Falling Together (All That Remains #2) (11 page)

“Joseph!”
Troy calls after me, but I keep moving. I have to escape for a moment. I’ve
tried so hard to keep it together. To be strong for Abby and the kids. But,
goddamn it, I miss him. I miss him, and I’m losing hope I’ll ever see him
again. “Stop!” Troy grabs my arm and I quickly wipe my eyes. Strong arms wrap
around me, pulling me into his warmth.

“It’s
okay, Angel. I know you care about him. I know you’re scared.” His voice is low
and soothing. Oh, this is so wrong. I’m such an asshole for allowing Troy to
comfort me while I grieve for the man I really love. “He’s been your friend for
years. Of course you miss him. You don’t have to hide your pain from me,
Joseph.”

His
soft words shatter the thin shell I’ve managed to build around my emotions.
“He’s dead, Troy. You know he’s dead,” I sob with abandon. Speaking the words
aloud makes it real.

“Shh.”
He leads me to the woodpile and tugs me down to sit beside him, tucking his arm
around me while I bury my face in his neck. “I don’t know any such thing and
neither do you. We just don’t know, Angel, and I know that’s the worst kind of
torment. Don’t give up hope, yet.”

“I’m
sorry,” I whisper, ashamed of my reaction as I regain control of myself.

“Don’t
be sorry. You’ve been so good to me, and you’re always there when I need you.
Now let me do the same for you.”

I
nod and take a deep breath.

“Go
wash your face, babe. You don’t want Abby to see you like this after you
finally managed to pry her away from the window.”

“You’re
too good to me.” Our cold lips meet, while my hand threads through his soft,
wavy hair.

“Ditto.”

Abby
and Jayla return with mugs of steaming hot chocolate, and no one mentions my
absence. “Julie wants everyone to come in for dinner in about an hour,” Abby
announces, sending us all our separate ways to clean up and change into dry
clothes.

“Are
you going to make me come after you again, Abby?” I call, as she and Carson
head home.

“I’ll
be back. Untwist your panties,” she yells, laughing.

Walker
and I are the first to return to Julie’s since Troy decided to shower, insisting
we not wait on him. Walker darts to the kitchen with Julie and Jayla.

“Joseph?”
Emma calls. “Can you give me a hand? My zipper is stuck.”

“Sure.”
She grins when I step into the room she and Lexi share, and motions to the
zipper on her hoodie. She could have just pulled it over her head. Pfft…women.
When I free it, she grins and shoves the bedroom door closed. Deep blue eyes,
twinkling with mischief, stare into mine.

“Relax,
I just want a moment with you,” she says, noting my shocked expression. A coy
smile curls her lips as she runs her hands down my arms.

“Emma…”
I hesitate. Is she actually coming on to me?

“Your
eyes are gorgeous, Joseph,” she breathes, tilting her head.

“Thank
you, but we should join the others.” When I reach for the door, she slides her
arms around me and quickly presses her lips to mine. They’re soft and warm and
so unexpected. I’m caught off guard. When her tongue traces my lip, I recover my
senses and firmly push her away.

“You
have an amazing mouth. I’ve wanted to do that since we met,” she murmurs.

“Stop.
Emma, you’re great and I’m flattered, but I’m in a relationship with Troy. I
can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

Undaunted,
she smiles and reaches for me again. “He doesn’t have to find out. I know you
have something going with Abby, and he doesn’t care. I don’t mind sharing you
with Troy.”

“Abby
and I are just friends, and I have no intention of cheating on Troy.”

“Bullshit.
I’ve seen how you act with her,” she replies, her features hardening. “If you
aren’t interested in me, fine, but I hope you know as soon as Airen returns she’ll
go back to him. I won’t wait around forever,” she snaps. Tossing her head like
an angry horse, she stalks out the door in a cloud of blond hair and arrogance.

What
the hell just happened? Shit, she’s going to fuck up my relationship with Troy.
I have to tell him I kissed her. And what is her problem with Abby all of a
sudden? The last thing I need is for her to make Troy suspicious of Abby and
our friendship. Abby is the only one who knows how I feel about Airen and we
need one another now more than ever.

During
dinner, Emma acts as if nothing out of the ordinary took place. If only I had
her poker face. Troy places his hand on my knee and murmurs, “Are you okay?”

“I’m
fine.” He doesn’t look convinced. I’m a terrible liar.

“Why
don’t you let Walker stay with us tonight, Joseph?” Abby suggests.

“Can
I?” Walker bounces in his seat.

“Are
you sure?” Troy asks.

“Yes,
I need a partner to play Battleship.” She grins at Walker. “You and Troy never
get a night alone.”

“Quick
before she changes her mind.” Troy pretends to run from the table, and everyone
laughs as I pull him back into his seat.

“I
believe that’s a yes, Abby.” She laughs. It’s so good to see her looking bright-eyed
again. Before they leave, I caution Walker not to mention Airen. “Abby really
misses him, so let’s not make her think about it tonight, okay?”

“Okay,
Dad. See you tomorrow.” He bounds out the door hand in hand with Carson.

It’s
late when Troy and I return home, and I flop heavily onto the couch while Troy
kindles a fire in our fireplace. “I have to tell you something,” I confess, my
voice wavering.

“That
doesn’t sound good.” He sits beside me, a wary expression on his face.

After
a deep breath, the words come tumbling out. “Emma kissed me.” My stomach is in
knots as he stares at me incredulously before lowering his head into his hands.
“I’m so sorry, babe. I didn’t want her to. She caught me off guard, I swear. I
pushed her away,” I babble. His shoulders shake and he won’t look at me. Damn
it, I knew he’d be hurt. “Troy, please.” When I pull his hands from his face, a
chuckle escapes.
Is he laughing at me?

“I’m
sorry.” He laughs and shakes his head. “You really didn’t see it coming, did
you? Oh Angel, I love you, but sometimes you can be so clueless.”

“It’s
not funny!” My voice is vehement, and my response only makes him laugh harder.
“Fine, asshole. I’ll just give her what she wants,” I taunt.

“Joseph,
I’m sorry.” He snorts, still chuckling. It’s hard not to smile when he’s
enjoying this so much.

“Nope,
it’s decided. I’ll just grab her and bend her over the couch and…” My words are
cut off by a yelp as his hands grip my hair, pulling hard, his tongue invading
my mouth like he owns it.

“You’re
the only one bending over tonight.” His words and the hot breath flowing across
my ear send shivers down my body, an involuntary groan giving away my instant
arousal. “Bedroom. Now.”

His
tone isn’t to be argued with, not that I would have. I’ve seen glimpses of this
side of Troy’s personality, assertive, commanding. Fucking sexy as hell. If he
leaves me hanging this time, I’m going to lose it.

Ten
minutes later, I’m lying face down on our bed enjoying a head to toe massage.
“Mmm,” I hum as Troy’s hands knead my sore calf muscles.

“Better?”

“So
much.” His hand smoothes up my thighs and over the curve of my ass. His naked
body drapes over mine, an open mouthed kiss landing on the nape of my neck.

“You
want me here?” he teases, trailing a finger down my spine and between my
cheeks.

“Fuck
yes, Troy.” I feel his smile against my neck when I groan into the pillow as
his long finger slides into me. My leg is nudged out by his knee, his weight on
my back pinning me to the bed.

“Hmm,
I like you like this, Joseph…trapped underneath me.” He licks into my ear, and
I squirm while his fingers work me relentlessly, stretching and preparing me
for him. Fuck, it feels good. His warm tongue, those talented fingers. No one
has touched me like this since Tim died. I’m going to come before he even gets
inside me.

“Troy,”
I plead. I want him fiercely. We’ve waited so long for him to be ready for
this.

“I
know,” he murmurs. “Roll over. I want to see you.”

He
leans down and dips his tongue deep into my mouth in a slow savoring kiss. His
hands wrap my legs around his hips, and his dark chocolate eyes flare with heat
when they lock on mine. “Tell me what you want,” he orders, grinding against my
ass.

“Fuck
me,” I pant.

He
presses in slowly, and I groan as the line between pleasure and pain blurs. He
stills, giving me a moment to adjust to his invasion. “Okay?” he asks, face taut
as he struggles to hold back.

“Yes,”
I moan, tilting my hips to push against him.

“Easy,
it’s been awhile, and I don’t want to hurt you.” Oh God. Right now he could
hurt the fuck out of me and I’d die happy, but he takes his time, sliding in
and out smoothly while leaning to softly kiss my lips. “You feel so good.” Soft
brown eyes gaze tenderly into mine as he makes love to me, murmuring my name.

Gripping
my hips, he lifts them slightly, adjusting his angle, and I cry out when he glides
perfectly across my gland. A self-satisfied smile appears on his usually humble
face. “You like that?”

“Yes!
Fuck.”

Heat
flares in his eyes, lust replacing the tenderness. His voice hardens, becomes
demanding. “You wanted this, didn’t you? Wanted to be fucked by me. Taken by
me.” His thrusts speed up, driving me insane. “Tell me,” he orders, slapping my
hand away when I reach between my legs.

“Yes!
I want you!” My hands dig into his hips as he nails that fucking hot spot
mercilessly.

“Right
there,” he breathes, and exploits what he struck upon, demolishing my last
ounce of self control.

“Fuck!
Troy! Please,” I gasp when his hand wraps around me and strokes firmly.

“You
fucking remember this, Joseph. How you begged for me, came for me, wanted me.”
My eyes close as pleasure spikes through me. The world fractures then completely
shatters while I shudder beneath him. A feral growl vibrates against my neck as
he follows, pouring into me.

I
fight the urge to close my eyes while we lie together, sweat still drying on
our bodies. “You okay?” he whispers.

I
grin at him. He’s flushed and his hair is wild. “I knew you’d be good.”

“Ditto.”
He chuckles and kisses my neck softly. “You’re exhausted.”

I
am. I’ve fought with Abby, trudged uphill for miles, and been lured in and
kissed by Emma. I’ve laughed, cried, and had my brains fucked out.

“It’s
been a long day.” I smile and pull him against me, cuddling him close. “With a
fantastic ending.”

Abby

“Go
on, have fun.” I shoo Carson out of the house.

“Hey,
Ab, I brought chocolate,” Lexi chirps and plops onto my sofa, crossing her
legs. “Where’s my little man?”

“At
Julie’s house. We’re playing musical brats. Carson and Jayla are staying at
Joseph’s.”

“You
have the house to yourself?”

“Yep.
Want to get high, watch movies, and eat too much?”

“I
knew we were friends for a reason. I’ll roll.”

It’s
one of our typical girl’s nights. We smoke a joint and giggle like fools over
the comedy DVD’s that only seem funny when we’re baked. We gorge on junk food
until I’m swollen as a tick. “You know one thing I miss?” I ask.

“What?”

“Gossip,”
I reply with a grin. “There’s never anything to gossip about.”

Lexi
smiles from ear to ear and sits up. “Well, then listen up. It so happens I have
something juicy.”

“What
the hell have you been waiting on? Spill it.”

“Emma
kissed Joseph.” My heart plunges, and white hot jealousy jolts through me. What
the hell is wrong with me? Joseph isn’t mine.

“He
kissed Emma?” I reply, struggling to sound nonchalant.

“No,
she
kissed
him
. She got him alone after the sledding party and
made a pass at him.”

That
bitch
.
“You’re kidding. What did he do?”

“Shot
her down, of course. Haven’t you noticed how he’s been avoiding her lately?” I
haven’t paid much attention, to be honest. My scope has been pretty narrow. I’m
doing my best to get through the days without succumbing to the crippling fear
I feel for Airen’s welfare.

“Does
Troy know?”

“Joseph
told him.”

“Of
course he did.” I smile. “How did that go over?”

She
grins and folds her long legs underneath her. “Troy thinks it’s hilarious. He’s
been teasing him mercilessly. He’ll never let him live it down. Emma was super
pissed when she overheard him. She didn’t expect Joseph to confess.”

“Then
she really doesn’t know him,” I reply dryly.

Lexi
smiles, nodding. “Joseph’s a good guy.”

“Yeah,
he is.” We talk for a few more minutes before Lexi announces she’s tired. “You
can have my bed or the guest room,” I offer, stretching out on the couch.

Her
hazel eyes fill with pity. “You’re still sleeping on the sofa?”

“Yes.”
I can’t bring myself to sleep in my bed beside the empty space where Airen is
supposed to be. Lexi settles into the guest room, and I drift off on the sofa.

I’m
awakened hours later by the screams.

What
the hell?
My over tired brain struggles up through the layers of sleep. The room
illuminates when Lexi flips the light switch and stumbles in. “That’s Emma!” she
cries, and darts out the front door.

“Lexi,
wait!” It takes me a few seconds to throw on my shoes, and I have to run to
catch up. It’s freezing outside, but I hardly register the cold. I have no idea
what time it is, but there is no sign of the dawn approaching. The sound of our
feet crunching through the frozen snow echoes through the silent forest.

We’re
almost to Julie’s when Lexi turns to me, wide-eyed, and asks, “Do you smell
smoke?”

Oh
God. Lane is at Julie’s place. The sight of Julie’s house with smoke pouring
from the windows strikes a fear into me like I’ve never known. My stomach drops
into my feet.
Lane
. Emma runs to us, screaming, just as Troy and Joseph
break through the tree line.

“I
couldn’t get to them! Julie and the baby! In her room!” An invisible hand slams
into my chest and the edges of my vision darken and narrow.
Breathe, Abby,
don’t panic
. Everything comes into focus as I force frigid air into my
lungs, gulping for oxygen. Tiny silver sparkles dance before my eyes.

“Lane!”
I scream, sprinting for the door, finally breaking through the terror that had
paralyzed my vocal cords and nailed my feet to the ground. I have to find him.

“No!”
Joseph barks. He shoves me at Troy. “Hold her. Keep her here, no matter what!” Their
eyes meet, passing a grave message between them, and Troy nods. “Carson! You
and Emma get a ladder and put it against the roof!” He points at Julie’s
window. They nod and dart away.

“No!
Let me go! Goddamn it!” I twist and punch Troy with all my might in his jaw,
but his grip on me never falters. “Lane’s in there!” Troy wraps his arms around
me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides, and pulls us both down to our
knees.

“Joseph
will find him, Abby. Stop fighting.” I stare in utter terror while Joseph runs
through the front door and into the smoke with only a flash light.
No, I’m
going to lose them all. Airen. Lane. Joseph.

“No!”
The scream tears from my throat.

“Don’t
look, Abby,” Troy whispers, tightening his hold on me as I go limp in his arms.
“Don’t look, sweetheart.”

Don’t
look. Don’t watch them burn. But I can’t look away.

Carson
and Emma manage to get the ladder extended and secured against the roof. I see
Julie’s panicked face at the window for a moment before it shatters outward.
She yanks the curtains loose and drapes them over the jagged glass before
slowly climbing onto the roof. Empty handed.

Bile
rises in my throat for a brief second before I see Joseph’s pinched face appear
at the window. He hands a large white bundle to Julie, and Lane’s terrified
shrieks cut through the night air. Relief floods through me. He’s alive.

Troy
spins me around to look me in the eye. “Abby, if I leave you to help them, do
you promise to stay put?”

“Yes,
I promise. Go, go!” He eyes me doubtfully, but dashes to the bottom of the
ladder. Carson and Emma hold it steady while he climbs to the edge of the roof.
Jayla crouches beside me and we watch Joseph shout instructions to Troy.

He
retreats a few rungs to allow Julie onto the ladder in front of him. They
descend carefully, and it seems like an eternity before Troy helps Julie step
onto the snow. He returns to the ladder, ascending midway before pausing to
stare upward. I grasp Jayla’s hand, my heart in my throat as Joseph begins to
lower the bundle slowly off the roof. He has wrapped Lane in a makeshift
harness of bed sheets. Additional sheets are twisted and tied to the harness to
fashion a rope. I dart to the bottom of the ladder when Joseph’s intentions
become clear.

His
face is a mask of concentration as he lowers Lane steadily, hand over hand to
Troy, who is waiting halfway up the ladder. The sheets aren’t long enough to
reach the ground, and neither man trusts their ability to climb down the ladder
while Lane kicks and fights.

A
sudden crash echoes through the still night when a section of the second story
collapses onto the first, sending a surge of smoke and burning embers into the
air. Flames begin to emerge from the broken window just inches behind Joseph.
Oh
please, please hurry
.

Troy
reaches out and grabs at my son, and I gasp when he misses and tries again. He
finally gets a good grip and pulls him against his chest, calling to Joseph who
drops his end of the sheet rope. I nod up at Troy, and he loops the sheet over
one rung of the ladder, creating a pulley and relieving some of the weight so
he can maintain a good grip. He lowers Lane into my waiting arms while I sob
with relief.

Lane
kicks and screams while I untangle him from the sheets, and I’m terrified I’ll
see burns on his delicate skin. Julie kneels beside me when I search his little
body for the third time. With a flashlight, she looks up his nostrils and in
his mouth.

“He’s
okay, Abby. He didn’t get any smoke, and the flames never touched him. Get him
home and warm him up before he gets sick,” she orders.

“Are
you okay?” I whisper while I watch Joseph climb down the ladder.

“Fine.”
She smiles.

The
relief I feel is stopped short when Troy cries out as Joseph steps off the
bottom rung and collapses, unconscious in the snow.

Airen

“Damn
it! Stop the car before you kill us both!” Eric reaches in front of me and
knocks the gearshift into neutral as we slide sideways again. “Let off both
pedals and turn to the right
slowly
. Haven’t you ever driven in snow?”
he huffs.

“No.”
After a few tense seconds of glaring at each other he cracks a smile and
chuckles.

“Why
the hell didn’t you say so?”

“It
didn’t look that difficult. I mean, if you can do it…” I quip, shrugging. Eric
scoffs and we swap places.

“Almost
there,” he mumbles, pointing to a sign that reads Orange Grove Elementary as he
carefully guides the SUV onto another side street. “Abby said he lived three
blocks from the school.”

“There’s
seven twenty-eight,” I offer, pointing at a large two story house. The light
blue aluminum siding hangs off in multiple places and the wooden swing on the
porch dangles by one chain.

“No
one has been here today,” Eric remarks. There are no tracks in the snow. In
fact, we haven’t seen one footprint or tire track all day. If there are other
people here, they’re staying indoors. The door is unlocked so we let ourselves
in.

“Hello!
Jon Needham!” I call, stepping into the living room. My voice echoes through
the house.

“I’ll
look around upstairs,” Eric whispers.

It’s
a typical middle class house. The living room is cozy with a large sectional
couch surrounding a black marble coffee table. A long floor to ceiling
bookshelf stuffed with rows of video games and comic books runs the length of
one wall. On the mantle of the fireplace sits models and action figures of
various super heroes.
Christ, Abby actually dated this guy?

The
master bedroom is downstairs, furnished with a queen sized bed, dresser, and
nightstand. A flat screen television hangs on a wall above three different
gaming consoles.

Eric
scoffs and steps into the bedroom, shaking his head. “Something tells me this
guy didn’t get laid until he was in his twenties.”

“Are
you sure we have the right house?”

“Yes,
there’s a kid’s bedroom upstairs. I found this.” He hands me a photo. A small
freckle faced boy, maybe four years old smiles for the camera, perched on the
knee of a tall red headed man. When I turn the picture over, there’s writing
scrawled across the back.
Jon Jr.’s Fifth Birthday
.

“The
boy looks like Carson,” I remark.

“So
does the man. It has to be his father. Did Abby mention Jon had another boy?”

“I
doubt she knew.”

“Carson
had a brother.” I nod silently. “What do you want to do? There are no bodies
here, but that doesn’t necessarily mean either of them are alive.”

“I’m
going to leave a note just in case. Carson wants him to know he survived the
plague, and where to find us. I can do that much, at least.”

“I’ll
try to find a few more photos for him.”

“Thanks.”
The bed creaks under my weight as I sit down heavily and study the photo. I’m
not sure whether to show it to Carson. It seems cruel. Jon abandoned him, but
apparently he was raising the boy in the picture. Should I tell him he had a
brother that most likely died?

I
pull out the letter I promised Carson I’d leave behind if I couldn’t locate his
father.

Jon
Needham,

This
letter is to inform you that your son, Carson Bailey, survived the plague and
is alive and well at the address listed below
.

Our
address is written on the bottom of the paper, and I also leave a map of the
county. I don’t like leaving the directions to our farm where anyone could
stumble across them, especially since the chance Jon has survived is slim. If
he’s alive, it’s not likely he’ll give two shits about Carson’s welfare.
Chances are this letter will sit here until it disintegrates.

“This
guy was something else,” Eric says, holding up a picture showing Jon standing
under a banner at Comic-Con. “Plenty of pictures of him and his mother, but
only a few of the kid. Self centered and a geeky mama’s boy.”

I
snort. “Sounds about like Abby’s description. I’m done here.”

“Do
you want to camp here tonight?”

“Let’s
pick another house.” Thinking about this guy and how he treated Abby and Carson
makes my blood boil.

“We
can head home in the morning,” Eric chirps. I can’t help but grin at the
thought. This trip has largely been a waste. I don’t have any more information
about the whereabouts of Abby and Carson’s family than I had when we left. I
just want to get home to Abby and my kids.

Eric
grins, hopping into the SUV. “I have an idea where we can stay, if it’s still
there.” His smile widens when we pull into a tiny parking lot. “Come on,” he
exclaims, breaking into a slow jog. The door to the small rectangular building
is unlocked, and Eric chuckles when we enter, gazing around like he’s seeing
Disneyland instead of a dusty bar. “Goddamn…like time stood still.”