The Divine Whisper

by Rebekah Daniels

  CHAPTER 7

  What a day Nicole was having. Everything about her life just seemed to be dragging her down. Between her job, the pregnancy, and Gemariah, she was worn out.

  It had gotten to the point where she would always tire quickly. Sure, she would have spurts of energy that were wonderful, but after they were done, she felt dead to the world. That’s what the little one was doing to her, but she knew it came with the territory of being pregnant.

  The day had started like any other day. She woke up, got ready for work, and was in a good mood until she saw Gemariah’s truck in her driveway. What happened to keeping his distance? At least her call to Trinity had helped, because he left not five minutes later. Sometimes it was nice to have a friend on the inside.

  The last week had been so hard to not give into his charm, but she had decided to keep her distance until she was ready to let go of everything from their past. It wasn’t fair to him if she couldn’t.

  It wasn’t easy, though. Every time he came around, her stomach started doing somersaults, and she had to tamp down the excitement she felt. He could easily make her forget all her reservations, and throw caution to the wind. The only bad part was that she knew what could happen to someone when they let their guard down. Therefore, every time he came around, she fought not to open the door.

  When Gemariah left her house, she let out a deep breath to calm her nerves, but it didn’t work. Traffic was heavy, the heater broke at her office, and she had a stack full of paperwork that she had to go through that morning. Therefore, by lunch her muscles were aching, and her head was pounding.

  That’s when she got the call from Trinity. She didn’t understand it all, but it had to do with poisoned prenatal vitamins. If that wasn’t enough to freak out an expecting mother, she didn’t know what was.

  She left to go home and grab her vitamins so she could take them to Trinity. She was only home a few minutes but it was when she was getting ready to leave that she heard it… the sound of screeching tires, right in front of her house.

  Running to the window, she peered out, but all she could see was the tail end of a black truck. The same black truck, she had seen out that very window every evening... Gemariah. The thought no sooner crossed her mind before a loud pounding on the door caused her to squeak in surprise.

  “Nicole. Open the door.”

  Why did his voice sound so weird? As quietly as she could, she slowly walked to the door and strained her ears to listen.

  “I know you’re there, Nicole. I really need you to open up.”

  Pressing both hands on the door, she rested her forehead against the surface, and waited. She wanted to open the door in the worst way, but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  “Okay, listen. There may be some pills circulating that are posing as vitamins when they are actually pure ricin.”

  She stayed silent, hoping he would leave.

  There was a hard slap against the door, and she jumped back. “Dammit, Nicole! This is not the fucking time to be stubborn. Ricin! Do you know what that means? It means you and our baby die! Open up, I need to make sure your vitamins are safe.”

  She felt her heart race faster and her body grew warmer from his concern over her. The least she could do was calm his fears. “Trinity already called me. I have the pills, and I was going to drop them off with her. I appreciate you wanting to make sure we were okay, but as you can hear, we are, so you can go.”

  It was so quiet that she thought he might have already left. Her hand had just reached the knob when he started to quietly talk. “Nicole, please open the door. So much has happened, and I just need—” He stopped, and she found herself wanting to know exactly what he needed, but she stayed silent.

  “I’m sorry… for that boy outside the coffee shop, I’m sorry. Don’t get me wrong, I probably still would have had words with him about his behavior, but I should have handled it differently. I see that now.”

  She was not expecting any of that, but she still felt as if she needed time to process everything. If he walked away, she could do just that.

  “Today brought so much into perspective. I had an assignment, and after it was over, I couldn’t help but think… what if something happened to me, and I couldn’t be there for you. The thought made my chest constrict. I want to be there for you. I want to be there for our baby… and I will be. You just need to… open the door.”

  He paused, and she found herself holding her breath, waiting for him to continue. When he finally did, she strained to hear him, worried that she would miss just one word.

  “I’ve never begged for anything in my life, even in situations any normal person would have, but I am now. Please, give me a chance. Please, just open—”

  Before he could finish, she quickly undid the deadbolt and swung open the door.

  He was standing with each arm braced on separate sides of the frame, and his head was bowed. Slowly, he brought it up to look at her, and what she saw had her jaw dropping in shock. There were scratches down his neck, not too deep, but painful looking none the less. His eyes were a nasty looking red, and his breathing was labored. What the hell had happened to him?

  Without giving another thought, she stepped in close, and brought her hand up to lightly touch near the ugly scratches. The moment she felt skin, he let out a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around her.

  The action was so unfamiliar from him, that she didn’t know how to react. When he didn’t let go right away, she stated to relax. Resting the side of her head on his chest, the only thing she wanted at the moment was for him to be okay.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’m much better now,” he mumbled into her hair.

  “No really.” She placed a hand on his chest, wishing that he would start breathing normally. With her being as close as she was, there was no way he could hide his wince from her. Before he could stop her, she reached up, and pulled down the neck of his shirt. “Oh my goodness! You need to go to a hospital.” The sight was enough to make her light headed. How was he still walking around with a hole that size in his chest?

  “I’m fine. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  She pushed away from him to dig in her purse for her phone. “Are you kidding me? You have to have that looked at.”

  “I’ll be okay.” He stumbled backward. “I just need to sit down.” Without going inside, he sat on the floor of the porch, and leaned against the house.

  “What are you doing? Come inside, so you can sit on my couch.” She tried to tug up on his arm, but he wouldn’t budge.

  Shaking his head slightly, he grabbed her arm, and gently pulled her down so she was facing him and straddling one of his legs. “Nah. Me and this spot have become accustomed to one another. It’s… a lot nicer… with you out here, though.”

  Talking was obviously getting harder for him. It was as if he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. Panic flared inside of her, and she fumbled with her phone to dial 911. Just when she was about to have it dialed, a big hand clamped over the phone.

  “No doctors… I’m fine.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he moved his hand so three of his fingers went over her mouth. “Malachi… you can call him.”

  “Malachi?” The word was muffled from his fingers still over her mouth, so she moved her head to the side to dislodge them. “No. You need to see a doctor.”

  “You need to… trust me on this.” His determined expression got her to cave, and with an aggravated sigh, she started to dial Malachi’s number. Maybe his friend could talk some sense into him, and get him to go to the hospital.

  She dialed and tried to get up, but he quickly snaked his arm around her. “Stay,” was all he said as he pulled her against him.

  Accepting that that was what he needed at the moment, she relaxed against him, being careful not to touch any injury that she knew of. Holding the phone up to her ear, she listened as the phone rang a few times. Just when she thought he wasn’t going to answer, Malachi’s voice was at
the other end of the line. She had already started talking before he could finish saying, “Hello.”

  “You have to come get Gemariah. He’s hurt and at my house, and he’s refusing to let me call an ambulance.” She knew she sounded hysterical, but she didn’t care.

  “Easy, Tink. Calm down,” Gemariah said as he ran his hand through her hair. He was trying to calm her, but the gasping breaths that were a result of him trying to speak terrified her even more.

  Ignoring him, she focused her attention of the phone call. “Malachi? Are you there?” she said when Malachi still hadn’t spoken.

  “He’s right, Nicci. You don’t need to get worked up. It’s not good for you or the baby,” Malachi finally said.

  Nicole didn’t understand what the problem was with those men. Getting more irritated by the second, she ran her fingers through her hair and growled into the phone. “No! You don’t understand. I don’t know why the two of you aren’t doing something about this. Your friend has a hole in his chest the size of small fruit and he can barely talk since he CAN”T BREATHE. Why the hell are you not more concerned about him?” Her voice had risen considerably during her rant.

  “Is it just me…, or are you… actually… worried about me?” It sounded as if he was getting worse.

  “Shut up! Don’t talk more than you have to.”

  His answer was to close his eyes and lean his head back against the wall. Of course it wasn’t without an irritatingly slight smirk.

  “Don’t mistake my patience for not caring.” It took her a moment to realize that Malachi was talking again. She forced herself to look away from Gemariah so she could pay attention to what he was saying. “I’m already in my truck and on the way there.”

  “Truck? I thought you only had motorcycles. When did you get a truck?”

  “I’ve had it for a while. I have it for when the weather is bad or I have an incapacitated passenger.” His attempt at humor was not lost on her. She didn’t laugh, but she did feel herself start to calm somewhat because of his placid voice.

  “Okay. That makes sense.”

  “Now. I’ll be there soon. Keep him comfortable until I get there.”

  She looked around at her front porch and then down to the concrete that he was sitting on. She didn’t know how comfortable she could keep him out there, but she agreed anyway. Disconnecting the call, she laid the phone down next to her leg. For a moment, all she did was stare down at her hands on his leg.

  “You… okay?” Gemariah’s question brought her gaze back up to him. His head was up, and he was staring right at her.

  “I thought I told you not to talk unless needed.”

  Without saying a word, he cocked his head slightly to the side and lifted a single corner of his mouth in a small grin. Lifting his arm, he slowly brought his hand up to caress the side of her face.

  Feeling uncomfortable with his show of affection, she reached up and removed his hand, but didn’t let go when she brought their hands down to her lap.

  “You’re too stubborn for your own good, you know that right?”

  In response to her question, his slight grin turned into a full on smile.

  “And pigheaded… and arrogant.” When his smile grew bigger, she shook her head in exasperation. “And too charming for your own good.”

  With slow movements, he brought his arm back up, but wrapped his hand around the back of her head instead to pull her back down to his chest. For a moment, she stayed still, not wanting to hurt him, but after a short minute, she felt her body slowly start to mold against his. Once her body was as loose as it could be, they both let out a slow breath.

  “I’ve been… a jackass.”

  “Shh. Don’t speak.”

  “I need to get… this out.” When she moved to sit up and look at him, he locked his arm around her to keep her where she was. “We started this… all wrong, you… and me. Sometimes I say stupid things… or do things ass backwards. What happened… between you and me after the party… should never have happened like that.”

  She stiffened at his words. Without that night, she wouldn’t be carrying her baby; a baby that she had become severely attached to. Was he saying that he didn’t want the baby?

  His fingers started to massage her scalp. “Relax. Stop thinking so much.” He took a strangled breath in and placed his free hand on her extended belly before continuing. “I don’t regret… the end result, I just wish… that it would have occurred differently. I want to be there. Please don’t… please don’t shut me out… anymore.

  Before she could answer, she heard a vehicle pull into her driveway. She looked over her shoulder and saw Malachi getting out of his truck. When she moved to sit up, he finally let her, but when she tried to get off his leg however, Gemariah held onto her.

  “Wait.” He took another strangled breath in, and she could tell how much his little speech had affected him. He really needed to be seen by a doctor, but when she frowned and tried to say something, he interrupted her. “Wait. I know we started off wrong, but I would like to try again, this time the correct way. Let me court you.”

  “Court?”

  “Yes, court. Give me a break, it’s been a while since I tried to ask a woman on a date. What do you say?”

  “You’re not going to be able to take me anywhere, if you don’t get to a hospital.” When she moved to get up, he refused to let her go.

  “I’m not going anywhere till I get an answer.”

  A nervous laugh pushed past her lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  He raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge.

  She threw her arms up in exasperation. “Fine! Alright! If you’re still alive tomorrow, give me a call.

  He smiled, but it quickly turned into a devious grin. “It’s settled then. Now, we kiss on it.”

  “What? No.”

  “Scared?”

  “No.” Nicole defiantly crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Look what we have here. The indestructible Gemariah actually needs my help.” Malachi stepped onto the porch and immediately started to tease his friend. “Here, Nicci. Let me help you up.” Reaching out, he waited for her to take his offered hand.

  “We’re not done here, yet.” Gemariah never took his eyes off of her as his grip tightened once more on her waist.

  With widened eyes, she looked up to Malachi, then back to Gemariah. “This is crazy. Let me up.”

  His grip never loosened as he continued his challenge.

  She pursed her lips, and when she saw that he wasn’t relenting, she let out a loud sigh. “You are unbelievably pigheaded, you know that, right?”

  Still, he said nothing. His silence was unnerving.

  Nicole could feel the fluttering in her stomach, but she knew it wasn’t from the baby. It was the same feeling she had every time he came to her door, being a mix of excitement, anticipation, and others that she couldn’t exactly describe. “Oh, alright,” she said suddenly.

  Without giving herself time to rethink her actions, or him time to process her acceptance, she quickly put both her hands on his cheeks and brought her mouth down onto his. His lips were warm, soft, and inviting. Vaguely she heard him groan before she felt fingers move into her hair. It felt nice… maybe a little too nice. She could see herself getting lost while kissing those lips.

  She took in a breath through her lips, successfully parting them, and he didn’t miss the opportunity. Gently, he ran the tip of his tongue across the open crease. The feeling inside her stomach kicked into overdrive, and she immediately pulled back. Quickly she stood, ignoring any help from Malachi, before saying, “Okay, now go get him fixed.”

  Refusing to look either of them in the eye, she waved her arms in a shooing motion.

  “Come on, Casanova.” Malachi leaned down and grabbed Gemariah under one arm to help lift him up.

  Gemariah stood slowly, even with the help. She could tell that he was in pain, but he was still grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah right. I was the one
that taught Casanova everything he knew.” He winked at her before Malachi jerked him roughly towards the porch steps.

  That was a strange comment, she thought. Of course, Gemariah was like no one else she had ever met.

  As they drove off, she shook her head at what had happened in the last half hour. The stupid hormones where driving her insane. Sometimes she didn’t know what her true feelings were, or if they were manifested from her pregnancy. One thing was for sure, she was definitely not making any big decisions until after the baby was born. Maybe then, she could think straight.

  When she turned around to go back into her house, she heard a faint sound coming from the porch. Realizing it was her phone, she quickly walked back to where she had laid it down before.

  Thinking that it was Gemariah calling too soon, she smiled and hit the answer button without looking at the screen. “I thought I told you to call after we knew you were going to live.”

  Waiting for his smooth laugh, she froze in place when she heard her boss’ voice come over the phone. “Nicole? Is that you?”

  “Oh… um… yes sir. Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She could feel her face heating up as she blushed with embarrassment.

  “Are you still working today?”

  “Yes sir. I was just on lunch when something came up. It took a bit longer than expected. I’m heading back to the office now.” As she was talking, she went inside to gather her belongings, so she could leave as quickly as possible.

  “Listen. Are you still working with the McGrapht family?”

  Dread filled her as she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah. Is everything okay?”

  He must have heard the worry in her voice, because his tone immediately lightened. “Oh yes, it’s nothing like that.”

  Slowly, she let out a breath, and listened to what else her boss had to say.

  “There was a situation today, a few houses down from theirs. Since you already have a case in the area, I thought you might what to take it.”

  “Yeah, okay. I can swing by there before I come in to the office. Hold on, while I find a pen and paper.” Nicole looked around the room, but when she couldn’t see anything that she could use, she dug into her purse. Eventually, she pulled out a pen and an old receipt. “Okay. What’s the address?”