“It sucks to be kept waiting. Doesn’t it?” I said as I stared straight ahead and walked through the doors.
“I did nothing wrong,” he spoke.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” I replied as I walked into Stephen’s room.
“Rory!” Stephen said with excitement.
“Hi, Stephen.” I smiled as I walked over and kissed his head. I took a hold of his hand and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Remember yesterday when I was here and we talked about you going to that special place where you’ll be taken care of?”
“Yeah,” he said as he looked down.
“I want you to tell me how you feel about that?”
“I don’t want to go. I want to go home with you. I want to live with you like we used to.”
Tears welled in my eyes at the sound of his pleading voice. I needed to stay strong. I needed to be strong; not for myself, but for Stephen.
“I know you do, Stephen. Remember how we’d lie in the grass at night and look up at the stars? I’d tell you my dreams and you’d tell me yours?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Do you remember what your dream was?”
“To get better and get the voices out of my head.”
“That’s right. And this place where you’re going to be living, they’re going to help you with that. I want you to think about this as the beginning of your dreams coming true.” I smiled softly. “The doctors are going to take away the voices and help you to get better.”
“Okay, Rory. If you say so, then I’ll go.”
I reached over and hugged him. Dr. Michaels walked in and asked us if were ready to go. Stephen sat down in the wheelchair and I held his hand as Ian pushed him out of the hospital. We met one of the nurses from Hudson Rock outside and she climbed into the limo with us. When we arrived at Hudson Rock, we were greeted by a group of people who introduced themselves to Stephen. They were trying to make him as comfortable as possible. It was time for me to say goodbye as I hugged him tight.
“I’ll come visit you every Thursday, Stephen. You’ll be safe here.”
“I’ll look forward to Thursdays.”
“I’ll see you later, okay?” I said as tears started to fall.
“No tears, Rory. My dreams are going to come true now.” He smiled.
I kissed him on the cheek and turned away. I heard him call Ian’s name.
“Take care of my sister while I’m in here. Okay, buddy? She needs taking care of.”
I looked over at Ian as he smiled at Stephen and nodded his hand. “Don’t worry. Rory will be well taken care of.”
I walked outside and climbed into the limo as I wiped the tears from my face. Ian opened the door and climbed in next to me. He took my hand and brought it up to his soft lips.
“He’s going to be okay.”
“I know and I just want to go home. I want to be alone for a while.”
“Are you sure?” Ian asked. “You can stay with me and I’ll leave you alone for as long as you need.”
“No, I want to go to my home.”
Ian sighed and told Joshua to drive us there.
Chapter 13
I spent the next few days locked up in my tiny apartment. The only time I stepped out was when Adalynn took me to her OB/GYN so I could get on birth control. Ian called me a couple of times, but I didn’t answer. I sent him a text message that said when I was ready, I’d call him. My whole life had changed. Now that Stephen was safe at Hudson Rock, it was time to get my life together. For the first time in my life, I was no longer in charge of taking care of someone else. It was my turn to take care of me. I thought a lot about taking the job as Ian’s assistant. I needed the money and the health benefits, not to mention all the other little perks of being his assistant. I had already fallen for him and his charm knowing what kind of man he was and how he treated women. I missed him, even though it was my choice not to see him.
I opened up my laptop and googled him. There was picture from two nights ago of him and some woman at a dinner party. He was smiling at her as she was at him. The caption above the picture read: ‘Could She Be the One?’ I felt sick and my heart started racing. He was obviously still seeing other women. I guess I was the stupid and naïve one who thought that he was only interested in me.
I walked next door to Java Hut and had a long talk with Jordyn. I told her that I appreciated everything she’d done for me, and I explained to her about my life and what had happened with Stephen. We sat at the table for three hours and she listened intently to every word I said. I told her that I needed to start new and that Ian had offered me a job. She told me that I’d be f**king crazy if I didn’t accept it. I felt better knowing that she wasn’t mad at me for bailing on her. I left Java Hut and walked back to my apartment to find Ian sitting on the steps.
“Ian? What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I need an answer, Rory. I’m not playing any more games with you. Are you going to accept my job offer?”
“I was actually just going to call you.”
“Really? And why’s that?”
“To tell you that I accept your offer.”
A big smile graced his face as he stood up from the steps. “Rory, that’s great.”
I walked by him on the step and unlocked the door to my apartment. “I have rules, Mr. Braxton.”
“Is that so, Miss Sinclair?”
I needed to use the bathroom, so I told him that I’d be right back. When I came out, I saw him looking at my computer. I’d left the article up. Shit.
“Are you stalking me, Rory?”
“No. Why would you ask that?”
He looked at me with knitted eyebrows and turned my computer around, pointing to the picture.
“Oh that. I was on the computer and I saw a blurb with your name, so I clicked it. No big deal.”
“Are you jealous?”
“No, not at all. Would you like to explain to me what that’s about?”
“No. I don’t feel that I have to.”
Oh boy. This was not going to be easy. “Do you want me to work for you, Ian? Yes or no?”
“Of course I do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you in the first place.”
My stomach was churning and my heart picked up a faster pace. “Then I will accept your offer under my terms.”
“Okay, what are your terms?” he asked as the corners of his mouth curved up.