Overcome

by Evans, A. K.

  “Hey, Lexi. What’s up?” she answered after the third ring.

  “Hi, Nikki,” I greeted her. “Are you free tomorrow evening? I have something important I need to talk to you about.”

  “I think so. I have appointments at the salon until about five-thirty, but I’m free afterward. Is everything ok?”

  “Yeah. I don’t want to talk about it over the phone, so if you could hang tight until tomorrow around six-thirty to seven, I’d appreciate it.”

  “No problem, babe. Where are we meeting?” she asked.

  “My place, if that’s ok. Elle’s going to be here, too.”

  “I’ll be there,” she announced.

  “Thanks, Nik. Oh, by the way…I don’t want you to lie to Luke about this, but I’d prefer if you not tell him that I’ve got something serious to talk to you about. Can you be discreet for the time being?”

  Without hesitation, she responded, “Absolutely.”

  The two of us chatted for a bit before hanging up. Afterward, I moved to the spare room in the apartment where I had all my workout equipment stored.

  After the rape, I had such a hard time sleeping. I found that if I worked out just before bed, it would help exhaust me so that I could get a few hours of rest. But then, several months after I started seeing Dr. Lane, I learned I no longer needed the elliptical. I’d grown so accustomed to working out after a long day, though, that I didn’t stop working out. It kept me in shape and made me feel refreshed, so I stuck with it.

  I got in a forty-five-minute workout before calling it a night. I showered and got myself ready for bed. When I climbed into bed, I let the events of the day filter through my mind. I thought about everything I’d accomplished over the course of the last four years and let that settle in me. Just before I drifted off to sleep, I told myself how proud I was for not allowing myself to continue to be a victim and that in the morning I’d take the next steps to continue fighting for what I deserved.

  It was twenty-five minutes before I was scheduled to be at a showing for another office space. Since it was close by and I had some time to kill, I decided to make a stop in Colvert’s Café again for my daily dose of caffeine.

  After I parked in the lot, I pulled out my phone and made the call I promised I would. It rang twice before I heard, “Hello?”

  “Hi, Grant. This is Lexi Townsend.”

  I was met with silence, so I added, “I met with you yesterday at Logan’s shop.”

  He was silent a moment longer before he responded, “Oh, yes. Good morning, Lexi. Excuse me for the momentary lapse in memory. I just got off the phone with another call and my mind was still on that conversation. Please tell me you are calling with good news.”

  “It’s ok. I’ve certainly been preoccupied before, so I completely understand. And yes, the reason I’m calling is to give you good news. I’d definitely like to oversee the publicity for the WAAR project.”

  Grant audibly sighed.

  “Thank you. You have no idea how much stress you are helping me avoid here.”

  I let out a small laugh and noted, “You’re welcome, but I have to be honest. After having the opportunity to think on it, I’m just really looking forward to being part of something so important.”

  “Well, you’re a lifesaver in my book. So, what do you need to get things going?”

  “I’m thinking we should set up a meeting. Originally, I didn’t think I’d have any time to get together this week, but one of my clients for Friday morning emailed me and said she needed to reschedule that appointment. I could squeeze you in then if you’re free to meet.”

  “I’ll make that work,” he announced.

  “Great. Can you meet at ten on Friday morning at Colvert’s Café?”

  To set myself at ease, I preemptively decided that it would be best to meet at a public place. Since this was going to be a new experience for me, I wanted to be in control of the location. Much to my relief, Grant agreed. Before we hung up, I gave him my email address and asked him to send over all information and details he had on the center. I wanted to go into our meeting with a full understanding of what had been decided on to this point.

  After finishing my call, I turned off my car and made my way into the café. I stepped inside, placed my order, paid, and moved to the side to wait while the woman standing in line behind me gave her order.

  As the barista called out my name, I lifted my hand to grab the cup of coffee while simultaneously glancing at the clock on the wall behind him. I had time to make it to my appointment, but it was likely I was just going to make it if I didn’t hurry.

  Once my coffee was securely in my hand, I turned quickly while looking down and instantly regretted it. I had collided with a hard body and all I felt was massive burning on the back of my hand, my wrist, down my arm, and at the base of my throat.

  “Ow!” I shouted dropping the now mostly-empty cup to the ground.

  Of course, this was at the same time I heard, “Whoa. Are you ok?”

  “It’s burning,” I rasped, as I hastily attempted to remove my jacket.

  After I had my jacket off, I pushed back my coffee-soaked sleeve and saw the skin was bright red.

  “Come with me,” I heard.

  That’s when I looked up and saw that the hard body I had run into belonged to Cruz.

  “I’m alright,” I insisted, even though I was absolutely not alright.

  “You’re not,” he countered. “And if you don’t get this taken care of you could end up with some serious scarring.”

  As Cruz held on to my fingers, he looked over my head and yelled out an order, “Cool towels, now.”

  The pain from the coffee was too severe to ignore. If it hadn’t been, I’m sure I would have been able to focus on the fact that for the first time in four years a man was touching me. I might have reacted differently to that touch if I didn’t feel like the skin on my arm and the upper part of my chest was on fire.

  I was fighting back tears threatening to fall when I felt a bit of relief on my arm. Cruz had wrapped cool towels around my hand and arm.

  Sweet relief.

  I closed my eyes and let out a breath. A tear spilled down my cheek.

  “Lexi,” Cruz called.

  I opened my eyes.

  His were watching the tear fall.

  “Trust me,” he pleaded when he brought his eyes back to me. They were full of concern and anguish. “We have to take care of this immediately to make sure you don’t have burns that require medical attention. The office is in walking distance, right around the corner. Come with me so I can help you.”

  I was in so much pain that I couldn’t think about anything other than doing what he said and going with him. And I wasn’t the least bit terrified to go with him.

  I slowly nodded my agreement.

  One of the café employees had already come up and started cleaning the mess of coffee off the floor.

  I apologized for the mess, but she apologized to me and was more concerned that I was alright.

  At that, Cruz picked up my jacket and held my arm as he walked beside me out of the café. He walked with me around the corner to the Cunningham Security office.

  We made it to the front door where he used the key pad and entered a code to unlock it. Cruz guided me through the quiet office space, down a wide hall with doors to private offices on both sides, until we reached what I assumed was a break room. There was a refrigerator, table with chairs, microwave, sink, and cabinets.

  “Have a seat,” he urged as he let go of my arm for the first time since he wrapped the towels around it.

  I sat.

  Then, I watched.

  Cruz flipped open the doors on a couple cabinets searching for something. Finally, he located and pulled out a rectangular plastic food storage container. He turned on the sink and tested the water temperature before placing the container underneath the stream of water. Once it had reached a level that satisfied him, Cruz turned off the water and brought the container ov
er to the table.

  “Put your arm in here,” he instructed as he gently wrapped his fingers around mine and lifted my arm.

  The cool water immediately offered some relief to the burns.

  “Are you ok?” Cruz asked as he sat in the chair in front of me.

  I looked up at him and answered, “It feels better now. Thank you.”

  His eyes narrowed a bit as though he were trying to figure something out, but he wasn’t looking at me. Well, he wasn’t looking at my face.

  I looked down to where his eyes were directed and realized I had my healthy arm up against my chest as my hand rubbed back and forth against the scarf resting there.

  “Are you only burned on your arm?”

  My body tensed as I lifted my head.

  “No,” I squeaked out.

  “Let me see,” he encouraged me.

  My hand gripped my scarf a little tighter.

  “I’m…I’m fine,” I stammered.

  “Lexi,” he stated, a clear warning in his tone. “Let me see.”

  Slowly, with one hand, I removed the scarf from around my neck. I wore my scarf today specifically because I was wearing a scoop-neckline, form-fitting top under my open front long-sleeved cardigan. Without the scarf, I felt exposed.

  “Fuck,” Cruz mumbled under his breath.

  He stood and walked out of the room.

  The second he was gone, I dipped my good hand in the water and brought it up to my chest. It did little to help with the pain.

  Not quite a minute later, he walked back into the break room and came toward me carrying something.

  He spoke gently, “Sit back in the chair a little.”

  His voice was comforting and I was in pain, so I did as he asked.

  “I’m going to put this cool cloth on your chest. You ok with that?”

  I needed relief and he was asking my permission, so I nodded.

  Cruz carefully placed the cloth at the base of my throat and over my chest. Somehow, he did it without even touching me. What he gave me in that moment was something I couldn’t quantify. I brought my free hand up to my chest and held the cloth in place as tears fell from my eyes.

  “Fuck, Lexi. I’m so sorry.”

  Cruz sounded like he was in agony.

  “For what?” I asked.

  “For burning you.”

  “The coffee burned me, Cruz. You just happened to be there when it scorched my skin.”

  He shook his head and maintained his guilt, “No. I ran into you and caused you to spill the cup.”

  “I was rushing and wasn’t watching where I was going. It was my fault.”

  He finally gave in and suggested, “Agree to disagree? Where were you going in such a hurry anyway?”

  My meeting.

  I forgot.

  I immediately shot up out of the chair and blurted, “Oh no. I’m going to be late. I completely forgot about my appointment. I have to go.”

  “Wait. You can’t go. You’ve got to let that arm sit in the water for at least another ten minutes.”

  “I can’t. I have to meet my realtor so she can show me an office space and I need to be there in…” I trailed off looking for a clock. After seeing the time on the microwave, I looked back to Cruz and finished, “Three minutes.”

  “Where’s the office space?”

  “Down the road from Colvert’s.”

  “Do you have your phone?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Call your realtor and explain the situation. Tell her you’re running a few minutes behind, but will be there shortly. If that works for her, you’ll give yourself another five minutes in the water and let me put some aloe on your arm. The burn on your chest concerns me, though. You might need to take a quick trip to the ER.”

  I didn’t have time for a trip to the emergency room. A trip to the ER is never quick.

  Instead of arguing that point, I called my realtor. I explained the situation to her and she was more than willing to wait a few extra minutes for me so I sat back down and put my arm back in the container of water. Cruz picked up the cloth and walked over to the sink with it. After running it under the water and squeezing out the excess, he brought it back over and placed it back on me.

  “Let me grab the first aid kit with the aloe. I’ll be right back.”

  “Ok.”

  I had been sitting there alone for not quite a full minute when someone, who was not Cruz, walked in.

  “Oh,” he said as he realized I was sitting there. His brows drew together, but he continued to walk toward me. I sat up a little straighter.

  Please come back Cruz.

  The man asked, “You are?”

  “Lexi,” I answered quickly. My voice was hoarse.

  “Elle’s girl?”

  Elle. He knew Elle.

  “Yes. Elle and I are friends and I work with her.”

  His eyes dropped to my arm in the container and my hand holding the cloth over my chest before he asked, “Is everything ok?”

  Cruz walked in before I could answer. “She was burned, Dom.”

  “How the hell did that happen?”

  Dom.

  He was the guy who had gotten to Elle just in time to save her from being killed by her stalker.

  “Coffee,” I confessed.

  “Ah, I see,” he started as he walked to the refrigerator and put something inside. “Cruz, I’m ready to rock when you are.”

  “Give me a few minutes to see to Lexi’s burns and we’ll head out.”

  “You’ve got it,” he shot back as he walked out of the room.

  “I’m sorry, Cruz. You’ve got work to do; you don’t have to take care of me,” I babbled.

  Cruz had lifted my arm out of the water and was gently drying it off with a soft towel when he stopped and looked up at me with a cocked eyebrow.

  “I hope you’re joking,” he grumbled.

  “Back in the day I was known to pull a prank or two, but this is definitely not one of those times,” I responded.

  His face softened, but he said nothing before he went back to tending to my arm.

  “Looks like second-degree burns on your arm and hand. I think you’ll be ok with just some aloe, but I still think you should go see a doctor.”

  “As much as I think you might be right, I don’t have the time today to sit in an emergency room or urgent care center and wait hours to be seen. I have one appointment I’m already late for and I’ve got a full schedule for this afternoon. It’s doubtful any place will be efficient enough to get me in and out over my lunch break.”

  I had no idea why I was being so chatty. It wasn’t like me…at least, it hadn’t been like me in a very long time.

  After he finished applying the aloe to my arm, Cruz directed his attention to my chest. He brought his hands to the top corners of the cloth and pulled it away from my skin. Once it was exposed, Cruz maintained, “You’ve got to see a doctor, Lexi.”

  I looked down at my chest, but really didn’t need to. It hurt. It hurt far worse than my arm.

  “What time is your lunch break?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Lunch. What time are you having lunch?”

  “One.”

  He thought a moment and concluded, “Can you meet me back here then? My mom is a doctor. I can have her meet us here to look at the burns.”

  “Oh, Cruz. That’s ok. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I don’t want to get your mom involved and inconvenience her.”

  “Please, Lex.” There was nothing but desperation in his voice. “I feel awful about this. I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight thinking that you’d end up with scars that you’ll have to live with the rest of your life because of me.”

  The weight of Cruz’s words rocked me.

  I swallowed hard and croaked, “Ok, I’ll meet you back here at one.”

  “Good,” he began as he put some aloe on his fingertips. “Let’s get some aloe on you in the meantime.”

  Before I could rea
ct, Cruz’s hand was at the base of my throat where he began applying the aloe. I turned my head to the side and looked out the window.

  He’s only trying to help you. He’s taking care of you.

  My hands were balled in fists and my heart was pounding.

  Cruz’s fingers moved down to the top of my chest and applied the aloe there. His touch was delicate, but my insides were shaking. My breathing grew shallow and, despite how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

  “Lexi?”

  I turned my head toward Cruz.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  I shook my head. “I think I’d prefer to do this part.”

  He pulled his hand away immediately and apologized. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable.”

  “It’s just…it’s really sensitive.”

  He dipped his chin and held the aloe out to me. Once I finished applying it, I stood and reiterated, “I better get going since I’m already late. Thanks for the aloe, Cruz.”

  “I’ll walk you back to Colvert’s.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I stressed.

  He sighed. “Sorry, but you aren’t going to talk me out of this one. I can’t send you out of here to walk to your car that’s not in our parking lot. It’s just not in me to do that.”

  He’s such a good guy.

  We walked out of the Cunningham Security office and back toward the coffee shop parking lot.

  We walked in silence for a bit until, eventually, he spoke.

  “Still not interested?”

  “In what?”

  He laughed. “Ouch. I might need the aloe when I get back to the office. Perhaps it works when one’s ego has been burned.”

  Oops.

  “I’m sorry.”

  And I was genuinely sorry.

  He was a nice guy and I believed he was a good one at that, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me. So, I simply told him that I was trying to focus on my career.

  It was hard not to miss the disappointment in his face, but he respected what I said and accepted it. Seeing him do that affected me in ways I never imagined.

  “Things are just really busy right now,” I continued.

  He gave me a nod of understanding and added, “Yeah, same here. We’re working a couple of cases right now that have the whole team putting in a lot of hours.”