Chapter 11
“It looks like your knife wound healed up nicely and there’s no internal damage,” Dr. Graham said as he patted my hand. “You’re a lucky girl. You could’ve been killed.”
“She’s lucky we found her.” Ian smiled.
Ian helped me off the table and he thanked Dr. Graham for seeing us. As we were leaving, Ian’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and told me to keep walking and he’d catch up with me. I reached the front doors and saw his limo pull up to the curb. Joshua got out and opened the door for me. I climbed in and looked back to see if Ian was coming. Suddenly, the other door opened and Ian slid in next to me.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He grabbed my hand and interlaced his fingers in mine. “Yeah, everything’s fine. It was just a business call.” He leaned over and softly licked my lips before the strength of his mouth fully enveloped mine and we were locked into a passionate kiss. He pushed me back until I was lying on the down on the seat and he was on top of me. He undid the button on his pants and then took my hand, bringing it down the front of his pants. He was rock hard. I clasped my hand around his dick as he made that sexy growl noise. He broke our kiss and stared at me.
“I want to finger f*ck you and I want to feel you come.”
The ache I’d been feeling down below every time I saw him needed to be satisfied, and I was so turned on, I couldn’t say no. I nodded my head as he smiled at me. His fingers tugged at my pants as he moved them down my hips. I lifted up my ass to help him out. Once he was satisfied that my pants were down enough, he took his down so I would have better access to his throbbing cock. My hand started moving up and down his shaft slowly as he threw his head back and moaned.
“Christ, Rory,” he said as he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine.
His hand made its way between my thighs and slowly up to my wet spot. Just the slight touch of his fingers there made me want to come instantly.
“You’re so wet. God, I love that you’re so wet,” he whispered as I tilted my head and his mouth explored my neck.
His fingers deftly circled around my *, making it almost unbearable to control myself. I began to moan, which excited Ian even more. He pushed my legs further apart as he inserted his finger. “Oh my God, Rory, you’re so tight. You’re so beautifully tight.”
I was gone. He took my body to another dimension. He moved his finger in and out of me while circling my * with his thumb. I arched my back as he plunged another finger inside me, stretching me, pleasuring me, and bringing me to the brink of an amazing orgasm. I tilted my head back as far as it would go as my hand moved up and down his hard cock and my thumb circled his tip.
“Come for me, Rory. I want you to say my name when you do.”
“Ian,” I screamed as his finger hit the spot. My body shook like never before, and I tightened myself around his finger.
“That’s it, baby. I can feel it. I can feel your come all over me,” he said breathlessly as he removed my hand from his cock, took it in his, and jacked himself off while he continued to finger-f*ck me until he came all over my shirt. He collapsed on top of me as we tried to catch our breath.
“You better make your decision quick, because after that, I need to be inside you and I won’t f*ck you with a condom on,” he whispered in my ear.
He sat up, took my hand, and helped me up. He opened the console and took out some tissues. He looked at my shirt and started to wipe his come from it.
“Sorry,” he said with a smirk.
“It’s okay. I can wash it.”
I reached down, grabbed my pants, and pulled them up. After Ian cleaned himself up, he pulled up his pants and then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him.
“I hope you enjoyed how I made you feel.”
Was he kidding? Couldn’t he tell how much I enjoyed it? “Of course, Ian. It was amazing.”
I desperately wanted to ask him about the room. But, I was afraid that he’d be mad if he knew I saw it.
“That was just the appetizer. You’ll get the full course as soon as you give me your decision and then your appetite will be fully satisfied.”
I smiled as I pressed my lips against his shirt because I knew he was right.
****
Joshua pulled up to my apartment and Ian followed me inside. “Take off your shirt and give it to me so I can have Mandy wash it.”
“It’s okay, Ian. I can wash it.”
“Rory.” He smiled as he ran his finger down my jawline. “It’s not a request; it’s a command. Now do it.”
He had a way of hypnotizing me with the tone of his voice and his mere touch. I pulled my shirt over my head and stood there while his eyes stared at my breasts. He brought his hands up and cupped my bra while he took in a sharp breath.
“You’re so beautiful, Rory, and I can’t wait to have you, savor you, and save you from your insecurities and fears.”
“I don’t need saving, Ian.”
“Yes, Rory, you do.” He smiled as he kissed my forehead and took my shirt from my hands. “I’ll get this back to you. I have to go.” And just like that, he was gone.
I sighed as I pulled another shirt from the drawer and put it on. I walked over to the stove and put on some water for tea. The feeling of Ian’s touch was still all over my body. I needed to talk to Adalynn, so I called her and asked her if she had time to stop by.
“I don’t know what to say, Rory. Ian is Ian and he’ll never change,” she said as she took a drink from her glass.
“You mean he’ll hurt me.”
“Not intentionally, but yes, he will hurt you. I’ve seen the devastation he’s left behind when it comes to women. I’ve seen the tears, the heartache, and the pathetic begging. I don’t want you to have to be subjected to that.”
“What about you?” I asked as I sipped my wine.
“I knew how he was, and I was okay with that because I didn’t want Ian for anything more than great sex. We stopped having sex and became even better friends. Just be careful. If you want to get on birth control so Ian doesn’t have to wear a condom, then make sure you’re f*cking him for the right reasons and prepare yourself for a bumpy ride. I’ll be honest with you; I’m not surprised. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and it’s different from anything I’d ever seen from him.”
I smiled softly as I poured some more wine in both our glasses. “I need to ask you about the room in Ian’s house.”
Adalynn looked at me with a smug grin. “Did he show you that room?”
“No, and he’s never told me about it either. I happened to open the wrong door one day.”
“He usually keeps that room locked. It’s odd that is was open. So, what do you want to know about it?”
“Have you and Ian been in there?”
Adalynn let out a light laugh. “Of course; that’s the only place Ian brings women, unless he’s out of town or something. Did the room freak you out a bit?”
“Yeah, actually it did.”
“Don’t worry. It’s all harmless fun and amazing sex. Ian likes to be in control and he likes to be kinky. It’s nothing to be scared of and if you don’t want anything to do with that room, just tell him. Are you okay, Rory?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind.”
She reached over and hugged me. “Listen, I have to get going. Daniel and I have a hot date filled with bubble baths, chocolate, and lots of mind-blowing sex!”
“Have fun.” I smiled as I walked her to the door.
“Trust me, darling, I will.” She winked. “Call me if you need me. My advice to you is, f*ck Ian, if only for the reason that you’ll always wonder what it’s like if you don’t, but don’t get emotionally involved.”
“Thanks, Adalynn,” I said as I shut the door.
I took a hot shower, changed into my nightshirt, and climbed into bed. I lay there, thinking about Ian and what happened between us today. I reached for my phone and sent him a text message.
“Goodnight, Ian.”
A few moments later, he replied.
“Goodnight, Rory. I hope you sleep well.”
A smile fell upon my face when I read his message. It was too late. I was already emotionally involved. I closed my eyes with a smile on my face and fell asleep.
“Stephen, what did you do?”
“I’m sorry, Rory, I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t my fault, Rory.”
“Oh my God, Stephen!”
“You have to help me, Rory. You have to protect me.”
I woke up in a sweat, shaking and remembering every vivid detail of that night. I couldn’t breathe as I sobbed into my hands. I needed Ian, and I needed to be held by his strong arms. I stayed in the corner and reached for my phone, which was on the floor in front of me. With shaking hands, I hit Ian’s number. It rang and rang until he finally picked up.
“Rory, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“No,” I managed to cry out. “I—I—”
“I’m on my way over. Stay put and don’t move. Do you understand me?”
He hung up before I could answer. I crawled across the floor to the door and unlocked it. I quickly made it back to the corner and brought my knees up to my chest. I had buried that nightmare years ago and, suddenly, it was back. I heard the door handle turn and Ian ran into the apartment and straight to the corner. He got down on the floor and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me and holding me tight.
“It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you. You’re okay,” he whispered.
I couldn’t say a word. I just cried into his chest. He picked me up and carried me to the bed. As he laid me down, he climbed in next to me. He sat up and I rested my head on his lap.
“I’m calling Dr. Neil tomorrow and you’re going to see her,” he said as he stroked my hair. That was last thing I heard.
****
My eyes flew open at the sound of the opening door.
“Good morning,” Ian said as he walked over with a brown bag and two cups of coffee.
“Morning,” I replied as I got up and walked to the bathroom.
After I finished peeing and splashing my face with cold water, I walked back into the living room and Ian had the couch put back together. He gave me a small smile and held out his hand as I walked towards him.
“I brought us some coffee.”
“Thank you, Ian,” I said as I took the cup from him. “What’s in the bag?”
“Let’s see, shall we?” He smirked.
He reached inside the bag and pulled out a large muffin. “A chocolate chip muffin for you and a blueberry one for me.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean for you to come all the way over here. I never should’ve called you,” I spoke as I looked down.
“Rory, don’t apologize. You were scared, and I hate that you’re alone in this tiny place. Something was different with you last night. Was it the same nightmare you’ve been having? Because you were completely out of it.”
I couldn’t tell him about this nightmare. The one I buried deep inside my head so many years ago so I wouldn’t go crazy. “Yeah, it just lasted a little longer than usual.”
“I called Amanda and she agreed to see you this morning.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Dr. Neil. Dr. Amanda Neil. You need to talk to someone. These nightmares can’t continue.”
Ian’s phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket and held up his finger, asking me hold on. He looked at me with a strange look like something had just happened. Then Ian said something to whomever it was on the other end that was odd.
“Let me talk to her first. Keep an eye on him and I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.”
He hung up and continued to stare at me. His eyes displayed an empathetic look as he spoke.
“Rory, I found your brother.”
“What?” I said as I shook my head in disbelief.
“He was living in a homeless shelter. I had my men take him to the hospital. He needs help, Rory.”
My mind was racing, and I started to pace back and forth. “Is he hurt?”
“No. Physically, he’s fine,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me and held me. “Get dressed so we can go.”
I lifted my head and kissed his lips. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Ian closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath. I went into the bathroom and changed out of my nightshirt and into some clothes, threw my hair up, and put on some light makeup. We walked out the door and headed to the hospital. Once we arrived, I explained who I was, and Ian and I were shown to the room where Stephen was being kept. As I walked through the door, he turned his head and looked at me. A small smile fell upon his face as he whispered my name. I gulped as I stared at him, lying there, strapped to the bed. My brother, my twin brother, was a mess, not only physically, but emotionally. He hadn’t shaven since the last time I had seen him and he looked dirty. Tears filled my eyes as I walked over to his bedside and put my arms around him.
“Stephen, thank God you’re okay.”
“Where’ve you been, Rory?” he whispered. “Why did you leave me?”
The tears that filled my eyes fell down my face as I held his hand. “You hurt me, Stephen. I had to go.”
Just as I said that, Ian walked up behind me and clasped my shoulders.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Rory. Just like I didn’t mean to hurt Mom.”
I froze as I felt Ian’s grip on me tighten. “I know you didn’t, Stephen. You’re sick and you need help. I’m going to get you the help you need.”
“Rory, tell them to let me go,” he pleaded.
The tears were now pools of water as I leaned in closer to him and whispered, “You’re going to be okay. The doctors are going to help you.”
A man in a white coat walked into the room and introduced himself as Dr. Michaels. He was a psychiatrist and he came in to talk to me about Stephen.
“You must be Stephen’s sister, Aurora?” he said as he held out his hand.
“Yes, I’m Rory, and this is Ian Braxton.”
We shook hands and Dr. Michaels went over his assessment of Stephen with me. I already knew what he was going to say and I was scared.
“When Stephen was brought in, we had to sedate him. He was violent, disoriented, and screaming your name. We found a medical emergency card on him and spoke to your aunt in Indiana. She filled me in on his history. Has he ever hurt you?”
I closed my eyes and Ian spoke for me. “He stabbed her a few weeks ago. That’s how they became separated.”
“Your aunt said that she didn’t know you were leaving. She woke up one day and the two of you were gone,” Dr. Michaels spoke.
“It wasn’t her business. I was the one who’d been taking care of him my entire life. I brought him to L.A. for a trial on a new drug for schizophrenic patients. He’d been off his current meds for a while and he snapped.”
“I see,” he said as he wrote it down in Stephen’s chart. “Stephen needs round the clock medical care and he needs to be in a place where he’s monitored at all times and won’t be a danger to himself or anyone else. I believe your brother’s condition is worsening or we’re dealing with more than schizophrenia. I’m suggesting Hudson Rock Psychiatric Hospital. It’s about an hour from here and it’s one of the best in the country. He’ll be tested, start new medication and therapy.
“How much will this cost?” I asked
“You don’t need to worry about that, Rory. I’m taking care of it,” Ian spoke.
“I’ll go get the paperwork for you to sign. I’ll be right back,” Dr. Michaels said.
He walked out of the room and I turned and looked at Stephen. My heart broke for my brother like it had every day since I could remember.
“They’re going to lock me up, aren’t they? I won’t ever see you again.”
I undid the straps that were holding him down. “Rory, what the hell are you doing?” Ian snapped.
I laid my head on his chest and Stephen brought his arms around me. Ian stood close. “You’re going to a wonderful place where you’ll be taken care of. You’ll meet new people and you’ll get the help you need. I’ll come visit you all the time. I promise. I won’t let you down. Do you understand, Stephen?”
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Rory. I went looking for you, but I couldn’t find you. I wanted to tell you that I was sorry.”
“I know you’re sorry, Stephen.”
“I’m tired, Rory. I want to go to sleep. Will you sing to me?”
I started to sing the song that always calmed him down and helped him sleep, “Over the Rainbow.”
“We’ll go to that land someday, won’t we, Rory?”
“Yes, Stephen, one day,” I whispered and I continued to sing.
Ian took a hold of me and sat me up. “He’s asleep, Rory. Let’s step out for a moment.”
He handed me a tissue, took my hand, and led me out into the hall. We walked around until he found an empty room. He led me inside, shut the door, and then wrapped his arms around me as tightly as he could. He buried his face into my neck and whispered, “I’m so sorry that you have to go through this. But, I don’t want you to worry. I’m taking care of this for you. Stephen will be well taken care of and you can visit him every chance you get.”
“I can’t have you pay for it, Ian. You don’t even know him. You barely know me.”
He broke our embrace and stared at me. “You’re my friend, and I help my friends. I’m helping you and Stephen and there will be no more discussion about it. Do you understand me, Rory?”
I rolled my eyes at him because once again, he was using that commanding tone. “Yes, I understand.”
“Don’t roll your eyes at me. As cute as it makes you look, I can’t stand that.” He smiled.
I sighed and told him we better head back to the room. Stephen was still asleep when we walked in. Dr. Michaels came in behind us and went over the paperwork with me. He said that he was going to keep Stephen here overnight and that he’d be transferred to Hudson Rock tomorrow morning.
“You may come here tomorrow morning and ride with him to Hudson Rock so you can say goodbye and see for yourself that he’ll be well taken care of.”
“We’ll be taking him in my limo so Rory can spend some time with him,” Ian said.
I took the pen from the doctor and signed the papers to commit my twin brother to a psychiatric hospital and cried while doing it.
“I know this is hard, but it’s the best thing for him,” Dr. Michaels said as he put his hand on my shoulder and then left the room. I looked over at Stephen as he opened his eyes.
“Don’t cry, Rory. It’ll be okay. You can’t take care of me anymore and I know that now.”
“I’m sorry, Stephen. I have to go now, but I’ll see you in the morning,” I said as I kissed his head.
“Bye, Rory.”
I ran out of the room as fast as I could and down the hallway until I found the exit. I ran down the sidewalk. I wouldn’t stop running. I couldn’t stop running. Ian caught up with me and grabbed me. He held me so tight that I couldn’t move.
“Stop, Rory! You need to stop, right now!” he whispered in my ear.
We were near a park and people were watching.
“People are staring. Now, I’m going to let go of you, and I’m going to take your hand, and we’re going to go sit under that tree over there. Okay?”
I nodded my head, and Ian did exactly what he said he would. He took my hand and led me to the big oak tree. As we sat down underneath it, Ian looked at me and smiled. “Have you calmed down?”
I nodded and laid my head on his shoulder.
“Talk to me, Rory. Tell me what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
“I let my mom and my brother down.”
“How did you let them down? None of this is your fault. I heard Stephen say that he didn’t mean to hurt you or your mom. What did he do?”
I took in a sharp breath. The air around us was getting cool. “One night, I was on the couch watching TV and my mom was in the kitchen with Stephen. All of a sudden, I heard her scream and a crash on the floor. I jumped up from the couch and Stephen was standing over her, holding a bloody knife. He had stabbed her in the leg. The way he looked at her was so blank, like he wasn’t even there. She started to back away from him, and I could see the fear in her eyes. I told her that I was calling 911 and she screamed at me not to. She told me to take the knife from him. I remember standing there, shaking uncontrollably. I took tiny steps towards him as I asked him to drop the knife. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes when he turned his head and looked at me. He dropped the knife and curled up in a ball on the floor next to my mom. She said that if we told anyone what Stephen had done, they’d take him away from us and she couldn’t let that happen. So, she took him to the doctor to have him evaluated and told them about his hallucinations and conversations with himself and they diagnosed him with schizophrenia.”
“Christ, Rory,” Ian said as he laid me down so I was on my back and my head was in his lap.
I looked up at him as he stared down at me and gently wiped the tears from my eyes with his thumb. “I have no words. I think that once we get Stephen situated and you know he’s going to be okay, you can start to heal physically and emotionally. What about your aunt? Does she know any of this?”
My eyes left his as I looked down and started picking at the blades of grass. “Yes. She came over right after it happened and helped my mom take care of the wound. It was only a few months later that she passed away from pneumonia. My aunt didn’t want anything to do with us. She said that Stephen was evil and needed to be locked away. Personally, I think she was afraid of him.”
“That’s understandable, considering what he did to your mom,” Ian said as he played with the strands of my hair.
“The night my mom died, she called for me to come in her room. When I went in there, she told me to sit down next to her on the bed. She reached up and put her hand on the side of my face.
“‘My beautiful Aurora. I need you to promise me something. I need you to promise that you’ll always take care of Stephen and protect him. If you don’t protect your brother, they’ll take him away from you and he needs you. He’ll never survive by himself. The two of you need to stay together. Can you do that for Mommy?’
“I remember sitting there as she stared at me, begging me to promise her. Damn it, I was only ten years old,” I said as I sat up.
Ian pulled me into his chest and held my head against him. “Shh…it’s okay. You never broke your promise to her and you still haven’t. You’re getting Stephen the help he needs. She’d be so proud of you for the way you took care of him all these years.”
“That’s the reason my aunt wanted nothing to do with either of us. But she was so desperate for money to feed her drug addiction.”
I broke free from his embrace and stared into his eyes, which reminded me so much of the blue ocean water. “Now you know. You know everything and the reason why I’m not broken, just shattered.”
I swore I saw a tear in Ian’s eye when he turned his head and looked away. “Come on. I’m taking you back to your place to pack an overnight bag. You’re staying at my house tonight. I don’t think you should be alone.”
I didn’t argue with him because I didn’t want to be alone. “I have to call Jordyn and let her know that I won’t be in tomorrow,” I said as we walked across the grass.
“I already talked to her and I told her you won’t be in the rest of the week.”
“Ian, why the hell would you do that? I’m going to get fired.”
The corners of his mouth curved up as he looked at me. “No, you’re not. You’re going to quit. But that’s something we’ll talk about when we get back to my place.”