Foundations: The Power of Three Love Series Read online

  “Well, it’s very wrong. But who am I to judge?”

  “Exactly, Mom. They treat their employees very well.”

  My dad interrupted us for a second. “I don’t like the way he looks at you. It’s almost as if he’s one of those men who switches from guys to gals.”

  Then Mom piped in, “Oh, there is a name for that, you know. They are called bisexuals.” She was so pleased with herself for knowing the word.

  I shook my head. “Can we change the subject?”

  “I don’t like you working for them.” Like me, my dad was too blunt. But he was also wrong, certainly about this.

  “Why, because they live a way you don’t agree with? But what you don’t see is they’re good men; just like Andrew is. They’re my friends, and you need to accept them or at least keep your fucking mouth shut around me.”

  “Oh, honey, enough with the language. We’re just speaking our minds. You don’t have to be so offended for them,” my mom replied.

  I rose from my seat, slamming my fists on the table, eyes turning toward this scene. “I’m done with this. I’m leaving, and until you can be kinder to my friends, leave me the hell alone. I don’t have to hear every three seconds how you disapprove of someone’s lifestyle choice. I’m going to go hang out with my homosexual and bisexual friends now.” I didn’t turn around when I exited the restaurant.

  Within minutes, my cell phone rang. “What?” I answered the unknown number.

  “Ell.” Shit, I knew that voice. “I need to talk to you. I just got off the phone with your parents. They think your bosses are manipulating you into some weird sexual threesome.”

  “Keith? How many times did I catch you with another woman? And by the way, how is this any of your business?”

  “So you’re not denying it?” I hated his smug tone.

  “For crying out loud, I’m not going to justify one thing to you, Keith. I gave you false hope a couple of weeks ago. So to clear the record. We. Are. Done.”

  My hand was on the end function of my phone, but I heard, “Ell, I care for you. Hell, I love you.”

  “Funny, you never told me this when we were together. Not once, even when I said it.”

  “I was stupid.” He was a good actor. He sounded humble, so unlike the jerk I’d come to expect from him.

  “Yes, you were! We’re done, so do me a favor, lose my number, and—”

  He interrupted me quickly. “I can’t do that, Ell.”

  I hung up, glad Daimen insisted I changed my locks.

  Walking to the door of my loft, I found a large bouquet of yellow roses with a note, We adore you. We want to be able to come home to you every night. The thought of you being at our house all the time is all we want. Please don’t give this up.

  * * *

  I hadn’t taken off my necklace since the baseball game. If I couldn’t have my men in my life, I’d wear them around my neck. Racing into my house with my flowers, I searched for a resemblance of the old me in the mirror of my living room. My eyes were sunken in, and my clothes were loose fitting. The only thing that made sense in my reflection was the three pieces of glass, joined together, lying flat on my chest.

  I wouldn’t hide my love for these men. It was time to tell the whole world to fuck off if they couldn’t handle three people loving each other. The epiphany came to me while watching Friends. I guess I owed pop culture and the too-well-known, “We were on a break,” for pulling my head out of my ass. It took Ross and Rachel ten years to find their way back together after that awful mistake of his. I wouldn’t do the same thing.

  A duffle bag was all I needed for my toothbrush, allergy pills, and a change of

  clothes for tomorrow. I didn’t need pajamas because I planned on stripping for my men the second my hands found them. I wanted to surprise them, but at the same time, I’d put them through so much agony over my fear that I’d turn into Lana. I pulled up a group chat and started typing away.

  Me: I’m on my way over. I want to talk. No, forget that. I want to fuck you, make love to you both, and then fuck you again.

  I guess I was officially done fooling myself, just as I was done using replacement words for fuck. I giggled at all the thoughts swirling through my head when I turned my phone off. There needed to be an element of surprise. Taking my cell and shoving it in my purse, I grabbed my overnight bag. I hurried down the steps to the sidewalk to walk the short five blocks to get to my guys.

  Three steps from the stairs, I heard my name, and I turned around, not recognizing the person calling me. It was dark, and my stranger danger kicked in, trying to get away from this person. When this outsider pulled my arm, the adrenaline kicked in. Trying to fight was pointless because I was overpowered, but the next thing I remembered was the pull from the momentum. Pushing me with all the strength this stranger possessed, I only saw the headlights of a car speeding toward me. It was the last thing I remembered before the darkness claimed me.

  52

  Arden

  Still looking at the text from Elliot, I had faith the other two didn’t—that she’d come around. And she had.

  But an hour turned into two. Finally, when I called her for the umpteenth time, a gruff voice answered.

  “Who the hell is this?” I asked.

  “Um, who the hell is this? And who are you calling?” I looked at my phone to make sure I had called Ell.

  “This is Elliot Arnold’s phone, right? I’m her boyfriend. She texted me to tell me she was on her way.”

  “Was just powering up her phone when you called. I’m Officer Damby. Your girlfriend was hit by a car, and it’s not looking good.” I held on to the side of our table that I’d just set for dinner. Sure, Ell had said she wanted to fuck, but I loved feeding her, and she’d lost too much weight in the past couple of weeks. What the hell was I thinking? Nothing made sense as the officer continued to give me details. “I was about to contact an Andrew Peters. On her license, there was a small note attached to it with his information in case of an emergency. Is that you?”

  I couldn’t speak. What was he saying again? My ass almost missed the chair I tried to sit on when he repeated himself. “Sir?”

  “No, Andrew is her best friend. I’ll contact him. Um, we haven’t been together long.”

  “No, Sir, protocol says I need to contact him. Why don’t you call a friend and get yourself over to Mercy right away? And please be careful.”

  Daimen had been in bed all day and refused to turn his phone on. My presence was known in the room when he asked, “Babe, you okay?” We hadn’t been talking much, and I knew he’d blamed me for this—for pushing Ell. But at the end of the day, the stubborn bastard still loved me. “Ell, she texted us. She was coming back to you and me, was on her way over.” My chin hit my chest because I couldn’t look at him when I told him this. “But on her way, there was an accident, and she was hit by a car. It’s touch and go. They aren’t sure she’ll make it.”

  Daimen stood, and out of nowhere, he grabbed my arm. I was not aware he’d crossed the room, but he was kneeling near me. He had to see the tears in my eyes. “I’m scared.” It was all I could say.

  “Come on, babe.” He pulled me into his arms. “Our girl is strong. She’ll pull through.”

  “Our girl?” I asked.

  “Let’s face it, babe, she’s always been our girl, and after this, we won’t ever give up on her again.” Pulling me to my feet, he was the calm in the storm, which was such a role reversal to what we were used to.

  * * *

  Andrew rushed in the hospital like a lightning bolt only minutes after we’d arrived. Not being family, they were very skimpy on any details, but Andrew showed up with a power of attorney in his hands. Along with him, a stranger had come in barking orders and demands.

  “We don’t know anything yet. And they won’t tell us shit because we aren’t family,” Daimen yelled, more at the nurse behind the counter than at Andrew.

  Andrew turned to the strange man now in front of us,
staring at a computer intently. “Well, with this and him, we’ll get more info,” he claimed, waving the power of attorney our way. “Do you see anything in her charts?” he asked the strange man we didn’t know. Was this some boyfriend of his with super hospital skills?

  Andrew’s eyes were intent while we waited for some explanation. “I’m assuming by the looks on your face, you’ve never met my brother before. We were out for dinner when I got the call. This is Jordan Peters. Dr. Jordan Peters.”

  He extended his hand to both of us. “I’m an emergency room physician who just got back from being overseas, but I have privileges here.” Turning back to the screen, he started, “Let’s see. Blunt force trauma. Hit by a midsize car. Was unconscious. Internal bleeding, prepping for surgery.”

  “And?” I asked.

  “And it’s serious.” He looked at his brother. “You should call her family.”

  “Shit, I’ll call her brother. He can deal with his crazies at his own discretion,” Andrew claimed.

  “Make your call, and I’ll go talk to the doc in charge,” he told Andrew and turned to us. He glanced at his watch, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, it’ll be a while before we know anything. I’ll try to get you back there to see her before surgery.” Walking away and stopping for a moment, his voice softened. “I know she’s special to you; as she is to my family. She’s like a little sister to me. Ell’s strong, one of the strongest women I know. If anyone can beat this, it’s her.”

  Jordan Peters was gone in a split second, leaving Daimen and me alone with our thoughts. His hand reached for my shoulder, pulling me in for an embrace. “We can’t lose her, honey, we just can’t,” I uttered as Daimen trembled, and in his tight grip, I could feel his racing heartbeat.

  Daimen, my strong man, nestled his head into the crook of my shoulder. The tears from his face stung my skin as though I was being bit by something. Alone with each other, I couldn’t help but wonder what our life would be like without our girl in it.

  53

  Daimen

  My eyes didn’t leave the doors where Jordan had slipped through on his way to check on our girl. With my concentration on gathering information for Ell, I didn’t know Andrew was back after contacting Elliot’s brother.

  “What did you say again, Andrew?” I clarified, needing something to keep my mind off losing Ell.

  “Her brother is on his way. He’s about twenty minutes away at work. As soon as they get him a replacement for his shift, he’ll be here.”

  “And that is?” I questioned, my eyes still fixed on the fucking door.

  “He’s a fireman.” Andrew paused, jumping from his chair. “Oh, there’s Scar,” he announced, and she leaned into me, blocking the view to all things Elliot.

  With Scarlet still in the path of the door, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and looked up to see Jordan. “I can get you and Arden back there now for a little bit. And then with Andrew present, the doc can talk to you.”

  Arden, Andrew, and I jumped up quickly, but Andrew was the only one with sense. “Scar, keep a look out for Ell’s brother. He’s a fireman.” Scarlet loved men in a uniform, and I knew this was serious when she didn’t smile at the thought of interacting with one.

  In the sterile room, Ell was so small and fragile, hooked up to machines. I stopped at the door, unable to enter at first, but Arden flew to her, kneeling by her side. This grown man was always my rock, but now, he was sobbing like a baby.

  It took a couple of seconds to force my body to move closer to Elliot’s. I grasped the hand free of IVs, and the other found Arden’s strong shoulders. “Arden, babe, she’ll pull through. She has to.”

  “She’s our foundation. The one we’ll build everything on. She has to be okay, Daimen. She just fucking has to be.”

  * * *

  “Your girlfriend …” The doctor looked at Arden and me, waiting for us to let him know which one of us belonged to Elliot. We both nodded, and with a tilting of his head to the side, he continued, “has suffered internal bleeding, but we can’t find the source. Thankfully, the MRI shows only a minor concussion, but nothing we’re too concerned about. She lost consciousness, but it’s the internal bleeding that is causing her damage.” He paused, and we thought that was it. “Your girlfriend was very lucky, especially as I understand she was pushed. I’ll have a nurse brief Dr. Peters later.”

  He started to walk away when the words hit me. “What? Pushed?”

  “It’s what the police mentioned. They’ve told us to let them know the instant Ms. Arnold wakes for a statement. Now, if you’ll excuse me, you can stay with her for a couple more minutes.”

  Arden was frozen, but my body wanted to punch something. “Daimen,” Andrew warned, “you hurting someone won’t help Ell. Go sit with her. We’ll sort out this part after Ell is back in surgery.”

  He was damn right I wanted to hurt someone. A petite blonde on the other side of Chicago who charged five hundred dollars for a haircut. How could I have ever loved a woman who could do this to someone else?

  * * *

  Arden and my fingers were interlocked with Elliot’s, willing her to open her eyes. As though she’d heard us, her eyelids fluttered for the briefest of seconds. Her lip immediately trembled, and a couple of jerky movements told us all we needed to know. Her fear was palpable. “Shh, Ell, we are here. You’re okay,” Arden answered the questions her mouth couldn’t ask. “You’ve been in an accident, hot stuff.”

  “Oh, beautiful, you scared us.” Her lips tried to move. “Don’t speak. It’s okay.”

  But she was a stubborn woman. Why should this be any different? “Text?”

  “Yes, hot stuff, we got your text,” Arden said, squeezing our hands that were still interlinked.

  “Sorry.” A tear escaped her eye, and I wiped at it before it had a chance to spill from her face.

  “It’s okay, hot stuff. We’re here. Together. The three of us, three strong,” Arden continued.

  “Beautiful, do you remember anything?” I asked, ready to rain down a justice of my own on the person who’d hurt our girl. In her eyes, I could see she was replaying the events in her mind. “Was it Lana?” I knew it, and there was not an ounce of love from the past that could save her. But when she shook her head, I was stunned. “Keith?” I asked, and again, her head shook as sobs wracked her body.

  All I could understand was one word. “Picture. Picture. Picture.” With that being the only thing she was shouting over and over again, the doctor came in and ordered a sedative. We kissed her and left part of our heart on the little gurney in the sterile hospital room with the word picture screaming in my mind. What the hell did that mean? If it wasn’t Lana or Keith, who’d have a beef with Ell? I’d find out and hell would not save him.

  54

  Arden

  Scarlet was chatting with a fireman when we walked out of the double doors leading to the waiting room. He rushed to Andrew, pulling him in for a bro hug. “What the hell happened?” His voice shared our same deep fear that this girl we loved wouldn’t pull through.

  “Hit by a car. Actually, pushed,” Andrew said.

  Scarlet’s eyes reached ours with the same thoughts both Daimen and I had had. “No, it wasn’t Lana. Ell was awake long enough to tell us.”

  “Fucking Keith. If I get my hands on him, he’s a dead man!” Levi yelled, again with the second assumption we’d both had.

  “No, it wasn’t Keith. She kept on saying picture over and over again. It made no sense.”

  Levi turned his body toward us. “You must be the men who are in love with my sister. Stubborn woman that she is—put her happiness on the line for those shit bag parents of ours.” Extending his hand, he said, “I’m Levi, the black sheep of the family ’cause I don’t give two shits how people want me to live my life.”

  I instantly liked her brother, and by all our conversations of her family, Levi was the one bright spot in Ell’s fucked-up lineage.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not like
the rest of them.” He paused. “Andrew asked me to call our parents, and this may be wrong, but I can’t take them, not right now. Andrew knows Ell’s wishes, that’s why she was smart enough to give him power of attorney. And I’ll wait before I call them.” Rubbing his fingers through the same blonde curls that Ell had, he closed his eyes for the briefest moment. Upon opening them, they were filled with tears. “If I lose Ell, I’m literally losing part of me. If I find the fucker who hurt her, there is nowhere he can hide.”

  “Not if I get him first,” Daimen added. All we could do was sit and wait—hoping for the best.

  * * *

  “Jordan, how long do you think the surgery will take?” I questioned, all of us huddled in a corner of the ER waiting room.

  “Um, as long as it takes for them to find the source of her bleeding. I assume a while.”

  I stood to stretch my long legs as a pregnant woman was wheeled in with her smiling partner next to her. That was supposed to be us. I turned to covet every second I could soak in of the couple about to fulfill one of my biggest dreams—starting a family together. For now, I experienced their joy vicariously through them. From filling out the paperwork to all the nurses asking her what she was having, it was a sight I still held for Daimen, Elliot, and me.

  “I have to get out of here for a bit.” With my declaration, Daimen stood as if he was coming with me. “No, you stay here. I’ll just be a call away,” I insisted. Scarlet stood, linking her arm with mine.

  “Daimen, you stay. I’ll keep Arden company and out of trouble,” she chimed in. I wasn’t getting out of here without a chaperone.

  “Honey,” Scarlet began, “Ell will be okay, you know.” We crossed the double doors to the outside, the end of winter hitting us right in the face.

  “How the fuck do you know that, Scar?” I roared as the blood in her face drained. “Ah, hell, Scar, I’m so sorry.” Her comforting hands embraced me when tears hit my cheeks, and I had no idea I was crying. “We just got her back. I can’t lose her, Scar, I just can’t.”