escaped his mouth. When he talked to me like that, so honest and genuine, I melted. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to tell me he loved me. I wanted him, all of him, period.
He leaned over and kissed me. His kiss was soft and sensual and then he parted my lips with his tongue. He explored my mouth slowly. He placed his hand on my lower back and the other on my face. I was melting slowly. I let it linger as I didn’t want it to stop but I knew I had to. I pulled away.
“Mark, we still can’t. You are still married after all.”
“You’re right. I just wanted to come tell you what was going on. I’m going to fix this, Latoya. I promise you. You are the one for me. You are the one that nursed me back to health. I’m going to fix this,” he kissed me on the forehead. We fell asleep on the couch spooning and cuddling, but that was all.
***
Two weeks passed and I didn’t hear from Mark at all. I was starting to worry. Had he decided to stay with Karen? Had she caught him in another manipulative lie? I desperately wanted to go to his house, but I didn’t dare. I went to work and did my normal routine getting my life together.
It was good to immerse myself into work and hang out with friends. I needed to stay distracted.
I went to dinner with my friend Jon. We treated ourselves to a fancy restaurant and had an elegant meal. I ate the pot roast with vegetables and had a very rich chocolate dessert. We drank two bottles of wine and had some laughs. When I got home that night, I realized that I was drunk. I passed out on the couch in my clothes.
In the middle of the night I awoke to my door buzzer. I was feeling out of it still and unsure if it was my door I was hearing or if I was having a dream. Once I was fully awake I knew it was my door. I went to the intercom. It was Mark. I felt sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to talk to him. I hadn’t the strength to continue on with the drama, but I let him in anyway. I shrugged my shoulders at myself. I didn’t care anymore if I was at my best.
I looked at the clock. It was four in the morning. I opened it and Mark stood there. He looked tired and restless, almost as bad as I did.
He wandered into my apartment and sat on the sofa without saying a word. I was too sleepy to think it was odd. I sat down next to him. I wasn’t going to put any more energy into this. I sat back and sank into the cushions.
He put his hand on my leg and sat back with me.
“I’m sorry, Latoya. I’ve been selfish.”
I looked at him and put my hand on top of his.
“I know,” I said.
“It’s over. I finally got her to sign the divorce papers. It wasn’t easy, but it’s done.”
“Seriously?” I asked in shock.
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing, really. We just fought for days and days and I met with my attorney constantly. He said I had a good case because she abandoned me in my time of need. Being in an accident. The vows do say for better or worse.”
“That’s awful.”
“But he’s right. I will spare you the rest. It’s been a long and emotional battle. I never want to do that again.”
“It’s very sad and I’m sorry. But I have to ask, where do I fit in with all of this?”
“It’s complicated, and I’m sorry you got mixed up in this.”
“Me too.”
“I’m not proud of my behavior. I would never cheat on my wife, or so I thought. I don’t want you to think I’m that type of man.”
“I know you are not.”
“I would never cheat on you, Latoya. Do you care for me at all? Do you love me?”
I gave him a dirty look. How dare he!
“You know that I do! I think it’s been obvious…”
He didn’t let me finish my sentence. He grabbed me and pulled me close. His mouth covered mine and he kissed me with a longing that I felt too.
When he stopped, I looked at him, his blue eyes were full of sincerity and I felt connected to him. I felt really connected to him without the coy games. It felt different though I couldn’t explain it. All walls and obstacles were gone. Everything was out in the open and it felt good. Then he said, “I want you to move in with me. That is if you want to? I would love it if you would consider it.”
I was silent.
“Do you want me to move in as your girlfriend or your nurse?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“No, as my girlfriend. As my lover, and best friend. Latoya, you’re the one. I want you with me. Let’s live together and take it from there, one day at a time. Will you? Once the divorce is final we can work on our wedding plans?”
“Wedding?”
“Yes, that is if you will marry me?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. It was everything I wanted to hear. It was the commitment I needed from him. I had to know if he was serious about me and now I did. It was perfect.
“Yes, I will.”
He kissed me again and I felt goose bumps all over my body. He stood up and scooped me up in his arms and carried me to my bed. He tore off my night slip and made love to me. It was the last time we made love in my apartment. From that point on, we made love in our shared bedroom in his apartment. We christened the entire place with our lovemaking, and that’s saying a lot because it is very big.
As for the rest, Mark healed completely and went back to work as a top surgeon. The divorce was finalized and Karen was finally out of our lives.
Six months after I moved in, Mark and I were off on an adventure. We arrived in Paris. We went to dinner, drinks, and dancing and then we went to the top of The Eiffel tower where he proposed properly with a ring.
It was unbelievable. After all we went through, we finally ended up together. I finally had his heart and his loyalty. My life had changed so much since we first became friends. We had crossed the friendship line and after months and months, and lots of heartache, we were together.
I never thought my life would have a happy ending after all the drama and tragedy that went with it. Yet here I was. I was with the man I loved and we were bonded.
We got married at the beach house we visited that one weekend. It was simple and elegant with our dearest friends. It was the perfect and most memorable way to get married that we could think of. Spending our wedding night in the beach house like we had done almost a year before. I couldn’t be happier with it. For our honeymoon, we couldn’t decide on one destination so I came up with a plan that pleased both of us. We visited several places. We visited several places in Europe and then in the Caribbean. Our bonds were made and planted all over the world and they were stronger than ever. I was his wife, his lover, his friend. But most importantly, I was happy.
The End
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More Titles By Violet (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
Falling For The Doctor
Her world torn apart, Sherina calls off the wedding to the man of her dreams…
With a week left before her wedding to her dream man, Sherina was sitting on top of the world. This strong willed woman had the perfect fiancé, was about to land a great new job in New York, and had a super supportive best friend. But this all came crumbling down, when she came back early from her interview to share the great news with her future husband.
What she saw tore her world apart, and shattered it into a billion tiny pieces before her eyes. Her best friend and her fiancé were making love together. After being frozen with shock, she throws a fit and calls off the wedding. She decides to take the new job she got in New York and just leave this all behind, allowing herself to heal.
But they say the past follows you no matter where you go, and after feeling very sick, she takes a pregnancy test only to find out she's pregnant with a cheater's baby!
Her world collapses in on itself yet again, and she decides to confirm the pregnancy with a doctor. After several nervous days, she finally gets a chance to see a doctor, but there is something very different about this physician. The way he looks at her almost makes her forget about all her sorrows, and her body lights up with fire when he touches her.
The Doctor lets Sherina know that the pregnancy test was false and she actually isn't pregnant. They end up hitting it off, and through a few chance encounters start a relationship together. After a few months they are totally inseparable, until Sherina finds something at the Doctor’s house that shatters her world all over again…
Love works in mysterious ways, but does this new couple have a future together?
Will Sherina be able to mend her wounds and find love with the Doctor?
Doctor's Love
Meeka Brown has been having a tough life. After a robbery gone wrong took the life of her husband, Meeka was left alone to struggle to raise her son for the last two years on a waitress's salary.
Her job as a waitress is nothing but
stress, and she juggles an online degree, while her boss makes her life miserable. It seems like she just can't catch a break. She finds herself driving home from work one night when her car breaks down and she has to walk the rest of the way home.
On her way home, a friendly stranger offers her a ride, but she declines. He persists, and he doesn't seem like the usual creeps that hit on her and her babysitter is on the clock, so she decides to take a ride with him, keeping her pepper spray close by of course.
He turns out to be an absolute gentleman, and a doctor, who just has a totally different attitude towards life. He seems like he comes from a totally different world from her, but she feels a connection. It doesn't hurt that she's been going through a two year dry spell too.
The next morning, she miraculously finds her car all fixed up, with a note from the Doctor asking her out. She thinks nothing of it, and chalks it up to either a rich guy looking to feel good about himself, or someone just trying to get into her pants.
But after finally getting some alone time for herself, and with the helpful encouragement of her mother, she decides to give him a call. And she is so glad she did, because they fall madly in love together. They date for the next few months and become even more infatuated with each other. They become so close that she even finally decides to introduce him to her son. When the doctor meets her son, his face goes pale white, as he discovers a disturbing secret.
Their relationship stays great for the next little while until she gets into a car accident and learns they are connected in a way that she would not have imagined. To top it all off, while she is in the hospital she finds out that she is pregnant.
Will this disturbing secret keep them apart? Or will their love overcome all odds and bring them together again?
The Nurse's Secret Love (BWWM Romance) Page 6
