Anything For Your Love (19 page)

Alex felt the grip of panic around his heart. He rushed for the car door and practically ripped it off. Ami eased out and grabbed his hand, leading him back onto the sidewalk.

“Where is she?” Alex demanded, fear lacing his tone.
“She’s fine, Alex, she’s not in any danger,” Ami replied calmly. Alex allowed himself to relax, but just a hair. The look on Ami’s face told him to brace himself. “Where is she?” He asked again. That time much calmer, but much more intense.

Ty stepped around Ami, not wanting her to get caught in Alex’s wrath when they broke the news. “Alex...” He started, “she’s gone.”

Alex studied the features on Ty’s face as if it were the first time he had ever seen him. It was a face so much like his own. Ami took a step back preparing herself for the explosion. Alex’s face broke into a wide grin and Ami was stunned. “Stop playing, Ty,” He finally said.

He stepped around his brother to head toward the restaurant where he was supposed to meet Jada for lunch. Ty grabbed his arm. “She’s not there, Alex. She’s gone.”

Alex looked back and forth from Ami to Ty. Reed had stepped up behind them and his look was somber. Instantly, Alex knew it was not a cruel joke and she really was not there. Anger sparked and exploded within him.

“What do you mean, ‘gone’, Tyreese?” Alex said through clinched teeth. “Gone where?”

“Alex, please.” Ami reached for him. “Please, don’t be angry. She left a note saying she went home. She must have left when I went out this morning. She was gone when I got back,” Ami explained.

“What happened last night, Ami Love?” Alex asked, feeling his anger being replaced by hurt and pain. Ami saw the change in his eyes and her heart went out to him.

“Oh, Alex. She’s confused. That’s all. I’m sure she’s not trying to hurt you.” Ami tried desperately to explain, but knew she had no right to tell him Jada loved him. Just like she had no right to tell Jada that Alex loved her. They needed to be the ones to speak the words.

Alex sat on the nearest step feeling like he could no longer breathe. Ami, Ty, and Reed were watching him expecting the worse, but hoping for the best reaction. Alex looked up at his family and said quietly, “I can’t believe she left me.”

Ami saw that same hurt and pain that she saw when Rhonda walked out. That time, though, it was magnified. Her heart ached for him once again. She watched the light drain from his eyes and with each passing moment, her heart continued to break for him. He would never be the same and she truly feared for what he would become.

Without another word, Alex stood and headed back toward his car. Ty was on his heels.

“Alex, are you ok?” He asked as they reached the entrance to the lot.

“Let it go, Ty,” Alex said without emotion.
“No way, man. I’m not letting it go. You love that woman...” “And she cared enough about me to walk away without a second

thought,” Alex cut in, his anger rising.
“She’s scared, man. Give her some time,” Ty pleaded.
“I don’t have the time or the heart for this anymore, Ty. I’ll talk to you later.” Alex went to retrieve his car, ready to go home.
He didn’t even remember the drive home or parking in the small lot behind his house. Absently, he opened the kitchen door and went inside. His entire body felt numb and cold. How could she walk away like that? He poured himself a glass of scotch and headed to the room he used for his office. He needed to think.

Sitting in his chair, he threw his feet up on the desk, stared out the window, and sipped from his glass. The mid afternoon sunshine was brilliant, but everything was cloudy and gray in his world. He felt the ice settling in his heart. She didn’t even call.

His cell phone vibrated on his hip. He closed his eyes to shut out not only the interruption, but the pain he was feeling. Finally, he looked down at the caller ID and saw it was Ty. He pressed the button to ignore the call and sent it to voice mail. Five seconds later, it vibrated again, that time it was Ami. Again, he ignored the call, turned off the phone, and placed it in his desk drawer. Now was not the time to talk to anyone because he knew he would be far less than pleasant.

He closed his eyes and reclined in the chair. If he listened closed enough, he could actually hear his own heart breaking. He knew any second now, the house telephone would start ringing. Still not wanting to talk, he finished the glass of scotch, changed clothes, and headed to the gym. He had to work off some of that anger before he hurt some innocent person.

Jada still had a little less than a week off, so she decided to actually stay with her grandparents for a few days instead of visiting for the day. She pulled her candy apple red Mercedes CLK63 AMG out of her garage and drove out to their house soon after she spoke to her grandmother on the telephone.

She pulled up to their home on five acres of land and smiled. She had purchased that land and home for them just a few short years ago. She parked her car in the circular driveway and the front door of the house swung open. Her grandmother appeared in the doorway like magic. Like always.

Grandma Whitman was a tiny woman. She stood only 5’2’’ and was thin. She was caramel colored, just like Jada. Her hair was in a single braid that hung to the middle of her back. Her all knowing eyes were the darkest of brown that caught the light when she spoke. She was extremely active and looked much younger than her seventy three years. She had always been Jada’s rock.

“Baby girl, get out of that car and give me a hug!” Grandma Whitman called out. Jada’s smile widened.

She got out of her car, grabbed her bag, and headed toward the house. She greeted her grandmother with a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. Her grandmother stepped back from her, looked her up and down, and said, “First we eat, then you stop running. You’re looking a little thin.”
Jada opened her mouth to protest, but quickly decided it would be of no use. Grandma Whitman was right, as usual. She just didn’t know if she was strong enough.

Jada and her grandmother stepped into the cool house. Ceiling fans created gentle breezes that carried the scent of fresh flowers. Will Whitman, her grandfather, always brought his wife fresh flowers home. Jada dropped her bag at the foot of the stairs and continued to follow Grandma Whitman to the kitchen. She still had not said one word.

Grandma Whitman pulled two glasses out of the cabinet as Grandpa Whitman came through the back door. Jada walked straight into his outstretched arms.

“Hey, baby girl!” He said in the same voice that always brought her warmth and comfort. He was just less than six feet tall at seventy four years old, and still ran a mile every morning. He was slightly lighter than Grandma Whitman in complexion with barely noticeable freckles across the bridge of his nose and the cheeks under his eyes. His hair was not quite white, but not quite silver. She loved the way his eyes danced whenever he saw her without fail.

“I thought you went to Philadelphia with your cute little actress friend, Ami.” He winked.

“Will!!” Grandma Whitman spoke firmly.

“What? She is cute, but you are gorgeous, honey.” He smiled at his wife.

“Good save, Grandpa,” Jada finally said, still hugging his waist. Grandma Whitman rolled her eyes and continued toward the refrigerator to retrieve the lemonade.

Grandpa Whitman winked at Jada before he continued. “Why are you back so soon? I didn’t expect you until next week.”

“Things got complicated. I couldn’t focus there, so I came home,” She answered as she hung her head.

Grandpa Whitman lifted her chin so he could look in her eyes. “I’m sure everything will work itself out. You are a smart young woman. God will see you through.” He hugged her tight before he held her at arms length and whispered, “Don’t make him wait too long, though, baby girl. Men tend to act silly when they don’t have any answers.”

Jada’s jaw dropped as she stared at her Grandpa. She knew her Grandma hadn’t shared any information. She would never do that to her. How did he know?

“Well, ladies,” He started to announce as he walked over to kiss his wife, “I’m off to shower and change. Gotta keep my standard appointment with the fellas this evening.” Grandpa Whitman headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, grabbing Jada’s bag along the way to put in her room.

Jada watched her Grandfather leave the kitchen as she eased down in her seat. Grandma Whitman placed the glass in front of her and took the seat next to her.

“Dinner will be ready soon. So, tell me about Philadelphia. I haven’t been there in years,” Grandma Whitman spoke sweetly.

That was the first time Jada noticed the smell of a roast in the oven. She picked up her glass and took a sip, trying to decide where to begin.

“I’ve told you, Grandma. On the phone when I was home.” She sighed.

“That was over the phone. Now I need to see your eyes when you speak his name,” She said as her hand covered Jada’s.

“He is Ami’s cousin. I wasn’t even looking to meet anyone. I just wanted to get away from Los Angeles for a minute. Take a break and have a change of scenery. The east coast is certainly different.” She chuckled.

“Tell me about him,” Grandma Whitman insisted.

Jada stared out of the super clean kitchen window. An unconscious smile touched her lips. “He is what Hollywood calls ‘tall, dark, and handsome’. There is a whole family of them. Brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, aunts, and uncles. The sheer number of people is a little overwhelming. Only he and his siblings, though, have these piercing light brown eyes like their mother.” She paused, thinking about the Loves.

“Go on, sweetie,” Grandma Whitman encouraged.

“He is so...genuine. He treats everyone he meets with respect, even if he doesn’t like them. He makes me feel safe and I knew he would come for me when I was kidnapped. I have never met a man who was so attentive, funny, protective, generous, loyal, and good looking. He is almost too perfect.”

“Oh, I’m sure he is not perfect, honey.”

“Ami says when he is pushed he has a terrible temper, but, Grandma, I don’t see that in him. She also says when he sets his mind to something he makes it happen.”

“Baby girl, if he loves you, you may never experience his temper first hand, but I’m sure you will see it.”

“That’s just it, Grandma. I don’t know that he loves me.”

Grandma Whitman rose from her seat and headed toward the stove to check the roast. “You say the young man is a lawyer, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Tell me this. Do you think he would put his license to practice on the line for anyone?”

“He would help, but jeopardize his license, no.”

“What do you think he was doing coming into that house with the police? I’m sure he was supposed to stay outside. The rest of them, too. I’m also sure that if his brother was not with him, he surely would be in jail right now.” She walked over, sat back in her seat, and pulled both of Jada’s hands together. “That young man loves you and you love him. What’s his name again?”

Jada looked up at her Grandma. “Alex. Alexander Love.”

Grandma Whitman smiled. “There it is, baby girl. There is the sparkle that shines when you say his name. I would bet my apple pie that his eyes shine the same way when he talks about you.”

Jada could feel her eyes glassing over. “I’m scared, Grandma.”

“If you weren’t, I would be worried. You are facing a leap of faith, sweetheart. Jump. God won’t let you fall.”

Jada felt the tears roll down her face and fall from her chin. Grandma Whitman was right, like always.

“Come sit outside with me. The sun will do you good.”

Over the last few days, Alex drowned himself in his work. Ami decided to stay in Philadelphia for the rest of the week. Alex refused to take most calls from his family. He came into the office early and stayed late, hoping that work would erase the thoughts of Jada that were constantly with him. He refused to call her. She was obviously done with him since she hadn’t called to say she even arrived home safely.

He found that he went to sleep with thoughts of her, dreamed of her, and awoke the next morning aching with the need of her. No matter how hard he tried, she was constantly there. It was beginning to annoy him that he could not simply erase her from his mind. He knew she had the power to do that to him, yet, he went along for the ride, anyway. He had never wanted to hurt so deeply. Every minute of every day he felt as if he were dying a little more. He hated the day she walked into his life.

Normally pleasant at the office, he had become a beast. He was wounded and no one could get close enough to help him heal. He had instructed Karen to take messages from his family and no one came to his office with out an appointment. He kept conversations to a minimum, and stayed locked in his office most of the time.

His temper flared at the slightest mistake. His staff was working extremely hard on an upcoming trial. He knew that, but could not seem to find satisfaction in anything in his life. He had started carrying his cell phone in his briefcase because it was constantly ringing with calls from his siblings and cousins. He was half a step away from throwing it against the wall to completely silence the stupid thing.

He hadn’t been to The House in days. He could not remember the last time he had eaten. He preferred to spend his evenings working to occupy his mind. If he didn’t, he would think of her. Her scent would taunt him and leave him unfocused. He could feel the softness of her skin on his fingertips. Her laughter haunted his dreams.

He made constant trips to the gym. The energy he burned there was what kept him from physically hurting someone because of his own pain. There was no sunshine in his world despite the mocking of the bright summer sun every day. Why hadn’t she called him? He tortured himself daily with the question.

There was no light at the end of his tunnel. No rainbow after the rain. No other could ever replace her. Damn her. How could she do that to him? He vowed to never love another woman the way his heart ached and loved Jada Whitman. He didn’t have it in him any longer.

As he sat at his desk preparing opening arguments for his trial the next day, he cursed himself. He had let her get under his skin. He knew he had been short tempered and down right evil all week to his staff. He knew he should apologize, but the hurt in his heart just would not subside.

He looked over at the clock on the corner of his desk. Eight forty five p.m. He needed to be in court at nine a.m. and had to be on top of his game. He called it a night, packed his documents for the next day, and headed out.

As he exited the building, his cell phone rang. He was so deep in thought that he just answered it. His body had been on auto pilot for days. “Hello?”

“Alex. What the hell?” Ami cut right in. “Why haven’t you talked to anyone?”

“Hey, Ami,” Alex said absently.
“Hey, Ami? Is that all you have to say?”
“Not now, Ami. I’m not in the mood.” Alex bit back the anger that threatened to consume him all over again.
Ami’s toned softened. “You can’t shut us out, Alex. We are not going anywhere.”
“I know.” Alex’s voice was defeated and he was emotionally tired. “I just can’t do this right now. I have a trial in the morning.”
“Ok, Alex. Promise you’ll call me or Ty tomorrow when you’re done,” She pleaded.
“Alright.” Alex ended the call. He had no intentions of calling anyone tomorrow or any day in the near future. ***

Ami immediately placed another call. Ty answered on the second ring, apparently busy at The House.

“Hey, Ami. Did you get through to Alex?”

Ami could hear the clashing of pots and pans and the shouting of food orders in the background. “Yeah, but I’m just calling to tell you that we need help. I’m calling Aunt Abbie.”

“That bad, huh? We have to call in Mom? This is serious.”

“Yeah. I just wanted you to know I was calling her before I did it. If he gets upset with us, we can’t back down.”

“I know. I’m just not looking forward to the angry wrath of my older brother. Call me later.”

“Ok.”

Later that evening, Alex’s house phone rang. He started to ignore it, but thought twice when he saw his mother’s cell phone number on the caller ID. He never ignored the call from his mother. His father would have his head for that minor infraction. “Hey, Mom.”

“Alex, honey...” Abigail spoke sweetly into the telephone, “open the door for your mother.”

“You are outside? Mom, what the heck are you doing driving around the city this late?” Alex bolted up and snatched the front door open. He hung up the phone on the sight of his mother.

Abigail stood on Alex’s doorstep dressed casually in a pair of denim boot cut jeans, a chocolate brown, long sleeved, fitted tee-shirt, and a pair of chocolate, high heeled, strappy sandals. She had to keep up with her students and the latest casual fashions. “Are you going to let your mother in or keep me outside all night?” She asked sweetly.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry,” Alex stepped aside so his mother could enter. It never ceased to amaze him how beautiful his mother remained. His father still doted over her. There was no doubt that she was the love of his life and he made sure everyone was well aware of that fact every day. He wanted that for himself and thought he had found that with Jada. He surmised he was wrong. Sighing heavily, he shut the door gently behind her.

She stopped just inside the doorway and placed her loving hand on his cheek. He leaned down to kiss her smooth caramel colored cheek. “Alexander Love, we need to talk.”

Alex knew it was going to be a long night. Abigail knew all of her children well and nothing escaped her. He also knew she would come because Ami and Ty probably called days ago. Actually, they probably called the minute he stopped answering the phones. He went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

Abigail followed Alex into the kitchen and sat in her normal seat at the kitchen island. Alex poured his mother a cup of coffee, adding cream and sugar, and placed it in front of her.

“Thank you, baby,” Abigail said as she took a sip. Alex sat across from her and waited.

“Your brother tells me you’ve been acting like a hermit,” She started.

“I wouldn’t go that far, Mom. I just have a big case I am working on. I start a trial in the morning.”

Abigail eyed her son. He knew instantly he was not fooling her. “Alexander, who do you think you are talking to?” He lowered his head, knowing it was not going to be easy. She continued. “This is about Jada, not work.”

“Mom, please...”

“Please, what? Watch you sit around and slip into depression when you can do something about your situation?”

“She walked out on me, Mom.”

“The child was kidnapped and drugged by two crazies! One of whom she considered a friend. I would imagine she was scared to death, not knowing if she would live or die. On top of that, she was in a strange city with people she’d just met, with the exception of Ami. Did you tell her you love her?”

“What?”

“You heard me, boy. Did you tell her that you love her?” She spoke slowly to assure she was heard.

He began to stutter and she cut her eye at him. “Well, no. I didn’t have a chance.”

“I’m sure you had plenty of chances, considering you’ve loved her since Ami walked into your party with her.”

Alex’s mouth fell open at his mother’s words. He couldn’t find anything to say to her.

“Close your mouth, Alex. Of course I knew my baby was in love.” Abigail stood and walked around the island to stand directly in front of him. She placed her hand on his cheek. “Be strong, son. Be confident. She loves you, too, you know. You two belong together and I’ve never seen you so happy. She is a lovely woman and you better not let her get away, Alexander. Tell me what you’ve learned about her.”

He stared at the dark chocolate color in his coffee cup for a moment. He thought long and hard about his feelings for Jada before he answered his mother.

“Well,” He started “she’s probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever come across, besides you, of course.” She chuckled as he continued. “She’s intelligent and ambitious. She’s funny and strong. You should have seen her, Mom, when we got to that house.” He smiled at the memory. “I’m sure she was scared to death, but she still stood up to Rhonda.” He paused and his mother continued to wait patiently.

“You know, Mom, she makes me smile for no reason. She made me feel powerful and strong. She doesn’t see me as a pay check, but as a man. She saw me for just me, and that was refreshing.” He hung his head as the realization of what he was allowing to slip through his fingers hit him.

While he spoke, Abigail had returned to her seat. “Son, you are nothing but blessed to have found a love like that. A love like I share with your father. You have always followed your heart no matter what anyone else said. I can’t see you not following your heart now. If you listen closely, it’s speaking to you pretty strongly. Go get her, baby.”

Alex stared at his mother, feeling like he was five years old and she was picking him up and brushing him off after he fell off his bike. As usual, she was right. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Mom,” He said, finally recognizing why his parents were still so deeply in love. Abigail Love was God’s angel.

“Yeah, well, you are easy. You were always more in tune to what was happening inside you. I suspect I’ll have a much tougher time with Maddy and Ty. Those two are stubborn like your father. Oh, and, Alex, apologize to your staff. I’m sure you can plead temporary insanity or something. Karen called because she was worried about you,” She added as she headed toward the door. “I need to get home to your father. I told him I wouldn’t be gone long and I know you’ll have a very busy day tomorrow. I’ll see you when you get back into town. Make sure you have your cleaning lady water the plants. I love you, baby.”

He smiled because she had assumed correctly that he would be leaving for California the next day. “I love you, too, Mom. Let me walk you to your car and, please, let someone know when you are coming into the city this late.”

“Oh, your father knows where I am. You’re lucky I didn’t drag him with me.” She smiled.

“You’re right about that.” He chuckled as he held the door open for her.

Jada sat on the back porch with her grandmother yet again. Several days had passed of them doing virtually the same thing and ending up sitting on the back porch watching the peacefulness of nature. Her grandfather had gone to play cards with some other seniors, which was one of his usual past times. Jada loved that her grandparents stayed active. She found herself longing for the type of love they shared. The back porch had become her calming place over the past few days. Her grandmother, as usual, was her constant and she never pushed.

The cell phone she forgot she had started to ring. She could have sworn she left that thing in her bedroom. She briefly wondered how it made it to the porch as she glanced over at her smirking grandmother.

“I think you’d better get that, honey,” Grandma Whitman said, still watching a hummingbird travel from flower to flower in her garden.

Jada looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Ami. She fully expected her to be angry with her and was suddenly nervous. After all, she hadn’t called since she got home and she didn’t leave under the best circumstances. She answered the call.

“Hello.”

“Jada. Girl, I’m glad to hear your voice,” Ami said in a cheerful rush.

“Ami? Aren’t you mad?” Jada asked, slowly coming to her feet.

“Heck no. Why would I be mad? I knew you needed time to come to grips with your feelings. I figured you would be able to do that here, but I guess you needed to be in your space. That’s cool. Like I told you before, I’ll always be here for you. You are my sister.”

Jada felt tears sting the back of her eyes. She fully expected Ami to never speak to her again, and had stilled her heart to not only lose the love of her life but her very best friend. “Where are you?”

“I’m still in Philly with the family. How are you?” She asked with genuine concern.

“Miserable. I miss him so much,” Jada admitted. It was the first time she had done so out loud since leaving Philadelphia. She had spent a great deal of time brooding over the situation but never really talking about how she felt. Her grandmother was smiling behind her. “Is he upset with me?”

“I would be lying if I said no. He’s been an absolute beast and no one can get close to him. I feel sorry for his staff. They have got to be ready to quit.” She chuckled.

“I’m so sorry, Ami. I never meant to hurt him.”

“Hey, I’m not the one to apologize to. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Are you coming back to Los Angeles?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back next week.” Ami paused. “He misses you, although he’s not ready to say it yet. He’s been like a bear that’s been stung by ten bees.” She chuckled again as she thought about her dearest cousin and the affect her best friend was having on him.