by Jackie Wang
“Are you sure?” Winnie asked. Her face was pale, and I hated that my actions made her worried.
I nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
“Okay.” Winnie didn’t doubt me. She took Nate by the hand and grabbed my keys. As I watched them leave, I wondered if this was the last time I’d see them as a free man. Would this thoughtless assault land me in jail, or worse, prison? Could Grayson Bullock make that happen? Then another, far worse realization dawned on me. This had been Grayson’s plan all along. He didn’t care about blackmailing me with the photo. That would’ve gotten Winnie and I a slap on the wrist, at most. No, he wanted to rile me up so I’d punch him. He wanted physical proof and witnesses. He got both. His face was already bruising, and the front of his shirt was stained from his nosebleed. And his son, Jason, saw the whole thing. If that wasn’t bad enough, a couple bystanders had seen it too. They were whispering amongst themselves when a cruiser pulled up.
Fucking dickbag set me up.
Chapter 13
Winnie
“Is my dad going to be okay?” Nate asked, glancing through the rear window. His usual sunny smile had disappeared, replaced by a severe frown.
We’d already turned a corner, so there was no way Nate could still see Dom, but he looked for his father anyway. I didn’t know what to say. To reassure the kid that his dad would be okay would be an outright lie. I just wasn’t sure. Grayson had been pretty badly hurt. Dom had crossed the line, and every bone in my body told me he would pay for his outburst. I just hoped his punishment wouldn’t involve jail time. For Nate’s sake. Poor kid.
“Why don’t we go watch cartoons at my place until your dad calls?” I suggested. “I’ll even give you ice-cream as long as you don’t tell Dom.”
Nate nodded and unwrinkled his face a little. “Winnie, why did Dad hit that man?”
“That man was a bad man,” I explained. “But your dad also shouldn’t have hit him.”
“Does this mean Dad is a bad man too?”
“No, your dad is a good man,” I assured Nate. “A good man who sometimes has a bad temper.”
“I’ve never seen Dad so mad before.”
“He was just protecting us,” I explained. “Standing up to a bully.”
“Will he get in trouble for hitting Jason’s dad?”
“I’m not sure, buddy. We’ll have to wait and see.”
By the time we pulled up to my apartment, it was almost four. We watched a rerun of Home Alone and ate popcorn with Ben & Jerry’s, as promised. By six-thirty, Dom still hadn’t called. He was a firefighter; he probably had his own connections. Dom should have no problem getting himself out of a jam. Right?
“I want to talk to Dad,” Nate said, his mouth covered with sticky chocolate. I probably shouldn’t have fed him so much junk food for dinner, but I just wanted him to stay calm and distracted. God, I’d make an awful mom, I realized. No discipline whatsoever. If I was in charge of meals, Nate would be morbidly obese in no time.
“We can’t really reach him on the phone right now, but I’m sure he will call us soon,” I reassured Nate. “In the mean time, why don’t you go wash up and I’ll order us some pizza. Do you like pepperoni?”
“Don’t lie to me, Winnie. Is Dad really going to be okay?”
I smiled and ruffled Nate’s hair, putting on my brave face. “You worry a lot for such a little man. Go wash up, Nate.” It wasn’t exactly an answer, but it was the best I could do. While Nate was upstairs, my cellphone buzzed. It was an unknown number and I wondered if it was Dom calling from jail. My uncertainty was cleared up when his gruff voice came from the other end. He tried to sound cheerful, but I knew he was just putting on false bravado.
“Is it bad?” I half-whispered.
“Can you come bail me out?”
“Of course. Just give me the address.”
“Don’t bring Nate. I don’t want him to see me in jail. Can you drop him off at my parent’s place?”
“They’ll ask questions…”
“Tell them Grayson got his ass handed to him by yours truly.”
“They know about Grayson?”
“The whole family knows.”
“Okay. See you in a bit.” As instructed, I drove Nate over to his grandparent’s place. He resisted tooth and nail, claiming he’d much rather stay with me and eat pizza while watching Netflix. I felt terrible for lying to him, but I also knew Dom would be upset if I brought Nate to bail him out.
By the time I finally arrived at the police station, it was almost seven-thirty. A dark, stubbly shadow hugged Dom’s jaw. He looked like a man who hadn’t slept or showered for days. Purple bags hugged his downcast eyes.
“My knightess in shining armor,” Dom said, crushing me against his chest. I felt his hot breath on my neck. “Don’t know what I’d do without you, baby.”
“Are you okay? What happened after we drove off?”
“Got arrested for assaulting an off-duty cop,” Dom said with a shrug. “My hearing is next week.”
“You don’t seem particularly worried about that.” I brushed back some of his hair, revealing a few dried-up cuts on his face. “Nate was worried sick about you.”
“Did you tell him that his daddy was unstoppable, and that he had nothing to be scared of?”
“How could I say that, knowing you’d probably be in jail for what you did?” I frowned, annoyed that Dom brushed it all off so easily. My gut roiled with apprehension. What if they put Dom behind bars, and took Nate away from him? Dom had been irresponsible and reckless.
“Do you think you’ll do time?”
“No. Probably just some community service.”
“You beat up Grayson pretty badly.”
“He provoked me. There were witnesses.”
“I can vouch for that.”
Dom shook his head. “Your testimony would be inadmissible because you’re my girlfriend.”
“So I’m useless, then.”
“Not useless, no. Never useless. You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, Win.”
“I should’ve restrained you. Diffused the situation. I saw what Grayson was doing and I didn’t stop you from falling for his trap.”
“Don’t. Don’t blame yourself, Winnie. This beef is between me and him, and it goes back a long, long time. I should’ve settled things once and for all back when we were teenagers.”
“Now he’s using his law enforcement connections to punish you.”
“I just have to punish him back.”
I shivered. “I don’t know, Dom. Doesn’t an eye for an eye end up making the whole world blind?”
“Not Grayson’s eyes. Poking his eyes out will make the world a better, brighter place. He’s a dirty cop and I want him suspended, or better yet, fired.”
“How will you manage that?”
“Don’t know yet. But I’ll figure out a way.”
Since it was getting late, Nate slept over at his grandparents. I dropped Dom off at his place, and he invited me to stay the night, but I declined. The past few hours had been too exhausting and nerve-wracking. I needed a hot shower, and to sleep in my own bed. Besides, I had school the next day, and something told me that everyone and their cousin would know about what happened between Dom and Grayson come morning. Which also meant they’d know about my relationship with my student’s dad. It was bound to come out eventually, I supposed.
Let them do their worst.
I was sick of hiding and sneaking around. It wasn’t illegal to date a student’s single dad. Besides, we were in love. But if they were going to put me on a pyre for falling in love, then I’d happily bear that crucifixion.
When I got to school the next morning, the atmosphere felt noticeably heavier. I received pointed looks and a few giggles and whispers. If it was this bad at an elementary school, I didn’t even want to know how bad it would’ve been if this had been high school. I ignored them all and headed for my classroom to set up for the day. Nate didn’t come to class, and I
had a feeling it was probably because he was too stressed and Dom didn’t want him to be overwhelmed by a horde of vicious kids. I made it to lunch time without any trouble, but five minutes after the lunch bell, I was called to Principal McCormack’s office. Of course I would be. My boyfriend had pummelled his brother-in-law the day before. My boyfriend was my student’s dad. I knew this reprimand was coming; I always knew we’d eventually get caught. I had nothing to hide.
Time to face the proverbial music and hope for the best.
“You asked to see me, Marlin?” I asked outside the Principal’s office. He’d left his door open, and he was seated behind a huge desk, flipping through folders.
“Have a seat, Winnie.” McCormack gestured to the plastic chair opposite his cushy upholstered one.
I plunked down on the hard seat and met McCormack’s gaze fearlessly. Do your worst.
“It’s come to my attention that you are dating one of your student’s father. Dominic Fieri?”
I nodded. “But let me reassure you, Marlin, that my personal life has never affected my professional one.”
“Some students have seen you getting rides from Mr. Fieri to and from school,” McCormack pointed out, keeping his head down. “Now, Winnie, you are one of the best teachers at Walnut Hill. I’d hate for a scandal like this to ruin your promising career here.”
“How is it a scandal?” I blurted out, frustration simmering in my veins. “I love him. Dom isn’t just some fling. We are crazy about each other.”
“Dom hospitalized a cop yesterday and caused quite a scene on school grounds.”
“I know, I was there,” I gritted out.
“Then you know how volatile he can be. He has quite the reputation around these parts,” McCormack continued. “A respectable woman such as yourself should stay away from a hot-tempered guy like him. He’s unstable.”
“You sure your judgment isn’t clouded by the fact that he hurt your brother-in-law?”
“Not just Grayson. Dom has a habit of starting fights everywhere he goes. Bar fights. Street fights. Domestic fights.”
“What are you suggesting, Marlin?”
“Why do you think his wife left him?”
“You have no proof,” I seethed. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. McCormack was more spiteful than I thought.
“Ask him yourself, then.”
“Did you bring me here so we could talk about Dom, or did you have something important to say?” I demanded, getting impatient. I was overstepping boundaries, but I didn’t care anymore. McCormack was clearly acting unprofessionally. Why should I respect what he had to say?
“I’m letting you off with a warning this time, Winnie. But next time, if I catch Dominic starting trouble on school grounds, I will have to suspend you until further notice.”
Was McCormack trying to bully me into choosing between Dom and my career?
“Why punish me for what he does?”
“You love him, don’t you? If you truly care about him, keep him in line, or I will make sure you suffer for his mistakes.” McCormack’s threat was not lost on me. I digested every syllable with extreme displeasure. McCormack was no better than his scumbag of a brother-in-law.
“Thanks for the talk,” I said, standing up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, my lunch is getting cold.”
“You’re a smart girl, Winnie. Don’t let Dominic Fieri hold you back from realizing your true potential.”
“I’m not sure he’s the one holding me back, sir,” I said before slamming the door.
Chapter 14
Dominic
Thirty days. I was temporarily suspended from work and sentenced to a month of community service. It was technically a slap on the wrist and I was relieved that Chief Adams helped me out on that front. He was intimately aware of my history with Grayson, and he knew what type of character Grayson was, so he didn’t hesitate to speak on my behalf. But still, for the sake of public appearances, I was suspended and forced to pick up litter around the school and surrounding community every single day for three hours. It was easy work, but humiliating because I wore a bright green vest that seemingly broadcasted my crime to the world. Grayson was the villain, but he walked away with nothing more than a broken nose.
I hated Grayson for what he did, but I hated myself even more for being unable to resist his taunts. I wasn’t a kid anymore; in fact, I had my own kid to worry about now. It was stupid of me to go around starting fights knowing that something like this could’ve resulted in me behind bars and Nate taken away from me. It was no secret that I had a temper, and I was constantly worried that child protective services would catch me in a compromising situation and use it against me. Nate was my whole world, and I was stupid to risk what we had for the sake of some decade-old beef. Not to mention risking my relationship with Winnie just so I could get back at Grayson. This whole fiasco was the wake-up call I needed to clean up my act and start acting like a responsible parent and adult.
I’d fucked up. Big time.
I was ready to change. Become a better father to Nate, and a better boyfriend to Winnie. And this time, it was a promise I intended to keep.
Thanks to my ridiculous community service schedule, I rarely had time to see Winnie over the next few weeks. I might’ve been overthinking things, but she seemed more withdrawn with each day. She texted and called me less and less, and I wondered if it was because she was embarrassed that I was doing community service near her workplace. Did she want to avoid rumors by deliberately staying away? She even refused rides from me, claiming that she was in hot water, and didn’t want to make things worse. I understood what she meant. Ever since our relationship went public, Winnie went through a lot of shit at school, both from the other parents, and her colleagues. It was unfair that she went around like a martyr just because she was my girlfriend. I was frustrated beyond belief, but I also knew that if I tried to stand up for her, it would probably make things worse. As a result, I felt more helpless with each passing day, and I watched Winnie drift farther and farther away from me. I was losing her.
I refused to let that happen.
I wasn’t ready to give up on us.
But how could I possibly make things right again?
On the eve of my final day of community service, I decided to take Winnie out and touch base with her about our relationship.
“Okay, spill,” I demanded. No time for bullshit. I needed to clarify where we stood.
“Hmm?” Winnie looked up at me mid-bite as if she had no idea what I meant. She put down her meatball sub.
“You’ve been a lot more withdrawn since I began community service. Admit it, you have doubts about us.”
“No.” She didn’t sound convincing at all. Had all the rumors gotten to her? Weakened her trust in me? In us?
“We barely see each other, and you hardly ever call,” I pointed out.
“Yes, my confidence faltered after I met with Principal McCormack. He said some nasty things about you—but I didn’t take it to heart! Obviously he was trying to push his own agenda when he said those things,” Winnie explained.
“What did he say?” I gritted out.
“It’s fine, really.”
A tic in my jaw. I rubbed my chin. “What. Did. He. Say?” I could feel anger bubbling inside me, and I reminded myself of my promise. Keep it cool, Fieri.
“He said you have a reputation for being violent,” Winnie blurted out. “To be fair, I’ve witnessed your recklessness and impulsivity firsthand.”
“That’s all?”
“He said, your ex left you because you abused her.”
“That’s fucking bullshit. She abandoned us to play house with her boss. Everyone knows that. I never laid a finger on her.”
“I know that, baby. I’m just telling you what McCormack told me.”
“He’s a liar.”
“Calm down,” Winnie said, resting her hand on top of mine. “Hey. I’m on your side, babe.”
“Does it embarrass you, to b
e seen dating someone like me?”
“A hot, firefighter stud? Why would that embarrass me?” Winnie teased, giving me a peck on the cheek.
“I’m serious. I know how they talk about you. About us.”
“I couldn’t care less,” Winnie assured me. “In fact, I’m not so sure I want to build my career in such a petty, rumor-prone community. I want to be surrounded by individuals who build me up, not tear me down.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Which is why I was thinking…why don’t we move to Maine?”
“Maine?” Winnie asked, bewildered. As if I was asking her to move to the moon.
“Or somewhere in New Hampshire? Closer to your parents and brother, and far away from this bullshit. A clean slate for you, me and Nate.”
We could be a family.
Please say yes.
One simple word is all I want to hear from you, baby girl.
“You’re asking for a lot.”
“I love you, Winnie. So much it hurts me, not being able to spend every single day with you. I want the three of us to build a life together. I want to wake up and fall asleep next to you. I want to fix you breakfast and rub your feet after a long day. I want to watch you help Nate with his homework. Listen to you sing in the shower. Binge-watch Netflix shows with you curled up in my arms. I want it all.”
Winnie still seemed unconvinced. “You’re asking me to give up a hard-won position at a good school. I’d be unemployed if I left.”
“So would I,” I added. “But we’re both smart people. We’ll figure it out. Let’s start packing tonight.”
“Dom, that’s your impulsivity talking again,” Winnie chastised. “We can’t just move halfway across the country with no plan.”
“We do have a plan…” I began.
“No, what you have is a dream, not a plan. We need to do more research, add up the pros and cons before we see if it’s even feasible to move there.”
“You’re no fun.” I pouted, even though I knew she was 100% right. She was almost always right.
