Come What May (Forever and Always #9)

by E. L. Todd

  “And she was damn fine…”

  I glared at him. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

  “I can’t check out other girls?”

  I shook my head. “Just don’t get caught.”

  “You know I’m kidding. I haven’t paid much attention to the other women around me, actually. I didn’t notice it until now.”

  Wow. My brother was really in love. “I’m glad he’s making an effort to move on. Monnique…I don’t know about her anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Scarlet and I hadn’t told anyone about our trip to see Monnique. “You can’t tell anyone.”

  He rubbed his palms together. “Ooh…a secret.”

  “It better stay a secret.”

  “Come on, bro. Tell me.”

  “We went to Seattle to try to get her back together with Cortland. Nothing Scarlet said worked. She begged but it did no good.”

  “No way,” Mike said. “Scarlet did that?”

  “Is it really that surprising?”

  “And Monnique still didn’t change her mind?”

  I shook my head.

  “Wow. Does Cortland know?”

  “No. Don’t tell him either. That would just make him feel worse. Scarlet begged her to take him back and she still wouldn’t do it. That’s a stab to the heart.”

  Mike nodded. “Yeah…I hope I never lose Cassandra.”

  “Well, don’t sleep with Scarlet one year ago and you’re good,” I joked.

  Mike chuckled. “Yeah, apparently. So stupid…”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  When I came home, the pizzas and beer were in the kitchen and the board games were in the living room. Scarlet always had everything set up. I knew she was excited to have everyone together. We hadn’t been altogether in the same room since Monnique left.

  Scarlet wasn’t downstairs, so I assumed she was in her office or the bedroom. When I came into our room, she was lying on the bed. The blankets were pulled around her and it was dark in the room. That was odd. Scarlet never napped.

  I sat on the bed then looked at her face. “Baby, are you okay?” I whispered.

  Her eyes fluttered open. “Yeah…I just had a headache and my stomach hurt.”

  Alarm shot through me. “Are you sure you’re okay? Should we see a doctor?”

  “Sean, I’m fine,” she said firmly. “I’m almost done with the first trimester. Of course I’m going to experience new sensations.”

  “But if you had to lay down because of it, that doesn’t sound good.”

  “I’m fine,” she repeated.

  “We’re going to the doctor anyway. Just to make sure.”

  “Everyone is coming over.”

  “They can get started without us,” I said firmly. “Now get up.”

  She sighed then sat up. Her stomach size had increased by the third month. I thought it was sexy as hell. She was almost waddling, and that was a turn on in itself. I helped her pull on a jacket and got her to the car.

  “This is a waste of time.”

  “Making sure is never a waste of time,” I said firmly.

  I drove to the doctor’s office then walked inside. We didn’t have an appointment, but I didn’t care. When I reached the front desk, the receptionist looked at me. “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No.” I pulled out a few hundred dollar bills and placed them on her desk. “My wife is a patient here and she’s pregnant. She’s feeling under the weather. I want to get her checked out.” She took the money and tucked it out of sight. “Can you get us in right away?”

  She nodded. “Take a seat.”

  I helped Scarlet into a chair and sat beside her. There were other people in the waiting room but I didn’t care. My wife and child were more important than anything else. I knew Scarlet was pissed at me but she didn’t say anything because our conversation would be overheard.

  A minute later, we were led to the exam room. The doctor came in and checked on Scarlet. After he ran a few routine tests, he asked Scarlet what her symptoms were. He nodded and took notes.

  “Is she going to be okay?”

  He nodded. “Her sonogram looks good, the heartbeat is strong, and the mother is in good health. The bouts and pains just come with the pregnancy, Mr. Preston.”

  “So, she and the baby are fine?”

  “Sean, calm down,” Scarlet said.

  The doctor smiled. “He’s just a concerned husband. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “You don’t have to deal with it every day,” Scarlet said as she rolled her eyes.

  The doctor chuckled. “It was nice seeing both of you.”

  I escorted Scarlet out and led her back to the car. After we headed back home, she exploded.

  “Sean, you can’t just cut in front of people like that just because you have money!”

  I stared at the road and ignored her.

  “Just because they don’t have as much money as us doesn’t mean they should be last in line. That was morally and ethically wrong, Sean. We could have waited the extra fifteen damn minutes.”

  “I was scared, okay?”

  “Sean, I’m pregnant. And being pregnant isn’t known as a painless and relaxing time. I’m going to get tired, grumpy, and I’m going to be in pain. We don’t need to go to the doctor every time I have a small headache.”

  “You never take naps.”

  “But I’ve never been pregnant!”

  She and I yelled at each other the entire way home. I understood why she was upset, but I stood by my decision. When it came down to my family and the rest of the world, my family would always win. Scarlet didn’t see it that way and she never would.

  Everyone had a key to our house so they just let themselves inside. I wasn’t a fan of this arrangement, but Scarlet handed out the keys like we were a damn hotel. When we walked inside, everyone was sitting around eating pizza and drinking beer.

  “Is everything okay?” Ryan asked.

  “Everything is perfectly okay,” Scarlet snapped.

  Mike eyed Ryan. “What did Sean do now?”

  Scarlet put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “He threw money at the receptionist so we could see the doctor right away. He acted like I was dying. And he cut in front of all these people waiting in line.”

  I hated it when she told everyone our business. It was constant and all the time. Nothing in our relationship was a secret or our business.

  Cortland sat next to Hazel on the couch. A few inches were between them, making it clear they were just friends. “Umm…I don’t get it. Why is that bad?”

  Scarlet sighed through her teeth. “It’s wrong!”

  Mike stood up. “My brother was just taking care of you. Calm down, Scarlet.”

  I shook my head. “Her pregnancy hormones are kicking in.”

  I got a venomous look from her.

  “Baby, we’re all here to have a good time. Can we just fight then fuck later?”

  Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. “Do they need to know that?”

  “Well, they know everything else. Or do you want me to fuck you now?”

  Mike and Ryan both laughed.

  She glared at me, her face becoming redder.

  Yeah…I wasn’t getting any tonight.

  She finally backed off and sat on the couch next to Cortland. I knew I was exiled to the other side of the living room, next to my brother.

  We started the games and ate the pizza. Scarlet didn’t look at me once and acted like I didn’t exist. She and I fought over stupid things but they always blew over. And when she was mad at me, it was usually because I was trying to do something nice for her. Actually, it was every time.

  Cortland seemed to be having a good time. He and Hazel laughed while they had their private conversation. Scarlet eyed them but didn’t comment. Ryan and Janice were snuggled together, and he was whispering in her ear. Mike had his arm around Cassandra, giving her the attention of a man deeply in love. My wi
fe was distant from me, cold and resistant.

  It didn’t feel the same without Monnique. No one spoke of it, but it was obvious how odd it was to feel her absence. Her deep laugh was gone, and Cortland’s pure joy was absent. He had improved over the past three months, but he wasn’t the same. And I had a feeling he never would. I wished it had worked out between them, but since she was so cold when she took off, perhaps it was the best thing for him. Hopefully he’d find someone who really loved him.

  There was no doubt how much Scarlet loved me. After all the shit I put her through, she took me back and gave me another chance. Only her unconditional love could give her strength to do that. I never forgot about the brave decision and I never would. Which was why I put her first every single day. Sometimes that wasn’t clear to Scarlet, but her safety and happiness was always at the very top of my list. Always.

  After everyone left for the night, I cleaned up the garbage and put away the games. When Scarlet tried to help, I told her to go to bed. She didn’t talk to me so I knew she was pissed. She glared at me before she marched up the stairs.

  I took care of everything then joined her. She was tucked in bed with the light off. She was turned on her side, facing the wall. I stripped then got into the covers beside her.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. I just panicked.”

  “You need to treat other people as equals, not inferior to you because you have money.”

  “Scar, it wasn’t like that. I just wanted you to get medical attention immediately. I would have gone to the emergency room, but Dr. Thomas is a specialist. And I was too anxious to wait. It was just a one-time thing, okay?”

  “I just don’t want you to act like an asshole.”

  “ I wasn’t,” I said firmly. “I was just concerned. When it’s my wife and baby on the line, it’s a different ballgame. I can’t be reasoned or talked down.”

  “And you can’t freak out over every single thing.”

  “I’d rather be safe than sorry. I won’t change.”

  She sighed and didn’t turn over.

  “Now let’s make love.”

  “No.”

  I came behind her and pressed my erection against her ass. “Come on… We can fight for another half hour then have sex, or we could just have sex and go to sleep.”

  “Or we could not have sex and go to sleep right now.”

  “No.” I placed my hand on her shoulder then turned her over. She didn’t resist me. “Let me make it up to you.”

  “Whatever. You just want to get laid.” A smile stretched on her lips.

  I moved my hand between her legs, feeling the wetness. “Looks like you want to get laid too.”

  She blushed, knowing she couldn’t hide her desire from me.

  “That’s what I thought.” I shifted my body between her legs then bent down to kiss her stomach. It was more distended than it used to be. I loved the bulge, knowing it was my baby. Scarlet wasn’t as self-conscious about her body anymore, which was a relief for me. When I said she was sexy as hell, I meant it. I loved her body even more now that she was pregnant. She didn’t turn off the light to hide from me.

  “Are you still going to make love to me when I’m a cow?” she asked.

  “A cow? You’ll never be a cow.”

  “When I’m fat and waddling?”

  “Baby, I’ll fuck your brains out even more.”

  “Good.”

  I slipped inside her and made her gasp. Now that Cortland wasn’t here, we didn’t worry about how loud we were. The headboard slammed into the wall, and she moaned and screamed my name. When her climax hit, she yelled, digging her nails into my back.

  “God…you’re so good at that.”

  I loved hearing that. It made my cock twitch and explode. I came inside my wife, like I had a hundred times. But this one felt particularly good. I moaned through the pleasure until I was finished. “Now we can go to bed.”

  18

  Cortland

  It was nice not being alone. Hazel and I hung out a few times a week. We got coffee, went to the movies, and out to dinner. She was my first girl friend that I saw in a strictly platonic way, besides Scarlet. And I wasn’t sure if that would even count.

  She asked me to watch her dance in a production at the theatre. I was never interested in dance, but she didn’t have any family members to watch her perform. She moved to the big city to be with her boyfriend, but he ended up leaving her for someone else. I recognized the pain in her eyes. It reflected my own.

  She was graceful and beautiful. I never realized how brutal ballet was. It required strength, form, and precision. She glided around the stage, moving like a swan. She had one of the lead roles, so she was on stage nearly the entire time. She must be exhausted.

  After the production was over, I went backstage and handed her the flowers I got her. Her face broke into a big smile and she smelled them.

  “Thank you.” She held them to her chest, the emotion in her eyes.

  Did I do something…? “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah,” she said quickly. “It’s just…he never brought me flowers.”

  Oh. “Well, he should have.”

  She stared at the flowers and wouldn’t meet my gaze.

  “You were incredible. I had no idea how amazing ballet was. Thanks for inviting me.”

  “Really?” she had a tint to her cheeks.

  “You totally kicked ass,” I said with a smile.

  “Thanks.”

  “Want to go out to dinner to celebrate?”

  “Sure. Just let me change.”

  “I’ll meet you outside.”

  I went to the sidewalk and waited for her. People passed me while they hit the bars and the restaurants. My phone rang in my pocket. It was Ryan.

  “Hey,” I said.

  “Mike and I are getting the guys together to play poker. You down?”

  “No. I’m hanging out with Hazel right now.”

  “Nice…” I could hear the smile in Ryan’s voice. “Getting serious?”

  I narrowed my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “She’s just a friend.”

  “Right…”

  “I’m not lying.”

  “You haven’t kissed her? Fucked her?”

  “No,” I snapped. “When I said I wasn’t ready to date, I meant it. But it’s nice to have a friend that’s going through the same thing.”

  “And you aren’t attracted to her at all?” Ryan asked incredulously. “She’s pretty cute.”

  “Well, of course she’s a beautiful girl, but I just don’t…see her like that.”

  Ryan sighed. “Dude, forget about Monnique. She’s history. Now start seeing this girl ‘like that’.”

  There was no arguing with him. “I’ll pass on the game.”

  “Have fun. Hope you score.” He hung up before I could get another word in.

  When I returned my phone to my pocket, Hazel came outside. “Where do you want to eat?”

  “Pizza?”

  “Sure.” She shifted her weight like she was in pain.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My feet always kill me after a show.”

  “Oh. Let’s go to my place and we’ll order in.”

  “Thank god,” she said.

  I laughed. “Ballet is a brutal sport.”

  “You have no idea.”

  We walked to my car and I helped her get inside. After we arrived at my apartment, we walked across the lobby and into the elevator. She kept shifting her weight like she was in agony. Without asking, I scooped her in my arms and held her.

  “What are you doing?” she asked playfully.

  “Your feet hurt. I’ll carry you.”

  “You don’t have to do that…”

  “You weigh nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  When the elevator doors opened, we walked down the hall and into my apartment. I placed her on the couch then ordered the pizza. Hazel had come over a few times, so she was used to my one-bedroom apartment. I
got rid of anything that reminded me of Monnique. It was like she never shared a part of my life. The only thing I had left was the ring I never gave her. I knew I should get rid of it but it was too hard. I spent a long time picking out the ring and finding the perfect engraving. It symbolized our relationship. If I tossed it, it would really mean the relationship meant nothing. It just passed the time for her.

  Ugh. I hated thinking about it.

  “Don’t think about her,” Hazel said.

  I stilled. “How did you know?”

  “You get this look in your eyes. It’s hard to watch.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize I was so obvious.”

  “You are.”

  I folded my hands together and sighed. “I just want to be over it, you know?”

  “I know,” she said sympathetically. “But you’ve come a long way, at least your friends think so.”

  I remembered living at Scarlet’s for two months because I couldn’t go back to the house I shared with Monnique. Hints of her presence were still ingrained in the furniture and the walls. It was just too damn hard. And I couldn’t stand to be alone. But now I had my own apartment. The silence wasn’t so heavy. “I guess I have.”

  She scooted closer to me on the couch, her face lingering near mine. “I really like you, Cortland.”

  “I like you too.”

  She breathed heavily, the scent of mint falling on my face. When she leaned further into me, I knew what was going to happen. I didn’t see Hazel anymore. I saw Monnique, and the guilt and hurt shot through me. Our lips touched but I didn’t feel anything.

  Quickly, I pulled away, not looking at her. “I’m sorry…I’m not ready.”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m not ready either.”

  I looked at her, not understanding her meaning.

  “Maybe we can help each other…be ready. It’s hard for me to imagine being with anyone else. But, if I were in a better place, I know I’d love to be with you. I don’t know what Monnique is thinking, but you’re one in a million. And, maybe we can power through this. One day, we’ll be better. But why be in agony for the time being. You know I’m still hung up on someone else, and I know you’re still hurting over Monnique. There are no lies between us.”

  I didn’t know what to think. I thought Hazel and I were just friends. It was hard to imagine being physical with anyone. “I just…can’t do that. I feel like I’m being an ass to you, using you.”