“Are you ready for orgasm number two?” he asked.
“Always,” I whispered as I brought his lips to mine and kissed him passionately.
He thrust inside of me fast and hard without a moment of hesitation. He pounded himself in and out of me as if we hadn’t had sex for a while, even though we did last night. Loud and deep groans escaped from his chest as he pushed me and himself into oblivion. I was always amazed at how fast this man could make me orgasm so many times in a row. He strained as he pushed every last drip inside me before collapsing on top and burying his face into my neck.
“I love you so much, Rory.”
“I love you too, Ian.”
Our heart rates began to slow and our breathing slowly returned to normal. He climbed off of me, got up, and went into the bathroom. When he was finished, he climbed back into bed and pulled me into him.
“We don’t have to go back to sleep. We can talk if you want,” he said as he kissed my head.
I wanted to talk to him about the bruise on Mandy’s cheek because her story didn’t settle right with me.
“The bruise on Mandy’s cheek is bothering me.”
“Why? She said she ran into the door. It happens.”
“I guess. She told me she was seeing someone.”
“Good for her,” Ian said as he tightened his grip around me.
“I think we should get up. I really want to get to the hospital early and see how Stephen is doing.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Let’s shower, grab some breakfast, and then we’ll go.”
We both climbed out of bed and took an amazing shower together. A shower that was supposed to be quick, but ended up taking us longer as Ian couldn’t keep his hands off me. We headed downstairs and as I grabbed two mugs from the cabinet, Charles told Ian that Mandy called in sick today.
“Really? She’s never once called in.”
“She said that she and her daughter both have the flu,” Charles replied.
“Ah, well, it’s going around.”
I set our cups down on the table and Charles made me scrambled eggs and toast with a side of fresh fruit. As Ian sat down with his muffin and fruit, we heard Adalynn’s voice coming from the foyer.
“Good morning. I have arrived.” She smiled as she walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning.” I smiled back.
“Adalynn, don’t you think it’s a tad early to be dropping by?” Ian asked.
“No. I know you’re up anyway.”
I laughed lightly and Ian looked at me and rolled his eyes.
“Eggs, Adalynn?” Charles asked.
“Of course, Charles. Soft boiled, please, with a side of wheat toast.” Adalynn sat down next to me and grabbed my hand. “I received a call yesterday that all the bridesmaids dresses are in! I’m so excited. I did hire a wedding planner yesterday to tie up the odds and ends of the wedding. I feel like I’m running out of time.”
“Gee, didn’t we ask you if three months was enough time to plan a big wedding?”
“Shush up, Ian. Anyway, darling, I’m going to need you to go to the bridal shop for a final fitting.”
“Okay. I’ll go today after I leave the hospital.” I smiled.
“Hospital? Why are you going to the hospital?”
“Stephen was admitted there yesterday. He has the flu virus.”
“Oh, Rory, I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, but the doctor said he’ll be fine. The virus just has to run its course.”
Adalynn, Ian, and I finished our breakfast and Adalynn left for Prim. Ian grabbed his keys and told Joshua that he would drive us to the hospital while he sent him on some other errands. I ran upstairs and grabbed my purse and Ian waited for me in the car.
“I’m sure Stephen’s doing much better today,” I said as I stared out the passenger window.
“I’m sure he is, sweetheart. We’ll be there soon and you can see for yourself.”
Ian pulled into the hospital and into the first parking space he saw. He walked around and opened the door, taking my hand as we walked into the hospital. We took the elevator up to the third floor where Stephen’s room was. As the doors opened, we saw a team of doctors and nurses running down the hall. As we watched them from behind, I saw them go into Stephen’s room. I grabbed Ian’s arm and began running faster down the hallway. My heart was racing with fear. I couldn’t remember if Stephen had a roommate. As I approached the room, I saw them. It was chaos. I looked at Stephen from across the room and he wasn’t moving. I screamed as Ian grabbed me and pulled me into him, pressing my face against his chest.
“Get them out of here,” someone yelled.
“Please, you need to wait outside. I promise we’re doing everything we can,” the nurse said as she guided us out of the room.
I started to shake uncontrollably as I began to pound on Ian’s chest. “Do something, damn it! Do something. Please,” I cried.
“Shh, sweetheart.”
A few moments later, a doctor came out of the room. “Are you his sister?” he asked.
I turned around and looked at him with tears in my eyes as I nodded my head.
“We did everything we could but it was too late. We think that the virus he had attacked his heart. I’m so sorry.”
“No. No. No,” I said over and over as I shook my head in disbelief. “He’s fine. He’ll wake up you’ll see. I’m going in there right now to wake him up!” I screamed.
“Rory,” Ian said as he tried to pull me back.
I yanked my arm out from his grip and went into the room. “Stephen, it’s time to wake up. Come on. We’re going to be late for school,” I said as I lightly shook him.
I stood there and stared at him as I ran my hand across his cheek. “You’re so cold. Why are you so cold?”
My body was trembling and tears were falling from my eyes. Ian came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“He’s so cold, Ian. Ask the nurse to bring him a warm blanket.”
“Sweetheart, that isn’t going to help him. Rory, he’s gone.”
I knew it was true, but I didn’t want to believe it. I felt like I was in a horrific nightmare and I couldn’t wake up. I turned to Ian and looked at him.
“This isn’t real, Ian. This is all a dream, a very bad dream. Please wake me up. Please,” I pleaded with him as I grabbed his arms.
“It’s not a dream, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He started to cry.
My legs were giving out and I began to sink slowly to the floor. Ian grabbed me and held onto me so I wouldn’t fall. “You need to sit down, Rory,” he said.
I turned around, and with Ian still holding me, I looked at Stephen. He looked so peaceful. I climbed up on the bed and snuggled into him.
“You’re finally over the rainbow,” I whispered. “There will be no more voices and no more pain. You’re free, Stephen, and one day, we’ll be together again.”
I began sobbing as Ian placed his hands on me and sat me up. “Come on, sweetheart, the nurses need you to sign some paperwork.”
He handed me a tissue and I wiped my eyes. The nurse was standing in the doorway with a clipboard in her hand. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Miss Sinclair.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as I took the pen from her hand and signed on the line.
Ian wrapped his arm around me. “We need to go home now, okay?”
I nodded my head as we slowly walked out of the room and out of the hospital. If Ian hadn’t been holding me tight, I would’ve fallen to the ground. He was my support beam right now because, without him, I would fall to the ground. He opened the door for me and helped me into the car. As we drove down the road, I felt like I was suffocating. I couldn’t believe Stephen had died. A feeling of loneliness crept up inside me. I silently chanted, “I can make it home. I can make it home.”
Finally, Ian pulled into the driveway and, before he could even throw the car in park, I jumped out the car door and ran towards the beach. Ian yelled my name
and ran behind me. When I got to the shoreline, I collapsed on my knees and screamed. Ian came up behind me and, instead of wrapping his arms around me, he knelt down beside me, but didn’t touch me. He gave me my space. The space I needed at that moment. He didn’t say word. He just sat there beside me and let me have my fit.
“Why? Why did you take him?” I screamed as I looked up at the sky. As I continued to sob, Ian slowly inched his hand towards mine, stopping just before he reached my fingers. I turned my head slightly and looked at his warm hand. The hand that reached out to comfort me. I placed my hand on top of him, letting him know that now I needed him. He let out a sigh and pulled me into him as we both fell back in the sand. He held me as I sobbed into his chest and told me to let it all out. I looked up at him as tears were streaming down his face. I raised my hand and softly wiped them away with my finger.
“I need to go inside now,” I said.
“Okay, sweetheart.”
Ian helped me up and placed his arm around me, helping me up to the house, up the stairs, and into our bedroom. I climbed on top of the bed and curled up in a ball. I couldn’t deal with the reality of what happened, not yet. Ian covered me with a blanket and sat down on the edge of the bed, pushing my hair behind my ear.
“Get some rest, my love. I’ll handle things. I’ll be back to check on you later. I love you.”
I nodded my head and whispered, “I love you too.”
Chapter 18
Ian & Rory
Seeing Rory like that was the worst thing I’d ever seen. I wanted to make all of her sadness and pain go away, but there was only one thing that could do that, and that was time. I walked downstairs and told Charles what had happened. I made sure he was extra attentive to her needs. As I walked over to the bar and poured myself a bourbon, my phone rang; it was Adalynn.
“Adalynn, I’m glad you called. I was just going to call you.”
“Ian, I can’t get a hold of Rory. I wanted to know if she went to get her dress fitted.”
“No, Adalynn, she didn’t. Something happened.”
“What’s wrong, Ian? You sound funny,” she asked.
“Stephen passed away this morning.”
“WHAT?!” she screamed into the phone. “I’m on my way.”
“No, Ada—” I started to say before she hung up.
Great. There was no way I was letting her see Rory today. I walked into my study and sat down. I rested my elbows on the desk and cupped my face in my hands. What a day. What a fucking lousy day. I debated whether or not to call Rory’s Aunt Nancy. Maybe I should wait and see what Rory wanted to do. I didn’t want to upset her any more. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my keys. I unlocked the drawer and opened it. When I lifted out the box, I looked down at the white envelope. I sighed and slammed the drawer shut. Just as I was about to get up, Adalynn walked in.
“Ian, I’m so sorry. Where is Rory?”
“She’s sleeping, Adalynn, and I want her to stay that way.”
“My God, what happened?” she asked as she sat down in the chair across from my desk.
I took in a deep breath and ran my hand over my face. “The doctor thinks the virus attacked Stephen’s heart. They’re going to do an autopsy to be sure.”
“Oh my God. Poor Rory. How bad is she?”
“She’s bad. I’m really scared that she may not recover from this. You should’ve seen her, Adalynn. I was terrified.”
“With the right support and time, she’ll get through this. Ian, my God, she needs you more now than ever.”
“I know that and I’m going to handle everything for her and do whatever it takes to help her get through this.”
Just thinking about the road ahead scared me. Rory was a strong woman, but Stephen was her world. She spent her entire life taking care of him and now he was gone.
“Tell Rory I stopped by and I’ll be back tomorrow.”
I started to speak, but she interrupted me.
“Yes, Ian. I WILL be back tomorrow. I’m her best friend and I need to show her my support and love.”
I sighed. “All right, Adalynn. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I walked her to the front door, kissed her, and gave her a hug. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“You know I’m always here.”
I gave her a half smile as I shut the door. I walked up the stairs and slowly turned the doorknob. I peeked inside at Rory and she was still sleeping. As I went to shut the door, I heard her call my name.
“Ian?”
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s me,” I said as I walked into the bedroom.
I sat on the edge of the bed and ran my hand across her soft cheek. Tears began to fill her eyes again as she looked at me. I didn’t know what to say to her. I was so scared that I was going to say the wrong thing. She took my hand and brought it up to her lips as she softly kissed my palm and then began to sob.
“I just can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I know, sweetheart. I can’t either.”
I got up from the bed, lifted my shirt over my head, and took down my pants. I climbed in on my side and turned her around so she was facing me. I held her face close to my chest as she wrapped her leg around mine. We fell asleep for the rest of the night.
****
I woke up. Rory’s side of the bed was empty. Instantly, I panicked. The bathroom door was open and the light was off. She wasn’t in there. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was five a.m. I pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants and walked downstairs. I noticed the door off the kitchen was unlocked. I stepped onto the patio and looked down at the beach, where I saw Rory sitting in the sand, looking out into the water.
“Ian, I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” she said as I sat down next to her.
“You didn’t wake me. I woke up and you were gone. I got nervous. What are you doing out here?”
“I needed some fresh air,” she said as she softly took my hand.
“Talk to me, Rory. Tell me what you’re feeling,” I said.
“You don’t want to know what I’m feeling, Ian.”
“Yes I do. Talk to me.”
She closed her eyes as she began to speak softly. “I feel alone. I feel like a part of me was ripped away and it’s a part that I’ll never get back. I feel lost, Ian. I spent my entire life taking care of my brother. It’s all I knew and now it’s gone; he’s gone. What am I going to do on Thursdays?”
“You’ll go on, Rory. You’ll do something else on Thursdays. It’s going to be tough for a while, but you’re one of the strongest women I know and, with time, you’ll begin to heal.”
She wiped a tear that fell from her eye. “Heal. Does anybody ever really heal? There will always be an empty place inside me. A place where Stephen and I were connected. A place where we were not only twins, but we were one. We shared a bond and a connection on a deeper level than you could ever imagine.”
“I know you did, sweetheart, and I want you to hold onto his memory for the rest of your life. As hard as this is, you need to think of Stephen and how he is right now. He’s no longer locked up in a psychiatric hospital. He doesn’t hear voices anymore and he’s free. In some way, that has to make you feel a little better.”
She looked at me and gave a small smile. “I know all that, but I want him here with me.” She began to cry.
I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into me. “I know you do, sweetheart, so do I.”
Rory
A few days had passed and we had a very small funeral service for Stephen. I didn’t contact my Aunt Nancy because, as far as I was concerned, she didn’t care about him anyway when he was alive. The event dinner was tonight and Ian chose not to go. I had already told him that I wasn’t up for going out and he agreed. The autopsy had confirmed that the virus Stephen had attacked his heart and that was his cause of death. I hadn’t done anything since he died except stay in bed and sleep. Ian told me that I needed to make an appointment with Dr. Neil and talk to her about every
thing. But, to be honest, what was she going to do to make me feel better. Every day was a struggle for me just to get out of bed. Tomorrow was Ian’s birthday and I felt horrible that I didn’t get the chance to buy him anything. I climbed out of bed and walked downstairs to his study, where I knew he was working. I stood in the doorway and stared at him for a moment before he realized I was there.
“Hey, sweetheart.” He smiled.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Of course you can. Come here,” he said as he held his arms out to me.
I walked over and sat down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a soft kiss.
“Did you have a nice nap?”
“I guess. I’m hoping that we’re still going on the yacht for your birthday tomorrow.”
His eyes lit up. “Are you up for it? Do you really want to go?”
“Yes.” I smiled as I ran the back of my hand across his cheek.
“Then yes, we’re going.”
I hugged him as I buried my face in his neck. The scent of his cologne was making me horny. It always did, but today, it was stronger than ever. We hadn’t had sex in three days and I missed him being inside me. Even though I felt close and connected to him, I needed him in another way. I softly began tracing his neck with my tongue.
“I need you to make love to me,” I whispered.
“It would be my pleasure, sweetheart,” he whispered back.
He lifted me up and carried me upstairs. We made love three times that night. He knew how much I needed him.
Chapter 19
Ian & Rory
Rory and I spent a couple of days on the yacht. There was no other way I wanted to spend my birthday than with her. After everything she’d been through, she seemed to be doing okay. We had beautiful meals, wonderful conversations, and made love multiple times a day. My favorite part of the trip was when Rory played “Happy Birthday” on the piano and sang to me. She talked a lot about her father and wanted to pay another visit to the Piano Bar. She said she wanted to tell him who she was and what had happened to Stephen. I didn’t know if that was such a good idea, but it was her decision and I’d support her. Andrew was pissed off that I was spending my birthday with Rory and he wanted to take me out to the club when we got back. I didn’t know if Rory was up to going. I thought maybe if Adalynn and Daniel came with us, she’d be more willing to go. I didn’t want to push too much. She was slowly trying to feel normal again. As we were on our way home and sitting in the limo, I pulled my ringing phone from my pocket and saw that Andrew was calling.