Share
He's Proud
Related chapters
Getting Lucky Oncologist
EMBERThe look on Kaden’s face as he listened to whatever he was being told on the phone was unlike any I’d ever seen him wear, which was saying something since I’d been carefully studying his reactions since I was a preteen and only just starting to realize that boys didn’t really have cooties.It shifted from anger, annoyance, and suspicion about what else I might have been hiding from him, to shock, dread, and, worst of all, fear. The combination left a blank mask in its place that scared the crap out of me.It was almost like he felt so many things in such a short space of time that he just switched off. And that, more than anything, made me connect the dots.Hank. Something had happened, and that call was to let Kaden know. My heart sputtered, its sporadic beats pounding in my ears. I suddenly felt like someone had a vise grip around my neck, choking me and cutting off my air supply.No matter how hard I tried or how deep I gulped, it felt like my lungs refused to expand. I was f
Getting Lucky It Means More
Ember“What’s his prognosis?” He all but whispered, looking the doctor right in the eyes. If Dr. Christie had noticed the size of the bomb he had just inadvertently dropped on Kaden, he didn’t let on.He ran a hand through his graying hair, but there was nothing casual about the gesture. I didn’t know the man, but I recognized the signs when I saw them. In front of me was a man who was about to deliver really bad news. The lines on his face seemed to deepen right before my eyes, a ragged exhale and a soft shake of his head confirming my fears.“Your dad is on life support,” he said. At least he had the decency and probably the years of experience that allowed his voice to remain steady and to keep his gaze firm on Kaden’s. He wasn’t going to give him any false hope or make any promises he knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep. “At the moment, these machines are the only thing keeping him alive.”This time, I definitely felt him sway. He was holding my hand so tightly it felt like it
Getting Lucky Pull the Plug
KADENMy dad’s hand was ice cold in mine. His chest rose and fell in simulated breaths, his skin a sickly gray under the lights in his room. Machines hummed and beeped, but I was barely aware of the sounds.For twenty-seven years, the man lying on the bed in front of me had been my tormentor. Apart from brief moments in time, a day here and week or two there, he had been brutal.He pushed me every second of every day, and he never took “no” or “I’m tired” as an answer. If I got eighty percent on a test, he’d asked where the other twenty went. If I came in second place in debate, he told me to bother with preparation next time. It was the same with everything else.No matter what I did or how well I did, I just never did quite well enough. I never quite satisfied his expectations. He just kept pushing and pushing, and eventually, I started pushing back. It’d been that way for years now. Since way before I went to Harvard or came to New York to work for him. In many ways, it felt like
Getting Lucky He's Already Gone
Kaden“I’m not taking him off fucking life support,” I snapped, enraged that this man had the nerve to stand in front of me and tell me we were out of options. “You are going to figure out something else, or I’ll have him moved to another hospital where the doctors are competent enough to actually do something for their patients.”Dr. Christie lifted his hands, holding up his palms, and took a step away from me. Smart man. My breaths were coming hard and fast, my hands in fists at my sides. I was pretty sure my nostrils even flared.“I’m going to have to ask you to calm down, Mr. Marx. I know this is—”“You don’t know shit.” My voice came out louder and harsher than I intended. Several nurses at the station and some of the other doctors he’d been talking to earlier turned to look our way. I didn’t have any fucks left to give about that. “Don’t tell me to fucking calm down. My dad is dying, and you refuse to treat him. How am I supposed to be calm about that?”“I’m not refusing to trea
Getting Lucky Drunk
EMBER“It’s been a week, Ryan. A week and I’ve hardly seen him or heard from him. I’m worried. I know you said to give him space, but I’m not sure how much more I can give him.” Sitting in Ryan’s kitchen, I watched him stir scrambled eggs in a pan.When he invited me for breakfast, I came over thinking we were going out. I never imagined he meant he would be cooking for us. Jeez. I didn’t even know he could cook.The two of us were slowly but surely growing closer. This week, we’d texted back and forth more than we ever had.Sure, it was mostly about Kaden’s dad. I let Ryan know what was going at the hospital, and then it was about the funeral. We kept each other up to date and helped Kaden plan without seeing much of him. But it was still communication, which was more than I could say about Kaden this week. Not that I blamed him, of course.Ryan finished up with the eggs, laying them down on toasted bagels with strips of smoked salmon and chives on them. My mouth watered as he picked
Getting Lucky Oblivion
EmberHe flashed me what I thought was meant to be a smirk. “It’s called oblivion. That’s where I’m going and that’s where I’ve been.”Giving him a long onceover, my heart shattered into a million pieces once more. This week, it felt like every time I managed to scrape the pieces of the organ back together and messily mended it with the world’s worst sticky tape, something happened to break it again.Kaden was pale, his features gaunt. His eyes seemed unnaturally bright, even as red and watery as they were. He was shirtless, but instead of noticing his sexy muscles, all I could see was that he’d lost a couple of pounds since the last time I saw him half naked.My usually rock-solid man was swaying on his feet, holding on to a bar stool that I was sure was the only thing keeping him from toppling over. Walking up to him, I put my hands on his cheeks and tried to get him to focus on me. “Okay, big guy. It’s fine that that’s where you’ve been, but we’re going to bring you back now. You o
Getting Lucky Message From Beyond
KADENThe offices of Mooka, James, and Kent were situated in a high rise a couple of blocks away from Marx Inc. The firm had been handling my dad’s legal affairs for decades now, so it wasn’t the first time I was there.It didn’t make their offices any less impressive, though. They had expansive views, and the floors were covered in thick, plush carpeting my feet sank into on my way to Mr. Kent’s office. The walls were paneled in dark wood, and the air smelled like expensive coffee and pricey perfume, cologne, and soap.There were hundreds of people who worked in their offices, yet the soundproofing of each glass box effectively rendered the floors they occupied almost totally silent. All I could hear were low murmurs from somewhere and the floor receptionist directing someone to the office they were looking for.Mr. Kent’s office wasn’t the biggest in the building, but I was pretty sure it held more books than a library. His walls were lined with shelves upon shelves of brown leather
Getting Lucky Take Her With You
KadenOn the other hand, if I took the drive home and watched it there, I was better equipped to handle it if the video was nothing but a last berating. A last stab with a twist through my battered heart. There had to be at least one more bottle of tequila back at the penthouse. If that was what the video held, at least I could sink back into oblivion—even if only for a little while.Minutes ticked by while I stood there, both sides of my inner argument having it out. Eventually, I decided to take Kent up on his offer and watch the video here. I couldn’t sink back into oblivion, couldn’t put Ember through finding me like that twice.Last week, I had the excuse of the shock. Of dad dying and the funeral to plan and attend. This week, I would be a coward if I drowned myself in alcohol. It was time to man up and face the music, whatever tune it might be.Dad’s face filled the screen a few seconds after I inserted the drive and clicked into it. God, he looked bad. His coloring was almost
Latest chapter
