Love Conquers All (Forever and Always #16)

by E. L. Todd

  “Mike, it’ll be fine. I can invite Joey to stay with me if that makes you feel better.”

  “I don’t trust him.”

  “He’s a very trustworthy guy.”

  “No,” I said immediately. “He’s not good enough.”

  “How about your dad? I could stay with him.”

  He was an option. I knew he wouldn’t mind having her at the house. As long as my parents weren’t going at it like rabbits. “I’ll think about it…”

  She smiled. “I’ll take it.”

  “I just really love both of you.” My hand moved to her stomach. “And I have to take care of you. Not because I feel obligated to or because of the promise I made, but because I want to. I need to.”

  “I know.” She kissed the corner of my mouth then wrapped her arms around my neck. “Is there room in the shower for both of us?” The playfulness was in her eyes.

  “There’s always room for you wherever I am.”

  13

  Scarlet

  You busy? It was Ryan.

  Not really. I just finished some laundry.

  Can I have dinner with you tonight?

  My brother hardly asked me to do things one on one. Only when something was wrong. We saw each other on a daily basis, so there was no need for arrangements. You never want to have dinner with me.

  Then I guess this is a surprise.

  But you hate me.

  I do hate you. So can we have dinner or what?

  Is everything alright? I just spoke to Janice earlier and she seemed fine.

  Yes. Can you meet me at six?

  I’ll ask Sean.

  Since when did you start asking your husband for permission?

  No, idiot. I’ll ask if he wants to come.

  I don’t want him there. I just want it to be you.

  This was really weird. Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?

  Is it really that odd that I want to spend time with you? I could hear the attitude in his words.

  Actually, yes.

  I knew he was rolling his eyes. Just have a meal with me. I want to see you.

  Why? I thought I was ugly.

  You’re fucking hideous. You better be at the Shoreline at six.

  I put down my phone and pondered what he wanted to talk about. If he and Janice were doing well, what did he want to talk about? The threesome they were plotting? My brother was open with me, but not that open. Maybe he wanted to discuss Cortland and Monnique. They weren’t together, but when we were at the bar earlier in the week, the chemistry was heavy in the air. Everyone felt it. The curiosity was killing me so I stopped myself from thinking about it.

  My husband walked through the door right at five, just like he did every day. “Baby?”

  “I’m in the kitchen.”

  He came inside, looking spiffy in his new suit. “You look hot.”

  I was wearing the catfish apron. “I’m starting to think you have a thing for fish, not me.”

  His arms circled my waist and his face was pressed to mine. “I think it’s a combination.” He looked into my eyes, the love and adoration shining bright. His hand cupped my face and he gave me a gentle kiss. It was slow but passionate at the same time. Now that his father wasn’t living here anymore, we were able to be affectionate like usual.

  He broke the kiss but kept his hands on my waist. “What’s for dinner?”

  “There’s a lasagna in the oven. Just take it out when the timer goes off.”

  “Take it out?” he asked. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “Ryan wants to have dinner in the city.”

  “Without me?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  I shrugged. “He said he wanted it just to be us.”

  “So…what am I going to do?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re not helpless.”

  “I meant, what am I going to do without my loving wife? I hate not having you in the house.”

  “Watch porn and jerk off.”

  He smirked. “You know I don’t do that.”

  “Sure…that’s what they all say.”

  His hands moved to my arms. “I jerk off—big time. But it’s when I’m at work and I’m looking at you through my webcam. Honestly, I don’t watch porn.”

  “Well, tonight is your chance.”

  He pulled out his phone. “Why would I when I have all of these?”

  I couldn’t count the number of naked pictures he had of me, particularly my breasts. “Then you’ll have lots to choose from.”

  He rolled his eyes and put his phone away. “I can drive you.”

  “No, I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “It would be pointless. By the time you got home, you’d have to come get me.”

  “I don’t mind.” I could tell he didn’t.

  “It’s fine. I can drive.”

  He finally backed off. “So, it’s a bachelor night tonight.”

  “I’ll be home in less than two hours.”

  “What does he want to talk to you about?” he asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  “Maybe he and Janice are fighting or something.”

  “No…” I pulled off my apron and grabbed my purse. “I should go.”

  He looked sad. “Okay. Text me when you get there and when you leave.”

  “God, you and my brother are exactly alike sometimes.”

  “Looks like he does love you after all.”

  “It appears that way.” I gave him a long kiss before I headed to the door.

  He stared at me. “Now I know how sad you feel every morning.” There was no bitterness in his voice, but the despair was heavy in his eyes.

  “Imagine how excited you’ll be when you get home.” I gave him a playful look then walked out.

  When I arrived at the restaurant, Ryan was already sitting in a booth by the window. A piano played in the background, and the light music was soothing. I was surprised he chose such a fancy place. My brother was all about slumming it in a burger joint.

  I slid into the seat across from him. “I’m starving.”

  “What’s new?” he barked.

  I eyed his collared shirt and slacks. “Wow. You actually don’t look homeless today.”

  “Yet, you still look ugly as hell.”

  I smirked, accustomed to the sibling torments. “What’s going on, Ryan?”

  He picked up his menu. “I’m going to order first. The rib-eye sounds good.”

  “I’m going to get the mahi-mahi.”

  The waitress approached our table and took the order then left. Silence fell between us. I waited for Ryan to bring up whatever the hell he wanted to talk about, but his mouth was shut.

  “How’s Cortland?” I asked.

  “Good. I think he’s going on another date.”

  “Oh.” That surprised me. “I hope this one goes better.”

  “Yeah…I’m doubtful.”

  “Me too.”

  “It’s pretty damn obvious they are both head-over-heels in love with each other.”

  Truer words I couldn’t have said. “Do you want them to get back together?”

  “I don’t know. This is Cortland’s decision. But she seems…different.”

  “She does,” I agreed.

  “I mean, she asked him how his date was like they were friends. It’s weird.”

  “I guess they really are friends.”

  He shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like Monnique. She seems like she’d hold on until she was forced to let go.”

  “People change.”

  He eyed me. “Do you want them to get back together?”

  “I don’t know either. What I really want is for them to go back to the way they were, when there was no drama. They were so stable, even more stable than you and Janice. Cortland was happy. I like it when he’s happy.”

  “I guess we’ll wait and see.”

  The waiter brought the food and set it before us.

  I dug in
immediately because I was starving.

  “What’s Sean doing?”

  I took a bite of the fish and marveled at the taste. “Probably standing by the front door waiting for me to come home.”

  He laughed. “God, he’s pathetic.”

  “You’re one to talk,” I jabbed.

  “I’m not that pussy-whipped.”

  I gave him an incredulous look.

  “Okay, fine. I’m pretty bad. But Sean is the king of pussy-whipped.”

  “He’s married. There’s a difference.”

  “Nah,” Ryan said. “He’ll still do laps around us.”

  We kept eating until our plates were empty. Ryan ate everything, including his broccoli. I ate everything because I was just a fatass that loved food. Everyone judged me for it but I didn’t care.

  When the check came, Ryan immediately paid for it.

  “Let’s split it,” I said. I was married and well taken care of. There was no reason for him to insist on paying.

  “It’s my treat tonight.” He kept the tab out of my reach.

  I didn’t argue with him. I patiently waited for the subject to be breached. “So…what’s going on?”

  He seemed nervous. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

  What? What the hell did he want to ask me? Was it something bad?

  “You’ve been my best friend since…since I can remember. Even when I was protecting you, you were protecting me. Because of you, I was forced to be a man by the time I hit puberty. But I’ve become a much better person because of that.

  “You love me despite my faults and you’re never afraid to tell me when I need to pull my head out of my ass. People have come and gone from my life, but you’ve always been the rock. You’ve always been my family, my best friend and…I love you.”

  His words went straight to my heart. I had no idea why he was saying all these wonderful things, but it was making my eyes burn and my throat tickle.

  “We’ve been through a lot together, and I think we both turned out pretty great. But that wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t there to support each other. You’ve been the greatest little sister in the world and I have no idea what I would do without you. I know I tease you and say you’re ugly, which is true, by the way, but…you mean a lot to me.”

  God, he was going to make me cry.

  “I would really love it if you would be my best man.”

  I was not expecting that. My eyes were coated with tears. “You want it to be me?”

  He nodded.

  “I…I thought you hated me.”

  He smiled. “Oh, I do. Don’t ever forget that.”

  “But what about Cortland?”

  “He’s a great guy and I love him. I’d go into battle with him and I always have his back, but…I want it to be you.”

  “Ryan…I don’t even know what to say.”

  He placed his hand on top of mine. “Say yes.”

  “Of course I’ll say yes.” My eyes were bubbling over and a few tears escaped. “Damn it!” I grabbed the napkin and patted them away.

  “You look ugly when you cry.”

  “Shut up!” I patted the moisture away. When I was finally put back together, I returned the napkin to the table. “I’m really flattered you asked me.”

  “It had to be you, Scar. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have found my wife.”

  “That’s true. You owe me big.”

  “I just bought you dinner. We’re even.”

  I rolled my eyes then looked at him across the table. Our eyes met and a silent conversation passed between us. The two of us had been through hell and back. I didn’t know anyone who had suffered as much as we had. But we got through it together. And I knew we would get through everything together.

  14

  Cortland

  I had another date tonight, but I wasn’t too excited about it. Actually, I had no idea why I was doing it. I would just waste my time and hers. But Ryan hooked me up with this girl from the shop and he said she was hot and cool. Whatever. I guess I would give it a shot.

  But there was one girl on my mind. She had brown eyes the color of hazelnuts, and skin that reminded me of a chai tea latte. I wished I could get her out of my head.

  On Sunday morning, Monnique texted me.

  I got tickets to the wax museum. You want to come?

  What the hell was a wax museum? I’ve never heard of it.

  You haven’t? It’s where they make wax figures of famous people. It’s something to get a good laugh at.

  That didn’t sound interesting but I couldn’t say no to her. I loved hanging out with her more than anyone else. I was obviously torturing myself by continuing to spend time with her, but I just couldn’t stop. Sure. When?

  In an hour? I made brunch if you want to come over.

  I loved her cooking. And I loved brunch. I won’t say no to free food.

  Well, I’m almost done. You can come over whenever you want.

  As soon as I put my phone in my pocket, I left my apartment.

  When I reached her door, I realized just how pathetic and sad I was. I shouldn’t be here. Why was I running to her practically clicking my heels? Why couldn’t I be this excited for one of the girls I went on a date with? A gorgeous woman threw herself at me and my cock didn’t show any interest. But there was no turning back. I was already here. I knocked.

  “It’s open.”

  I stepped inside and saw the food on the table. She made waffles with Nutella and sliced almonds—my favorite. Bacon, eggs, and toast were on the surface along with a pitcher of orange juice. “Wow. You made this all for yourself?”

  “No,” she said with a laugh. “I had company this morning.”

  Jealousy sparked inside me. Who was it? A guy? I tried to play it cool. “Worked out with friends this morning?” I knew Monnique would never work out on a Sunday but that was the only way I could play it cool.

  “No. I went out with some girls from work and they passed out at my place. I made them a good breakfast so they could make it through the day.”

  Good answer.

  I sat down then stared at the food. “This looks fantastic.”

  “Thanks.” She sat across from me and poured the orange juice. “Sometimes I wonder if I should be a chef instead.”

  I took a bite of my waffle. “You could feed the hungry and the poor.”

  She laughed. “I think most chefs make good money. I wouldn’t call that feeding the poor.”

  “I should bring Hazel over here so I can prove you wrong.”

  She laughed again. “That girl needs to eat. She’s too skinny.”

  I noticed Monnique had gained a lot of the weight she lost. She was curvy and full again. And fucking hot.

  She wasn’t wearing any make up but she still looked beautiful. Her natural complexion shined through and her eyes were bright without any enhancement. I liked seeing her first thing in the morning. When she was still asleep, her face was relaxed. Her eyes fluttered sometimes, and it made me wonder what she was dreaming about. When I realized how deep my thoughts were becoming, I stopped myself.

  She picked at her fruit then ate a piece of bacon. “Everyone loved the waffles.”

  “They should. They are amazing.” I ate two of them because they were so good.

  “Anything new with you?”

  Our friendship was odd. But it was weird because it wasn’t weird. I felt like we went back in time to when we were dating. She and I took it slow and spent a lot of time together but we were never physical. I didn’t mind that. She was classy and didn’t go straight for the kill. And I loved talking to her. She was just cool. “Nothing, really. Ryan’s bachelor party is coming up.”

  “Have you decided what you’re doing?”

  “Fishing.”

  “Cool.” She made a face. “I guess.”

  I laughed. “It’s what he wants to do. But Mike doesn’t want to go.”

  “Why?”

  “He doesn’t want to
leave Cassandra because she’s pregnant.”

  She picked at her eggs. “I could watch her. I’m a nurse and I worked in labor and delivery for a while. If she’s having any difficulty, I’ll probably know what to do.”

  I never thought of that. “I’ll pass that along.”

  “Besides, it would be fun to hang out, spend some alone time together.”

  “It always sounds like you’re busy.”

  She shrugged. “I guess when you’re single you realize you need to make new friends.” She didn’t sound bitter about it.

  I hadn’t bothered to make new friends. Or did dating count?

  “Any more dates?” she asked. She kept eating like the conversation was perfectly normal, like she was Scarlet and I was Ryan.

  “I have a date tonight.”

  “I hope it goes well.” She seemed sincere.

  After our last conversation at the bar, I knew she still wanted to get back together. She proved it and said it countless times. But she never made me feel guilty for seeing other women. It didn’t even seem like she cared. “I’m not sure why I’m even going through with it.”

  She didn’t look at me. She kept eating. It was like she hadn’t heard me.

  “I’m just…not involved, I guess.”

  She still didn’t say anything. She drank her glass of orange juice then looked at the time on her phone. Why wasn’t she responding?

  “My date asked me back to her apartment, and then we got hot and heavy and naked, but I couldn’t go through with it so I left and never called her again. I couldn’t even get hard for her.” Now she had to say something.

  If Monnique was hurt by the way I fooled around with some girl, she didn’t show it. She finished her toast then wiped her mouth with a napkin.

  “You don’t have anything to say?” I found that hard to believe.

  She met my gaze, unflinching. “Cortland, your personal life is none of my business. And if you’re asking for advice, I’m the worst person to get it from. I suggest you talk to someone else about it.”

  What? “How are you so calm about this? You say you still love me but you’re totally fine with me making out with girls?”

  The fire rose in her eyes. “That’s a stupid question, Cortland. I’m insulted you even asked me that.”

  I shouldn’t have gotten emotional about this.