Picking Up The Pieces: Book 1 of the Broken Series

by Sienna Grant

  Me - Ok smartarse, you know what I mean! Make sure you ring dad, he’s worried about ya, he’s got enough on his plate without you adding to it.

  Liv- Yeah ok, I’m sorry. I’ll ring him now and I’ll let you know more when I’ve worked something out. Love you bro xx

  Me - You do that! Love you too, watch what you’re doing, I just worry that’s all.

  Liv- I know you do. Speak soon.

  See, smart mouth little shit, but she’s my sister and I love her, and if I find out anyone has hurt her in any way, shape, or form, I’ll kill them.

  I look up to see Jack standing in the doorway, and he asks if I’m ready to go. It’s 4:30 - damn right I’m ready to go, today has dragged like a bitch. We spend the next couple of hours in the gym, on the running machines and the weights and then finish up on the punching bag.

  “Whoa there, buddy, go easy, there seems a little sexual tension there?”

  “Fuck off, dickhead.” We stay on the bag for a while longer, when we’re fit to drop from exhaustion, we decide to call it a night. We get showered and leave. I tell him I’ll see tomorrow and casually tell him I’m picking up Lex from work tonight and leave him standing by his car with his mouth hanging open. God forbid he missed any details about my love life or sex life for that matter! I get in my car and head home. By the time 9:30 rolls around, I’m edgy, kind of nervous, but looking forward to seeing Lex at the same time. I pull up at the restaurant and park up, do I go inside, or wait out here? After pondering on that decision, I go inside the restaurant. The Maitre’D is at the front of house; a petite blonde woman, pretty, but nothing on Lex.

  “Can I help you, sir?” She asks kindly.

  “I’m just waiting on someone,” I smile politely.

  “What’s the name and I’ll see if I can help you,”

  “It’s fine, thank you anyway but I’m waiting on Alexia, she’s finished at ten.” She looks at me a little dejected but never mind, she’ll get over it.

  I look around into the restaurant, and I see her then by the bar, she’s talking to another girl, I watch her movements, I see her friend nod her head my way, she turns and fixes me with that sexy shy smile of hers and puts her hand up to me and waves. I return her smile, and she put her hand up again to let me know she’ll be five minutes, I nod back to her, and I wait…a few minutes later she’s walking towards me with her bag, and I walk to greet her.

  ALEXIA

  I sit on a bar stool, take my shoe off and rub the bottom of my foot. My feet are killing me! For a Monday, it’s been busy. I don’t do this shift very often I’m usually on shut down, so after about three hours into my shift it slows down, and we can get five minutes for a break, not tonight, though.

  I’ve been propositioned by an old guy, saying he wants to take me home and look after me. I’ve been rude to by some snotty middle-aged woman because their food took longer than they expected, I just smiled through gritted my teeth and apologised and gave them a drink on the house, that made her smile, miserable cow!

  All in all, it’s been a shit night. I put my shoe back on and go out to take a look at the rota sheet, I’ve got ten minutes before I’m finished, I wonder if Blake will turn up? I turn my attention back to the rota and see I’m in on Thursday and Friday nights, that means I won’t be out of here until 11:30ish…great!

  I head back out to the bar, I stop to talk to Amy, one of the girls who work the bar and take a drink from my bottle of water.

  “Do you know him over there?” Amy asks me and nods her head towards the entrance. I look over and see Blake, the flutters start in my tummy again, and I give a small smile, and I wave to him. He’s wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms hugging his hips, with a t-shirt that emphasises his chest.

  Oh, my God.

  “Yeah I do, he’s here to pick me up,” I say to Amy, I’m so rude, I’m still looking at Blake while I speak to her, appreciating what’s waiting for me. I put my hand up again to indicate I’ll be five minutes.

  “I’m going, it’s ten almost anyway.”

  “Oh yeah, you go, enjoy that hot piece of stuff while you’re at it. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, especially one as gorgeous as that!”

  “It’s kinda new. I’m going, I’ll see you Thursday if you’re in,” I shout to Amy as I walking through the staff door. I hear her say that she is because she loves her job – yeah right!

  Smirking to myself I grab my bag from my locker and walk back out. I wave to Amy and walk towards to Blake, but he’s already started towards me. When we meet in the middle, he grabs my hips and kisses my lips with a little pressure so that I have to push back. Otherwise, I’ll lose my balance.

  “Hey, Princess,” my tummy does that fluttering again, every time he says that it does this.

  “Hi,” I smile at him. “Thanks for coming to pick me up, I know it’s late.”

  “Never too late for you, don’t worry about me. If I hadn’t, then you would’ve been walking the streets, then I’d worry. I won’t let that happen.” He takes his hands from my hips and turns, he puts an arm around the middle of my back and guides me towards the door with his hand on my back.

  Blake opens the door for me, and we walk across the car park to his car, it’s a brand new, top of the range BMW, it’s so nice! I like cars and take notice, he opens the door for me.

  “Why, thank you, sir,” his eyes darken as I say it and he pecks me on the lips.

  “Get in, you little minx,” my mouth lifts one side, and I watch him shut the door. He walks around the car and gets in, he grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles and rests his hand on my leg.

  Blake reverses from the parking space and pulls out of the car park, re-takes my hand and puts it on his leg. He looks across at me, “How was work, gorgeous?”

  “Tiring. Mondays aren’t usually busy,” I go on to tell him all about my night, and he listens to me intently. “How about you, how was your day?”

  “Too long, and when you’ve got Jack being an arse all day, it’s even longer,” he rolls his eyes, but I know he doesn’t mean it, he loves Jack really.

  We pull up outside my building, and we sit for a while. He turns a little in his chair to face me and traces my face with his eyes, I blush under his scrutiny of me, I drop my eyes a little and look at our fingers entwined. I like the feel of his hand in mine, I hold it a little tighter. He puts his fingers under my chin and lifts it a little and looks deep into my eyes.

  “Don’t do that, I love your eyes, I know you think you aren’t beautiful, but I happen to think you are.”

  He leans into me and connects his lips with mine, he kisses with such affection, my whole body starts to tingle. I put my free hand into his hair at the back of his head and pull him closer to me, I kiss him back with as much as I’ve got to let him know I feel the same.

  Blake starts to pull away, so do I. “My god Lex,” breathlessly. I’m the same as Blake. “Are you coming in for a bit, I need to send my childminder home.”

  “You sure?” Blake asks me, I nod at him, I can’t speak at the moment, so a nod is the best I’ve got.

  We get out of the car and enter my building, as I open the front door I ask him to go into the kitchen and put the kettle on, while I wake up Lisa and send her home, I kiss him on the lips, go into the lounge and leave him standing there looking on.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  BLAKE

  I watch her walk into the lounge, I re-adjust myself, shit, something has to be done about this, looks like jerking off again tonight! I do what she asks of me, and I fill the kettle and flick the switch on. I hear her say bye to her childminder, “I’m just gonna check on Grady,” she tells me as she walks past the kitchen, I shout back okay and start looking for the cups so I can make her a cup of tea - or coffee.

  Shit, I don’t know what she drinks.

  I find the cups and place them on the surface and wait, I turn to find her watching me, “Like what you see, Lex,” I say raising an eyebrow at her. “I do,” she looks down at
her feet, I’m not going to push her, so I turn back to the cups.

  “Tea or coffee?”

  “I’ll do it, you’re a guest, what would you like?”

  “Tea, please,” I watch her make the tea for us, and she hands me mine. “Shall we go and sit?” I nod at her and follow her into the lounge.

  We get comfy on the sofa, and I put my cup down and take Lex’ off her too so I can do the one thing that I know she won’t mind me doing. I stroke my hand down her cheek, “gorgeous,” she blushes again, I put my hands on each side of her face and kiss her lips softly, I pull away, and she licks her lips, tasting.

  “Can I ask you something, Lex?”

  “Yeahhh, I suppose,” she answers warily.

  “Why did you and your husband split up? I ask her cautiously.

  “Who said I was married?”

  “I kind of guessed, I suppose. Am I wrong?”

  “Nope…you’re not. I suppose you could call it unreasonable behaviour,” she frowns at her comment. I look over her face, and I see a small scar, just at the end of her eyebrow, but it’s only noticeable when you look closely enough.

  I rub my thumb over it, she flinches and tries to pull her head away, I don’t let her, I pull her head towards me and kiss her scar. “What happened here, Lex?” She studies my face.

  “I think you know, Blake! You saw me that day in the café, you saw the bruises on my face, I’m not that stupid to think that you saw right through them!”

  “Hey, you are not stupid, I just wanted to see if you would tell me that’s all. If you don’t want to tell me yet, it’s fine, but I also know that your self- esteem is at an all-time low.” I kiss her again, her eyes start to glass over with tears, one slips down her cheek, so I wipe it away with my thumb.

  I can see her shutting down in front of me. Another tear slips down her cheeks.

  “I know we haven’t known each other long Princess, but I like you, a lot, and I’d like to see where this leads; you and me.” She looks at me frowning, I can see she’s struggling with something, “What is it? Talk to me, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

  “What about Grady?” she asks me quietly.

  “What do you mean?” Lex looks at me as if I’ve got two heads, “I’m not being difficult I’m asking a genuine question. Grady is a part of you, another part I’d love to get to know, but I’m willing to take it slow Lex, I’m not gonna push you. I’ll meet him properly when you’re ready.”

  “He always said no-one would want me, with a child; well, me really. He said I was fat, and he doesn’t know what he ever saw in me,” the tears pour down her face, my heart breaks for her. But in a split second, I can feel the rage building, I wipe her tears and wipe her cheeks, and kiss her forehead.

  I get up and walk to the fireplace and rest my hands on the mantelpiece, I take a deep breath to try and control the rage I feel.

  “I’m sorry,” I hear in a timid voice.

  I whirl around, “What, did you just say sorry?” I walk back to her and sit back down beside her, “Don’t you dare apologise for that piece of shit. I’m angry for what you went through and the fact that the bastard put his hands on you, but never again.” I kiss her again, properly this time. I part her lips with my tongue, and I find hers so they start tangling with each other.

  I lean her backwards to the sofa so she’s on her back and I show her just how much I want her, that she’s none of those things she mentioned. I know that the abuse went deep, I don’t know how far it went, but I’m gonna find out!

  I start to pull away from the kiss, I kiss her lips, her cheeks, her nose, and her forehead. I smile at her. I wipe her face.

  “I don’t know how to do this Blake. Paul hadn’t been nice to me since about a year after we got married, but there again, when I think about it, he wasn’t that nice, ever, he never treated me like this, but that was my fault. I used to be stronger than this, now - I’m weak! Maybe that’s why he hit me.”

  “Stop it! Don’t say that again. You are the strongest person I’ve met, you escaped an abusive marriage, you’re raising a child and supporting they both of you. You’re amazing.”

  “This is the most I’ve ever told anyone, even Becka doesn’t know a lot of it. I know I haven’t told you much, but that was huge for me.” I kiss her forehead and get up off her, “where are you going?” she scrambles up.

  “I’ll be right back; I need to use the bathroom.” I go to the bathroom before she can say anymore.

  I lock the door after me, I look at my watch it’s nearing one o’clock in the morning, again. I take a deep breath in and take a look in the mirror, I rub my hands over my face, I make a decision there and then that no-one will get the chance to hurt her again. I’m gonna kill that motherfucker if he ever goes near her again, I swear it! I flush the toilet and head back to the lounge.

  ALEXIA

  I’m sat on the edge of the seat with my face in my hands. God, why do I keep crying in front of him? That’s more than enough to make him run a mile!

  I hear the toilet flush, and I try to compose myself, I wipe my face with my sleeve, but the tears keep coming. He walks into the lounge and stands in front of me, he squats down to my level. He takes my face into his hands and softly runs his thumbs across my cheekbones, wiping away the tears that refuse to stop.

  “No-one will ever hurt you again, I promise,” Blake says softly. He leans forward and tenderly presses his lips to mine, with just enough pressure to keep me wanting more, I lean forward, pushing my lips against his, his tongue licks my bottom lip and with the taste of tears mingling with the softest, sweetest kiss I think I’ve ever had.

  I break a bit more. When he’s finished, he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight while I cry, every now and then he kisses my cheek, then my forehead. He loosens his hold, and I think he’s going home, instead, he twists so he can sit back on the sofa, lies back and pulls me with him. I lie with my cheek against his chest, and before long I’m asleep.

  I don’t know what time it is, but it’s getting light out. I realise Blake is still lying beneath me, I’m so comfy, I don’t want to move, or disturb him, so I nestle my head back against his chest and just start to doze back off when I feel him try to move. I open my eyes and move my head slightly so I can look up at him, I watch his face while he’s on the verge of waking up, he looks so peaceful, he smiles a little; he knows I’m watching him.

  “Hmm, stop watching me sleep. What time is it?” His voice is gruff from sleep, but he holds me a little tighter to him, I felt so safe and protected when he does that.

  “It’s ten to seven,”

  “Shit! I need to get home and to work,”

  “What time do you need to be there?”

  “I usually get in for seven thirty, but I’ll text Jack. Why?”

  “Just wondered,” I move my head so he can’t see my face.

  “You know, if you give me a morning kiss, I may stay a little longer and treat you to breakfast.” I lean up and touch my lips to his, he pushes his fingers into the back of my hair and pushes against me.

  Blake loosens his hold and gazes into my eyes, and we lie there for a little longer. I hear Grady cry out and remember that he’s used to seeing me there when he wakes up – most of the time unless I’m up before him.

  “I have to go get Grady,” I say looking back up at him.

  “You go and fetch him, and I’ll text Jack,” I start to get up off of him and pulls me back down for a kiss. I pull away, smile at him and move before he can grab me again.

  Blake fiddles around in his pocket and pulls out his phone, and as I’m walking away, I shout to him… “Better luck next time,”

  I walk into the bedroom, and Grady is standing in the cot, he sees me walk in, and his arms shoot up for me, “Good morning baby boy,” I kiss his chubby little cheek and take him into the lounge.

  I put him on the floor and walk in the kitchen and admire the scene in front of me, Blake - at the cooker, scramblin
g eggs for us in just a pair of jogging bottoms; no t-shirt, there’s a cup of tea on the side, waiting for me. I sigh at the sight.

  “Wow, I could get used to this!” He turns and blinds me with his smile.

  “You play your cards right Princess, and you can have this, every morning,” he says and winks at me.

  I pull my lip into my mouth and wonder whether I should go to him and then think screw it, I go to him and wrap my arms around his middle, he rubs my hand with his and then starts to dish up breakfast.

  “I’m assuming Grady likes scrambled eggs?”

  “Yeah, I’ll just go get him,” before I can let go, he pulls my hand towards his lips and kisses the back of it. I smile shyly at him and walk out of the room.

  “Come on little man lets go have breakfast,” I pick him up and take him in the kitchen and sit him in his highchair. I sit next to Grady and Blake sits next to me at the end of the table.

  Grady tries to use his spoon, but he did not quite get the hang of it yet so he uses his fingers. Blake watches him in amazement.

  “Hey little buddy, is that nice,” he nods at Blake, Grady looks back at him and starts smacking his lips, picks up some egg in his hand and offers it to him.

  “I don’t think Blake wants it, sweetheart. You eat it.”

  We get through the rest of breakfast, and I take the dishes to the sink. Blake walks up behind and wraps his arms around my waist, imitating what I did to him earlier on, but he’s taller than me and rests his chin on my shoulder.

  He kisses my cheek, “I have to go, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” I see him from the corner of my eye, I turn my head a little so I can see him, he kisses my lips and turns me fully to face him so he can kiss me properly, by the time he’s finished we’re both breathless.