Chapter Twenty
Rhys had called Sadie over the past couple weeks with no response. He’d gone to the office on campus where she worked in hopes of talking to her, but he’d been told she was taking some personal leave and wondered if everything was okay with the baby. Tired of being ignored by her, he finally drove to her house in hopes she’d be home. Though her car was parked in her driveway, she didn’t answer. All the lights had been out. He even checked her mailbox to see if she’d been home. It was full.
It was almost as if she’d disappeared and he had no idea where to. In his desperation, he drove to her house every day. Today was different. He knew it the minute he pulled into her driveway. Her car was parked at a different angle as if she’d been here and gone out and come back home.
Anxiously he rang her doorbell, wanting desperately to see her.
She answered the door after the second ring. “Rhys.”
“Hello, Sadie. May I come in?”
God, she was beautiful. She practically glowed with health putting his mind at rest that something was the matter with her. She’d cut her hair which she now wore in tight little curls.
“Um, sure.” She stepped back just enough to let him in. Her belly was noticeably rounder from when he last saw her, not obviously pregnant, but he could tell only because he already knew.
“Would you like something to drink?” she offered, leading him to the living room.
“No thank you. I’m fine. I like your hair, by the way.” He took a seat on the couch.
She touched her curls as she sat in the armchair across from him. “Thanks. I thought I’d try something new. I’m going natural and now I’m only using organics product for my hair. I hear it’s good for the baby.”
“Pregnancy certainly suits you. You look lovely.”
“Thanks.”
“I, er, see that your cast is still on.”
“Yeah, two more weeks and I’ll have it removed. Then I’ll wear an arm brace for a little while.”
“Oh. I stopped by your office a few times. They said you were taking some leave?”
“Yeah. I needed some time off to deal with personal issues. I stayed with Lily this past week. It’s only my first day back home actually.”
“And I trust the baby is doing well?”
“Yes. Look, Rhys, I’m sure you didn’t come over here to make small talk, so I’d rather you just tell me what you wanted to say. I’m really tired and I have a lot to do around the house today.”
An awkward silence fell between the two of them. What could he say to make amends for the wrong done to her? “Yes, of course. First…Sadie….I owe you an apology. The things I said to you, were inexcusable. You came to me about your pregnancy and I acted like a complete jackass. If it would make things right I’d cut out my tongue.”
“You don’t have to go that far, Rhys. I accept your apology.”
“That easily?”
“Of course. We’ll have to get along for the baby’s sake won’t we?”
His heart lurched in his chest. “Only for the baby’s sake?”
“What other reason could there be?”
“You and me maybe?”
“There is no you and me. It’s you and Carys. She’s your daughter, but I’m not going to pretend to like her. And I’d never make you choose between me and her. She’s a child and she needs you more than me.”
Rhys closed his eyes against her matter of fact tone. “I’m sorry for being so blind. For not seeing what was going on.”
Sadie raised a brow. “So you finally realized what she was up to?”
“Carys confessed. She felt horrible about what she’d done to you.”
“And she should have.”
Rhys took a deep breath. Sadie had every right to be upset but he realized he needed to tread carefully with this topic. “Had I known what was going on, I would have nipped it in the bud. I’m terribly sorry for what she did. And I apologize for my willful ignorance in ignoring the fact that things weren’t always great between you two. I never suspected she was capable of the things she said and did.”
“You’re her father. No parent would suspect their child of what she did to me, but I can’t hate her for that. You have a scared little girl on your hands who needs some serious psychological help.”
If Sadie would have said that to him a couple months ago, he would have told her she was crazy, but now he knew better. “You’re right and I’m getting that help. We’re both in counseling actually. Something happened….” He couldn’t bring himself to tell her about the suicide attempt in case she thought it was his way of trying to gain sympathy. “Anyway, Carys is sorry for what she’s done and is looking forward to being a big sister.”
Sadie sighed. “Actually Rhys, that’s something I actually wanted to talk to you about. I don’t want your daughter anywhere near my child. I intend to apply for sole custody. You, of course, may have supervised visits with the baby, but after what she’s done, I can never trust her alone with a child of mine.”
Rhys shook his head to clear his ears because there was no way he’d heard her correctly. “I beg your pardon?”
Sadie pursed her lips, crossed her arms over her chest, a hardened gleam entering her eyes. “I believe you heard me just fine, Rhys. I don’t want your daughter anywhere near my child. She’s made my life a living hell for months nearly got me arrested, and could have caused me to miscarry. Do you think I’d want to risk my child’s safety in the hands of someone who is clearly unstable?”
Deep down he could understand where she was coming from, could even empathize with her, but he wouldn’t sit here and let her tear Carys down. “That’s enough, Sadie. My daughter is not unstable. As you yourself just pointed out, she’s a frightened little girl. Yes, what she did to you was inexcusable, but I’m deeply insulted that you believe she could hurt an innocent child.”
She raised a brow. “Oh? Like you were deeply insulted when I suggested she was something she’s not. Cut the offended parent act. You’re too little too late. Like I said, I won’t keep you from this baby. Every child deserves to know both of its parents, but I’ll be damned if I put this baby in harm’s way.”
”Stop!” he roared. “Supervised visits indeed. Do you honestly think I’d agree to that? You don’t trust that I’d protect our child?”
“I never said I couldn’t trust you, it’s Carys I don’t trust. Considering her history, what court of law wouldn’t side with me? And I’m sure if my lawyer found past girlfriends to attest to her behavior, they probably wouldn’t allow you supervised visits.”
Rhys opened his mouth but closed it. Maybe he deserved it for the way he’d treated her in the end or ignoring the signs that his daughter was troubled. But this stranger sitting before him wasn’t Sadie. Not the sweet giving woman, whose smile reached her eyes: the woman with the heart of gold. She’d changed, become hard. And what killed him the most, was that he’d been the cause.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Sadie. Is that your final word?”
She nodded, wordlessly.
He stood up. What was there left to say? “If that’s it then, I guess there’s only one thing for me to do.”
She stared at him for a moment until it seemed she could no longer stand the silent state between the two of them. “What?”
“Fight you of course. I have just as much right to this baby as you do. My word as its father should mean something to you Sadie, hell, what we shared together should at least tell you I’m not a total bastard.”
“Like I said, it not you. It’s her.” With a sigh, she stood up and walked to the door. “I guess we’re at a standstill.” She opened the door. “I think you’d better go. I’ll see you in court.”
Rhys squared his shoulders and made his way to the door.
Sadie raised her chin defiantly. As he prepared to move past her, he caught the slight quiver of her bottom lip, telling him that his Sadie was still there somewhere behind that wall she’d erected between them.
Rhys pushed his palm against the door, slamming it closed. “Fuck this. I will not let you shut me out like this, Sadie. We’re going to work this out like two adults.”
She seemed taken aback by his action before her composure returned. “What’s to work out Rhys? I’ve already said what I needed to say. What’s left to talk about?”
He clutched her by the forearms. “Us, Goddammit. There’s still the matter of us. Can you honestly say there’s nothing left?”
She attempted to push him away, but Rhys refused to be moved, tightening his grip on her. “Of course there’s something between us. This baby. Don’t make something out of nothing. There are plenty of parents who raise their children in separate homes. Grow up Rhys.”
“I think you’re the one who needs to grow up if you think I’ll go along with you cockamamie plan. And you damn well know I wasn’t talking about the baby. I’m talking about you and me and what we felt for each other. I can’t believe that what we had is no longer there, especially when my heart still tells me, you’re the missing piece of me.”
Sadie stiffened in his hold, her eyes, widening. “Don’t Rhys.”
“Don’t what? Tell the truth.”
“No. Don’t bring up things better left buried. It’s over between you and me. I knew it the minute I sat in the hospital with a broken arm caused by your daughter. As I lay there, I realized how much more I could have lost because of her and realized that you’re just not worth the aggravation. I’m tired of taking care of everyone else but myself. I gladly sacrificed myself for my sisters so they could have the lives they deserved. I’m not complaining, I’m just stating facts. I gave up my scholarship because someone had to stay behind to keep an eye on my brother, so my mother wouldn’t beat the crap out of him. I was the one who offered to do the jocks homework in school so they wouldn’t get kicked off the football team. I was the one gave my all in relationships to men who just wanted to use me. I’ve been made to feel like I’m nothing by the person I believed was my mother and yet I still begged her to love me. I don’t want to be that woman anymore. And I sure as hell don’t want to be the woman who spent months trying to win a little girl’s approval who was never going to give it. And for what? I ended up broken-hearted anyway. I’m tired of looking out for everyone else but myself. I’m putting my peace of mind and my child’s safety before everything else, and I don’t give a fuck how you feel about it, what you think about it, or what you believe we had. It’s over Rhys. I will not put myself through that bullshit again.”
By the time she was done, tears coursed down her face, but her gaze remained locked with his, not wavering, almost challenging him to naysay her.
For the first time since he’d walked in the door, he looked down at her arm which was still wrapped in a cast up to her elbow. He released her and took a step back, feeling as if he’d been punched in the stomach. She’d never gone into detail about her past except how close she’d been to her sisters. It was no wonder she’d never talked about her mother or why she and her mother had seemed so awkward together.
“I had no idea.”
She shrugged. “Why would you? It’s not something I advertise. Do you expect me to walk around with a t-shirt that says I had a shitty childhood?”
“I wish you wouldn’t talk like that, Sadie. That isn’t you. Don’t let what happened make you bitter. You’re sweet, loving—”
“Stop talking as if you understand what I went through. You lost that privilege.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose as if she was fighting off the beginning of a headache. “Rhys, just go. Please. I can’t deal with this or you right now.”
He should have honored her wishes, particularly in her heightened emotional state. The stress couldn’t be good for their child. But he had to know more. Needed to know. “I’ll go, but I need to know about your childhood.”
She turned her back to him and walked toward the living room. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“You can’t just drop a bombshell about abuse and expect me to just forget about it. Whether you believe it or not I care about you very much and if this is a burden you’ve been carrying around since your childhood, don’t you think it’s better to talk about it?”
Sadie took a seat on the couch, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “And exactly what do you think telling you would accomplish?”
“It may make you feel better. I’m pushing, I know, but please tell me. About your mother and your father. You don’t talk about either of them much.”
Sadie popped one eye open. “I still don’t understand what difference my telling you makes.”
“It would make a difference to me. Look, tell me and I’ll be out of your hair.”
She opened the other eye. “For good?”
“Not a chance.”
“God, you’re a pain in the ass, but if it gets you to leave me alone so I can have some me time, then fine. Here it goes. Jackie and my father had one drunken night together which resulted in my sister Lily. I guess my Dad felt like he had to marry her. He died when I was little, but I always got the sense, she didn’t like the attention he lavished on me and my sisters and brother, especially me. She’s wasn’t particularly maternal with any of us, but she had a special hatred for me. For as long as I can remember she’d make no secret of how ugly, fat and worthless she thought I was. I honestly thought my name was stupid when I was a child because that’s all she called me.” She paused getting a faraway look in her eyes.
Rhys was horrified that any mother could treat her own child so abominably. It was no wonder he’d disliked Sadie’s mother on sight. If he ever saw that woman again, he wouldn’t bite his tongue. “Sadie?” he prompted.
Her gaze snapped to his direction. She continued as if she hasn’t paused. “I wasn’t the only one to get it though. My sisters had it pretty bad as well. We tried to protect each other, but it only seemed to make her even madder. We never invited friends over because she’d go out of her way to humiliate us. She had these little nicknames for us. Let’s see, Lily was the whore, Daisy was mental, Rose was boy, because Jackie said she looked like one, and she called Thorn a retard. And me, I was stupid. I’m not going to bore you with the details, but for years we lived with that monster. If something was accidentally broken, I’d take the blame even if it wasn’t me, because I couldn’t stand to see what she did to them.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And they let you take the blame?”
“Not really. Most of the time they tried to speak up, but Jackie wanted to believe the worst in me so I just took the punishment anyway. I remember Jackie beat me with one of her four-inch stilettos, and Lily threw herself on top of me to stop her….she still has that scar on the side of her head. I just knew the next time she beat me, I wouldn’t cry or scream so no one else would get hurt.”
Rhys covered his mouth with his hand, astonished. He’d heard about abused children, but to know his Sadie had been one of them tore his heart to shreds. “How often were you beaten?”
“Honestly, the physical abuse wasn’t as often as the verbal.”
“But I can imagine the verbal was worse.”
She nodded. “Much worse. But anyway, as each of my sisters were old enough to leave, they did. They each tried to take me with them, but I couldn’t leave Thorn behind and there was no way Jackie was letting him go, especially since she received a monthly check for his care. They knew it and I knew it. Each of them even tried to fight for custody, but Jackie was cleaver. No one could find any reason why Thorn should be removed from her care. And Thorn, God rest his soul loved her, even when she called him mongoloid and a blight on humanity. He didn’t understand these things. He just loved everyone and everything. So I stayed and made sure she didn’t hurt him. By this time I was big enough to defend myself, she never laid a hand on me, but the hurtful words never stopped.”
“And Thorn?”
“He died in his sleep. Congenital heart failure. He’d had it since he was a baby. The doctors say it was a miracle he’d lasted so long. I didn’t mind giving up going to school to make his last years happy. It made me happy to do it.”
“I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, Sadie, but you mother deserves to rot in hell for what she’s done to you and your siblings. I don’t understand why you continued to be in her life.”
“Because I stupidly told myself that she’s my mother and I had a misguided sense of loyalty in name of family. Well, fortunately for me, I learned she’s not actually my mother. But that’s another story I’d rather not get into right now. I told you what you wanted to know. So now are you ready to leave?”
She said it so matter-of-factly, he knew there had to be more to it.
“Not quite. Tell me about the bastard who hurt you?”
Sadie laughed without humor. “Besides, you?”
Rhys flinched. “Okay, I deserved that. But this other man. What did he do?”
She laughed without humor. “There were a couple but the one before you, I gave him everything I had and all the time we were together he was still seeing his daughter’s mother behind my back. I thought we were going to be married, but he married her instead without telling me. I guess I’m an asshole magnet.”
“Another hit in my direction?”
“Take it as you will, Rhys. Look we had a deal. I tell you my sordid past and you leave.”
“Okay. But one more thing.”
She groaned. “For real?”
“Just one question.”
“What?”
“Do you still love me?”
Sadie sat up. “Of course I don’t.” Had she said it too quickly?
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll be going then.” He stood up.
Was it really that simple? She’d told him to leave and now she was getting what she wanted, yet something inside her ached. Why did this have to be more complicated than it was? Why couldn’t she simply flip a switch and it all be over just like that? Sadie stood up to follow him to the door.
As Rhys reached for the doorknob he stopped, pulling his hand back. Then, he turned around. “Okay, I know I’m being a pain in the ass, but just one more thing. I need to make sure of something.”
She frowned. “What do you want now? I’ve answer—”
Before she could get the words out, Sadie was in his arms again, his mouth, smothering hers. She tried to push him away with her good arm, but the man was like a rock. Unmoving and kissing her in earnest.
She kept her lips sealed, in an attempt to keep his probing tongue from the entrance it sought. When she tried to turn her head away, he cupped the back of her head, forcing her head back. “Open your mouth for me. Don’t deny this. Don’t deny us.”
Rhys nipped on her bottom lip, causing her to gasp. Taking advantage of her parted lips, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, seeking, and dominating her. His taste was so familiar and good, like mint, candy and a fine aged wine rolled into one. It was so totally Rhys. She’d forgotten this and how it had felt to be in his arms
No! She didn’t want this. Couldn’t want this. So why was her hand slowly creeping up his back? And why did she press her tongue against his, giving him as good as she got? Sadie found herself melting against him. Her pussy tingled with that old familiar stirring. Her nipples tightened, pushing painfully against the confines of her bra.
She didn’t know how but she was floating as Rhys moved them through the living room and back to the couch. He lowered her onto the cushions, their mouths never separating. His hands were frantic against her body, cupping and molding her shape as he reacquainted himself with her curves. He moved his hand in a downward motion until he cupped her sex through the thick material of her jeans.
“So hot. Is all this heat for me?” he muttered against her lips.
She could only whimper in response.
Rhys raised his head. “You may not love me Sadie, but your body sure as hell does.”
His mouth was on hers again before she could say otherwise.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sadie tried to resist Rhys, but every time she attempted to push him away, he’d hold her tighter, and kiss her in earnest. His tongue plundered her mouth seeking and conquering like a man on a mission. She didn’t want to respond, but her body seemed to awaken beneath his erotic ministrations. In one last attempt to stop this influx of lust consuming her, she managed to twist her head away, gasping for breath.
Rhys, however, had other ideas. He grasped her chin. “Hold still, dammit. You want this as badly as I do.”
“I don’t,” she protested breathlessly barely believing the lie herself.
“Liar. I can feel your heat through our clothes and I bet you’re wet. Should I prove you wrong?” Before she could utter another word, his mouth was on hers again, and this time he took no prisoners, forcing her to accept his kiss.
Though her head screamed no, her body and heart wouldn’t allow her to put up a significant fight. With a defeated sigh in Rhys’s mouth, she gave in, melting into him as his kisses and caresses demanded her total surrender. To her chagrin, Sadie threaded her fingers in his hair. She pushed her tongue against his, wanting to savor the taste of him.
“That’s it, baby, give in to me,” he muttered, dragging his mouth away from hers before placing his lips against the curve of her neck. He kissed her pulse and the point where her neck and shoulder met. Then he grazed his teeth against her heated flesh. She thought she’d burst into flames right then and there.
Rhys was an excellent kisser. She’d forgotten how good it used to be. Deep down Sadie knew the second he kissed her she was a lost cause because as much as she wanted to protect her heart against him, he was still firmly entrenched there.
As quickly as that thought entered her head, she pushed it away. She couldn’t go down that path with him again. This was purely physical. Yes. That was it. It was the pregnancy hormones making her respond this way. She’d read somewhere pregnancy gave a female’s libido a boost. For now, she’d enjoy the moment and deal with the consequences when it was over.
Sadie didn’t know how it happened, but her blouse was open and Rhys had pushed up her bra to reveal her breasts. Her nipples puckered beneath the intensity of his gaze. He lifted his head to stare down at them as if they were objects of wonders.
“You’re so beautiful. I missed you, so much, Sadie, missed these,” he muttered and lowered his head to capture one turgid peak in his mouth.
Sadie gasped as his hot wet mouth tugged and sucked on her nipple and breast. He cupped the globe with his palms in near reverence as he continued to lick, lave and nip her taut nubbin.
Wanting more—needing it, she lifted her neglected breast and offered it to him. “Please,” she croaked. Was that her voice? So desperate and laden with need for him?
Slowly he raised his head with a wet pop. He circled her areola with his finger. “Tell me what you want me to do to you baby. I want to hear it.”
“Please touch me here, Rhys. Please.” She pointed to one sensitive breast.
“You make my dick so fucking hard when you beg like that, but I think you want me to do more than touch you.”
She nodded, unable to form the words.
“Tell me,” he growled.
“I want you to suck it. Lick it—like the other one. Please.”
A soft chuckled escaped his lips. “That’s my girl. I can think of nothing I’d rather do. He took her neglected nipple between his teeth and bit down making Sadie gasp in pleasure pain. He continued to torture her nipple, alternating between biting it lightly and sucking it. By the time Rhys was finished with her, her thighs quivered. Her pussy dripped with juices, soaking her panties. She pressed her legs together to temper the raging heat.
“Don’t hold back.” He gave one nipple a long broad lick with the flat of his tongue.
It sent her over the edge. That tremble that had begun in her thighs spread throughout her entire body. Only Rhys had the power to bring her an orgasm from just playing with her breasts. How could she have forgotten what a skillful lover he was?
“You know what I’m going to do next?”
She could only shake her head as she was still coming down from her sexual high.
“I’m going to carry you to the bedroom, strip off the rest of your clothes and eat your pussy until you come all over my face. Then I’m going to fuck you until you have no doubt in your mind who you belong to.”
“Rhys—”
He placed his finger against her lips. “Don’t say anything. Just let it happen.”
Rhys had always been forceful in bed, but never to this point. Sadie didn’t have time to contemplate this change in him before he was off the couch and she was lifted into his arms. As he carried her to the bed, it occurred to Sadie that she still had time to fight whatever was happening here, but then she thought, why bother?
Rhys made short order of getting Sadie to her bedroom. Lacking the patience he usually had during lovemaking, he tossed her on the bed and frantically undressed before removing her clothes. Then he joined her on the bed, his chest pressed against Sadie’s, his thighs rested between hers, and his dick nestled against the warm cradle of her pussy. This was as it was intended to be between them.
All the fighting and drama of the past no longer matter. He had his Sadie and he intended for it to remain this way. He rained kisses on her face, neck, and shoulders, slowly making a trail down her body. Rhys brushed his lips between the valley of his breasts. He kissed her stomach taking time to lave her belly button. She shivered beneath his kisses and he loved how responsive and honest she was in bed.
Sadie was so beautiful and didn’t even know it. She was already a curvy woman, but pregnancy rounded out her hips even more and made her breasts fuller. And he found her small baby bump a surprising turn on. His child rested inside of her and that made Sadie incredibly sexy. He loved everything about her body. He wanted to relish this moment.
Finally, he settled himself between her parted thighs, pushing them further apart and inhaling the tangy, womanly scent. Her labia were swollen and slicked with juices. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight. Rhys ran his tongue against her slit.
Sadie pressed her sex against his face. “Oh, God Rhys. More.”
“Easy love, I want to get my fill of your delicious pussy.”
She raised her hips, pushing her cunt into his face. “Don’t tease me.”
A chuckle escaped his lips. How could he resist when she begged so beautifully. He dove in head first separating her swollen pussy lips with his tongue and found her clit. Rhys captured it between his teeth and sucked and nibbled until she writhed uncontrollably against him.
Releasing the swollen little button, he licked her pussy up and down with broad strokes. She tasted so hot, so wet, so….so Sadie. He could stay between her legs all night. With a groan, he pushed his tongue into her channel as deep as it would go and then pulled back.
Sadie moaned and cried out his name as he repeated the motion. “Oh, God, Rhys, I’m going to come!”
That was his signal to be more aggressive. He darted his tongue in and out of her faster and deeper. He loved the way she bucked against him, wetting his face with her juices. Sadie grasped his head and ground her pussy against his mouth.
“Yes! I’m coming!” She screamed. As she shook and thrashed on the bed like a demon had possessed her, he continued to eat her pussy as if it were his last meal. Rhys hooked his arms beneath Sadie’s thighs and continued to feast on her, licking and sucking on her pussy until she came again.
He contemplated continuing until she reached orgasm number four but his dick ached so bad, he knew if he didn’t get inside of her soon, he would go insane.
As he raised his head, his eyes locked with hers and he licked his lips, showing her how damn good she’d tasted. Sadie trembled and opened her mouth as if she couldn’t think of anything to say. Sadie simply opened her arms to him and he gladly collapsed into them. It was like being home. Rhys wrapped his arms around her lush body as he eased himself between her wet folds.
He inhaled sharply. She was so wet and tight. Goddamn. Her pussy fit around his dick like a warm velvet glove. A tight glove. If he died right here and now he’d die a happy man.
When Sadie pressed her face into his shoulder, he knew he’d love her forever. Slowly they began to move together in a synchronized dance of two hearts beating as one. What started out as frantic sex had become something beautiful, too perfect to describe with mere words. As she lifted her hips, Rhys pushed deeper getting closer and closer to his peak.
Sadie’s fingernails grazed his back and he lost it. Rhys cried out as his body stiffened and then he spasmed. He shot his seed deep into her cunt which milked him to speechlessness.
He could feel her pussy contract around his cock as she shouted his name signaling her own orgasm.
Rhys didn’t know how long they lay there, but he didn’t want to move. He was content to simply hold Sadie and not let go.
Suddenly, he felt something damp and he lifted his head. To his surprised, tears rolled down Sadie’s face.
“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?”
“Please get off of me, Rhys.”
“Am I too heavy? Am I hurting the baby?” He slowly rolled off of her, but not leaving her side.
“The baby is fine. I just need some space.”
“Okay, I understand. That was intense.”
“No. I don’t think you do understand. I need you to leave.”
He stared at her for several moments trying to figure if he’d heard her properly. “What?”
“You heard me. You need to leave. I can’t…I just can’t do this right now.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re kicking me out after what just happened?”
“It was just sex, Rhys. I have raging hormones. You could have been the mailman for all I cared.”
He flinched at the blow which felt as if she’d fired a cannon right into his stomach. “You can’t mean that.”
“You should read up on pregnancy sometimes Rhys. I’m sure you’d find it in black and white what I say is true. Look, this changes absolutely nothing. And it proves nothing.”
“Are you telling me what we shared wasn’t special?”
She shrugged. “You’re good in bed. Is that what you want to hear?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to return her taunt with an angry one of his own, but he decided against it. Cooler heads prevailed. Maybe it was best if he did leave now so she could get over whatever funk she was in. But there was absolutely no way he’d believe what they’d just shared was just sex. No way, no how.
He gave her one last searching stare but it was as if she’d turned to stone. She wouldn’t even look him in the eye. “Fine. I’ll go, but this is far from over. After what happened, there’s no way you can convince me that you no longer love me.”
She raised her shoulder into a nonchalant shrug.
Rhys wanted to shake some sense into her, even make love to her again, but right now he was so damn hurt he didn’t trust himself to touch her without doing something stupid.
Just then, the phone rang which seemed to galvanize Sadie into action. She rolled off the bed and walked to her closet. She grabbed a thick terry cloth robe and threw it over her body as she walked to the phone at her bedside.
“Hello?”
Whoever it was on the other end of the line, spoke and Sadie seemed to lose all color.
Rhys stiffened. Who was it?
Sadie nodded and said yes a few times and then the call was over.
“Who was that, Sadie?”
“D.C. General Hospital.”
He frowned. “Why are they calling you?”
“My mother…I mean Jackie. She’s dead.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Ding dong, the bitch is dead,” Daisy smirked as she watched the gravediggers shovel dirt over Jackie’s casket. Sadie flinched at the cold tone of her sister’s voice. She didn’t blame her for feeling the way she did, after all, Jackie had caused them all a great deal of emotional pain.
They’d learned that Jackie had been jumped by Terrell’s estranged wife and her friends because Jackie had been messing with Terrell. Apparently, they’d beaten her so bad that she needed to be hospitalized. Unbeknownst to Jackie’s oncologist, Jackie had an undiagnosed blood clot. The beating had caused it to travel to her heart which resulted in a massive heart attack. At the end of the day, it was Jackie’s life choices that had gotten killed and not the cancer.
The sad part was, instead of assault, Keisha and her girls were going down for murder. Malia would grow up without her mother. It was tragic. Sadie hoped Terrell stepped up to be a good father to his daughter.
Sadie figured the only reason her sisters had come for the funeral was the same reason she had: to make sure Jackie was really dead. To know that the monster who had called herself mother was finally defeated and not coming back. Sadie was sandwiched by her sisters. The only other people who had attended the ceremony was Aunt Joyce and Uncle Clinton. They had left shortly after the ceremony but the sisters had stuck around. They each wanted to see Jackie’s casket completely covered in Earth.
Her sisters had the money to afford the top of a line casket with all the bells and whistles, but they’d all agreed on the cheapest box available, the kind the worms would be able to eat through within a year. Where Jackie was going, it didn’t matter if she went out in style or not.
“I know how you feel, Daisy, but is this an appropriate venue for that?” Sadie asked unable to take her eyes off the coffin as it disappeared under the dirt.
Daisy rolled her eyes. “I don’t care whether if it’s appropriate or not. I wish I had a full bladder because I’d hike up my dress and piss on that bitch’s grave.”
“Amen.” Lily nodded in agreement.
Only Rose remained silent to their older sisters’ vehemence. Sadie couldn’t blame them though. Jackie had caused them all so much pain and misery, it was hard not to be bitter.
When the gravediggers were finished, the four of them stared at the freshly packed mound for several minutes before moving on. Rose wrapped her arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “Let’s go.”
When the sisters turned their backs to the grave they knew they’d never visit again. They didn’t even purchase a headstone. As her sisters headed to the car, Sadie halted to see Rhys standing several feet away, watching them. When she’d learned of Jackie’s death, he’d offered to come with her, but Sadie had told him that she’d be with her sisters and didn’t need him.
“What?” Rose asked.”
Sadie dipped her head in Rhys’s direction. Three sets of eyes looked in his direction.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Lily asked.
“I hope he didn’t bring the demon spawn with him.” Daisy pursed her lips.
“He appears to be alone. Obviously, the guy wants to talk to you,” Rose chimed in.
“So not cool of him to show up.” Daisy shook her head as Rhys approached.
Sadie could only stare as he got closer. Daisy and Lily stepped in front of her.
“What are you doing here? Didn’t Sadie already tell you, you’re not welcome here?” Lily demanded.
Rhys held up his hands. “Look, I don’t want any trouble, but if Sadie doesn’t want to speak to me, I believe she’s capable of telling me to go away herself.”
“Lily, Daisy. It’s okay. I’ll talk to him.” She moved from behind them to face Rhys.
“Are you sure?” Daisy asked with a raised brow. “This asshole and his evil seed have caused enough problems already.”
“That’s enough.” Sadie knew her sisters were only trying to be protective of her but sometimes they forgot she was no longer a child.
“Sadie—” Lily began to protest but Sadie held up her hand to stop her.
“It’s okay.” She then walked over to Rhys. “There’s a diner down the road. We can go there for coffee. “
Rhys nodded. “Sounds good.” He placed his arm on her back to lead her away.
Sadie turned her head toward her sisters and mouthed that she’d be okay.
The car ride to the diner was in complete silence. It was only when they were sitting at their table, Rhys with a strong black coffee and Sadie with weak decaffeinated tea, did either one of them speak.
Sadie shrugged. “Well? You’re the one who came long distance to see me.”
“I couldn’t stay away, not when I know you’re suffering. I know there was no love lost, but there had to be some residual pain. I wanted to be there for you.”
“I have my sisters.”
“But I wanted to support you as well. It was important for me to be here and for you to know that I’m not going to give up on us so easily.”
Sadie sighed heavily. There were so many emotions swirling around her mind. This wasn’t something she’d been prepared to deal with today. “Rhys, I asked you not to come. You should be home with your daughter.”
He shrugged. “My mother flew in from Wales and is staying in the states for a couple months. Besides, you’re just as important to me as Carys is. You’re the mother of my child and I love you, whether you’re willing to accept that or not. Look, I didn’t come here to argue with you.”
“I’m not here to argue either.”
“Then why did you agree to talk to me?”
Sadie stirred her tea to give her hands something to do. She wasn’t really interested in drinking the beverage. “You know, as I watched Jackie being buried I realized, I have to let go of the past. I don’t want it to continue to shape who I am. I mean, I am who I am because of where I’ve been, but I no longer want to hold on to the anger, the bitterness, and the shame. I want to be happy. I want to be a good mother to my child. I have to learn from my past and move on with my life and that also means making peace with you. I’d intended on contacting you when I returned home.”
“And what did you plan on telling me?”
“That I lied. The way we left things the last time I saw you was wrong. I said some hurtful things like how you could have been any man and I would have responded. That’s not true. I responded because it was you. You can’t just shut off feelings no matter how much you want to.”
“And do you want to, Sadie?” She noticed the hitch in his voice that sounded like fear. Sadie wanted to reach out and grab his hand and reassure him that everything would be okay, but she was too afraid to take that step, afraid to allow herself to feel more than she dared to right then and there.
“Yes,” she said barely above a whisper. “I still love you, Rhys, but coming from the background that I did, I know children must be protected. My baby has to be my priority and regardless of how we feel for each other, I will never be one hundred percent comfortable having my child around Carys. I’m sorry.”
“But she’s in therapy. She’s excited at the prospect of having a sibling.”
She closed her eyes against his words. “I understand, but I can only go on past incidences. And you’re her father. What kind of man would you be if you didn’t stand up for her? And what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t protect my child?” She placed her hand on her belly. “Rhys, I may have been a little overboard when I said you’d only be able to see your child with supervised visits. Maybe we can still work something out with visitations. But as for the two of us getting back together. I just can’t see that happening, Rhys.”
“Are you saying there’s nothing I can do to change your mind?”
She shook her head. “I’d rather you didn’t try. If you love me like you say, then let me be, okay? Let me be by myself for a while. It’s what I need.”
“And when you’ve had this time alone, then what?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what the future holds, Rhys but for now, my complete focus will be on the baby.”
“I see,” he said quietly. Though he spoke the words, they weren’t said with much conviction. Sadie nearly got up to throw her arms around him but knew this was the best decision for her and her unborn child.
* * *
When Rhys dropped Sadie off at her hotel and waiting sisters, he didn’t dare look back because it hurt too damn much. He’d heard it said that a man wasn’t supposed to cry, but damn if he didn’t cry the entire four-hour trip home. He felt that he’d lost her all over again, and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.
By the time he got home, it was late, his head ached and all he wanted to do sleep. He hoped his mother and Carys would be in bed. When he went into the house, he discovered his wish wasn’t granted. Carys was in the living room. The large screen television was on and the movie was watching her.
Rhys was tempted to head upstairs and let her sleep on the couch for the night, but he gently shook her shoulders. “Hey, Princess, it’s time to get up and go to bed.”
She slowly came awake with a stretch and a yawn. “Hey, Daddy. I was waiting for you.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s almost midnight and tomorrow is a school day, young lady.”
“No. My school is having an in-service day, remember?”
“Where’s your Nana?”
“She went to bed hours ago. She’s still getting over her jet lag.”
“I think you need to follow suit.”
“I wanted to see how things went with, Sadie.”
The expectant look in her eyes broke Rhys heart all over again. He knew Carys had been beating herself over the way things had ended between him and Sadie. She was trying so hard in therapy and she was rooting for him and Sadie to get back together. He didn’t know how he’d break it to her that it just wasn’t going to happen, at least not anytime soon. “We talked.”
“And?”
“We should probably leave it until the morning. I’m kind of tired and you’re not the only one who needs to go to bed.”
Carys’s face fell, her disappointment made him want to cry all over again. “She doesn’t want to get back together with you, does she?”
“We’ll talk about it in the morning okay?”
She nodded, seeming to be on the verge of tears herself. He grabbed the remote and turned off the television. Rhys escorted Carys to her bedroom and gave her a hug and kiss on the forehead before she entered her room. “Just remember, no matter what, I love you.”
Carys nodded, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.
* * *
Sadie was glad to be home. Lily brought her back home the following afternoon. Daisy had flown back to L.A. and Rose had a flight to catch to Milan for a fashion show. Lily had to catch up on some work so Sadie was left alone which is what she wanted. The last few days were emotionally draining and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Someone else had other ideas for her, however. Just as she was about to lie down, her doorbell rang. She was tempted to ignore it, but the visitor would not go away. Sadie grumbled all the way to the door and looked out the peephole. She didn’t know who she’d been expecting, but this was the last person she thought she’d ever see on her doorstep.
Slowly she opened the door, not bothering to hide her surprise.
“Hi, Sadie. May I come in?”
Sadie hesitated for a moment before stepping back to allow her visitor to come in. “Sure, Carys.”