The No Asshole Rule

by Ashley Erin

  The timer on the oven beeps; she taps me on the nose and goes to pull the biscuits out of the oven. Absentmindedly, I take the plate that she prepares for me. She smiles at me empathetically as I take a bite, completely dazed by what she has said.

  As I’m chewing, something nags at me in the back of my mind, something about the look in Andie’s eyes before she stared at the floor and didn’t move. What was it?

  “Lucas just parked.” Dax closes our apartment door, handing me my latte. “I’m going back out, I ran into Carter and they’re having a big Call of Duty match.”

  He goes into the kitchen and starts searching through the cupboards. “I will go over and talk to him, I don’t want to miss my chance like I did the other day.” Pausing, I watch as Dax continues to open and close the cabinets a second time. “What are you looking for?”

  “I want those cookies you baked yesterday. Where are they?”

  Blushing, I go into my room, bringing out the half empty container sheepishly. “I may have had the girls over to do pedicures.”

  “Damn! I knew I should have stashed some yesterday. Love you Nugget, let me know how that goes.” He jerks his chin towards Lucas’s and heads back out the door.

  Sipping from my latte, I repeat in my head that I am stronger than my past and that Lucas isn’t going to hurt me. Taking a deep breath, I cling to my coffee like it’s a life line.

  The door opening abruptly knocks the coffee out of my hand as I gape at the person standing in my doorway. A person I had hoped not to see ever again.

  “Dad.” I whisper shakily, ever muscle in my body freezing, shutting down. He smirks cruelly as his hand snaps out and grabs my wrist. Clamping my mouth shut to avoid crying out, I stumble into him as he yanks me forward.

  “Hello Andie. We need to have a chat. So you’re going to walk with me and you’re going to do so silently.” Pushing me in front of him, I hunch in on myself staring straight ahead.

  I’m moving down the stairs on autopilot, only stopping outside the door and waiting for him to point me in the direction he wants me to go. He shoves me towards the trails and the fact that we are moving away from any likelihood of someone seeing us has tears filling my eyes.

  As we walk further down the path, he pushes me to move faster causing me to stumble. “I think you will appreciate the spot I’ve selected for our . . . chat.” His tone is cruel and I find myself cowering just like I did as a child.

  He steers me down the path to the waterfall, an expression of hard delight on his face as he spins me around to face him.

  “I have tried to ask nicely, giving you your space, but I’m past nice. You need to tell me where your mother is, she and I have some unfinished business. WHERE IS SHE?” His body shudders with the barely contained rage that constantly flows through his body.

  I’m stronger than I was, I’m better than this. Straightening my body, I look him dead in the eyes. “No.”

  His eyes practically bug out of his head, the back of his hand connecting with my cheek in a sharp blow. I should have been expecting that. “She has something of mine, something I need and I won’t stop until I have it. Now where is she you little cunt?”

  “Mom is not yours! Why are you so fucking obsessed?” I back away from him, but he lunges forward and grabs my bicep.

  “I don’t care about the bitch. She has something, an object and I. Need. It. Back!” In his rage he’s let go of my arm and I take a step away from him, quaking but determined to stand up for myself.

  “Obviously you don’t need it that badly, you’ve survived almost eight years without it.” This time I know a blow is coming and try to move away, regretting immediately turning my back on him. He grabs the back of my shirt, connecting his fist with the side of my head, black bliss taking over.

  Fear. That was the look in Andie’s eyes. Jumping off the couch, I fling my door open and barely miss running into Dax.

  “Whoa, dude, where are you rushing off to? Is Andie in there with you?”

  “Why would she be with me?”

  “She said . . .” Dax looks confused and concerned. He opens the door, calling Andie’s name. We both see the spilled coffee at the same time, Dax’s head snaps up and looks at me, eyes wild. “This isn’t fucking good.”

  “Maybe we’re over reacting. Let’s go check in with the girls.” My words are comforting and Dax looks at me indulgently, we both know that something is not right.

  Knocking on Kensi and Nella’s door, we wait impatiently as the deadbolt clicks and it swings open. Kensi has clearly just woken up, her hair wild and her eyes barely open. “What do you want?”

  “Is Andie there with you?” I ask, even though we know she’s not. The hope is there that maybe our gut instincts are wrong.

  “No. Why? Is everything okay?” Kensi is immediately more aware, she looks at Dax sensing the tension rolling off his body.

  “Just . . . It will be.” Dax reaches forward and shuts the door, a small smile briefly crossing his face as Kensi swears at him from the other side. “Okay, we need to figure this shit out. This has Dad written all over it.”

  Following him back up the stairs, something is bothering me. A day? A person? Oh. Shit. “Dax, what does your dad look like?”

  “He is about my height, same dark hair. The similarities that would otherwise be present have faded because he doesn’t take care of himself. He looks like a walking mugshot.”

  “I think I saw him one day outside our building. There was something familiar about him, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.”

  “Fuck!” Dax slams the door to their apartment open and starts pacing. Not knowing what to do, I clean up the coffee before sitting on the couch, my knee is jerking up and down, the only outward sign of the turmoil inside.

  Dax sits down, leaning on his elbows, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles are white. When he finally sits up, his face is stone and his eyes are hard. This is the Dax I sensed was underneath the fun loving guy, this is the Dax that Andie worries about, this Dax is scary as fuck.

  “He would take her somewhere that would hurt her, break her down. Somewhere close enough to give her hope, but far enough that it’s unlikely anyone would stumble across them.”

  We sit silently for what feels like hours, trying to think of where that could be. “The waterfall. He took her to the waterfall.” The words come out as a croak as I realize he would take her to our place, a place he knows would hurt her to ruin.

  “You stay here, I need to go. Now.” Dax stands and walks towards the door.

  “There is no way in hell I’m letting you go alone.”

  “Fine, let’s go. Call the cops while we walk, I’m not letting him get away with this.”

  We sprint down the steps and I dial the phone, I only hope we’re not too late.

  Throbbing in my head greets me as I come to. My body is stiff from laying in the snow and without thinking about why I’m outside with a raging headache, I attempt to get some blood flow, moaning at the jolt of pain in my head as I open my eyes.

  Dad’s face greets me as he crouches in front of me, his face set in a scowl and it takes all my willpower not to close my eyes and succumb to the cold. “Finally you’re awake. You always were weak.” My whole body hurts from lying on the hard snow and I guess I’ve been out for about ten minutes. Thankfully it’s not brutally cold out, but I need to get inside soon. “Your mother has a key, I need this key. Where the fuck is she? How she managed to fall out of my radar, well I really don’t have time to dwell. Just tell me where the fuck she is and I promise I will leave you alone to your pathetic life.”

  “No.” He stands and kicks me in the stomach, my body barely having time to register the pain before he is picking me up by my neck, squeezing until my air flow is restricted. “You are really starting to piss me off.”

  He squeezes my neck harder, until I’m feeling dizzy from loss of air flow, before throwing me to the ground. His foot connects with my side, a yelp of pain escaping before
I can clamp my mouth shut, his cruel laugh rouses my hatred of him and I manage to roll away before his foot connects again.

  Adrenaline surges through my veins and I find enough strength to stand, my legs wobbling under my weight, I refuse to be weak around him. I have spent years strengthening my body, but it comes down to my mind.

  “You always were a waste of my time.” He spits at me, lunging forward, a right hook hitting me in the jaw.

  Stumbling, I manage to stay standing. “Then why don’t you leave me the fuck alone?”

  He steps into my space, a smug grin crossing his face. “Because, it’s through you that I can get to her and she has my key.” A fist connects with my gut, his hand gripping my hair tightly as I’m bent over gasping for air. My vision is fuzzy and my ears ringing.

  “Andie!” Lucas’s voice breaks through the haze, Dad releases me from his grasp in surprise and I lift my head to see Lucas and Dax charging towards us.

  Crumpling to my knees, my strength bleeds out of my body as relief fills me. “Lucas . . .”

  Andie falls to the ground, her lips moving as she says my name. My legs burn as they carry me to her, Dax already zoned in on their father.

  Falling to my knees, I quickly remove my jacket and wrap her in it before pulling her into my arms. “Lucas . . . I’m so sorry. You weren’t a dare.” Andie looks up at me, her gaze steady.

  “Shhh. We will talk about it later.”

  A grunt and a thud causes me to turn. Dax has his father face down on the ground, hands pinned and knee in his back.

  Scary Dax fades as he looks at Andie, but is back quickly as their dad struggles to break free. “Stay the fuck down.” Dax is talking to their dad, his voice low so the words don’t carry over to us. I watch for a moment, glad when Dax slams their fathers face into the ground.

  “Lucas. I . . . I . . .” Andie’s teeth are chattering and I wonder how long she has been out here in just slippers, leggings and a hoody. Lifting her into my arms, I turn to Dax.

  “We need to get her inside.” Dax looks at her in concern, but before he can say anything commotion on the trail draws our eyes.

  Two police officers come crashing in, assessing the scene before them. They see Andie in my arms, bruises forming on her face, followed by Dax pinning their father to the ground and burst into action.

  One officer comes striding towards Andie and I. “I’m Officer Jackson. I have some questions and I need to take your statement.”

  “We need to get her inside first.” How is that not obvious? Officer Jackson nods and gestures to his partner. Andie’s father is cuffed and we make our way out of the trails and to our apartment building.

  Thankfully, because exams are over, there aren’t many people around to stop and stare, Andie huddles in my arms and I carry her into the entrance of our building, Dax and Officer Jackson following close behind us.

  Andie peers nervously over my shoulder, watching the other officer stick her father in the back of the police car.

  “I need your name and your account of what happened.” His voice is brisk, all business.

  “Andie Burke. I was drinking coffee when my door slammed open and Dad, John Burke, was standing on the other side of the door.” Her voice is shaky as she recounts what happened, what her father said and, with some prodding from Dax, her history of harassment and abuse from her father.

  Officer Jackson jots notes and takes quick statements from both Dax and me. The entire time we’re talking, I hold onto Andie, unwilling to let her go. Her body slowly stops shivering and she has some healthy color in her face. I send a mental prayer up to the sky, thanking Mother Nature for this warm spell she’s giving us.

  “Stay here.” Officer Jackson goes out to the vehicle.

  “Nugget, you warming up?” Dax looks at Andie in concern. She has bruising around her neck, on her jaw and cheekbone, and likely elsewhere that we can’t see.

  “Yes.” Andie sounds exhausted and I reflexively tighten my hold on her, wincing when she whimpers in pain. When I loosen my grasp she whispers, “Don’t let go.”

  “I won’t.”

  Officer Jackson comes back into the building. “I encourage you to press charges, a court date will be provided to you if you choose to do so. I know you may be concerned about your personal safety. I encourage you to keep your door locked at all times and check before answering, but I assure you with the amount of warrants we pulled up under his name, it is unlikely he will be showing up any time soon.”

  “Before we go I need to take some photos of your injuries.” Reluctantly I set Andie down. Officer Jackson takes photos of her face and neck. “Any other injuries we should know about?”

  Andie lifts her shirt to just under her breasts, there is extensive bruising on her side and ribs. Clamping my jaw shut, rage surges through me as I stare at the bruising.

  Pulling her into my arms as Officer Jackson finishes with the photos, the anger replaced by a need to keep her close. “We need you to see a doctor for documentation. Here is my card, if you think of anything else please don’t hesitate to call.”

  Officer Jackson leaves and we go upstairs.

  “Ok Andie, I know you’re tired, we just need you to go through X-Rays and then you are done. Your paperwork will be sent directly to Officer Jackson and we will call you in a week to book your follow-up. Take this requisition down the hall, taking your third left.” Sighing, I take the paper she hands me. What’s one more examination? I’ve already been man-handled, checked for internal bleeding and checked for concussion.

  So far so good, except for a minor concussion.

  A hand slips into mine and I look at Lucas. He and Dax both came with me to the hospital and have not left my side. I really want to talk to Lucas about what he overheard, but not when Dax is hovering. For now I’m just grateful he seems to have forgiven me for the moment.

  “Andie . . .” Dax clears his throat. He’s been silent since we left the apartment. Not one word in the car, or in between the different checkups and tests. “I’m so sorry Andie.”

  Looking up at him, I see unshed tears in his eyes. Dropping Lucas’s hand, I tightly squeeze my arms around Dax. “None of this is your fault. It’s never been your fault. Please stop blaming yourself for what he has done.”

  “But . . .”

  Releasing Dax from my embrace, I grab his face with my hands. “No. There is no ‘but.’ Without you, without both of you, I would probably still be there. Unconscious, or worse, dead. So don’t give me any buts.”

  “Lucas was the genius who knew where he took you.” Dax smiles and I know that while he still blames himself, my words did help.

  “That is amazing to me. Thank you. Both of you.” Sliding my hand back into Lucas we go to finish off the tests.

  An hour later we are on the road. Nothing broken, cracked or severely damaged, they said I should be feeling back to normal as the bruises heal. I’m exhausted and feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.

  Lucas sits next to me and I wish things weren’t broken with us, we still need to talk and despite the fact that he was there for me, I know he is still hurt.

  “Lucas, will you come over for breakfast tomorrow?” Holding my breath, I wait for him to answer.

  “Oh.” He sounds disappointed and I don’t understand why, but before I can ask he continues. “Yeah, breakfast sounds good.”

  “Does nine o’clock work?”

  He nods and I sigh in relief. As Dax drives us back, exhaustion from the day pulls me in, the last thing I remember is Lucas taking my hand.

  Waking up before my alarm, I mentally prepare myself for all sorts of outcomes this conversation can have. The very worst being that Lucas has no interest in giving me a chance to fix this.

  I shower quickly and throw on leggings and a cozy sweater. I’m too sore to do my hair and makeup so I don’t even bother looking in the mirror, it’s safer that way.

  “Nugget, I’m going to take your SUV out for a bit. I think I’ve finally found
a car that isn’t complete crap.” Dax hugs me and kisses the top of my head. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore, anxious and relieved. Does that even make sense?”

  “I haven’t really said this enough, but I’m proud of how you are no longer locking yourself in the safe and lonely life you had going.”

  “I’m proud of you too Dax. Look at us, growing up and shit. Moving on and being better.” Winking at him, he laughs as he leaves the apartment.

  An hour later, I hear Lucas knock on the door. Shaking my hands out, I open the door wide, cursing myself when I don’t check just in case.

  “Hi.” Smiling shyly, I can’t help but notice how damn good he looks in his jeans and simple gray shirt. My eyes eat him up, starving for him. The responding smile on his face is brilliant and the butterflies that have been casually flying about start a frenzy in my gut.

  “Good morning.” I want to tell him how much I missed him, I want to run into his arms and tell him I love him. Instead, I move out of the doorway and lead us into the kitchen.

  Lucas takes a seat at the table, the smile on his face lingering. I brush my hand across my forehead and start cooking the pancakes.

  “How are you feeling?” Lucas looks at me in concern.

  “Honestly, I look worse than I feel. Don’t get me wrong, my body is sore. I guess in the grand scheme of things, I can deal with soreness. I keep telling myself to think of it like the day after pain you get from a great workout.”

  Soon I’m sitting across from him, pushing a chunk of pancake around in my syrup.