Light (The Shadows Series) (34 page)

 “Fuck!” His grip tightens, his body stills and his release pours into me, filling me. “Holy shit.”

 “Mmhmm.” My breathing is ragged and sweat clings to me. Slowly pulling himself from me, he drops to his side. Theron lays his head on my chest, his arms wrapping around me and his fingers make soft circles on my skin in a random pattern. I feel completely sated. That was unbelievably good.

 “Are you broken?”

 “Mmhmm.” He tilts his head back, letting out a deep laugh. My mouth curves into a huge smile. I am so incredibly in love with him.

 “Get some rest.” I lay awake with him wrapped around me. His breathing slows, letting me know that he is asleep. My fingers lazily stroke up and down on the skin of his back. I lose track of how long I lay there with him. I am too lost in the high that I get when I am near him.

 The sound of his phone brings me back down from the clouds. I nudge his shoulders, but he only responds with grunts. “Hey, caveman. I know that I wore you out, but what if that’s Evan?”

 “Ugh.” Pouting, he rolls over and grabs his phone off the nightstand. “Theron.” Why can’t he ever say hello like a normal person? “What the fuck do you want?” He sits up, his body speaking a thousand words to me without ever making a sound. His posture is rigid and frustration is coming off of him in waves. Who is he talking to? I am not sure what is being said. Not only do they have his attention, but they have now pissed him off. “I’m not in the mood for games. Eve and I have been through enough bad shit to last us a lifetime. You have an hour. Do you hear me? You have an hour to get here and explain whatever it is you feel that I need to know.” Theron ends the call and tosses his phone across the room. It slams against the wall.

 “Who–”

 “Don’t. Do not question me right now. This needs to be dealt with and I’m doing this my way. Come on, I’ll help you get dressed. Bridgette is on her way over.”

 “Are you fucking kidding me? I told her to leave us alone.”

 “Aren’t you the one who told me she’s pregnant and carrying Thomas’ baby?”

 “Yes, but that was before any of this.”

 “Before what? Her lies or you hiding shit from me?” I gasp. His words sting, as they scratch against my surface. “Well, which one is it?”

 “Fuck you.”

 “Too late. You already did.” What the hell did she say to him, and why is he taking it out on me? I thought we were past all of this.

 “Get out. I don’t need you to babysit me. I can dress on my own. I’ll meet you downstairs. I know you’re pissed right now, and I’m sure that it’s because of the cunt that was on the phone. I’m not her. I will never be her. You need to pull your head out of your ass, now. I’ve been through too much to let you walk all over me when something doesn’t go your way. You are not Thomas. Do not act like him.”

 Theron spins on his heels. The angry glare in his eyes fades into sorrow. “Beautiful, I–”

I put my hand up to stop him. “Don’t. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

He rakes his hands through his hair. He knows that he has hurt me. The pain and regret of his actions written all over his face. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”

Hot tears spill over onto my cheeks, turning my head away from him I whisper, “Just go.” The door shuts quietly behind him. More tears pour down my face and it takes me a minute to catch my breath. I am angry with Theron for his response to her, but my hatred is solely focused on Bridgette. She is like a roach that just won’t die. Well this time I am arming myself with my best high heels. I am going to step on her, enjoying the sound of her body crunching underneath my shoe. Two can play at this game.

By the time, I get ready and make it downstairs, Theron is already in the kitchen with Bridgette. She is sitting at the table smugly drinking, what I assume is either tea or coffee. Who am I kidding? She is the devil. It is probably full of souls that she has collected over the years. It would explain why she always looks so picture perfect, her beauty must survive on their essence. Her hair is pinned back in a French twist with two chopsticks sticking out of it. I so badly want to rip them out of her hair and stab them into her neck, watching her blood pour out, as she gurgles her last breath. I shake my head, releasing the thoughts, though a slight grin still plays on my face. The sound of my shoe and boot hobbling across the hard floor, alerts her of my presence.

“I didn’t realize that Eve would be here.” Only her words acknowledge me, her eyes never leave Theron.

“That was a pretty fucked up assumption, wouldn’t you think? She goes wherever I go. Eve and I are inseparable. I need her like you need Botox to survive. She is not going anywhere. What is it that you had to tell me in person?”

The look of shock on her face is priceless. I walk around the table, stopping next to Theron. I start to pull out a chair, but he pulls me onto his lap instead. I make a mental note, not to acknowledge her until I have to. “Is everything okay, babe?” Placing my right palm on the side of his face, I search his eyes trying to find the light we just had. The light Bridgette’s phone call stole from us.

“It will be.” His words are soft and steady. His brows furrow, his eyes brim with tears. Sorrow written all over his face. I lean in, never breaking eye contact, and softly place a kiss on his lips.
I forgive you
. I don’t tell him with my words, but with my body. I only hope that he understands. He closes his eyes, before taking a deep breath. He opens his eyes, as a different man. I know this man. This is the man that I saw take his father’s business out from under him. He is determined and unwavering. Whatever it is that she thinks she is going to get from this, won’t happen. He has already made up his mind. Check mate. The game is already over before her first move.

Bridgette clears her throat, as if to remind us that she is still here. Oh, I know that you are here, sweetie. I am just taking my time before I make it perfectly clear that you are never allowed near us again. “I’m pregnant.”

“I already know this. Weren’t you the one who tracked down my fiancé in a doctor’s office, coming up with some elaborate lie, claiming it to be Thomas’ child?”

“It’s not a lie. It’s his.”

A deranged laugh escapes from Theron. What does he know that I don’t? Raking his hands through his hair, his eyes steel and his face hardens. “It’s his, is it? I’ll tell you a little secret, Bridgette. Something only my mother and I know. Since she is no longer with us, I guess the secret was left only with me. Thomas couldn’t have any more children. He despised me so much as a child that he had a vasectomy to prevent any more ‘mistakes’, as he would call it. I know this because he made damn sure to remind me daily of his hatred for me. I ruined his life, and there was no way that he was going to waste his time raising another useless parasite, sucking him dry and sending everyone around them to an early grave. His words, not mine.”

My mouth falls open. It is not his, it has never been his. My lips curl up into an evil grin. Her lie has snapped back in her face like a rubber band, stinging her face and leaving her red with embarrassment.

“That’s not true. It can’t be.” She backpedals. I may be enjoying this a little too much.

“It is. Which brings me to my next question. Who were you sleeping with besides my father? If you were supposedly so loyal to him, how is it that you’re pregnant? That might be a baby you are carrying, although it’s debatable since you are the devil’s incarnate, but that baby is of no relation to me. It has nothing to do with any of us. So, I suggest that you go through the list of men you were screwing on the side and start issuing out paternity tests.”

“I…I…this can’t be right. Why wouldn’t he tell me? He knew that I was pregnant, he knew that I thought it was his.”

She can’t be this naïve. “Maybe that’s why he tried to pay you off. Maybe he was willing to pay to get rid of the whore he kept around, for obviously way, too long. You couldn’t even keep your legs closed. To think that I came down here to destroy you, to prove to Theron that you aren’t worth the waste of our breath. Instead, I find out that you’re nothing, but a two-timing whore and that you have no clue who the father is. I don’t need to put you in your place, you’ve already found it. It’s with the trash in the dumpster. Now, I want you to leave. Get the fuck out of our house.”

She places her hand to her chest, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. It seems the girl who knows everything is at a loss for words. Revenge is sweet, but karma is beautiful. Standing, she pushes her chair back so hard that it clatters to the ground. She bends down to pick it up, but I can’t let her leave without being a bitch just one more time. “Just leave the chair. We are going to have to burn it anyways. Who knows what kind of diseases you’ve brought into our house.” Her eyes turn into daggers, but they have no effect on me. She turns to leave and I send Rebecca to follow her out. I want to make sure that she actually leaves the property. I don’t trust her.

“You are very ugly when you are catty.”

I look up at Theron, and I feel just as ugly as my words. “I’m sorry. She brings out the worst in me.”

“It’s alright, beautiful. She brings out the worst in everyone.” I lay my head against his chest. “At least she is gone now. There is nothing else that can come between us.” His hand wraps around my side, sliding upwards, cupping my breast. His breath is hot against my neck. He knows my body so well. “I don’t like fighting with you. We should makeup properly. Let’s go upstairs, where I can show you how sorry I really am.” My mind races with the possibilities of the next couple of hours, but my stomach has bad timing, as it rumbles loudly from hunger. “Perhaps we should feed you first and then we can go upstairs.”

“Can’t we just take the food upstairs with us?”

“God, I love you Eve. You always have the best ideas.”

Theron slides me off his lap, and moves about the kitchen with such ease. Once he is satisfied that he has everything we need, he motions for me to follow him. I start to follow him, but then I have a great idea. I quickly limp over to the refrigerator. Finding what I need, I grab it and make my way over to Theron.

“What is that?”

“Oh you know, just something a little cliché.” I hold up the butterscotch syrup. I squeal, as Theron drops everything and sweeps me up into his arms, carrying me upstairs.

“Let’s just order in. I can’t wait to get you into bed, naughty girl.”

A giggle escapes me, as he lays me on the soft mattress.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Everything is absolutely perfect.”

“I’ll show you just how perfect things can be. I’m going to make love to you until your body soars into the clouds.” Theron holds true to his words. As we lay in our bed, his body wrapped around mine. I lightly stroke my fingers up and down his back. He is sound asleep with his hand spread out over my belly, his fingers still softly making circles on my skin. The sun peeks in through the curtains by the balcony, it glistens on the glass, sending little miniature rainbows scattering across the walls and ceiling. I rejoice in this moment. Our light has burst through the shadows, erasing them with its glow. Heaven is just under my fingertips, and I press my lips to the top of his head. My knight in shining armor, destroyer of shadows, and bringer of light. It might sound cliché and some may roll their eyes at it, but sometimes cliché is good. Our cliché had just a little more flavor than everyone else’s. Butterscotch has never tasted so good.

S
he is leaning against the door frame of the nursery, her hand resting on the roundness of her belly, long brown locks flow over her shoulder. She is exhausted, but you can’t see it on her. She refuses to stay home. I should never have bought her the Book Emporium, but when Harold and Olivia approached us about wanting to retire after all of the chaos that took place at the store that night, it was my natural reaction. We had thrown them a retirement party and were cleaning up after everyone left. Eve was quiet most of the night, I knew she was sad having to give up something that she loved doing. I walked up to her, put my hands over her eyes, and told her to keep them shut. The absolute joy on her face after I showed her the deed of sale, was priceless. I would have bought her a million bookstores just to see her smile like that.

I was lucky enough to witness the same exact smile after each of our children were born. My eyes roam her body, as she wears motherhood so well. She is still so incredibly sexy. God, if I don’t want her right now. I lock her gaze with mine and give her a quick wink. She rolls her eyes at me. I chuckle and look down at the project at my feet. I have just finished putting together the new basinet that she had to have. I don’t see how this one is any different than the other two that we have had, but I would do anything for her. Whether it is a new bassinet or the world, I would give it to her.