Forbidden Forever (13 page)

Callie comes bursting
into the room like the building is on fire. I hold my side and
giggle. Behind her is Chance, and he expresses his love for my
giggle. I smile and shake my head at his remark because I know it
means more now than before when he said that.

"Mom, guess what?
No, don't! I will just tell you. I know you have been worried about
where we are going to stay until we find our own place, but I have
come up with a solution," she says excitedly.

"Okay, honey. Spit
it out."

Bouncing up and down,
she says, "I have talked it over with Chance and he is going to
let us stay at his place with him. He has plenty of room and he is a
doctor, so it's the perfect place."

I look at Chance with
disbelief; he conned her into this. I just know it. I smile at both
of them.

"Well, I guess we
need to talk. Please go get Kaleb." Callie looks at me confused.

Chance walks over and
grabs my hand and then leaves us alone. Callie walks right out the
door to get Kaleb and returns.

I am scared more now
than when I was with Michael. I am finally ready to tell Callie and
Kaleb my secret—the one secret that could destroy our bond and
break their heart's even more. Callie sits next to me and I hold her
hand in mine while Kaleb stands at the end of the bed.

"I don't even know
where to begin and I know that when I tell you this, you might hate
me forever, but I hate lying to you. I know we said we never would
lie to each other. So here goes. I have been having an affair with
Chance for several months." Callie's mouth sets in a thin line
and she sits thinking about how to react. Kaleb has no reaction.

I go to speak but Callie
raises her finger up to my mouth. "Mom, I have seen things you
wouldn't believe and I have heard things that no one should hear. I
know that Chance loves you. I can see it all over his face when he
looks at you or talks about you. The way he treated us after you were
hurt, and how he never left this hospital since you have been here,
except to take me home to get some things for us. Mom, I am happy for
you! No one more than you deserves to be truly happy and treated like
a princess. Chance is going to do all those things for you. Now, can
we please go to my new house? I am dying to get in that lazy river."

Kaleb says, "Yeah,
whatever she said, Mom. No big deal. I don't want to go back to a
home where everyone is always on guard. You might have thought we
didn't see it, but why do you think I stayed away as much as I could?
I couldn't stand the things he said when he thought we weren't
listening. Let's move on. You deserve better." I smile and
finally, after months of worrying, I am at peace with the choice I
made to be with Chance.

He is beaming from ear
to ear when we reach his condo. He insists on pushing me in this
wheelchair and waiting on me hand and foot. It is endearing to watch
him care for me and watching the way he is with the kids. They have
really bonded over all this and for someone who doesn't have any
children, he has really done well with them. Once we get into the
condo, he pushes the wheelchair over to the couch and helps me get up
and sit comfortably on the couch. I notice that things seem different
somehow. I realize it's because there are things from my house here.
Over on the table are pictures of Callie and Kaleb when they were
little, along with some photos of Sierra and Brooke.

I glance up at the wall
and see my grandmother's picture that was given to me in her will,
and the table I love so much. I see the blanket covering me is the
quilt from my old baby clothes sewn together that my mom made me when
I turned sixteen. I keep asking her to make one for Callie and Kaleb,
but her hands just aren't quite like they used to be.

"Welcome home,
baby." Chance kneels beside me on the couch. "Sierra and
the kids went back to the house and packed up everything and brought
it here. This way you don't have to ever go back. Callie thought you
would like to have some things that are sentimental here at our
home."

"Yes, it is
perfect. Thank you for doing all this for me."

"This is for me as
well as for you, Sapphire. I don't ever want to watch my treasure
disappear again. I was so scared I had lost you forever when you left
and I didn't hear from you. You will have to tie me up before I let
you get that far again," he jokingly threatens. He grabs my face
in between his hands and tenderly kisses my lips.

Not wanting to pull
away, but dying to tease him, I push back, tilt my head and bat my
eyes. "Well, Dr. Turner, just wait until I can move freely and I
will have to test that theory. I've always wanted to tie you up. That
stethoscope you wear every day would work quite well." I laugh.

"Baby, don't tease
me now. I have been waiting for days to feel me in you and I still
have to go another six weeks. Doctor's orders." He pouts.

Damn, he has no idea
what a turn on that is. Seeing the playful side of him is fucking hot
as hell. If it didn't hurt when I move, I would have hog tied him
right there. The elevator opens and Callie and Kaleb come walking
through with Sierra and Brooke. They have a seat next to me on the
couch. Callie gives me a hug and lays her head gently on my shoulder.

"I'm so glad you
are home," she says softly.

"Me, too. Thank you
all for everything you did by bringing some of me here, packing up
our things so I don't have to go back there. It means so much,"
I tell them with a warm smile.

I have the best people
in my life. Chance brings me a diet Dr Pepper from the fridge,
something I guess he noticed I brought to work sometimes. Just one
more reason I love this man; the way he remembers the small things
about me without even telling him. He leans down and kisses my
forehead, which has to be the sweetest thing ever.

I reply, "Thank
you, baby." Chance has ordered take-out for everyone so they can
visit with me instead of cooking and cleaning.

My new favorite place is
where he first told me about his feelings, The Taco Shop, and they
were kind enough to deliver almost everything on the menu, including
extra garnishes. He sets everything up on the bar in the kitchen
area, then he makes me a plate, setting it up on a TV tray table in
front of me. I am pretty sure he has thought of everything and I may
possibly never have to lift a finger again. Kaleb walks over with
sweet tea and sets it on the table for me. No meal is complete
without a big glass of sweet tea. We sit and relax most of the day
and tell stories about how Sierra and I first met, our girls who
didn't like each other, so we hit it off by laughing at the looks
Brooke and Callie would give each other. At that age, anything they
did was cute even if it was rude. They ended up spending more time
together since Sierra and I were inseparable, and now they are like
sisters. We talk about Kaleb and the silly pranks he plays, which
bring up all the pranks Chance played when he was younger. That is
more than enough for them to bond over.

Callie has been waiting
patiently, but I can see it every time she walks to the balcony; her
eyes light up but she wants to be with me, too. I decide it's time
that she has her time in that lazy river. If I could get these
stitches wet, I would be in it, too.

"Callie, why don't
you and Brooke get swimsuits on and go get in the lazy river? Kaleb,
I know you are dying to surf. I am about to lie down and take a nap,
and Sierra has to leave to do some errands."

"But, Mom, I..."
Callie wants to argue because she fears leaving me.

"Chance will let
you know if anything happens, but really, honey, I am fine. You no
longer need to worry about me. I love you for it, though."

"I love you more."
She walks over and gives me a hug, then bounces off to her room with
Brooke's arms entangled into hers. I just love those girls; they
seriously have the best personalities and hearts. Kaleb heads out
with his board as quickly as I spoke the words. Sierra gives me a hug
and leaves for her mommy errands, such as the grocery shopping, which
leaves me alone with my man. After everything that has happened in my
life, I never dreamed I would have walked away from Michael. I
thought I was weak but it turns out that I finally realized I was
worth more when I met Chance and he showed me what he sees through
his eyes. The whole package of me; it isn't my size, but my beauty
inside and out. He helps me up and makes me get into the wheelchair
and pushes me into the bedroom. The room has changed a little from
the last time I saw it.

Now I see photographs of
my family and friends and as I look, I see a photo of Chance and me
when we were dancing at the company proposal party. I pick it up and
look at it, curious as to how it got there.

"Sierra had taken
it with her camera and she thought we would like it," Chance
chimes in, knowing my thoughts before they are spoken.

"I love it," I
squeal.

I set it back on the
nightstand. A new flower arrangement is on the nightstand next to
what looks like my side of the bed. It is full of beautiful white
lilies, roses, baby breath, and big pink Gerber daisies. A card is
sitting next to it so I carefully sit on the bed and in his words, it
reads...
"My treasure, my love, I want you to feel this is
your home now because I am hoping in time you will decide to stay
with me forever here or anywhere you would like to create our home
together. I will live my life proving my love for you and making sure
you always feel 100% wanted."
I smile and set the card down
and stand up slowly, wrapping my arms around him, careful not to
flinch so he doesn't make me lay down.

Looking up into his deep
ocean blue eyes, I smile. "Baby, I want to live with you here,
now, and anywhere."

His sexy as hell wicked
grin is back on his face and he leans down to reach my lips, pressing
softly and passionately against them. I feel the love in his caress
and the need we both have for the intimate moment we are sharing.
"Fuck, six weeks is going to give me the worse case of blue
balls anyone has ever seen," he frustratingly says.

I giggle at his
frustration and playfully slap him on the arm. "Baby, there are
other ways I can help with that."

"I'll take you up
on that later when I know you are feeling up to it. Let's go slow; we
have a lifetime to go." He helps me get into the bed and I know
he won't be playing with me just yet, but, man, when he does, it's
going to be good.

I lay down on my side of
my new bed, in my new home, as Chance wraps himself carefully around
me. His strong arms hold me close to his hard chest and as his legs
entwine themselves between mine, my eyes grow heavy from the
medication and I drift off to sleep. I can feel his presence on me;
however, I hear something in the distance that isn't him or the kids.
It is a familiar voice, but much angrier than I've ever heard before.
I open my eyes and listen to see if I am imagining what I heard.

"Laney Collins,
open this fucking door before I break it down and come get you."
He is yelling from outside of the condo. He is banging on the door
and screaming. If he doesn't quit yelling someone is going to call
the cops. Good. It serves him right for everything he has done. "I
don't care about your fucking pussy boyfriend that you are fucking,
you belong to me and you are coming home. You'd think after I beat
your ass the first time that you would know I mean business. Open
this damn door, you whore," he continues to yell.

He threatens, and fear
overcomes me. I look and see Chance is still sleeping, how can he
sleep through this? I shake him and he doesn't move. If I didn't know
any better I would think he was drugged by his lack of movement. I
get out of the bed and walk around the condo to see if Callie or
Kaleb is back. Nothing! Michael is still banging outside the door and
screaming horrible things at me. It isn't anything I haven't heard
before except he knows I am with someone and his voice is so angry.
Unlike the times he cussed me before, it's almost like there is
nothing left for him to be good for, so the devil is unleashed. I run
into the kitchen and look for a knife. I open every drawer and
nothing, not one single sharp object in the entire kitchen. I run
back to the bedroom and yell at Chance for him to wake up. I check to
see if he is breathing, and he is. Why won't he wake up? I shake him
and call his name. Nothing!

Panic is taking over and
I am at a loss for what to do. I run to the balcony doors but they
are screwed shut. I pull and pull until my arms are throbbing from
the pain. There is nothing left to do. I am out of options so I walk
to the door. I stand in front of it and scream back to him. "Michael,
please leave me alone! We are not good for each other. Please go
away. We are over." He is quiet. I count 1, 2, 3, and take a
deep breath, hoping he has left, but before I can get to 4, the door
kicks open and I jump up and gasp air in my lungs. Trying desperately
to catch my breath, I open my eyes and Chance is next to me with a
concerned look on his face as I wake up from my nightmare.