Falling Together (All That Remains #2) (30 page)

“What’s
wrong, darlin’?” I ask, threading my fingers through her hair.

“I’m
sorry. I had no reason to talk to you like that.”

“It’s
okay. Just tell me what’s bothering you.”

Her
chest expands on a deep sigh. “I’m just…hormonal. I’m having a hard time this
month. My mood is all over the place, and my back is killing me, but I didn’t
mean to take it out on you. Julie’s keeping the kids tonight, and I know it’s
our night together, but trust me, I won’t be good company. You and Joseph take
tonight.” Backing away from me, she picks up the bowl of reheated stew and sets
it on the table. “You guys eat. I need to lie down for awhile.”

I
catch her in a hug before she can escape, and she clings to me with a low hum.
“What can I do, sweetheart?”

“Stay
away from me so I don’t eviscerate you with my super bitch powers. I’ll feel
better tomorrow.”

“I’ll
check on you in a little while.” She nods, and Joseph comes around the table to
hug her.

“Who
loves you, ladybug?” he murmurs, kissing the top of her head.

“You
and Airen, even when I’m a bitch who doesn’t deserve it.”

“You
always deserve it.”

“Notice
he didn’t argue over the bitch remark,” she says with a giggle, winking at me
with her face resting on his chest. Christ, she’s an emotional pendulum. I
don’t know whether to hug her or douse her in holy water.

“Abby,
you know I don’t think…” Joseph protests, and she laughs, interrupting him.

“Relax,
I’m just teasing.”

After
Abby heads to bed, we dig into the leftover stew, and I throw a piece of bread
at Joseph, grinning when it bounces off his forehead and lands in his bowl.
“You sure clammed up fast, you chickenshit. What did you say to her while I was
in the shower?”

Dimples
crease his cheeks while he scoops up the bread with his spoon and takes a bite
before answering, “I didn’t say shit, and neither did she. I wanted you two to
work it out.”

“She
apologized.” I’m still a little stunned.

“I
guess she felt bad.”

“How
the hell are we supposed to know how she feels if she doesn’t?”

He
snorts. “You’re asking me to figure out the workings of the female mind?”

“Point
taken.”

“Do
you still want to check the traps?”

“No,
I’m going to see Julie for a miracle cure for PMS.” Swallowing the last chunk
of potato, I rinse the bowl and place it in the sink.

“Good
luck with that. It’s hard on Abby, you know. I’m grateful to be a man.”

“Who
told you you’re a man?”

“My
mom, that’s how I know I’m handsome, too.” Downing his glass of tea, he hops
up. “Come on, let’s go see what we can do for our girl before she tears our
throats out, then bandages the wounds and kisses them better.

* * * *

I
hate to wake Abby, but it’s clear she’s in pain, curled into a ball with her
knees pulled up to her chest and a frown on her face. With a low whimper, she
opens her eyes when I kiss her forehead. “Sit up, sweetheart. Julie sent you
some painkillers.”

“I
took some ibuprofen,” she says, shaking her head at the two white pills in my
palm.

“These
have codeine. They’re much stronger,” I reply, handing her a glass of water and
watching her swallow the pills. Joseph breezes into the room carrying a
cardboard box with FALLOPIAN FALLOUT KIT printed on the side in bright red
marker.

“Real
cute,” Abby says with a chuckle, curling back into a ball in the center of our
bed.

“We
brought some stuff to make you feel better,” Joseph says and places the box on
the nightstand.

“A
hysterectomy?” That’s my girl, a smart ass even when she’s miserable.

“Before
you give us a few more babies?” Joseph quips.

“Air,
I’m too tired. Would you kick him in the balls?”

“Later,
darlin’. Let’s see what he has for you.”

“Thanks
guys, but I really want to sleep. I told you we could swap nights. The kids are
gone so go have fun. I’m fine.”

“Nope,”
Joseph replies cheerfully and begins unloading the box. A stack of movies, a
heating pad, a trashy romance book, and a few copies of old entertainment
magazines land on the bed.

“Airen.”
She turns to me. “Really, you guys don’t need to…”

“Shut
up, Abby.” With a book in one hand and a DVD in the other, I crawl up beside
her and ask, “Chick flick or mommy porn?” I’m pleased when I get a laugh out of
her, plus a smack on the ass.

“It’s
not porn, it’s romance.”

Rolling
onto my back, I flip through the paperback. “Really? Let’s see. Hmm…you have
quite a few folded pages.”

“Our
dirty girl.” Joseph laughs, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Abby
grabs for the book, but I hold it just out of her reach and read a few lines
aloud. “Sebastian slid his throbbing member through her wet heat and pleasure
radiated from the apex of her thighs to the tips of her fingers.” Abby snatches
the book from my hands before I can read any more, and Joseph cracks up.

“Does
pleasure radiate from the apex of your thighs?” he asks with a grin.

“Not
today.”

Joseph’s
face softens and he plugs in the heating pad. After popping a movie in the DVD
player, we lie on either side of her. The heating pad rests against her abdomen
while Joseph massages her lower back. She looks up at me with glazed eyes as
the pills take effect.

“I
love you so much, and you, too, Joseph,” she adds, turning to give him a kiss.
“I’m the luckiest woman to have you both.”

Joseph
nuzzles her ear and grins at me. “She’s so sweet and affectionate when she
doesn’t feel well.”

“She’s
high.”

“Stuff
it, Airen,” she says, not unkindly.

“Ah,
there’s our girl.” Joseph chuckles.

“You
forgive me for being a bitch earlier?”

I
caress the back of her head as she turns her face into my chest. Her hair is as
soft as her breath on my skin. “You’re not a bitch. And yes.” Joseph stares at
us like a father who just watched his son get his first home run in little
league. “Are you imagining me naked, again?”

“You
two are unbelievable. You don’t even see how you’ve changed, do you?”

“Joseph’s
talking crazy, darlin’. You didn’t slip him one of your pills did you?”

“Really?”
Turning to his side, Joseph props his head on his arm, gazing at us with
amusement. “In the kitchen, earlier, I swear I saw you give Abby some space
when she was angry instead of your usual response of getting pissed and
starting an argument. And then…” His gaze moves to Abby. “I must have been
hallucinating because I thought I saw Abby go to you instead of hiding, apologize,
and then reach out for comfort while sharing her feelings.”

Eyes
tightly closed, Abby fakes a snore, a light blush on her cheeks, and Joseph
chuckles. “It’s fine. Deny it all you want, but I see the change in you, and
I’m proud.” He drops a kiss on Abby’s cheek, then reaches into the Fallopian
Fallout Box and produces a huge bag of chocolates. It takes Abby about three
seconds to dig into them, her eyes rolling back with a sensuous moan.

I
know the bastard is right. After all the warnings and fear that our
relationship would implode my marriage, it had the opposite effect, bringing me
and Abby closer together. A relationship between three people takes a lot of
communication to make sure no one feels neglected or jealous, and we walk a
precarious line, attempting to keep things balanced and equal between us. We
can never achieve complete reciprocity, but that’s where our confidence and
trust in our love for one another fills in the gaps. Maybe it isn’t normal, but
it’s our normal.

Abby

August
again. After the events of the past year, the last two months have been a
welcome respite. Joseph seems to have recovered, as much as one can recover
from being twice rejected by family. His anger has faded and that adorable
smile has returned, but there are times when I see sadness and regret flicker
through those beautiful green eyes. I suppose that’s to be expected. We move
on. We heal. But still, we take it with us. We carry every hurtful remark and
slight against us as a shield against the world. A way to be assured, the next
time we’re knocked down, we really should rise again, even if it’s the same
view from the ground.

When
I think of my life before the plague, it seems like it happened to someone
else. Was that really me? Did I used to have a job, worry over money, wish for
some miracle to come along and make me happy? Looking back, all I see are the
long, lonely years. Endless nights of burying my face in books, hiding in the
lives and problems of others to forget my own. To make the time pass. It seems
such a hollow existence when compared to my life now.

We’re
so focused on our losses we sometimes fail to see what we’ve gained. The quiet
joy of being surrounded by nothing but nature, with no man made noise to drown
it out. The gorgeous hue of the sky just after the sun sinks below the horizon,
leaving a hazy ethereal feel in the air. Things found again among so much loss.
The taste of catfish caught in the lake, and fresh crisp vegetables grown in
our garden. The sweet smell of grass and wildflowers, and the feel of the cool
wind drying the sweat on my neck. This is the way life was meant to be lived,
rediscovered after years of burial.

Just
waking to the sight of my wonderful men is enough to make my day. Seeing their
smiles, listening to their smart mouths as they tease each other, giggling
while they play fight over who gets the first kiss. I’m filled with a joy and
contentment I’ve never known before.

Simply
put, I’m happy.

THE END

Dear
reader,

Thank
you for reading! This is not the end of Abby, Airen, and Joseph’s story. I hope
you’ll join us for the conclusion of their post-apocalyptic journey in Book
Three, releasing in January 2015.

If
you enjoyed this story please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It doesn’t
need to be long, a few sentences that share your opinion of the book would be
very much appreciated.

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Special
thanks to my beta readers and reviewers who make sure I don’t embarrass myself
with plot holes and ridiculous mistakes. Lissa Jay, Jamie Lauritano, Jennifer
Byrd, Allie Lackenbach, and Vicky Bennett, you ladies are awesome.

The
amazing cover art for the All That Remains series was created by Dawne
Dominique at
www.dusktildawndesigns.com
I really can’t recommend her strongly enough.

Thanks
to Jolanda Lovestoread for tweeting my book endlessly. She has wonderful book
suggestions. Follow her here.
https://twitter.com/JolandaNovella

Last
but not least, thanks to all the book bloggers who make it possible for Indie
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