BETWEEN CLOUDS AND STARS: A Sexy Standalone Romance Read online

  “Did you see him with some bitch or something?”

  That’s it—if he says yes, I’m done with Nicholas Frey. No matter how much I loved him, I couldn’t imagine sharing him with another woman. “God… Jeremy, are you trying to give me a heart attack? You can’t say something like that and expect me to remain calm.”

  “I didn’t see him with another woman,” he replied.

  I poured the remainder of the sparkling water into my empty glass and downed it in one. My throat and stomach burned like I’d swallowed a jellyfish.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that you have nothing in common with the women he’s been with in the past. The difference is like that between a breeze and a hurricane.”

  “What’re you trying to say now?” I felt offended. Was he implying that I wasn’t good enough for him?

  I straightened my back and raised my chin.

  He saw me, and his frown became even deeper. “Don’t be angry with me. I get the feeling you don’t understand what I’m saying. Clearly, you haven’t been curious enough to browse pictures of his exes on the internet.”

  Why would I do that? I wasn’t a masochist, after all. I didn’t want to cause myself pain, and that would be unavoidable if I started to scour Google. The search would probably display thousands of pictures of thousands of women, who were most likely prettier than me. I’d never considered myself a great beauty.

  “I don’t see any point in doing it.”

  His eyes were gazing at mine when he added, “Okay. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. It’s just that Nicholas Frey has always gone out with experienced women. In fact, I’d go as far as to call them bitches who have more silicone than brains. Whereas you’re a modest and sweet girl—”

  “You’re implying I’m incapable of satisfying him in bed,” I interrupted him. A note of anxiety immediately crept into my stupid mind. What if Jeremy turned out to be right and I couldn’t measure up to his exes?

  Jeremy tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and kissed me on the forehead. “You’re a sensitive girl, and I don’t want him to hurt you. You deserve someone who’s prepared to place the world at your feet, who’ll always put you first. However, Frey’s like a beast that’s currently sitting still and keeping quiet, but you never know when it’ll become enraged and bite you. You’re so much more than his exes. I’m very grateful to him for covering the cost of all my operations and hope he really has changed, because I want to see you happy.” He put his hand on mine and gently stroked it.

  “Don’t touch me like that. Someone might see us and turn an innocent friendly gesture into hot gossip. And then before we know it, rumors will abound of our secret relationship.”

  His laughter was incredibly infectious, but at this moment nobody could make me laugh.

  Jeremy leaned toward me and said quietly, “Impossible. I’m gay and don’t hide it from anyone. Our relationship is purely platonic. I don’t wish to throw myself at you and fuck you, because I see you as a sister. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

  I exhaled noisily. “I know, and I feel the same way.”

  From the very moment I’d met Jeremy for the first time, I felt for some inexplicable reason like I’d known him my entire life. And how nice it would’ve been if that were true, if we’d grown up together… I would’ve known what it meant to be happy. I would’ve laughed and enjoyed every instant, because with Jeremy around, I would’ve never been bored. He was like a refreshing spring wind that overwhelms your senses and makes you feel alive. I wouldn’t have experienced all those dramas and tragedies in my life, because Kimberley and Stephen would’ve taken care of me as if I were their own daughter. They’d said as much when they found out I was their niece.

  Many things would’ve been different. But unfortunately, we couldn’t turn back time.

  A crash had taken the lives of my real parents, Janet and Scott, and another had brought me together with my relatives, Jeremy and his family. All the pain and suffering had taught me one thing at least: One must savor the good times. Because nobody knows when the bad times will arrive.

  15

  When I went back to my apartment, I noticed the front door wasn’t locked. How could I have been so careless? That question popped into my mind as I entered. I locked the door behind me and headed for the living room.

  “Good evening, Estelle. It’s been a while.” On hearing my ex-husband’s voice, I froze on the spot. My heart rate spiked so high that I felt my pulse in the vein in my neck. My skin became sticky with cold sweat, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured on me.

  “What do you want from me, John?” How had he gotten out of prison? Maybe he’d escaped?

  “Is that how happy you are to see your husband, Estelle?” he asked sarcastically as he stood up from the couch.

  He started to slowly pace around the room. “You have millions of my money in your bank account and live like a pauper.” He tsked and shook his head in disapproval. “You can never take the poor out of some people. Even if they find themselves in money, they don’t know how to spend it, how to invest it. You’ve always been dumb, Estelle. So why am I surprised by your squalid apartment?”

  I’d never wanted to benefit from his blood money. But John had no way of knowing this.

  He seemed more muscular than before. Clearly, he’d had plenty of time to work out in prison. His terrifying, satanic-black eyes regarded me in a threatening manner.

  “How did you find me, John?” Nobody knew where I worked. Had he hired someone to follow me?

  “Didn’t I tell you that you’ll never get rid of me? Only death can part us, dear wife of mine.” He approached me and I took several steps back.

  “Don’t try to run and provoke me, because you’ll only make things worse for yourself,” he threatened me and, seeing the terror in my eyes, smiled crookedly.

  With every step he took, my heart rate went up higher and higher, even though that shouldn’t have been possible. When he was right in front of me, I realized my entire body was shaking with fear. John hadn’t come here with good intentions. He’d come…to kill me.

  “You know, Estelle, despite your betrayal, I still want you. In prison, I constantly thought of you and masturbated, picturing your beautiful face over me, your tits, your ass. You, on the other hand…forgot me very quickly and started fucking your boss. And I thought you were a modest girl.” His nostrils flared when he took a deep breath and exhaled. “I didn’t manage to get rid of Frey by tampering with his airplane. But I still have thousands of other ways to deal with him.”

  At the precise moment he reached out to grab me, I raised my foot and kicked him between the legs. John doubled over, so I tried to run, but he managed to grab and lift me with just one hand. I kicked into the empty air and began screaming. He made me sit on a chair, tied my hands behind my back, and then slapped me so hard I saw stars before my eyes. Dazed, I slumped my head and blood starting pouring from my nose.

  John grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled it back. It felt like he might break my neck. “I’d always known that the spirit of an easy woman was hiding inside you, and you’ve now proven I wasn’t wrong. You don’t give a shit about me, you slut. Fucking him behind my back without giving a moment’s thought to the pain you’re inflicting on your husband. You’ve hurt my dignity.”

  “John, we’re divorced. You tried to kill me.”

  “I’ve never wanted to kill you. I was angry with you, absolutely furious, because you ran away from me, because you didn’t love me.”

  When he released my hair, John struck me again, knocking me down sideways together with the chair. I heard a bone crunch, and in the next second, indescribable pain shot through my elbow. I tried to get up, but didn’t even have the strength to move a muscle.

  Knife in his hand, John leaned over me. “I think I’ll maim your beautiful face so nobody can possibly find you attractive.”

  At the very moment he uttered those words, his body flew back and B
en leaned over him, delivering iron blows to his chest and face. The robot then flung John’s body at the wall so hard that bits of plaster fell on impact. But my ex-husband was not to be sniffed at. John was a hard man and recovered swiftly. He took another knife out of his pocket and stuck it into Ben’s head, tearing off a piece of skin and hair. With his other hand, he fired a small pistol at me, hitting me in the ribs.

  “If I can’t have you, then I won’t let anyone else have you either,” John hissed.

  Ben pounced on him and, with a quick swipe, cut his throat. It was a terrifying sight.

  I saw blood spatter on the white wall while my own was leaking onto the beige carpet.

  A black curtain fell in front of my eyes.

  * * *

  A cool breeze ruffled my hair. Greenery. Peace. Was I in heaven? No. Heaven couldn’t be Stonehenge, which was the monument that stood majestically in front of me. I had no idea how I’d ended up there.

  High wind started blowing, and the sky filled with ominous clouds. Bolts of lightning flashed, followed by loud cracks of thunder. A man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt emerged from behind one of the rocks. He was about thirty years old. My eyes were drawn to the soft features of his face. They looked strangely familiar.

  Why did I have the feeling that I knew him?

  He smiled and approached me. I then remembered that Kimberley, Jeremy’s mother, had shown me his picture in the family albums.

  “Hey, baby girl. I’m Scott, your father. You don’t remember me… You were so small.” He reached toward me and caressed my face.

  It was unfortunate that I had no memories of him, but his touch was so familiar, as if I could feel our connection over the distance of time.

  “How did I get here?” I’d last been in New York, at my apartment, lying on the floor after being shot. How had I ended up in Britain? Or had I really died and was now in heaven?

  “As I’m sure you know, Stonehenge is a holy place. Our family has its roots here. That’s why I decided to meet you here.”

  “Where’s Mum?”

  Powerful wind mussed his hair. “You’ll meet her too, when the time comes. But it’s not your time yet. You still have many years to live and experience the joy of having kids and grandkids.”

  An uninvited tear dropped from my eye. My father wiped it with his fingers and asked, “Why are you sad, my child?”

  I replied to his question with my own. “Doesn’t Mum want to see me?” Doesn’t she love me? Doesn’t she miss me?

  “Janet loves you more than anything in the world, child. As do I. I didn’t tell her I was going to see you, because I didn’t want to make her sad. Angels also cry, and your mother weeps for days on end when she misses you. But let this remain a secret between us.” He winked at me and smiled warmly. “Remember one thing: You’ll be very, very happy. Go now, it’s time for you to go back.”

  A whirlwind appeared around me. It picked me up and threw me into the eye of the storm.

  When I opened my eyes, I was lying still on a hospital bed. The room was dark. The lightness and calm I’d felt during the meeting with my father had yielded their place to pain that shot through my elbow, ribs, and head.

  My eyelids became heavy, and I fell asleep.

  16

  Nick

  When Ben called to tell me Estelle was lying on the floor of her apartment, having been shot, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Strong pain pressed down on my chest. As quickly as possible, I got into my fastest flying car and sped off.

  Seeing her sprawled on the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood, was indescribably tough. I couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine a life without her. She’d become an integral part of my life and changed it for the better.

  God, please help us. I don’t want to lose her. My hands shaking, I dialed 911 and reported what had happened. I hoped the paramedics wouldn’t be too late.

  I didn’t dare move her because I was worried she might have neck or spinal injuries. My breath stopped when I tried to find her pulse. Thank God, it was weak but steady.

  Ben passed me the bloody knife he’d used to cut the throat of that monster, John Chan. As I carefully cut the rope binding her wrists, I noticed a broken bone near her elbow had pierced the skin and was pointing in the wrong direction.

  I could no longer stem the flow of my tears. They started streaming down my face. I couldn’t remember ever crying, except when I’d been really young. But this horrifying sight had shaken me up to the core. I loved Estelle—she was the love of my life. A sweet and good girl like her didn’t deserve such a fate.

  I repeatedly pleaded with God to keep her safe. I prayed with all my heart and soul. With every beat, my heart threatened to burst into pieces. It was like the blood in my veins had dried up.

  Please, God, keep her safe!

  Never before had I felt as helpless as I did at that moment, which seemed to last an eternity.

  * * *

  “Doctor, why isn’t she waking up?”

  I was in the hospital, in Estelle’s room. She’d had major surgery, and I was worried about her and the baby. It had turned out she was pregnant. The news had come as a shock to me, but after I’d had some time to quietly reflect on it, I’d understood one thing: For her entire life, Estelle had been lied to by those closest to her. Her parents had adopted her illegally and in doing so had bought her a ticket to hell.

  I was engulfed by rage of a kind I’d never experienced before. If they were still alive, they would’ve paid dearly for tormenting her all those years.

  As for the false claim made by her ex-husband’s sister that Estelle couldn’t have kids for the sole reason of laying the blame on my beloved and saving her brother’s ass? She’d also pay. I was going to make it my personal ambition to destroy her private practice.

  I was terribly worried that Estelle might not wake up at all. My heart would occasionally skip a beat and the floor seemed to shake under my feet.

  Dr. Cruz came over to me. “She and the baby are fine. Don’t worry, Mr. Frey.”

  “So why isn’t she waking up, for God’s sake?”

  “Baby?” Estelle’s quiet, barely audible voice made us stare at her with concern.

  Taking her hand, I pressed her delicate fingers between my palms. She seemed so tiny and defenseless on the big hospital bed. Her hair was spilled across the pillow and made her face seem small and her eyes disproportionately large. But nothing could mar her beauty: high eyebrows, long eyelashes, small button nose, and wonderful lips made just for kissing.

  My kisses.

  A powerful sense of possession pierced my chest.

  “How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?” the female doctor asked.

  Estelle opened her beautiful eyes.

  Merciful God, thank you for bringing her back to me. I’d almost lost her.

  Her face was slightly puffy on one side, and her jaw was bruised, but the bullet was out of her body and she was alive. That was the most important thing.

  Alive!

  A drop fell from my eye, and I quickly wiped it. I couldn’t let myself show weakness, be seen crying by others. But all the worries proved too much. I might be unyielding and hard as steel when it came to my business, but anything related to my sweet Estelle’s well-being quickly made me soft. She had an effect on me that nobody had had before.

  “Where am I?” Her voice was so low I barely heard her question.

  “In the hospital, but everything will be fine, my precious.” Leaning over her, I kissed her on the temple. I wanted to embrace her, hold her tight in my arms, but I refrained because I knew that would hurt her. I had to be very careful with her.

  I couldn’t hold it in and immediately told her the good news. “We’re having a baby.” I had one express purpose: to see that wonderful smile on her face and make her happy.

  Instead, her lips trembled and big tears started running down her pale face. “That’s impossible, Nick.”

  “Of course it’s p
ossible. You’re a healthy young woman. I want to do an ultrasound, but first tell me if you need anything. Do you have any pain? We had to surgically remove the bullet, which luckily hadn’t damaged any vital organs.” The doctor raised her index finger. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “I want to see the baby. I don’t care about anything else,” Estelle replied and tightly gripped my hand, seeking my support.

  “Answer my question first.”

  “One finger. Look Doctor…” Estelle narrowed her eyes, trying to read the nametag, “…Dr. Cruz, I’m fine. I want to see the baby.”

  Fine? I knew that was a flat-out lie. After everything she’d been through, she couldn’t be fine. But I understood her concern.

  The doctor pursed her lips into a straight line. “Don’t think you’ve managed to fool me. Anyway, so be it.”

  In less than ten minutes, we could already hear our baby’s heartbeat through the ultrasound. The emotions and excitement elicited by this tiny creature, which still looked as a small bean, were the most wonderful ones I’d ever felt.

  Estelle and I are going to be parents. I felt like I was going mad with joy, however strange that may sound. I’d been on the edge of losing the only woman I’d truly loved. Now I was enjoying the fact that she was alive and would give me a child. I didn’t have the slightest doubt that Estelle would make me happy until the end of my life. She and I got on amazingly well. She was sweet, gentle and nice, and would make a great mother to our children. Yes, I wasn’t a father just yet, but I’d decided I wanted at least two kids, though three would be the perfect number.

  Nothing threatened our future now that her ex-husband was dead. I hadn’t been in the city to protect her. But, fortunately, Ben had taken care of him, sending him to hell, where he belonged.

  “Everything about the baby looks good. I’ll now have the orderly bring you something to eat.” The doctor finished the ultrasound and went out of the room, leaving us alone.