Jessica came downstairs in her pajamas, her robe flapping as she walked into the kitchen and slumped down on a chair at the counter.“Morning,” Malachi and I said at the same time and she looked at us frowning.“Urgh, I can’t adult until I’ve had coffee,” she said and Malachi laughed as he made coffee for her.“You’re looking chipper today,” she said to me as she drank from her cup. Malachi was standing behind her and she was wearing an engagement ring.“Yup, feeling like myself again,” I said as I stood up and walked to the sliding doors. I stood in front of them and looked out at the garden. I knew exactly what I had to do, but doing it, that was another ballgame.“What’s going on with you?” Malachi asked me as he stood next to me.“I want to call a family meeting,” I said to him and walked outside. My phone rang, it was James.“Hi,” I said to him as I answered the phone.“I’m going with Shoran into surgery now, your phone’s been off this whole time!” James said, his voice uneven an
I drove home slowly and parked in the garage again. I sat in the car thinking to myself when Adara opened my door and climbed on my lap, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back and my heart sank.I closed my eyes and I wanted to stay like that forever. I blocked out her emotions because they hurt too much. Her guilt was overwhelming but so was her love. I didn’t want to feel it because I was going to break her heart.“Aren’t you coming inside?” she asked with a smile as she hopped off and walked to the door. I unfastened the safety belt and climbed out. I leaned against the car and took a deep breath as I walked inside.Malachi and Jessica were sitting at the kitchen table and I pulled a chair out for Adara. “Sit,” I said and walked back to the kitchen.I placed the bottle on the table and got four glasses. I poured drinks for all of us and sat down at the head of the table as Adara frowned slightly. I always sat next to her. Malachi was also looking at me oddly and only Jessica was unf
Her hurt and pain took a hold of me and it hurt. I blocked her emotions and followed her upstairs but I went into the nursery instead of following her into our bedroom. I hated myself for hurting her.Both babies were awake and I picked Kai up and hugged him to my chest as I closed my eyes. I changed him and then it was Saga’s turn. I changed her and she grabbed my face with both hands as we looked at each other. I placed her on the carpet in her sitting chair and got Kai. I sat on the carpet with them and we played and laughed.I looked up and Adara leaned against the door looking at us. “They missed you,” she said to me and I looked back at them.“I missed them as well.” I couldn’t look at her. Her face spoke of her pain and I hated that I was the one that had caused it. I had vowed never to hurt her. Was it still wrong if you did it for love? I didn’t have any answers.“I missed you too,” she said softly and walked downstairs.I put Kai back in their crib while I bathed and dressed
Malachi watched Kiran’s retreating form. He had no idea what to say. They were all shocked as they remained sitting at the kitchen table. The previous night when Jessica had found the ring on his nightstand, she looked at him and slid it on her own finger.They’d discussed him finally moving in with her and he’d already packed all of his clothes. He’d planned on telling Kiran just before James had called and they’d all gone to the hospital to celebrate the birth.Now, everything just seemed confusing and not at all what he’d expected. This was a different Kiran than the one he’d embraced in Mauritius. Kiran’s eyes were cold, his mind empty and Malachi knew he’d been blocked out.“Okay, I’m just going to say it. What the hell just happened?” Jessica asked after ten minutes of silence.“He’s hurt and angry and I’m sure whatever he was going through these past two days has something to do with it,” Malachi said. He felt frustrated because Kiran was blocking him out.“I don’t want a divor
Malachi gripped Jessica’s hips as she arched her back and he couldn’t help but stare at her. She was beautiful, passionate and she loved him. He didn’t deserve her love, but she gave everything of her to him.Her mind was a warped place to enter, her thoughts often disturbed and dark. He wouldn’t change a thing about her though. Being connected to her made him feel like the most powerful man alive.Her muscles clenched around his erection and he gritted his teeth. Jessica was home. His release came swiftly and her nails dug into his chest. She shuddered and he pulled her down against him, kissing her like it was the last time.“I love you, Jess,” he said.“I love you too, Malachi,” she said and kissed him again. “Let’s stay in bed all day and whenever I’m hungry you can feed me.”Malachi laughed as they shifted and lay side by side, her back pressed against his chest. He kissed the back of her head and closed his eyes. Jessica sighed her contentment and he tightened his arms around he
At 6 p.m., Malachi drove home and sighed when he found the side door unlocked. She never locked the doors, no matter how many times he told her to. He stopped in the kitchen and looked at the empty sink and frowned.He hadn’t washed their breakfast dishes that morning and he headed up the stairs towards their bedroom where he found Jessica in front of her vanity where she applied a coat of mascara to her eyelashes.“What’s going on with you?” Jessica looked at him in the mirror. “You did the dishes.”Jessica sighed and turned on the vanity chair to look at him. Her mind was closed off once again as Malachi tried to search it. “I don’t see why you want to do the whole traditional wedding thing.”“You should have the big, fancy, white wedding.” Malachi sat down on the edge of the bed facing her and searched her eyes instead.“Who says I haven’t had the big, fancy, white wedding?”Malachi laughed. “You haven’t. Are you having second thoughts? Is this moving too fast for you?” Doubt had s
Malachi let go of the man, took Jessica’s hand and walked back to the car. He rounded the front of his car once Jessica was safely inside and climbed inside. He started driving away as the man started shouting something and Jessica lowered her window.“You’ll be back, begging me to–”“Your mother should’ve swallowed you!” Jessica shouted back and closed her window. Malachi started to laugh as he glanced at her. She didn’t even seem fazed.“Your mother should’ve swallowed you? Where do you come up with this stuff?” Malachi asked her and she started to laugh as well.“My mind’s just on a different level.”They drove home in silence and Malachi turned to look at her as they sat in the dark garage. “Are you really ready to settle down with a boring old man like me?” Jessica sighed as she looked at him. “You might be missing out on that guy back there.”Jessica laughed loudly. “Dude, like seriously, I can’t wait for the pensioner discount we’ll get in two years.” Malachi burst out laughing
Time passed slowly and Adara hardly spoke to me anymore. We skirted around each other in the house and around the children's schedules. It had been three weeks since that family meeting and I hated the silence in the house. I didn’t blame her though, the chaos around me was of my own doing.I kept to myself and I didn’t speak to James or Malachi a lot. It killed me, but it was safer. I had never before felt so alone and even Death was keeping his distance. I wallowed in my own self-pity and I took it because I deserved it.During the fourth week, my office door at the hotel was flung open and James stormed inside. He glared at me as he sat down in the chair in front of my desk. I had wondered when Adara would tell Shoran everything.“Explain yourself,” James said with a heated tone and I looked at him in surprise.“Excuse me?” I almost chuckled with the force of his aura that he tried to push over me.“Divorce? What’s wrong with you?” James asked.“Why are you angry? I’m not divorcing
I headed downstairs again with plenty of time to spare and walked down the hallway towards where James and Shoran were standing by the doors that led to the conference room we were using for the ceremony.Jessica had kept it simple but beautiful. The tables stood on either side of the make-shift aisle and we had erected a small stage for the ceremony with about five steps leading up to it. Her colors were emerald green and silver. They blended together well and I could see Jessica in every choice she’d made. The whole setting suited Malachi as well and I knew they would make it forever.Shoran bowed her head at me, but her eyes were angry when I finally reached them. I hadn’t missed it and inwardly I smiled. Shoran was loyal and I would never call her out for it. Adara was her best friend.“Shoran,” I said as I nodded my head at her and James laughed.“Stop it, he’s trying,” he said to her. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again.“No, say what you want to say,”
I parked in my spot in the hotel parking lot and looked at all the cars that had already filled it. A lot of Jessica’s guests were booking in that morning, and the reception area was bustling with people. I walked over to James as he greeted guests with a smile and directed them where to go.“Malachi said he wants to see you as soon as you arrive,” James said to me. He had a clipboard in his hands and I could see that most of the guests had already arrived. We were at full capacity that weekend.“Good morning to you too. I see we’re starting the day off right,” I said with a smile.“Oh yeah, it’s just awesome.” James grinned and I left him to carry on. Malachi wanted to see me and I wondered briefly if something had happened. Everything was done, the guests were there, the food was there, the flowers and cake had arrived, everything had gone off without a hitch.I took the elevator up to my office, feeling better than I had a week earlier. Adara had spoken to me, she’d touched me and
“Do you want me to climb on your back?” he asked me and I nodded my head. He pulled at my fur as he struggled to climb on but he managed and I stood up. ‘Where are your parents, kid?’ I wondered to myself as I started walking slowly forward.“My name’s Aaron and I’m going to call you Rex!” he said and I shook my head.“What about Super Wolf?” he asked me and again I shook my head as we walked through the forest. I was heading towards the lagoon where I heard distant music.“Okay, how about Chief because you’re really big and you’re a hero!” he said and I thought, ‘what the hell’, so I nodded and he hugged me from behind around my neck. I walked around the cabins that were situated just beyond the Second Lake and kept walking.He was telling me about his dog, whose name was Rex, and his school, his friends and how a wolf was now his favourite animal. I kept walking and I saw the distant flashing lights, red and blue. I felt relieved that maybe they realized he was missing and they were
It was 3 a.m. and I couldn’t sleep, I had been rolling around in my bed all night. I had left Adara and Caitlyn in the living room where they’d been talking. Adara was a little bit nicer to me with Caitlyn in the house and I wondered how long that would last once she left again.I got up and went downstairs and put the kettle on for coffee. I took my coffee to the study and put the laptop on. I opened my email and I started typing. It sounded cliché as I reread it but that was the truth.“Adara,I could say I’m sorry a thousand times and still it wouldn’t be enough to undo the hurt I caused you. To say that I regret it would probably be a good place to start, but there are some of my choices that I don’t regret. I regret lying to you and hurting you, but I truly believed at the time that I was doing the right thing for everyone.I needed to know that he wouldn’t come after you or the kids, because you are my weakness and I could put my emotions off and be able to live without you, but
After lunch, Malachi drove back to Jessica’s office to drop her off at work. He parked in the parking lot and turned towards Jessica. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”“I won’t be the one in white,” she said and Malachi smiled.“I don’t care.” Jessica leaned forward and kissed him. “I love you, Jess.”“I love you too, old guy.” With that Jessica got out of the car and didn’t look back once as she crossed the street and disappeared inside her office.Malachi drove to his own office and finished up with the last of his cases before the wedding and then he’d be on honeymoon with Jessica for four weeks and he’d given Lynne off for those four weeks as well. For the first time in twenty odd years, Malachi’s office would be closed for business.“Yes,” Malachi said at the knock on his door.The door opened and Lynne walked inside. “Mr Sinclair?”“Yes, Lynne?”“I wanted to say congratulations for tomorrow,” she said and placed a wrapped box on Malachi’s desk.“Thank you, Lynne, but this really wasn’t n
Jessica clasped her hands together on the table, her eyes twinkled for just a second as she took a sip of her drink before locking her gaze on Caitlyn once more. Malachi had a smile he was trying to hide and I knew it was coming.“Well, aren’t your legs just like a McDonald’s,” Jessica said as she stared at Caitlyn.I choked on my drink from laughing and trying to swallow at the same time as James laid his head down on his arms and laughed. Adara nudged me in the ribs and it was the first time she’d touched me in weeks. That one touch gave me hope, even though I was laughing obscenely loudly.“What?” Caitlyn asked, frowning in her confusion. “Is that a fat joke?”James laughed louder and I couldn’t control myself anymore either. Jessica’s face remained impassive as she looked at Caitlyn. I could see Malachi was fighting the urge to laugh as well.“I can’t decide which one you’d like to jump first though,” Jessica said and Caitlyn blushed.James’s face was red and he pulled on my sleev
“He’s in a good mood,” Caitlyn said as she looked around the office. I almost snorted out loud but composed my features in time. James was an asshole for letting me suffer through this alone. Some Beta he was.“How can I help you ladies?” I looked quizzically at Adara and she shrugged. She wanted to be in my office as much as I wanted to be back in the realm of death. She obviously hadn’t told Caitlyn about the problems we’d been having and I would use that to my advantage.“We thought we’d take you to lunch,” Adara said and I sat back and smiled. “But if you’re too busy we understand,” she added quickly.“I’m never too busy for you,” I said and looked Adara in the eye.I smiled at her as Caitlyn got that “aww” look on her face and I knew if she could, she would roll her eyes at me, probably strangle me. I stood up from behind my desk and grabbed my phone. I opened the door for them and led them to the elevators.“You should invite James to join us,” Adara said and I smiled. There was
I walked up the dirt road and took my shirt off to wipe the sweat from my face and I saw the car parked in the driveway. I stood looking at the rental and tried to decipher what type of man rented a flashy convertible. I tucked the end of my shirt into my waistband and walked inside, Adara’s plus one was here. I took a deep breath. I didn’t know how I was going to walk into my own house and face this other man, a man that probably already had feelings for my wife. ‘Be calm, don’t be yourself,’ I said to myself as I entered the kitchen.I stopped in my tracks and almost laughed out loud. I could hear them talking in the kitchen. Adara’s plus one was Caitlyn. I knew what I was about to do wouldn’t win me any points with Adara, but I couldn’t help it. I walked to the fridge and took out a bottle of water.I could feel them looking at me as I stood there and emptied the bottle and threw it in the trash. Adara would be annoyed because I didn’t have a shirt on and Caitlyn, well, Caitlyn w
“I would appreciate it if you could at least put your own cup away, I’m not your maid,” Adara said to me irritably as I came down the hall from the study to the kitchen. “Yeah, I was up early, sorry,” I said and smiled at her.“And not walk around half naked,” she added irritably.“Sorry,” I said to her again but she didn’t acknowledge me. I sat down at the counter where she stood on the other side looking at her laptop. She still had to feel at least something if it bothered her to see me with no shirt on. I kept on looking at her until she looked up and sighed.“I’m sorry,” I said to her. Her eyes never made contact with mine and I might as well have been invisible.She closed her laptop and looked at me briefly, then she turned around and walked to her car. I sighed. Progress was slow but I smiled, today she had looked at me, perhaps in a week she’d start talking to me.We kept up this cat and mouse game for the next two weeks until she had to talk to me. We had just finished dinn