Intimacy (Rose Series Book 3)

by Eden Fortae

  "Yes. She's been my friend for a long time."

  "Mine, too! She was my friend since I was this little," he held one hand at his nose palm-side down.

  "That is a long time."

  "Yup! You're pretty like her. We can be your friend, too. I'll show you how to play my games."

  "Kid," Donny's voice carried from behind her, stiffening her back.

  Eden stood slowly. The breath meant to calm her contained the cologne that clung to one of her sofa pillows. On the days she missed him most, she held it, pretending it was him. The real thing was standing close enough to touch, now and she refused to give in.

  Donny stepped up beside her, bending as she had previously to speak to Anthony. "I'm only going to warn you once. This one is mine. Put those dimples away, or I'll give you a wedgie you'll still be trying to pull out when you graduate college."

  Chace laughed. Karrina snorted. Eden wasn't amused. Part of her loved that, but he didn't have to know.

  "We can't share friends?" A cute frown changed Eden's mood.

  "No, Anthony. Not this time. Why don't you and I go get something to eat to celebrate our new friendship?" She held out her hand to him and beamed as they walked away, leaving Donny to stare after them.

  The kid was milking it. He sat too close to Eden and laid his head against her while playing on her phone. She seemed to enjoy his company. When not engaged in conversation with the family or laughing with her friends, she played with Anthony saying something he found hilarious.

  "It's not so funny now that the boy's pushing up on your woman, I see."

  Antonio mused, cutting through his thoughts and annoying him.

  "You say that as if you got a chance when she's back." Chris took a swig of his beer. "I saw Anthony's calendar. He already has several playdates lined up with her."

  "If it's in crayon, it isn't valid. You're a businessman, Chris. You should know this."

  "Man, say what you want. You fucked up, and she's his now. Kid Casanova is about to have two gorgeous women on his arm. Good thing mine is his aunt."

  "That's probably the only advantage you have, being with that nutjob," Jermaine added.

  Chris threw his bottle cap at him, mumbling something about leaving his baby alone. In the time Donny had taken his eyes off of her, Eden had somehow ended up with Cj. He was staring up at her with a toothless grin, cooing at everything she said.

  "Welp. It looks like you'll have to defeat the GrandMaster, Drooler, for your girl, now." Chris joked.

  "I thought you said she was yours." Jermaine lost his smile. "Any particular reason why you're over here with us while Kya's boyfriend and the Gerber baby are courting your woman?"

  "She's not feeling me right now," Donny answered, absently taking a sip of his drink.

  "What did you do?" They all asked.

  He thought carefully to avoid exposing himself. There were things he still wasn't ready to talk about it yet: too many questions, too much uncertainty, and raw emotions. Half-truths with his brothers felt wrong. Being away from Eden felt worse. Both were necessary at the moment.

  "I'm still fucked up about the shit with Julie. Eden and I haven't spoken since. She's been through enough. I don't want to subject her to anything more."

  "I know what you mean. Every time I think about Julie and Anthony with a gun to their heads, shit hurts all over again. It's been hard keeping that from Rina. She asked me why I'm hugging her more. That turned into an argument. She's been sleeping in Junior's room since."

  It was more than that. Getting out of that situation relatively unscathed was the upside. What they didn't know was what had caused Donny to withdraw and required so much alone time.

  "You two will make up, and she'll be threatening women that blink your way in no time," Donny said dryly, taking a bigger sip from his cup. The guys were drinking beer, but he needed something stronger.

  "Same for you, fucker. Ten more seconds of watching her ass jiggle in that dress, and you'll be back to fucking in public."

  Donny glared again, to which Chris merely smiled. "Girls talk about every damn thing. The only thing I don't know about is the size of your dick. Thankfully."

  "Bro, you sit and listen to that shit?" Jermaine frowned.

  "Hell yeah. Women are ruthless. And they're perverts. Shit's entertaining."

  Antonio shook his head, obviously judging Christian. Donny noticed and didn't care. There was too much on his mind, including the woman holding a baby and talking to his parents. The sight, picture-perfect. Weeks before, he could see that as a preview of his future. Now, he barely saw the next day with a positive outlook.

  "Excuse me," he headed for the house, needing a minute to himself. He intended to sit alone for a breather. Instead, he found himself in Javier's man cave. The pictures on the wall held his attention but barely eased his mind.

  His family. They were his, and they wanted him. They'd been all he had and all he needed. They'd always be. That didn't have to change. They were the same people who'd welcomed him when he was a foster kid with secrets. Even as a man with secrets, nothing had to change.

  But his world shifted, and nothing was the same.

  Donny stopped in front of the picture of his parents. He touched all four corners of the frame, settling on the joy in their expression. He smiled weakly. Imagining them arguing one minute and in love, the next made him smile more. Thinking of what they could be saying to Eden made him rush back upstairs. He heard a baby's coos then a soft tone on his way to the back door and backtracked.

  "Yeah, they are sweet. I think you and Anthony are the sweetest, though, so keep that between us."

  He heard Cj coo once more and peeked around the wall. Eden had the baby lying on a blanket spread across the sofa. She changed his diaper while he talked around the fist in his mouth. As usual, he began to cry the second she touched him with a wipe. Like she'd be shocked, Eden drew back. It was comical, mainly when she recovered him with the diaper.

  "Look here, cutie," her voice took on a stern tone, "you can't be peeing or screaming at me on my birthday. I know I have no clue what I'm doing, but don't judge me." She huffed. The cries died down, and she tried again. He started crying instantly. Her frustration lured Donny from his hiding spot.

  "What did I just tell you about yelling at me!"

  "The wipes are cold."

  Her head snapped in his direction, sending her hair into her face. He ached to touch her. His fingers were itching to push those curls back. Instead, he walked over to them, took the wipe from her hand, and held it between his palms. Once it was warm enough, he proceeded to change Cj's diaper and redress him. The whole time, he felt her eyes burning into him. She only looked away to take the baby into her arms.

  "Thanks," she threw over her shoulder on her way to the door.

  "No, thank you. That was a sight I didn't know I needed." She kept walking, and he couldn't take it. "Eden."

  She stopped but didn't face him. He hated that. Meanwhile, Cj was looking over her shoulder, trying to get his fist back into his mouth and babbling.

  "You've had nothing to say to me in weeks, Donovan. Don't let this day or us being in the same space force you into it, now."

  "It's nothing personal, baby. It's not you."

  "No," she turned but held her hand at the base of Cj's neck, "don't baby me. If it was nothing personal, you could've and should've told me that. Ghosting me proves the point that we shouldn't have crossed the line, and feelings are pointless."

  "I'm sorry I shut you out. That was hypocritical of me. I told you I wasn't going anywhere and that you could talk to me about your troubles. When I encountered my own," he trailed off and looked down at his feet. She was concerned. She looked so beautiful. Beautiful and worried for him. Yet he couldn't do the least to repay her. "Today is your day. Rina went through all the trouble of planning this to show you how special you are to us. I won't ruin that."

  Stepping close to her, Donny stole a kiss. It lasted a few seconds but long eno
ugh to assure him that he hadn't lost her completely. Pulling back, it took all he had to reject his need to kiss her confusion away.

  "Happy Birthday, hermosa. I hope you like your gift."

  With that, Donny stepped around her to return to his boys. What little time spent in her presence had done wonders for him. Still, he couldn't get a grip, and until he could, he wouldn't darken her doorway. Not when life was finally giving her what she deserved.

  TWENTY-THREE

  Something was off and had been since Eden’s visit. After relaying the message that Eden wanted nothing more to do with the family, her father said less. When not attending church events, TV shows, or filming, he kept himself closed off. Eve and her husband, Joe, were concerned. Egypt and Sandra, not so much.

  To an extent, Kenneth was, too. Whatever she said was more impactful than merely severing ties. Whatever she said to her father changed him. It was evident in his sermons, lack of smile, and sudden secrecy.

  At the insistence of his wife and mother-in-law, Kenneth tried to talk to Daryl. All conversations regarding Eden were immediately shut down. The sudden coldness, so unnerving Kenneth suspected Eden resurrected her claims.

  Shaken by the thought, he decided to keep an eye on his father-in-law, himself. For two months, he stuck close to the older man and saw no other cause for concern until one day, there was.

  Samuel Westridge, his father-in-law’s oldest friend, and personal attorney arrived unannounced—or so he thought. The moment his black Rolls Royce pulled onto the parking lot, Daryl emerged from his office. The two men greeted each other and disappeared behind the door. No one else was there besides security. What reason did they have to close the door?

  Eden flooded his mind. The fallout years prior produced a cold sweat along his brow. It was about her. His mind wouldn’t allow any other explanation. Absently, Kenneth paced the hall. As he neared the door, he tried to catch the words on the other side. Boldly he threw caution to the wind and pressed his ear to the dark, polished wood. It was hard to hear everything, but his blood turned to ice when he heard her name.

  By the time the office door opened, Kenneth was seated on the bench in the hall, pretending to look at his phone. Samuel looked his way, lacking cordiality. Kenneth stood with the two men walking toward the door, and in a risky move, pulled up his phone settings. Playing with the vibrations, he placed his phone to his ear and looked to the security guard as if to excuse himself. Inside Daryl’s office, he immediately went for the desk and didn’t bother sitting down while scanning the top documents. Upon opening the drawer, the picture inside hit him square in the chest.

  The way his heart raced proved she was still poison to his system. He knew that after seeing her in the hospital and then again down the hall. The attraction was still there. Seemingly only for him, but that fire had grown immensely, burning hotter with him. That spark in Eden had been the hook and line to sink him eventually. Marrying her sister was supposed to cure that, yet the differences between them only made it worse.

  She still cared about him, too. He was convinced. She walked away from everyone else but spat venom his way. Being apart made their hearts grow fonder. With all that anger, she needed a release. With what he put up with at home, so did he.

  The next picture was taken from a distance. The man holding her hand as they crossed the street boiled his blood. The following photo of her kissing that man, cut like a thousand shards of glass. The third picture showed her with a beautiful Latina while the fourth picture was of the man she’d been with. This close up of him provided a sense of familiarity and bitterness he couldn’t swallow. Joe’s friend. He remembered their introduction and the man’s inquiry of Eden. Back then, the idea of this man gaining her attention caused Kenneth to pretend to despise her. The tactic was a failure.

  Beneath the other photos, Kenneth found a magazine and what appeared to be several typed reports dating back to Eden’s initial return. Quickly, he scanned it and settled on the details of her recent and frequent whereabouts. Not wanting to risk getting caught, Kenneth took pictures of everything then placed it back in the drawer the way he found it. He’d play this game as he always had, pretending to know nothing while working hard to be ten steps ahead.

  Donny counted his steps, eyeing all the usual buildings and people along his route. Between each, Eden crossed his mind. Small talk kept her in his life. Without it, his butterfly would have tried her damndest to squeeze back into her cocoon. She was already trying. As fucked up as he felt, he wasn’t having that. She deserved the rewards of her progress. That was why he’d taken a step back. She didn’t need his shit on her shoulders. So he went back to running before dawn—regression in a sense.

  He slowed his steps as he neared the cemetery. Leaning against the iron bars, Antonio waited. He faced the graveyard, staring into the darkness.

  “Go ahead.”

  “You first. I noticed you and Eden barely speaking at her party.”

  “A whole month later, Tonito. You saw that?”

  “I see everything.”

  Donny bit back a snide remark. “What do you want me to say? You saw what you saw. I’ve been a little fucked up and put distance between us.”

  “You just gave up?”

  Donny looked his cousin up and down, the suppressed anger itching to display itself. “Is that what you see.”

  Antonio’s eyes narrowed. He turned fully, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “What’s up with the animosity, primo?”

  “Man, say what’s on your mind. I have a schedule to keep.”

  Caught off guard, Antonio chuckled and nodded, “You’ve been on some shit since everything went down. I get you being fucked up because I am, too. Not only did I almost cause the deaths of my sister and nephew, but the love of my life, too. We cannot let this guilt destroy us or what we still have. If you don’t kick this shit, that’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to end up like me—without the one person I crave every second that I breathe—watching her live a life that doesn’t include me. Wishing I could go back in time. That’s all I got.”

  Antonio walked back to his truck. Donny watched him retreat as those words sunk in. His cousin wasn’t big on sharing his feelings. For him to do so meant it was from the heart and of real concern.

  “Tonito,” he caught him just as he neared the driver side door, “shit’s heavy right now. How do I get past the guilt?” He stopped just short of letting it all out. He wasn’t ready. Not yet.

  “Talk to her. That’s where I fucked up. She showed me she cared, and I showed her my back. Don’t be me.” He got in, started his truck, pulled up slightly, and rolled down the window. “Get in, or I’m going to follow you home.”

  Donny glanced over his shoulder. He got in the truck, thinking the ride to his place would be silent, but Antonio surprised him.

  “I should probably tell you I threatened your girl. I told her if she fucks up, I won’t hesitate to step in. Who knew I’d have to step to your ass first.”

  “Are you taking her side now?”

  Antonio smiled, “Yeah. I kind of like her.”

  “Me, too.” Donny finally found a smile, although small and fleeting.

  Eden opened the door just enough to reveal part of her body. Her long t-shirt—his shirt, stopped mid-thigh. The sight of her in it called to everything male within him. He tried to focus on her face by reeling in the sleepiness still in her eyes and muffled yawn. He’d missed how adorable she looked first thing in the morning—a complete mess and still beautiful.

  “I’m sorry I woke you and popped up unannounced. I wanted to talk. Face to face.”

  Half expecting her to slam the door on him, he positioned himself to stop it. Instead, she turned sideways, allowing him entry. The living room was littered with fabric: scraps and long lace pieces with feathers and pearls scattered on her coffee table. Two mannequins were on either side of the TV—both with lingerie on them.

  “Still haven’t found a manufacture
r?”

  “Not really,” she said through another yawn. “There’s one in Jersey I want to check out. Since I have a shoot there in a few weeks, Rina offered to go with me. Kya is supposed to come home the same day, so my plans may change. Until then, I’m sewing and hate every second of it.”

  “You could always ask Kya who she plans to use.”

  Eden snorted. “If I do that, she’ll pull more strings for me. You know how I feel about that.”

  “I do,” he answered, taking a seat beside her on the sofa. “I can take you.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “This is probably the longest conversation we’ve had since my birthday, and you’re volunteering to travel with me.”

  “That’s why I’m here. I came to apologize for shutting down on you and ask for forgiveness. I told you the importance of freeing your mind but let my issues take me backward. I’m sorry for the things I’ve made you feel and probably question. I still thought of you every day, which is why I tried to ensure there was some form of communication. I was just too fucked up to pull myself together.”

  “Why?” She tucked her legs beneath her, staring at him with pleading eyes. His hesitation created instant disappointment. Eden looked at her hands and mumbled, “I get it. You don’t have to tell me this second. But I think this was a teachable moment for us. We both have things that torment us. Things we may not be ready to discuss, and that could get in the way. I love your friendship. I think we should dial things back and focus on being friends only.”

  “I don’t,” he retorted. “Regardless of what rough patches we face—and this, Hermosa, is a rough patch—I’m still your man, and I’m not letting you go.”

  There was a familiar flash in her eyes. Something he said turned her on. She was trying to hide it.

  “Friends, Donovan. We’re should just be—”

  He placed a finger over her lips. The softness warming his blood, igniting memories of the taste. “I’m going to work on me and this. Let me fix this. After that, no more secrets or holding back. I promise, if we can’t find our way back to what we were, we can be friends. I’ll make any guy you decide to date go missing, but I’ll be a true friend to you.”