All Good Things Absolved (18 page)

My mouth dropped and both Trey and Jace laughed. "You are seriously ridiculous." I was appalled. "I'm not even playing. There is something very wrong with you."

"I know." She smacked her lips. "It's why you love me."

"I don't think so."

"You know you have to be psychotic yourself to love a crazy person."

"If you say so." I stood and Jace instantly stood with me.

"Where are you going?"

"Pee." I frowned. "Are you all right?"

"You have to pee again?" Jace's face screwed in confusion. "Didn't you just go?"

I nodded. "An hour ago."

"Jeez Jace," Trisha poked. "The woman is pregnant."

"Is it normal?" He asked. "She pees more times a day than anyone I know goes in a week."

I laughed as I padded across the plane. "I think you're exaggerating a little."

He shook his head. "No. I think you pee more than normal."

I set challenging eyes on him. "If you really think so, why don't you call David and ask?"

Jace ran a hand through his hair and sat back in the seat, defeated. One for Olivia - zero for Jace. I laughed as I walked away and in the distance, I heard Trey ask who David was. Trisha replied, knowing the answer to his question.

I closed myself in the bathroom and plopped down on the toilet. My bladder felt so full it was almost painful and whenever I peed, barely anything came out. Even a couple ounces was way too much in my bladder for the baby to handle. I don't know what the baby did, but I swore it used my bladder like a trampoline.

Since the attack, Jace had been overly concerned about everything that happened to my body and he couldn't seem to stop himself from calling Dr. David Bower with every little question in the book. From my eating schedule to my morning sickness to the headaches I'd developed since being pregnant. Everything was natural of a regular pregnancy, but Jace had to hear it from the doctor's mouth. It didn't matter what I told him, he just didn't seem to believe me. It was irritating as all hell - and I would be mad if I didn't know his irrational jumpiness was out of fear that I might lose the baby at some point along the pregnancy. I didn't know exactly where his fear originated because he'd been protective from the start, but I had a good feeling his fear of helplessness came from seeing the blood streaming in vibrant red streaks down the pale skin of my legs after Bryce's attack.

Whenever I thought of Bryce and what he'd almost taken from me - my dignity - my life - my child - my heart beat fast and my stress level sky-rocketed. I still thought of him on occasion, and by occasion, I mean nearly every day. I couldn't help it. He was awaiting trail without chance of bail even temporarily but I still feared his release. I knew it would never happen. Jace had too much money and he could hire the best shark of a lawyer in the world for there to ever be a risk of Bryce getting out and coming for me. But that wasn't even what I worried the most about. I was terrified that if Bryce was ever released - Jace would find him and he would without doubt kill him. That was what sent me into a state of panic. The thought of losing Jace to a punishment for such a crime, however just it would be, was simply too much for me to bear and it was for that reason, I prayed Jace put everything he had into ensuring he hired a Rottweiler of a lawyer who would undoubtedly shred Bryce in the courtroom.

"Angel?" Jace tapped against the door and I shook myself from thought yet again.

"Almost done." I said as I stood, pulling my pants up over my hips.

"Are you sure you're felling all right?"

"Jace," I sighed and I was happy he couldn't see my annoyance through the door. I knew he could hear it and that was enough. "Please stop asking me that question. I promise you I'll tell you if I'm ever not feeling well."

I heard a thud as I washed my hands and I knew he'd allowed his forehead to rest against the door. "I'm worrying you. I'm sorry."

I opened the door and he lifted his head, his blue eyes stressed. "I love you." I placed my hands around his face, holding him gently. "I love you so much and I will never withhold something as important as my health and the health of our child from you. I need you to believe me and stop pestering me with constant questions about how I'm feeling."

"I know." I raised myself onto my tip-toes and pressed my lips against his. They were soft and warm and like always, the feel of him against me made my stomach ignite with fire. "I can't wait till we land."

"How much longer?"

"The last time I spoke with the pilot he estimated about two hours, so I'm thinking another hour."

I groaned. "That's too long."

"Should we skip the pleasantries with her parents and introduce ourselves to our bedroom when we arrive?"

"I would love to," I laughed. "But we'll have to wait to meet the bedroom and give our attention to Trisha's parents first."

Jace growled low under his breath. "I should just take you to a hotel."

"No," I shook my head. "This is family. We stay with family."

"I know." He nodded. "But I'm greedy and I want you all to myself."

"You have me all to yourself, Jace." I looked him in the eyes and my heart skipped a beat. I loved that feeling and I knew I would forever treasure it. "I'll always be just yours and I'll always want you to be greedy with me."

"And yet you fight me when I am." He tisked. "That's not fair."

I shrugged, laughing. "It keeps things interesting." I nibbled his earlobe and he breathed in sharply.

"You're a little vixen!" He squeezed my butt gently and I knew, had I not been pregnant, he would have slapped it. Hard.

"I'm your vixen." I flirted. "Let's get back out there before Trisha accuses us of consummating our marriage...again."

Jace made a husky noise deep in his throat. It affected me. "I wouldn't mind being accused of it so long as that's what we were doing."

I rolled my eyes, ignoring he heat between my legs. I passed it up as pregnancy hormones as I'd been so much more horny than normal. I awoke almost every night with a driving need for sex that simply couldn't be sated without penetration. That was one of the 'issues' Jace had called David about. David had laughed and told him to enjoy having a pregnant wife, as that was a perk of pregnancy most men never witnessed.

"You'll have me alone and all to yourself soon enough." I promised as I slid my hand down his arm and over his wrist before linking my fingers with his. "They're waiting and we're being rude."

***

Olivia pulled me through the hall of the plane and I let her. She tugged me with a determination I knew she had to build and maintain with difficulty. I could see by the heat in her eyes, she wanted me as badly as I wanted her. But I could wait - for her. However, I didn't plan on making it easy.

"I have you alone right now." I protested. "And there's so much I want to do to you, Angel."

Her back straightened and she shook her head. "Talking dirty won't work this time lover."

I laughed. She'd never called me lover before - but I kinda liked it. "What about touching?" I pulled her back into me, grinding my hips into her backside. She moaned. "Will touching work, Angel?"

She moaned a throaty sound before shaking her head. "Stop that, Jace."

"What happened to lover?" I feigned offence.

"You're being bad." She scolded.

"You like me bad." I growled low in her ear, nipping at her lobe the way she'd mercilessly done to me only minutes ago.

She rolled her butt into my hard length and I hissed in a breath. "I love it when you're bad. But we have company and Trisha has been talking about this trip forever. I want to spend some of it with her. Tonight," she spun around in my arms. "Tonight I'm all yours."

"Promise?" I trailed my hand down her face and she leaned into my caress. "I'll have your undivided attention?"

She nodded, looking tired. "I promise."

"I love you, Angel." I had to bite back the question I was aching to ask. I could see she was tired and I wanted to know how she was feeling, but I knew she would lose the easy smile and peace in her eyes if I asked. I didn't want to take that away from her, so rather than asking if she was feeling well, tired, sick to her stomach or any pain, I would just watch her carefully and make my own judgments.

"I love you too, Mr. Rush."

"Forever mine, Angel." I whispered.

"Forever yours." She agreed on a whispered breath.

Chapter 18

We drove along the winding roads in the black Range Rover Sport Jace had rented for our stay with Trisha's parents. It was packed to the nines with Trisha and Trey in the back seat and all of our luggage stored in the very back. I was surprised at how smooth the beast rode. It was glamorous and function all in one. And it was a definite beauty although it had nothing on Jace's Bugatti.

Trisha clapped her hands together, pulling my attention from the magnificent mountain view outside. "I'm so excited!" I knew she was bouncing in her seat without having to glance behind me. "Mom's texting me. She is super excited and I told her we had news!"

"
We
have news?" I asked, exaggerating the 'we'.

"Hey," she pouted. "We do have news. You're going to be a mom and I am going to be an aunty. How is that not
we
news?"

Trey chuckled. "You're an attention whore."

She laughed loudly. "I know. But it's why you all love me."

"I never once said anything of the sort." Jace sounded disgruntled.

Trisha grunted. "You love me because I am one hundred percent loyal to your wife."

Jace shrugged. "I respect you for that."

"You love me." She argued. "One day you'll admit it."

"I'm sure he will." Trey snorted and Trisha knocked him in the rib with her elbow. It was her signature move. I'm surprised Trey hadn't figured out a way to deflect it yet. They spent enough time together.

I turned in my seat. From my peripheral vision I saw Jace frown at my position - no doubt because it was unsafe. "So, what's going on between the two of you?" Trisha and Trey shared a shocked expression that was a tad uncomfortable and I set my best 'mom' eyes on them. I had to practice the look. "Go on, one of you can talk."

Trey spoke slowly. "I'm not sure what you're asking."

"Well, you two are always together and my lovely, loyal bud here who is always dating this or that...isn't. But she's always with you...so, what's going on?"

"Nothing!" Trisha said quickly and I narrowed my eyes on her.

"Who's keeping secrets now?" I asked, waggling my brows at her.

She blushed a bright cherry red and I knew I caught her in a story, but I just didn't know what it was. She'd told me they'd had one night of passion before deciding to keep their relationship platonic. And from what I could see, she'd shown interest in Gabe, but I didn't know how serious her interest for him was rooted. I would much rather her with Trey than Gabe - for safety reasons. But mainly because Trey would tone her exuberant personality down. It was why she and I worked so well together. She brought me up and I took her down. We evened each other out until we were a perfect balance.

Trisha set determined eyes on my as Trey shifted in his seat, suddenly overly interested in the mountains outside his window. "We're friends. Just friends."

I raised my hands. "All right. Whatever you say."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever I say."

We drove the rest of the way in silence and from my observant peeking's in the side mirror into the back seat, I noticed Trisha had let her eyes stray toward Trey on countless occasions. It could very well be a possibility that she had developed feelings despite her attempt to maintain friendship. However, Trey looked flat out embarrassed and uncomfortable. He hadn't looked at her since my interrogating questions of the observations I'd made in regard to their relationship. I knew him well enough to know he didn't know how to respond. Trey had always been on the quieter side, but he was still confident in himself. However, whenever he spent time with Jace, he seemed to be less than comfortable with his surroundings. Since the wedding when Trey had given me away to Jace only to surprise me by taking a stand at his side, they had been much more comfortable with one another and that was a huge relief. I liked Trey. He was honest and caring and I hoped for both him and Trisha, that they found a way to maintain the easy friendship they'd found even if they decided to try their cards on a relationship. I was so happy with Jace and the life I had with him that I couldn't help but want the same thing for my best friend. I wanted her to be just as happy as I was. I wanted her to find love and laughter. I wanted her to find peace. She deserved it. Her loyalty to me throughout the years was admirable. It was not something I could ever repay. But I would try. If she chose to try her luck on Trey, I would support her throughout. I would be a loving hand to hold and a trusted confidant.

"We're here." I sighed in glee as Jace turned into the long familiar drive of the Bauer family cabin. The tall trees were all capped in fluffy white show, their frost covered green needles glittering in the mid-afternoon sunlight.

I let myself revel in the soothing sound of the crunching snow beneath the Range Rover's tires as Jace crawled up the coiling drive. Through the trees, a large log and stone cabin stood with a ginormous wrap around porch. The roof was peaked with green shingles and the windows and doors were rounded at the tops. I remembered the countless summers Trisha and I had spent sitting on the porch in the middle of the night, making dreams and whishing on stars. As we'd gotten older we talked about life and love, sorrows and fears. It was here I decided I was moving away as soon as I was finished with college and it was also here, sitting back in a chair on the porch that Trisha promised she'd run away with me. She promised we'd always be together because we were sisters - we were more then blood - we were more then habit. We were family of the most important kind. We were family by choice. We were soul-sisters.

Trisha sighed long and hard from the back seat. It was a sigh I felt deep in my chest - a connection I felt to her peace at finally being home. The one place we'd found complete isolation from the hardships we had at home. "It's been too long."