21. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Bridges
“What’s taking so fucking long?” I wasn’t bitching at Alexis or the cab driver, but for the love of god, why was it taking so fucking long to get from JFK to my house in Brooklyn?
When I’d received the call from Edmond about Weston’s accident, I wanted to get on a plane immediately. Weston getting injured had my heart in my throat.
I needed to see that he was okay with my own eyes. When the text came through from Steph that she was with him and he was okay, I was relieved, but that didn’t quell my desire to check him over.
The two texts that were sent by West on Steph’s phone had me able to breathe again.
If he was texting, he wasn’t dead. The fact he lost his phone in the accident wasn’t really a surprise, based on Edmond’s description of his injuries—a broken collarbone and floating shoulder.
I really wanted to hear West tell me he was fine.
The next morning, I ordered Weston a new phone and had it sent to our home so he had one, and after we had our meeting with the Taiwanese manufacturer, striking a deal that was beneficial to both of us, Alexis and I were on a plane for the fifteen-hour flight back to the US.
We’d been in the cab for nearly thirty-five minutes because there was an accident on the Van Wyck Expressway, which was just my fucking luck. My patience was shot to hell.
Alexis touched my arm, probably trying to offer comfort, which further pissed me off.
“You’re not Superman, Bridges. You can’t fly to Brooklyn. It’s the same everyday traffic that you’re familiar with, so chill.” She did have a point.
I chuckled at my own bitchy behavior. “Aren’t you anxious to get home to Stephanie?”
“I’m always anxious to get home to the woman I love, and I’m planning to propose to her very soon, but she’s a pediatric nurse and works odd hours, so our schedules don’t always sync up.
We’ve accepted that we may go for a couple of weeks only seeing each other in passing.
We do, though, try to do special things for each other when we’re working opposite schedules like leaving each other notes or buying a special treat for the other to remind them they’re loved.
We’re committed to working together to figure things out.
“Let me ask you, will you be able to travel without going apoplectic if West can’t come along? Do I have the jittery asshole Bridges to look forward to every time we have to go out of town?” Alexis certainly knew how to turn a phrase.
“Of course, I’ll be able to travel without him... Wait, if Steph got hit by a car, would you be so blasé about being away?”
Her expression was horrified, which was satisfying to witness.
I answered my question for her. “I’m guessing not so much.”
As we inched along in traffic, Alexis finally smirked. “You’re right, so I guess I better propose to the woman sooner rather than later so I’m her emergency contact? Are you Weston’s emergency contact?"
I laughed, breaking the tension. “I doubt it, but that’s my goal. I want to be the first person called if he needs me in any way. That and a hell of a lot more.”
Alexis stared at me with an expression of disbelief. “You really care about the kid, don’t you? Are you in love with Weston?”
Like a slide show, all the moments with West scrolled through my mind, and at the end of my self-indulgent retrospective, I came to the unmitigated conclusion that yes, I was deeply in love with Weston Aames.
“I’m guessing that’s a new realization for you, based on the stunned look on your face.
Well, Sally Sunshine, welcome to the crazy, insane, path to love.
Finding that person who fills your soul and makes you want to be better?
Yeah, it’s not easy, but it’s damn beautiful.
” Alexis touched my arm again, this time with a warm smile. She was a good soul.
I chuckled. “How do you go about living with the realization that you’d give your own life for another person?”
The cabdriver found an opening, and we were speeding in the far-right lane toward Brooklyn. I was trying to catch my breath at my latest revelation, and my heart told me to tell Weston immediately upon seeing him.
“You just cherish every moment you have with them, Bridges. One thing we don’t know is when we’ll draw our last breath. The last thing I want to smell before I die is the scent of the woman I will love forever.”
It was nice to hear Alexis admit it. I could tell Steph was important to her, and it made me happy for them. They deserved the life they seemed to be forming together. I wanted the same for myself. Did I have that chance with Weston? I sure as fuck hoped so.
Finally, the cab pulled in front of Eaton Cycles. I glanced up to see the lights were on upstairs, and I couldn’t wait to get out of the damn car.
The driver popped the trunk, and I turned to Alexis, handing her some cash to pay for the cab ride after he dropped her off. “I’ll call you. Thanks for your support on this trip. It’s going to push both of us to the next level.”
I bailed out of the car and grabbed my garment bag, knocking on the top of the vehicle to signal that the driver could go. I ran to the entrance of Eaton Cycles and punched in the code to get inside.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I arrived at the door to the apartment and knocked twice before opening it. I didn’t want to startle Weston by bursting inside unannounced but I was dying to see him.
“Weston?” I called. “I’m home.”
“Bridges?” He stepped into the hallway from the kitchen.
I took in the sight of my love, seeing the sling around his neck that held his arm close to his chest. I dropped my bag and wrapped him carefully in my arms. “Baby boy, are you okay?”
“No, and it’s going to fuck with my Pride ride. What am I going to do?”
He sounded so forlorn that my mind began racing to help him figure out how to stay on schedule. I kissed his forehead and pulled back. “Don’t panic. We’ll figure it out.
“I’m not so sure.” He scowled.
“I’m in love with you, Weston. That’s what I realized while I was away from you. You and I will come up with a way to keep the ride on track. We’ll make it happen, I promise.”
Weston stared at me for a moment before he stepped into my body and nuzzled his head under my chin. I could feel his warm breath on my throat as he sighed, so I carefully wrapped my arm around him avoiding his injured shoulder.
It was my new mission, and I’d be damned if I’d fail. Seeing Weston succeed was my new priority.
“Bridges, you’ve got to let me go. I have to pee, and I need to stretch a little bit.”
The sound of Weston’s voice was like music to my ears.
I’d been away for five days, and we barely spoke while I was in Taiwan due to the time difference of twelve hours.
West’s accident was the last thing I’d expected to happen, and I wanted to keep him safe and with me so I could protect him. If only life cooperated.
I released him from my gentle grip, and he pushed up from our bed. “Do you need help?”
West chuckled. “Are you going to hold my dick while I piss?”
“If you need me to. You want coffee?”
“Please. I’ll meet you in the kitchen. I can hold my own dick, thank you.” He held up his left hand.
“Yeah, but I probably like doing it way more than you.” The sound of Weston’s laughter brought a smile to my lips.
I got out of bed and pulled on sweats before walking down the hall and turning up the thermostat. It was below freezing outside, and the thermostat was set on sixty-eight. That was too fucking cold for my old bones.
I headed to the kitchen to make us coffee, which was Weston’s obsession as I’d learned. Who was I kidding? I needed my morning boost as well.
West came into the kitchen, his hair combed and T-shirt under his sling. “How’s your shoulder?”
He sighed heavily. “It aches, but I can tolerate it. What the hell am I going to do about the ride, Bridges?”
Seeing his downtrodden expression broke my heart. “I’m working on coming up with a solution, sweetheart. There’s got to be a way for you to continue to train that won’t put strain on your injured arm. I’ll come up with something, I swear.”
We took our coffees into the living room and sat on the couch.
West placed his mug on the end table and sat down, twisting and slowly reclining before his head settled on my lap.
I put my hand on his flat stomach, tempted to reach into his lounge pants.
Unfortunately, that kind of fun would have to wait for a bit.
West lifted his legs into the air and began moving his legs, mimicking the motion of riding a bike. I chuckled. “Do you ever just relax?”
He laughed, turning his face to kiss my not-so-firm stomach. I’d given up trying to achieve washboard abs when I celebrated my fortieth birthday.
“I’m trying to keep my legs in shape. I was doing it in the emergency room, and the nurse yelled at me.
I explained what I was training for, and she gave me ten-bucks as a donation for the ride.
” I put down my coffee and leaned forward, sweeping my tongue over his lips, which parted to welcome me inside.
The previous night, I’d been too afraid to touch him because of the pain. He was only taking half of the prescribed pain killers and supplementing it with over-the-counter pain meds. My man was tough.
Kissing Weston was sublime. His tongue taunted mine, and my cock decided it was time to come out and play, the stupid bastard. It knew the pleasures of West’s body, and I’d been away from him for a week.
“Ignore him,” I mumbled against Wests lips when the side of his face brushed against my hard-on.