Unrequited (Chosen #3) Read online

  Nick rubbed the back of his gorgeous neck.

  “Um, Samantha. I think it would be best if you stayed in a hotel until you get your place all set up. Liz and I have the baby and he still wakes up in the night and,” I stopped him.

  “Oh don’t you worry about little ole me. I am sure Natie and I will get along just fine,” I replied.

  “Niall. His name is Niall and no, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he shook his head adamantly so I shrugged and waited for him to open the passenger door for me. He did. At least he still had a little of that Texan in him. They always say you can take a man out of Texas but you can’t take Texas out of a man. The living proof is Nick. He is a true gentleman, besides the fact that he took off after we had sex that one night. That was kind of a dick move.

  When he pulled off into the exit lane, he told me about several hotels in the area he lived in. I nodded and formulated a plan. I needed this time with him. I needed to know what I was up against. Were they going to have a quick wedding? Were they going to buy a house together? And most importantly, I needed to know more about her. That would be the only way to truly destroy her.

  “So, how is Elizabeth? Ya’ll smitten in love?” I asked prettily.

  Nick smiled to himself. It wasn’t just a smile. It was a white neon smile that would stop traffic. Shit. He really was in love with her.

  “She and I are happy. We have been through a lot,” he looked at me with a sad face. “Like you, she is very sad about Conner and her parents aren’t doing well. She has her ups and downs.”

  “I am sure. Conner was so fond of her. What line of work is she in again?” I asked. I wish I could take out a piece of paper and write all this information down.

  “She works for a financial firm downtown. She manages portfolios for older women. They take to her for some reason. She is funny and…”

  “Well, isn’t that just darling? What firm did you say she works for?” I asked.

  “Leeman and Company, they just changed names, so she is going through a lot of paperwork with that,” he explained. Nick’s scrunched up face told me that he worried about her. Wasn’t that just darling?

  He pulled up in front of The Ritz- Carlton. He started to get out. I put my hand on his and shook my head.

  “I have been so much of a bother to y’all tonight. Let me check in,” I said. I went inside, went to the bathroom and came back out.

  Sadly, I looked at him. “They are all out of king size bed suites. Can we try a different hotel?”

  He nodded and his lips set into a tight line as he looked at his Rolex. I must be keeping him from her. Good.

  He headed to Hyatt Regency and the same thing happened. “There must be a convention in town or something. Gosh, I am so sorry about this. I really thought you had an extra room for me. Otherwise, I would have planned ahead,” I whined. I was brilliant at acting like a victim of unexpected circumstance.

  “It’s not a problem, Sam. I will take you over to the Fifteen Beacon. I have a few clients that are regulars. I can get you into something at least just for tonight.”

  Shit. Fuck. Fuck.

  “Oh thank you! That is so chivalrous of you! So when are you two tying the knot?” I asked nonchalantly.

  “I don’t know. Lizzie wants to get married on Cape Cod. She has a beach in mind and I think one of her family members has a summer place. She wants the whole barefoot and lobster thing,” he said. He didn’t seem to care but holy hell, gross! Whole lobster thing? With those plastic bibs? I suppressed a gag.

  By the time Nick got me checked in and to my room, I had enough information to formulate a plan. I kissed him for a long moment on the cheek and waved as I closed the door. Father would have been so pleased with that performance. Almost three hours away from Lizzie and he had been with me. Lizzie – 0 Sam – 1

  SEVEN - NICK

  Was it me or did Sam not seem so sad about Conner after all? Maybe I was just tired and hungry, but something was definitely off with her. She was her old self, not the girl that was in hysterics every time I spoke to her on the phone after the accident.

  It was ten o’clock when I pulled into the valet spot outside our apartment. I dashed up to the top floor, not the penthouse, as Lizzie always teased. When I walked into the foyer, everything was already turned off for the night. It was so quiet; I was almost worried that Lizzie had left. A note on the kitchen counter read, “Babe, so tired. We ate and went to bed. Your dinner is in the warming shelf. xoxo L”

  Good, she wasn’t upset. They probably went to bed right after I left. I went to the warming shelf and nothing was there. Then I looked in the microwave. Nothing. I saw the trash bin sticking out of the pantry. It had a full cheeseburger and fries right on top.

  “Hungry?” a not so pleasant Lizzie inquired. I whirled around to see her sticking out her chin and pouting.

  “Babe, I am so sorry. She thought she was going to stay here and then there were no rooms at three hotels so I basically had to drive her everywhere. I mean, all over town,” I groaned.

  She nodded her head. “Well, if you are hungry, then good. I only ask because I have been lonely and you weren’t here. What comes around goes around, bi-otch.”

  Then she started to beat box like she was a hard core rapper, which she didn’t do so well. She actually sucked at rapping. Yes, she can sing like an angel but rapping… no way. She stopped short and looked at me with wide eyes.

  “Honey, what is that smell?” I asked. It definitely smelled like shit. Like ass. Damn, it was a fart.

  “What smell?” she asked innocently.

  “You farted! Oh my god, Lizzie. You farted when you were beat boxing,” I doubled over in laughter.

  “Whoever smelt it, dealt it, Nick!” She yelled over my laughter.

  “Whoever did the rhyme did the crime, Liz!” I laughed back.

  She huffed and walked back to our bedroom. I watched her pretty little behind in those boy shorts walk away. She was so much more beautiful when she was pissed off.

  “Your farts smell like roses, baby! I was only kidding!” I yelled. I started to make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I heard her grumblings of being pregnant and I should carry the fucking watermelon my seed made in her uterus and other scenarios that I just couldn’t listen to while eating. Fucking lovely. Tonight was a bust. We were so not having sex tonight.

  I climbed into bed and I heard Lizzie sigh. Her sighs were always readable. Depending on the level of the sigh, she couldn’t sleep, she was annoyed, or she wanted sex. I wrapped my arms around her and nuzzled her delicious hair.

  “What is it baby?” I whispered.

  “I don’t know if I want to meet her. I mean she must be someone special if both you and Conner cared about her. I think I might be being a hose bag. I should just bite the bullet and meet her,” she agreed. She was over thinking again. Her brain could go from meeting Sam to another thought in five, four, three, two, and…

  “You know what I think we should do for our wedding?” she asked. I chuckled. She slapped me on the arm, knowing full well that I caught her mood shift.

  “What should we do for our wedding?” I asked, turning onto my back and throwing my arms behind my head. She rolled over me and her long red locks feathered my chest. It felt incredible. I wanted her to stay like that for days.

  “I think” she murmured, starting to trail kisses down my stomach, “that we should” she started to kiss even lower, “get married at a Phish show.”

  I groaned and pulled her up to meet my lips. I made sweet love to her and promised her that I would personally hire Phish to play at our reception if she kept kissing me the way she did.

  The next morning, I woke up to the screeching cry of Niall Conner O’Malley. Poor kid, he probably was still teething. I adjusted my underwear and walked out to find Lizzie was walking Niall pacing the great room. She looked up and gave me a heart stopping worried look. Oh shit. Was he sick?

  “What’s going on?” I crossed to Lizzi
e and Niall. Niall was burning up and Lizzie had tears forming in her eyes. I went up to her, put my hand on Niall’s forehead, and then placed my hand on Lizzie’s back to try to calm her nerves.

  “It’s okay. I did this when I was alone with him. You don’t need to be bothered. Go to work. I already called Lily and Mac,” she answered in a rush. Lily, our nanny and Mac, her boss already knew about Niall but she didn’t think to wake me up? I shook my head.

  “No, I can stay home. I don’t have any big meetings today,” I took Niall from her and she crumbled on to the leather couch and started sobbing. Now I had two O’Malley’s in full on tears and I didn’t know what to do. I soothed Niall with my kisses as I rubbed Lizzie’s back again.

  “It’s just… you shouldn’t stay home because my kid is sick.” Lizzie still wasn’t clear that we were partners when it came to Niall. She was confused and as much as I tried to reassure her, I don’t think I was the first to come to her mind when Niall’s welfare was in question.

  “Niall is my son, Lizzie. Don’t ever question what my role is. I love him and I am just as worried. Go to work. No one will miss me at the office. Besides, there is something to be said about being the boss,” I smirked.

  She blankly nodded at me as I spoke to her. I still don’t think she understood that she was in a parental partnership with someone else.

  “No, Nick. I already talked to Mac. I can make some calls from here and look after him. He is probably just teething,” she stated firmly.

  Lizzie got up and headed for the kitchen. “However, I am having coffee and it will be caffeinated.” Then she gave me the “don’t fuck with me” look.

  I smiled at her and she smiled back. That’s right. Everything will be okay, Lizzie. You have me now. You aren’t alone anymore. I wanted to say all of this to her but I had realized a few weeks ago that you don’t say anything that could be misconstrued as mushy around a pregnant woman. They will cry themselves to death.

  I jumped when the phone rang. Lizzie answered, “The Sawyer Residence”. It was something her family always did. When she answers her parent’s phone, she does the same thing. I sometimes do it now and she never points out that I got it from her. It’s just the “proper” way to answer the phone, I once heard her say to someone.

  Her smile fell as she mixed the sugar into the coffee.

  “Hey, Dad. What’s wrong?” I heard her father’s deep gravelly voice on the other line and she continued to listen with vigilance. Long moments passed without her saying anything and looking nowhere. Her father never called the house this early.

  “Yes, of course.” she nodded. I waited to hear something, anything from the other end of the line. “Okay, I can be there within two hours. I appreciate you calling, Dad,” she said and pushed the off button on the phone.

  I looked at her and she stared at me. Then she focused her attention to Niall. It was like she was formulating a plan in her head all by herself and I wanted to yell “What the fuck is going on?” Instead, I prompted her.

  “Liz?”

  She looked back at me and blinked a few times.

  “Nick. My mother is not doing well at all. Dad is beyond worried and he has a big meeting in town and doesn’t want to leave her alone,” she said numbly. “He thinks she may need some help, like a grief counselor or something and my dad asked to me to help him out. He doesn’t know what to do with her.”

  Holy mother of hell. Of all the things to put on my fiancé’s shoulders. Would this be the day that she cracks? I crossed to her and wrap my arms around her body. She was trembling a little and I rubbed her back with reassurance.

  “Do you think telling her about the pregnancy might help?” I asked softly. “It might take her mind off of Conner, if only for a little while.”

  She nodded and then her whole face crumbled up. “I think it would be okay but what if I lose the baby? She would be even more upset. I can’t. I just can’t.”

  Her wails were long and they were hard. She could hardly take a breath. Niall joined in and I just stood there in my underwear, like an idiot.

  EIGHT - SAM

  It was eight o’clock in the morning when the sun streamed into the luxurious suite at Fifteen Beacon. Nick really did have classy taste. This place, centered in the middle of the city, was sleek. Of course, I groaned at the time. I am not an early riser. As a girl out on the town at night and the one hour time change, I felt dreadful.

  I threw off my covers and called for breakfast, which consisted of one hardboiled egg, one piece of whole wheat toast, and two carafes of coffee. I should be good by ten. After I ate, showered and primped myself to the nines, I headed out in search of Nick.

  Nick’s building, also located in the heart of the city, was an older style Bostonian building. It had history written all over it. When I got to the fourth floor, I was immediately met with a stunning brunette with a broad smile.

  “Welcome to Frost, can I help you?” She asked cheerily. I hated her already. Who is that chipper before noon?

  “Nicholas Sawyer, please,” I demanded.

  She looked at her computer and frowned. “Do you have an appointment with Mr. Sawyer?”

  “I don’t need an appointment. If he is free, he will see me. Tell him Samantha Hughes is here to see him,” I stated. I gave her my signature sweet smile and she nodded.

  When she placed down the receiver, she looked up with a smile. “Mr. Sawyer’s office is all the way down that hall, last door on the right.”

  I nodded and opened the door to the hall. Nick stood at the end of the hall, looking dreadfully tired, but sexy as all get up. He half smiled at me with his hands in his pockets. I slowly swiveled my hips as I made my way down to him and gave him kisses on each side of his cheeks, a bit closely to the corners of his lips. He smiled down at me and waved his hand into his office.

  “Samantha,” he stated. He took his chair and I sat across from him at his large cherry wood desk. “What’s going on? I take it you enjoyed the hotel?”

  “Oh my, it was just lovely. Thank you so much for taking me there. Their breakfast is very good and the thread count on those sheets, wow.”

  He nodded his head and paused, waiting for me to go on.

  “Did daddy call you?” I asked.

  Nick shook his head and looked confused. He looked at his messages on both of his phones and then shook his head again in confirmation.

  “Well, then he must be very busy this morning. He wanted to know if you could help me get settled. I know you have Elizabeth and the baby, but couldn’t you help out an old friend in the meantime?” I smiled.

  He hesitated a moment. “How are you really doing, Sam? You seem so put together. It wasn’t even two weeks ago when I couldn’t even get you to string three words together.”

  I waved my hand at him and started my practiced lie.

  “Conner was important to me. But as you know, we only had those few months together. I had a lot of guilt and I was sad, but I went to a therapist and it is time I moved on with my life. You are the only true friend I have in this whole world. I needed a change from being under Daddy and Momma’s eye.”

  He nodded slowly. “So how can I help?”

  “Well,” I started, placing my manicured hands on his desk. “I think it’s time that I met Elizabeth. She must be wondering where you were all last night.” He winced. “Also, my apartment seems to be under some renovations that Daddy ordered for me. So, I will need a place to stay for about a month. I know your place is out of the question but isn’t there something you could do to help me get into a place temporarily.”

  I watched Nick as he thought about my idea. He was always so slow at making decisions. His actions were never reckless. His words were never impulsive.

  “Lizzie did mention that she thought it was time to meet, too,” he approved slowly as he met my eyes. He didn’t look convinced it was a good idea.

  “I am skeptical. She and her parents are really having a hard time with Conner’s death and w
hile you were there when he died, it may bring up some anxiety for her. I think we could have dinner…” I barged in on Nick’s rambling.

  “That’s wonderful! I heard that the North End is a great place for Italian,” I cut him off. “Shall we meet there at about 7:30?”

  “Well, Lizzie is out of the city today on… at… a meeting. I don’t know if she will be back in time, but I will ask, of course,” he conceded. “I will get back to you by five o’clock. As for helping you with a place, I can look to see if there are any places in the city that will do a temporary lease. I should be able to call in some favors.” He smiled and it didn’t quite reach his eyes. I was already a burden.

  “Nick, are you okay? You look so tired. I have never seen dark circles under your eyes,” I inquired. Except that one night we went at it, of course.

  His hands scrubbed his face and he sighed heavily. This was not the Nick I remembered. He was always sharp. Today he almost looked like he could fall asleep on his desk.

  “Yeah, I am fine. I am worried about my fiancée,” he said, his tired blank eyes found mine. I felt like I was just kicked in the gut. He hadn’t referred to her as his fiancée before to me. I threw up a little in my mouth.

  “Oh no! Is she okay?” I asked, trying to sound as concerned as I could.

  He shook his head. “She has Niall, he is teething and she won’t let me help,” he started. “She is so damn irritating.”

  I clicked my voice recorder on through my purse.

  “I mean, the woman won’t even spend our money together. Does she even want to be in a relationship with me if she won’t ever let me help her with my soon to be stepson? She is so focused on keeping herself independent that she won’t let me in to help. Today, she is with her mother and I offered to help out but she is just so stubborn. She just told me to come to work. I can’t work. Not when she is comforting others. Who is comforting her?”

  “Wow, that must be straining on your relationship and you,” I said, coaxing him to keep talking.