Until Series: Box set (23 page)

Well, he had a good point. Money did mess with people. We were happy and I had never even touched the money from my inheritance. But I knew the money could do some good and I wanted a swimming pool badly. I also wouldn’t mind getting a new car with the money, and maybe a boat. I have always loved the water and have wanted to try skiing. The only thing with that was if I sucked at water skiing, we would be stuck with a boat we didn’t use.

“I have a few requests before I put the money away for our future children,” I said, shaking my head.

He gave me a crooked smile and kissed my nose again. “Go for it.”

“First, I’m paying for my own car, if I decide to get a new one.” He started to talk, but I covered his mouth with my hand. He narrowed his eyes, but I carried on like I didn’t notice.

“Second, I would like a swimming pool, and third,” I said loudly before he could cut me off or talk over me. “I would like a boat, but only if it can be returned if I end up not liking it.”

“First, you’re getting a new car whether you want one or not.”

“If—” I started, but he cut me off with a quick kiss.

“Second, we can have a pool put in, as long as it’s childproof. And when we have kids, they have to take swimming lessons. And third, I have a boat so you don’t need to think about borrowing someone’s boat to test it out.”

I squealed, doing a happy dance. “Wow, that was easier than I thought,” I said, smiling. “But I want to confirm that I’m paying for my new car when I decide to get one, and the swimming pool when it’s put in.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Hell no!” I said, rolling him to his back. I was looking down on him, making sure I had his full attention. “I will pay for that stuff, Asher, or I’ll buy you a gift every week, and I will make sure they are extravagant and expensive. Trust me, you don’t want to test me. I’m thinking along the lines of a unicorn.”

“You don’t get it. This is my land, my house. I pay for the pool. And I hope to God that you know unicorns aren’t real.”

Okay, that hurt. “So, I’m just a guest. I’m not living here with you? I’m not the woman that you plan on having a family with? If that’s the case, let me know so I can pack my stuff. I don’t want to be in the way when the one you plan on sharing your life with shows up. And who knows? Money is power. I’m sure I can convince someone somewhere that unicorns exist, and that they should locate one for me.”

I watched as his face became hard and his jaw started to tic. “You know I don’t mean it that way. You’re my woman. I take care of you.”

“If I’m your woman, as you put it, then you’re my man. Relationships work both ways. They give and take. It’s called compromise. I need to feel like I’m doing something for you. I won’t be happy thinking that I live here with you for free. You take care of me, make me feel safe, give me a home and unconditional love, and I don’t do anything for you? I won’t live here feeling like I’m not bringing anything to the table. That’s not me. I need to feel like I’m pulling my weight.”

“Baby, don’t you see it’s the other way around?” he asked with both his hands holding my face. “All I have to offer you is stability and love. I have nothing else. If you left me tomorrow, some other guy would be there giving you the same thing I do. You’re beautiful, funny, smart, kind. And the sex, fuck me, sex with you is off the charts. If you left me—Christ!” He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “If you left me, I would never be able to find another you. Someone who fills my life with the beauty that only you give me.”

Okay, I couldn’t help it. I started bawling like a giant baby. I laid my head on his chest, wrapping myself around him and trying to get as close as I could without crawling inside of him. I no longer cared about the pool or the car or anything else to do with money.

“I feel the same,” I said through a sob. “You are an amazing man, Asher James Mayson, and you better not ever forget it.”

“I love you, baby,” he whispered and I felt his lips at the top of my head. His arms were around me, holding me tightly against him. I was so comfortable that I knew I could easily fall asleep that way. “I only want you to be happy.”

“I am.” My heart was full. There was no room in it for sadness or anger. I felt happy and loved. Even when I was arguing with him, I felt unconditional love.

It was in that moment that I decided to do something with the money my grandparents left me. I love the place that I now called home. And I wanted to do something that would benefit others. Something to share the love that I felt and hopefully give someone else a piece of that love and happiness. I knew that there were people who lived in the area that were struggling. I also knew they took donations each year for community projects and child outreach programs. I needed to find things to fill my time with. The spring and summer months were his busy seasons. The days were longer, the weather was nicer, and I knew Asher would be working extra hours. He and his team just won the bid on a new development, so they were all excited about that and the amount of money it would bring in. So I needed to keep myself occupied.

The pounding started to get louder, taking me out of my head and bringing me back to reality.

“I’m coming! I’m coming! Hold your horses!” I shout while running to the front door. I push Beast out of the way so I can get to the peep hole. When I look out, I see a young guy holding flowers. “What the heck?” I mutter to myself. I open the door and the man standing there smiles and holds out a bouquet of roses.

“Hi,” I say, my eyebrows coming together in question. Asher has given me flowers in the past, but he has never given me roses. He has always brought them home to me. I’ve never received a delivery.

“This is a delivery for November,” the guy says, looking up at me from where his head was bent down, reading the paper in his hand.

“That’s me,” I say, and before I can get anything else out, he shoves a clipboard into my hand.

“You need to sign where the Xs are.”

I quickly sign by the two Xs. He then smiles and takes the clipboard, putting it under his arm. He hands me the flowers and then walks off. I set the flowers on the island and look for a card but can’t find one. I know the flowers are from Asher because he is the only person who would send them. I walk back to the bedroom to find my phone.

Once I have my cell phone, I send Asher a quick text.

Me:
Thanks for the flowers.

There is no reply right away, so I set the phone down and jump in the shower. I am blow drying my hair and drinking coffee with I hear my phone signal a message.

Asher:
Didn’t send anything ;-(

Me:
Oh. Maybe my dad sent them.

“Hey, baby girl,” Dad answers on the first ring.

“Hi Dad, um, I was wondering if you sent me flowers?”

“No. Why?”

“I got a delivery of roses this morning and Asher didn’t send them.”

“I didn’t send anything.”

My breathing starts to pick up and I know my dad can hear it through the phone.

“I’m sure they are from someone you know,” he says quietly. I’m not as sure as he is. I feel paranoid, but after the roses that someone left me at my dad’s house, there is always a nagging in the back of my head telling me that something bad is going to happen to me again.

“I can tell you’re scared but don’t worry so much. Nothing has happened since the break-in.”

“You’re right. I’m acting crazy,” I tell him. Flowers are not a big deal.

“If you feel unsafe, just tell me and I will be over there.”

“No, Dad. You’re right. I’m fine.”

“Okay, baby girl. I’m going to go to sleep. My phone is on if you need me.”

“Thanks, Dad. Love you,” I whisper, feeling like an idiot.

“Love you too, baby girl.” He hangs up and I call everyone else I know who might have sent the flowers. No one did.

Asher:
Was it your dad???

Me:
He said no. I called around and no one else sent them.

Less than a second later, I get a response.

Asher:
I’m calling Dad now.

Me:
I don’t think that’s necessary.

Asher:
Dad will be there in 5. I’m on my way. Stay inside and lock the door.

Me:
I’m fine. Stop worrying. It’s making me freak.

Asher:
Rather you be paranoid.

I hear the car pull up and I jump off the couch from where Beast and I are cuddling, and run to the front door. I look out the peephole just as Asher’s dad is getting out of the police cruiser. I open the front door and step out onto the porch, and hear the crinkle of paper under my bare foot. I bend down to pick it up. It is a plain card-size envelope. I can feel the weight of the card inside. I start to open it when it is snatched out of my hand.

I jump and let out a startled yelp. I had been so caught up in the envelope, I forgot about Asher’s dad. “Crap, you scared me,” I say, looking up at Mr. Mayson.

He chuckles. “I got that when you screamed.”

“I didn’t scream,” I say in my own defense. I’ve become close with all of Asher’s family. His parents have taken me in as one of their own. And his brothers treat me like I am the little sister they missed out on having. Now they’re making up for lost time by picking on me and torturing me on a regular basis. Sometimes Asher gets annoyed with them, but most of the time, he joins in on the fun of pissing me off.

Mr. Mayson smiles like he thinks I’m being funny, then looks down at the envelope. The smile leaves his face quickly and his eyes come back to me. “I hope you made sure to look out the peep hole before you came outside.” His tone is serious.

“I made sure,” I mumble, hoping this is nothing serious. I don’t want to start living my life looking over my shoulder.

“Let’s go in and you can show me what you got and tell me about the person who dropped them off.”

“Are you going to open that?” I ask, pointing at the card.

“When we get inside.”

We walk into the house and I close and lock the door behind us as we turn to go into the kitchen. Mr. Mayson is standing at the kitchen island in front of the flowers. I notice that he now has on a pair of gloves. His head is bent and he is looking at the open card.

“What does it say?” I ask.

He holds it up for me to see. On the front of the card is a picture of Manhattan at night. When he opens it, I stumble back and my stomach drops. I am looking at the words written in bright red ink.

Coming events cast their shadows before

I had a vision in the summer light—

Sorrow was in it, and my inward sight

Ached with sad images. The touch of tears

Gushed down my cheeks the figured woes of years

Casting their shadows across sunny hours.

Oh, there was nothing sorrowful in flowers.

“Holy crap.” I cover my mouth and run to the hall bathroom to throw up the piece of toast I had for breakfast and the coffee that I drank. I feel a cool rag on my neck and a hand rubbing my back.

“Are you okay?” he asks and I can hear the anger in his voice.

“Yeah,” I say, flushing the toilet. I take the rag off my neck and wipe my mouth with it. I look up into his eyes and can tell he is pissed off. I just hope he isn’t mad at me for bringing this kind of trouble to his son’s front door. “I’m so sorry,” I say, putting my face into my hands. I can’t figure out why this is happening to me. I feel him pull me in for a hug.

“We will figure it out. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I don’t understand why someone’s doing this to me,” I cry into his shirt. I hate it more that Asher is dealing with this too. If something happened to him because of me, I don’t know what I would do. “Can you give me a minute?” I ask, pulling out of his hug and wiping my eyes.

“Sure, darling.”

I shut the bathroom door, turn around to the vanity, and look at myself. My eyes are blood shot. I tie my hair up quickly and turn on the cold water then start splashing my face. I need to brush my teeth, but I’m not ready to leave the safety of these four walls. I know that once I walk out that door, I’m going to be asked more questions that I don’t have the answers to. I rinse my mouth a few times jump up on the counter and try to think of anyone who would do this to me. I can’t think of anyone that I’ve wronged. There isn’t anyone that dislikes me enough to try to kill me or stalk me to another state and harass me. Then I start to wonder where they have been during the last few months. Nothing has happened since a week before Thanksgiving. Not that I missed them, but why did they go away, and why are they back now?

“November!” Asher bellows from the front door. I hop off the counter and start to open the bathroom door when it is shoved open and hits me in the head.

“Shit!” I cry and my hands go to my forehead where the door just slammed into me.

“Jesus Christ! Baby, are you okay?” I don’t know if I am alright. I know my head hurts a lot. Who the heck opens a door with that much force? “Let me see,” he says, pulling my hands away from my face. “Fuck!” he shouts and I know from the look on his face that I don’t want to see the damage. I now have a headache on top of all the other crap.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry.” He looks really upset. Jeez, it hurt, but it wasn’t bleeding. How bad could it be? I turn to the mirror and want to laugh. I have a bright red and purple mark in the center of my forehead. I look like Harry Potter. I start to giggle and Asher’s eyes narrow. “This shit’s not funny. I could have really hurt you.”

“I know that,” I snap. “What the heck are you? The Incredible Hulk or something? Seriously, who opens a door to a bathroom like that?”

“Dad pointed out that you were in here. I didn’t even think. I just had to make sure you were okay.”

Now I feel bad. “Sorry, it just hurts,” I say softly, feeling like a total bitch. He always worries. Even when I’m safe, he worries, so now that I’m actually in danger, I might as well handcuff myself to him.