The Bravest Hero (A Curvy Girls Club Novel Book 2) Page 11

  “I know things are…weird between us. But couldn’t we at least remain friends.”

  The sting of those words shot through Royal’s heart.

  “That’s the problem. Men I care for always only want to be friends. And I’m tired.”

  “Royal, please.” McKennon pleaded.

  “I can’t,” Royal said as she stood. “I did want to thank you for referring all of those clients to me. I’ll have work for the next several months because of you. I can’t thank you enough for that.

  “But I think it’s time for you to focus on your relationship. You two have a lot to work through before you get married.”

  “I could never repay you for what you did for me. You saved me twice and I’ll never forget that. But I thought the least I could do was help expand your freelance career.

  “And you’re probably right, I should work on my relationship. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t miss the hell outta you.”

  “Same.” Royal stopped in the doorway and turned back to him. “But if you need me, truly need me, call. And I’ll absolutely be there when you take your first steps if you want me there.”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “Then I’ll see you in the not so distant future. I know you’ll kick ass.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Goodbye, McKennon.”

  “Bye, Royal.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Such a beautiful story of heroism…”

  Royal stopped the video and backed out of the Channel 5 News site after playing the news story.

  “You can’t tell me that man hasn’t fallen in love with you,” Kennedy said.

  “And fell hard,” Mia added.

  “As well as you,” Payton said looking at Royal with sympathy.

  “Yeah, you looked pretty smitten too, sis.” Mia reached out and gripped Royal’s hand.

  “It doesn’t matter. I told him that I’m giving him space. I’m willing to help him if he really needs it. And I’m willing to go see him take his first steps with a new leg. But I refuse to sit there every day, getting closer and closer to him, only for him to turn around and marry that damn woman.

  “UGH! Someone who doesn’t even care about him.” Royal pulled at her hair in frustration.

  “She sounds awful. If the nurses are even hoping he dumps her, you know she’s pretty shitty.” Kennedy shook her head.

  “I looked at both their Gram profiles. She’s in it for the fame. She just wants a super hot guy to fit the fantasy she’s selling everyone. And now, she’s stuck with a guy who isn’t perfect anymore and she doesn’t know what to do about it. She never even told her followers that he lost his leg. She just glossed over it, like a new leg was going to miraculously appear.” Royal finished with an eye roll.

  “Why doesn’t he just dump her ass?” Mia asked.

  “I have no idea. He has this weird notion in his head, where he has to live this perfect life for everyone. The life everyone expects him to have. It’s something that started when he was young. And now, he can’t seem to find his way out of it. People have been telling him how to live his life for so long, he’s not sure how to do it on his own. It’s kinda sad.” Royal released a slow breath.

  “And I can’t imagine breaking off an engagement is easy. No, let me finish,” Kennedy said as they all gave her looks. “Breaking up is never easy. But I’d think ending a marriage is easier than an engagement. In terms of how hurt and embarrassed your significant other will feel. Divorce? Eh, big whoop. Everybody’s doing it. But breaking off an engagement? You’re in the middle of planning the wedding. The dress is being altered. The deposits have been paid. The invitations might already be in the mail. Hell, some people may have already RSVPed and bought you gifts off your registry.” Kennedy finished with a cringe.

  “Yeah, you’ve actually got a point, Ken. That’s awkward as fuck,” Mia agreed.

  “That certainly isn’t ideal,” Payton nodded.

  “Hence, why I couldn’t stay. He’ll probably go through with it. He’s never went against what the majority wants in his life. This would be the hardest time to decide to break free. So, I did it for him.” Royal’s voice broke at the end.

  Her head dropped onto her folded arms on the table. The girls got up from their seats and rushed around her to give her a group hug. Royal’s body shook with her sobs. She sat up and waved them away as she swiped angrily at her face.

  “I-I don’t kn-know what’s wr-wrong with m-me,” she said through hiccups. “W-We didn’t h-have sex. We never even k-kissed!”

  “You shared a connection, sweetie.” Kennedy said as she wiped a tear from Royal’s cheek. “You shared this scary, intense experience with each other. And it bonded you. Probably for life. Then you discover that you like each other and have a strong attraction for each other. And you hoped it could be more. So, of course, you’re devastated that it didn’t work out the way you’d wanted it to.”

  Royal nodded her head. Then dropped her forehead back onto her arms as another sob broke. She felt their hands soothingly rub her back.

  “You know what this calls for?” Mia asked.

  “What?” Payton and Kennedy asked in unison.

  “Dates. A shit ton of dates. The best way to get over someone is to sit on someone else’s face.”

  Kennedy and Payton rolled their eyes to the heavens.

  “What? It is!” Mia defended herself.

  “I don’t think that’s how the saying goes,” Kennedy commented.

  “My version of it is better.”

  Royal’s shoulders started to shake for a different reason this time. She sat up and wiped at her cheeks as she tried to stifle her laughter.

  “I love you guys so much.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  It had been a long four weeks, but it was finally release day for Mack.

  After a few more surgeries to clean away infected tissue, Mack’s doctor felt it was finally time to close up the wound. It had been a week since they’d closed him up, and since all went well and there was no infection, he was finally free.

  Or as free as he could be with one healing arm, another healing wrist, and a missing leg. He could use his fingers but with both arms casted, Mack still needed to be wheeled around in a wheelchair and helped with every day things. Luckily, he was heading straight to the rehab center for post-surgery healing since he couldn’t take care of his healing wound on his own with two bum arms. He certainly couldn’t count on Ainsley to do it.

  Mack knew it was bad, but he didn’t fully trust his fiancée to assist in those every day things. She was good at a lot of things, but caring for a patient wasn’t one of them.

  “Now, don’t worry, Mack. The rehabilitation center is one of the best in the world. They’ll get you on the road to walking again. And I assume you’ll be there to cheer him on, right young lady?” Dr. Cooper turned from Mack to Ainsley.

  “Of course, Doctor. I’ll take good care of him,” Ainsley said confidently.

  Mack was hopeful that Ainsley would stick to her word. But he also knew Ainsley was good at telling people what they wanted to hear.

  “Good. Because a big part of rehabilitation is family and friends’ support. They have a support group there for amputees as well. And it’s good for family to come. It’s an adjustment for everyone.”

  Carmen and a few other nurses walked over to Mack once the doctor was finished. Each one gave him a warm hug and shared kind words.

  “We’re rooting for you and following you on The Gram.”

  “Good Luck.”

  “Don’t let her go, Mack. Fight for her,” Carmen whispered in his ear.

  When she backed away, he looked up at her from his wheelchair. He nodded slightly and clenched his teeth, trying to hold back his emotions.

  He missed her every day.

  “Thank you to all of you. You made all of this bearable. It means a lot.” He said to the medical group as a whole.

  “You’re welcome,” they al
l said.

  With his pillow and succulent sitting on his lap, Ainsley wheeled him to the elevators. Once they reached the automatic doors leading outside, a huge smile spread across Mack’s face.

  Ainsley rolled him outside and Mack lifted his face to the sun. A light breeze fluttered across his skin, and he breathed in deeply. The sounds of traffic, the wind, and birds chattering happily were a welcome change from the sounds of a hospital and the sometimes stifling recycled air.

  Mack hadn’t breathed in fresh air, felt the sun or the wind in four weeks. He had started to feel like he was going stir crazy.

  Now, if only I could get these casts off, so I can finally start getting my life back.

  ~~~

  It had been about two weeks since Royal had seen McKennon Carter, and she was trying her best to get her life back.

  She looked across the table at her most recent date. She’d tried to listen to Mia and dated as much as she could. She’d been on coffee dates, cocktail dates, and dinner dates almost every other day since Mia suggested it.

  She’d had a few good dates that turned into ghosts. She’d had some bad dates where she turned into a ghost. There were a few good kisses. There were a few tragic ones as well. Foul breath that she had to dodge and place a chaste kiss on the cheek. A guy who instead of caressing her tongue like a dance, he whipped it back and forth as fast as he could. One dude even bypassed her mouth to suck on her chin like one of those sucker fish you put in fish tanks.

  No date had reached the bedroom, even though several tried…really hard. Royal had been looking to change that. She needed something to distract her from her myriad thoughts of McKennon. It was amazing how men cock-blocked themselves more than anything. There she was trying to get laid, and at every turn her dates did something to turn her off.

  Her current date was promising. He was handsome, well-groomed, and had relatively decent manners. He did like to talk about himself a lot. But then again, Royal let him because she was tired of telling guys about herself anyway. Why let them in if they were only going to ghost or she wasn’t interested in taking it to the next level herself?

  With every piece of information she gave about herself to men who she’d never speak to again, it felt like she was letting them nibble away at pieces of her. Chipping away at her soul, until there was nothing left for when the right man showed up. Just random dudes out there walking around with parts of her soul.

  And this new guy was nice, but he wasn’t ‘the one’ either. It felt like a waste of energy to tell him who she was as a person.

  He was ‘the one’ she’d be willing to fuck though.

  “Hey, you wanna get outta here?” Royal asked cutting him off.

  His eyes widened with shock and excitement.

  “Sure!”

  “You’re place?” Royal asked. She would probably be safer at her place, but she didn’t want him to know where she lived either. And going to his place first might mean he’s at least not married or engaged. She’d been burned too many times already.

  “Yeah, that’s cool.”

  They’d met at the restaurant, so they were in separate cars. He gave her his address just in case she lost him along the way.

  They pulled up to a nice condo twenty minutes later. Inside was nice and masculine. Either he was a neat freak or he’d hoped to get laid later. Either way, Royal appreciated the clean space.

  As soon as she walked into the living room, he grabbed her and kissed her. It was good. Royal felt bad because she couldn’t remember his name. After all the dates she’d been on, the names had become a jumble. It didn’t matter.

  Their tongues tangled. It was nice, but she wasn’t feeling any butterflies. Her lady bits fluttered slightly at the stimulation against her tongue. What little fluttering she did have faded a bit as he tried to press down on her shoulders. He was trying to get her to her knees.

  Royal backed away and pulled him to the couch. She pushed him down, hiked up her black mini skirt, and she straddled his lap. She kissed him passionately. She could feel him get hard under her. What she felt didn’t seem too bad. At the very least he was average.

  Royal’s teeth bit down on his bottom lip and she slowly dragged them across the skin until she released him. Then she whispered against his mouth, “Go down on me.”

  “Mmm…sorry, that’s not my thing,” he mumbled against her lips.

  Royal pulled back and scowled.

  “Not your thing?”

  “I had a bad experience when I was younger. It scared me straight.” The guy said as he tried to pull her back in for another kiss.

  Royal broke free of his arms and stood up.

  “It’s not your thing, yet you were trying to push me down to my knees to blow you?”

  “I like blow jobs,” he shrugged.

  “Then give someone one,” Royal grumbled as she straightened her skirt.

  “I like receiving them.”

  “Well, I like someone going down on me.”

  “Sorry, babe.”

  “Don’t call me babe. And I seriously get so sick of you guys’ double standard bullshit! Do you know the traumatizing shit women go through giving guys head? I bet you haven’t even thought about it.

  “While you guys are complaining because one time back when you had only three pubes, some chick didn’t bathe well enough or had an off day with her pH, you suddenly can’t bring yourself to go down on someone ever again. Meanwhile, women have smelled musty balls, crusty balls, and cheesy balls, yet we still persevere because you guys have to get your dick wet or you’ll find someone else who will. We’ve been gagged, we’ve puked, shot in the eye with cum, and we’ve seen shit stains because you guys don’t know how to wipe your fucking asses. But yet we STILL have to get over it and suck your baby ass dicks or you whine about it like a little bitch! UGH! You all fucking suck!”

  “Jesus! Calm down, drama queen.”

  Royal was pretty sure she heard the Earth crack with her rage.

  “Go fuck yourself, you selfish prick!”

  Royal stormed over and grabbed her clutch purse where she’d dropped it when he first grabbed her. She stomped to the door and slammed it so hard she heard the wall shake. She also heard him yell, “Fucking bitch!”

  As Royal headed to her Jeep she seriously wondered if she’d be better off trying to play for the other team.

  I’m so sick of men and their shit!

  Chapter Twenty

  Royal, I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to let you know that I’ll finally be fitted for my permanent prosthetic leg next Thursday. I’d love for you to be there to see me take my first steps. You were there for me when this all began. I’d like for you to see how far I’ve come.

  Mack

  Royal clutched her phone tightly as she read the text. The words and letters started swimming as she smiled happily. Things may have ended on a sour note for them, but Royal couldn’t be happier that McKennon was back on his feet…literally.

  It had been about five months since she’d last seen him. Royal had picked up her phone a million and one times throughout those months. She’d wanted to know how he was doing. But she’d never went through with sending him anything. She kept telling herself it was for the best.

  Now, she had the opportunity to see him again. And Thursday couldn’t come soon enough. It was probably a bad idea to see him, considering just how badly she wanted to. But nothing was going to stop Royal from watching McKennon take his first steps.

  I’ll be there.

  ~~~

  Mack’s pulse spiked as he read back Royal’s text. Only three words. They were enough to fill his entire being with joy. He smiled broadly.

  “What’s that smile for?” Dr. Mariah Franklin, his psychiatrist asked.

  “Well, Doc. The woman who saved my life is coming to see me take my first steps.”

  “The woman you told me you fell in love with?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmm…perhaps this time you might do the
right thing. Unlike when we were in high school.”

  “I’m just happy I’ll see her again. I’m sure she wants nothing to do with me.”

  When Mack had come to stay at the rehab center months before, he’d gotten the shock of his life when he met the doctor who would help him adjust mentally and emotionally to a life without two legs. He’d never expected to see Mariah again. Yet there she had been, dressed professionally sitting at a desk with a picture of her husband and kids smiling back at him as he was wheeled in.

  She was only a little fuller than she had been in high school. Her caramel skin glowed with happiness. Her large curls were cut short now, creating a halo of honey blonde tipped curls around her head. Gone was the goth girl of their youth. In her place was a confident and content woman.

  Of all the people in the world, Mariah was probably the best one to help him heal mentally. The new scars as well as the old. She knew them well. He’d always been able to talk to her. And over the last four months he’d opened up and told her things no one knew about him. Things that he’d even kept from her when they were kids.

  “You never know. She might be hoping you’ll make the right move. Remember, you don’t have to fit the life everyone expects you to have. You only have to fit the life that will make you proud. That will make you happy,” Mariah said.

  “What if I don’t know what that is?”

  “I think you do. You’re just too afraid to admit it because you know it’s not what fits everyone’s vision of your life.

  “You grew up trying to be everything your father wanted you to be. To date the girls your father thought you should date. He demanded perfection out of you. And if you weren’t, what would he do?”

  “He’d hit me.”

  “I show you how to catch the ball! You should be able to catch every time. You are better than this!” His father screamed in his thick accent.

  Andrei charged up to his son. McKennon flinched in anticipation before the back of his father’s hand even connected with the side of his face. McKennon fell to the ground from the force of it. His ten-year-old body no match for his father’s thirty-five-year-old, solid six-foot-three size.