by Kai Juniper
"Is that how it's going to be?" he asks. "You're going to play hard to get?"
"I don't want this." I stare into his eyes. "Let go of me."
"I will when I'm ready to."
"Help!" I scream. "Someone help me!"
It's the loudest I've ever screamed, and enough to make Chad let go of me and back away.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Go." I walk to the door and open it. "Get out!"
He meets me at the door. "You want to fight me? I guarantee I'll win. I'm smarter than you. Richer than you. And I know all your secrets. I could destroy you, Brook." He pauses, his eyes on mine. "But I won't. Because a part of me still loves you. And I know you still want me. You're just confused. Everything will be good once you're back at Haverhill."
"Chad?" I hear my mom's voice in the hall. She appears in the doorway, smiling at him. "I thought that was you. What a nice surprise."
"Good to see you again, Ms. Turner." He gives her a big smile. "My mother misses you at the spa."
"Oh, believe me, I miss it too," she says, going past him into the apartment. She sets her purse down and turns to Chad. "I haven't had a spa day since we moved."
"Perhaps you two you could go next week. I'm sure my mother would love to treat if the cost is an issue."
"That would be wonderful," my mom says, looking at Chad like she'd date him herself if he was older. If she only knew how he was acting before she got here. Insulting me. Attacking me. She wouldn't believe me if I told her. She thinks he's perfect. Everyone does.
"Are you free on Sunday?" he asks.
"I believe so," my mom says. "Why do you ask?"
"Chad has to go," I say. "Don't you Chad?"
He ignores me and talks to my mom. "My parents would like you and Brook to join us for brunch at the club."
"That's very nice of them, but I'd feel odd going back there, given what happened."
"Don't worry about it. Everyone understands. Half the people there are divorced. They know what it's like." He leans toward her. "And between you and me, there are more people on your side than on his."
"Really?" she asks, her brows rising.
Chad's totally playing her and she doesn't even realize it. I didn't either until I got away from him. Now I see what a manipulative liar he is, and how he'll do and say anything to get what he wants.
"People were shocked that he'd leave you for a woman who is practically his daughter's age," Chad says. "It's not right."
My mom sighs. "I'm sure it was some kind of midlife crisis."
"That doesn't make it right." He touches my mom's arm, which makes me cringe. "You're a beautiful woman, Ms. Turner. You deserve so much better."
"I may have already found it," she says with a sheepish smile. "I don't know if Brook told you but I'm seeing someone."
He nods. "Canton Mayfield. Is that correct?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"You know how word travels at the club. Penelope saw you at the benefit last night."
"Yes, that's right. We spoke briefly." My mom's beaming. She loves that people are talking about her again, and not in a bad way like they did during the divorce. Now they're talking about her because they're jealous she's with a guy who's probably close to being a billionaire, if he's not already.
"I think you and Canton make a great couple," Chad says. "I hope it works out."
"Me too," my mom says with the excitement of a giddy schoolgirl talking about her crush.
"Well, I should go," Chad says. "It was really great seeing you both. Let me know if you can make it to brunch on Sunday."
"We can't," I say.
My mom gives me a confused look. "We'll talk about it."
"Have a nice day."
He leaves and I slam the door shut.
"I'm only here for a few minutes," my mom says, oblivious to my anger as she rushes to the kitchen. "I forget my badge to get in the building." She looks for it in the drawer. "It's always in my purse but I switched purses for my date last night and didn't have time to switch everything back. I know I tossed it in here. Oh! Here it is!" She holds it up, then races back over to me. "Are you going to see Dean this morning?"
"Maybe. I need to find a ride. Could you drop me off on your way to work?"
"I would but I need to get back to the office. Go see if you can catch Chad before he leaves. I'm sure he'd be happy to give you a ride."
"Mom, Chad isn't the guy you think he is. He attacked me before you got here."
"Attacked you?" She laughs. "Brook, you're always so dramatic. I'm sure he was just happy to see you." She winks at me. "I think he still likes you."
I roll my eyes. "Mom, I've told you a million times I'm not getting back with him. I love Dean. And Chad is a jerk. You should've heard the stuff he was saying to me before you got here. He made fun of how I looked, said I was lazy for sleeping in, and then he forced me into his arms and kissed me!"
"Honey, that's just Chad. He's always been assertive, and he says those things to help you. Your father did the same to me."
"And you were okay with that?"
She shrugs. "It's a trait of successful men. They want what's best, including the best partner."
"I don't want Chad—or any guy—telling me how to dress or do my hair or how to act. That's not a partner. That's a dictator. It's cruel and demeaning. Some would even say it's abuse. I can't believe you think that's okay."
"I think you're overacting, honey." She smiles. "Why don't we go to lunch when I get home? And then maybe I could drop you off at the hospital while I go do some shopping."
"Grocery shopping? Because we're out of food."
"Shoe shopping. I need new heels for the dress I ordered."
"You ordered a dress? Mom, I thought we agreed not to spend money on clothes."
"I'm not paying for it. Canton is. He gave me a credit card to use. He has several formal events coming up and I can't be seen wearing the same dress." She gives me a hug. "I have to go. I'll see you soon!"
She has a bounce to her step as she walks out. Her energy is back because she knows she'll be quitting her job soon and going back to her life of luxury. Maybe she really was happy all those years and I just didn't see it. Maybe I only saw it from my perspective. To me, she was a woman stuck in a loveless marriage who spent her days trying to look good for her husband. But I guess she actually liked that life. She sees nothing wrong with having a man buy her things and praise her for her looks. That's why she'll never understand why I don't want to be with Chad. Even after I told her what he did, she didn't understand why it upset me.
When my mom gets home at noon, we go to lunch and then she drops me off at the hospital. I'm so excited to see Dean I almost run to his room, but then decide to walk so I don't accidentally knock over the people on crutches.
"Dean?" I peek in his room to make sure he's not sleeping. He's wide awake, sitting up in bed.
He sees me and smiles. "Brook."
I run over to him and hug him. "I'm really happy you're my boyfriend."
He chuckles. "Um, okay. Where'd that come from?"
I stand back. "I just wanted to say it. I know we've had our ups and downs but I'd still rather have you than anyone else."
He gives me that look that he knows something's up. "What happened?"
"It doesn't matter." I sit next to him on the bed. "How are you feeling today?"
"Good." He smiles. "I have some news."
"What? They're letting you out? Already?"
"No, it's not about that."
"Then what is it?"
His smile gets even bigger. "They caught him."
I bolt up to standing. "Your dad?"
"They caught him trying to break into someone's house. It was a cop's house. The guy was home and had his gun. My dad couldn't even try to run away unless he wanted to risk getting shot."
"Is he back in prison?"
Dean nods. "Got there about an hour ago. I was going to call you but I wanted to tell yo
u in person."
I lean down and hug him. "I'm so relieved. I was starting to think they'd never find him."
"Me too. I thought he might've left the country but they found him in some small town in Indiana. They got him last night around midnight. Drove him back this morning."
"Where's Jake?" I ask, looking around.
Dean sighs. "That's the bad news."
"What do you mean?"
"He wasn't with my dad. They don't know where he is."
"Does your dad know?"
"He said Jake took off. My dad stopped for gas and when he got back in the truck, Jake was gone. I don't know if he got a ride with someone or just ran."
"Dean, I'm sorry." I take his hand.
"It's good. He got away. Jake's smart. He'll find a way back. I'm just relieved he's not with my dad anymore."
"I could try to go find him. And maybe Danny and some of the other guys from the team could look for him too. You said Indiana? Do you know what town?" I get my phone out. "I'll look it up."
"Brook, you're not going." Dean takes my phone and sets it down, then wraps his hands around mine. "I love that you offered to look for him but there's a whole team of people already looking. They've got alerts out at all the truck stops and gas stations. He'll show up. I'm not worried. Well, I am, but I know he'll come back."
"I'm scared for him. He's still just a kid."
"A kid whose smart and knows how to fight. I taught him how to defend himself. He couldn't fight my dad but he's smarter than him. That's how he got away."
"I'm still worried about him."
"I know you are." He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it. "I love you, Brook."
"I love you too."
"Now sit down and tell me what happened this morning."
"I told you, nothing—"
"You're lying. I can tell. Now what is it?"
"Chad came over," I say with a sigh as I sit on the bed. "I don't even know why he was there. He never really told me."
"So what happened?"
"He just said all this stuff about how I've changed. How I need to go back to Haverhill so I can be like I was before."
"Did you tell him to go to hell?"
"Not exactly. I tried to explain I wasn't happy at Haverhill but he wouldn't listen. He just kept acting like I'd be going back there. He said he made it all happen and that he'd been working with my dad."
"What the hell? Was he always that controlling?"
"Even worse. He was always telling me what to do, how to act, what to wear."
"I can't believe you put up with that. The way you told me off when we met, you didn't seem like someone who'd put up with being told what to do."
I take a moment to think about that. "I wonder if that's when it changed."
"What do you mean?"
"When you were bullying me when we first met I felt like I could finally take back control. Unlike Chad, I didn't know you and didn't care what you thought of me. I could say and do whatever I wanted." I smile, thinking back to the first day of school. "When I sat on your desk I thought you might yell at me but I didn't care. And after I did it, I felt great. I felt strong, like I could fight back and say whatever was in my head. I'd never felt that way before, but once I did, I didn't ever want to go back to how I used to be."
"So I get credit for this?" Dean kids.
"You do." I lean down and kiss him. "Being mean to me actually helped me."
"And you giving it back turned me on."
I laugh. "Really?"
"No one had ever talked to me that way. And no one would dare sit on my desk the way you did. They wouldn't even try to sit in my row. Everyone knows to stay away from me and they know not to challenge me. But then you show up and do whatever the hell you want. I'm twice your size and you had no fear."
"I'm still not afraid of you," I say, getting serious. "I want to talk to you about something."
"Is this about your ex?"
"No, it's about you. Don't be mad at me but I kind of asked Eve's dad about finding you a counselor. Someone you could talk to about the stuff with your dad."
"Why would you ask Eve's dad?"
"He's a psychologist. He's worked with guys like your dad. He knew about your dad escaping from prison so I asked him where he might go. Then I asked him..." I pause. "Promise you won't get mad?"
"I'm stuck in this bed. What am I going to do?"
"Yell at me. Or tell me to leave."
"Brook, if we want this to work, you have to be able to tell me stuff, even if you think it'll make me mad."
I take a breath. "I asked if your dad's violence was genetic. I asked for you, not for me. I know you'd never hurt me but I want you to believe that too. I know you're worried about it."
"So what did he say?"
"He said some of it is, but most of it's learned."
"I grew up seeing it. I learned that's how you express anger. It's why I'm worried about being with you."
"But he said it can be unlearned. You can go to counseling and learn ways to control your anger. You can figure out what triggers you and then react a different way." I hold his hand. "Dean, this is something you can manage, and over time, you may not even need to. You'll just get angry and let it pass, without anything bad happening."
"If I could find a way to do that, I would."
"Eve's dad offered to find someone who could help you, and it might not even cost much. Would you consider going to see someone? A counselor?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"Really?" I ask, shocked.
"I told you I wanted to fix myself, and I'm committed to that. I don't want to lose you, Brook. Having you in my life, I'm starting to think maybe I could have a real future, like a wife and kids and all that. I never thought I could have that."
I softly smile. "You'd make a great dad someday. You're already like a dad to Jake and you're really good at it."
"Yeah, I let him get kidnapped and now he's missing," Dean says, rolling his eyes.
"That wasn't your fault. And like you said, you taught him what he needs to know to find his way back. He's coming back, Dean. I know he is."
"I wish he'd hurry up because I can't take another day of this. I want to rip all these tubes out of me and go find him myself."
"They'll find him," I say, running my hand up and down his arm. "Just give it time."
"How do you do that?" he asks, lying back on the pillows.
"Do what?"
"Calm me down like that? I was starting to get really angry, thinking about how long it's taking the cops to find him, and then I hear your voice and feel you touch me, and I'm able to calm down."
"I guess we're good for each other that way. I calm you down and you let me get angry."
"I make you angry?" he says with a smile.
"Not all the time but sometimes. And when you do, I can let it out, and I know you'll still love me if I do."
"I love you no matter what."
He's not just saying that. He really does. He doesn't have conditions for loving me. I don't have to look or act a certain way. He loves me for me, and that's not something you just give up.
Dean has a lot to work through, and it may not always be easy, but I'm going to stay by his side. I'm not giving up on us.
Chapter Sixteen
Dean
"Hey, man, wake up," I hear Danny say.
I open my eyes and see him and Kendrick coming in my room. "What time is it?"
"Five." Danny sits on the chair by my bed while Kendrick takes the one in the corner, sliding it over beside Danny's. "They said you've been sleeping all afternoon. They're bringing in your dinner soon so we figured we could wake you up."
"You didn't have to come." I push myself up, which still hurts like hell. It's my fractured rib that hurts the most. It'll take awhile to heal. "Don't you guys have a party to get to?"
"Not until later tonight." Danny puts his feet up on the bed. "Where's Brook? I thought she'd be here."
"She
was here after lunch. I fell asleep after she left."
"Is she coming back?" Kendrick asks.
"Probably. Why?"
He shrugs. "No reason."
"He wants you to ask Brook to get her friend to go out with him," Danny says.
"Shut the hell up!" Kendrick says to him.
"Why? It's true."
"What friend?" I ask.
"Eve," Danny says.
Kendrick kicks Danny's chair. "Seriously. Shut the fuck up."
"You like Eve?" I ask, surprised. "Since when?"
"Since last year," Danny says. "But he's too afraid to ask her out."
"I'm not afraid," he insists.
Danny ignores him and says to me, "He wants Brook to find out if Eve would go out with him. I'm sure the answer is no, but what the hell? Doesn't hurt to ask."
"I'm still trying to figure out why he likes Eve. She's not even close to being his type."
"I can't figure it out either. She's got a great ass and great tits, but say the wrong thing and Eve would punch you in the face. And what's with her hair? Every damn week she's got a different color."
"Yeah, but it's mostly blond. Kendrick's always been into blonds."
"True." Danny nods.
"What the fuck?" Kendrick's eyes bounce between Danny and me. "I'm sitting right here. Stop talking about me."
"Then say something," Danny says. "Now's your chance. Tell Dean what to tell Brook."
"Just get her to go to the party tonight with Eve," Kendrick says. "I'll take it from there."
"There's no way Eve's going to a football party," I say. "She hates that shit. And there's no way she's dating you. She doesn't like football players."
"She likes YOU."
"That's debatable. She tolerates me because of Brook."
"Just find someone else," Danny says. "Dean's right. There's no way Eve's going out with you. You play football and you sleep around. You're not her type."
"Dean isn't Brook's type and she's dating him."
"But she hated me at first," I say. "We had to become friends before we could become more than that."
"Try that," Danny tells Kendrick. "Try being her friend."
"Yeah, right. I've never been friends with a girl."
