A Beautiful Heartbreak ( NYC Series #1) Read online

  Amazing.

  She was amazing.

  I needed more of her.

  Harder.

  Faster.

  Louder.

  The room became lighter.

  I wasn’t done yet, neither was she.

  I could never have enough of her.

  Chapter 23 – Ki

  Alexa grinned at me when I finally made it down to the office the next morning. Prescot and I had every intention of waking before Alexa, but we couldn’t seem to make it far from the bed before we were wrapped up in each other again. This side of Prescot was one I could get used to: his playful, frisky side, his gentle laugh, and the softness behind his eyes. His eyes were usually so guarded, haunted, and it broke my heart to think of what memories dulled his sparkle. He hasn’t opened up about it, though I know when he’s ready, if he ever will be ready, he’ll share with me.

  After showering together, and two failed attempts at getting dressed, we finally said goodbye, with Prescot’s promise that he’d see me sooner rather than later. I tried to scrub the goofy grin off my face before I walked into the office, but as soon as I saw Alexa, it was impossible to hide.

  She raised an eyebrow after giving me a look over. “Sleep well?”

  I flopped onto my chair with a sigh. “Alexa, I know I’ve been out of the game for a long time, but does it always feel so . . . magical?” I whispered, afraid to voice how much last night affected me.

  Her face softened, a small grin played on her lips. “No, sometimes it’s downright . . . clumsy.”

  We both laughed, and she told me her horror stories of bedroom mishaps. Of rope burn, underperformers, guys who were sure they’d ‘rock her world’ when she wasn’t even sure what they were trying to do. I nearly peed my pants when she told me about the guy who lost the key to the handcuffs they were using and he called his roommate for help . . . and by roommate, he meant his mom.

  I wiped a tear from my eyes. “I know I only have one other man to compare last night and this morning too,” Alexa’s eyes widened in amusement, “but Prescot is the most amazing man I have ever had,” I gushed.

  “And Brayden?” Alexa questioned.

  “Brayden who?” I smiled, knowing that Prescot could free my trapped heart.

  “So, it was magical?”

  “Yes.” I kept spinning my chair in circles. I was doing it on purpose because it always made Alexa sick and I was distracting her from thinking about the detective.

  “You gotta stop, Ki!”

  I pushed my chair into another turn, and put my arms out. “But it’s fun!”

  “You know I get sick easily.”

  “Deal with it.”

  “I can’t watch other people spin in their chairs. I can’t focus on your face. However, I can spin for hours and not have any issues, but not you,” she grabbed my chair mid-spin and got in my face, “I’ll puke on you.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  “Don’t test me,” she said pulling my chair out from behind my desk and pushing me across our small lobby. I put my feet down before the chair hit the door.

  I heard her laugh, and I started to laugh as I put my knee on the seat and pushed myself back over to my desk. “We’ve been working our asses off for years, and I think we need a little more fun in our life.”

  “You’re usually the frugal one.”

  “I know, but I’ll figure it all out.”

  “Do you still have that check?”

  “Yes, but it’s for a security system.”

  “Sucks being an adult sometimes.”

  “It does.”

  “Have you heard from your mom?”

  “No.”

  “Father?”

  “Which one?”

  “Can I laugh at that?”

  I smiled, and she laughed then answered the phone when it rang. “Thanks for calling Two Girls Investigate, this is one of them, how may I help you?”

  I checked my phone to see what time Prescot was picking me up. He scored some tickets to a show on Broadway and I’ve never been, so I was extremely excited for it. I was even going to wear one of Alexa’s fancy dresses. I had four more hours before he’d be here, and I already had my hair straightened, so I just had to apply a little makeup and change into her clothes.

  She hung up and said that there was a last-minute envelope that needed to be served, so we locked up and went to see Josh. Well, she did. I stayed outside and waited for her.

  “We’re going to Times Square,” she said waving the envelope. I loved it there. No matter how many times we have visited Times Square since living in New York, I never get over the excitement and noise. I feel like a tourist each time we go, my head spinning, trying to take in the bright colors, the billboards, and the rest of the tourists. Times Square was like a melting pot; people from all over the world came to do all the touristy stops: Madam Tussauds amazing wax museum, The Hard Rock café, all the incredible stores. I felt impossibly small surrounded by millions of people, skyscrapers, and the glowing neon billboards. I couldn’t hear my heart hammer in my chest each time over the loud chatter, horns honking, and the sounds of the bus tours trudging by. But every time I stepped foot in Times Square, I was reminded of how much I love this city, and how this will always be my home. I stood a few feet away while Alexa rocked her hips to the man we were serving when someone bumped my arm. I glanced up at Lucas, who didn’t look at me.

  “You better get the picture.”

  Pulling the camera back, I waited. “What do you want, Lucas?”

  “You need to call your father.”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “He’s being patient right now, Ki, but it might not last much longer.”

  I clicked a few times. “Are you threatening me now?”

  “Fuck, Ki, I wouldn’t do that,” he said, and I dropped my camera. “I’m just saying he’s not the nicest guy.”

  “I get that, but I’m still processing,” I lied. I knew I was going to do it, but making him wait felt like I still had a little control over him.

  He glanced up at Alexa, who was walking toward us and said, “Process faster.”

  Then he got swept away in the crowd.

  “What did he want?” she asked, as I stood.

  “My father wants my decision.”

  “Make the asshole wait.”

  “I am.”

  She hooked her arm in mine, and we started walking. “So, you’re doing it?”

  “Yes. Is that bad?”

  “I knew you’d do it, Ki. The thought of someone dying, and knowing you could have saved their life would haunt you forever, and you’d regret it.”

  “Same thing Prescot said.”

  “You told him before me?”

  “He guessed.”

  “I like him. He’s good for you.”

  “I still can’t believe he likes me. We both know he could have anyone. He’s totally out of my league. It still feels like it’s not even real. Like it’s all a dream. And I think he liked me when I had the stupid braces on.”

  “He saw you, Ki, not your braces.”

  We made it back with a few hours to spare. Alexa helped me get ready, checked my eyebrows, and applied a little too much makeup, but she was having fun. Despite all the crap in my life, I was in a good mood.

  I was seeing Prescot.

  We both jumped when someone knocked on the door, and we looked at each other. “He’s not supposed to be here yet,” I told her standing up to check my face. It didn’t look that bad.

  “I’ll stall him while you finish getting ready.”

  I ran to my room, shut the door, and stripped off my clothes. I pulled the long sleeves on and then tied the wrap dress perfectly to the side. I did a few squats to test the slit it gave; I couldn’t be showing off my thong to strangers. I sniffed my armpits, they were good; I splashed a tiny amount of perfume in all the places Alexa told me to and ran my fingers through my hair. I grabbed my clutch and cell phone off the charger and checked
my messages. There was nothing from him, but maybe he was going to surprise me with something before the show. Or maybe he just couldn’t wait to see me.

  I admired myself one more time.

  I turned around as the door opened and Alexa was standing in front of me, with tears in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Prescot.”

  “Duh, but why are you crying?”

  “Ki.” A familiar voice came from behind her and I looked over Alexa’s shoulder.

  “Molly? What are you doing here?”

  “There was an accident.”

  Chapter 24 - Ki

  I was sitting in the chair at the end of Prescot’s hospital bed, waiting for him to wake up. I’ve been here every day for two weeks. The first week was rough because they kept him in a medically induced coma to help with the swelling on his brain and spine. I worked every day, but came up and stayed with him most nights. Two days after they weaned him off the medicine, he woke up.

  According to the police report and the information the nursing staff was able to give me, Prescot got into an accident on the way home from the florist. He was found, lifeless, on the street clutching a broken bouquet of peonies. Apparently, someone was driving, completely out of their mind high and drunk, striking him along with a few others, on the sidewalk. The police report claimed that the driver mistook the curve and lost control of the vehicle. Prescot was the first person to meet the impact of the man’s SUV, and he had the most severe of injuries. From what I heard, the other four people had already left the hospital and are in various stages of recovery.

  I needed to know what we were dealing with so I could be what Prescot needed me to be. Alexa begged me not to search for a video, but I couldn’t help myself. Somehow, there was one leaked onto the internet, probably from a traffic cam or nearby security camera. Prescot was already dressed in his suit, and when the car struck him, he flew up over the windshield; his head bounced off a pole before his body landed on the edge of the back end of the SUV. I was not prepared to watch as people screamed for help, the sickening thud Prescot’s strong body made as it made contact with the pavement, or how his body twitched and bled on the sidewalk.

  Molly was listed as Prescot’s emergency contact, and that’s why she came that day to the apartment. With tears in her eyes, she told Alexa that we needed to go to the hospital and that Prescot was in critical condition. With my heart in my throat, and breath barely filling my lungs, I rushed out of the apartment with Alexa and Molly on my heels. The first night, the nurses and officers wouldn’t give me any information as per the HIPPA laws. They knew I wasn’t going anywhere, and when his lawyer showed up, Thomas Hopkins from his firm, they backed off and allowed me to see him.

  I held his cold, heavy hand for one week straight. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, willing him to wake up. Every single moment we spent together ran through my mind like an unfinished movie, and I just hoped that we would have the chance to see it through.

  I didn’t know what I was prepared for when Prescot finally woke up. I knew there was a chance he would be confused, upset, or scared, but I was completely unprepared for his anger and frustration. And this Prescot, another side of him I hadn’t seen before, was angry, frustrated, and annoyed.

  It wasn’t good.

  Prescot wasn’t good with needing help and leaning on people. His nurses stayed away unless they were doing their rounds. His physical therapist had been up a few times, but Prescot refused the help. He said he’d do it on his own and just wanted to go home. He can, just not yet. He’s not strong enough.

  I knew he was awake by the change in his breathing.

  “Don’t think, Prescot, just breathe. I know your mind must be going a million miles an hour, and that your thoughts are jumbled. But all you have to do is listen to my voice and breathe. Let my voice calm your thoughts and fears.”

  “Why are you here?” he mumbled.

  The bed squeaked, which meant he was sitting up so I closed the Kindle app on my phone. I had my feet up on the side of his bed, far enough away that he couldn’t reach them, because yesterday he pushed them off the bed.

  He didn’t want me here.

  But he doesn’t know me that well because I wasn’t going anywhere.

  I looked up from my phone, “Why wouldn’t I be here?”

  “Ki,” he warned, but that doesn’t work anymore.

  “I’m not leaving, Prescot. Just like I told you yesterday and the day before, I’m not leaving.” I dropped my feet and stood. “You can’t make me.”

  “I hit the button for the nurse.”

  I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “You don’t want me to leave.”

  “You don’t have to be here.”

  I kissed his lips, even though he’s yet to kiss me back since he woke up. “I want to be here.”

  “I don’t know why.”

  “If you think I’m going to walk away because you had an accident, then you hit your head a little too hard, Prescot.”

  “Not funny.”

  I kissed his lips again. “I miss your smile, Prescot.”

  “Go away,” he grumbled, closing his eyes.

  He was dealing with a lot and I would be here for him regardless of what he said. “No thanks,” I whispered in his ear while running my hand over his cheek. “I miss your words.”

  He didn’t reply and he didn’t open his eyes, so I sat back down in the chair as the nurse came in to check on him but he just told her to go away. She didn’t though. She checked his vitals and fluids, and I excused myself while she did a few other things that I knew embarrassed him. I pulled my phone back out to finish the chapter I was reading but got a text message before I could read.

  It was from Lucas, again. Still wanting me to talk to my father, who had been silent since the night we met. I ignored him. I had been for two weeks, despite his attempts to talk to me in public. He was worried about me and I understood why, but he was overstepping. He was supposed to protect me from my father’s enemies, not be my friend. I still felt bad about the whole situation, but I had to move on from it and so did he.

  I liked Prescot.

  I opened my Kindle again but got interrupted before the book could even load.

  “He doesn’t want you to go back in,” the young nurse told me.

  “Too bad.”

  “Visiting hours are over in twenty minutes.”

  “I’ve been staying here every night for almost two weeks.” I pushed passed her and went back into the room. He was still sitting up watching something on the TV in the corner of the room, though it was muted.

  “Ki.”

  “I’m not leaving.”

  “You should.”

  “I know you don’t like to talk, Prescot, so I’ll tell you one more time how this is going to happen.” I sat back in the chair and put my feet back up. “I like you. I’m here for you, and I don’t understand why you can’t get that through your thick head. You had a terrible accident, and you have a long recovery ahead of you. You’ll be able to walk again, but you can’t do it alone. And I won’t let you do it alone. The times we’ve been together meant something to me. You’re the second person I’ve been with, and it meant more to me than the first time. I know you like me. I know it was just as special to me as it was to you. So, no Prescot, I’m not going anywhere. You’ll get used to me.”

  Chapter 25 – Ki

  “What do you mean I can’t go back?” I was standing at the nurses’ station, tapping my foot in frustration. I held a coffee in my hand that I knew was starting to grow cold. The nurse I was speaking with, Stella, had been kind to me every time I saw her. The floor was quiet, with the occasional patient walking slowly up and down the hallway with the assistance of a nurse or family member.

  Stella put her paper down and led me away from the desk toward the family waiting room. “Look,” Stella said, “he’s a lawyer. He threatened to sue, and the hospital doesn’t want any problems.”

 
; I glanced behind her and down the hallway to his door. There was a security guard standing in front of Prescot’s door. I entertained the idea of trying to distract him, though the scowl on his face and the bulge of his arms change my mind. Stella looked in his direction before lightly steering me into the family waiting room. She gestured me to sit on one of the plush green chairs and she sat next to me.

  “That asshole.”

  “Honey, that man is in denial. He needs to adjust and accept what happened and get on with his recovery. Far as I know, he doesn’t have anyone but you and that lawyer friend of his.”

  She was right. Molly told me he didn’t have anyone else. He was an only child, and his parents passed away shortly before he married Vicki. He was a private man, kept to himself, and worked too much.

  “Can I call his room?” I asked thinking of a way to get to him. I knew if he saw me, he’d remove the stupid security guard.

  She gave me a sad smile and shook her head. “He doesn’t answer the room phone, turned the volume off.”

  “If I called his cell, he’d know it was me.”

  “Just give him a few days,” she said patting my arm. “Men are stubborn and don’t like to feel weak.”

  “Thanks.”

  She stood and gave me one last smile before she walked away. I sat there for a few minutes, sipping my room-temperature coffee and trying to let what she told me settle in my mind. What the hell am I going to do with this man?

  Walking home, I wasn’t sure what to think. I knew he was stubborn, and what he went through was horrible and life changing but he’d be able to walk again. His life would go back to the way it used to be. The feeling of being shut out by someone I was developing feelings for was all too familiar. I wasn’t sure if I was in love with Prescot, but I easily could be given some more time. But he wanted to shut me out as if the few moments we shared didn’t mean anything, but I knew they did.

  They meant something to the both of us, and I wasn’t going to walk away. I didn’t fight for Brayden; I just let him go.

  This time I was fighting for what I wanted.