Gone were the charming smiles, playful kisses, and easiness. As the plane touched ground with the runway my nerves spiked up, nearly shooting through me. Lucas was just as uneasy but he was doing a better job than me. By the time we arrived at the estate, I had already imagined all the worst-case scenarios possible. It didn't help that no one was picking up the phone. So yes, I was going crazy. I followed Lucas's lead as he burst past the large french doors, expecting to see anything except Robin waiting in the lobby for us. "Where are they?" Lucas asked, not bothering to go through any pleasantries with his brother. "Mia took them out," Robin explained, looking just as jittery, "there's a fare in town today." "And you let them go?" It was the first time Lucas had been anything close to pissed since we left the island. I placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently. "I'm sorry I didn't know it was in my place to tell them that your psycho ex-wife was on the loose again." "Robin
"Girl relax," Celine's calm and soothing voice speaking through the phone made me feel anything but calm. I refreshed the period tracker app on my phone for the hundredth time in the last few hours. "How could I have been so forgetful." I cried, ignoring my best friend's voice, "two months, C. Two damn months." "Christine..." "What am I supposed to do now? Oh God, Oh God, Oh God." "Christine Elizabeth Channing!" Celine's stern voice boomed through the phone. No longer soothing, but clearly pissed this time. "What? My name is not Elizabeth." I reminded her, "that's your name." "I know," she giggled, actually fucking giggled, "but it sounded good like that and it got your attention. Now back to the topic at hand, would you fucking relax?" "How the hell am I supposed to do that? I should have listened to you, I can't believe I'm pregnant!" I whispered the last part harshly, knowing Lucas could walk in at any moment. "Or there could be another reasonable explanation to it," she sai
It was our last day here, and one full of activities. The day before had been an endless cycle of trying to recall the last time I had taken the pill, realizing I was too far lost to keep track, refreshing my period tracker app the hundredth time, throwing up everything that had made it past my throat only to crave more food, or would I rather say candy. At some point, I had felt the kick of cramps in my lower abdomen and after rushing to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet seat for minutes, there was nothing, not even a drop of blood. Add that to the frustrating mix of horniness, thankfully Lucas could match my uncanny wave of desires. I was relieved to know that we would be out of here first thing in the morning after Zoey's birthday. I just had to make it one more day. I had gone to bed the previous night, convincing myself that this was something else, a bug, the flu, or maybe an ulcer. I just had to sleep it off and I would be fine by morning. At least that was what I told Lu
With everyone occupied by one thing or the other, sneaking out of the house was not so hard. And as for bypassing security, well a tenny tiny lie for a good cause never hurt anyone. Right? I knew there would be consequences for this action. God, I was actually sneaking out, like a 16-year-old. But maybe the results of this might just deflate Lucas's fury when he did find out. Between being on the brink of going crazy and the undue attention that would result from having an escort come with me, I had a good feeling I was doing the right thing. 15 minutes later, I was pulling up in the parking lot. I considered going to a drug store, but with very limited time and the option of trying to find a pharmacy in a foreign country, I decided to stick with a superstore. I checked my phone screen as I hunted the aisle for kids' party essentials. No call or text from anyone, meaning no one had noticed I was gone yet. That was good for me. The quicker I got back the better. After buying the Can
Lucas Metal scrapping. Glass shattering. A heart-wrenching scream In those three simple steps, my entire world came to a grinding halt. Time seized, breathing stopped, and the only thing evident in my brain was the sickening crunch echoing through the phone. Then painful, gut-knocking, heart-gripping silence. My knees buckled, and I faltered a step back as the line disconnected. "Chris!" her name broke free from my lips, a plea, a prayer that this was not really happening. This could not be happening. Yes, it is and it's all your fault. I had been too engrossed in tackling issues back in Diego to keep an eye on my family. To keep an eye on Chris. I felt the blood drain from my body when I came down five minutes ago to the news that no one had seen Chris—oh except the gaurd that had let her leave despite my instructions. I already fired the bastard. "What's going on?" Someone asked, snapping me from the horror of my thoughts. I had almost forgotten I was not the only one worr
The wait was killing. So much so, that I paced the hospital room where we waited enough to drill a hole through the floor."Lucas, worrying is not going to do anything for you right now," Mia pointed out, from where she sat next to the window. She had arrived, apologetic and tear-filled a few hours ago, and knowing the real reason Chris had to leave, it was easier to let my anger with my sister and sister-in-law slide. I could not even do this without them anyways. My family was the only people I could show my real emotions to and right now, I felt dreadful. Every 'what if' in the book had gone through my mind, been refined, declined, and revisited. Thankfully, Lilian was kind enough to stay with the kids back at the villa, the last thing I needed was to have my kids within these hospital walls now.That woul
I woke up with a jolt, breath coming down in heaving pants and my body nearly trembling. I could faintly register the warmth of something in my palm, small, delicate, smooth. Shaking my head I adjusted my eyes to the lighting in the room, taking a moment to regain composure, to remember that it was just a nightmare and I was still here sitting next to Chris in her hospital room—the same spot I had occupied in the last 12 days—and that the fullness in my palm was from where my hand held on to hers.It was a nightmare, just a dream, yet it felt like anything but so. Too real, maybe because that nightmare was a mirror of what my life was right now. It had nearly been two weeks and while her vitals were looking okay, Chris had still not shown any sign of waking up anytime soon, neither the cops nor my men had ground on where Sarah was, and my life was
ChrisIt had to be the worst proposal in the history of proposals. Yet, with every word he spoke, he guided me slowly and slowly, bringing me out of the darkness that had trapped me since I heard him screaming my name through the phone."In every universe, I choose you too,"And just like that, the invisible bars of a cage I had been trying to flee for what felt like an eternity came crashing down.The bright light from above me was nearly blinding as my eyes opened slowly, causing them to shut back close. In a flinching moment, I tightened my grip on the warm hand where mine rested. It was his. Even through my unconsciousness, I could recognize that hand, holding mine every single day, never letting go.
Mia got married at the Terranea Resort. It was one of those places in California I had heard of but never so much as dreamt of being in. The ceremony took place by the beach cove overlooking the rolling mountains that gave way to a panoramic view of the sea. I was even more awed to see how they had turned it into the fairytale every girl dreamed of.The four pillar altar was decorated in red roses all around the roof—a befitting color for the month—with green branches curling around each pillar to the root. Red rose petals arranged in large cursive hearts littered the aisle leading to the altar, and golden candle lanterns were lit on either side. Even the seats were dressed in pink fabrics and red bows attached behind. It was like an early valentine's day, only more magical.The day became even more magical when Mia arrived in a carriage, yes a frigging carriage. As I got to my feet along with everyone else in attendance, I watched with the same awe and fascination with which I had wa
Christmas had never been anything special for me. I had spent my last two Christmas' before this working an all-day shift at work, wiping vomit off tables and getting yelled at by unhappy customers taking their anger and frustrations on me. Afterward, C and I would spend the morning drinking on a rooftop and dancing to Fuck Christmas by Eric Idle. It was not exactly like I was the grinch or that I forbade the holiday spirit, there really was just nothing to celebrate or be happy for. After spending most of my childhood holidays hoping I would escape some beating or screaming from the matron on duty at the foster care that day who would rather be drinking her guts out on her day off, it was not exactly my favorite time of the year, so I said a big fuck you to it every year.This year though, it was a whole different story. Like I had stepped into this perfect, in your dreams life belonging to someone else. And for the first time in my life, the reality was the more preferable option. T
Where do I begin? From our awkward first meeting to having bad guys and crazy exes thrown in jail, Lucas and I had been through one hell of a journey. The longest one I had ever been through my adulthood, I would dare to say. It was amazing to think how much my life had changed in the months I had known Lucas and the twins. I had gone from independent and never needing anyone besides my best friend to this woman who could not even do so much as breathe without them."Are you okay?" Celine asked, tilting her face to meet mine in the mirror."Nervous," I said, going for honesty as I tugged on the hem of the white fitted dress clinging to my body."'Oh bess," she cooed, adjusting my veil, "you have every right to be, it's your big day."I smiled sheepishly at the thought, staring down at the ring on my finger that would be joined by another in a few minutes, "It is my big day. Oh my God, I'm getting married bess." The words slammed a fresh dose of unrestrained happiness against my heart
Every story I'd hard about the afterlife was a big fat lie. There were no angels in white robes, no opera waiting to usher me into the gates of heaven but then again who said I was going to heaven. The pain shooting up my body felt everything like hell, or at least I knew the one coming would. I clamp my eyes closed tighter as I lay on the floor in what I know is my pool of blood, waiting for the pain I hope to come. She succeeded and I let her win, I let Sarah shoot me. There was no longer going to be the amazing sex with Lucas, no spending afternoons with the kids, no harmless gossips disguised as Sunday lunch dates with my best friend. No more of Lucas's family, all of that was now simply gone, just gone.The thought left a hot burning scar on my throat and I gasped, fighting to take in the air that was not coming. This really was it, I had lost and she had won. But the arms suddenly wrapping me in a warm embrace felt too familiar to be related to the icy feeling of dying."Chris?!
You know that feeling when you wake up to a day that just feels off right from the moment you open your eyes? It could be the harsh rays of the sun nearly blinding and forcing you to wake up early on a Saturday morning or the annoying sound of your alarm reminding you that it's a Monday Morning again after you spent Sunday evening drinking your guts out. That small, seemingly unimportant detail in your morning that makes sure you have a bad rest of your day. I was having one of those mornings, but unlike most, I knew exactly why it was going to be a bad day.After laying motionless in the same spot for what felt like an eternity, body unwilling to move and mind refusing to come alive, I finally found a reason to get up, thanks to my pressing bladder. I walked back into the room after finishing my business and realized for the first time this morning, that Lucas was not here and the kids had not come to barge down my door in search of me.I knew Lucas would leave early for what he had
It was sweet effing relief. After almost two months here, we were finally making the trip back home. While there were less than relieving reasons involved, it still brought a wide grin to my face when the sound of the wheels scraping the runway of Lindbergh field reached my ears.Martha and Calvin were the first to welcome us home, with Calvin giving the usual manly hugs and pats on the back to his two sons and Martha going through a long streak of teary hugs and sobbing her thanks that her grandbabies were okay. She had insisted all three of them rode in their car with them as we came home from the airport. I realized it had probably been a wise choice to keep them oblivious to my pregnancy. Martha, for one, would have thrown a fit if her hopes of having a new grandchild were suddenly crushed by my miscarriage.After almost two months away, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be normal. My usual routine, the one I had when my life was still a simple cycle of getting Abby and
What happened to the curious cat again? Ah yes, she got her neck snapped by her fiance's supposed best friend because she would not simply stay out of trouble. I was fairly sure, no most certainly positive that was what Adrian would do to me as his eyes bored into me with something that looked rather far from the friendliness I had seen when we first met. Maybe my body would be found in a nearby dumpster in a week or more.And then it hit me. Lucas had told me he was coming here to check on security hours ago and as I stood there scanning the room briefly, he was absolutely nowhere in sight. Oh, my God! Maybe he hurt Lucas and was now taking out whatever anger was left in him on Baron. I thought they were supposed to be best friends.The thought had not completely settled in my mind when a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, wiping his hand on a towel stained in crimson. It was Lucas. He halted in his steps as his eyes landed on me, shock and a slightly less version of anger f
It was hard to tell how long we lay there, with me half-naked and asleep in Lucas' arms. But when I woke up to the light scruff of grass against my knee, the red-orange of the sky told me we had been there in that position for quite a while."I'm sorry," Lucas rasped, and I realized we had shifted from the position we were in when I fell asleep. Lucas sat with his back against the wall of the maze, holding me to himself. It was the closest we had been to each other, with the obvious exemption of how intimate we had been before I drifted asleep. "I didn't mean to wake you up,""How long did I sleep?" I asked, with quite an idea in mind."Not long enough, you needed the rest." he stroked my head as he spoke."You should have woken me," I gave a brief chuckle, followed by a wince at the numbness in my hands as I attempted to pull myself away from him and sit up.Lucas held on to me tighter though, tutting and shaking his head as he did. "I don't want you to leave just yet, stay here in m
I had not realized just how much I needed to breathe fresh air that was not sullied by a mixture of stale air, pills from the doctor, and a large dose of my sadness. For what first like the first time in forever, the sight of food did not make my stomach churn, or at least it did in the right way. The scent of freshly made orange juice and blueberry danishes set out on the picnic table only made my mouth water and my empty stomach growl. I turned to my best friend the closest thing I had to a sister with a smile. "You planned this?" Of course, she did. I had to be the luckiest human on the planet to have everyone I had in my life now. She rounded the table, taking her seat with a knowing smile. "I was hopeful that today would be a good day." I tilted my head, a fresh wave of guilt pulling at my chest. I had been so drowned in my sadness that I had completely neglected everyone, myself included. "I'm so sorry for shutting you out too, Bess." She shook her head tersely, "Nope, we ar