by Brent, Amy
“How long does the process take? You know, to see if we’re matches or not?” my father asked.
“First, we deal with the questionnaire. Once that passes our standards, the blood test. That has to come back, which takes at least twenty-four hours, and then we schedule the biopsy. Certain biological conditions have to take place for the liver biopsy to render accurately, and creating those conditions takes a few days. All in all, the process takes about a week.”
“Will she last that long?”
My father asked the question in such a small voice that I didn’t even recognize it.
“We’re going to do everything we can do make sure she does, Mr. Browning.”
I sat back down in my chair and quickly began filling out the questionnaire, but my father only stared at the wall. His face was blank and his eyes were unwavering. It made me sick to see him like that. I put my clipboard off to the side and stood up, then wrapped my arms around my father and drew him into me.
For the first time in my life, I comforted my father while he cried.
Ana
“Aunt Kristi, catch!”
I laughed as a ball bounced off the side of my best friend’s head.
“Hey!” she exclaimed.
“You didn’t catch,” I said, shrugging.
“You didn’t give me a fighting chance, you little booger,” Kristi said.
“Catch me, Aunt Kristi!”
Brody ran outside and Kristi chased after him. I stood on the porch and laughed as the two of them played their own personal game of tag. Brody would smack her leg and Kristi would tackle him to the ground. Then Brody headed for the water hose and I knew Kristi was in trouble.
“Hey! That’s an unfair advantage!” she exclaimed.
“Run, Aunt Kristi!” I said through my laughter. “Run!”
As Brody turned on the hose and chased after his aunt, my cell phone rang. I backtracked into the house and picked it up off the table, not bothering to see who was calling.
“This is Ana,” I said.
“Hey.”
Tyler sniffled on the other end of the line, and I instantly switched into protective mode.
“Tyler? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I need to see you. Please.”
“Tell me what’s wrong,” I said.
“Ana?”
I held my hand up to Kristi as she stood there, drip-drying in the doorway.
“Did I bother you? I’m so sorry—”
“Tyler, stop it and talk to me. What’s going on?”
I looked back at Kristi, and she furrowed her brow at me.
“It’s Mom,” he said.
“What happened to your mom?”
“She’s in the hospital, Ana. She’s got—”
My stomach dropped to the floor as my eyes connected with Kristi’s. She shooed me with her hands before she went to tend to Brody, and I grabbed my purse from the kitchen. I dug my keys out as Tyler composed himself on the other end of the line.
“I need you to take deep breaths, okay?” I said.
I ran out the front door and to my car before I whipped the door open.
“She’s got cirrhosis, Ana.”
“I’m so sorry, Tyler.”
“She’s in the ICU at Ronald Reagan.”
“I’m on my way to the hospital now.”
“I’m not there. I just—my father’s there with her and the ICU only lets one person in the room at a time. Her withdrawals are bad, Ana. They’re so bad.”
“Where are you?” I asked.
“I’m at my office, but I can’t focus.”
“Where’s your office?”
“You don’t have to—”
“Damn it, Tyler. Stop fighting me. Where’s your fucking office?”
“1418 Solemn Drive. I’m on the top floor.”
“Fancy stuff. I’ll be there soon, okay?”
“Will you stay on the phone with me?”
“Of course. When did this all happen, Tyler?”
I tore out of the driveway as Brody and Kristi came running into the front yard. They were playing with one another as if I hadn’t just left, and I was thankful for it. I didn’t want to upset Brody with my reaction to what was going on. Nor did I want him asking me questions.
Not with Tyler on the phone.
“She was admitted yesterday. Dad said she collapsed on the floor at home with yellow eyes and he called an ambulance. She needs a liver transplant.”
“Are you and your father being tested as potential donors?” I asked.
“We are. I just got back from having blood drawn to be tested.”
“How is your mother holding up?”
He drew in a shaky breath as I wheeled myself around the corner. I’d never heard Tyler so distraught in my life. Knowing he had gone through this an entire day by himself made my heart ache. I stayed on the phone with him as I made my way through town, finally finding Solemn Drive.
“I’m almost there. Are you still in your office?”
“I am,” he said.
“Good. Once I park I’m coming up to you. Okay?” I asked.
“Okay.”
“Then we’ll talk. Or sit there. Or cry. Or whatever it is you want to do.”
“Ana?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for picking up the phone.”
“I’ll be up there soon, Tyler.”
I hung up the phone reluctantly and found myself a parking space. I raced across the street, slamming through the front glass doors of the building. I ran to the elevator and caught it just before the doors closed, then pressed the button for the top floor. People kept glancing at me as I gasped to catch my breath, and I felt sweat trickling down the back of my neck. Fuck only knew what I looked like running through that lobby, but I didn't care.
Tyler was aching, and I felt my heart breaking for him.
Everyone poured out on all the other levels, leaving only me to ride to the top. The doors opened and I stepped off, scanning the floor. It was nice. The carpet was plush underneath my feet and the walls were a bright white. The few decorative items were in rich, thick colors: blacks, deep blues, and dark greens.
It was a really nice contrast to the light pouring in from the windows that surrounded the space.
“Ana?”
I whipped my head down the hallway and saw Tyler step out of an office. It seemed as if he was the only one up here. I took off down the hallway as he opened his arms to me, and I rushed into his embrace. His face dropped to my shoulder and he began to cry tears I’d never known him to have. I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could, my purse falling to the ground in the process.
“I’m right here, Tyler. I’m here.”
“Thank you so much for coming,” he said.
“It’s not a problem. I swear. Come on, let’s get you sitting down.”
I picked up my purse and escorted him back into his office. He closed the door behind us, and I gazed around the room at the deep mahogany furniture that filled it. There were bookcases stacked with books and a sprawling desk with mounds of paperwork. Leather furniture sat in the corners, no doubt so clients felt more comfortable during private meetings.
Tyler’s hand fell to the small of my back and he escorted me to a small leather couch in the corner. Then the two of us sat down.
“How bad is it?” I asked.
I took his hands in mine. Seeing him this way ached my soul, and in that moment I would’ve done anything to take his pain away.
“I peeked in on her and Dad before I left, and it was bad. She was shaking so violently, and she was crying for a drink. Literally crying, Ana, begging my father just for one sip.”
“My gosh,” I whispered.
“In one day, it looks like she’s just wasted away—no pun intended. Her eyes are so yellow, you can’t even tell they’re brown anymore. Her skin looks like this sickly sort of—”
I put my hand up to wipe away his tears, and he nuzzled his cheek i
nto the palm of my hand.
“I know it seems bleak right now, but everything’s going to be okay, Tyler. Your mother’s a strong woman. She raised you. She puts up with your hard-headed father. Once she gets through these withdrawals, she’s going to be better for it. You know that.”
“What if she doesn’t make it, Ana? What if this is it for her?”
“Don’t think like that. You can’t. She needs all the positive energy she can get right now.”
“My father told me so many things, so many instances when he tried to help her and she fought tooth and nail to keep drinking. Did you know my father enrolled her into rehab? Four times?”
“He what?” I asked.
“Yeah. It was a shock to me, too. He tried to pack up with me and leave twice, hoping it would shock some sense into her, but nothing worked. He said he caught her one time faking her sobriety and then drinking wine over the damn bathroom sink at night.”
“Oh Tyler, I’m so sorry,” I said breathlessly.
“Is it bad that part of me hopes this is the end for her?”
I furrowed my brow as Tyler raised his watery, red gaze to mine.
“Is it bad that I know she’s wrestling with some sort of demon and I feel like death might provide her some sort of peace? I mean, to be that determined to drink, there’s clearly a darkness someone’s fighting off. Maybe this is the only way for her to get the rest she needs.”
I wiped his tears away before I ran my fingers through his hair.
“I don’t have an answer for you on that one. The sentiment comes from a place of love, so that’s a good thing. And it makes sense. All we can do is take it one day at a time and see if they can find her a donor. Maybe once she gets through the withdrawals, she’ll be so far past the cravings that she won’t want to go back to drinking. Maybe this was the only way to get her sober.”
“I didn’t think about it like that. Thank you, Ana.”
“Anytime, Tyler. You know I’m here.”
His eyes connected with mine before they fell to my lips. I knew what was about to happen. I also knew I wouldn't fight it. He obviously needed a distraction, and I wanted to give him what he needed.
Truth be told, I enjoyed his touch a little too much to push him away.
His face fell to mine and electricity blinded my vision. His tongue pushed past my lips and dipped down the back of my throat, touching every part of me at once. If this was all I could give him, then I would freely give it. If this was the distraction he needed, then I would make it the best damn one he could have.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, quickly sliding his hands underneath my shirt. He worked his way up to my bra and unsnapped it in a fluid motion as our lips swelled against one another’s.
“Oh, Ana,” he groaned.
His hands came around my body to cup my tits and stroke my nipples to painful peaks.
“Take whatever you want from me,” I whispered.
Then his hands found my ass. He cupped my thick cheeks and hoisted me up from the couch.
Tyler
I needed her. I needed her more than I needed air. More than food. More than water. More than life itself. And feeling her easily give in to me made my cock throb against my pants. We were in my office and it was unprofessional, but I didn't give a shit. It was a random Tuesday night in the middle of the week, and no one was going to walk into my damn office at seven o’clock at night.
But just to make sure, I held her against my body as I walked over and locked my office door.
Her ass felt like putty in the palms of my hands. I walked her over to my desk and sat her on the edge of it, devouring her lips with mine. I sucked on her lower lip, my hands finding the hem of her shirt. I ripped the clothing over her head and discarded her bra on the floor before dipping my mouth to her bosom. Fuck. Her nipples tasted so good. They were so hard against my tongue as I flicked and nibbled. Her head fell back and she sighed into my office, filling the cavernous space with her sounds.
“Yes, Tyler. That feels so good.”
I kissed all along her body, down her voluptuous stomach and on the insides of her thighs. I peeled her clothes away, exposing her beautiful curves to me before my hands inched up her legs. I pressed her knees apart and smelled her scent, allowed her womanhood to fill the space of my office.
But she pushed me back before she slid off my desk and dropped to her knees.
“Ana, what are you—?”
She ripped my belt out of my pants and tossed it into the corner.
“Ana, you don’t have to—”
She undid the button and zipper of my pants before pulling them down my legs.
“Ana, I want to—”
“Shut up, Tyler.”
She pulled my aching cock from my boxers and slid it down her throat. I stumbled backward, my legs colliding with the chair behind me before my ass hit the seat. Ana crawled on her knees before me, not once releasing my cock as her naked body blanketed my lap. Her head bobbed up and down, encompassing me in a tightness and warmth that made my toes curl in my shoes.
“Oh shit, Ana. Fuck. Don’t stop.”
She hummed around my dick, making my entire body tremble for her. I fisted her hair, guiding her motions as her tongue wrapped around the head of my dick. Precum leaked from the tip, and I felt her swallow, her throat closing around me as my legs jumped. I rolled my hips into her face. I groaned at the way her nails dug into my thighs. My balls hung low with want and my thickness throbbed against her teeth. Spit trickled down my skin and fell onto my thigh as she worked my cock like only she knew how to.
“Shit, Ana. Fuck. I’m gonna come if you don’t stop.”
Instead of pulling away, she bobbed her head faster. My legs bounced and heat showered my body with goosebumps. My head fell back and my eyes rolled closed. Fucking hell, her mouth was so tight. Too tight. I didn’t want to come down her throat. That wasn’t where I wanted my ending to be. I wanted to be connected to her, to be one with her. I wanted to feel the woman I adored so much coming with me. I somehow found the strength to grip her hair and pull her up from her crouched position.
Our lips crashed together and I tasted myself on her. I toed off my pants and boxers before I guided her onto my lap. Her eyes glazed over with salacious want and her thighs glistened with her juices. Her pussy hovered over my cock, teasing its dripping warmth upon my skin. I pulled Ana’s head back, listening to her moans before she sank her body down my massive girth.
I held my breath as she slid down, coating me in her juices until our hips bottomed out together.
“Fucking hell, woman.”
“Tyler. Oh shit, you fill me so good.”
My hand fell from her hair and I latched it and my other onto her thick hips. I guided her movements, feeling her pussy throb around me. She held me in her warmth, pulling me deeper as her hands slid around my neck. I kissed her lips and sucked on her tits, marking them as my own.
Ana was mine, and I’d never let her go again.
Our breaths intermingled as she slammed herself onto my lap. She bounced on my cock, pulling more precum from it as she moaned against my lips. I planted my heels into the carpet of my office and slammed into her, feeling her breasts bounce against my face. I wrapped my arms around her and buried myself into her, feeling her comfort and warmth embrace me as I rode up to my high.
Her pussy clamped around me with a vice-like grip. I kissed her skin and sucked on her nipples until her juices poured down my balls. She clung to me as she rocked her thighs against mine. I felt every part of her tensing and releasing, working for my pleasure while she came along for the ride.
I gripped her ass again and stood. I barreled her into my desk and laid her down. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I pounded into her, her tits jumping for me as her jaw unhinged in pleasure. The way she felt, the way she smelled, the way she looked—it all served to heighten the one thing I felt for her, the one thing I knew, from the bottom of my heart, woul
d never change.
I loved this woman.
I loved Ana Price.
“Fucking hell, Ana. You’re beautiful, so beautiful to me.”
“Please don’t stop, Tyler. I’m so close. I can’t—it’s coming. Tyler, it’s coming. I’m coming. I’m coming. Don’t stop! Don’t stop, Ty! Harder!”
I slammed into her pussy one last time, and she unraveled in front of me. She gripped my forearms as I hovered over her, watching pleasure wash over her face. Juices dripped down my thighs as my hips stuttered, and my forehead fell to hers as she chanted my name like a whispered prayer.
Her pussy sucked me in deep, pulled me closer and forced my body to fall to hers. I collapsed on top of her, feeling her curves mold to me as I sank deeper into her softness.
She wrapped her arms around me and pulled my lips to hers for a gentle, loving kiss.
I emptied myself into her. Streams of cum poured from my dick until they leaked out from between her legs. She jolted and quaked with her orgasm. Her eyes rolled back so far, I thought they’d get stuck like that. I slipped my hand underneath her head and propped her up, peppering her face and neck with kisses while she recuperated and I dumped into her.
While our bodies became one.
I nuzzled her neck and drew in her smell. In the darkness of my office, a view of Los Angeles the backdrop to our naked bodies, I lay there with the woman I loved sprawled out on my desk. Her heat was intoxicating as she ran her hand through my hair, comforting me as I lost myself in her body.
I never wanted to come up for air.
“I love you, Ana.”
I could no longer hold it back. Even if she didn’t feel the same way, I’d never not be able to tell her after something like that. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the silence, for the inevitable disappointment as she revealed that she didn’t feel the same way.
But that wasn’t what I got.
“I love you too, Tyler.”
I lifted my head from the crook of her neck and looked deep into her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes I’d come to love all those years ago. A smile crossed her face as her legs fell from around my body, and I gathered her in my arms to help her sit upright. Her beautiful, thick, naked body sat perched on my office desk, our eyes never leaving one another as I stroked my hand through her tangled hair.
