They stayed connected on the stairs both trying to catch their breath. Jade ran her hands down his back. She smiled because it was damp.
“I’m going to assume that smile means you’re more than a little satisfied, even though our first time was on a staircase.”
“Cole, I wouldn’t have cared if we were in the back seat of your car.”
“We can arrange that.”
“As long as you hold me, I don’t care.”
He nuzzled her neck. “I plan to hold you and make love to you, a little slower, a couple more times before this night is out.”
Cole was still in a semi-state of arousal when he picked Jade up from the stairs and wrapped her legs around his waist. Jade held on tightly as he carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. “What about our clothes. Olivia is going to know what happened between us.”
“Do you really care?”
She put her head on his shoulder trying to snuggle even closer. “No…not really.”
Chapter 21
Cole and Jade made love several more times throughout the night before finally entwining their legs with one another and falling asleep in each other’s arms sleeping.
Neither of them heard the front door open or Elise walking into the house. She had a copy of them made the night of the dinner party. Quickly, she shut off the alarm when she entered. It was still very early and his housekeeper, Olivia, wasn’t scheduled to arrive for another couple of hours.
It didn’t take seeing Cole’s clothes mixed with Jade’s at the bottom of the staircase for her to know that everything had changed. She could feel it in the air the moment she entered the house. It was only a matter of time before the two of them hooked up. She couldn’t manage to get him in the mood to make love to her the night before, after he swore up and down that it didn’t have anything to do with Jade.
Had Cole listened to her none of this would have happened. She saw this coming a mile away. Elise looked down at the mess of clothes they’d left on the floor. She bent down and picked up Jade’s black bra. “Cheap trash.” She was enraged. There was no doubt in Elise’s mind what she would find if she went up those stairs, but she still had to see it for herself.
Elise took off her shoes and crept up the stairs walking very softly. When she arrived at Cole’s bedroom, the door wasn’t closed all the way. It was cracked. Delicately, ever so carefully, she pushed it open just a bit more.
Even knowing what she would find, Elise still wasn’t prepared for it. The anger that bubbled up inside of her seeing Jade’s naked body, barely covered with a sheet, wrapped around Cole’s made her want to kill them both in their sleep. She needed to think. Instead of losing it on them, Elise backed out of the room and tip-toed back down the stairs. She turned and took one more look up at Cole’s bedroom before walking out of the house. When the door closed, it woke Jade up. She lifted her head slightly from Cole’s arm. “What was that?”
Cole was still partly asleep. “Hmmm...”
“Did you hear something? I thought I heard the front door close.”
“You’re hearing things. Go back to sleep.”
Jade looked at the clock on the table next to the bed. It read 6:33 am. “Doesn’t Olivia usually come around nine or ten?”
“Mmmhmm.”
She could feel that someone had been in the house. A moment later, Jade heard the sound of a car driving away. She sat up and pulled the sheet around her to cover her naked body. “Cole, someone was here.” He heard the car too. He got out of bed and went over to the window. By the time he made it over, all he could make out were the backlights of Elise’s car. “Damn.”
Cole turned back to Jade. “Okay. So, she was here, but that doesn’t mean she was in the house.”
“I heard the door close.”
“She doesn’t have keys, Cricket.” He was back to calling her that. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
“Cole, I know what I heard.” Her voice was strained. “What are you going to do?”
He got back in bed. “I’m going to hold you and go back to sleep.”
“You’re not taking me seriously! Your girlfriend just came into your house while we were sleeping. Even if she didn’t make it up here, we left our clothes downstairs.”
“I broke up with Elise yesterday.”
Jade turned around in his arms. “What?”
“You’re not going to let me sleep are you?”
“Not when you just dropped a bomb on me like that. What happened?”
“If I tell you what happened, will you tell me why you’re so jumpy at the least little sound?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. After you left for your interview, Elise was pissed at what she called our connection. I told her that, while nothing had happened between us, my feelings for you had changed. At the time, I didn’t know if you felt the same way. Of course, she was pissed and rightfully so. I told her that I wanted her to be happy, but I didn’t think I was the guy who could make that happen. She called me quite a few names, slapped me across my face, and left. End of story. Now, it’s your turn.”
“Kevin.”
Cole sat up. She had his full attention.
“When I would run away from Kevin, I was always very careful. I had to be on the lookout and listen for different noises and sounds. I’m sure you’ve figured out that wasn’t a great time in my life.”
Cole ground his teeth together. He knew the answer before he asked the question. “Why did you have to run away from him?”
Jade whispered. “Because he wouldn’t let me go. If he weren’t in prison, I’m sure he’d still come after me.
“Prison. For what?”
She took a deep breath. “For beating the hell outta me. He did that pretty regularly, but the last time left me in a coma for a couple of days. He’s on year three of an eight-year sentence. He hated your guts, and he hated me because he knew how I felt about you.” Her eyes started to well up. “I ran a lot. Changed my name a lot. I was always on the lookout for him popping up over my shoulder. I got good at running, and he got good at finding me. I just wish I had been stronger to leave him sooner.”
“That bastard took so much from us! I swear I could kill him Cricket.”
“Please don’t think that way. It’s a time in my life I just want to forget.”
“Cricket, he put his hands on you. He hurt you. Kevin is also the reason you think I never came on your eighteenth birthday. He’s the reason you’ve hated me for the last ten years!”
“What?”
“Kevin opened the door the night I came for you. He told me you were gone. That you’d left already. I can’t prove it, but I’m sure it was either him or Mrs. Lockwood that was also taking the money that I sent to you.”
Jade pulled away from Cole to look him in the eyes. “You came for me?”
Gently, he touched her face. “I told you that I would. I came Cricket.”
“All this time…I thought…”
“I know, and it killed me.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Honestly, I couldn’t prove it, and you didn’t believe me when I tried to tell you before. I just wanted to work on regaining your trust.”
Softly, Jade spoke. “I love you, Cole Thornton. I always have—even in my anger.”
Tenderly, he stroked her face then gently placed his lips on hers. “I don’t take your feelings lightly. And, because I can’t pinpoint the moment I fell, I think I’ve always loved you too.”
Jade’s eyes filled with tears. How long had she waited, hoped, and prayed that she would hear those words from him? Cole kissed her softly on her eyelids as he wiped them away. He pulled her into his arms as they leaned back onto the pillows. She could hear the laughter in his voice. “I’m not even going to yell at you for taking the right side of my pillow.”
Chapter 22
“Lockwood. You have a visitor.” The correctional officer unlocked Kevin’s cell and opened the door. He hadn’t
had a visitor in too long to remember not even his own mother. It wasn’t even a maximum security prison but according to her, she couldn’t be bothered with all the hoops they made her jump through to see him. Maybe she had a change of heart. He walked out of his cell wearing his orange prison-issued uniform.
When Kevin entered the open visitation room, there was a lot of activity. Some inmates were visiting with their families, sitting and talking across a table from each other, and others were playing board games. There were armed correctional officers stationed throughout watching over everyone. Kevin looked around but didn’t see anyone who was familiar. Someone was sitting alone that stood up when he entered. Kevin looked back at the guard. “Is that my visitor?”
“Yep.”
Curious, Kevin walked over to where the woman stood. She spoke first. “This may seem a bit odd considering that you don’t know me.” She reached her hand out to his.
He only looked at it but didn’t shake it. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”
Awkwardly, she pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry. Let me introduce myself to you. I’m Elise McGee. I came here because I wanted to talk to you about someone who has recently come into my life.” She sat down in her chair. “I was hoping you could help me.”
This woman was obviously wealthy. He was sure that he didn’t know anyone she could possibly know, but if it would get him out of that cage for a while, he would entertain her.
Slowly, Kevin sat down. “Look lady…I think you might be mistaken. I’m sure you and I don’t know the same people.”
For just a split second, Elise thought maybe coming here was a mistake. Kevin’s bulging biceps with tattoos all over them, wild hair that fell down over his shoulders, and thick beard was a bit intimidating. But nothing was more menacing than his eyes. There wasn’t any life in them. The brown eyes that stared back at her were empty. The memory of the look on Cole’s face the morning he let Jade use his car crept back into her mind. He was falling in love with her, and she had to stop it. Elise slid a picture of Jade that she’d taken with her cell phone across the table to him. “I beg to differ. I think you might know her pretty well.”
Kevin picked up the picture and studied it. Elise could see his eyes narrow and a vein start to throb in his neck. He continued to hold the image in his hand as his eyes looked up over it to Elise.
“So, I’m going to assume that is a yes. You know her.”
Kevin still didn’t respond. The simmering rage within him wouldn’t allow it.
Elise ignored the fact that his face had quickly transformed into something scary and ominous. “I understand she’s the reason you are locked up in this awful place. I’m afraid she might be seriously manipulating someone I care deeply about. I need to stop it.”
His voice came out almost like a growl. “Where is she?”
“Currently, she’s living with my boy…my ex-boyfriend, Cole Thornton.”
“Cole? Cole Thornton!” That only made Kevin angrier. Although she’d never said it out loud, Jade had always compared him to Cole the entire time they were married. He hated him more than he hated her.
Elise frowned. “Yes. You know him?”
“Yeah. He lived in the same group home as Jade. My mother used to run the place.”
She couldn’t hide the horrified look on her face. “Group home?”
Kevin shook his head. “You didn’t know your lover boy was raised in a group home?” He laughed. “Cole might have millions now, but back then he was just a snot nosed kid thinking he was better than the rest of us.”
Elise stuttered. “W-well…he’s done pretty well for himself.”
Clearly agitated he responded. “Is there a point? What the hell do you want from me?”
Elise sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I want Jade Lockwood out of my life.”
Kevin tapped his fingers on the table. “Just how am I supposed to manage that? If you hadn’t noticed, I’m locked up, and that bitch is the reason I’m in here.”
“Then you should want some revenge. From what I can tell, the two of you have had a pretty contentious relationship. It seems every time you’ve tried to contact her, she runs away.”
“That’s bullshit. I’ve only ever attempted to save my marriage. She never gave me or us a real chance.”
“Well, maybe when you get out you can change that.”
“She divorced me and had me locked up. The only thing I want is for her is to experience the same kind of hell I’ve experienced while being in here.”
“Here is your chance to make that happen. You’re scheduled to get out of here tomorrow.”
“How the hell do you know when I’m scheduled to be released?”
Elise rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to know I have friends in high places. All I am going to say is lucky for you this prison has a problem with overpopulation. Otherwise, you’d be here at least another three years before you would be up for parole. Now, back to why I am here in the first place. I want Jade gone. Of course, I wouldn’t ask you to do anything crazy or illegal, but I want her out of my way.”
“Ten years is a long time. Yet, somehow Jade and Cole still managed to find their way to each other. After all I did for her that shit just kills me!”
“Then do something about it. Here.” Elise gave Kevin a card. “That’s information you’ll need about Jade. Where she works, her cell phone number…” Elise paused as she sneered. “I can’t believe after only a few short weeks; the girl has weaseled her way completely into his life.”
“They were pretty tight back in the day pretending to be like brother and sister. Jade was in love with Cole the entire time. It was obvious the way she looked at him.” Kevin wasn’t stupid. He had every intention of making both of them pay for messing up his life. Elise was oblivious. “Say, I do this. What’s in it for me?”
“Other than an early release from prison?”
Kevin continued to stare at her.
“Fine. What do you want?”
“What do you think I want?”
Elise sighed. “How much?”
“Fifty thousand.”
“That’s a lot of money.”
“Just because I’m in prison, don’t treat me like I’m stupid. That’s a bargain, and you know it.”
“Fine. Fifty thousand. Half upfront and the rest when she’s gone.”
It was Kevin’s turn to sit back in his chair as a satisfied grin appeared on his face. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I promise you, I’ll take care of this situation as soon as I get out. Just make sure I get my money.”
Chapter 23
Jade was in a hurry to find her bag so that she wouldn’t be late for work. It had been sitting on her dresser, and her keys were in it too. “I know I left them in here somewhere.”
She made a quick turn around and saw it on the floor next to her nightstand. She rushed to grab it up before running out of the door and down the stairs.
Cole happened to be coming around the corner, and they almost crashed into one another. “You’re in a big hurry.”
“I’m going to be late for work.”
“At the restaurant?”
“You know that’s the only job I have.”
He didn’t like it. He had never liked her working there. He folded his arms. “Let me make you a proposition.”
Jade hopped on one foot trying to put her other shoe on. “Can we talk about it later?”
“Quit.”
Jade stopped moving and stared at him as if he had two heads. She stood absolutely still. “Quit? What do you mean?”
“I mean quit.”
The panic that started to seize her was powerful. “I’m not going to quit my job, Cole.”
“Why? You hate it, and you don’t need to work. I can take care of you.”
Jade started to walk past him and towards the garage door. She raised her voice. “We’ve been together for three days, and you’re already trying to tell me what to do? I refuse
to be completely dependent on any man ever again. No…not me. I won’t be beholden or a prisoner.”
He grabbed her arm before she could walk out of the door. “Is that what you think I want to do?” Jade flinched as if he’d hit her.
Immediately, he dropped her arm. Her scars were more than skin deep. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
Jade pushed past him and rushed out of the house into the garage. Her body trembled all over as she opened the car door. She turned the ignition and tore out of the garage like a bat out of hell.
*****
When Jade arrived at work, her eyes were puffy and red. Brenda noticed immediately. She took Jade’s hand in hers and pulled her into the ladies’ room. Brenda was alarmed. “What’s going on Jade?”
“I…I just had all of my prayers answered, but I think I’m messing it up.” Her face was stricken with pain. “I don’t know what to do.”
Brenda checked underneath all of the stalls to make sure they were alone. “Well, start from the beginning.”
“I love him. I really really love him. But I think I just messed everything up.”
“Cole?”
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “How’d you know?”
“How could I not. You were too angry at him. Only someone you love can bring out those emotions. Anyway, what did he do and what did you do?”
Jade leaned up against the sink. “He asked me to quit this place.”
Brenda clapped her hands together. “Well, you’ve hit the lottery! What’s wrong with that? It’s not like you love working here.”
“No, I don’t but…” She chewed her bottom lip. “What if he just wakes up one day and decides that he wants something different. Where does that leave me? No money, no job, no education, and desperate…again. I can’t do it again.”
Brenda frowned. “Jade what aren’t you telling me?”
She pressed her fingertips against her temples. “I married someone a long time ago for all those reasons. I had no money, no job, and no education. I stayed in an abusive relationship for years. As a matter of fact, he almost killed me. Kevin made sure I was completely dependent upon him for everything. It made leaving him almost impossible.” She whispered. “That’s why it’s so important to me to have some kind of independence so that I don’t have to go through that again.”
The Right Side of My Pillow Page 12
