“See, after everything you’ve been through, I couldn’t imagine you or Josiah being forced to deal with another stranger in your lives. Especially one who’d be required to be in your home or wherever you go daily. After consideration, and a little sweet talking on my part, I convinced my superiors that Mr. Caveleri would be the best choice for the job. He already knows you two, and has extensive experience in this area. His track record was impeccable, so it wasn’t that hard to pull off.”
He smiled broadly, clearly proud of his efforts.
“Well, thank you. I’m not sure what to say. Everything’s still such a shock. Every day I wake up and find out a little bit more. Every time I think things are smoothing out and I’m able to put it in the past, something new rises up and I have to deal with it all over again.”
Mr. Banes looked at me for a long time before he finally spoke. “I want you to know something, Ms. Sandviel. When I first met you, I thought you were crazy. I had seen Mr. Caveleri’s highly impressive background record and couldn’t understand what he was doing sitting next to you in my office, or furthermore, why he’d be helping you. It was because of him that I gave you the time to meet with me personally.”
My scowl was increasing. I really hoped he had a happy ending to his story. I already felt crazy most days. I didn’t need other people telling me that too.
“But after you explained everything to me, when I was standing at my desk looking at those pictures, I felt awful. I judged you without even knowing you. Of course, it was a pretty unbelievable story, but still, I shouldn’t have. Then, when you told me to think of my own child or grandchild, I almost lost it in front of you. My daughter is only one year older than you. My grandchild is the same age as your son. What if it were them? Well, anyhow, I’ve looked at it that way ever since. I would do anything I could to help you and your son. I’d want someone to do the same for my daughter.”
Okay, I guess he was an okay guy after all.
“Thanks, but don’t be so hard on yourself. If it hadn’t happened to me, I wouldn’t have believed it either.”
Mr. Banes smiled and started to walk to the door. There weren’t ever any goodbyes between us. When he was done, he’d just leave.
“Oh, Ms. Sandviel,” He stopped by the door and turned around, “The moral of my story was, don’t give up hope. Things aren’t always as they seem.”
With that said, he smiled again and walked away. I stood there staring at the spot where he’d stood, trying to figure out what he meant. I didn’t understand, but filed it away for later…along with about a thousand other things I didn’t understand right now.
Brett came back into our room about half an hour later. He had been called to a meeting while I was talking with Mr. Banes. Crossing the room, he leaned against the wall next to me, his thumbs tucked in his pockets, as he looked at Josie and me.
Josie was sitting up in his bed playing with a fire truck one of the officers gave him, completely absorbed in lifting the ladder and pushing the buttons. It was almost as big as he was, and made the most annoying sounds, but he loved it.
Glancing at Brett, I shook my head at how effortlessly sexy he was, and smiled. He had his bad boy look on today, but underneath it all, I knew he was one of the kindest people I’d ever known. The contrast always made me chuckle inside.
“Y’all seem happy today,” he said.
“We are. He has the world’s most annoying truck, and I found out that we get to leave in two days.”
“I heard ‘bout that.” The look in his eyes told me he also heard about his job promotion. Or maybe demotion. I’m not sure how he would see it. He looked happy, though.
I stood up and walked over to him, thinking about all we’d shared in such a short time. There wasn’t much in my life that I hadn’t told him about and I felt the same from him. Mr. Banes was right, I would feel much better with Brett watching over us than some stranger.
Standing in front of him, I reached out and unhooked his thumbs, wrapping his arms around my back, insisting he hug me. Lifting mine, I locked my fingers around his neck, and laid my head on his chest.
“Thank you.”
“For?” He asked as he nuzzled his head against the top of mine.
“For coming home with me in two days.” I didn’t ask him if he agreed to the plan Mr. Banes told me about. I wanted to be playful since I was in such a good mood.
“Oh, really? Well, ya know I promised not to leave until ya were in your sister’s arms again.” He was always just as good at being playful.
“Then I guess I’ll have to forbid her to hug me for a while, huh?”
“So, you’re sayin’ ya want me to stay longer? You’re not sick of me yet?”
I rubbed my hands down his back, resting them at the top of his ass. Leaning my head back, I looked up at him, while the rest of my body arched into his lower half.
“I’d like that very much.” I licked my lips and felt his body begin to harden against mine.
It wasn’t that I’d forgotten Miguel. I had to force myself to accept that the man I married no longer existed. My heart still ached from the loss. Brett wasn’t taking his place, but he gave me the comfort and safety I needed to get through this time.
He leaned down next to my ear and whispered, “I’m very happy to oblige in your requests, but for now, I gotta move my body away from yours. I want nothing more than to take your clothes off and show you how happy I am, but not only do we have a small audience right now, I also have two people I’m in charge of protectin’.”
I stuck my bottom lip out to pout and started to step away. I knew what he was telling me, but when he grabbed my hands as we were an arms length apart and held them out extended between us, he fully confirmed my disappointment.
“I’ll be with y’all every day, until they tell me otherwise. It’ll be pretty much the same as it is now. But I won’t be able to touch ya or sleep next to ya like we have been. I need ya to know it’s not because I don’t want to. There’s just rules now.”
I nodded my head sadly. We now had official rules and restrictions.
“I understand.” I looked down at our hands and answered him sadly. “I’m just glad it’s you in charge though, thanks.”
I felt like my one escape from the madness was gone. Maybe it was for the best, I’d have to deal with my problems now. But somehow it felt like the walls were closing in on me again.
Releasing his hands, I sat on the bed next to Josie, my back toward Brett. I needed to distract my thoughts. It was still a happy day and Brett was still going to be with us when we got home. I had to think of the good.
CHAPTER 34
We had been home for almost three months when I received a letter from Miguel. I was sitting outside on the back deck of my house, enjoying the warm weather and attempting to do paperwork from the store, when Brett brought it to me. Josie had laid down for his nap after working with his physical therapist, giving me a little time to finish the payroll. Joan tried to help out at the store occasionally, but after having the baby, she was struggling to have enough energy to do much.
Walking out the back door, Brett approached me slowly, a sad look on his face. We had fallen into a quick routine once we were back. I kept up with the doctor appointments for Josie, started working again three days a week, and the rest of the time I spent at home helping Josie recover. Brett was always with me, but usually stayed a distance away, trying to allow us to live a normal life. Regardless, I was always aware of his presence, as well as the two men in the unmarked car outside. Brett played and helped with Josie, and their relationship was even closer now, but when it came to me, our time together was short and guarded. Sometimes we laughed and joked during the day, but otherwise, he was all business, preventing us from getting too close or even staring at each other too long.
I can’t say I was surprised to hear from Miguel. I knew the day would come when I’d have to face him. But I was surprised by the way Brett handled it.
“Um, Me
l,” he said as he nervously shifted from foot to foot. “Ya got a letter in the mail today from Miguel. By rule, we’re s’posed to read correspondence from anyone who’s not on the approved list of contacts before I give it to ya.”
His eyes shifted from me to the letter, clearly apprehensive about the situation.
“Between you and me, I’m fine if ya wanna read this alone. I trust ya to tell me if there’s anything in it that I need to know.”
He bit his lip, holding the envelope out for me.
I saw that it was postmarked from an Army base in Afghanistan with a notification on the outside of the envelope warning that it was a communication attempt from an inmate. I didn’t know what to think about Brett’s offer. He had been so adamant about the rules so far, I was surprised he’d bend them for something like this.
Pushing the letter back toward him, I shook my head. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, you can read it first.”
He held it like it was going to burn his skin. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was scared.
“Really, Brett, just read it and give it to me. If we’re gonna break the rules, I have one or two I’d rather break than this one.” I smiled, hoping to entice him. It was my way of trying to reduce his anxiety, but also a chance to remind him that I missed him.
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Looking at the letter, he sat down next to me, exhaling a long breath.
“You have no idea how hard it is for me not to break those rules, Mel,” he said softly, his attention still focused on the letter in his hands.
I knew exactly how hard it was for me not to, but until he said that, I didn’t think he had a problem with it at all. “Hmph.” Is all I said. I didn’t want to disagree with him about something I couldn’t change. I respected his rules, and knew in my heart it was what he had to do.
Returning to my paperwork, I watched out of the corner of my eye, as he opened the envelope and began reading the letter. A few minutes later, I gave up on trying to do my work. It was impossible to focus on anything with him reacting like he was.
His eyes were frantically scrolling through the words, his hands almost shaking, as his feet shifted continuously under the table. My anxiety level shot to the sky wondering how bad it could be. Was he threatening me now? The look on Brett’s face looked like he could either cry or kill somebody. I couldn’t tell which. His jaw was clenching so hard that I expected him to break a tooth any minute. Unable to wait any longer, I had to interrupt him.
“Is it that bad?”
He snapped his head up and looked confused. “Huh? Oh, well, I guess it’s not bad. Sorry. I was just readin’ it a second time to make sure I knew how to report on it. Here.”
He handed me the letter and left the table, quickly walking into the house, as I sat wondering what had just happened. Holding the letter with both hands, I began reading to try to understand.
It was dated six weeks ago. I assumed that it must take a while to receive mail from there or maybe it was due to prison security. I didn’t think about it long though. My curiosity about the letter, and Brett’s reaction, forced my eyes onward.
Dearest Maelianna,
I cannot write everything I want to in this letter, but please, I beg you,
read the whole thing before you throw it away. You deserve more
than a piece of paper with some words on it, but I’m locked in here,
and this is all I have.
Yesterday, I was told about what happened with Josiah. I can’t believe
that it’s been more than a month and I’m just now being told what
happened to him. Other than odd questions during my days of
interrogation, I had no clue. Looking at the evidence and the way I
behaved, I know it may be hard for you to believe me, but I swear to you
that I would never hurt you or my son. You BOTH are and always will be
my everything.
Please, Mel, Please give me a chance to explain myself to you when I
get out. I’m not saying I deserve anything from you. I don’t. But even
if you choose to never believe me or forgive me, please just let me tell
you my side. I cannot say I’m sorry enough times to ever repair the
damage I’ve caused. I cannot ever ask my son to forgive me for not
being there to protect him. I cannot ever go back and change what
has happened. But if I could, I’d give my life to undo everything
that has been done.
I wish I could hear your voice or see your smiling face. I wish I could
come home tonight and rush upstairs to hold our son. God, I wish I
could make love to you! But more than any of those, I wish I had
just run away when my brother threatened me.
So much time has already passed. Is Josiah okay now? Are you?
Hold him for me, and tell him Daddy loves him. Please. Mel, don’t let
Him forget me, or doubt my love. Please!
I love you with all my heart and I hope that one day you will give me
the chance to tell you, show you, and attempt to make up for what
has been done.
Yours Always,
Miguel
I folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, while tears fell relentlessly down my face. I didn’t know what the tears were for though. I didn’t know what to feel. Sad? Angry? Happy? Relieved? No, definitely not relieved. Did he think that a letter would make everything all better?
And what about Brett? The way he left, was he upset? Jealous? Knowing what the letter said and seeing how he reacted, it made me even more confused. He hadn’t shown any signs of affection in months. How could he be upset? Maybe I was reading too much into it, and he was only worried. He cared a lot about Josie and had said before that he wanted to hurt the people behind this. It was probably just his protective side.
I wiped my tears away and put the letter and envelope inside my personal folder that I always kept at home. I didn’t want to think about it tday. Instead, I packed up my papers and went inside. I wasn’t sure if I should approach Brett right now or not, so I put my paperwork on the desk and started making dinner.
It was hard to keep my mind from drifting though. I wanted to figure the things out in the letter, I wanted to go ask Brett what he thought, and I wanted my life to stop being a riddle. I just didn’t know how.
I had decided to make chicken tacos and was cutting tomatoes while the chicken cooked, when I sliced into my finger. Not just any slice, it was a good inch long and wrapped around half my finger.
“Ahhhh.” I yelled out, grabbing my hand, and rushing to the sink. I put my finger under the water, doing a little dance due to the pain, as I watched the blood flow down. Oblivious to anything else, I didn’t notice Brett rush in, but he was suddenly behind me, helping me clean my wound.
“Here, hold the towel on it and I’ll go grab a Band-Aid.”
He left the room and hurried down the hall, returning moments later with some antibiotic ointment and a box of Band-Aids. I had moved to the chair, and was facing outward from the table.
He squatted down in front of me, bringing his eyes level with my hand.
“Here, let me see.” He lifted my hand, unwrapping the towel that was now saturated with blood. You’d think I cut my finger completely off by the amount of blood on it.
“Ooo, it’s kinda bad. Maybe we should take ya for stitches.” He looked up at me with raised eyebrows.
He was only inches away from my face, holding my hand between us. It was a lousy way to get turned on, but hey, I’m not perfect.
“No, I’ll be fine. Just fix me up doc.” I smiled and nudged my hand toward him.
He continued to stare longer then necessary, then went back to work on my finger. I watched everything he did. Not just his hands, but his eyes, his mouth, and the way his tongue moistened his lips. I was in a trance.
�
�Okay, all better.” He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my boo-boo.
We froze, neither of us breaking eye contact, as we watched each other.
I was silently begging him to lean forward just an inch or two and I’d do the rest, but he didn’t. He lowered my hand to my lap and let it go.
Reaching his hand to my face, he tenderly brushed his thumb across my cheek. I closed my eyes, leaning into his hand, indulging in how good his small gesture felt.
“Mel, are you okay?” His voice was soft, filled with concern.
I opened my eyes, confused about the sincere look in his eyes.
“Well, it’s just a cut, I’ll be fine, silly.”
He shook his head and lowered his hand to my lap, laying it on my knee.
“No, the letter. Are ya all right after readin’ it?”
I see. He was just being protective. Didn’t I feel stupid.
“No.”
I didn’t realize what I’d said. I was thinking about being okay about him, not the letter.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“Huh? Oh, no, I mean yes.” Even I was confusing myself.
Brett tilted his head and looked at me with questioning eyes.
“I mean the letter, I’m fine. Yeah, it hurts, I won’t lie, but it is what it is. I’m not sure what to think honestly. So, I’m not going to think about it.”
“Oh, then why’d ya say…” he paused, then stood up. “Never mind. I’m sorry for being nosy. It’s not my place.”
Quickly gathering the medical supplies, he smiled sadly and walked away.
I sat there for a minute, trying to figure out what he was going to say, before realizing that he wanted to know if the “no” was about him, but he was afraid to ask. Or something like that. I was done playing these games. My soon-to-be ex-husband wasn’t telling me anything specific, my friend was acting like we never were friends, and I was letting it all tear me apart.
Twisted Truths & Leveled Lies Page 31
