In the Mix (34 page)

“You came in me?” I feel the panic rise up in me.

“You’re on the pill, baby. It’ll be fine.” He kisses me. “C’mon, we need to get dressed and head out before all the guys get home.”

“Oh, ok.” I sit up . . . ow. Within a few minutes we are dressed and heading down the stairs.

As soon as we are outside of his Frat house, he stops me and pulls me into his arms. “Are you okay, Ceese?”He pulls back and there is concern painted all over his face. He seems more like him than he was twenty minutes ago.

“I’m ok.” I offer him a meek smile.

“I love you so much. I never want to do anything to hurt you. You are the love of my life, baby.” He palms my face and I can’t help but feel concerned with the pained look in his eyes.

“Are you ok?” I grasp his wrists as he continues to hold my face.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I’m just stressed out with this whole Fraternity thing. I suddenly have the feeling that you were very right about me not bothering to join.” He lays his forehead against mine.

“Don’t worry, Drew, you’ll get in!” I try to boost his confidence.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I will—that’s what I’m worried about.” He gives me a quick kiss and then let’s go of my face so we can continue to walk. I don’t really understand where this is coming from. That’s been his biggest focus for this year; to get into the same fraternity his dad was in. He didn’t get in last year and it about destroyed him. Drew’s top priority, in the year I’ve known him, has always been to make his dad proud. I will never understand this since his dad is such a fucking prick. I don’t even think the man knows he has a son. I know Drew is going to be different with our kids. He talks about it all the time. Maddie says Drew’s behavior is pretty typical for kids who have parents that are self-absorbed, never taking notice of anything unless it directly affects them.

Douchebags.

“May I take your order?” The guy behind the window at the ice cream shop asks. I look up and see Kyle with a Hitler mustache. What the fuck?

“She can’t have any ice cream, Kyle, because she threw our baby away, didn’t you, Ceese?” Drew says from beside me.

“What?”

“You threw our baby away!” he yells.

I sit up, screaming.

It was just a dream.

It was just a dream.

I look over at the clock and see that it’s a little after seven in the morning. No time to sit here and cry. I need to get a shower and get ready to see Maddie. I’m so thankful I called her last night. I need to talk to her more now than ever.

“Who is Constantine the Great?”

“What is the Scientific Method?”

“What is Meroitic?”

Little known fact about me: I win
Jeopardy!
every week. My parents tell me all the time that I should go on there. I’d probably choke up. Instead, I sit in hotel rooms, watching it on my laptop and yelling out the answers. It amazes me that I know the names of ten different extinct languages but I know not a damn thing about what my girlfriend is going through. I’m not sure I’ll ever know . . . if I depend on her to tell me.

I take in a deep breath. “Fuck it.” I’m going to do this. She doesn’t need to know. I fire up the program to do a background check. That’s just step one. I put in all the info I have on him, which is not much. I do know that they went to Tufts together and I know his name—that’s a good start.

My phone starts to ring and the only reason I am prying myself away is because I’m hoping it’s CiCi. Instead, it’s my dad.

“Hey, Dad, what’s going on?”

“Uh, Kyle?”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“Mom’s in the hospital. She had a slight heart attack today.” He sounds so somber.

“What?! Is she ok? What are they doing for her?” I jump up in a panic and start repacking the suitcase I’ve just unpacked.

“She’s in surgery right now. They’re putting a stent in the blocked artery,” he says in his most calming tone. “I will call you as soon as she comes out.”

“I’m going to get the jet ready and head home.”

“Kyle, you can’t do anything right now. You finish what you’re supposed to be doing. I’ll keep you posted.” he reiterates.

“Like hell, Dad! I need to be by my mother’s side—that’s what I need to be doing!” I yell. I know I shouldn’t yell. I’m just upset.

“Alright, son, whatever you think is best. I called CiCi and asked her to take Linz and Mickey for the night.” He sighs. “I’m just so grateful that they were able to help her at the hospital. They’ve all been wonderful.” He gets choked up.

“Was Linz there when this happened?”

“No. She was at the shelter, volunteering. She doesn’t know.”

“It’s going to be fine, Dad. I’m going to call Mitch now.”

“Okay, son. Talk soon. I’ll leave a message if you’re in the air.”

“It should go through, Dad. Either way, I’ll touch base with you soon.” And with that, I hang up and dial Mitch.

“Hey, I was just going to call you,” he answers.

“You already heard about my mother?” How the fuck does he know before me?

“No. What are you talking about?”

“My mother had a heart attack today. They’re operating on her now. I need to bail, man. Can you fly out here and deal with this shit? I need to be with my mother.” I pace back and forth, not that I think Mitch would say no to me.

“Well, that’s already a done deal.”

“Huh?”

“I was just going to call you and tell you that we’re switching out duties. I’m flying there in the morning,” he says quietly.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“It’s CiCi.”

“What?! What’s the matter with CiCi?!” I yell. This only makes my newly formed headache pulse harder.

“She’s ok,” he says hesitantly. “Look, man, she went in to talk to Maddie about some things. Maddie called Charlotte and asked her to see if I could get you home. She wouldn’t tell her what they discussed but she really feels strongly that you need to be here while she’s going through all of whatever the hell it is she’s going through,” he finishes.

“Okay.”

“You all right?”

“I’m not sure but I’m going to call Erica now to get the jet ready. Not sure how feasible that will be since we only landed here this morning. If the pilot hasn’t slept at all today, I may be stuck here till tomorrow morning.” I throw my shoes into their bag a little more aggressively now that I’ve realized my possible predicament.

“Nah, man. You’re all set. The jet’s ready to go.”

“Thank Christ,” I sigh.

“Well, thank him later; you gotta get to the airport in an hour. I’ll catch you on the other end! Fly safe!”

“Ok, Mitch. Later!” We hang up and I get the rest of myself packed. Erica, our assistant, texts me that my car will be downstairs, waiting. I grab my stuff and am out the door.

I tried to sleep on the plane, knowing the time difference would kill me, but I couldn’t. Between worrying about my mother, whom thankfully made it through surgery ok, and wondering what the hell CiCi revealed to Maddie. Now in the car, I’m completely wiped out. I need to stop by the hospital first, just to see with my own two eyes that she’s ok. Luckily, it’s a short ride from the Manchester airport. The driver pulls up and drops me off in the front of Catholic Medical Center. I head up to ICU.

“Dad,” I whisper and shake his shoulder. He jolts awake

“Hey, son.” He stands up and hugs me.

“How is she?”

“Sleepy. She’s been awake a few times but only for a few minutes. I thought you were going to head straight home.”

“Nah, Dad. I needed to see her first.” I shake my head and head over to my mother. She’s sleeping soundly. I give her a kiss on her head. “I love you,” I whisper. I feel my father’s hand on my back. I turn to him. “Can they bring you in a cot or something?”

“I’m alright. You know me; I can sleep upside down if I wanted to.” He chuckles a bit.

“I’ll be back in the morning. What do you want me to tell Linz?”

“I’m not sure. Talk to CiCi and ask her what she thinks. I just couldn’t deal with her knowing today. I know it was wrong of me but I was a little beside myself.”

“Dad, I get it; you don’t have to explain.” I pull him in for a hug. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t here to help you through all of this. This must have been terrifying for you.”

“You’re here now, Kyle, that’s all that matters. Now, go home to your sweetie.” He pats my upper arms.

“Ok. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say then turn to my mother again. “I’ll see you in the morning, Mom. Get better.” I kiss her on the forehead and leave.

It’s a nice, crisp fall evening. Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for. My driver pulls up. I rush in and tell him to take me home.

The twenty-minute drive seems to take forever. I can’t wait to touch her . . . smell her skin. If I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough, I can smell the scent of her lotion. Uh, finally! “Thanks, Teddy!” I pat his shoulder and get out of the car.

“Mr. Cooper, your luggage, sir!” he calls after me.

“Shit, sorry!” I smile and turn back to meet him at the trunk. He hands me my suitcases and says goodnight before I run off. I unlock the door and walk in, ready to punch the code for the alarm.

“Kyle?” CiCi stops short as soon as she sees me.

“Hey, beautiful.” I smile, flipping the cover back up on the alarm pad.

She runs to me and I drop the rest of my bags before she jumps up on me, wrapping her legs around my waist. “I can’t believe you’re here!” She kisses me over and over. “I’ve missed you so much.” Now my face. I’m not going to lie . . . I wasn’t expecting
this
kind of reception but damn if it doesn’t make my heart bounce all over the place.

“Hey . . . hey, why are you crying?” I finally take notice.

“I just really needed you today and well . . . here you are, like my knight in shining armor.” Her chin quivers as she tries to calm down.

“Of course I’m here, and just so you know, I was coming home today anyway. I was switching with Mitch. Unfortunately, I ended up with two reasons to come home.” I frown. She doesn’t need to know that my coming home was Maddie’s doing. All she needs to know is that when she
needs
me, I’ll be there.

“Really?” She sniffs. “Oh, Kyle, I’m so sorry about your mom. I tried to see her today but I didn’t have a good window; she was still in surgery. I haven’t told Linz yet but I don’t like keeping this from her. Why are you looking at me like that?” She finally shuts the hell up.

“Where’s my sister?”

“In bed, sleeping.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I checked on her a half an hour ago,” she says and I see her beautiful green eyes turn a shade darker.

Oh, we are so on the same page, right now.

My lips attack hers and we’re like wildfire, spreading. She yanks at my jacket as I climb the stairs with her. I hold her with one arm, releasing the other so she can pull the sleeve off. I switch hands. Once my jacket is off, she tears at my shirt—buttons fly everywhere.

Yes, I want to stop and clean up the buttons.

I don’t think that’ll go over well, though.

I run a little faster up the stairs when she moans how badly she needs me. I don’t know where the fuck this energy is coming from. Actually, I do . . . but if I explain it to you, it would bring the sexy meter down and we don’t want that, do we? I bust through our bedroom door. Shit! I go back and close it nicely, locking it. Not an easy feat when the woman you love is sucking the ever-loving-crap out of your earlobe. I collapse onto the bed with her and immediately yank her pajama shirt off of her.

Boobies!

Shut up—it’s been a while!

I attack them, simultaneously pulling at her bottoms. She pulls my undershirt off then goes right for my pants. “Please, I need you right away,” she begs. Look, I’m ready to bust at the seams now; I’m more than ok with no foreplay. “Come in me; we’re good to go,” she adds.

Lord, it may happen before, if she
doesn’t
shut-up.

I yank her bottoms off. I let out a ferocious groan.
Just fuck her, don’t lick her. Just fuck her, don’t lick her.