Two Lonely Souls
Chapter 17
Cole's two sisters sat on either side of Isabella scared and uncertain what they may find when they reached to the hospital. They had already lost their father, and if they lost Cole their family would be decimated. He took complete care of them and even sent them to private school. Isabella sat in the middle back seat quietly reassuring the girls as they finally arrived at the hospital.
Cole was just getting out of surgery as they arrived, two young girls, one older woman and two armed escorts. The doctors were a little surprised, especially as Colby flashed his FBI badge. Isabella stepped forward asking the doctor about the surgery and prognosis.
"Are you next of kin m'am?"
"No, sir. These girls are his sisters. He is my bodyguard and I am the one paying all the bills. I also have power of attorney and health directive since his sisters are underage. Can you please answer my original question now?"
"Of course. The knife wound nicked his brachial artery in his shoulder, which that near miss probably saved his life since it was not a direct wound. We have got him all sewn up and he is in recovery. He should be waking up in the next hour or so. I don't think all of you should go, but perhaps his sisters can wait with him and then you can take turns."
"That is fine doctor. I'll just go with the girls and get them situated and then come back to my friends here. Will that work?"
"Thank you for your patience, Ms. Worthington. I will keep you posted."
Forty-five minutes later Isabella rejoined a very tired Colby and Tommy waiting on her. She did not want to leave Cole until he was out of recovery, and would not leave the girls there alone. So the three of them sat on uncomfortable plastic chairs and waited.
"Can you tell me what happened tonight guys?"
The two men looked at each other and around the hallway. Colby spoke up first, "We should wait baby until there is more privacy. Ok?"
Isabella sat across the chairs from them watching them intently and she spoke up again. "Were you serious about having Tommy and I have some sort of fling to make sure I was making the right choice?"
"Yeah, Bella I'm serious. "
"Why? I could come back from parts unknown and dump you for Tommy."
He answered her in his habitual understated way. "That would be the downside of the plan. But the upside would be that you would be sure who you want to be with. And we both love you, and you love us both. But you need to pick one, and it needs to be the right one, Bella. Neither of us wants to have you marry one of us only to regret that decision years down the line, wishing you had made a different choice. You and I have been together a while now, and it has been great. And maybe if we hadn't called in Gifford and his team to help out the issue would never have come to the surface, or maybe it would have a while from now. We'll never know. Right now, it is the big pink elephant in the room that everyone living in the penthouse right now sees but doesn't talk about."
"Colby you must be the most unselfish man in history. Instead of going all Neanderthal about Tommy and my relationship, which is significant, if not sexual, you offer a chance to make sure. I knew you were brave and courageous and a hero, even if you don't claim it. But this also shows that you are secure in yourself. I love that. I love you. I don't know if I will take you up on your offer, but I really truly thank you for making the offer."
"What about you Tommy? What do you think of all this?"
"You know what I think. We talked about it earlier today, or I guess the time would make it yesterday. I love you. I have loved you since Afghanistan. I will always love you and there will never be anyone else for me. I also know you have no desire to live the life of a wife of a fast track military career man. My career is skyrocketing. The expectations placed on my wife are the same as the ones that were placed on your mother and later you. I have no illusions of how you feel about that. You have been painfully clear on the subject, and I don't think your feelings on the subject will change just because we make love. We may take Colby up on his more than generous offer, an offer I would never have made, and we may love each other very much, but I think in the end you will stay here, as far from DC as you can get."
Isabella remained silent, lost in her own thoughts until the doctor came to let them know Cole was awake and ready to be moved to a regular room.
Isabella, even in her exhaustion, was quick to request a private suite, with two fold out beds for his sisters.
Five hours after they arrived at the hospital, they had moved Cole into one of the very nice private suites. There were sofas for the girls to sleep on and they were reluctant to leave him so Don sent some FBI agents over to stand watch so Colby, Gifford, and Isabella could come home and get some sleep.
Isabella kissed a very sleepy Don who had been waiting up for them goodnight and sent him to bed. She also kissed Tommy on his cheek sending him on his way, while Colby got them both water and held her hand as they went up the stairs.
They climbed into their first shared shower in some time, bathing each other slowly and lovingly. Both of them were exhausted but still needing what the other could provide. Things had been so strained between them since shortly after the miscarriage. Now they just wanted the other. Colby pressed Isabella's body against the raw marble shower. His mouth consuming hers in their own mutual fire, tongues twisting and tasting, lips being pressed raw against Colby's unshaven face. He was anxious and rushed things harder than he normally would. His strong arms lifted her body up against the shower wall, using his arms to spread her legs. He didn't check to see if she was ready. He powered his huge, weeping staff into her driving a moan from her body. He pushed all the way back bumping her cervix and pulling almost all the way out dragging across her g-spot. He kept pounding at her until she was crying she'd had enough. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him where he was.
Through her tears, she cried out to him, "Now Colby. It is time, now."
And with that final plea Colby spilled all of himself deep into her channel, feeling her forced orgasms trembling through her body and surrounding his. He kissed her softly, kissing away the salty tears, and lowered her to the shower floor to bathe her gently once more.
Isabella was quiet when they left the shower, brush their teeth and climbed into their bed. Colby climbed in beside her and took her into his well muscled arms and she let him.
"What's wrong baby? Was I too rough?"
"Colby, I was crying and they were not tears of joy. I was pleading with you. Have I ever done that? You gave me so many orgasms I lost count but you forced them from me. It was too rough. Tomorrow I will be bruised, that makes it too rough. I have a couple goose egg bumps on my head where you allowed it to bang against the marble instead of holding it carefully like you usually do. And I'm bleeding slightly. Colby-- what started as making love ended in rape."
"I'm sorry Bella. It's just been so long for us, I guess I got caught up and you got hurt."
"I didn't even think it was possible for you to hurt me Colby. You have always been the most gentle and loving of lovers. What happened to you after the miscarriage? You were terrific that night and the next day or so, and then you turned nasty. You wanted me to beg for sex. When you finally came to bed it was early morning and you were beyond drunk. The next day when you were trying to explain you didn't make sense. I thought you were lying to me. And then you have been standoffish since then, until you came up with this grand plan for Tommy and I to run off together and finally consummate our relationship. Now you are rough enough in the shower to hurt me. We've done rough before, but it was mutually enjoyable. Please talk to me, tell me what is happening with you."
Colby rolled onto his back releasing her and putting his arms behind his head. He stared at the ceiling. He wasn't sure where to start so he thought about it for a while. If he told her the truth, it would probably end their relationship. But if he lied, it would surely end it. He fucked up, and there was no other way to fix it than to tell the truth.
"I fucked up baby. After the miscarriage, everyone out there, almost everyone was your friend, their sympathy was for you, half the guys or more wanted to sweep you away and kiss it all better. Even though you asked them to ignore it, they didn't and it was horrible to listen and watch them look at you, not with the usual lust but with sympathy, listen to them talk about you and me, but really it was all about you, your baby, your body, your sympathy. I was a non-entity in the process. Whatever. That night I had a few beers, played some pool, and then quietly left the building. I don't think anyone knew I was gone. I went someplace where I knew I could get some sympathy of my own, and I did."
"A hooker? An ex-girlfriend? Who?"
"It doesn't matter who, an ex-girlfriend. I used a condom. I got what I needed and I came home. It doesn't matter who, what matters is why."
"Why? Why is what matters to you? I knew you were in pain. I tried to move everyone away from our private shared pain and on to the business at hand, and for the most part, I thought they did. And after I had offered myself to you, stopped short of begging you, to share our pain together, you went to another woman. Is this why you have offered Tommy and me this extracurricular chance? Guilt? Getting even, I cheat on you so you cheating on me makes us even?"
"Isabella, I am sorry. I have never in my life cheated on someone I was in a serious relationship with. I feel terrible about it and I understand that you might hate me now. This proposal for you and Tommy is for real, no get even scheme, just an honest gift because I love you and want you to be happy. If it turns out Tommy makes you happy, which right now I am sure he does more than me, then he is the guy you should be with. I want you to be with me. But I don't want to live the rest of my life wondering if you would rather be with him."
"And why did you just hurt me during sex a few minutes ago? You never have before, why now?"
"Bella, it's not like I got in the shower with you intending to hurt you when we had sex. I think it was just adrenaline and anxiety about what I had been keeping from you, knowing you would ask and I would tell. It was not intentional. Baby, please."
"So what now? We aren't married, but we have been together a while and we are engaged. You already cheated on me. We have had hurtful sex, almost rape except you were generous enough to give me several orgasms, even if they were ripped from me. And you have offered up an opportunity for me to fuck one of my best friends and a man who stands to lose a lot by crossing that never before crossed line. What does being engaged mean to you, Colby? Which of these things doesn't belong?"
"None of them belong. I never should have sought solace from someone else. I never should have hurt you. And I get the idea that despite our earlier conversation at the hospital, you aren't crazy about that idea either. Tell me what you want me to do."
"Do you want to marry me or not?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Then you apologize like you mean it about cheating, never ever again cheat under any circumstances no matter how trying or painful or I will cut your balls off and stuff them down your throat. No more violent sex unless we are both signed up for it together. And I will not be taking up your offer with Tommy. Our engagement just got extended, by a lot, as did the pre-nup. If during that time I decide I cannot trust you or that I believe that either of us does not want to be married to the other, the engagement will end. You can of course end the engagement at anytime as well."
"Do you want me to get my own apartment again, or take a separate room here?"
"We'll see how things go after everyone leaves. I don't want either of us humiliated anymore than we already have been."
"Can I sleep in this bed with you in the meantime?" Colby was very quiet by this time and very subdued.
"It's a big bed. Don't touch me and don't try to make love to me. I'm going to sleep now Colby. Fool that I am, I do love you. I hope and pray you own up to that love. Good night." Isabella rolled to her side putting her back to Colby and went to sleep.