Exposure

by Ember Dante

  A stream of gibberish filled the air and drops of spittle landed on my face. The smell of alcohol assailed my nostrils—proof that he’d been working up to it all day. I always tried to be a positive person, but I couldn’t see a happy ending. There was no reasoning with him when he’d been drinking.

  The pressure holding me to the floor disappeared, and a shout followed by a loud crash roused me, forcing me to fight my way back from the abyss. Intense throbbing in my head felt like a marching band had taken up residence, making it a struggle to even move. I pulled myself onto the sofa in time to see Parker send a bruised and bloody Brett hurtling through Jules’ bedroom door. The wall shook, and splinters of wood flew through the air.

  “Does it make you feel like a big man to beat up a woman?” Parker bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the apartment.

  “Parker,” I called out, hoping he could hear my weak voice over the din. He stalked back into the room, dragging Brett’s limp form behind him. “Parker.”

  “You okay, kid?” He seemed perfectly calm.

  I shrugged, and my head dipped into the motion, sending a wave of nausea through me. “I don’t know.” I pointed at Brett. “Is he?”

  “He’s not permanently damaged.”

  “Why—? How are you here?”

  “I was gonna hang out and wait for Jules.”

  The front door stood open, a rude reminder of my aborted escape attempt. The sudden appearance of two police officers with guns drawn surprised me since I hadn’t had the chance to make that call. One of them stepped forward.

  “Police. Hands in the air. We received a call about a possible domestic dispute.”

  Parker complied and slowly turned toward the door. “Then this would be the asshole you’re looking for.” He raised his chin in acknowledgment of the cop standing in front. “Good to see you again, Mitch.”

  “That your handiwork, Gibson?” Mitch asked, holstering his weapon as he turned to his partner. “It’s cool, Tim. I know this guy.”

  “Yeah. I came over to see my girlfriend, and this douche was sitting on top of her,” he said, pointing to me.

  “Are you his girlfriend?” Mitch asked.

  “No, his girlfriend is my roommate. That guy is my ex-boyfriend.”

  I quickly explained the afternoon’s events and everything that had happened over the past few weeks, trying to make sense of the convoluted situation that my life had become. Mitch wrote it all down while his partner roused Brett enough to cuff him and read him his rights. He didn’t put up much of a fight. Parker had done some serious damage, even though he went easy on him—much easier than Ian would have.

  Mitch turned his attention to Parker. “Why don’t you take her to the hospital and get her checked out? She may have a concussion. We’ll meet you there and document her injuries so we can file charges.”

  “Can’t I just go to my boyfriend’s? I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “No, ma’am. We need you to see a doctor first.”

  He inclined his head toward Parker and gave him a meaningful look. Maybe Mitch was worried I’d be able to talk Parker out of it.

  “No problem. We’ll go to Plano Presbyterian.”

  Mitch nodded and followed his partner outside. Parker shut the door and walked toward me.

  “Does Ace know about any of this?”

  Tears spilled from my eyes, and I shook my head. The movement hurt, and I could only imagine the condition of my face.

  “Goddammit, Emmy,” he growled. “What am I supposed to do? I’m not lying to him about this.”

  “I’m so, so sorry,” I cried, burying my face in my hands. “I never thought Brett would go this far.”

  Parker sat beside me and draped an arm around my shoulders. “Ian isn’t stupid, you know. He knows you’ve been hiding something. It’s been driving him crazy.”

  My head popped up. “He’s told you that?”

  “Yep. He figured you’d tell him when you’re ready, and I’m telling you right now, you better get ready. He’s gonna be pissed about this shit tonight. Then he’ll be pissed you lied to him about it. I know I don’t have to tell you how he feels about that.”

  “I’ve made such a mess of things. What am I going to do? I can’t lose him, Parker.”

  “I don’t think you’re gonna have to worry about that. That being said, you better come clean—and I mean completely clean—about everything. He doesn’t take kindly to people making decisions on his behalf, which is pretty much what you’ve done by not telling him about Brett.”

  “I know,” I groaned. “I can’t believe I was so stupid, but I knew what would happen if I told him. I just didn’t want him to do something he’d regret.”

  “Oh, I don’t think he’d regret anything he would do to that douche bag.” He laughed. “Look, I’ve known him for a long time. I’ve seen him with a lot of different girls over the years, but I’ve never seen him act the way he does when he’s with you. I give him shit all the time, but that’s just how I roll. He loves you—for real. He may be angry, he may want to fight about it. Hell, he might even punch a wall over it. The one thing he won’t do, however, is walk away from you. You have gotten under his skin big time, and he won’t do anything to ruin that. Only you can do that.”

  I couldn’t believe Parker, of all people, was talking to me about relationships. I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded.

  “I know this place is a wreck, but I’ll take care of it. Let’s get your things and head to the hospital. Then I’ll take you to Ian’s. Jules can go there after work, and we’ll stay with you tonight, okay?”

  “Okay,” I sniffed. “Thank you, Parker. I’ve never been so afraid. I thought—”

  Parker pulled me closer and kissed my temple. “I know, kid. I know.”

  24

  Ian

  Worst case scenarios filled my mind, and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I thumbed through my contacts. Parker answered on the third ring.

  “Yo.”

  “Have you talked to Emmy? Is she okay?”

  “I’m actually at your place right now. Jules and I are keeping her company. Are you still in Brady?”

  “Fuck, no. I’m on my way home. I haven’t been able to get in touch with her all afternoon. She hasn’t returned any of my calls—that isn’t like her. Something’s wrong.” Parker didn’t answer right away, which raised a red flag. The silence stretched between us, and I could hear muffled conversation in the background. “Dude. I’m still here. What the fuck is going on?”

  “Emmy’s here, and she’s okay. She went to bed a while ago. She was a little upset earlier, but she’s going to be fine.”

  “What the fuck does that mean? What happened?”

  “Hey, man, I’m not trying to be a dick, but just take my word for it. She’s here, she’s safe, she’s asleep, and we’re not going anywhere. So slow your ass down—because I know you’re speeding right now—and drive safe. You’re no good to anyone if you’re dead.”

  Mollified once I knew Emmy was safe and under Parker’s watch, I took several deep breaths and let off the gas, slowing to the actual speed limit.

  “Okay. You’re right,” I exhaled. “I’ll be there in a couple hours.”

  “We’ll be here.”

  Exactly two hours later I charged through the door. The television was on, tuned to some boring-ass cooking show—which I would have given Parker shit about if I weren’t so rattled. He was more somber than usual, and Jules was, for once, sitting quietly beside him on the sofa. Their combined demeanor didn’t help my mood, and I caught them sharing a look in silent communication.

  I propped my hands on my hips, fighting to maintain the tenuous hold on my composure.

  “I’m here. Would someone please tell me what the fuck is going on? I’ve been going out of my mind, scared shitless, imagining the worst. One of you needs to give me something.”

  “Ian, you need to calm down,” said Jules.

  “I will as soon as you tell
me what happened. I’ve had all fucking night to think about this shit.”

  “Brett’s been arrested, Ace.”

  “Did that fucker do something to her?” The seriousness in Parker’s face told me all I needed to know, and I roared in anger. “Fuck! Motherfucker! I fucking knew it.”

  Parker stood, blocking the path to the bedroom, and poked a finger in the center of my chest. His voice was low and menacing.

  “You need to get a grip before you go in there. Brett scared the shit out of her tonight, and the last thing she needs right now is to be afraid of you, too. I don’t know what his master plan was, but it’s a fucking miracle he didn’t hurt her worse than he did.”

  Nodding, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Did you say she’s asleep?”

  “The doctor said she has a mild concussion, so we’ve only been letting her take short naps. I doubt she’s asleep after your little outburst,” chided Jules.

  Hoping I looked calmer than I felt, I turned away and headed to the bedroom. Moonlight streamed in the window, casting a soft glow across the room, lighting my way to the bed. I kicked off my shoes and settled behind her as gently as possible. It didn’t matter, because she instinctively rolled over to snuggle against me. I slipped an arm around her, and she stirred, waking enough to see me gazing down at her.

  “Hey, Beautiful.”

  “Hi.” Her chin quivered, and her hands fisted my shirt like she was grasping a life line. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  She buried her face in my chest and cried, releasing a surge of tears into my shirt. My hand moved over her back, stroking and petting, giving her time to cry it out. The sobs gradually morphed into silent heaves.

  “Emmy, baby, tell me what happened.”

  Her voice was broken by sobs, but she slowly confirmed my suspicions. I knew that prick wouldn’t leave her alone. My anger rose with every word out of her mouth, but I remained quiet. When she stopped talking, I pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed, flipping on the bedside lamp. Her eyes were puffy, and she squinted against the sudden brightness. The bruising on her cheek and around her mouth stood out in harsh contrast to her porcelain skin. Motherfucker. I was going to kill the bastard.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this before now?”

  “I thought I could handle him.” She shrugged. “I truly thought he would get bored and leave me alone. I was wrong.”

  “Baby…” I released a frustrated groan and walked around the bed to sit beside her. Fresh tears streamed down her face as her fingers worried at the comforter. “Hey, come here,” I whispered, pulling her onto my lap and folding my arms around her. She threw her arms around my neck, her body shuddering with every sob. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. I wish you had told me about all this, but I understand why you didn’t. The most important thing is you’re okay.”

  My hands slid up her back to her arms, loosening her hold on me so I could put a little distance between us. “Emmy, look at me, sweetheart.” She sniffled a few times and swiped away tears with the side of her fist. “I want you to promise you won’t lie to me again. I need you to always be honest with me, okay? Lying is a deal breaker for me.”

  She nodded and sobbed harder. “Please don’t be upset with me. Please don’t break up with me.”

  I folded my arms around her again, and my hands roamed over her back, trying to soothe her. It was as much for my benefit as hers, to reassure myself she was really there, really okay.

  “Baby, I love you. That hasn’t changed. I’m not going anywhere, so get that idea out of your head. You’ve been through a lot, and you’re upset. I don’t want to talk about this anymore tonight.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just didn’t think—”

  “Shush. Stop worrying. I want you to lie down now, try and get some rest.”

  “Don’t leave me, please,” she begged.

  I kissed her forehead. “I just want to talk to Parker for a minute, then I’ll be back.”

  She nodded and allowed me to tuck the covers around her. I kissed her again, on the mouth, carefully avoiding the split skin.

  “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  25

  Emmy

  I had no idea what day it was, only that I’d been hunkered in Ian’s bed long enough for the sheets to reek of stale sweat. My rattled brain tried to calculate the length of time, and the best I could come up with was a week, maybe a week and a half. Was that really all it had been?

  Deciding I didn’t care, I rolled over and burrowed further beneath the covers, lulled into complacency by the exhaustion that consumed me. It was hot, stifling, and the light was too bright. I couldn’t bring myself to face the day. The sheets and comforter shielded me from reality—a childish belief, yes, but the thought of being exposed to the light, being seen in my battered condition amplified my distress, so I buried my head until I was certain no part of me was visible.

  All I wanted to do was sleep and enjoy its promise of escape, but every time I closed my eyes, I relived the attack all over again. The only way I was able to get any sleep at all was curled beside Ian, his arms folded around me. Only then did I feel secure enough to let go and drift off to sleep. Only then did I feel safe. Every day I expected Ian’s patience to abate, and every day he continued to surprise me. He canceled or rescheduled work so he could stay home with me. I tried to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but he wouldn’t listen. Truth be told, I was glad he didn’t. I felt better knowing he was just a shout away.

  Sounds of heated conversation reached my ears, muffled by the closed bedroom door. My curiosity motivated me to toss back the covers and push myself upright. I swooned from the unfamiliar motion, and it took a few moments to gain my equilibrium. When I felt stable enough to rise, I padded across the floor and pulled the door open so I could peek into the other room. Ian stood just inside the entry, facing an angry and belligerent Jules. Judging by the stiff set of their shoulders and rigid posture, she’d been there for some time and wasn’t pleased with his apparent refusal to let her in. I walked into the room unnoticed and leaned against the island.

  “You can’t keep me from seeing her. She’s my best friend,” demanded Jules.

  “Actually, I can. This is my apartment. Besides, she doesn’t feel up to visitors.”

  “Ask her again. I’m not leaving until I see her.” She pointed a finger in his face. “You don’t have the right to cut her off from her friends.”

  “I’m not trying to do that. I’m only doing what she’s asked of me.”

  “Ian…”

  My voice was weak—I hadn’t used it for much the past few days—and I was surprised when they turned to face me.

  Jules took that as an invitation and hustled toward me, shoving Ian to the side. His lips pursed in exasperation and he pushed the door shut with a dull thud.

  “Oh, thank God, Em,” she began, her features smoothing with relief.

  As she drew closer, her expression morphed, incorporating mild disgust at my unkempt appearance. I hadn’t bothered to shower or brush my teeth since the night Brett attacked me, and I knew I must look like hell. I had zero desire to catch a glimpse of my ruined face, so I avoided any room with a mirror or any other reflective surface. Ian took his place at my side and smoothed a hand over my back, a silent show of support as Jules flashed him a look of disapproval at allowing me to reach such a lowly state.

  “Jesus, Emmy,” she stepped closer, gesturing toward the way I came. “Why don’t we go get you cleaned up? You’ll feel better.” I flinched and moved closer to Ian, tucking myself under his arm, prompting her to hold her hands up in a show of surrender. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  I didn’t understand my skittish reaction, but I couldn’t stop it. “Why did you come here?”

  Hurt rolled off her. “I haven’t seen or talked to you since last Wednesday. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” She flashed another dark look at Ian. “Not that I don�
��t believe your bodyguard.”

  Ian responded with a derisive snort and tightened his arm around me.

  “I just need some time.”

  “Emmy, this is me. Don’t shut me out. I’m here for you, you know that. So is Tyler. I don’t have to tell you how freaked out he’s been. You’ve turned off your phone, refused to talk to anyone.”

  “I don’t have anything to say. I just want to be left alone. I need to do this on my own.”

  An incredulous expression covered her face, and she gestured at Ian. “Alone?” Her gaze shifted to his. “And you. How can you just let her…” She drifted off, her hands flicking my way, indicating my disheveled appearance.

  “Let her?” he growled.

  “I’m fine, Jules. Tell Tyler you saw me, and I’m still alive. I’ll be good as new in a few days,” I said, trying to infuse my voice with confidence.

  A muscle twitched in her jaw, and she fixed me with a glare that clearly said she didn’t believe me but wasn’t going to push. “Fine. I expect a call in a day or two, letting me know what’s going on.”

  “Yes, Mother,” I snipped, unable to stop myself from being a smart-ass.

  She opened her mouth, then clamped it shut again before spinning on her heel and storming out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Drained, both emotionally and physically, I sagged against Ian.

  He pulled me to him, wrapping me tightly in both arms. “You okay, baby?”

  Unbidden tears flooded my eyes, and I nodded against his chest. At least, I thought it was a nod. It felt a bit like a wobbly, bobble-head move.

  “I guess I need to call Dad. I probably need a shower, too.”

  His hands roamed over my back. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but…”