Chasing after You, page 5
“I know. Dr. Rothstein will be here later this morning to see you. You need to heed his recommendations. We’ll see what he says first.”
“It isn’t a choice, Lily. I may not be at fault, but it was my building. He’s my responsibility. He was my responsibility.”
There’s nothing for me to say. Leo is an exceptional boss, and he gives people second chances. Losing Miguel is deeply personal and painful for him regardless of how it happened.
“I make no promises.”
“I need to be there. It’s the least I can do.” He gathers his composure again before asking, “How bad is it, Lily?” His voice is strained and concerned.
“I don’t know. I came here from the reception and haven’t left. All I know is you can’t go into the building right now.”
“What else have you done?”
The initial tone makes me defensive, but I ignore it. He isn’t angry with me. “I paused all the deliveries I could, verified the payroll for Miguel, Butch, Cassidy, and Taylor, as well as the kitchen staff, and paid the outstanding invoices due last week.”
“You didn’t have to—”
“Yes, I did. If the situation were reversed and you could do my work for me, you would.”
“I would.”
“We should try to get some more sleep before it’s actually morning.”
“I don’t see that happening, but I’ll try.” He tugs me upward, and I settle back where I was before. Only this time his hand is branding the skin at my waist and his other hand is covering mine. Until now, any skin-to-skin contact was brief and unintentional.
He has no idea the turbulent emotions flowing through me. While cuddling with Leo isn’t abnormal, like this, as if we’re a couple, absolutely is. I will my body to relax. I’m not very pleasant without enough sleep. Although I thought it would be more difficult, I succumb to the pull of dreamland.
Hours later, I hear talking. I claw my way to awake and open my eyes.
“Hey, Lily,” Luca greets me.
“Hey. What time is it? You don’t usually arrive until lunchtime.”
A huge, glorious smile grows on my brother’s face. “I’ve been here for hours.”
“Is he here?” Leo asks.
“Luciano ‘Luke’ Vincent Cappelli was born about three hours ago. I came to check on Leo and see if you wanted to be the first to meet my son.”
“Yay!”
“Go, Lily. I’ll be fine on my own,” Leo urges.
“No, you should come too.” I push the call button and implore Carly to allow me to bring Leo upstairs.
Within ten minutes, Matt agrees to take a longer walk with Leo, which happens to go up to the maternity ward. Despite my giddiness, I watch Leo warily. The roller coaster of emotions he’s likely on can’t be fun. One minute he learns Miguel is gone, and soon thereafter, his nephew has made his grand entrance into the world.
Willa’s room is the one in the corner. She finishes changing Luke’s diaper and immediately hands him to me.
“Congratulations, Willa. How are you feeling?” Leo asks her.
“Thank you, Leo. I’m okay considering no pain medication was involved by choice. How are you feeling?”
“Physically, I feel… not too bad. I feel better than I did on Mondays when I played so…. The rest is going to take some time to sort out.”
“I understand. Please let us know if we can assist in any way.”
“Thank you.”
I only half listen to their conversation. I’m mesmerized by my nephew. He’s perfect. A tiny bundle of hope for the future.
Luca moves closer to me. “How is he doing really?”
“He remembered some parts but not everything.” I share the extent of Leo’s memories with Luca. “Do you have an update?”
“No, I’ve been out of the loop for the last few days because I was on a call. Now I’m on leave with my amazing little family.”
“I’m crazy happy for the both of you.”
My brother whispers, “Me too,” and smiles.
Leo makes his way beside me and extends his arms toward Luke. I set our nephew into his arms. The little boy looks even smaller tucked into the crook of Leo’s muscular arm. I’ve never seen Leo holding a baby before. The shot of hormones coursing through me is infinitely beyond anything I’ve ever felt. Motherhood was always in my plan, but I needed to find the guy first. A man who would love me like my dad loves my mom. Deep down, I only ever wanted a child with Leo, I don’t know if it’s a possibility anymore or if it ever was.
Cheers erupt from the doorway. It appears Aunt Lily time is over. My parents step into the room and greet Luca and Willa. Leo dutifully hands Luke off to Mama.
“We’ll be down after our visit, Leo,” Mama assures him.
“Thanks, Mama.” He kisses her cheek and makes his way to the door.
We take a circuitous route down to his room to eat before Dr. R arrives. Leo opts for the chair and clears the breakfast tray. I sit cross-legged on the bed and eat as well.
Carly arrives with Dr. Rothstein within the hour. Carly checks his vitals while the doctor reviews his chart.
“Morning. How much have you remembered?”
“I remember from the night before until the morning of the explosion,” Leo replies.
“Anything before that?”
“Not yet. When can I get out of here? I need to attend Miguel’s funeral tomorrow.”
“I don’t see any reason for you to stay here. However, you can’t be alone and need to take it easy for the next two weeks. I’ll schedule a follow-up then.”
“What does ‘take it easy’ mean exactly?” I ask.
“No weightlifting, no running, and no driving for the first week.”
“Understood. Thank you for everything you’ve done. We greatly appreciate it.”
We? There isn’t a “we.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll have Carly get you out of here this afternoon.”
A small smile curves the corner of his mouth. If I wasn’t looking for his reaction, I would’ve missed it. It isn’t until after they leave that Leo truly reacts to the news. He rises from the chair and hauls me into his arms.
“I don’t have appropriate words to thank you and show how grateful I am to you.”
“None are necessary. You would do the same for me.”
“I would without question, but I’m sure it wasn’t easy to make those decisions on your own.”
I shake my head against his chest. “No, it wasn’t. I would do it again if necessary.”
“Thank you, Lily.”
“You’re welcome. I would much prefer not to make any more medical decisions on your behalf for a long time.”
“Deal. Will you do a few more things for me?”
Anything. “What do you need?”
“Clothes to leave here, my suit for tomorrow, my phone, and—”
“Slow down. There are new clothes in the cabinet. I ordered you a new suit, and it was delivered to my house two days ago. Your phone is in my purse, but it’s broken. The replacement will arrive tomorrow or the next day.”
“When did you have time to do all of that?”
“Four days of worrying wouldn’t work for me. I kept myself busy handling my work and yours.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you.” He kisses the top of my head before moving to the cabinet.
I’m rooted to the linoleum floor. He doesn’t realize he’s never kissed me before.
“Lily, what’s wrong?”
“It can wait.”
“Tomorrow night, you and I are having an open, honest conversation about our relationship. I don’t care if you have to break the rules Dr. R. set forth and fill in some gaps. I’m not waiting any longer.”
“Okay.” My voice is shaky in response.
Instead of dressing, he steps back into my personal space and cups my face. “It can only get better between us.”
My words catch in my throat as he presses a tender kiss to my forehead before disappearing into the bathroom. The swirl of emotions sets me on edge. Luckily, my parents arrive to visit Leo after meeting Luke upstairs, so I don’t have time to dig into what he means right now. My wait won’t be long, but still. The pressure and tension wrack my nerves.
“Hi, Mama. Papa.” They both greet me and hug me tight.
As they release me, Leo emerges from the bathroom, freshly showered and wearing athletic pants and a cotton tee stretched over his massive chest. If I didn’t know he was a huge teddy bear, his stature would concern me. Instead it makes me feel safe and protected, at least physically. My heart is another story.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” Mama asks him.
“Yes. I’m going home….” The sadness in his voice is heart-wrenching despite not seeing the damage firsthand.
“He’s staying with me until he’s fully released by the doctor,” I offer.
Papa claps his hands together. “Wonderful. Would you like us to pick up Lola and some groceries for your house?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Need anything specific, Leo?” Papa asks.
“No, thank you for your help.”
“Of course. We’re family. Lily, can I have your key? That way we don’t have to go home first. I’ll leave it on the island.”
I fish my keys out of my purse and twist off my house key. “Thanks, Papa.” They leave quickly to get the groceries and my puppy before we arrive.
His room has been a revolving door of people since we woke this morning. While I pack up, Detective Jones and Smithson arrive.
“Mr. De Gaetano, pleasure to see you up and about. I’m Detective Jones. I believe you and Detective Smithson are acquainted.”
“Hey, Leo. Nice to see you awake.”
“Thanks. Do you have an update?”
They fill Leo in on the details again. He doesn’t interrupt, though I shared all of it before. Then it starts to get sticky when they get around to Danica.
“It’s our understanding you are or were dating a woman named Danica Ryder who worked for Midland Construction. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s her name and her place of employment. I don’t recall if we’re still together at this point. My memory has only been recovered to the night before the explosion.”
“I understand. The issue we’re having is she doesn’t exist.”
“Excuse me?” His face turns ghost white.
“No one named Danica Ryder works at Midland Construction. Could you provide us with a phone number for her?”
“Not off the top of my head. All I recall is the 603 area code. My phone is broken and inaccessible at the moment. You can pull my phone records to expedite your search.” He rattles off his phone number for Detective Jones.
“Thank you. Have you ever been to her apartment?”
“No. She always came to the bar because of my late hours. She mentioned she lived in Portsmouth though.”
“Do you have a photo of her?” Smithson asks.
“Maybe on my phone, but again, it’s not fixed yet. Are there photos on the website for Midland?”
“Unfortunately, not,” Jones replies.
“She was here,” I remind them. “Can you pull the footage from the ER camera for the day Leo was admitted? I also understand she has stopped by each day attempting to get information and visit Leo. The staff thwarted her though.”
“Did you prevent her from visiting?” Detective Jones inquires.
I resent his implication, but I was only following instructions. “No. Dr. Rothstein was clear his visitors were limited to family only.”
“Understood,” Detective Jones replies. “We’ll put in the request for your phone records. When your phone is repaired, please forward any information you have to me.”
“I will.”
“Where can we reach you?” Smithson inquires.
“I have two weeks of house arrest under Lily’s watchful eye.”
Smithson laughs, but Detective Jones doesn’t. I provide my address and phone number again.
“If you recall anything or find any useful information, specifically about Miss Ryder, please reach out,” Detective Jones instructs.
“I will.” They shake hands and leave Leo’s room.
He lowers himself into the chair I vacated before muttering, “What the hell is going on?”
I turn my gaze from out the window in his direction. I’m not sure if he’s truly asking, so I wait him out.
“I’m not crazy. She was a real person, right? Never mind, Miguel met her and so did you. I’m getting worked up for the wrong thing. Why was she lying to me? More importantly, why didn’t I see it?”
“Let’s focus on getting you out of here for now.”
“Okay. Can you see how much longer?”
“Sure.” At the threshold, I turn back.
Leo has his head in his hands with his elbows propped on his thighs.
“Leo,” I call out.
He turns his head to look at me.
“The police will figure it out. If they need assistance, I’m sure Captain Ramirez knows someone who can help.” Unlike some people, I have faith in the police department, especially since ours has fine people who work there.
Chapter Seven
Leonardo
The last time I stepped foot in Lily’s bedroom was when she had the flu last winter. She refused help from anyone for two days. Her sisters felt I had the best chance of making it past the threshold.
Lily earns a significant salary. She doesn’t splurge on red-soled shoes or high-end handbags. Her car is sensible as well. The only thing that reflects her salary is her home. She owns a huge, renovated colonial with five bedrooms and a separate office. It’s decidedly too large for only her. Her kitchen is top of the line, as is her master bath. The remainder of her home is comfortable and stylish but not stuffy. I don’t worry about putting my feet up on her tufted ottoman. However, she has an affinity to the water like her sisters. Not just water, the ocean. Her home offers spectacular views on three sides with a wraparound porch on the first floor. The master bedroom balcony has a stunning view of the ocean.
“You going out or…?”
“Sorry, it’s been a long time since I saw this view.”
“I know.” She disappears into her massive closet.
I wander outside and take in the salty breeze. The sun is falling slowly toward the horizon and won’t set for another few hours. With everything going on in my life right now, this is soothing. In the last week, I’ve had my brain scrambled again, my employee has died, my bar is in shambles—though I haven’t seen it with my own eyes—and my ex-girlfriend is a liar, manipulator, and I don’t know what to call her. Then there’s my strained relationship with Lily, which I would give anything to figure out how I broke it. I gave her until tomorrow, and I will honor my word, but damn! Can’t a guy get a break?
There has never been a time where Lily wasn’t part of my life until apparently two months ago. I still don’t recall what went wrong, but I’ll fix it no matter what it takes.
“Are you hungry or ready to sleep?” Her voice surrounds me from behind. She may be upset with me, but she’s determined to take care of me.
“I could eat something.”
“I’ll make something for us. I set up your suit and the other clothes I bought on the left side of the closet. I replaced all your toiletries,” she informs me.
I don’t know what I did to deserve her as my best friend, but I refuse to let her go. Hell, I want more. Yet she isn’t mine. It doesn’t make any sense in my confused mind. “Thanks. I’ll be right down.”
I throw on a thin hoodie after snapping off the tags and join Lily in the kitchen. In the short time she’s been down here, she has two leftover plates from Mama’s kitchen warming in the microwave.
“Water or iced tea?”
“Water, please,” I reply. I skirt around her and grab some forks, a knife, and some sliced bread from the fridge.
We eat in relative silence. As much as I want to talk about us, it requires undivided attention, and we need to rest before tomorrow. We clean up the kitchen, and she flicks on a movie we’ve seen numerous times. Within the first thirty minutes, Lily is out cold beside me. I could easily carry her to her bed, but I don’t want to risk her safety right now. With an alarm set, I draw her closer and let sleep claim me too.
The next morning, we scurry around to get ready after snoozing too many times. Everything Lily has done for me since the explosion is perfect. I shouldn’t be surprised. The suit is tailored perfectly. She managed to find comfortable dress shoes and every other article of clothes I could possibly need for today. I’m sure it boils down to Lily’s need for order. Handling these details helped her manage the chaos from the explosion and my medical decisions.
She reaches the bottom step. The navy wrap dress accentuates her curves exquisitely. Yet complimenting her today probably isn’t wise given the occasion. The sight of the chain I gifted her around her elegant neck is a shot to my heart and other unmentionable places. I noticed she was wearing mine at the hospital but opted to wait to discuss it with her. The last time she wore both chains was a horrible day as well.
“How are you feeling? Any headache or dizziness?”
From her, not my concussion. “No, but the lights are a tad bright. I can deal with it.”
“I have a pair of dark glasses in my car.”
“Thanks.”
“Ready?” she asks.
“As I’m ever going to be. I haven’t been to a funeral since….”
“I know. I’m here for you now, like I was at Gran’s services.”
We make our way into her garage. “How and when did my truck get here?”
“You didn’t notice it last night?”
“Nope.”
She smiles. “I asked Luca to bring it over when Detective Jones told me you couldn’t stay in your apartment. Did I overstep?”
I laugh heartily. “Lily, you have done so much. Why would you think this is overstepping but checking the tags on my boxer briefs to order the correct size isn’t?”
The faint blush on her cheeks is intriguing, and I yearn to explore what else will make her body respond.
“Fair point.”
