Stronger (The Unit Book 2) (24 page)

“She loves you. That’s what Tony told me.”

“How would Tony know?” Rob questioned. If she loved him that would change everything.

“She hinted that she loved you to Tony. She never left your side at the hospital. She was willing to stick by your side while you found a way to let Lizzie go,” Michael stated his case.

“How could you possibly know all of this?” Rob questioned his brother.

“I talked to The Unit and every one of those mother fuckers agree, she loves you man. She may not have said it out of fear of scaring you away. You were trying to let Lizzie go, but she never left your side until you told her to go by suggesting she get rid of your child,” Michael reassured his friend.

“I love her, man. How the fuck do I get her back?”

“Is she worth the fight?” Michael asked.

“Fuck yeah. She’s my everything, and she is the mother of my child.”

“Then you fight for her, and you don’t give up. Chances are she is gonna push against you. She’s gonna make you prove yourself. So you do just that. You don’t let up; you don’t stop; you find a way to make her listen to you. And when she does, you tell her exactly what you told me. Tell her all of your fears. If she really loves you, she will understand. I’m sure she’s scared shitless too,” Michael offered.

With a new sense of purpose and clarity he never knew before, Rob stood and approached his brother opening his arms. Michael stood and stepped into Rob’s embrace. Rob hugged him tight. Michael spoke truth and sense. He didn’t know where he would be without Michael and Tony. They saved his life more than a few times. They were joined at the soul level. He would die for any of them and the women they loved, and he knew they would give their lives for him and the woman he loved. They shared a brotherhood that very few people knew.

Rob released Michael and pulled back.

“I hope it’s not too late,” Rob declared.

“It’s only been a few days. True love is hard to get over. You, better than anyone, knows that.”

“This thing with Lola is more than I ever experienced before. It is so different from what I experienced with Lizzie. I never felt this urgency, this need to possess so completely. I have to make her mine in all ways,” Rob confessed.

“What are talking about, man? I think it is a little too early to propose.”

“I don’t think anything else will do. I have to ask her to marry me. I have to know she is mine forever. I have to know she will never keep my child from me. I need to be there to care for her and the child in every way possible,” Rob appealed for his friend’s understanding.

“Yeah, but you’ve only known her a few weeks. That is too soon to ask someone to marry you,” Michael cautioned.

“I can ask her and then we can have a long engagement. I want my ring on her finger. I want to be everything to her the same way she is everything to me,” Rob declared more confident in his decision than ever before. If she really did love him like he loved her, he felt confident she would say yes. She was devastated when he spoke to her last. Devastation like that only exists in true love. She had given him the power to destroy her. That meant he also had the power to restore her.

Rob extended his hand to Michael. When Michael clasped his hand with Rob’s, Rob covered it with his free hand. “Thank you. I can’t thank you enough. I was going to let her go. I was just going to let her and my child go. Thank you for knowing me better than I know myself sometimes. I can never repay you,” Rob said squeezing Michael’s hand with both of his.

On the airplane, Rob pulled the ring from his pocket to look at it again. It was a beautiful square cut diamond which sat slightly atop the surroundings. The center one-carat diamond, which he used some of his savings to purchase, was surrounded by brilliant square cut diamonds in a square shape. He had picked the ring out himself. Now he just had to get her to agree to wear it.

Rob recalled telling Tony and Tyrrell he needed the company jet to fly to Boston to ask the woman of his dreams, the mother of his child, to marry him. Since there were no missions at the present time, Tyrrell agreed to lend him the jet. He knew he was suffering from what Michael had told him. He wanted to see Rob happy again, and he knew Lola was the cure. Tony agreed to fly Rob to Boston and wait to bring them both back to Lewiston.

The flight was a little under two hours and in that time, Rob felt himself grow increasingly nervous. What if she never wanted to see him again? What if it was too late? He knew she wouldn’t be looking for anyone else, but what if someone else had found her? He bounced his leg up and down to release some of his nervous energy. She could always say no. She could tell him he was too late. What if she said no? What if it was too late?

All of the sudden a full on dimple-showing smile curved his lips. He was thinking of how she responded to his touch in the kitchen. How she totally abandoned all inhibitions to be with him. Unconsciously, he parted his lips remembering the feel of her luscious lips upon his. He had shared his deepest, darkest secrets with her and she had shared hers with him. That had to count for something.

Michael was right, she never left his side while he was in the hospital. Her blue eyes were like two priceless sapphires shining brightly at his when he woke up.

All Rob could feel was the emptiness that plagued his stomach. He wouldn’t be whole again until she agreed to be his officially. Until she wore his ring.

How was he going to do it? He had to make it special. He had to make it so she couldn’t possibly say no. He thought on the plan for the remainder of the flight.

Tony’s voice announcing their approach to Boston brought him from his thoughts. As soon as he touched down, he was going to race to her brownstone and not leave until she agreed to see him. How long would he be kept outside waiting?

He was dressed in a nice button down shirt with a nice pair of khaki cargo shorts. He had shaved the stubble from his face and thought he looked the best he could. He could only hope his genuine smile at seeing her was enough to gain him access to her home.

He had a new appreciation for the world, a new appreciation for life. He never knew life could be this sweet. He was up to his heart in love with Lola. He had to convince her. He had no other choice. A life without Lola wasn’t a life.

The airplane touched down onto the runway. His hands trembled with impatience as he waited for the plane to taxi to the hub. Once at the hub, the ground workers wheeled the staircase over to the plane. Tony walked out to wish Rob good luck.

Rob took Tony’s hand and pulled him in for a hug.

“You really think she loves me?” Rob asked hope filling his light grey eyes.

“I know she does,” Tony reassured his friend.

“Then I am going to get her and bring her back.

∞

He got out of the rental SUV and stared at her brownstone. All of the ‘what if’s’ were troubling his mind. But this time, it wasn’t whether or not he wanted a child; this time it was whether or not Lola still wanted him.

He mustered his courage and walked slowly to her outer door. He raised his hand to knock but pulled back. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he shouldn’t ask her to marry him. He stared with an unfocused gaze at her door. He exhaled a shallow sigh. He closed his eyes to clearly recall the way she looked when he suggested she had options. The look of pure devastation in her eyes broke his heart all over again.

Butterflies took flight in his stomach as he warred with himself. He knew in that moment, whether or not she wanted him, he had to try. He wouldn’t know until he did. He closed his eyes, his hands in his pockets as he tried to muster the courage to knock. Just then he felt wind pull against his face. He opened his eyes to a wide-eyed Lola. She stood there, mouth gaping open, eyes wide in shock.

She mumbled, “What are you doing here?”

“May I come in?” he cajoled.

“I was on my way out. I am meeting Jessica at the mall.”

“Please. I need to talk to you. Please Lola,” Rob begged.

He was begging her to talk to him. That could only mean one thing, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. The last week had been the worst of her life. She felt lost and hopeless without Rob. When he rejected the baby and her, she gave up on living. Jessica had threatened bodily harm to get her out with her today.

“I’m sorry Rob, but I have to meet Jessica,” she whispered hanging her head.

“I’m not leaving here until we can talk, Lola.”

“If you’re here when I get back, I will talk with you.” She had to get away from him. She had to clear her mind and think. He had devastated her. Was she making a mistake by leaving? She meant what she said, if he waited for her, then she would know he was serious. She pushed past him to her car parked in front of her brownstone. She got in the front seat and felt extreme guilt for leaving him. After all, he did travel to get here. Too bad, if he wanted her, he would wait for her. That was her test for him. Although she didn’t need to tell him that. As she glanced over in his direction, she saw his body turn to sit upon the brownstone steps. Hope fluttered in her chest. Was he really going to wait for her?

She met Jessica at the open air upscale mall. Jessica had hoped shopping for baby clothes would make Lola feel better. Jessica had been denied Lola’s presence until today. Lola didn’t want anybody but Rob. Jessica waved upon seeing Lola enter the square, and Lola quickly rushed to her side. “Rob is at my house.”

“What? Wait. What?” Jessica asked confused. “Why is he there?”

“He begged me to talk to him.”

“And you left him? Are you crazy?”

“I had to get away from him. I had to talk to you. I don’t know what he wants. But from the look in his eyes, I think he is here to apologize to me.”

“Oh hell no. He doesn’t get to come in and say ‘I’m sorry’ and win your forgiveness that easy,” Jessica counseled.

“That’s what I thought, which is why I left him there to come meet you. I told him if he is there waiting when I return, then I would talk to him,” Lola confided.

“What are you going to say to him? He rejected the baby.”

“I didn’t give him a chance to explain himself. I heard ‘options’ and automatically assumed the worst. I owe him the chance to explain. I’m in love with him, Jessica.”

“I would make him work for it. I know you’re in love with him. And hell, I even believe he is in love with you. What else would bring him here?” Jessica questioned.

“Maybe he wants to convince me to have an abortion? What if that is why he wants to talk to me?” Lola worried her bottom lip with her thumb and forefinger.

“Then you kick his ass out. That’s your home.”

“He saved my life twice, Jessica. He said he wanted to own me. He wanted me to be his. He couldn’t have changed his mind that quickly,” Lola said more to herself than to Jessica. Hope fluttered awake in her heart.

“What are you smiling at?” Jessica questioned, her head cocked to the side trying to understand her friend.

“I’m just remembering lying in bed and talking with him. I’m remembering the way he said I belonged to him. I remember the way he said he would be the only man to have me as he caressed my body.” Lola smiled recalling the tender memories. “I am so in love with him, Jessica,” she said to her best friend as she rose to her feet. Turning to face her friend, she said, “I have to hear what he has to say. I’m sorry. Will you take a rain check for today?”

“Of course I will. Make him work for it. Don’t give in too easily,” Jessica laughed calling after her friend who was now running out of the exit.

Lola pulled into her parking spot and nervously looked to her side to the steps to see if he still waited. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw he was gone. She lowered her chin to her chest as she got out of the car. She stumbled on her tears as she made her way to the stairs. Tears fell again uncontrollably at the thought of him leaving her a second time. She dug through her purse to find her key. With trembling hands, she finally found it and managed to get it in the deadbolt.

She felt a hand on her arm. She jerked and turned to stare wide eyed at the man who stood before her with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Rob looked at the tears streaming down her face and knew in that instant she didn’t need flowers; she needed him.

“I wanted to get these for you,” he whispered handing her the flowers. She smiled slowly at him, still afraid to let her walls down. But he had a way of wiggling into her defense system.

The site of his unshed tears made her cry more. He lifted his empty hands to her face. He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. Then, thinking he overstepped the bounds, he jerked his hands back at the energy that zinged through his body at the touch of her skin, like he had been electrocuted.

“Please let me talk to you, Love,” he begged.

She turned back to the door and silently unlocked it. She walked to the second set of doors without a word still not sure if she could trust him again. But if she didn’t give him this chance, she would always regret it. She walked through the door and left it open for him to enter.

He took the open door as his signal to follow her. He wasn’t giving her a chance to turn him down. Walking quickly through the first door, he clicked it shut and locked it behind him. He entered into her living room locking the second door as well. Then he stood there, unsure of how to proceed.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked to break the awkward silence that stretched out between them.

“Water would be great, thank you,” he responded.

She moved to the kitchen, pulled down two glasses from the cupboard, and filled them with ice and water. She returned to him in the living room. He was rooted to the same spot he took when he entered her home. She motioned towards the couch for him to sit down. She placed his water on the far end of the coffee table indicating his spot on the couch. She sat on the opposite end of the couch, uncomfortable with the tension which grew between them.