Love, Lies & The D.A.

by Rohman, Rebecca

  “Thanks, Doc,” he replies as she exits the room.

  The nurse returns with some water and juice. After quickly consuming it, I close my eyes once more and go back to bed.

  Daylight wakes me. After my eyes readjust to the light, I notice Jonathan asleep on the chair beside me. His head lies on his folded arms on the bed’s edge, and one of his hands covers mine. It doesn’t look like he’s left here. He still wears the same black suit and royal blue shirt from yesterday.

  A nurse walks into the room with a breakfast tray in hand.

  “Good morning, Miss McLean,” she says quietly. “Feeling better this morning?”

  “A little. Thanks.”

  “I brought you some breakfast,” she says, adjusting the bed tray before me.

  “Thanks.”

  Jonathan wakes beside me.

  “Good morning, Sir.”

  “Hi,” Jonathan replies.

  “You know you shouldn’t be here,” the nurse says sternly.

  “Well, I’m not leaving, so get used to it.”

  “Don’t force me to call security.”

  “Go ri—”

  “Nurse, please,” I interject. “I want him to stay.”

  “He wasn’t listed as your next of kin. Everyone else has been bending the rules because he’s the DA.”

  “I know, but I want him to stay. He’s the closest thing I have to family.”

  She looks at me, then him.

  “Please. I have no family here in the state,” I plea.

  “Fine,” she says softly. A smile inches onto her face.

  “One more thing,” I say as she turns to leave. “Can I have another one of those breakfast trays for him, please?”

  She looks annoyed at my request.

  “Please… you can add it to my bill.”

  She doesn’t respond but returns moments later with another tray and hands it to him.

  “Thank you,” he says, flashing her a radiant smile. “I don’t suppose you are one of my loyal supporters?”

  She returns his smile and leaves the room, not saying another word.

  He lays the tray on the bedside table and sits next to me at the edge of the bed.

  “Do you really want me here?” he asks.

  “I do. Thanks for staying last night.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  “When was the last time you ate?”

  “That’s not important. All I care about right now is your safety, and your health.”

  “Then if you want me to feel better, please eat. You look like crap.”

  “The old Jada’s back,” he chuckles.

  “After you eat, why don’t you go home for a while? Take a shower… relax a little. I’ll be okay.”

  “No. I’m not leaving you here alone.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “That’s completely out of the question. Now eat. You need your strength back.”

  “I know we have to talk,” I say, looking into his greys.

  “That’s true, but not now,” he whispers.

  We eat breakfast together, and soon after, I feel tired again and fall asleep. I’m not sure how much time has gone by, but Jonathan’s voice rings through my vague dreams.

  “I know you can’t tell me details, but is she going to be okay?” he asks.

  “We have every reason to believe she should make a full recovery.”

  “Thank you.”

  I open my eyes and see a sixty-something-year-old African American man talking to Jonathan. He reminds me of my Aunt Jeannie’s husband, Uncle Ken. Fair in complexion and slightly greyed with a well groomed goatee. He turns to me and smiles.

  “Ms. McLean. You’re awake. How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Still really tired, and I have a really bad headache.”

  “I’m Dr. Dubois. Unfortunately, those may linger on for a while. You have a severe concussion.”

  “Will I be okay? How long can I expect it to last?”

  “The good news is there is no swelling on your brain. You should be okay, but those headaches can go on for quite a while. We can treat your symptoms, though. Right now, I want you to concentrate on getting rest. Free your body and your mind from anything stressful.”

  I guess I should wish myself luck in that department.

  “How soon can I go home?”

  He chuckles. “Not for a few days, Miss McLean. We need to have you under observation before we’re sure that you’re well enough to leave. Right now, you need to rest. I’ll get you something for that headache.”

  I’d like to argue with him, but I don’t have the energy.

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  He shakes Jonathan’s hand then exits the room.

  “Shouldn’t you be in court right now?” I ask.

  “I’m where I need to be,” he says, sitting by my side on the bed.

  “Go home and get some rest.”

  “I’m not leaving you here alone.”

  “Why?”

  “You shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. Try to get some rest.”

  “Do you feel obliged to be here?”

  “I’m here because I want to be. Why can’t you see that?”

  I think I’ve upset him. I know this goes back to the trust thing again.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Jada,” he says, tenderly tilting my head to him. I slowly look into his greys.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he says softly. “You can trust me.”

  I can barely look him in the eye.

  “I’m asking you to please trust me. I care about you, I have no hidden agenda, I won’t hurt you.”

  “I’m…” I sigh. “I’m really, really scared.”

  He takes my hands in his.

  “I know, but I don’t want you to be scared when you’re with me. What can I do to put your mind at ease?”

  A tear slips down my face. “Nothing… you’re doing it all already. You’ve been amazing through all this. On Friday, I just got so scared. I realized how deep my feelings were for you. I’m afraid of getting my heart broken.”

  He holds me in his arms. All the images of betrayal run through my mind—Richard and Koto on my desk, his other affairs, him stealing from me, his lies to me, Koto’s pregnancy, the offshore bank accounts, the dirty dealings, and not to mention all the humiliation that came with it. The hurt and the fear I felt the last few months seem to come together in this one moment while I breakdown in his arms.

  Tightly, he holds me and softly runs his fingers through my hair. I realize if I truly want to be with him, at any point, I have to trust him. And trusting him means he gets to see me like this, at my lowest point, and hopefully at my highest. If he cares about me the way he says he does, it means he’ll accept all of me; it means he’ll accept me, even when I’m like this.

  I eventually calm.

  “Why were you so angry with me?” he asks.

  After an extended silence, and some thought, I whisper. “Because you left…”

  “I’m sorry, Babe. I thought you regretted what we shared.”

  “I didn’t. I got afraid. I thought if I told you, you would think I was crazy… I thought it might scare you away.”

  “I know what you’ve been through these last few months. I’d understand. You can talk to me about anything.”

  I tighten my grip around him. I finally relax in his arms as his words sink in. Trusting again is something I realize I’ll have to do to move beyond the hurt and betrayal I felt with Koto and Richard. But it’s so hard to do. The last thing I want to do is not trust a man who has been there for me the last few months because of what they did. I loop my fingers through his while he holds me, and I find myself slowly letting go.

  “I got your birthday present on Saturday morning. It’s the most personal gift I’ve ever received.”

  “I wasn’t sure what to get you. It seemed appropriate.”

  “You gave me a huge part of yourself… Your word
s were so profound.”

  “So you liked it?”

  “I loved it. Thank you so much,” he replies, kissing me on my forehead.

  “You’re welcome. Are we okay?”

  “Of course,” he replies, pecking my lips. “Sometimes you can be the most infuriating woman I ever met,” he continues, laughing. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. I want you to get your rest. That should be your only priority right now.”

  “I want us to be okay.”

  “We are. I’m going to be here for you, and I’ll help you through this, no matter what.”

  He circles me in his arms in a warm and endearing hug.

  “I don’t want you to worry about a thing.” He kisses me gently on my cheek then surrounds my face in his palms and kisses me softly on my lips. I lean my forehead against his.

  “Thank you for your patience… and for being here.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. Now lie down. You need—”

  A gentle knock on the door interrupts us, and as we turn to look, Bobby walks in.

  Over the coming days, I slowly progress. The terrible headaches still linger on, but my speech is nearly back to normal. It looks like I’ve been forgetting a lot, but Dr. Dubois tells me there’s no reason I shouldn’t make a full recovery.

  Somehow it looks like Bobby managed to get Mom to stay away, but that hasn’t stopped her from calling at least five times a day. I’ve had very short visits from Ian, Solace, Pierce, and Megan. Noticeably, Daniel didn’t visit or call, even though his recovering mother managed to find the time.

  I’ve noticed that my room is under guard, but I’m not sure why. Bobby and Jonathan won’t tell me either. I know something is wrong. The fact that Jonathan won’t leave the room unless Bobby is with me tells me that.

  By late Thursday afternoon, Phillip, Douglas, and Cooper are by my side, asking tons of questions. After they leave, it’s now clear to me why the security is present.

  Who would try to kill me and for what purpose? The Chief of Police would lose millions of dollars by having me killed, so neither the FBI nor I are sure that he’d have anything to gain by me being dead.

  There was that threatening phone call, but we still have no clue who it was from. Other than that, as far as I know, I don’t have any enemies—unless it’s someone who believes I had something to do with Richard’s death, and they want to fight his cause.

  I try not to think about it. Now that they’ve left, my headache has returned. I look forward to tomorrow when I get to go home and be in the privacy and comfort of my own space. Bobby will be leaving on Saturday. I’m eager to spend a little time with him before he exits.

  After a long visit from Dr. Dubois the following morning, Bobby takes me home. He is driving Jonathan’s SUV. We leave through the service entrance because of the number of reporters that wait at the main entrance. The drive home is strangely silent.

  I am happy to be home. I collapse on the living room sofa while Bobby gets me some juice out of the refrigerator. He joins me on the opposite sofa after a few moments.

  “The new place looks great.”

  “Thanks… I know you’re upset with me. I tried giving you clues over the phone when we spoke, but I guess you didn’t notice.”

  “In retrospect, I do. But you should have told Jonathan about that call.”

  “He had just found out his mom was sick. I didn’t want to worry him.”

  He shakes his head, and while I think he understands my reasons, I know he’s pissed that this happened.

  “Let’s not talk about it right now. Where’s Jonathan?”

  “He had some things he had to take care of. He said he’d come by later.”

  “Is he okay? He seemed a little distant this morning when I saw him.”

  “He has a lot on his mind… He’ll tell you about it later.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I know he wants to discuss it with you himself. He’ll talk to you later. He’s crazy about you, you know.”

  I blush.

  “He’s deeply in love with you.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “No. I’m not blind. He didn’t—”

  The ping from the elevator interrupts our conversation, and Jonathan walks in with a vase filled with white calla lilies. I’m surprised he’s wearing a suit. He sheds his jacket. After a hug and kiss, he carefully replaces the cushion under my ankle with his body and joins us in conversation.

  Sometime later, Bobby leaves us alone to go get a nap. I’d prefer to lie down, so Jonathan helps me to my room. After changing into his favorite worn jeans and a black T-shirt, he sits next to me on the bed.

  “What’s wrong? You haven’t been yourself?” I ask.

  “I resigned today,” he replies sadly.

  “I’m sorry. What finalized your decision?”

  “The circumstances of the last couple weeks. None of those meetings panned out the way I had hoped. Mom has an uphill battle. I need to save what’s left of Dad’s legacy, and I need to be there for my family… and you.”

  “Thanks for that, but I really hope that I wasn’t the deciding factor.”

  “No, it was sort of the final straw.”

  “Are you happy with your decision?”

  “It was the right decision. However, it was also a very difficult one. This is not a normal job I resigned from. People elected me and put me there. I guess there will always be a part of me that hates disappointing them.”

  “I’m sorry… is it public knowledge?”

  “I let the State Attorney General know yesterday. I announced it in a press conference a while ago.”

  “How did that go?”

  “Well, I managed to shock the public twice in a matter of a month. So they had lots of questions.”

  “Did you answer them all?”

  “Most of them. Since I didn’t discuss this with you, I wasn’t prepared to answer questions about you.”

  “I personally don’t see why it’s anybody’s business, but I understand your position. Whatever you told them is fine.”

  “I didn’t tell them anything. I refused to comment on any questions that involved you.”

  “Sounds like there were many?”

  “Well, what do you expect? You’re stunningly beautiful, and you’ve been surrounded by controversy recently, and it’s public knowledge that we’re at the very least—friends. I also recused myself from your case in case you forgot, so they’re bound to ask questions.”

  “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

  “You make a good story,” he says with a sexy gaze.

  “Is that all it is? A good story?”

  He chuckles. “To them… To me, you’re a whole lot more. And speaking of more, just so we’re clear, as you so colorfully put it, I’m not fucking or seeing anyone else. You’re the only woman I want in my life.”

  “Me too…”

  “You’re the only woman you want in your life?”

  “No, Silly. You’re the only man I want in my life.”

  “I should hope so.” He smiles.

  “Friday was incredible by the way… before it came to that unceremonious end.”

  “Let’s not rehash old memories. Hurry up and get well so we can make new ones.”

  I smile at him then take his hand in mine.

  “I’m sorry… for so much. About Friday night and that I didn’t tell you about that call… I just thought you had enough on your mind at the time.”

  “I understand that, but I don’t want you keeping this kind of thing from me. I don’t care what the circumstances are.”

  “Your mother’s health was more important than that phone call.”

  “Jada, I know you’ve gotten used to dealing with things on your own. But this is the sort of thing you have to tell me about as soon as it happens.”

  “I didn’t want you to worry.”

  “I’m always going to worry about you, especially with this mess going on. What
I don’t need is worrying about whether or not you’re being honest with me. It will only make me more concerned. I prefer to know what I’m dealing with.”

  He’s not shouting, but I feel like a child being scolded. I know I should have told him.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  I feel awful. I remember how I felt when I found out Richard had been lying to me for years. Although my intention was to protect Jonathan, I ended up causing him to question his trust in me. That bothers me greatly.

  “Promise me you won’t keep things from me.”

  “I promise.”

  He tilts my head up, looks into my eyes, then pulls me in his arms.

  “There’s no need for you to be upset. I want to be able to protect you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Receiving that call saying you were in the hospital scared me to death.”

  Holding him tightly in my arms, I apologize once more.

  “Don’t worry about it. I think we could both use some rest,” he says, pulling back the covers and lowering the blackout blinds.

  He pulls me in his arms and kisses me ever so softly. I slowly let him in, his tongue caresses mine, and I soon feel him rising between our bodies.

  “Wait a minute,” I whisper, pulling away.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Now we’re official, we need to have the sex talk.”

  “I’m clean… I was tested during the week while at the hospital. I donated blood. I can show you the results.”

  “I was tested the day I walked in on them. I’m clean too. I haven’t been with anyone since then.”

  “Are you on any sort of birth control?”

  “Yes. Implanon.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a sort of implant that’s placed under the arm. It lasts three years… I’ve had it for a year and a half.”

  “If you want to get pregnant, you get it removed?”

  “Yes.”

  “So I’m not going to have to answer to Bobby or your mom for getting you pregnant.”

  I giggle. “No.”

  “Good, because I’ve promised Bobby I’d look out for you. The last thing I want to do is get you knocked up out of wedlock.”

  “You’re right… you’d see a different side to him. He’d beat you up.”