A Long Time Coming (25 page)

So the sex act
conversation was out…but a little sexual innuendo never hurt anyone, right?

“Listen, I don’t
want to hold you two off any longer now from your little…date night
conversation. But as far as I can see, everything looks in order. I suggest you
take it easy though, Miss Zane, at least for a few days. Then by the end of the
week, just follow up with your regular OB. But if the bleeding worsens or gets
heavier, please don’t hesitate to come back in.”

“Sure, thanks.
I’ve got my first appointment Friday morning.”

“You do?” If it
was at all possible, David’s face paled even more when Abigail turned to face
him at his question. He frowned at her, his face reddening as he did. “I didn’t
know that.” He stared down at his palms, his mouth sat in a tight grimace. Was
he really mad that she hadn’t told him about the appointment? Or was there something
else going on.

Then he blinked,
refocusing on the doctor again. “Is, you know…sex okay?”

Oh hell…was that
his problem here? He was afraid they weren’t going to have sex anymore? And to
top it off, he was asking the little Asian doctor who looked like he was on his
last nerve about it too? Pressing her chin into her chest, Abigail studied a
simple hangnail, trying her hardest to keep her laughter away. David’s face was
void of any humor, whatsoever though
—
straight–up
serious concern reflected in his harsh gaze.

Man…apparently
she’d have to follow up on her sex favor thing sooner, rather than later.

The doctor cleared
his throat as he stood. His chart pressed against his chest, his eyes narrowing
as he glanced between the two of them. “Just as long as she’s comfortable with
it, then it’s just fine to continue with sexual intercourse. I don’t see
anything suggesting any impending miscarriage at this time.”

Relief had never
sounded so sweet, and although this doctor wasn’t her favorite, Abigail still
wanted to hug him. Their baby
—
David’s and her
baby
—
was good. Dammit though, this happiness
shit hurt her brain; the up and down emotional stuff hurt even worse. But as
David snagged her hand and pulled it to his lips, and the doctor exited the
room, she decided she was good with a little brain ache, if it got them to
where they were meant to be.

After they were
released, and walking back towards the car, David pulled her in close, only to
whisper in her ear. “Now…about that date promise, hmm?”

“Mmm, well, doctor’s
orders said I was only to do things I’m comfortable with…”

Unlocking her
door, Abigail grinned just as his hands wrapped around her waist from behind,
keeping her from entering. “Yes, well, I heard that too,” his hands slipped low
over her stomach, under her shirt. She moaned, dropping her keys against the
cement with a crash. Her head lulled back against his chest as he splayed his
hand across her skin, his fingers paying particular attention to her
bellybutton as he did. His hot mouth was on her ear, engulfing her body into
flames
—
the best kind of flames. The kind any sane person would
want to burn up with. She was so definitely sane too
—
beyond sane
—
and when his
hands dipped below her pants, only so they could run along the edges of her
panties right there in the middle of the parking lot for all to see, she had
never felt saner.

“God, I don’t
think I’ll be able to make it back home…” He growled, nibbling on her neck, his
hands creeping lower, brushing just over where she wanted him the most.

“Mmm,” she sighed
shutting her eyes, lost to his touch, lost even more when his lips traced a
line of kisses right below her ear. “Neither will I…”

“Excuse me…I’d
like to get into my car please.”

“Holy shit!” David
jumped back, like he’d just been caught by his mom or something.

“Um, yes, I would
say something to that affect too, young man.” The little Asian doctor groaned,
slipping behind her with a frown of disapproval on his face. David was already
on the other side of the car, his face red
—
his
eyes wide with apology. Too bad what they’d almost done needed no apology in
her book.

“I suggest you
take it easy in parking lots though,” the man whispered under his breath at
her. “Maybe save it for the privacy of your bedroom, hmm?”

Sex advice from a
man who appeared sexless himself. Who would have thought it? She only shrugged
her response, slipping into the car
—
totally
not ashamed of the fact that she was ready to pick it right back up where they
almost
had been seconds ago in the space of her tiny car. Sue her. She’d like to get
all the David time in she could. They’d been apart way too long, so making up
for lost time was of mass importance in her world.

* * *

“Mom, where are you? Abigail
and I are here.” Her arms wrapped around his waist, tucking into the front pockets
of his jeans as they stepped into the kitchen. Abigail pressed her warm body
into his back as he eyed the darkness of his seemingly abandoned house. If
Abigail wasn’t too careful, then he’d take her up on her little secret
offerings right there on the counter of the kitchen…and then maybe on the table
too. Followed by the floor, and then the stairs… and yeah, they’d definitely
have to make it up to the bedroom for more.

“They’re not here, David.
There are no cars in the garage.” He shut his eyes, pressing his hands against
the edge of the counter as her body began to rub up against him from behind.

“I can see that,” he groaned,
enjoying her wandering fingers as they slipped up the front of his shirt.
Normally, he would have been worried and wondering about his parents being gone
so unexpectedly without leaving an obvious note. But the simple fact that
Abigail was prowling around his body like a damn cat in heat made any and all
concerns take a back seat to his need for her.

A shirt fell on the floor,
followed by pants. He gaped, and then he blinked as she sauntered up next to
him. A pure, white hot, take–me–now smile was on her face. Red panties
and
a
red bra? How did he not notice this at the doctor’s office? “Wh–what are you
doing?” Fuck, he knew exactly what she was doing. Hence the reason his hands
were already reaching for her waist, why he was already pulling her back
towards the counter.

“I want my dessert first.” She
shrugged, nibbling on her bottom lip, all seductress–like. She played the part
damn well.

He shook his head, his face
heating as he studied the length of her body. Perky, perfect, kissable breasts
sat swollen inside of her bra. The tiniest lump sat just below her bellybutton,
signifying the truth he was starting to fully wrap his head around. Abigail was
curvy and completely delicious and his.

Suddenly it wasn’t candy or
chocolate pie he found himself wanting to give her.

But instead of doing what he
wanted, touching her, kissing her senseless, he wound up walking to the door instead.
His hands shook from anticipation as he locked the door—even the deadbolt.
There would be no interruptions as far as he was concerned. He’d make damn sure
of that.

Pulling herself up on top of
the counter, she grinned, looking ready to be devoured just as he turned to
face her fully. She was so wild, how had he not known this before? Fuck
that—how had he survived so long without it? That was one question he’d never
be able to answer. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned
back. Damn those eyes of hers. They had qualities in them that could easily
melt a man; he was most definitely included in that group, hell, he was the
president.

Slowly, he made his way back
over to her, his body was in complete control, his mind screaming at him to
move his body faster. Finally, he stood in front of her, settling his body in
between her knees, pulling her into him. His hands dug into her backside, she
was amazingly perfect to touch. “You really can’t wait, can you?” He teased,
feeling his body respond to her sexy smile, her hands that were diving into the
neckline of his shirt.

“No. And don’t make me,
please.”

Grinning wider, he reached for
her underwear, not needing any clearer answer than that. Slowly, he slipped
them off of her, one sexy–ass leg at a time. The smoothness of her skin brushed
against the back of his fingertips as he did, and it took all of his
self–restraint not to lower his lips and kiss every single inch of her. But he
didn’t know where his parents were. Therefore he had no idea how much time they
had. So he had to take what he was given, and run like hell with it.

Sitting up, completely bare
except for her bra, she scooted impossibly closer, only to wrap her endless
legs around his waist. “God, Abs…what are you doing to me here?” He raised his
hands, cupping her neck, tilting her chin back so he could kiss her pulse. His
lips traveled at warp speed up and down her skin, stopping when he reached the
dip just above her breasts. His breath was heavy, heaving in and out as he hovered
over her. She reached around to undo her bra, pressing her chest upwards,
silently begging for something more it seemed. But he shook his head no, and
pulled her hands into her lap instead.

“Don’t move.”

Grinning, she nodded, letting
him have his way. He didn’t undo her straps though, instead, he lowered each
one, kissing the mark where the silk had dug into her skin. She sighed
contentedly reaching for his hair, moving her hands through the tangles, even
after he’d told her not to move. She dug her fingers into his scalp, and that
move was all it took to steal away any self–control he had left.

Undoing his pants in no time,
he let them fall to the floor—not even bothering with his shirt. The need to
fully consume her made all other thoughts running wildly through his head
become extinct. And in one single movement, one motion of his hips and hers,
they were connected fully, right there on the edge of his mother’s kitchen
counter.

“David, oh god…” Her tiny
little moans were his kryptonite, and he was damn near the point of exploding
on a mental front—as much as a physical front—every time she let them echo in
his ears.

He opened his eyes, lowering
his forehead against hers, needing nothing more than to see her let go, to see
her vulnerability come out, to see the toughness she always exuded, fade to
that point of complete peace—utter bliss. Mere minutes later, after only a few
slow movements of their warm, connecting bodies, she was already to that point,
shuddering in his arms, panting against his cheeks, his mouth. Their lips just
barely grazed, her breath washing over his. He didn’t want to kiss her. He
wanted to watch her—ingrain the vision of her face in his mind—even though the
image would always be there. Her eyes were wide, her face opened completely.
This was the mother of his child—this was the woman he intended to be with
until his very last breath escaped his lungs.

Nineteen was young, but love
didn’t know a limit on age.

Abigail
would
be his
wife. And it was with that one final thought that he let go too. He
groaned—biting her ear—christening the counter top. Yeah…this was the best
fucking moment he’d ever experienced in his life.

Chapter Twenty–Five

An hour after their hot little
countertop interlude, the sounds of tires rattled up the gravel drive, followed
by exactly four doors slamming shut. Cuddling against the couch—entranced by
some ridiculous chick flick of epic proportions—David left Abigail to see who’d
shown up. He flipped on the back porch light, squinting through the glass as two
sets of suitcases were drug up the sidewalk by two different guys. One being
his dad, the other being…oh shit—surfer boy was here?

He grinned and yelled for
Abigail. “Hey, Abs, get in here.”

“Why? What’s up? You ready for
some more kitchen lovin’?” She giggled. Her giggles did amazing things to his
body and he pressed his hand to his chest to try and still the raging beat. The
simple sound of her bare feet hitting the tile as she sauntered up next to him
sent disturbingly fantastic chills up and down his arms, too.

Jesus…If he could have taken
her up on the idea, she’d already be on that countertop. Didn’t she realize
that? It was bad enough that he’d never again be able to eat his cereal in
there without visions of her nakedness on the tiled surface… Well,
bad
was
the furthest thing from his mind when he thought back on the memory, but
still…this girl, God, he wanted her just as much now as he did an hour ago! How
was it possible for him to have so much need for one, single person? And the
best part about this constant yearning for her? It meant that the drugs he took
for his head weren’t even
touching
his dick anymore. That meant one
thing: His body was his own once again. And it was hers too dammit—all hers.

“Holy shit, is that…?”

She squealed as the door
flipped open, breaking him out of his dirty, needy thoughts. The cold, late
night, September wind swept over his body, and he wrapped his arm around
Abigail’s shoulders as she pressed against his side. Leaning over, he kissed
the top of her head, smiling into her mango–scented shampoo. It was time to
show his curly haired twin that he’d taken the Abigail plunge once and for all.

“Surprise!” His mom was the
first to speak, shivering as she tore her coat off and settled it on the coat
rack behind the door.

“Wow, this place smells
awesome, like always,” Mason–the–suck–ass grinned his white toothy smile,
winking down at Harley as they entered behind her parents. Their dad, quiet as
always, placed the suitcases on the foot of the stairs.

“Abigail…David…long time, no
see!” David couldn’t help but smile as Mason came in closer, mock punching him
before one–arm hugging Abigail. “How’s the bun in the oven, you two? Cooking
nicely, I assume?”

David pulled a groaning
Abigail even closer, staring up at his mom in the process. Her head was lowered
onto his sister’s shoulder—a longing smile stretched across her face. That look
of pure joy just about killed him. But at the same time, it filled him with an
equal amount of happiness as well. His mom was beyond excited at the prospect
of being a grandma, even though he was only nineteen.
He
had a difficult
time accepting it though. Not the whole having a kid thing—although
that
reality
was only just becoming familiar. It was more the fear he held inside over the
future in general. Most of the time he forbade himself from thinking beyond
tomorrow, because the truth of the matter was, he had no idea if his mom would
even be there. And nothing scared him more than the fear of losing her.

But like always, something
else hit him, another anguished thought that he didn’t want anything to do
with, but knew in the end was unavoidable. He shut his eyes, and his stomach
churned at the truth. It was a bitter thought—an uncomfortable idea—one that
created a burning, acidic sensation in his throat the longer he stood there. He
knew what it was. Knew exactly why his sister was there. Fuck…

His mom was going to tell them
about her cancer.

Abigail went up on her
tiptoes, pulling David into her so she could kiss him on the cheek. The move
was distracting, but not enough to push the dread away. He wanted to hold her
lips there, use them as his strength, his superpower. “You can let go of me
now. I’m not the one about to fall here…” Staring down at her, he winced, loosening
his hands, only so they could wrap them around his little sister who was moving
in.

“Harley…” He choked out,
struggling to hide the emotion from his voice.

“Hey David, I missed ya, big
daddy.”

Gritting his teeth at her
statement, he stared over her shoulder at his mom once more. She nodded; her
sad smile was still in place.
Dammit.
His mom’s look said it all…

“Let’s sit in the living room
everyone, shall we? Your sister and Mason said they wanted to talk about
something.” Harley stiffened in his hold briefly, before pulling away.
Unfortunately though, as he watched her move towards the couch, with her
shoulders slumped, her hands balling at her side, David knew the supposed
news
she had to share wasn’t of the good kind.

“Can we wait for Dad, please? I
think we need to discuss everything together.”

“Little Beast, are you sure
you want to do this now?” Mason’s voice was low—angry. Not the normal chill
tendencies he’d always associated him with.

What the hell was going on
here? He felt his brotherly instincts kick in and he gritted his teeth together
even harder. Mason moved in next to Harley, his hand slipping into hers, but
shockingly, she pulled it away and settled it on her lap instead. Abigail must
have seen the move, because her hand instantly slipped into the crook of
David’s arm, and squeezed. Shrugging himself, he stared down at her,
questioning her with his eyes, seeing if she had a clue as to what the
malfunction was. But her answering shrug left him in the dark even more. If his
sister hadn’t told Abigail what was up, then it definitely wasn’t going to be
good news.

“No,
there is no better
time than now to discuss this, Mason.”

“But Harley
—
”

“Stop, please. This is why I
didn’t want you to come in the first place.” As if burned from her words, Mason
backed away, shoving his hands out in front of his body. He shook his head, his
jaw twitched, a vein David had never seen on the guy, bulged from his temple.
The boy looked broken as he ran his hand through his hair, over and over again
like he was trying to come back from someplace he didn’t want to go. And for
the briefest of seconds, David felt sorry for him.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Their
mom inched her way towards the couch, sitting down on the armrest next to
Harley. She pressed a hand against her daughter’s face, and that’s when David
saw them—the tears he hated so fucking much—falling from her big brown eyes.
His damn sister was hurting, once again.

“I’m leaving. I can’t be here,
not when I’m against what you’re doing. I’m sorry, Harley, I love you, with
everything I have inside of me…but
—
”

“Go Mason. I’ll just…call you
tomorrow or something.”

David squeezed Abigail’s hand
staring back and forth between the pair. Damn, there was some serious shit
going down.

The door slammed shut, and
David flinched, trying not to look at the tears falling from his sister’s eyes.
Everyone was quiet, the room was practically frozen. But like the awesome
superstar girlfriend–best friend she was, Abigail released his hand and headed
straight for his sister. She pulled her into an instant, sob fest of a hug.

No…no dammit, not the two of
them both crying! Not the fucking tears! Knowing exactly what he had to do, he
stood, reached for his crutch, and darted for the door. There was no way Mason
was going to leave like this anyways. He’d regret it. Besides that, David
needed to hear both sides of this story. And from the look of things, he needed
to hear
Mason’s
side first. The crying thing…it was just too much to
deal with for him now, so this was the perfect out.

“Dude, just…go away. I’m not
in the mood to talk.”

“Well, Mason my man, you don’t
have a choice.”

Scoffing, Mason stared back at
him from the stoop where he’d planted himself. “Listen, you need to be in
there—for Harley. She needs you more than I do.”

“I call your bullshit here,
dude.
I need to know what the hell is going on, because from the look and sound
of things,
she
is in the wrong here. Besides that, I can’t handle the
—
”

“Crying? Yeah, I know…I can’t
either. Kills me,” he pounded against his chest, eyes wide as David settled in
next to him on the top of the step, “right here…”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Silence surrounded them, and
it would have bothered him normally, but not tonight. Tonight, the quietness
was needed so he could clear his thoughts—have an open mind for whatever the
hell happened.

“She’s leaving me…”

And
that
wasn’t what he
expected to hear come out of pretty boy’s mouth. “Um, what do you mean
leaving
you?
As in breaking up with you? Or moving someplace else? What’s up here,
Mason, I can’t take this open–ended shit.”

“I mean…she’s moving. She got
some sort of internship offer in Chicago working for some big architect firm.
They take one student a year, fly them out, and let them work for six months.
If the intern fits in, they take them on full–time, pay for the rest of their
schooling, pay for their bills, their apartment—everything. And then they hire
them on as an employee when the schooling is over. The opportunity is freaking
amazing, and she deserves it so much.” His voice was bitter, but not really
angry bitter—more hurt than anything. David knew how that was.

“Why can’t you just go with
her then?”

Sighing, Mason ran his hand
through his hair before dropping his chin against his chest. “Because…your
sister doesn’t
want
me to go. She says I need to stay behind, work on
getting my shop up and running. She doesn’t want me to forgo
my dreams,
for hers.”

“And what are your dreams,
Mason?”

Shit, what was he, Dr. fucking
Phil? He needed to just shut up, let the guy talk, and get back in there with
his sister—his family.
They
mattered, not this guy.

But somehow, somewhere along
the way this past year, Mason Daniel had instilled his skinny little surfer
body into his heart too, just like he did with Harley and the rest of his
family—into his family’s lives. And as much as he claimed to not like the guy,
he knew, deep down that he kind of did.

“
Harley
is my dream. I
just want to be where she is, be by her side. I know it sounds pathetic and
all, but I can’t help it. I love her…”

Yet another thought hit David
as he sat there, taking in the news, taking in the Mason confessional like he
was a priest himself.
Dammit!
When Harley found out about their mom, she
wouldn’t fucking leave Hillsdale for anything! She’d come home, stay there
until the…the…end.

Fuck. The end? Dammit, what
was he thinking? He slammed a fist into the wood on the porch floor, his hand
immediately swelling at the move.

“Wow, I didn’t know you cared
so much about my feelings, dude,” Mason chuckled, nudging David’s side with his
fist. “I feel indebted to you now that you broke your hand and all.”

“Shut up. I didn’t break my
hand.”

“Uh, you sure?” he nodded
towards his fist. David looked down, cringing as blood pooled over his
knuckles.

Growling under his breath, he
turned to a grinning Mason and shook his hand out, but stopped the words from
coming when a dark car pulled into the drive.

“My sister…” Mason smiled
sadly and stood. “I’ve missed that kid.”

Nodding in agreement, David
stared over at Mason, seeing so much sadness in the guy’s eyes, that it wasn’t
even funny. If this was what love did to a person, then David needed to build
up some sort of wall that kept him and Abigail locked away from the world—from
all outside sources that threatened to tear their happiness down. If he was
determined to do one thing, it was keep the two of them together, no matter
what they faced.

“See ya later, David,” Mason
stood, turning to face him over his shoulder as he stepped forward and onto the
sidewalk. “I’ll just get my suitcase tomorrow.”

David’s mouth—completely
unfiltered for once—opened up, letting out the confession that wasn’t his to
make. “Our mom’s dying, Mason.” Stiffening, other than his flexing hands at his
sides, Mason stayed in place as David continued on. “She’s got terminal cancer.
It’s all over her body. That’s why my parents flew you two home. They wanted to
tell you guys, together. So don’t give up on my sister, because the last thing
on her mind after she finds out the truth will be heading to Chicago.”

“Fuck me…I’ll never give up on
her, David. Never.”

Yeah, those were David’s
sentiments exactly. But he couldn’t speak. It was like his voice was punishing
him for saying the words aloud, his throat tightening up to the point of near
suffocation. Without waiting for another response, David turned around and
headed back into the house, wanting nothing more than to return to the blissful
state of contentedness he and Abigail had been in only an hour beforehand.