Broken Road (Fate's Intent Book 7) (12 page)

Chapter 22

Adele

It’s been days. Things were different now; worse.

Ruby and Darius were not even seeing each other and we feared what it could lead to. We couldn’t let that happen but the more time passed, the more either of them planned do to anything. It was time we stepped in and tried to do something about it.

“You talk to Darius and we’ll talk to Ruby.” I said to Zayden.

He nodded and left breakfast that morning with Troy just after Ruby left from finishing hers and I went with Jaylyn and Meg to find her.

“You think it will work?” Meg asked.

“I don’t know but worth finding out. Jaylyn find her.”

She nodded as we walked out of the dining room and she searched for Ruby’s presence. “She’s out on the balcony.”

“Then let’s go.”

We walked up the stairs to the seventh floor and walked out on to the back balcony. Ruby was in the training ring with two short wooden sticks about the length of her swords, doing some practice drills.

“Hey, Ruby.” Jaylyn said as we approached and sat on the bench by the entrance of the ring.

“Hey. What do you want? I’m kind of busy.”

She should have known better and I decided to get right to the point. “What’s with you and Darius?”

“Who?” Ruby just continued and has yet to look at us but I’m sure she was just trying to not talk about it.

“You’re husband.”

She finally stopped and turned, holding the sticks still in her hand. “I don’t want to talk about him. The last few days have been great.”

“You’re splitting up, aren’t you?” Jaylyn asked in worry.

“It’s crossed my mind.”

“But you can’t! You’re going to have his son.”

“So, I’ll give it up for adoption. I’m sure there’s plenty of women who would just love to have his child.”

I sighed. “Ruby. Be realistic. You know you won’t do that.”

“Then I’ll just be a single mother. What’s wrong with that? My mother did it. So could I. I don’t need him.”

“I know I haven’t really known you that long but I think he’s going to want to be involved.” Meg said.

I shook my head. She should have said anything but Ruby took it rather well and laughed. “Darius? Yeah, he plays that off well, doesn’t he?”

“Ruby, come on.” I said, trying to actually get somewhere with this. “You know that’s not even close to being true.”

“How about you not worry about it, okay? I’m fine with how things are.”

She got back to her practice drills and I looked at the two beside me, my frustration rising silently. “Let’s just go. I don’t think there’s anything we can do here.”

They nodded as we got up and went back inside. We didn’t get anywhere with her and I guess I should have known that. I was just hoping the others were having better luck because it was kind of up to them now.

Chapter 23

Zayden

We found Darius in his room―or a different one he’s been calling his. He was alone of course and we tried to see if we could get somewhere. He was just sitting on the bed with his back against the headboard, throwing daggers at the footboard.

“Hey. Can’t be lunch already.”

“No, we just finished breakfast.” Troy laughed.

“Then what do you want?”

“Why are you staying in here instead of with your wife?” I asked. If I learned a thing or two from Adele, it was to never drag out conversations no one wanted to have. Getting them over and done with the quickest way was best for everyone.

“Because she hates me. It’s better this way.”

“How can you say that?” Troy asked. “She’s carrying your child.”

“I know that and I’m still protecting him without having to be around her.”

I laughed while I sat at the end of the bed and started taking out the daggers stuck in the footboard. “How do you figure?”

“I don’t want her to be mad and she is when she’s around me. Ever think of what could happen if she stayed mad long enough?”

“What do you mean?”

“She could kill him if she got mad enough. I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Even if that means you won’t be with her anymore?”

He paused for a moment but I knew it was only because he tried to keep his facial expression from becoming sad. “Yes.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes I do. If she wants it to be over than it will be and I’ll leave.”

“And go where?”

“I do have a house, you know? I wouldn’t have to stay here.”

“So, you wouldn’t be in his life at all?” Troy asked.

“A kid can grow up without his father. We know what that was like.”

“Not really. We got a new one. Do you want that to happen? I think I know exactly who’ll replace you.”

“Say his name and I’ll kill you.”

“See, you know you don’t want that.” I said.

“It’s not really my choice. If she doesn’t want me in her life anymore then I won’t be. She has to be the one to make that choice. That’s what I’ve been waiting for and so far, my chances don’t look good so I don’t even know why you came up here to talk to me.”

“We have the girls talking to Ruby right now.” Troy said.

Darius sat straighter by leaning forward and looked both worried and angry at the same time. “You what?! They better not be making her mad.”

“I don’t think they will.” I assured him. “We just wanted to know what was going on. We don’t like seeing you apart probably just as much as you don’t like to be.”

“Been fine so far. It’s easy to stay away from each other in such a big place. I haven’t even seen her in days so I haven’t really been thinking much of her.”

Troy laughed. “I don’t believe that.”

“You can leave now.” Darius sighed as he got back to throwing daggers at the footboard. “Let me know if you see a change but it’s very unlikely.”

Troy and I looked at each other with sighs and got up.

“All right. Fine.” I said. “Just don’t do anything crazy like decide to leave.”

“How long do you expect me to wait?”

“How long would she wait for you?” Darius sighed because he knew she once said she’d wait forever. “Exactly. We’ll see you later.”

We walked back down stairs to the first floor where the girls were already sitting in the lounge.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Adele asked.

I sighed and sat down next to her. “Not so good. He’s leaving it up to Ruby to make the choice. What’d she say to you?”

The girls looked at each other a little worried and I began to worry.

“Ah, well—” Jaylyn began. “Not so good either.”

“How so?” Troy asked.

“Not good as in she would either be a single mother or give him up after he’s born.”

“What?!” Troy and I were equally stunned and shouted it together.

“She seemed fine with both of the outcomes.”

“Please tell me you got through to her.” I said.

“Not really.” Adele replied. “And to be completely honest, despite what any of us want, I think they’re going to split.”

I didn’t want to think about that happening. It would change so many things if they weren’t together anymore. Our family would forever be broken or just awkward all the time and I couldn’t stand that. They had to work through this―we just didn’t know how.

Chapter 24

Darius

After dinner had come and gone, I took a shower using the bathhouse on the third floor since I couldn’t use my own without running into Ruby.

The air was hot from the heat of the water and I spent most of the shower just standing under it, letting it run down my body. All I seemed to think about was Ruby while I was in there. I stood with a straight arm against the wall while the water hit my face and I was seeing her behind my closed eyes, remembering the last shower we shared.

She was standing close and I had my hands on her wet body. Her skin was perfect under my hands and I missed it. I opened my eyes to try to forget about it but the thought of her was still there. With a heavy sigh, I reached for the faucets and shut the water off. “Could the day get any worse?”

I stepped out of the shower, reaching for a white towel and started drying off then approached the mirror and used the towel to dry my hair before wrapping it around my waist.

I stood in front of the mirror for another moment and looked at myself. My wet hair was draping down around my eyes and I brought my hands up and grabbed as much of it as I could. I held it all up and turned my head from side to side to look at it when I noticed a pair of sheers sitting on the counter next to the sink. I looked at myself again and let all of my hair go, shaking it back into place. Things were different now but I didn’t much think that I reflected that difference yet.

There was a short delay before I made my choice and quickly reached for the sheers. I looked back in the mirror again and held up some of my hair straight above my head. My eyes closed as I brought the sheers up to it and cut the hair. I opened my eyes as it fell into the sink in front of me and I continued cutting more clumps of it to half its original length until the door to the bathhouse opened.

It was Meg and she seemed jumped by my presence. “Oh, Darius! I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.”

“Hello, Meg. It’s all right. If I knew this was the floor you were on I would have chosen another.”

“Still not using your own, I see.”

“Ah, no. My wife hates me so that wouldn’t exactly be a good idea.”

“What are you doing?”

I looked back at the mirror real quick with my image in it. “Thought I’d try my hand at making a change but I don’t think it’s going as well as I hoped.”

“I’d be glad to help if you’d like.”

“Can you cut hair?”

“I’ve been known to.” Meg got closer to get a better look at what I’ve done so far. “Doesn’t look like you’re doing too badly of a job.”

“Yes, well, it’s hard to see the back of my head.”

She laughed. “Understandable. Here.” She pulled up a stool in front of the counter. “Sit. I’ll see what I can do.”

I sat on the stool and was just the right height that Meg could see everything she needed to. I gave her the sheers and she picked up a comb and started brushing it up, letting it fall.

“So, what exactly are you going for here?”

“Shorter?”

She laughed. “Well, yeah but I meant style.”

“I didn’t really have a specific one in mind when I started. Why don’t you just surprise me?”

“Okay. I promise it won’t look bad.”

“You could shave my head and I’d still look good.”

“Confident, aren’t you?”

“It’s a given for me.”

“Then in that case, I don’t see this fight you’re in lasting much longer.”

I laughed in more of a sad way than happy. “Yeah. I’m sure everyone thought it wouldn’t last this long.”

“You miss her, don’t you?”

“And why wouldn’t I but I’m leaving the choice up to her and I have a feeling I know what she’ll choose.”

“You don’t know that. She may come around.”

“Not soon enough.”

We stayed quiet while Meg made the last few clippings and walked around me. “There. What do you think?”

I got up from the stool, holding on to the towel with one hand and stepped towards the mirror. I used my other hand and shook it through my hair, letting it fall wherever it did. “It accomplishes the different I wanted. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. If you want the opinion of a woman, I’d say you look very tempting.”

I smiled back as I looked over and turned my body in her direction. The feeling of someone wanting me was alluring and I just asked without thinking of any kind of consequence. “What are you doing tonight?”

She paused for just a moment and took a quick thought to the question. “Sleeping?”

I laughed. “Of course but I could use some company.”

“Oh.” She was nervous and took a slow step back. “I couldn’t. Your wife—”

“Is going to leave me. I don’t see why I have to stay miserable until she makes that decision.”

There was another pause and Meg was just looking at me. I don’t know if it just made her nervous to what would happen if she turned me down again from her awful experience in that shame of a country. “Well, if you put it that way. I see the logic in it.”

“I’m not going to make you if you don’t want to. We respect women in this part of the world. You’re not in Hintus anymore.”

She put a warming smile on her face and regained that step she once took away. “Oh, I know that. I—I want to.”

I smiled and stepped forward with my thumb tucked into the front of my towel while I held it up. “Good. Shall we stay in your room or mine?”

“Ah, which ever you’re comfortable with.”

“Mine it is.”

We walked through the hall to my room and I opened the door, letting Meg enter first. “Whoa. Every room in this place must be nice.”

“They are. There are three on each floor with a bathhouse except for the first, second and seventh floors and the towers of course.”

“I didn’t even know this place was here.”

I laughed, walking farther in. “Not many did. It was hidden well.”

Meg was standing by the bed still looking around the large room with its fireplace and slowly started to lower herself down onto it. “Must be getting later than I thought.”

“Days seem slow but the night always comes fast.”

Meg looked back and I was already in bed, under the covers. “Yes. I’ve noticed.” She turned her head back and reached down for her shoes. She started to take them off while I sat there and watched her.

She set her shoes aside and slowly reached for the front of her dress. She undid the laces and started to pull it down off her shoulders. When the bare skin of her back was shown, I moved closer and gently grazed my fingertips down the contouring of her spine. Meg held completely still when I brought my lips into her and kissed her shoulder.

Her breaths were shuttered and I started moving my kisses to her neck. Meg laid her head back and I was supporting her completely as I took her arms out of her sleeves and turned her chin to me. Our lips met and Meg started to turn around and backed away. She stood at the edge of the bed as I stayed where I was and watched her. She reached to her waist for the rest of her dress, including what was under it and started pulling it off her hips. She wasn’t Ruby fit but she was still beautiful enough that it caused me to move to that edge of the bed to stand up.

Her eyes just widened and failed to keep them on mine. “The rumors about you are true.”

I smiled, finding her surprise rather cute. “Did you agree just to find out?”

“No, I’m more grown up than that.”

I kept my smile and brought my lips down to hers. Meg wrapped her arms around my neck and I turned her towards the bed, laying over her. My hand slid down her naked body to her right thigh and I pulled it out, wrapping her leg around my back.

Meg held on to me tightly and took a heavy intake of air when I penetrated her body. I tried enjoying it like I really wanted because it’s been days but I kept seeing Ruby under me, not Meg. Was I using her to try to get passed this? I didn’t have the answer but I knew I didn’t want it to be that way. Meg’s been through enough.

I brought my lips into hers and with our tongues touching and moving with each other’s, I was slowly able to get passed those feelings, making this night to be something I wanted.

We laid in each other’s arms afterwards and Meg had her head on my left shoulder. I haven’t said a word but my thoughts wouldn’t let me rest.

“You feel guilty for being with me.”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Darius. I know you do and it’s okay to. I’m not going to tell anyone. You won’t have to worry about that.”

“I wouldn’t care if everyone knew about this. What are they going to do? It’s just—”

“Ruby?”

“No. I don’t want my doing this to result in using you to get over her.”

“You know you never will. You still love her. I’m not asking to replace her in your heart.”

She was probably right but I didn’t feel like my usual self with Meg. Something was different like I was no longer the person I used to be. If Ruby was going to leave me, I needed to be with someone.

“And if that’s what I wanted?”

Meg lifted her head. “You don’t mean that. She’s going to have your child and I’m—”

She laid her head back down and my curiosity risen. “What?”

“I’m going to have Wyatt’s.”

I was surprised. This was the first time I was hearing about this. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure and I’m sure he knows. That’s why he’ll never stop looking for me.”

“I won’t let them take you if they come here.”

“You won’t have a choice. If you kill him that will start a war and I don’t want that over me.”

“You don’t deserve that life. I won’t just do nothing.”

“There are some things in life that you don’t get to decide.”

I let the silence continue. Some part of me was already starting to become protective of her. That’s kind of how I knew things were different with Meg. I haven’t known her for that long. We’ve hardly spoken but I think I was feeling something. She wasn’t like Ruby. She seemed so fragile and weak that it only seemed right that she would need someone to take care of her. I felt that I could be that someone as we both fell asleep.

I even dreamt about her. It was weird and not really like me but she needed me and just having that feeling come from someone was enough.

Morning came fast but she was still with me, another sign that I wasn’t reverting to my old ways.

“We’re missing breakfast.”

Meg lifted her head and looked back to see me awake. “Too soon to walk in together?”

I laughed. “They shouldn’t question that and even if they did, I don’t care if they know but if you do, we can be discreet about it for a while until you’re ready.”

“Yeah.” Meg agreed as she started to sit up, holding the sheet to her chest. “Having them find out right away when we don’t know where this is going may be a bad idea.”

“I know where I’d like it to go. Will you stay again tonight?”

Meg looked over and couldn’t refuse as any woman couldn’t. “Of course I’ll stay and every night I’m here, if you want.”

“I’d like that.”

She was looking into my eyes and leaned in closer. Our lips met and our tongues grazed one another for just a moment.

“We should probably get to breakfast.” Meg muttered.

“Yeah, we probably should.” I said, brushing my lips up against hers and taking her head in my hand. Meg let out a shuttering breath and pushed her lips back into mine, forcing her tongue in my mouth. I let it go on for just a few more seconds until I pulled back and held her from leaning in again. “No, really. We should. You need to eat for the baby.”

She sighed. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let them take you. Come on.” I moved over to the other side of the bed and started to get dressed.

“I’ll just get to my room for something else to wear.” She slipped on yesterday’s dress and started walking to the door with her shoes in hand.

“Okay. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

She nodded as we left the room and she walked to hers while I took the stairs down to the first floor. I walked into the dining room and Jaylyn greeted me with a scream, shattering my eardrum with the high pitch in her voice.

“What?”

“Oh.” She said, taking a calming breath. “It’s you.”

“What did you do?” Zayden asked.

“What’s it look like?”

“That you did something you never said you’d do.” Troy said.

“So, things change. Is there something wrong with it?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just shorter than usual. Weird to see.”

“Did you do it yourself?” Adele asked.

“Not entirely.” I turned and smiled when Meg entered behind me. “Meg helped.”

“Oh, you must be talking about his hair.” Meg smiled as she took her seat on the other side of the table by Adele. “Yes. I think it turned out good after he tried doing it himself.”