Chapter Two
My mother scowled as I walked into the house.
I wasn’t in the mood to fight. Every time I came back though, it was inevitable. I never hinted, never said anything other than I assisted him with personal stuff, yet somehow she knew. And she didn’t approve.
It wasn’t that I bought extravagant things with the money. Sure, I’d gotten new clothes, bought myself a used but relatively new vehicle, made sure all my daughter’s needs were taken care of and helped my mother pay the bills, along with paying my own bills, but I wasn’t living above my means. Bradley paid me well, and I put all my money towards my life here, making sure my family was comfortable. Except for those three days, I was available twenty-four seven to make sure my mom was taken care of, as well as the house and my daughter. Quitting my job had become a necessity once she’d become unable to care for herself. She and the man she’d married had divorced just after I’d met Bradley and her health had quickly deteriorated.
You think she’d be glad I found a way to make money that didn’t involve leaving her alone for eight to ten hours a day but it didn’t. She denied me any acknowledgment of the care I took of her.
I didn’t care about the money anymore though. I needed it, but that was it. It was a means to an end. The real pleasure for me came by being with him, but I couldn’t admit that to him or my mother. Neither wanted to hear it as far as I knew.
“How was she?”
My mother shrugged. “She’s just like you were at thirteen.” The disapproval of all I was and ever had been to her dripped from her words.
Yeah, because I’d been such a bad kid. She always seemed to forget how much I’d helped out from the moment dad had died. Only remembering the bad stuff, never the good. Even though I was a thirty year old woman, she could still make me feel shitty like nobody and nothing else ever had.
I wanted to move away so badly, but I couldn’t.
Either way, I didn’t reply and she shuffled away with a huff.
My daughter truly wasn’t like me. Whereas I’d been a bit crazy, doing daring things like jumping off high walls, climbing trees and trying things I really shouldn’t have, she stayed inside. She loved to read and write; she’d joined the orchestra at eleven and played the violin, something she enjoyed doing as much as I did listening to her play. It had been one of the first things I’d paid for and she excelled at it.
She wouldn’t be like me, that was my hope. She’d be better than me and she’d never have to do what I’d done. What I still did, even though at this point, I’d stay with him if the money stopped.
I hated being alone. Even in those three days, I connected with him like I couldn’t with anybody else. After two years, we knew each other and what the other loved. I found that intimacy to be so sweet I held onto it whenever I’d get down. To get me through the weeks without him.
Sighing, I dragged my luggage up the steps. Peeking in at my sleeping daughter, I went into my room and shut the door.
Then I did the same thing I always did when I came home.
I sat down on my bed and wept.
~*~
Only a week and a half had passed since I’d left when he called me.
Bradley never called me when we were apart. Seeing his name on the screen made my heart jumping into my throat. Worried that he’d tell me we were over, I shut my eyes and put the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Lucy. How’re you?”
I swallowed, my mouth going dry at the low growl in my ear. My body responded instantly, my nipples tightening as the rest of me clenched with an anticipation for something it sadly would not get. At least, not today. “I—I’m fine. You?”
I felt like an idiot, yet he laughed.
“Don’t be nervous. I’ve a favor to ask you.”
A favor? My eyebrows flew up even though I knew he couldn’t see my face. “What could I possibly do for you from here, Bradley?”
I always used his full name. I never liked shortening it; plus crying out ‘Bradley!’ as I got off seemed so much sexier to me.
“Not from there. I need you to come here. Tomorrow.”
I gasped. “I can’t just come there. My daughter…”
He almost always had the same weekend off, which had come in handy when planning our times together. Sometimes they’d varied and we’d had to switch them up but this certainly wasn’t our weekend. I couldn’t just leave her here randomly when my mother wasn’t expecting to watch her. “You can bring her, too.”
At that, my heart stuttered. I coughed, choking on my surprise at his words. “She doesn’t—we can’t—”
“I know,” He cut me off with a chuckle. “You can use the guest rooms.”
I sat down, utterly confused now. “What do you need me for again?”
I know he hadn’t said but I don’t know if he realized that. “A charity dinner. I need a date.”
“What? No Pearl?”
That was a receptionist where he worked. He always took her to the events. She had a thing for him, but Bradley completely ignored it. He’d told me it was platonic and she’d agreed, yet I’d always gotten the impression she was just waiting. She didn’t like me and we’d met a few times very briefly.
“She’s sick.”
“Ah…”
I bit my lip, unsure if this would be a good idea or if I’d regret it. The fact he’d called me to fill in, however, touched me even though I knew it shouldn’t. He probably didn’t have anybody else to ask.
“I guess,” I finally said, then heard him sigh with relief.
“Good. I’ll book your flights. How do you spell your daughters name?”
I told him and soon after we hung up.
A few minutes later, the itinerary arrived in my email. Our flight would leave at ten a.m. She’d miss school tomorrow, but I couldn’t leave her here. I went off to tell her and my mother where we were going, steeling myself for the look of disgust on my mother’s face.
I didn’t care though. I grinned, feeling happy for the first time in days that it would be just over twenty hours until I saw Bradley again. I wouldn’t let anything get me down.
~*~
Thankfully, we had a direct flight. Arriving in the late evening, both of us were exhausted. Annalina spent most of the whole flight with her face on the window, eyes wide. Her joy at seeing everything from up in the sky had both of us laughing. Hearing about being in a plane never compared to actually being in one high up in the sky.
Excited to meet my boss, she also asked me questions the whole way there. Ones I couldn’t answer, such as what charity dinner we were going to. I shrugged, telling her he’d been in such a hurry to make sure we could come that he’d forgotten to tell me.
As we exited the gate and headed to baggage claim, I stopped abruptly at seeing him waiting for us. Annalina crashed into the back of me and I fell forward, hitting the ground.
“Mom! Are you okay?”
Before I could respond, his hand filled my view. “Lucy.”
My face flamed as I took his hand. He pulled me up and I immediately looked down, adjusting my clothes as I looked at my daughter. “I’m fine sweetie. It was my fault.”
She looked at me, then at Bradley before pointing over my shoulder. “I see our bags! I’ll go get them!”
Running off before I could reply, Bradley took the opportunity to cup my face in his hand, stroking softly with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry if I shocked you.”
Meeting his eyes with mine, I nearly melted right there at the look on his face. His eyes were the same deep silver shade as when we were in bed together, crinkled at the corners, the smile on his mouth a decidedly naughty one. He might be sorry I’d ended up on the floor, but he definitely had meant to surprise me.
I flicked my gaze over to where my daughter was pulling the luggage off the belt and stepped back, his hand automatically sliding away. The loss of his touch saddened me, but I simply turned to my daughter and smiled as she approached. Bradley stepped forward, one hand out.
“Annalina, I’m Bradley. Nice to meet you.”
She cocked her head to one side before grinning as she stuck her hand in his and shook. “You don’t look as old as I thought you would.”
“Anna!” I gasped even as she laughed.
Bradley shocked me further by joining in with a chuckle. “And you look just like your mother,” he said after a moment, causing Annalina to flush in embarrassment. “Ready to go?”
With a nod, he led us out the door, his hand on the small of my back.
At this point, I’m utterly confused at his behavior. A random phone call, invitation to a dinner with my daughter coming along, picking us up at the airport. I always took a taxi to his place. And keeping his hand on me while we walked? Never happened before.
Planning to question his sudden change in behavior once Annalina was asleep, we got into the car and headed toward his place.