by JL Hallow
“Well if we’re not going to court, I’m going to go ahead and say, obviously.” Mark was quickly losing his patience.
That was the difference in this…relationship; He didn’t need Aaron’s money, he was doing this to help a friend. That was it. Aaron, on the other hand, needed a lawyer that could pull his weight at the very least. And that was Mark. He was damned good at his job and Aaron knew it.
“I’ll call you if anything changes. In the meantime, no talking to Grace, no trying to find her, no running your mouth about anything. I’ll call you if there are any changes or updates.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Aaron stalked across the room and snatched his coat from the chair.
He was out the door before Mark could say another work. Mark rolled his eyes, heaving a heavy sigh as he tossed his pen down on the desk and leaned back in the chair. He groaned as his hands came up to rub his face. Aaron’s energy alone was brutally exhausting. If Aaron couldn’t keep it together in court, there was no way they would even be granted supervised visits every two weeks. Judge Donaldson was not a judge to mess around with. He did not tolerate arrogance, not in the slightest.
Fuck him. Aaron was going to be the reason he had an early heart attack.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Disagreement
Mike and Gabe, day of the fight.
“You really need to learn when to mind your own business. This really has nothing to do with you.” Mike shot a sideways glare at Gabe.
“Has nothing to do with me? How can you even say that? I was the one you called at four in the morning to give her a place to stay. I was the one that opened my home to her and Victoria for two months to keep them safe. Don’t you dare tell me I’ve got nothing to do with it. You didn’t hear her screaming in the middle of the night from the nightmares. You never heard the whimpers, then the bedroom door open before she went downstairs to sit at the kitchen table because she wasn’t going to sleep again. You didn’t lose sleep sitting down there to make sure she was okay.” Gabe threw him a heated stare back, practically snarling at his best friend.
“How dare you tell me I’ve got nothing to do with this. That’s bullshit and you know it, Mike.” He was a second away from slamming his fist into the dashboard and by the grace of God, he managed not to.
Patience wasn’t his strong suit when it came to people he loved.
The reality hit him like a bucket of ice. Loved? Mike must have picked up on it too because his anger seemed to dissipate before he let out a long sigh. For someone that never dreamed of having a wife, let alone kids, he sure was waist deep in this twisted situation. And from the looks of it? There was no going back, not now.
“You have feelings for her, don’t you?”
Gabe said nothing, instead, he turned and looked out the window as he leaned back into the seat. He was trying to sort his feelings out and failing. Grace was his friend and he was someone she trusted to protect her and keep her safe. She was just leaving an abusive marriage, she had a child. How could he…how could he love her? This was so wrong. How would Grace feel about that? And the kid… God, he loved her too.
At first, he had been indifferent toward Victoria, not really the type of guy to ever think about having kids. He never wanted marriage, never wanted kids of his own, but as the days passed and he spent more time with the only two girls in his life, he realized they were both stealing little pieces of his heart.
Shit.
Gabe swallowed, slowly turning to look at Mike. “Yeah, yeah I think I do. And if that’s the case, I’m totally, one hundred and fifty percent fucked.”
“Yeah, you are.” Mike nodded in agreement. “But if there was any woman worth letting you get wrapped around her little finger, it’s Grace. Victoria too.” She always had deserved better than Aaron, and Gabe was a damn good guy.
“What do I do?” There was a touch of hopelessness there.
“Hell if I know. I guess you let things play out how they’re going to play out. You don’t really have much of a choice, do you? I wouldn’t say anything to her yet. It’s only been a few months…let Grace come to you if she feels the same way, but don’t hurt her. God help me if you put that woman through one more day of pain…”
“I won’t. Not her or Victoria.” He murmured quietly.
The rest of the drive was made in silence and when they pulled into the driveway at Mike’s, neither man said anything as they exited the vehicle. Mike left the truck running as they both got out and Gabe headed to the driver’s seat with a much calmer head. He watched his friend walk to his front door and when it closed, Gabe backed out of the driveway and pulled onto the road. He was heading back to Grace’s place, just to prove to her that he was safe.
That was if she allowed him back in, of course.
~
Gabe approached the front door with great caution, peeking into the window to the left of it before he lifted a hand to knock. But he didn’t even get that far. Grace must have been waiting to hear his truck pull in again because as he reached the front door, she yanked it open. The screen still had the lock firmly in place and on the other side of it, Grace stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. “What are you doing here, Gabriel?”
Gabriel. Oh yeah, he was in trouble.
“Coming back to apologize and give you something.”
“Give me what.” She snapped. “Flowers? Something stupid? You left. You left when I told you not to go do some stupid thing like get involved with mine and my ex’s problem and I can see it written all over your face, whatever you did, was the stupid thing I begged you not to do, dammit.”
Quietly, Gabe removed the folded envelope from his pocket and held it up, glancing at her sheepishly. “I think you’ve been waiting for these…”
“What is that?” She demanded, arms falling from the protective stance.
“Open the door and see for yourself.”
Grace narrowed her eyes and flipped the latch to the screen door. She didn’t bother to open it for him but she took a step back and allowed him to enter the house. “Well, what have you got?”
Gabe handed her the envelope. “Listen, I know you’re pissed that I went to Aaron’s and I don’t know how long it’s going to take for you to not be pissed anymore but…it’s worth it.” He said with a shrug, hand coming up to rub the back of his head as she snatched the envelope from his other hand.
Grace opened the flap and pulled the stack of papers from the protective patch and knew immediately what these were. She glanced at the top line, the word ‘divorce’ in big, bold letters. That was all she needed to see. Well…that and… her eyes traveled down to the lines for the signatures and she let out a gasp. Her hand flew up to her mouth, eyes wide.
She had begged Aaron to sign them for months. Her lawyer had done everything in her power and it had taken Gabe all of two hours to get them signed and back safely into her hands… “How?” She finally asked, lowering the envelope to the kitchen table.
“The how isn’t important. What’s important is that they’re signed and now you can move on to the next part of the battle.” They both knew exactly what that was – getting sole custody of Victoria.
It was the final and only thing Grace truly wanted.
Without thinking, Grace launched herself forward and threw her arms around Gabe, pulling him tight against her. She nuzzled her face against his chest, breathing in his scent as she clung to him. He was the only safe thing in her life. She…trusted him and he earned that, especially after whatever he had just done to get those papers signed. She knew it was nothing simple, and probably something that could get him into serious trouble.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” She murmured against his chest.
Gabe held her close, his hand coming up to stroke through her dark hair. All he wanted was to tip her head back and kiss her but he refrained. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed, but he managed.
“You’re welcome.”
Chapter Thirty: Reflection
&n
bsp; Greg and Grace, present day.
“So…do you know what actually happened that day with Gabe?” Greg asked.
He had a pretty good idea that some kind of violence was used but whether it was a threat, a physical blow, or something else, he wasn’t sure. He doubted this Gabe guy laid hands on him, and if that was the case, Aaron seemed like the type to press charges.
Grace just responded with a little shrug. “I don’t really know. He came back home flustered but calm, practically begging for forgiveness for leaving when I asked him not to. I could see it all over his face. But he had gotten those papers signed and I believe it was going to be the last thing he did. He wanted…wants…this over as much as I do. I never pressed him or Mike for that matter, for more details.”
“Why not?”
“Truthfully?” She asked, one eyebrow twitching up ever so slightly.
“Truthfully.” He confirmed.
“I guess I just didn’t want to know. Let me make this perfectly clear before we go any further. Gabe isn’t a violent man, he would never harm me or Victoria. It’s truly not in his nature.” Of course she had said that about Aaron at one point too…But not every man was Aaron. Not by a long shot.
“He did what he had to do to get us out of Aaron’s clutches and now we’re working on freeing Victoria entirely. The official divorce was step one.”
“Is Gabe still around?” Greg asked.
Grace nodded. “He is. He hasn’t gone anywhere in months. I don’t think he ever will, to be honest with you. He’s seen the worst, he’s gotten his hands dirty and I don’t think he has any intention of jumping ship this far into the game.”
“This far in? Do tell.” He said with a chuckle.
Grace blushed, a soft laugh of her own escaping. It seemed as though they were moving on from the darker topics and to ones that brought her more joy. “Yeah…I uh…I think we might be a thing. Not like an official thing, like Victoria doesn’t know and I don’t want her to know yet. Mike and Caroline don’t know but I think they’re both smart enough to make a few educated guesses.” She said with a shrug.
“And how do you feel about that?”
“I like it. He…you know what, he makes me feel safe. Truly safe. I don’t have to worry about Aaron showing up when he’s at the house, I don’t wake up screaming when he’s sharing a bed with me. Victoria adores him and he’s so good to her. He treats her like a princess. The way she should be treated.”
“And how does he treat you?” He pushed further.
“Like a queen.” She said with pure honesty. “He’ll cook or at least help cook when he comes over, he helps clean, plays with Victoria, watches her when I have to work or if I need a break, helps with the house…nothing I’ve ever asked him to do, things he’s volunteered to do. He wants to be here and I want him here.” It was the first time she spoken those words out loud.
“He was supposed to come to court with me today but he got called in to work an extra shift. They like to have more hands on deck during storms like this and that’s fine, a lot of people call out. I could have handled it on my own, though” She paused, frowning for a moment. “Not… that I want to. I don’t want to do this on my own. I’m just saying I can when he has to work or isn’t capable of being there.” She said with a shrug.
“I get what you mean. You want him there but you’re still as independent as ever.”
“Even more so these days. I like the help but I won’t hesitate to tell someone I need to do something on my own, for myself, or that I simply need space. I’m not naive. I’m ending a long marriage, my first real love…if you could call it that, and trying to heal in the process. I’m willing to work on things in a slow pace, but if it’s something that works…it works. Why deny it? Why chase it away?”
“Just…be careful. You’ve been hurt, physically and emotionally.” His voice held a hint of that fatherly affection. “But I suppose if Mike and Caroline trust him, he’s got to be an alright fellow then, eh?” Greg followed up.
Grace gave a nod. “Yeah, I don’t think Mike would have let me within a ten-foot radius of the guy. I just don’t think anyone saw this coming.” She gestured with her hand. “We certainly didn’t. Hell, I think he was afraid of Victoria at first. Every time she was around the house he would scoot a safe distance away.” She said with a chuckle.
“But she’s grown on him and let’s be real, she stole his dogs after the first week.” By then she was beaming, happy to talk about the better things.
“Well that’s good then. I approve.” He said with a wink.
Grace couldn’t help the laugh that busted out of her. “I’m glad.”
Chapter Thirty-One: Twenty Questions
Grace and Gabe, three weeks prior
Grace sat on the kitchen counter her legs swinging as she took a sip of the can of Fanta soda. The sugary orange drink was terrible for her but it was her little sweet cheat. When she worked hard, she busted into the box of sodas and drank one. Then there was the chocolate stash in the top dresser drawer…that was another story though.
“So,” she started. “do you think we can get the upstairs bathroom done today? I know it’s a lot of work, but I would love to have it done soon…hoping I can get it taken off next month’s rent before I start ripping apart the one down here.”
Gabe was digging into the turkey sandwich she had made him a few minutes earlier. “Yeah, I think we can. Especially if we tag team it. The flooring is almost done, those stick tiles don’t take too long to get down. The hard part is making sure they’re lined up neatly. Then we have to finish painting. If you want to tackle the walls, I can do the trim.”
“Maybe three more hours, then?” Grace asked.
“Something like that. The tile is halfway done, I started it while you were cleaning up the painting mess we left in the dining room. There won’t be much room for you to help lay tiles but you can sit in the hallway and keep my company while I finish up.” Gabe said.
Grace polished off the rest of her soda, placing the can down next to her. “Yeah, I can do that. How about you stay for dinner too? If I hired someone to help me to all of this, it would cost a fortune. The least I can do is feed you.”
“If you hired someone to do this, it would defeat the whole purpose of cheaper rent.” He replied with a wink. “But yes, I would love to stay for dinner. Are you picking up Victoria?”
“Not tonight, she’s staying with Eileen for the night. I was going to get some work done after we finished up. I have a few transcription jobs with deadlines I need to meet and then one other editing job. That one shouldn’t take me more than a half an hour and it can wait until after we eat.”
“What’s on the menu?” He asked, finishing the rest of his turkey sandwich.
“Depends. What do you want?” She asked, jumping down from the counter. Her clothes were smeared with dried, grey paint. She knew renovating houses was a messy job but she underestimated just how messy it could be. “I think I’ve got beef and chicken.”
“How about steaks and a few sides?” Gabe rinsed his plate and left it in the sink. “And I’ll do the dishes since you’re cooking.”
“Perfect. Should we get to the bathroom now?”
Gabe nodded, letting her lead the way. When they reached the bathroom, he moved to the spot where he had left off and grabbed one of the vinyl tiles from the stack. Kneeling down, he started to line the tile up with the last one. “I like the colors you picked. They’re pretty modern and this house really needed the face lift.”
Grace took a seat right outside the bathroom door, pulling her legs under herself. “I like the color grey. It’s peaceful to me. Plus, from what I read online on some of the Facebook decorating sites, grey is currently the ‘in’ color. I figured it would add some value if she ever decides to sell the place.”
“Would you ever buy it? If she sells it, I mean.” Gabe glanced at her before grabbing the next piece of flooring.
“I might. Depends on the asking price.
I’ve been meaning to ask her if she would consider doing a rent to own by the end of the year. I don’t think she’ll ever want to move back in and this place is perfect for Victoria and I. I like it here. It feels like my space, you know?”
“I get it. Kind of. My house was always meant to be flipped. You think this place was bad? Mine was worse when I first bought it but the price was right. That was two years ago and I still haven’t put it on the market.”
“Why not?” She asked.
“I just haven’t had the time. Still a few things I want to fix, like the back deck and the basement still needs to be redone. They’re not things that would take a long time but I just…haven’t gotten around to it.” Excuses, just excuses. Gabe had gotten comfortable in the house and the more things he finished, the less reasons he had to push off the sale of his house.
“Gotcha.” She was quiet for a moment but when she piped up again, she changed the conversation entirely. “Tell me something I don’t know about you yet.”
Gabe paused, sitting back on his heels as he stopped what he was doing. “Something you don’t know?” He went quiet, thinking. “Well, you know that I work for the fire department and love it. You know about my family…” He continued to mull over her question and finally thought of something. “I like to read.”
Grace studied him, a small smile appearing. “I would have never pegged you for a reader. I used to have a ton of books but I switched to the Kindle app on my phone. Much more convenient.”
He shook his head. “Convenient, sure but nothing beats the feel or the smell of a real book. I like murder mysteries and anything science fiction. I loved the Game of Thrones.” He turned his focus back to the tiles. “What’s your favorite kind of music?”
“Country.” She replied quickly.
“Mine too, but heavy metal is a close second.”
“I could have guessed that.” She said, grinning. It was nice to play that little game of twenty questions. Of course she had learned about him as their friendship grew over the past few months but they never had the opportunity to sit and go question for question. “Favorite color?”
