Chapter 20

JAMES

The moment the words biopsy and cancer slipped from his lips, everything became terrifyingly real. I knew Olivia was sick, but I’d been hoping it wasn’t this serious.

This is going to be a battle. A battle we’ll have to face as a family. I believe we can get through this. We have to. I haven’t had enough time with Olivia yet. We haven’t had enough time to be a family yet.

Olivia’s tough—she’s Anna’s daughter, so of course she’s tough—but this is going to be a long, grueling battle.

I’m trying not to dwell on all the ways this could go wrong. I can’t afford to. It’ll only weaken me. If my girls are strong, then I need to be strong too.

Just a few minutes ago, Dr. Turner and Dr. Frank, who had just arrived, had the nurses take Olivia out of her room for a CT scan, another MRI, and more tests. They’ll be gone for a while.

We couldn’t go with her because we’d be too much of a distraction. It’s painful, knowing your child is about to undergo frightening tests and you can’t be there with her.

So now we just sit and wait. Anna is unusually quiet, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Sweetheart?” I ask her, and her head snaps up.

“James…,” she says. She’s barely holding it together. I can hear it in her voice.

“We should probably get something to eat,” I suggest. It’s already seven o’clock, and we haven’t had dinner yet. Olivia will get a meal after her tests.

The food at this hospital is actually decent, so we could grab something from the cafeteria.

“I guess that’s a good idea. But do you know what I really want right now?” she asks.

I shake my head. “What?”

“Thai from Benji. It’s the best Thai ever,” she says with a smile.

“I remember, you love that place. What do you want?”

She grins. “Oh, he’ll know.”

I shake my head. Of course he will. “You are the worst,” I tell her.

I turn to her parents—it still feels strange to think of them as her parents, but ultimately, they are. They’ve been here all evening, not even considering leaving.

“Do you guys want anything? I’m going to order some Thai.”

“Oh, from Benji?” Becca exclaims.

I nod.

“Best Thai ever!” she says.

“I know, right!” Anna agrees.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, he’ll know,” Becca says, nodding emphatically.

“You two are unbelievable. Jack?”

“Thai? From Benji? Ask Becca, she’ll know what I’ll like,” he replies.

“Dude…,” I shake my head, wondering what on earth is wrong with them.

“Just give him the same as me, James,” Becca instructs.

I dial the number.

“Yellow Moon with Benji,” Benji answers.

“Hi, I want to place an order,” I tell him.

“Okay, what do you want, sir?”

“So, this is gonna be weird,” I warn him.

“Hit me.”

“Anna Johnson told me that you would know what she wants.”

He laughs. “Yeah, I do. Anything else?”

“Becca Johnson said the same…”

“I also know what she likes. Those two…,” he muses.

“Who knew?” I say.

“She was craving Thai when she was pregnant with Anna, so I knew,” he says.

“No way.” I shake my head.

“Yeah, anything else?” Benji continues.

“For Jack, the same as Becca, and for me, just a curry with rice please.”

“Will you pick it up?” he asks.

“No, could you deliver it to the hospital? Pediatric ward, room number 225.”

“Sure, no problem.”

He hangs up. I’m stunned.

“That was so weird,” I tell them.

“So Becca, Thai cravings while you were pregnant, huh?” I ask her, and she blushes.

“Yeah, I was the worst. I once called him at 4 a.m. He still delivered though, since it was me.”

Jack and Anna laugh. “I was the same with Olivia. But in Seattle, there isn’t a great Thai place like Benji’s. He should move there, he’d do great,” says Anna.

The room goes quiet. My parents went home—or more accurately, were sent home—because the room was too crowded. Mom understood, and she and Dad both have to work tomorrow morning, so they didn’t really mind.

“We should probably call Liz and Jim,” I tell Anna. If we don’t, they might eat us alive.

“I already sent them a message,” she says.

“When did that happen?”

“I kind of stole your phone when I went to the bathroom. I asked them to bring more clothes and my schoolwork.” Her hands are in her lap, and she looks guilty.

“Maybe I should punish you for that…,” I say suggestively.

Her cheeks flush, knowing exactly what I mean. Anna has a very naughty side to her—no one would ever guess it, but she loves it.

“Oh God, my ears…,” Jack says.

“Yeah. That was fun, right A?”

“James, stop it,” she warns me with a crimson face.

“Come on, you know you love it. And how long has it been?” I ask her.

“James. Dude. I get that this is funny, but this is still my daughter you’re talking about. I know how babies are made, but I don’t need the picture in my head,” Rebecca starts with a stern tone.

“Of how you tie her up on the bed and spank her,’ she says, laughing. Jack runs out of the room, and I start laughing with Rebecca. Anna is as red as a tomato.

“Man, that was a piece of cake,” Becca declares.

“Sure was.”

“I’ll go fetch him,” she says, exiting the room.

“I need to hit the restroom,” I inform Anna. I can feel a stirring in my pants. I’m aware of my feelings for Anna, and I know she reciprocates. I can almost read her thoughts right now.

I’m just curious if I’ve gotten under her skin.

I wonder if I still have the same impact on her as she does on me. I can vividly imagine the scene Becca painted.

I can visualize Anna lying there, completely bound and helpless as I pleasure her and take her… forcefully.

Yeah, I definitely need the restroom. I rise and head towards the bathroom. I unzip my pants and see the effect she still has on me. It’s almost too painful to touch, but I have to. I have to relieve this tension or things might go south.

God, this is embarrassing. In a freaking hospital. I grip my erection and start stroking slowly, hissing softly at my own touch…

“Nice to see I still have that effect on you,” Anna’s shaky voice echoes from behind me.

“Anna? What are you doing here?” I ask, spinning around. She licks her upper lip as she gives me a once-over. Her eyes travel over my body, pausing at my arousal. She approaches and pulls me against her.

“Just be quiet,” she murmurs.

Our lips connect. Those soft, full lips.

“Damn,” I hiss as she takes my arousal in her hand. She rolls her finger over the tip, spreading the pre-cum. She deepens the kiss as our tongues engage in a playful duel. I always win, but it’s making me even more aroused.

“What are you doing?” I ask her between kisses. She disregards me and kisses my neck.

“Anna?”

“Just be quiet and kiss me. I need you,” she says. I know what that implies.

“Alright. We’ll talk afterward,” I caution her, letting her know that this isn’t the end of it. You can’t just kiss someone, give them a hand job, and expect sex without an explanation.

I grab the hem of her shirt and tear it off her. Her breasts are even fuller than I remember.

~Pregnancy does have its perks.~

I press her against the wall as I trail kisses down her neck. I continue kissing her, moving lower and lower.

“God…,” she moans. I pull her pants down, leaving her in her underwear. I kiss her inner thigh.

“James…,” she moans loudly. I continue to kiss her inner thighs as I move toward her center. I kiss her over her underwear, rubbing my finger over her clit.

“James… fuck,” she hisses again. I’m going to climax right here if she doesn’t stop moaning like that.

“Stop,” I hiss. I look up and her questioning eyes meet mine.

“You’re going to make me lose control.”

“James,” she teases me again, and that’s the last straw. I tear her underwear off and pull her up against me.

I position my cock at her entrance and thrust in hard, not caring that she will be sore afterward. Her wetness welcomes me.

“Fuck!” she hisses, but I don’t stop. I keep thrusting, not holding back. A growl escapes my mouth, making her moan in pleasure.

This isn’t going to last long. She feels just as good as she did back then.

“So fucking wet for me.”

“Always,” she gasps.

“You’re fucking mine,” I tell her, thrusting into her.

“This pussy is mine.” I thrust even harder.

“God. Shit!” she screams. I put my hand over her mouth to muffle the noise.

“Fuck, James!” she screams into my hand, but she’s not there yet.

I pick up the pace and slam into her even harder.

“Fuck!” I hiss this time.

I feel my balls tighten. I’m about to climax, but I need to hold it in. As I’m thinking this, I feel her walls start to tighten around my hard cock.

“Say you’re mine,” I command her. She bites her lip and I pull out, lifting her up.

“James, I’m almost—” she whines at the loss of contact.

“Say…” I thrust into her and pull back out.

“It…,” I tell her as I do it again.

“Fine. I’m yours! Now fuck me!” she cries.

“With pleasure.”

I take her down again and thrust hard. Her walls keep tightening around me, and I pick up the pace, knowing what she likes. Rough. I thrust hard, harder than I was before.

“Fuck... I—there...,” she says, trying but failing to keep her voice down. That pushes me over the edge, and I finally climax.

I stay within her. She’s mine, and I’m not letting her go again.

“You’re mine,” I tell her, and I kiss her.

I’m home.