Laurelin Paige - Forever with You

“When he saw Celia entering The Sky Launch, he contacted me, as he’s supposed to do, and asked me if he should go in as well since you didn’t want him on the premises. I told him yes. So Reynold will be there whether you want him to be or not.”

“Fine.” I didn’t really care anymore. “Send him on in.”

“I already did.”

“Of course you did.” I was almost at the bottom of the ramp now. The club was picking up for the night, and I was fighting against traffic. “But why are you here? You could have arranged all that over the phone.” Had he wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see him?

He paused. “I wanted to be sure you were okay.” His tone was softer. It tugged at my chest.

“I’m okay.” Well, since Hudson was still sleeping in another apartment, maybe that wasn’t the right word. “I’m safe, anyway.”

“Good.” He cleared his throat. “Then I’ll talk to you later.”

“Hudson, wait!” I was at the front door now, the night air cool compared to the warmth of the club. Not wanting to be seen, I stayed tucked behind the doorman.

“What is it, Alayna?”

I scanned the circle drive in front of the club. There he was standing next to his Mercedes, the emergency lights flashing as he paced the sidewalk next to the car. He was in another three-piece suit. It was late, why was he still dressed for work? And had he really driven all the way out to the club just to leave without seeing me face-to-face?

My next words bubbled with the hurt I’d carried all day. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

“Right now, yes.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “You’re protected. That’s what’s important right now.”

He’d been concerned—that much was obvious. His hair was tussled as if he’d ran his hand through it more than just the one time, and his agitation was present in his stride.

It wasn’t enough. If he really cared, I’d be in his arms. He’d have come in and found me instead of the other way around. “Have you considered that if you just told Celia that you’d left me that she’d probably drop this whole thing?”

He shook his head, even though he had no idea I could see him. “I didn’t leave you.”

“It sure feels like you did.”

He leaned his hand on the top of his car and looked toward the club entrance. “Is that what you want?”

“No!” Never. “No. I just want the truth. That’s all.” The doorman shifted, and my cover was blown. Hudson’s eyes met mine.

We stared at each other, locked in our gaze, for several long moments. Even across the hundred feet of sidewalk, there was a current between us. An electric spark that ignited from so much more than chemistry or lust. It was an emotional charge that surged right from the heart of me. We were connected, so completely, that for the first time since he’d walked out of the penthouse the night before, I felt a flash of hope.

He broke the gaze first. He looked to the passenger window of the car, as if someone were inside, talking to him through the glass.

I stepped forward, squinting to see. “Oh my god, are you…?” My stomach fell. “Hudson, are you with Norma?”

Hudson threw his hands in the air. “Not now, Alayna.”

I started toward him. “Are you fucking kidding me? One day gone and you’re out with her?”

He circled around to the driver’s side of the car. “It’s for business!” The door slammed.

I picked up my pace, even knowing he’d be gone by the time I reached the curb. “At this time of night?” In a suit, by themselves. How fucking stupid did he think I was?

“It’s…I can’t get into this right now.” He pulled out onto the road. “Why can’t you ever just trust me?”

“Because you can never tell me the truth!” I watched the taillights of the car as they mixed in with the rest of the traffic. It was comical, really, to ask for his trust when I’d just witnessed him on what could be described no other way but as a date.

“I have to go. I can’t talk to you while I’m driving.”

I could hear Norma’s voice in the background. I wanted his attention on me, not her. “Wait, don’t—”

“Goodbye, Alayna.”

“—hang up.” The dial tone replaced his voice. “Dammit!” I screamed and threw the phone down on the sidewalk. Hard. It shattered into pieces. Seemed fitting, considering that’s how I felt inside.

“Laynie, are you okay?” David’s voice was neither surprising nor comforting. Of course he’d come after me. It was a nice gesture—I just wished he were somebody else.

“Yeah.” Total lie. My entire body felt weak. Like I could just fall over there on the sidewalk, unable to walk or even crawl back to the club.

But I was strong. I could ignore the fact that I had died inside until I was alone at home. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said again. “I broke the phone.” I bent down to collect the pieces off the sidewalk.

David squatted next to me to help. “It’s technically Pierce’s phone.”

“Well, that makes me feel better.” Marginally. “Funny, this is the second phone I’ve destroyed on account of that man.”

“Maybe that means something.”

“Maybe.” I knew what David wanted it to mean. I didn’t want to think about what it could mean for me.

When we’d gathered all the parts, David stood and held his hand out to help me stand. Reluctantly, I took it. He didn’t let go right away, though. Worse, I didn’t pull away.

David studied me with soft eyes. “I’m not going to ask because I know what you’ll say. I’m just going to do.”

“What?” Next thing I knew, I’d been pulled into his embrace. “Oh.”

“It seemed like you could use a hug.”

I hesitated for only a second. Then I gave in. For me, it was comfort from a friend, comfort that I needed. He may have taken it as more, but in that moment, my need outweighed his.

Except then he pulled me in tighter. And his arms felt strange and his scent was wrong. As gently as I could, I began to push away. “I think I better…”

David released me, his eyes pinned on the club door behind us. “Hey, look. She’s leaving.”

I turned to look. Celia was indeed leaving. She’d seen our hug, I was sure. It didn’t matter. Even if she told Hudson, he’d been out with Norma Anders. I was certain his trumped mine in terms of disappointing a lover.

David’s smile grew tight. “Man, I don’t know anything about her, but that smile was wicked. What a bitch.”

The pain and hurt of the past twenty-four hours subsided then, leaving in its wake a tidal wave of rage. I was angry, so angry. While a lot of my wrath was meant for Hudson, the greatest portion belonged to Celia. Without her, Hudson and I might be able to work through our differences. But how could we when she was always around, reminding us of our pasts, stirring up our distrust?

My hands balled into fists. “You know what? This is ridiculous. I’m confronting her.”

“Laynie, I’m not so sure you should.” But that was the extent to which David tried to stop me.

I’d covered more than half the distance between me and Celia when a figure stepped from out of the club and blocked my progression.

“Ms. Withers.” Reynold put a gentle but firm hand up to stop me from proceeding. “Not a good idea.”

He was right. As worked up as I was, I probably would have punched her. And though it would have felt good, it would be me with the restraining order then, not Celia.

Still, I had to wonder what my bodyguard’s orders had been. Did Hudson mean to keep me from trouble, or was he worried if I talked to his ex that I’d learn things he didn’t want me to know? “One question, Reynold. Are you protecting me from her? Or protecting her from me?”

“I don’t catch your drift.”

And even if he did, he likely wouldn’t answer honestly. “Never mind.”

By then, Celia had made it to the curb and was hailing a cab. Determined to not let her get away without some victory chalked in my square, I approached our doorman. “You see that woman? She’s not to be let back in here. Permanently banned.”

The doorman nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll hang her picture in the back room.” I’d print something off the Internet. Maybe it wasn’t a good move to let her know that she’d gotten to me, but honestly, I didn’t care about her game. I simply wanted my life back. Kicking her out of my club was a good first step.

* * *

It was just past three when I crawled into bed. Though it still felt too big and lonely, I was pretty sure I was exhausted enough to sleep. It was worth a try anyway.

Even with my determination, I was still tossing and turning when four a.m. rolled around. My insomnia turned out to be a blessing. Otherwise, I may have missed his call.

“Alayna. I need you.” The ache in Hudson’s voice was new to me.

I sat up with a bolt. “What is it?”

“Mira. At the hospital.” He couldn’t even speak in full sentences. “The baby…”

I was throwing on my yoga pants and a t-shirt before he finished. “I’ll be right there.”

“Jordan’s already on his way to get you.”

Hudson was waiting for me outside the emergency room when Jordan dropped me off at the hospital. He’d obviously dressed in a hurry as well. He was wearing jeans and a wrinkled polo I didn’t recognize.

Though he didn’t smile, his eyes seemed to light up at the sight of me. “She’s not in the ER anymore, but this is the only entrance open at this time of the morning.” He was already heading toward the elevator.

I trotted to catch up. “Have you seen her? What’s going on exactly?”

“All I know is that she’s having contractions. Adam called as they were checking in and he texted me when they were moved to the OB ward.” He pushed the up button on the call panel. “I didn’t want to see her without you.”