Page 12 of Accidentally Perfect

Her world seems to be falling apart as I watch her running around the suite, hysterically crying, and trying to find her clothes. My heart aches for her, and I’m not even sure what’s going on. My first thought is Brad. I know he was her husband. She mentioned that she'd been married for a short time, years ago. I'm not sure why she's being contacted if something's happened to him. But she asked why he hadn’t called her. So there has to be something else. “Laney, what’s going on?” I walk to her so I can touch her. I need to let her know that I’m here, that she’s not alone. “What did your mother want?”

She stops and faces me. Her dress is now pulled over her body covering her braless breasts and panty-less ass, I know this not because I just watched her dress, but because I ripped those lacy garments right off her body the night before.

Her eyes are watery pools of green. “My girls and Brad were hit by a drunk driver. I need to get home. I need to get back to them."

Holy shit.

“You have children?"

Why hasn't she told me she had children? For Christ's sake, why didn't she tell me? I play the last couple of days through my mind. The things she wouldn't answer; the questions she would side step. The reason why she's been guarded, vague. I thought it was because of the fact that she has money. Or maybe she doesn't like people to know who her father was. I thought those were her reasoning’s why she wasn't forthcoming with me. I never would have imagined it was because she had something far more valuable to protect, she had children. With Brad.

Why hadn’t Stella mentioned all those times when we talked, when I questioned her about Laney. Wait did she mention it last night? Surely I would have remembered that. I've remembered everything Laney has told me and every question Stella answered. I guess I wasn't asking the right questions to get the answers that I needed.

“Yeah, twin girls." She gives me a weak smile. "Surprise, you've got yourself an instant family.” The last part was a whisper.

Holy crap, I have stepdaughters. Not only do I have a wife, I have girls. I have a family. In less than forty-eight, my life went from meaningless sex, to a complete and full family. I guess the sayings true, be careful what you wish for. Troy's going to kick my ass.

"Why, Laney? Why didn't you tell me about them?"

"Why? This was just supposed to be a weekend thing. I came out here because I needed a break, because my best friend was just trying to be that, a best friend. I just found my boyfriend, if you can call him that, with his tongue in a woman who wasn't me. I didn't think I needed to tell you, or anyone for that matter, that I'm a mother of twins. I didn't need to tell you all the details of my life because come Monday; I was going to leave here and go back to my children and live my life as a mother and nurse. My children are the most important things to me and for once, for one selfish weekend I just wanted to be me, Laney, not a mother and look where that's gotten? My children hurt while I'm lying in bed with you!"

“Okay, let’s get you back home to the girls. Let me make some calls.”

“What?”

“What do you mean, what? We need to get back to New York. We need to get to your girls. I need to make some calls.”

“Nathan, wait. I need to get back to New York. You don’t need to do anything.”

“You’re my wife.”

“Nathan–”

“No. You’re my wife and right now the only thing we need to worry about is getting you, I mean us, back home.”

“Nathan, you don’t have to leave. You’re booked here until tomorrow. You don’t even know my girls and they don’t know you."

“Your girls, they're the most important things to you, right?"

"Yes, I've already told you that."

"And you need to be there for them, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I need to be there with you. So you can be there for the most important people in your life, and I can be there for the most important person in mine." I give a wink and small smile.

“Okay, I have to call Stella and tell her what’s going on.”

While she calls Stella, I make the phone calls to get the jet ready, and the flight plan logged in so we can get off the ground as soon as we step foot on the plane. Hopefully with the weather and the air traffic we'll be able to get up in the air and land in about three and a half hours. “What hospital are they at, love?” I need to make sure my driver back home is aware of where we need to go. I don’t want to waste the time with incidentals when Laney needs to get to her girls.

“Oh, my God, I never asked my mother. I have no idea where they are.” Panic starts to make its presence on her face.

“Give me your phone and I’ll call her.”

“Are you freaking crazy? There is no way that you’re calling her. She'll have my head when she finds out what I’ve done.”

“Why? You’re a grown woman, aren’t you? Are you married to the girls’ father?”