Forgot To Tell You Something: An Angsty, Later in Life Romance

I hoist the five steaming-hot pizzas from the trunk of my car and head into the shelter. Things are tense between Tally and me at the moment, but I’m hoping a delicious hunk of bread and cheese might soothe her nerves.

I hate the distance between us, and I know it’s because of Charlotte’s reappearance in my life. Hell, I don’t blame Tally for being angry. I know how bad it looks.

I also know that my tiny vixen has little to no faith in me or my motives.

In other words? I’m beyond screwed.

But I’m not giving up. Tally is the greatest woman I’ve ever known, and I’ll fight until the end to bring her back to me.

“What are you doing back here?” I turn to see Tally leaning against Beth’s office door, arms crossed over her chest, and a curious expression on her face.

“I brought pizza for everyone.”

She nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. My woman is sexy without trying. Actually, the less she tries, the sexier she becomes, and right now, she’s so delectable that I’m having trouble containing myself.

“That’s most awesome of you.”

“It gets better.” I hand Tally the smallest box. “One personal supreme pizza with extra supremeness.”

“Are you plying me with pizza?” she questions, opening the box lid and letting out a moan of contentment.

“Absolutely. I’m no fool. I’m well aware that you have a distinct weakness for pizza.”

“Among other things.”

And just like that, my dick is hard as a rock. Damn these tight jeans.

I run my eyes along the length of her body in a blatant eye fuck. Pregnancy looks good as hell on this woman. “Don’t start something, Darlin, you don’t plan on finishing.”

Tally winks at me, giving those luscious hips a shake. “Oh, I’ll finish, alright. I’ll eat this entire pizza.”

I chuckle as she strolls back into Beth’s office. Fire. Pure fire.

The pies aren’t on the table two minutes before the residents peek into the kitchen, their eyes widening with glee at the surprise.

To be fair, I bought the pizzas because my gorgeous girl needs to eat. I know she’s pregnant, or at least I’m 99.9% positive about that fact. She needs to take care of herself, and Tally sucks at self-care.

That’s where I come in.

But the pizza purchase isn’t just for Tally’s benefit. The women and children living in the shelter treat the smallest kindness as if you’d handed them the keys to the kingdom.

They’re far more used to abuse than kindness, and their smiles as they dig in are worth every penny.

I feel a bump to my right and glance down to see Tally giving me a hip check, a piece of pizza in one hand. “Thank you. You made their day.”

“Am I still in the doghouse?”

“Yes, but at least you’re not chained to it anymore. There’s hope for everyone.” She giggles as I swipe a bite off her pizza, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

“Where the fuck is she?” a male voice thunders through the house. Across the kitchen, one of the newer residents, Marla, drops her pizza to the floor.

“Oh my God, no,” she whispers, pushing her young son behind her in a protective gesture. “How did he find me?”

“Stay there,” Tally warns, tossing her pizza box onto the table. “I’ll handle this.”

“Like hell you will,” I thunder, grasping her shoulders and forcing her to look at me. “You stay here, too. I’ll go handle this. Call the cops.”

Tally nods, grasping my hand. “Be careful, Owen.”

I press a kiss to her palm, forcing a smile. “Always.”

I’m no slouch in the boxing department, but I’m sure as hell hoping I can reason with this man, at least until the cops arrive.

As soon as he catches sight of me, I realize that a logical discussion is not an option.

He charges, and I barely manage to block his swing. “Where the fuck is she? Where is the little whore?”

I raise my hands, my voice belying the apprehension in my belly. I can tell from his dilated pupils and the stench of his breath that he’s high on a menagerie of drugs and alcohol. “You need to calm down. This is a private residence, and you are trespassing.”

“I don’t need to do shit. You tell me where Marla is right now, or you’re going to be sorry.”

“You think taking a swing at me is going to help your cause? The cops are en route, so the best thing you can do is walk away. Right. Now.”

I plant my feet, prepared for the drunkard’s onslaught. His inebriated state throws him off balance, and when he lunges, he goes down. This only infuriates him further as he stumbles to his feet.

“Get out of my way, man,” he bellows.

“Get out of this house,” I repeat, stretching to my full height. I have him by at least four inches, but he’s got forty pounds of fat on me. Then I hear the sirens in the distance. Thankfully, the cops set a new speed record today.

If the man hears the sirens, he doesn’t let on. Instead, his glare fixes on something past me, and I know intrinsically that Tally has disobeyed my direct order to stay in the kitchen. “You! I should have known you were behind this.”

I have to hand it to Tally. If she’s afraid, she isn’t letting on. She marches right past me; her finger only inches underneath the man’s nose. “Get out, Earl. You know the rules. You want to go back to the slammer again?”

“Fucking bitch,” he mutters, as I grab Tally, pushing her behind me.

“I told you to stay put,” I hiss, turning just in time for Earl’s fist to connect with my face.

Getting punched sucks, and trust me when I say that it doesn’t get any easier the older you get. Getting punched because one petite punk princess opted not to stay put sucks even worse. Lucky for her luscious ass, I love her.

Twenty minutes later, the cops have come and gone, hauling off the piece of trash named Earl. Now, I’m in the kitchen, a bag of frozen peas on my face and a panic-stricken Tally flitting all around me.

I wonder how many sexual favors I can garner from taking a hit for her? I know I’m a dog, but seriously; I wonder. “Darlin, sit down. I’m okay.”

“I’m so sorry,” Tally pulls the bag from my face, pressing gingerly on my jaw. “He was aiming for me.”

“I know, which is why I’m glad I got you out of harm’s way.”

She stands in front of me, wringing her hands, her gaze focused on the ground as she gnaws her lower lip. “This is all my fault.”

“Think you might listen to me once in a while? Just every so often, for kicks?”

“I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”

I smile, despite the soreness in my face. I’m lucky Earl was so inebriated. He didn’t throw with the full force of his body weight behind him. Otherwise, the fat bastard might have broken my jaw. As it stands, I’m walking away with a bruise and a hell of a story.

“Don’t worry, I have a long list of favors I plan on calling in over the next week. All sexual in nature, of course.”

“I can’t believe you’re joking at a time like this,” she murmurs, but I see the blush skitter across her cheeks. It’s almost worth the punch to see my old Tally again.

“Trust me, I’m not joking.”

Tally giggles, placing a fresh bag of frozen vegetables against my face. If Tally is distraught, Marla is beside herself with worry.

“I’m so sorry, Dr. Stevens,” Marla whispers, clutching my forearm.

The poor woman. She wears a multitude of scars from years of abuse. “Marla, I’m glad it was me who took that punch and not one of you. You’ve endured enough.”

“I’m worried he’ll come back,” Marla states, her hands trembling. “That restraining order isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.”

Tally puts an arm around her, soothing her nerves. “Beth and I are working on finding you a new home. Somewhere far away, where he can’t hurt you again.”

“I don’t think I can move far enough away to satisfy that man.” Marla hangs her head, dejected.

That’s when I realize why Marla seems familiar. She’s the woman Tally examined in the emergency department—a sexual assault case. No wonder Earl seemed so hellbent to hurt both women; he views Tally as the reason Marla is no longer his personal punching bag. That realization settles one thing for me—Tally is moving in, and I don’t care what argument she presents.

If Earl found Marla this easily, he can no doubt apply those sleuthing skills to the woman I love.

That’s not a chance I’m willing to take.

 I groan when the reminder pops up on my phone. In all the excitement of the day, I forgot about my meeting with Charlotte and yet another investor. I swear, I’m juggling more PR now than I did during the initial launch.

I’m fully aware that my ex-fiancée could field many of these meetings by herself, but I hope that if I play nice, this project will achieve a speedy liftoff, and Charlotte will be on a private jet back to San Francisco. Far away from my new life with Tally.

Hey, a man can dream.

I left the shelter about an hour after Earl, assuring both Beth and Marla—about a million times—that I was fine. I then reminded Tally with a nip to the earlobe that she owed me, and I planned to collect.

I hate how little I see my girl lately—a few moments at the hospital, or at some public event, where stripping her naked and licking every inch of her is frowned upon.

Not that I wouldn’t do it. All Tally has to do is smile with that come-hither look, and I’d take her right then, no questions asked.

That’s what the woman does to me. The best part? She really doesn’t see it.

The doorbell rings, and I groan again. It better not be Charlotte. She’s made it a habit of dropping by my condo, despite my repeated protests.

I swing open the door, a smile crossing my face.

It’s not Charlotte.

Instead, my tiny vixen stands on the threshold, a bag of goodies in her arms. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.” I stand aside, letting her into our condo. Well, it will be ours when her stubborn ass finally moves in. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Tally sets the bag on the counter, pivoting toward me with a smile on her lips. “I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“I’m fine,” I reply, closing the distance between us, my hands running the length of her arms. “Is that the only reason you came by?”

She bites her lower lip, and I have to hold myself back from ripping off every stitch of her clothing. “I may have had an ulterior motive.”

“Do tell.”

“Well, besides the repayment plan, of which we are both in debt, I wanted to talk to you.”

“Good talk or bad talk?”

“I think it’s good, but I’ll let you make that decision.”

I smile, brushing my lips across her forehead as I will my heart to settle. She’s finally going to tell me, so I can stop wondering and start preparing for our new arrival. Hey, I got three bedrooms for a reason. “Can I get you a drink? Water, I presume?” I fill up a glass and offer it to her, leaning against the counter with a smirk. “How long are you on the wagon for, Darlin?”

She giggles, sipping the water. “I guess that depends. How’s your jaw?”

“Sore, but I figure I’ll invent some crazy story for the guys at work about how I acquired it.”

“Isn’t the truth crazy enough?”

“Good point. So, what did you want to talk about?” Yes, I’m pushing. The sooner Tally tells me, the sooner I tell her I’m thrilled and then proceed to give her about a dozen long overdue orgasms. “Do you want to sit down or—”

The peal of the doorbell cuts through my words. Fuck.

This time, there’s no doubt in my mind who’s knocking. Charlotte.

No matter how innocent it is in reality, this doesn’t look good.

Tally’s gaze shutters, locking me out. She already knows who’s on the other side of the door. “I should have realized you’d be busy. I’m interrupting.”

“No, you’re not. I have this stupid meeting with Charlotte and an investor. She was supposed to meet me at the restaurant. Just hold on for a moment.”

“So, I’m definitely interrupting.” Tally grabs her purse and phone, giving the bag of food a forlorn look. “You two…enjoy those. There are all kinds of goodies in there.”

“I’m going to cancel the meeting. Charlotte can handle it herself.”

Tally places her hand on my arm, stopping my forward movement. “Owen, I’m the one who dropped by unannounced. I’m the one intruding. Keep your plans.”

Christ, I feel the chasm growing between us with every word that falls from her lips. “You wanted to talk to me.”

“It’s not important.”

“It’s not?” I want to scream that our child is the most important thing in this world, but I bite my tongue.

Tally strides over to the door, greeting my ex-fiancée. “Hello, Charlotte.”

“Tallulah. I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

My darling girl manages a smile, but I see the tears brimming in her eyes from across the room. Every tear she sheds is a knife in my gut. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was checking on Owen, making sure he was okay.”

“Why? What happened?” Charlotte’s gaze swings to me, her pupils dilating when she notices the bruise on my jaw. “What in the world? Was this from that punk bar you’ve been frequenting? I know you went there last night after the dinner.”

Thanks for the sympathy, bitch.

“Owen protected a woman from her abusive ex at the shelter.” Tally holds my gaze, sending me a half-hearted smile. “He’s a hero once again. Anyway, I know you two have a busy evening, so I’ll leave you to it. Good night.”

It’s ironic. Charlotte was raised with a team of nannies to ensure her manners were on point. Yet, it’s Tally, raised by ordinary citizens, who’s the real class act.

Yet another reason I’m so damn crazy about Tally, and why I hate how bad this entire situation feels. I know this training facility will save lives, but it’s not worth losing the woman I love, and I feel her slipping through my fingers.

“Hold on a minute,” I bark, chasing Tally down the hallway. I swing her around, cupping her face and claiming her mouth. I know that Charlotte is watching this entire scene play out, and I’m glad. Both women need to know where my loyalties—and heart—lie.

I only pray it works.

“I’ll come over as soon as I’m done,” I murmur against Tally’s lips, willing her to understand one last time.

But she pushes away, her eyes scanning my face. “It will keep, Owen. I promise. Charlotte is waiting. You need those investors.”

“I need you.” I’ve never meant those words more in my life, but it’s too little, too late.

The elevator opens, and Tally steps in, offering a mouthed ‘good luck’ and a thumbs up before the doors close. Seconds later, I’m left staring at my reflection in the polished metal.

For the first time, Tally didn’t kiss me back.

I trudge back to the apartment, my anger escalating with every step. “What part of I’ll meet you at the restaurant, didn’t you understand?” I demand, slamming the door with a vehement swing.

“I assumed this would be easier.”

“No, you hoped it would cause waves between me and Tally, which it did. Bravo, Charlotte.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?”

“Yes. Another stunt like this one tonight, and I’m off the deal. Training facility be damned.”

Charlotte’s eyes widen. “You can’t mean that.”

“Yes, I can. You and your Daddy are just wallets. I can find another one.” I whirl on her, my eyes flashing. “Are you having me followed?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You knew I was at Wicked Chucks last night.”

“You…you mentioned it at the dinner.”

“No, I didn’t, because my life isn’t any of your business. Outside of these meetings, what I do, and who I do it with is none of your concern. So, tell me, are you having me followed?”

“You’re a valuable commodity, Owen. Daddy wants to protect his investment.”

“I’m a human being, not a goddamn stock option!”

“You think I don’t know that,” Charlotte bellows back, and it’s almost frightening to see her show of emotion. “You think he treats me any differently? We’re all chattel to him, Owen. But you have a chance to change the face of medicine. This couple we are meeting with tonight has the means to fund the training center single handedly. I know you’re angry, I know you feel like a dancing bear, but this could secure your financial future.”

“The money means nothing.”

“But helping people does. The bruise on your jaw proves that. The way you look at Tallulah proves how much certain people mean to you. This would help them. All of them. Don’t forget, cooperate now, and I’ll help Tallulah later.”

Christ, nothing like a good bribe to keep you on the straight and narrow. She’s right though, on more than one count. This procedure will save countless lives, and the coordinator position would be a gigantic step up for my Tally. I’m happy to take care of her the rest of my life, but I know my girl, she’s far too stubborn to allow that to happen.

At this point, I’ll be lucky if she even considers dating me again.

With a resigned sigh, I grab my wallet and motion to the door. “One dancing bear at your service. We might as well get this over with.”