Redemption (The Bet) (55 page)

Dom sighed and ran his hands through his hair, he was tired and he was beginning to lose his patience. They'd been at it since he'd called to tell her he'd come by to pick up his things. To say that she hadn't taken the divorce papers well, would've been an understatement. She'd fumed for weeks, throwing a tantrum and defiling his name to all who would listen and had finally calmed down enough to call last week and ask him over so they could talk. As Dom had predicted, their 'talk' hadn't gone well and had resulted in both of them screaming at each other, he'd walked away then, too afraid of what he might've done had he remained
in her company for much longer.

Now he just wanted to shake her, make her realize how self-absorbed and wicked she was, how after so many years he was finding her beauty to be something vile and ugly. He didn't hate her and maybe, he realized a part of him still loved her, still cared for the girl she used to be, but he didn't want to live in the past anymore. He could no longer live life as h
er doormat.

"You and I both know this relationship was doomed to fail from the start, but like an idiot I always fought
for us, ever since high school, Eves, I always fought. Well, I'm tired of fighting."

She slapped him
hard across his left cheek; the impact had him reeling for a second. "I know you've been seeing someone else, I hired an investigator, and I know everything! You're leaving me for another woman, admit it!"

Dom humorlessly laughed, years of pent up anger surfacing. "You want to talk infidelity, Evey? You really want to talk about the reasons why I'm leaving you? Let's see now shall we?" he advanced on her, shoving his hand in her face as he listed all her indiscretions. "You're mean! You're selfish! You've been a horrible mother to your son and an even worse wife to me! You've slept with almost every man I know. You're a cold, heartless bitch, who, despite her pretty face is nothing but a sad and ugly person inside. You know what, I feel sorry for you, Evey, because after all these years you're still the same person you were back in hig
h school. You'll never change!"

"It's so fucking easy being the victim, isn't it Dom," backed up against the wall, her tears silently fell, "don't you think I realized what sort of a person I am and how my actions has destroyed almost everything in our lives? I know what I've done is wrong and I'm sorry. I am so sorry!" she sobbed, her remorse coursing down her ruddy cheeks and this time, Dom almost believed her. She was putting on one hell of a performance and for a second he allowed himself to be fooled. But if nothing else could be said about their relationship, Dom wanted people to realize that he knew his wife, he knew Evey Abrams, better than he knew himself. She was a manipulative, spiteful woman, who did all that was possible to get her way and too often he'd fallen into her
duplicitous web, but no longer.

Dom leaned down as though to kiss her, but dodged her awaiting mouth and whispered in her ear, "You should've become an actress, Eves, at least then you would've been honored for your great work." He dropped her hands from his shoulder, spun on his heel and left, his black duffel slung over his shoulder; he didn't turn around at the sound of something crashing agai
nst the bedroom wall.

He would fight for custody of his son, no matter that Brandon wasn't his biological son, Dom was more of a parent to him than Evey had ever been, there was no doubt that he
would win the custody hearing.

Throwing his bag in the back seat of his car, Dom slammed the driver door shut, started up the engine and headed downtown. He'd been staying with his older brother Jeff in his condo, while searching for an apartment of his own. Soon he would have his life back again and if things worked out as planned, Sam would be included in that life. Getting to know her was something he was looking forward to doing.

~*~*~*~

"So, are you guys okay now? Did you manage to fuck some of your problems away?" Maddie asked candidly as she bit into her hot dog and dodged the balled napkin Ellie threw at her.

"Do you have to be so crude?"

"Stop avoiding the question, did you let him pound you into the mattress or not?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did and I enjoyed eve
ry hot and sweaty second of it. Now keep your voice down, the kids'll hear you." Looking over her shoulder at the screaming children playing on the large blue Slip and Slide Gabe set up, Ellie turned back to Maddie and smiled. "The sex was amazing."

Maddie
grinned and nudged her best friend, "You little slut, I knew it! The truth's written all over your face, you know."

Ellie's eyes widened and she anxiously brought her
hands to her cheeks, "Really?"

"Oh yeah, you practically walked out here with the 'I just got laid' grin on your face, it was almost as wide as mine."
Maddie laughed. It was always a good time teasing Ellie, the biracial woman made it so easy.

"You're a bitch." Ellie said, realizing that
Maddie was teasing her.

"You love me
."

"Mommy! Mommy, look at me!" Bella's voice drew both
Maddie and Ellie to her, they watched her bounce on the trampoline, her father standing very close, keeping a vigilant eye on her even as his mirth matched her joyous laughter.

"He looks happier."
Maddie remarked, turning back to face Ellie. "More relaxed."

Ellie shrugged keeping
Nicholas and Bella within her peripheral vision. "The kids make him happy."

"You
 look happier too. I don't know if it makes a difference or not, but I'm glad you’re back together. It's been almost painful seeing you two apart."

"There are many things I would do differently given the chance, but meeting you and Nicholas wouldn't be one of them. Life without the mistakes we've ma
de wouldn't be worth anything."

"We've made p
lenty of mistakes, haven't we?"

Ellie laughed and nodded, "Oh yes, but look at us now, we're better
for having made those mistakes. We’re stronger and wiser," they shared a look and chortled.

"Okay,
somewhat
wiser, and we're the best of friends. I couldn't ask for more."

"Here, here,"
Maddie tapped her red plastic cup to Ellie's, "to friendship, rekindled loves and to a future filled with promises."

"Wait!" before
Maddie could guzzle her coke down, Ellie stopped her. "To finding you a husband."

"I'll most definitely drink to that!"

Four years later…

Rising from bed as quietly as possible, Ellie crept to the bathroom, conscious of her slumbering boyfriend resting only a few feet away, she gently closed the door behind her and turned the lock in place. She had just enough time to run to the toilet before emptying the contents of her stomach. Watery bile spewed from her lips, acrid and tingling, it invaded every crevice in her mouth, causing her to grit her teeth in distaste.

Kneeling on the floor, she held onto her abdomen while a second wave of nausea swept through her.  The minute it was over, she flushed away the sickening sight and stood on quivering legs. She spun the gilt faucets and splashed a handful of cool water on her face, rinsing her mouth out in the process. Thinking better of it, she decided a shower was necessary, so she ambled to the shower stall and turned on the taps seconds later a warm mist enveloped the room and with it Ellie’s nude body.

The round, double-headed shower head rained down on her, the scorching spray of water kneading away at her taut muscles. With a troubled sigh Ellie pressed her forehead to the tiled walls and closed her eyes. Almost as if it had happened yesterday, she remembered the moment to the exact second when her doctor had told her she could no longer bear children. Her devastation had been unfathomable, but she'd taken comfort in the fact that she’d safely delivered her
twins and in them she’d found the strength to see her through.

She’d mourned and had come to terms with it, her envy of other parents, only lasting for so long when she realized how fortunate she was to have had Sophie, Bella and Dylan, each one so dearly special to her, made life so much better than it was. God had blessed her with three wonderful children and like the treasures they were, Ellie loved and adored them. Her inability to bear children paling in comparison to the joy they constantly brought her.

So many years, two men, Devlin and then Nicholas, she hadn't been able to conceive, barren, infertile, unable to give either men the children Ellie knew they so achingly wanted, but now...? Unconsciously raising her hand to her belly, Ellie massaged the flat skin beneath her palm, a flutter of hope blooming at the thought.

Dare she hope? After so many years, was it at all possible? How maddeningly wonderful would it be to know that at this very moment a child flourished in her womb? A child, a baby, she and Nicholas had created, out of love and adoration. The thought was too much, but all the same, Ellie couldn't keep her burgeoning happiness at bay.

The idea that she could be pregnant, the possibility a very likely one as she thought back on her symptoms over the past few weeks, it was all Ellie could to keep herself calm. She’d had the same odd food cravings as her other two pregnancies, including the back pains, the dizzy spells and her erratic hormones and not to mention her lack of stamina over the last few weeks.

"God," She
breathed, rivulets of water trekking down her face, "I'm pregnant." As if coming to full grips with what she'd just uttered, Ellie’s eyes widened, "Oh God, I'm pregnant!" she murmured, her voice pushing hysterical.

Knowing she would soon hyperventilate if she didn't calm herself down, Ellie pulled away from the wall and swept her hand over her wet face and then through her drenched hair and let it slide down her neck. Attempting to reorganize her thoughts, she convinced herself not jump to conclusions, shooting her hopes up wouldn't be a good thing.

So with a doleful sigh she resolved to wait for the test results, which would more than likely spell out that she had the flu or something completely different than what she wanted it to be. Oh, but how badly she wanted a baby, not realizing how much until only a few moments ago, Ellie silently prayed that she was carrying a child. To share the joy of birth and the process of changes she would inevitably go through was something she wanted to share with her lover. Something she'd always yearned for, but never dared to hope. But now...now the possibility was there, only a few more hours and she would know the truth.

Knowing that Nicholas would soon rise and wonder why she was taking so long, Ellie washed her hair, exfoliated her skin with her loofah and sugared fig shower gel and stood beneath the powerful jets. The soapy residue glided down her smooth skin and swirled down the drain beneath her feet. She turned off the water, grabbed a towel from the rack and exited the shower stall. She made quick work of patting herself down, replaced her damp towel with a bathrobe, and opened the bathroom door, making sure to shut off the light on her way out.

Chancing a glance at the bed, Ellie stopped short, Nicholas’s arresting gaze halting her progress. Shameless in his nude state, he sat on the bed, like a great jungle cat in repose. His whipcord, lithe body leaned against their headboard, his arms set behind his dark head. He looked as though he hadn't a care in the world, his face, with the features of a God, were relaxed, belying the ravenous ardor in those gunpowder grey eyes. Those very same gunpowder grey eyes, glided down Ellie’s body, deliberately sweeping over her, caressing her with the adeptness of a man who knew every inch of his lover and took pains in making sure said lover was fully aware of it.

Ellie shivered, despite her fluffy bathrobe, she felt naked and susceptible to Nicholas’s brazen hunger. She could feel herself getting wet, her nipples hardening as she continued to look at him, unable to look away as those dangerous grey eyes raped the very breath from her lungs, stoking the embers at her core. She stepped forward, incapable of resisting the enchantment Nicholas wove, Ellie moved without thought, as though tugged by invisible strings. She crawled on the bed and did not stop until she knelt before her dark haired love.

"Nicky." She moaned, as though in a trance, she leaned forward, eager to touch, eager to be touched in return. Nicholas’s arm encircled her waist, drew Ellie to his lap and without pause angled his lips against hers, claiming what she so eagerly offered.

Parting the supple folds of her lips with his tongue, Nicholas teased and stroked, unhurriedly loving Ellie’s mouth with an expertise that had taken years to master. Tugging open her robe, Nicholas snaked his hand across Ellie’s heaving breasts, tweaking the hardened nipples with care. Then that hand journeyed further down Ellie’s abdomen and found his prize between the springy thatch of dark curls. He parted her warm, wet lips and buried two fingers knuckle deep, readily swallowing her little whimpers when they came.

"Nicky." Ellie panted against his mouth, her lips, red and bruised from Nicholas’s kisses, parted slightly, emitting her throaty gasps as Nicholas’s stroked her. "Nicky--- I'm going to come..." she breathed, her tiny nails digging half-moons on Nicholas’s back.