Rhythm of Us: Book 2 Of The Fated Hearts Series (7 page)

The clocked ticked 5:30 pm while I warmed up the soup on the stove. I knew Ellie would be home any minute and I wanted to surprise her. My mind was still stuck on the conversation I had with Miss Annette as I lazily stirred the soup in the pot.

What could I really offer Max and his mom?
My life had become a fucked-up mess and it seemed like I was the last person who should be giving advice to a confused kid and his mother. On the other hand, my early years of wearing feminine clothes had nothing to do with my current predicament. I felt more relaxed when I realized that all I really needed to do what sit and listen to the little guy and maybe offer an encouraging word or two to him and his mom. I was overthinking things and stressing myself out for no good reason.

I had bigger fish to fry anyway. I hadn’t heard from Ben all damn day and I was getting more and more agitated with every minute that passed without a word from him. I expected him to check up on Ellie this morning or at lunch and text or call me, but nothing. He wasn’t much of
friend
to her if he couldn’t be bothered to do a simple thing, like make sure she felt better.

I heard the front door fly open followed by a loud thud and the sound of someone running down the hallway towards the bedrooms and bathrooms. I turned the burner down on low and scrambled out of the kitchen to see what was going on. I saw Ellie’s purse and briefcase laying on the floor just inside the door. I picked them up and set them on the couch and shut the front door. I went in search of my sister and found her in the master bathroom leaning over the toilet, her body shaking as it dry heaved repeatedly.

“Morning sickness my ass,” she growled, not realizing I was standing in the doorway.

“El,” I said softly, coming into the room and kneeling beside her. I tried not to scare her, but I did anyway. Her frightened, big brown eyes looked huge against her ashen complexion. “You’re pregnant?” I asked quietly while I kneeled down beside her.

“I fucked up, Xavier,” she said tearfully and leaned her head against my chest. “I’m so damn stupid.”

“No you’re not,” I said while stroking her hair. “You’re brilliant, but even intelligent people get pregnant unexpectedly.” I tried to be supportive and happy for my sister, but all I could think about was my own misery over Ben having sex with her. I’d always known he wasn’t meant for me, but there was this tiny part of me that hoped it would be so. That same jealousy I had felt at the bowling alley burned through my body, but I pushed away my feelings and focused on Ellie.

“I was so stupid, Xavier.” She began crying in earnest now, her tears quickly soaking through my t-shirt. I sat down on the floor beside her so I could be more comfortable and rocked her back and forth, whispering words of love and encouragement. “I thought he loved me, but I should have known I was just like the rest of them. He used me for sex just like his other conquests.”

The fire that raged through my veins completely obliterated the longing I’d felt just seconds earlier. I knew that Ben was a player by his own admission, but I thought what he felt for my sister was special, tender even. I saw the way he looked at her, touched her, and held her like he cherished her above anyone else. Why would he treat someone he obviously cared about that way? There was only one way to find out and I planned on talking to him as soon as I got my sister settled.

“El, I warmed up some chicken soup for you and bought you some more Sprite and crackers. How about you get cleaned up and I’ll bring you a tray so you can eat in bed. I know you probably don’t feel like eating, but you should probably try for yourself and the baby.”

Ellie cried even harder. “You are so good, Xavier, and I am such a fuck-up.”

“I’m not good, El. I was really fucked up this past year and I’m in no position to sit in judgement of anyone, even if I wanted to, and I don’t. I will tell you about it sometime when things have settled down. It will cheer you right up when you learn how stupid I was.”

“I’ll never be cheerful over your misery, X.” She sat up and looked into my eyes. “I’m here to listen to you whenever you’re ready to talk and I promise that I will love you just as much after you tell me what happened to you in LA. There is nothing you could do to lose me, Xavier. You’re the only family I’ve got and I won’t let anything or anyone come between us.”

Ellie was right about it being just the two of us left. Our parents fled in the middle of the night with my other brothers and sisters when they realized that charges of abuse were going to be filed against my father. I’ve never missed my parents one single day since I went to live with Gram, but I often thought about my brothers and sisters, wondering how they turned out.

“Don’t forget Gram and Chase,” I reminded her sweetly. “They’re our family even if we don’t have a single strand of matching DNA.”

“Of course, silly,” Ellie playfully chastised me. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I’m really fucking hungry right now. Chicken noodle soup has never sounded so good to me.”

I held out my hand for her and pulled us both up off the tiled bathroom floor. “Do you want to shower first? You might feel better.”

“That sounds like heaven,” she said blissfully. “I won’t be long.”

I returned to the kitchen and focused on the task at hand. I couldn’t let Ellie know how angry I was at Ben. I’d deal with his ass as soon as I could leave. Ranting about his cowardice would only upset Ellie more and that wasn’t good for her or her baby. I was going to deal with his sorry ass as soon as I could leave.
Dear Lord, my sister was going to be a mother.
A smile spread across my lips at the thought of holding a little bundle of joy. I immediately began to pray for my sister and my niece or nephew’s health.

I gave El plenty of time to get settled amongst her plump pillows and carried the tray into her room. I wanted to have a conversation with her about how far along she was and ask some other questions I had for her, but it could wait.

“Gimme gimme,” she said as I approached the bed, making me chuckle.

“Is there anything else I can get you before I head out to run an errand?”

“Nope,” she said between soft blows on her spoonful of hot soup. “This is perfect.”

I kissed Ellie on the top of her head. “I won’t be long and I’m just a phone call away if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. I could see tears forming in her big doe eyes and felt tears of my own burning behind my eyes.

“It’s going to be okay, Ellie. I promise.”

I dropped one last kiss on her forehead and left her house in order to begin fulfilling my promise to her. The rumble of Mistress’s engine matched the rumble in my chest. One way or another I’d make sure that Ellie was treated with the respect she deserved.

I STOOD BENEATH
the shower spray and let the hot water beat down on my neck, back, and shoulders. Dinner at my mother and father’s house was always brutal, but tonight was especially difficult without my older brother, Bevan, there to help deflect their disappointment over our life choices. I had to put up with my mother’s passive-aggressive bullshit while being blatantly ignored by my father. Why was I still seeking a relationship with them after all of these years? Why did I want their approval so damn much?

My parents weren’t disappointed that I was gay after they realized that my sexuality wasn’t a choice. They now loved having a token gay son to parade in front of potential clients to show how diverse they were. It amazed me that my self-absorbed father didn’t go into a life of politics. My parents, however, were pissed that I chose a career outside the family business of corporate law. That was the choice that they just couldn’t abide. I’d rather someone stab me in the eye with a hot poker than read legal briefs day after day - or worse yet - help a slimy billionaire escape tax evasion charges.

I’d always thought that my reasons for avoiding any type of relationship was due to my schoolwork at first and then my work load after I graduated from college. I knew I wanted to do something to utilize my overactive imagination and creativity, but I wasn’t sure what field I wanted to work in until Jeremy Jacobs’s dad came to our middle school for career day. There stood a man who got paid to come up with jingles, commercials, and print advertisements; I was in awe of him, I had asked Mr. Jacobs a million and one questions after he was done talking to the class. He patiently answered every question and even stayed a little after class to give me some ideas on what classes I should take in college to give me an edge after I graduated. He stressed that digital art would have a major impact on the industry and he was absolutely correct.

That night, I went home and made the big announcement to my parents over dinner; I had found what I wanted to do with my life. They were not impressed at all and even laughed it off as a joke, but it wasn’t a joke to me. From that moment on, I secretly created campaign ads for products I saw on TV in a sketch book that Bevan bought me for my birthday. I watched commercials and studied print ads to determine what worked well and what could’ve been done differently. I took as many art classes as my high school schedule would allow, along with graphic design.

My parents threatened to disown me if I didn’t follow my paternal footsteps so I called their bluff. They didn’t speak to me for the entire first year of college and it was the best thing to ever happen to me. I learned how to live my life in the real world, and not like some over-privileged, spoiled brat. I learned to stand on my own two feet and become independent. It was the happiest year of my life. Then Bevan gave up practicing corporate law to become a private investigator. Suddenly, my career path wasn’t so bad.
Damn that Bevan.

Daniel and Beverly St. Claire were both products of privileged homes without parental guidance or concern. I always found both sets of my grandparents to be cold and completely uncaring. My parents were both raised by nannies and carried on that tradition with their own offspring. It still amazed me that my vain mother would even allow herself to become pregnant. There were many times growing up that I wished someone else was my mother and would come get me and take me to my real home. Sadly, that day never happened and I was stuck with the family I had, but I refused to let their attitudes get me down anymore, instead I continued living my life the way I wanted to, not the way they still wished I would.

I started feeling a little better and the tension started to leave my body, until I remembered that I hadn’t contacted Xavier yet. I kept putting it off, because I hadn’t come up with a subtle way to let him know that I was into him and not his sister. I had picked up my phone several times throughout the day to text or call him, but each time I got interrupted by a call from a client or an ad exec needing me to approve an ad copy. I decided to call him as soon as I finished my shower and set about washing my hair and body; suddenly eager to hear his voice in my ear.

I had just rinsed the shampoo from my hair when I heard my doorbell being rung over and over, followed by a fist pounding loudly on my door. I shut the water off immediately, threw a towel around my waist, and jogged to the front door, thankful I had carpet on the stairs or else I probably would have tumbled down them. I couldn’t imagine who would be banging so desperately on my door and feared something was wrong with Mrs. Hernandez next door.

I flung open my door and found an enraged Xavier Cruz on my doorstep. He opened his mouth to say something and it hung open as his eyes raked me up and down. Sure, I should have called him before now, but the anger on his face didn’t match my crime.

“I was going to call you when I got out of the shower, Xavier. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner, but I got really busy at work and . . .”

“You son of a bitch!” Xavier’s enraged voice cut off my explanation. He placed both his hands on my chest and shoved me backwards into my home and then slammed the front door closed behind him. He was surprisingly strong. “You got my sister pregnant and you think you’re just going to abandon her?” He advanced on me, but I was so lost in those gorgeous whiskey-colored eyes that it took several moments before I could react. He had his arm cocked back to strike me before his words could penetrate my skull. I dodged to the left just in time to miss his punch.