Redemption

  I smiled at my mother, then my father stepped in and gently held my arm. “What do you need from us?”

  I sighed. “If I know Dean, either he or someone else is watching this hospital right now. If we all leave with Jeremy tomorrow, he’ll know. I can’t risk that. I’ve been thinking about it for hours now and no matter how much it breaks my heart, leaving Jeremy with you is my only option. I don’t want to leave him whilst he’s sick, but if the doctor discharges him tomorrow morning, it’s just a case of Jeremy getting better day by day. And I know I can trust you to see that he gets the best of care in my absence.”

  My father nodded. “Of course, that goes without saying. But how do you want to do this?”

  I looked at my father. “Where are you planning to stay?”

  “We booked into the Marriott before we even flew in. We’re staying at the penthouse, so there’s plenty of room for Jeremy. We’ll spoil him rotten.”

  I smiled. I had no doubt about that. Jeremy always got spoiled rotten by my parents. He would have no problem staying with them. Grandparents always ended up being children’s heroes. I suppose it’s because they only saw each other every now and then. It made the time together more precious.

  “I need to pick up some of Jeremy’s things, but I can’t risk leaving the hospital.”

  My father straightened. “I’ll go get anything you want. Just give me the keys.”

  I smiled and pulled out a set of keys. I ran over a list of where everything was and told my father to take my car. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll leave by the front exit so that whoever is watching can see me. I’ll get Evan to lead you out of the back and he can take you to the hotel. I’m sorry to put you through this. I just wished I hadn’t panicked.”

  My mother put her arm around me. “Tyler, the way you acted was totally normal. What happened today must have brought back some tough memories for you. Of course you would panic and reach out to the first person you knew you could trust. Any of us would. Stop beating yourself up about it. To be honest with you, we’ve missed you so much. It was a lovely excuse to come and see you.”

  I smiled, but I still felt a little stupid. “Thanks. I’ve missed you, too.” I sighed, then remembered something else. “Oh, before I forget. You’re going to have to start calling me Jessica in front of Evan and Jeremy. If you start calling me Tyler, they’ll ask questions.”

  My mother nodded. “Of course. It will be difficult, but we’ll try to remember.”

  Suddenly, a little voice was heard. “Nana? Grandpa?”

  Looking over, I saw Jeremy rub his eyes and then cough a little. Every time he did that, my heart went into my mouth.

  “Jeremy, my precious boy. How are you feeling?” my father cooed and I couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time we had all been together and it felt good. It felt right. It felt how it should be.

  “My chest hurts, and I have a boo-boo on my hand.” Jeremy lifted his little hand to show him where the butterfly needle was placed.

  My father picked up his little hand and kissed it. “It will get better now.” He ruffled his hair and Jeremy beamed a big smile back at him.

  “Jeremy, we have something for you.” My mother moved over to his side as she reached into her bag. Once opened, she pulled out a pack of Twiglets. Jeremy’s face lit up and he started clapping his hands. I couldn’t help but laugh through my tears.

  “Thank you!” he cheered, then coughed a little. “Mommy used to eat these when I was in her belly.”

  My mother kissed Jeremy on the cheek and ran her fingers through his soft hair. “I know she did. It was the one thing she could eat.”

  She looked over at me with a knowing smile and I sighed a little. Jeremy found out about my love of Twiglets when he asked me a few months ago about what it was like having him living in my belly. I told him about the Twiglets and he said he wanted to try them. I had my mum send some over, but I didn’t think Jeremy would like them. You either loved them or hated them, and I always assumed someone as little as Jeremy would hate the taste. When he first popped one into his mouth, I thought he would gag and spit it out. Instead, he ate a second, then a third, until all the contents of the packet were gone. He even licked his fingers afterwards!

  “Are you going to stay here with Mommy?” Jeremy looked at my parents as he played with the pack of Twiglets.

  My mother looked over at me, then scooted nearer to Jeremy on his bed. “Mummy will stay here with you tonight and then tomorrow, as long as the doctor says it’s okay, you’ll be staying with us for a little while. How would you like that?”

  Jeremy smiled, but looked over at me. “Is Mommy coming, too?”

  My mother shook her head. “Mummy has got something important to do, but it’s only for a few days.”

  Jeremy looked back at my mother with an eager expression. “Can we get ice cream?”

  Everyone laughed. “Of course we can, Jeremy. As long as your mummy is okay with it.”

  All heads turned to me and I smiled. “Of course it is.”

  “Yeah!” Jeremy shouted.

  “Well, someone sounds better already.”

  We all turned and found Evan standing at the doorway. He moved forward, closing the door behind him, and walked towards my mother. He kissed her on both cheeks. “Mrs. O’Shea, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

  She smiled and looked over at me. “Mum, Dad, this is Evan.”

  My dad walked over and shook his hand. “Nice to finally meet you, son.” My dad patted him on the back and my mum stood there, staring.

  “I’ve heard so much about you both. I’m just so glad to finally put faces to names. Jeremy is always talking about you. Aren’t you, buddy?”

  Jeremy nodded. My mother blushed and smiled in Evan’s direction. Oh dear. It seems like she’s smitten already. Nothing like the male American charm to knock my mother’s socks off.

  “I’m going to stay with Nana and Grandpa tomorrow.”

  Evan frowned and looked at me. “Really?” I nodded. “Well, I’m sure you’ll have a great time,” he answered, turning his attention back to Jeremy.

  I had a sudden urge to change the subject. “How did surgery go?” My mum and dad looked over at Evan, waiting for his answer.

  He sighed. “It went as well as could be expected. It was just a simple valve repair.” He briefly looked over at my parents, then back and me and pointed to the door. “Can I talk with you for just a second?”

  I inwardly sighed. I kind of knew this was going to happen. “Sure.” I got up and followed Evan into the hallway. Once he knew the door was shut, he faced me.

  “I take it Jeremy’s staying with your parents because of Dean?” I nodded and he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t like this, Jessica. Look. I know we’ve had this discussion before, but why don’t we move in together? It could be our next big step. Maybe if Dean knows you’re in a long-term relationship, he might just leave you alone. That’s assuming he’s even here.”

  I gave a little sarcastic laugh. “Oh, he’s here all right. I’d put money on it.”

  “So don’t you think it’s a good idea for us to be together? I could protect you.”

  I smiled, knowing it wasn’t my safety I was worried about. There was no doubt Dean would have something to say about the new man in my life.

  Why the fuck did that just turn me on?!

  “Evan, he would never hurt me. I know he won’t. I just ran away because he brings danger with him. Yes, he’s a dangerous man to others, but he would never physically hurt me.” Emotionally… Well, that was another story.

  “I don’t like you in that house all on your own. Can I come over when I get off work tomorrow morning? At least until I have to go back to work tomorrow night.”

  I smiled and nodded. I could at least give him that. “Sure. I would like that. But, honestly, I’m fine on my own.”

  And there was a reason for this. It would only confuse Jeremy if Evan stayed with us on a permanent basis
. Yes, he needed stability, but only having that for a short time would hurt him more. If he and I ever split, Evan living with us would only bring more pain than necessary. I had to try and avoid that at all costs.

  Evan sighed and looked at me with a concerned frown. “I worry about you. You can’t blame a man for caring. I just wish there was more I could do.”

  I took his hand and smiled at him. “Evan, you’re the sweetest, gentlest, kindest man I have ever met. You do more than enough for me. And for Jeremy.”

  Evan smiled and kissed my head. “I love you and would do anything for you.” He sighed in my hair and groaned as he looked at his watch. “Listen, I have to get back to work, but I should get off at six. Is there anything I can do?”

  I nodded. “My parents are coming to pick Jeremy up in the morning. Could you take them out the back and drive them to the hotel? I’ll leave by the front exit. Once you drop them off, you can come to my house.” I kissed his hand and cheekily smiled at him.

  “How could I say no when you smile at me like that and make an offer I can’t possibly refuse?”

  I raised my eyebrow. “I’m sure I can make it worth your while.”

  Evan moaned and pulled me to him. “I’m sure you could. You always know how.” He leaned down, placing his lips to mine. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, searching. Evan had always been a good kisser. It just never got to the stage where you could hear the fireworks going off in your head. You know, that heart-stopping, take your breath away kiss? It just never happened. And, to be honest, I didn’t think it was ever Evan’s doing. I didn’t think any man could coax that reaction from me again.

  The sound of someone clearing their throat halted our exchange. “Well, well, well. What do we have here? A doctor and some random lady getting it on in the hall? What would management say?”

  Looking up, I saw Tara, one of the nurses and a very close friend, mockingly shaking her head, a huge grin on her face. She was another person I met when I was pregnant. One day, she saw me in the halls, panicking because I thought I had seen Dean. She got me a glass of water, sat down with me and, in that moment, I told her my story. A virtual stranger I ended up pouring my heart out to. So I didn’t feel guilty, she ended up telling me a secret of her own. Ever since then, we’ve been firm friends.

  Her secret was actually worse than mine. In a sense, it was similar because she had to run away from someone years ago. She was married to someone who physically abused her. Until she met me, she hadn’t told a soul. Even now, we sometimes give each other a knowing look or smile, but we never once mentioned that conversation again. Tara was only a couple years older than me, with light brown skin and dark brown hair that she always wore up in a bun. She had the most amazing brown eyes and flawless skin. I would always badger her about her beauty products and where she got them because she always looked amazing.

  “Hey, Tara,” I smiled, putting my arm around Evan’s waist.

  “And hey to you, too. How’s Jeremy doing? I heard about it and I’m sorry. I spoke with Doctor Foster, though, and he says he should be out by the morning.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. Fingers crossed.”

  Tara moved in closer. “Do you fancy a night out once he gets better? I’ve heard of a new bar downtown that’s supposed to be bitching.”

  Evan’s posture picked up. “Hold up a sec. Does this bar involve drinking, dancing, and a lot of single men?”

  Tara huffed. “I sincerely fucking hope so!” She laughed, and I couldn’t help but giggle along with her. “Don’t be such a party-pooper, Evan. Jessica can take care of herself. I’ve seen her in action.” She winked at me and I laughed again.

  “Yes, but the incident you’re talking about left a man in the hospital with a broken finger and threats to sue Jessica for assault.”

  I tried to stop the laughter from coming, but couldn’t help it. Soon, Tara and I were making a lot of noise in the hall. Once I stopped, I turned to Evan. “Well, he shouldn’t have squeezed my arse.”

  Evan looked down at me with a smile. He could never resist it when I said arse instead of ass. “I’m not sure whether it’s safe to let you two go out with one another. Something always happens. Remember that night last Halloween when you set the neighbor’s fence on fire? I was still apologizing on your behalf for six months afterwards. In fact, they thought it was me, considering you two ran off and didn’t come back until an hour later.”

  Burying my head in Evan’s chest, I tried so hard to stifle my laughter, but it was way too hard…especially with Tara now virtually falling about on the floor.

  “Well,” she said after calming a little, “you will always be our hero for that. I’m sure Jessica made sure you knew how eternally grateful she was.” Tara winked and I looked at Evan with a knowing smile.

  That night, Evan sulked for a good half-hour after we left him in the lurch. After the fire brigade had gone and Evan apologized for the hundredth time, I was left licking the wounds. It took a while to get him to come around, but the promise of a strip tease and a blow job was all it took to finally have him where I needed him. I suppose Ian was right in a lot of ways, despite being the world’s worst best friend and the scumbag of the universe. Women could very easily get what they wanted by using what God gave us. I had to admit it was something I used to my advantage from time to time.

  I still thought about Ian now and then. I even still cried a little over losing him, but not because he was gone. Because of the betrayal and what our friendship had obviously represented for almost thirty years. It wasn’t going to be something I would get over easily.

  “So how about it, girl?”

  Tara looked at me like an eager child. She was still very much a single girl, and she liked it that way. Sure, she met men, but it was always a casual thing. She admitted that she found it hard to trust any man after what happened to her. It broke my heart a little because not every man out there was like her ex but, at the same time, I totally understood where she was coming from.

  “I’m in!” We both laughed and Evan tightened his hold on me a little. “Oh, come on, Evan. It won’t be that bad.” I smiled at Tara and she winked back.

  “You’d better tell me when you go so I can keep my phone on all night. It might also be a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher by my bed.”

  We laughed again, then Tara looked at her watch. “I’d better go. I’ve got a lot to do. I’ll try and pop by later, though.”

  I smiled as Tara leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. “Have a good one.” I winked at her and she winked back.

  When she was out of earshot, Evan looked at me with a heated stare. “Where were we?”

  I came close to his lips and stared at them for a moment. “I think we were right here.” I pressed my lips to Evan’s as he moaned into my mouth. The kiss grew fierce as his grip around my waist tightened. But just as quickly as it began, Evan pulled away. “If I don’t get going now, I’ll end up taking you to the nearest closet to do something a doctor shouldn’t be doing at work.”

  The thought suddenly thrilled me. This was a little unlike Evan. “Why don’t you?” It was a challenge because I knew we couldn’t really do it. I had Jeremy to think about. It didn’t harm teasing him a little, though.

  Evan groaned. “Jessica, don’t tempt me.”

  I smiled. “Sorry, Doctor Connor. I’ll behave now.”

  Evan nuzzled his nose into my hair. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a tease?”

  I gave him my best offended look. “Me? No!”

  Evan smiled, then looked at his watch. “Shit, I’ve got to go. I’ll just pop back in and say goodbye to your parents.”

  I nodded and we both walked back into Jeremy’s room. Jeremy looked a little brighter with my mum sitting on the bed, holding his hand. His cheeks were a little flushed, which was great considering he had looked so pale.

  “I’ve got to get back to work. Again, it was lovely meeting you.”

  My mum and dad smiled and s
aid, “Likewise.” Evan then kissed Jeremy on the head and left.

  “Well, he seems nice.” My mother smiled, but I think she could tell what that meant to me. By now, she knew I didn’t do nice.

  “Mommy doesn’t want to marry Evan because he’s not my daddy.”

  I looked at Jeremy in shock. I had never said anything to him about this. Sure, he knew Evan wasn’t his father. It somehow felt wrong if I didn’t tell him the truth about that, but I never once told Jeremy I didn’t want to marry Evan.

  My mum saw my shocked expression and cleared her throat. “I think Mummy just wants to take care of you, Jeremy.”

  Jeremy suddenly looked sad. “But I want a daddy. They take you to the park and play ball with you. They tuck you in at night and read you stories. They come to school plays and buy you ice cream. Brandon told me so.”

  My heart hurt. I didn’t have any idea Jeremy felt that way, but it was hard when you were a kid. Most kids Jeremy knew had Mums and Dads. It was only natural that Jeremy would want the same. I had been so blind to the fact.

  “I didn’t know you felt that way, Jeremy.”

  My father saw the sadness in my eyes and his frown turned into a smile as he faced Jeremy. “Your mum does all that for you, Jeremy. You have lots of people who love you.” He walked up to Jeremy and tickled him a little. Jeremy laughed, but all I could do was stand and stare at my mum. I think she knew what I was thinking. When I did all that with him, it wasn’t the same as having a dad.

  Jeremy suddenly coughed and my dad stopped. “I’m sorry, Jeremy.”

  Jeremy beamed. “I’m fine. I’m tough like Superman.”

  We all laughed, but I couldn’t get what Jeremy said out of my head. I always thought that what I gave him would be enough, but I was stupid to ever think that way. He needed his dad, and I had been keeping him away from Jeremy all this time.