Vindicated (29 page)

“You have a good point,” he said as he pressed his lips to mine.

I leaned my head against his chest and breathed Alex in.
 
That distinctive smell of his was growing stronger.
 
I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that none of this had happened, that he wasn’t an angel, that I wasn’t almost one as well.

“This isn’t how I pictured life just after our honeymoon,” Alex said quietly against the top of my head.

“Me either,” I confessed.

“Don’t get mad when I say this, okay?” Alex breathed, squeezing me gently.

“Okay?” I answered cautiously.

“We need to make sure everything gets transferred to you properly, should I… go,” he said, his voice tightening slightly.
 
“I made up a will before, just after I got pulled back last time, but now that you’re my wife, things will need to be adjusted a bit.”

Everything in my chest tightened and I squeezed my eyes closed.
 
I wanted him to not have spoken the words, to not have them be a threat.
 
“Okay,” I managed to say.

“I’ll call Ted and have him make the adjustments tomorrow morning.”

Ted was Alex’s hefty priced, powerful attorney.
 
With as much as Alex had to meet with him, I had yet to see him in person.
 
Though with Alex’s current physical appearance he would be doing his dealings over the phone.
 
I wouldn’t be meeting the man any time soon.

“On the brighter side,” Alex pushed on.
 
“I got the other house rented out.”

“That’s great,” I tried to sound enthusiastic.
 
I was pretty sure I failed.
 
“I just found out some interesting news.”

“Oh yeah?”

I nodded my head against his chest.
 
“Emily’s is donating one of her kidney’s.”

“That right?” Alex said, his voice sounding relieved as well at the change of subject.

I nodded against his chest again.
 
“To Austin’s little sister.
 
She’s probably in surgery right now.”

Alex was quiet for a moment.
 
I could feel the thoughts that were rolling through his head.
 
“I’m happy for her.
 
She doesn’t deserve to be branded, despite what she’s done.”

“No, she doesn’t deserve that.”

I stepped away from Alex, wiping at my nose again with the back of my sleeve.
 
I suddenly felt disgusting.

“I need a shower,” I said, hugging my sides, letting my eyes drop to the ground.
 
I realized my dilemma then.
 
That would require taking my eyes off of Alex.

As if reading my thoughts, Alex took my hand in his, and led me into the bedroom.
 
Closing the bathroom door behind us, Alex’s lips met my neck, his hands coming under my top, slowly pulling it over my head.
 
I tipped my head back as his lips made their way to my collar bone.
 
His lips never leaving my skin, he reached over and started the water in the shower.

“This is how I imagined we’d spend our days following our honeymoon,” he said in a rough voice against my skin.

I couldn’t help the smile that finally crossed my face.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

That evening, after a call to Rita for an update on the surgery, Alex and I headed out of the house.
 
We had to carefully consider how best to cover up the being Alex was becoming.
 
Pushing a baseball cap down as far as he could on his head, he also wore a long sleeved t-shirt and I had my first experience in putting make-up on a man.
 
Even with the cover-up, the blackness around his eyes was frightening.

The light was quickly fading as Alex parked the truck at the hospital we seemed to be making far too many visits to.
 
My stomach knotted as I remembered all of us who had been housed in these walls for a time.
 
I’d spent far too many hours there.

Silent visitors walked the halls.
 
But as we got toward the end of the one we had been directed to, laughter and happy chatting could be heard from one of the rooms.
 
We slowed as a crowd of people spilled out into the hallway, and I couldn’t help but glance in their direction.

“Jessica!” a voice from inside the crowded room called.
 
I did a double-take, and caught a glimpse of Austin’s face through the crowd of people.

“Hey,” I tried to sound cheerful as he pushed his way through them towards Alex and I.
 
I swallowed hard as Austin caught a glimpse of Alex’s face, and he stopped just a little too short, his eyes growing wide.

“Hey,” he said, his voice slightly too quiet as he looked at Alex’s face again.
 
Finally pulling his eyes away, he met mine, a genuine smile spreading on his face.
 
“How was Costa Rica?”

“Pretty,” I said simply, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jacket.
 
“I assume that’s your sister’s room?”

Austin glanced back toward the doorway and all the people.
 
“Yeah.
 
I’m surprised the nurses haven’t come back down here to yell at us for not letting Callie rest.
 
Everyone’s just so excited about the surgery.
 
We’ve waited a long time for this.”

“I’m really happy for you and your family,” I said, trying to give a small smile.
 
It felt like I’d forgotten how to.

“Emily’s amazing,” Austin said, his face cracking into a brilliant smile.
 
It wasn’t hard to tell he was already head over heels.
 
That did make me smile just a bit.
 

“Yeah, she really is,” I agreed with him.
 
“We’re going to see her now.”

Austin nodded, his smile still spread.
 
“I’ll be down there in a few.”

“Okay,” I said hollowly and started back down the hall.
 
I didn’t miss Austin’s wary glance at Alex’s face again.
 
Or the way Alex was unnaturally silent the entire time.

“Did he see it as bad as it is?” I asked quietly as we approached Emily’s room number.

Alex just shook his head.

Another small stone was added to the pile in my stomach.
 
Alex hated messing with people’s heads.

I gave three quiet taps on the door before being told to come in.
 
We stepped inside, this room looking exactly like the one Sal had resided in before being transferred to the mental institution.

“Hey, guys!” Emily said cheerily, smiling at us from where she sat slightly propped up with a few overly starched white pillows.
 
“Guess you found out my secret.”

“Rita accidently narked on you,” I said, trying to smile for her as I crossed the room and hugged her.
 
I then sat on the bed next to her.
 
Emily reached for one of my hands and held it tightly.

“Blast,” she said, though a wide smile covered her face.

I just shook my head, a real feeling smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

“Well, you look like hell,” Emily said as her eyes turned to Alex who stood just behind me.

“Thanks,” Alex said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.
 
“I kind of feel like hell.”

“It’s getting worse?” she asked, her voice suddenly serious.

“Much,” I said.
 
My rock-filled stomach gave a little twist and shudder, my insides still not solid.
 
“So when are you going to be able to go home?” I changed the subject.
 
I was getting good at that.

“I talked to the doctor,” she said with a slight sigh.
 
“They agreed to let me out for a few hours so I could go to Sal’s service.
 
One of you will have to come pick me up.
 
They’ll talk your ear off about being careful, not letting me do too much, blah, blah, blah.
 
Then I have to come back for a few more days.
 
Hopefully I can go home in a few days.”

“Uh, you’re not going home by yourself,” I said, my eyes turning a glare at her.
 
“You’re not going back to sit in that empty apartment by yourself.
 
We’ve got that whole house to ourselves and an entire apartment sitting empty downstairs.
 
You’ll be coming to stay with us.”

A small smile spread on her face again, her eyes practically glowing.
 
“Okay,” she said, her voice showing hints of emotion.
 
“Thanks you guys.”

“You’re always welcome,” Alex chimed in.

There was a knock at the door and a moment later Austin stepped inside, a familiar grin spread on his face.

“Hey,” he breathed.

“Hey,” Emily said airily back.

I just shook my head.
 
They so liked each other and were so oblivious to how bad it was.

“So what is the University doing while you’re out of commission?” I said, turning back to Emily.
 
Austin had taken a seat next to her bed, sitting with his socked feet on the edge of the mattress.

“My students are being tortured with book work.
 
Did you know there were entire books written on yoga?”

“I do work in a bookstore,” I chuckled.

“Oh, right,” she said, her face flushing red just a little bit.
 
“Well, I didn’t really think about that.
 
I just did yoga.
 
Anyway, the University requires that I have some sort of text curriculum which I’ve been putting off so that’s what they’re doing while I’m gone.
 
Book work.
 
Independently.”

I nodded, grateful for such normal conversation.

I felt Alex lay a hand on my shoulder from behind.
 
The trembling in them was getting violent again.
 
I got the message.

“Well,” I said as I stood, letting Alex’s hand slip into mine.
 
“We’d better be going.
 
I’m glad that you’re doing okay.”

I gave Emily a hug, hesitating awkwardly before giving Austin one too.
 
Alex just hung by the door, struggling to keep it together before we could get back to the truck.

“Take care,” I said to Emily as I joined him at the door.

“You too,” she said with a sad smile.
 
“Hang in there Alex.
 
You’re not allowed to go.”

“Thanks, Emily,” Alex replied in a shaky voice.

As soon as we closed the door behind us, Alex practically ran back to the truck.
 
The sun had fully set by that point, the hospital looking unnaturally bright from the outside.
 
Throwing the passenger door of the truck open, Alex flung himself inside.

And the next moment his jacket and shirt were shredded as his wings burst out.

I hesitated outside, just one more rock dropping on the pile forming inside of me.
 
Alex kneeled on the seat, clutching his arms around his head, shaking in a way that I could see even from here.

Gathering my courage, I swallowed hard, and opened the driver’s door.
 
I felt like I should have asked Alex if he was okay, but it was obvious he wasn’t.
 
So instead I put the key in the ignition, started the truck, and backed out of our parking spot.

Alex didn’t move the entire drive back.
 
We didn’t say a word as we moved through the night.
 
As we got back to the lake, I stopped in front of Sal’s house and got out before Alex could say anything.

I fished for Sal’s keys and let myself in.

All the nights Sal and I had spent together, all the episodes of
Touched by an Angel
I had tried to ignore, all the meltdowns and leisurely afternoons came back to me.
 
I’d never hear Sal’s nonsensical voice again.