by M. Skye
Tyree only hoped the plans panned out because he wanted to get back to the point where they didn’t have to walk on eggshells, but that would only be half the problem. With John back at Johnston, Tyree felt more unsure than ever. John had been behaving himself, but Tyree still thought it was odd. He seemed almost gleeful, as if he knew something they didn’t, even though he still hadn’t been allowed to return home. Karen had really surprised them all by putting her foot down and actually meaning it. She had never gone this far before, and Tyree only knew his assumptions were dead on when it came to her plans.
Trying to focus on work was becoming an almost impossible task every day for the Johnston trio. Miguel had returned with his “lapsed memory, ” and every time he was in the same room with John, Tyree could feel the tension. He had never seen his brother afraid of anything, but Miguel was definitely not his normal confident self, and Asha was no better.
Asha had been tiptoeing around them all like she had a secret of her own. Tyree almost thought she was going to tell him about it, but she clammed up every time she got close. The truth was, after everything they had been told, they weren’t sure where a safe place was to discuss anything. It was as if they were under constant surveillance, and Tyree didn’t feel like he could trust anyone but his siblings and mother.
Karen had never given him reason to doubt her, and he had been leaning on her for support through this whole ordeal. She didn’t know anything about the mess they were in, but she wasn’t stupid; she knew something was up. It was that very feeling, Tyree supposed, that had kept John out of the house. Tyree had a strong bond with his mother and knew she could sense his pain, but she never once asked him the question he knew was on her mind. He knew she wanted to know why he wasn’t with Mia.
After the blowup between him and her over Jake, he hadn’t been by her house, and she hadn’t come to see him. He would have been racked with grief if Rick and Cassandra hadn’t been keeping him updated about how she was doing. They told him she refused to stay at the main house with them, but Whitney and Jude had been staying at the house keeping her company. He was relieved that she wasn’t alone, even if he felt he was. He had been sharing a bed with Renee and, to keep her from getting too suspicious, he had been having sex with her.
To say the sex with Renee was unpleasant would be an understatement. It was like torture to him. He had grown so suspicious of her, and he had convinced himself she was hiding something. Kyan kept playing in his head; the things he said were what jumpstarted his suspicions.
Lying next to Renee every night was making him crazy. Every time she kissed him, he closed his eyes and thought about Mia and the last time he touched her soft lips. Even though they were angry kisses, he wanted them. He needed them at that moment. He had to show her that, no matter what happened with Jake, he was the one who owned her body and, for a brief moment in time, they were those two people who meant everything to one another.
Tyree’s mind drifted to better times. He was really going through a lot to keep Mia safe, and she didn’t even know it. Although his intentions were great, he couldn’t help the voice in the back of his mind that told him it was for nothing. After all he had done, Mia was still in town, much to his dismay.
When Tyree saw Asha standing in the doorway watching him, he put down what he was doing and smiled. “Hey, baby girl. It’s getting late. What are you still doing here?”
“I saw your light on and thought I’d say good night to you. I’ve just been a little uneasy leaving you two here after what happened to Miguel,” she said honestly.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself, and Miguel will be fine. I won’t leave until he is out of the building. I promise.”
“Why don’t you just go now? You could go by and see—”
He held up his hand, cutting her off. “We’ve discussed this, and you know I won’t be doing that. It’s in the past, so let’s move on. She made her choice on that matter long ago. I’m trying to build with Renee now, you know that.” He shifted his head to the side slightly. Picking up on his double meaning, she nodded, and he looked down, grabbing his cell.
“Well, I guess we have to agree to disagree this time, but I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m gonna go get dinner started for Terence and Meelah.”
“Kiss my niece for me.” He grinned before focusing back on his phone. Asha was in the hallway when her phone buzzed, and she retrieved it to look at the message.
I wish I could say that I miss her out loud. God, I miss her, and I miss my son. I wish I could hold her in my arms, but I know I can’t. I feel like I’m suffocating without her. I have to put on this fake smile and act like I’m not dying inside when all I want is her.
Her response hit him like a knife in the chest because it was all he wanted to do but he knew he couldn’t.
Call her. Tell her this. Tell her everything. She can take it, and once that girl has the baby, you sue for custody. You don’t have to ruin your life to protect your child.
His response went out a minute later: I wish it were that easy. Thank you for letting me vent to you, baby girl. I love you. Be safe.
Shaking his head, he couldn’t help the grin that appeared with her last message.
It is that easy. Think about what I said. You deserve to be happy. I love you too. You get out of that place before you go crazy.
Tyree gave a small laugh at her response, and he went back to what he was working on. They had several big deals set up in Europe that he had to oversee, and he wanted to make sure he had combed through every detail before he signed off on anything. He had to be sure at least that part of his life was going perfectly when everything else was in shambles.
While Tyree worked for a few more hours, he knew Miguel was down the hall doing the same. One of the traits he shared with both of his siblings was that they were all dedicated to the job. They always gave everything they had to it. They shared this with John, but his devotion outweighed theirs. It was almost like he was obsessed with the business, obsessed with being number one.
Just as Tyree was coming to a stopping point, he set his papers down and sighed. He knew Renee would be home waiting for him, and it made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to be in the same room with her, let alone have her falling all over him like he knew she would. She was really starting to work his last nerve, and all the constant complaining about her pregnancy was pissing him off.
Mia had never been so unpleasant. She treated her pregnancy like it was the best time of her life. She was always reading to Kyan and telling him loving things in the womb. He really missed those times: those blissful moments when he would catch her standing near the window, gazing out, running her hand up and down her rounded belly. They were perfect. Tyree’s smile widened on his face as he thought about Mia. He hadn’t seen her in so long, and he wanted to. He wanted to hear her voice and see her beautiful smile. Closing his eyes, he tried to envision her and then he heard her sweet voice beginning to crowd his brain.
After a few minutes of his sinful delusions, he swore he felt her touch, smelled her scent. Not wanting to break from his daydream, he kept his eyes closed, mumbling her name. He kept mumbling until he heard his name spoken lightly and felt a hand run down his neck. Opening his eyes slowly, his smile deepened when he saw her. Her hair was draped over her shoulders, her makeup was flawless, and those eyes, the ones he used to see his future in, sparkled brightly. He hadn’t seen her look this amazing in quite some time. She had a glow about her that left him speechless until she spoke again. His name rolled off her tongue, and he had to fight the urge to pull her into his lap.
“Kit . . . Mia, what are you doing here?” He wanted to kick himself for his lack of restraint.
“We haven’t spoken since you were there last and I couldn’t leave things like that between us. I know you hate me and you probably should, but I just needed you to know that he hasn’t been back since then. I would never let him come into our bed. No matter what we go through I
would never be that disrespectful.”
Tyree just smiled at her rambling, and he reached over to give her hand a gentle squeeze. “I don’t hate you, you know that, and I’m sorry I blew up the way I did. I had no right, and you don’t have to explain things to me. We’ve been through so much, and we can’t treat each other that way, no matter what. We have a beautiful son to think about, and I will always be grateful to you for the wonderful job you’ve done.”
“Don’t you mean what we’ve done? You’re his father, and he loves you. He looks up to you so much.”
“I know, but I haven’t been there as much as I should have. I just don’t want to make that mistake with this one. I can’t have them grow up and end up hating me.”
“You will do great, Ty.” The look on her face said she was going to dread her next statement. “Just be there for her and give her the you I know, and you will be great. You really made me feel special. Like I was the most important thing to you.”
“You are.” He caught himself. “You were.”
“You are too.” She smiled and turned to leave.
“Mia,” he called out.
“Yeah?”
“Why don’t you just get out of here? I know being here has to be hard and me acting like an ass . . . You just deserve a break. Go join Ky, enjoy the beaches, and kick your feet in the sand.”
“As much as I would like to do that, I can’t. He’s safe, and he’s having so much fun, and I miss him, but I’m needed here. I can’t leave until I know everything will be okay. I can’t leave my family.”
Tyree nodded and tried to force a smile. As much as he wanted her gone, he knew she needed to do this. She had to be thinking of Rick and Cassandra, trying to help them pick up the pieces of their broken family. At that moment, he loved her even more for putting them over the heartache he knew she was feeling because of him.
“I understand, but I wish you would go. I need you to. You take care of yourself and please . . .” He paused, trying to gather his emotions.
“Please, what?”
“Be safe. If you feel any inkling that something is wrong, you call me. I don’t care what it is, I’ll be there.”
“What about—”
“Mia, I don’t care,” he cut her off. “You still mean something to me.”
She smiled sadly and, for the first time, he saw the calm front she was trying to keep up waver. “Yeah, I’m something, just not enough to mean everything. Not anymore.” Before he could say anything, she backed closer to the door and rushed out into the hallway.
He knew letting her leave was the best decision, but it was one he couldn’t stand by. He needed to make sure she would be okay, considering that all the pain she was in was his fault.
When Tyree raced out of the office, he was running so fast, trying to catch her, he completely missed Miguel leaning his head out into the hallway trying to find the source of the commotion. Miguel sat watching Tyree search the hallway frantically before he found Mia leaning against the elevator door in tears. He watched as Tyree ran a hand down her arm and pulled her to him. He couldn’t be sure what the argument was about, but he knew he was damn tired of seeing them this way. He knew his brother was going through hell without her, and she seemed to be doing the same.
Watching the way Tyree was with her sparked an idea in his mind and, as if sensing his thoughts, Melvin, the building’s head of security, stepped over doing his nightly rounds. Motioning for Melvin to join him, Miguel slipped into his office, shutting the door behind him. With a devious smirk, Miguel filled Melvin in on his plan and asked what they could do to make it happen. Melvin too caught the devious grin and walked out quietly, telling Miguel to follow closely behind him. The two men slipped down the stairs Melvin had just vacated, and they disappeared down the long halls.
Tyree was still tending to Mia, and Miguel and Melvin were gone, so no one noticed John peeking out, watching everything. He had been in the office the entire time, waiting to see what would happen with his son and the girl he had grown to despise more than anything. He saw her when she first arrived, and he figured she would come in and throw him off his game.
Sure enough, here Tyree was in the hallway, blubbering like an idiot trying to get her to calm down. He always thought Mia was bad news; now he only saw her as weak. A weak individual who needed to be handled once and for all if his son was going to be the man he needed him to be. While Tyree still hadn’t looked up to see the old man brooding down the hall, John slipped back into his office with his wretched thoughts taking over his entire night.
Tyree ran his hands up and down Mia’s back as he whispered in her ear. He could tell she was going through so much and was trying to keep it all bottled up. He was one of the few people who could always draw out her truths and make her feel at peace with whatever was haunting her. He wanted to be that again even though he knew he shouldn’t.
“What’s wrong? You can talk to me. I swear I’ll just listen.” He felt her shoulders move up and down with the tears and he felt like an ass. He was responsible for this. He was the reason for her pain. He knew his decisions had affected her, but he never wanted this. He felt responsible for breaking the one woman he loved more than his own life. Feeling the guilt rise in his chest, he pulled her back, running his hand down her wet cheek. “I know I was wrong and I hurt you so much, but you have to believe me, I’m sorry. I never wanted this for us. All I’ve ever wanted was to be with you. I wanted to be so much better than this.”
Looking into his sorrowful gaze, Mia shook her head. “It’s not just you. I’ve done and said things I never should have. If I had just followed my heart instead of listening to things being shoved in my face, we would still be together. We would be with our son and probably have other children to love. You wouldn’t be tied to that girl, and we would be happy.”
Tyree put his forehead to hers, knowing that what she said was true, but he was still struggling with his role in it. “You deserve so much more than this.” He looked up, hearing the ding of the elevator.
Slipping out of his arms, she found her way to the elevator and gave him a forced smile. “It’s okay. Don’t feel guilty. We both had a hand in this, and now I have to let you be free. I don’t want you carrying around our mistakes on your shoulders. Forgive yourself, because I’ve forgiven you, and I’m sorry.”
Tyree watched as the elevator door began to close. In his mind, it was symbolic. She said she forgave him, and now the door was closing on that chapter in his life, but he couldn’t help the pain that shot through him with the realization. The elevator was almost closed when he kicked his foot in, forcing the door back open. He saw the surprised look on her face, and he rushed in, wrapping his hands around her face.
“No.”
She looked stunned, confused, and unsure of what was going on. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not leaving me, not like this.” He knew he shouldn’t be saying this so openly, but he was past the point of caring. Things were a mess, and if she refused to leave, all he could do was be there for her.
“But I thought you wanted . . . You asked me to go. You said you needed me to go.”
“I know what I said, and it’s what I need because being with me, around me, only complicates your life. Letting you go would be the most noble thing for me to do, but I’m selfish. I can’t let go of you; you’re the biggest part of my life besides my kids, and I can’t let you go.”
“You have to. You have to think of your child.”
“I can’t breathe without you. I’m drowning, kitten. I need you to go, but I want you to stay. God, I wish things could just work in our favor for once. I just wish we could catch a break.”
“I love you so much. I can’t imagine if I could never be with you again. It’s something I can’t allow myself to think about.”
“Then don’t.” His hands, which had been framing her face, slipped down. One hand was on her neck and one on the small of her back, pulling her to him in a rough kiss. He
r breathing became shallow, and her body began to tremble, feeling him pressing up against her. Just as he saw her begin to lose herself and let go of any inhibitions, the elevator jolted and came to a stop. Tyree pressed himself harder against her, turning his back and bracing his arms against the wall in a protective stance. “You okay?”
Nodding slowly, she pressed her chin into the back of his shoulder. “I think so. What was that?”
Grabbing her hand, he pressed a light kiss on it; and then he walked up to the buttons, pushing them and trying to figure out what caused the problem. He pressed several buttons and felt nothing happen. He was attempting to remain calm, but the more buttons he pushed, the more he came to realize they were stuck. Trying not to alarm her, he turned with a simple smile.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. Don’t freak out. I’ll just call down to the security booth and see what’s up. You just stay right there.”
Tyree walked over, breaking into a light sweat, and pressed another button and waited for Melvin’s response. He waited for a few seconds and felt relief wash over him when he heard Melvin’s voice on the other end.
“Hey, man, what’s going on with the elevator? We’re stuck. Are you guys doing some kind of maintenance or something?”
His smile fell with Melvin’s response. “Uh, actually, there is a problem. The elevator isn’t working properly. They haven’t been for a few hours. I’ve contacted some repairmen, and they should be here in a few hours. Until then, I’m afraid you’re stuck.”
