by Lena Nicole
“Hey Beautiful, I’ve missed you. How are you?” Pierce asks, sounding hopeful on the other end of the line. To hear him answer the phone the way he always does calms my nerves a little.
“Hey, Charming, I’m okay. Um, I was just wondering… would you mind bringing Ali over? I miss her and I would really like to see her.” There is silence on the other end of the phone; it quickly occurs to me that he must think I only want to see the dog. God, I’m an idiot. I quickly add, “I would really like to see you too. That is, if you’re not busy or already have plans.” Chewing on my lower lip I wait for his response.
“I would love to see you and I will bring Ali with me. Is your work schedule still busy?” he asks.
“No, it’s actually calmed down, so I should have some more free time now,” I respond. He doesn’t need to know it’s slowed down because I stopped taking extra shifts to avoid him and Colin.
“Okay, then I will bring her food and water bowl and some toys, that way you can keep her for a few days. She misses you a lot and I doubt I will be able to get her to come back to our… er, um, my place. I can head over after work, does that work for you?”
It stings a little to hear him call our home his. Even though I was the one who decided to move out, that was where we were going to start the rest of our lives together.
“I’d like that. Thank you, Pierce.”
“No need to thank me. I would do anything for you. I love you and I will see you later.”
“I love you too,” I say, hanging up. I do love him. Loving him isn’t the problem, the problem is deciding who I will walk away from. Making this choice will not just crush one of them, it will also hurt me. Either way, hearts will be broken and I will be the sole reason behind that.
AFTER PICKING up around the house, I take a shower and straighten my hair. I apply a little bit of makeup to hide the dark circles under my eyes. To say I’m not sleeping well is an understatement. I hardly sleep at all anymore. As I am pulling up my shorts, the doorbell rings, so I grab a tank top and throw it on quickly and head to the door. I open the door and Ali catches me off guard by jumping on me. She knocks me to the ground, kissing my face. I’m saying hello as Pierce is trying to get her off of me.
“Ali. Bad dog! You do not jump on Mommy like that,” Pierce scolds as he’s pulling Ali off me so I can stand up.
He holds out his hand, and as soon as I place mine inside his, I feel the electricity flow through my body from his touch. He helps me up while laughing, clearly amused by my ambush from our dog. Once I’m on my feet, he hands me a bouquet of calla lilies. I thank him and we head toward the kitchen.
As I am filling the vase with water, I turn my head to look in Pierce’s direction. He is looking around the condo like this is his first time seeing it. I’m not entirely sure what he is looking for, but I use this time to take him in. He is in a pair of jeans that hang low off his hips and a t-shirt that perfectly sculpts his body. I love when he wears t-shirts because it subtly shows off his toned body. He turns around and catches me checking him out and winks at me.
“Well, this seems all too familiar,” he says with an amused smile.
Laughing, I say, “Well at least this time I managed to turn the water off before it overflowed on my hand. Thank you for the flowers, they are beautiful.”
“Anything for you,” he replies.
“Do you mind if we bring Ali out back to play for a little?” I ask not really sure what to say. Hopefully this will buy me some time to figure it out.
“Sure, I’ll grab her ball.” Pierce leans down into the doggy bag and pulls out a couple toys for Ali.
I call Ali to the back door, and as soon as I open it, she is on the deck barking at Pierce to throw the ball. He throws it down the beach and we wait for her to bring it back.
“So how are you doing? I mean I know this is hard for you and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing people ask if you’re okay, but I need to know, are you? Are you okay? I can’t sleep at night. All I do is worry about how you’re handling this and how I should be there for you. But I’m not, I’m at home in our bed… well, my bed, alone when I should be with you, taking care of you,” Pierce rambles.
I can hear the melancholy in his voice and I know it’s killing him just as much as it is me. I rest my hand on his forearm and lean closer to him. “I’ll be honest. Is it easy? No. Am I okay? Definitely not. But I will be. I appreciate that you want to be there for me and help me do this, but this is something I need to do on my own. If you want to be there for me, just support me through this process. And please be patient with me. I have never done this before and this is all new to me. Just know I am not out to hurt you or Colin. I just want to do what’s right. By both of you.”
Pierce covers my hand with his and squeezes it before bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. He then lowers my hand back down, but doesn’t let it go.
“I told you before, I’m not going anywhere. I will do whatever you need me to do for the time being.” Before he can say anymore, Ali is back with the ball, waiting for us to throw it again.
We play with Ali for a little while longer on the beach before heading inside. Once inside, I know I am not ready to let Pierce leave yet.
“Would you like to stay and watch a movie?” I ask, hoping he says yes.
“I would love to. Have you eaten dinner yet?” he questions.
“Actually, no I haven’t. I am hungry, though.” My stomach chooses that moment to growl and Pierce lets out a laugh. I miss hearing him laugh and the sound instantly makes me happy.
“Well, why don’t you go pick out a movie and I will whip something up for us real quick.”
Pierce doesn’t wait for my response as he heads toward the fridge and starts pulling stuff out. I check out the movies on demand and decide on a comedy. I think we both could use some laughter in our lives. We eat before starting the movie and the conversation flows nicely. There is no awkward silence, and I am surprised with how much Pierce has accomplished with the New York expansion in the time that has passed since the wedding.
As we walk over to the couch to watch the movie, Pierce lies down on the couch and pulls me down and into his chest. He wraps his arms tight around me, as if he is afraid to let go. I lay my arms over his and we watch the movie snuggled up together. I have a hard time focusing on the movie as Pierce runs his fingers up and down my arms and strokes my back. It feels like nothing has changed, and all this is one big nightmare I just woke up from, but it isn’t.
Once the movie is over, I get up and stretch out my arms and legs. Pierce does the same and kneels down to Ali giving her a kiss on the head.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days, girl. Be good for Mommy.”
He stands up and I notice his full lips are frowning, but I don’t think he realizes it. I feel like we are sharing custody over a child, and I guess in a way, we are. I walk him to the door and he stops just before opening it.
“Thank you for calling today. I really do miss you,” he says while holding my hand.
Not sure what is the proper protocol for this, I lean up and give Pierce a quick kiss on the lips. I hope that wasn’t over stepping, but I need him to know I still care. When I pull away and look at him, he has a lost look in his eyes as he gives me a small smile. I can tell he is trying to mask it with his confidence, and I definitely would have missed it if I wasn’t looking for it.
THE MOMENT our lips touch an instant spark runs down my body. I’m a little surprised that she initiated the kiss, but so glad she did. All too soon, she pulls away and the reality of our situation hits me. I wonder if she’s kissing Colin too. I didn’t ask her about him or if they’ve hung out. Quite frankly, I don’t want to know and I don’t really care. He has nothing to do with Addison and me and I’m not going to waste my time worrying about him when I could be enjoying every moment with her.
I try to hide my fallen expression, but I know she catches it. I can tell by the slight squint of her eyes that she’s trying to f
igure me out. I cup her cheeks with both hands and run my thumb over her bottom lip, which I want to taste again so bad.
Resting my forehead against hers, I say, “I want to respect your boundaries, but, God, I miss you like you wouldn’t believe.” I suck in a lungful of air before I quietly say, “Would it be okay if I kissed you?”
She doesn’t mutter a word, she simply nods and that’s all the acknowledgment I need. Still cupping her jaw, I lean in and kiss her ever so softly, peppering her with small, slow kisses all over her mouth. I pull back for a fraction of a second to gauge her reaction. Her eyes are still closed and she has a fistful of my shirt clenched in one hand. I snake one arm around the back of her waist and the other holding the back of her neck as I draw her close to me again, aligning our bodies perfectly against each other. Hearing her slight gasp spurs me on, as I seal my lips over hers again. This time, I’m not giving her soft pecks, and when she opens her mouth the tiniest bit, I take my tongue and run it along the inside of her lips. When her tongue reaches out to touch mine, I’m lost. I pour every ounce of passion, love, and devotion into this one kiss. I kiss her like my life depends on it. When I pull back, we are both breathless and there’s a fire in her eyes that I’ve missed seeing. I know exactly what her eyes are telling me, but unfortunately, we can’t take it to that level tonight.
I give her a small peck on the tip of her nose and say, “Goodnight, Addison,” and walk out the door.
I get into my car and rest my head against the steering wheel before starting the ignition. Wow, that was probably the best kiss of my life and damn near melted me on the spot. I could feel every bit of passion coming from her as it was from me. I’ve missed that level of intimacy and connection with her, but it was worth the wait. Damn, that was mind blowing. After exhaling out a big breath, I gather my wits and make the drive back home.
I WAKE up refreshed and in a much better mood. Driving to the office with the top and doors off my Wrangler, I take in the cloudless sky, the fresh warm air, and the bright sun. After the amazing night I had with Addison and the way this morning is starting, I know today is going to be a good day.
After picking up my messages from Vanessa, I spot Max talking to Garrick. So much for my good day. They both turn in my direction as they hear my approach. Garrick gives me an apologetic look that tells me he tried to get him out of here, but was unsuccessful. Max has a smirk on his face, and I know right away that this is not going to be good. Great, just what I need. More bullshit.
I’m about to close my office door, thankful that I don’t have to deal with Max, when a hand stops it from shutting, pushing it back open. I see Max standing there with that same shit-eating grin on his face, knowing he’s not welcome in here.
“Man, I thought the talk around town was just a rumor, but judging by the dark circles under your eyes and how you look like shit, I guess what they’re saying is true.” He says all this as he strolls into my office like he owns the place. Garrick is standing in the door, keeping a watchful eye on the both of us. I’m glad, because I’m in no mood to deal with Max’s shit.
“Is there something you need?” I say through my clenched jaw.
He turns around and leans back against my desk so he’s facing me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Not really. I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by to see how you were doing after you got dumped.” He starts to chuckle, and it’s taking everything in me not to pounce. My fists are clenching and unclenching as I grind my teeth back and forth, trying to ease the building rage.
“I think I’m going to look her up and see if she’s ready for a real good time. It’ll almost be like history repeating itself, me banging one of your girls. I’ve been wanting to nail that one since I saw her on the elevator that one day. Is she a screamer like Samantha?” He licks his lips suggestively.
I lunge across the room after him. I grab him by the knot on his tie with my left hand and I pull back my right. My fist makes perfect contact with his nose as blood splatters across his face. If the distorted way his nose is positioned doesn’t tell you that it’s broken, the pool of blood flowing down it does. Max winces and is cursing, no doubt from the amount of pain he must be in, but before I can get another punch in, Garrick is on me, pulling me away.
“He’s not worth it, man!” he says as he struggles to drag me off of him.
I finally stop struggling to get out of Garrick’s grip and take a few steps back. I look at Max again and he’s wiping blood from his chin that has dripped down from his nose with the back of his hand and has a twisted smile on his lips. “Tell me, was that for Samantha or Addison?” With that, I charge at him again. Garrick attempts to pull me back, but my arm slips through his grasp as I land another punch to Max’s jaw. I’m finally wrestled back by Garrick so I can’t hit him anymore.
“Get out of here now before I call security!” Garrick shouts at Max as he tries to maintain his hold on me. Max waltzes out of my office, trying to pretend like he isn’t in pain. Arrogant prick.
Garrick releases his hold on me and I pace my office like a caged animal. The rage I feel at the mere mention of Max screwing Addison is indescribable. I know she would never do it since she can’t stand Max, but just him uttering her name in such a way set me off.
“I’m dropping all of his accounts,” I say to Garrick. I’m still breathing hard and my teeth are firmly clenched together.
“Don’t make any rash decisions, man. Maybe you should call Jimmy before you go through with this.”
“I don’t give a fuck what Jimmy has to say about this, it’s going to happen.” Putting my hands on my hips and looking up at the ceiling, I take several deep breaths to calm down. After the adrenaline from punching Max in the face has worn off slightly, I sit at my desk and start to pull up his accounts so I can have them ready to transfer somewhere else once I call Max’s father.
“You know, Jimmy always said you shouldn’t punish Max’s father for his son’s bad choices.” He takes a seat on the other end of my desk as he tries to talk some sense into me.
“Serves him right for raising such a low life, piece of shit in the first place. Let Max explain it to his father. I don’t give a shit anymore. The money isn’t worth it to me, I’m done.” Garrick doesn’t respond, so I look up. He just gives me a curt nod and probably understands that nothing can change my mind at this point.
I pull up all the accounts and am ready to make the phone call when Garrick says, “Do you think Max will press charges?”
I’m about to blow up until I look at him and he’s grinning, trying to contain his laughter. This just causes me to laugh too. “I don’t care. The fine I’ll pay to settle will be well worth it. I’ve been wanting to punch that guy for years.”
Garrick full out laughs. “You should have seen his face. He looked so shocked. Honestly, so was I. I didn’t think you had it in you. Who knew there was a street brawler hidden underneath that tailored suit?”
I shake my head at my friend, but I’m thankful for him and his ability to pull me out of my bad mood. Unfortunately for Max’s father, it’s not enough to get me to keep his accounts.
I’M WORKING a double today and it is crazy. There have been multiple traumas coming in and my feet are starting to kill me. I have a new nurse shadowing me, and even though it’s her first day, she has been keeping up really well. I’m starting to get a headache from all the complaining going on today. If it isn’t coming from the doctors, it’s coming from the patients. Grabbing the chart of my next patient waiting, I check the time on my watch and see that after this, I should be able to take a quick breather. Knocking on the door, I open the chart to address the person waiting in the room, and I’m hoping my eyes are tired and playing tricks on me. Taking one more look at the name on the chart, I look up and see my eyes are, in fact, working just fine.
“Max,” I say in an annoyed tone. I’ve had a couple of run-ins with him before and they always involve his smart ass remarks. “What brings you in today
?” Looking at Max, I see he is a mess. He has dried blood on his clothes and on his face as well. His jaw is also bruised and his clothes are all disheveled. It looks like he got mugged.
“Oh, you know me. Just sticking my hand in someone else’s cookie jar,” he replies, trying to flash me an arrogant grin that causes him to wince in pain.
“You probably want to keep the smart ass remarks to a minimum,” I say while getting closer to examine his nose. His once-straight nose now has a crooked appearance and there is bruising and swelling around the area as well. I put gloves on and grab some gauze to clean the area so the doctor can have a better look. “This is probably going to hurt a little,” I say before placing the gauze on his face. He winces and sucks a breath in through his teeth as I’m cleaning the area. Curiosity gets the better of me and I ask, “So, someone else’s cookie jar, huh? I’d say I’m surprised but,” I pause, realizing I don’t want to get into the details of him and Samantha.
“Eh, it’s a boring story. Let’s talk about you. From what I hear, you’re now single.” Rolling my eyes, I ignore his question and remove the last bit of dried blood with a little more pressure than needed. I will not discuss my current situation with him. It’s none of his damn business.
“I’m no doctor, but it looks broken. You will need a CT scan and I will have a nurse bring you some meds while you wait.” I don’t wait for Max to respond as I walk out the door, sticking his chart back into the holder. Technically, I could bring him something for his pain, but I’d rather not see him again.
I’M HALFWAY through my night shift and it’s finally time for my thirty minute break. I’m still agitated about my run-in with Max. I know people are gossiping about what happened between Pierce and me, but I don’t need it thrown in my face, especially from someone like Max. Running into Stefanie in the hall, I ask if she would like to come with me to grab some coffee. On our walk over to the twenty-four hour coffee shop, my annoyance from Max shifts and my mood lightens as I think of the time Pierce walked me here.
