As he turned to walk back to the table, I followed close behind. I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Law, talk, you can’t last like this forever. Me, yeah, I was built to destroy myself but you, you’ve always been better than this. Better than me.”
He pushed my hand off his shoulder, slamming the carton on the table in front of him. I reached for him again and this time he was ready to talk. He grabbed my wrist bending it backwards while pulling me around him. Grabbing the back of my head he slammed it into the table.
My eyesight went black before it came back with fuzzy colors. I felt the heat from my bloody nose flowing down my mouth onto the table. I groaned from the instant pain shooting from my nose up to my brain. Grabbing my nose, I stumbled trying to stand when a fist flew up and slammed into me on the jaw, sending me flying backwards hitting the floor.
Fuck me if I didn’t want to return the conversation he was having with my face, but I knew he needed to do this. So I let him.
He picked me up by the collar of my shirt, bringing me up and steadying me as he pulled back and punched me in the bridge of my nose again. Over and over, he pulled me up at least a dozen times punching me, until with the last punch he fell on to the ground with me.
I grabbed at my bloody face as I crawled into myself on the floor.
Damn!
The boy could punch the hell out of people when he wanted to. I never knew another fighter whose fist landed as precise and heavy as his.
I opened my mouth, letting the blood pool into my mouth since I couldn’t breathe through my busted up nose.
Law sat up, resting his back against the couch as he kicked the back of my leg away from him. “Sit up you fucking asshole! You said you wanted to talk, so talk!” He flung his shirt at me, hitting me in the face.
I picked it up balling it up against my nose. My head was throbbing and my pulse was about to make my head explode.
Once I finally sat up, I pulled the shirt away from my bloody mouth to talk. “I’m sorry Lawrence. I shouldn’t have threatened you like that. I would never wish that on you...I just lost it. It hurt letting her go and it hurts now. I love her and I love you. I can’t lose either of you because if I do, it’ll be me you’re putting six feet under next to Stormie.”
He looked up at me and I could have sworn he was about to punch me again but he didn’t, thank God.
He got up from the floor, walked to the table and sat down to eat his breakfast. “Go shower and get ready. We got shit to do tonight.”
I leaned forward to get up, but the dizziness in my head made me fall over to the side. I heard Law curse as he pushed his chair back.
Hands lifted me up off the floor. He dragged me to my room and threw me on the bed like a rag doll. “You have an hour to get ready, or I’m leaving without you.” he said as he slammed the door behind him.
I love you too Law!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ocean
I tried to clean up my face as best as I could before I stepped out of the bedroom. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to ask Law to take me to his mom before we do whatever he has planned for tonight.
I grabbed my phone just in case Liv called me. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if I would answer or not. It wasn’t because I was still mad at her. It was more of not wanting to reopen the gaping hole in my heart. Sad to say, it was easier not thinking about her no matter how many times I wanted to crawl in bed. Especially the side she slept on and cry myself to sleep.
I pulled on my black fitted t-shirt with a silver eagle on the front with my pair of gray washed jeans. I walked into the closet for my shoes, immediately looking down at the left side of the floor. I refused to look up and see the right side of the closet we shared lined up with her clothes and shoes.
I’m pretty sure by the end of the week, my bedroom will become the sofa and living room. I will shut myself out from Law and the rest of the world until the day my Liv gets to come home.
I grabbed my gray Nike high tops, slipped them on and grabbed my wallet chain hooking it to my pants. I stuffed my phone and wallet into my back pocket.
When I stepped into the living room, Law was pacing back and forth. When he turned to look at me his face went pale.
“Fuck! Ocean.” He walked up to me and pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry man, I was so mad at you for what you did. Fuck. I didn’t mean to bust your face up like that,” he said with my shoulder muffling his words.
I hugged him back. “Yeah, you meant to do it Law. I was there and it’s cool. I deserved it. I deserve worse actually, but let me recover before you decide to reconstruct my face again.”
He pulled back, grabbing me by the shoulders. “Let’s get you to my mom. You look like you got gang-fucked in the face.” he said, laughing while dragging me out the front door.
I sure as hell feel like it.
****
Thank god for my aunt Layla. By the time I walked out of the hospital, my face felt numb and I could finally breathe through my nose.
Climbing into the passenger seat of Law’s truck I turned to face him, not able to hold it in much longer. As he fastened his seat belt, I asked him. “Hey, you uh, you hear about Liv yet?”
He put the key in the ignition then let the keys go, sitting back in his seat and staring out of the windshield.
“Nope. Nothing yet.” He looked down at his watch as my heart started to sink from the hundred pound weight heartache caused, crushing down on it.
“She’ll call when she’s ready. I left her a duffle bag with some extra stuff I thought she might need. Her iPad and phone…so when Sunshine’s ready, she’ll call man. Don’t worry.”
“I don’t know. It’s a long way until Sunday. I don’t think I can continue to stay positive and numb about this shit Law. I need her. I need her here with me, not in some fucking rehab.”
“Ocean, she needs that rehab as much as she needs you and as much as she needs us. Don’t go writing her off yet. She’ll make it.”
My shoulders slumped forward. “It’s not her I’m worried about making it through this.”
Law turned the ignition. “Come on, let’s get some work done at the studio.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Livie
I felt like I was walking the hall of shame following Oscar to the administration office. He offered to give me his hand like a million times and each time I refused. Something about the asshole made my skin crawl.
He turned around, gawking at me from over his shoulder, looking me up and down as I shuffled forward behind him. I wanted to slam my head against the wall right now for being so stupid. I should have tried to over dose on pills or something because right now, I was itching to use my left jab across his ugly smug face.
He slowed down in front of me turning around to walk backwards. “We’re here Livie, right through these doors.”
I looked at the words printed on the sign to make sure he wasn’t trying to take me to a janitor’s closet or something like that. Ass-wipes like him took advantage of women whenever they could.
I only prayed that he wasn’t around when Ocean and Law visited because he wouldn’t last long up against those two. Especially once Law sets his sights on his future wife, Dulce.
When I pulled my right leg through the door, a tall and friendly looking woman in a business suit jumped up from behind her desk rushing her towards me. “Oscar! How dare you let Ms. Acosta struggle her way in here?”
I turned to look at his pale face standing at the door. I didn’t feel bad getting him in trouble, but thought I’d tell the truth. I didn’t want him making my stay here a living hell; not that it wasn’t already.
“It was my fault actually” I said as the woman steered me to the huge leather chair in front of the desk.
Once she seated me, she stood up straightening her suit. “How so?” she asked amused, looking between my face and Oscar’s.
“I kind of threatened him not to help me so it’s not his fault. I’m stubborn th
at way.”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled down at me. Making her way around to the other side of the desk, she waved Oscar away, the door gently closing behind him. Once seated in her chair, she leaned forward and placed her elbows onto her desk…which was spotless by the way.
“I figured it was your request from the look of determination on your face young lady but there is something about that boy that rubs me the wrong way.”
I raised my eyebrows at her because she was dead serious. I held in my laughter as she studied me. She looked like one of those Olympic champion women who have become successful through their power, dominance, and fierce persona. I immediately liked her.
“Live, my name is Marion Shiloh, the owner, CEO, CFO, President and any other title you’d like to label me as for this rehabilitation facility.”
I smiled as she continued.
“This meeting is protocol for every new resident and I was particularly interested in meeting with you first thing this morning. It seems Mr. Hawthorne pulled an investigative background report on all of my employees, including myself.” She laughed to herself at the thought. “And that, young lady, tells me you are very special. You have some very special and loving people supporting you. Am I correct?”
I didn’t know how to answer right away because I was by no means special. The only part I agreed with was the bit about having special people in my life, which was an understatement in Ocean’s and his family’s defense. So I answered truthfully.
“Yes Marion, I do have some very special people in my life now.”
One of her eyebrows furrowed. “You do not think you are special, Livie?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m afraid I’m a little more complicated than that.”
She frowned and huffed out a breath. “I assure that I am no shrink but if there is anything you take away from your time here, it better be that you are one special young woman. It takes one to know one.”
As she leaned forward, I got a peek of her wrist. Her wrist was tattooed with two deep scars running across the width of her arm.
My eyes jerked up to her face when she’d followed my eyes to her wrist. I felt my face heat up and turn red from embarrassment. I hated being looked at and judged so I felt ashamed that I’d just done that, minus the judging because I could never judge anyone.
She rolled up her sleeve to reveal more scars lining the inside of her arms. “It’s alright dear, I’m aware of my scars and by reading your profile you have some battle scars of your own.”
I nodded my head not knowing what to make of this situation.
“I don’t mean to scare you, but I will be honest with you. I am going to work you harder than any of my other residents. Call me biased, but I do not care. You Livie Acosta are going to walk out of here a new woman and ready to fight those demons you’ve battled with.”
She cleared her throat as she leaned back in her chair. “I am also aware of the show down that occurred when your family came to drop you off.”
I shifted in my chair, not wanting to hear some stranger talk about my boys or what happened between them and myself.
“Don’t worry, I’m not judging. From what I saw and heard you need to come out of here ready for the real fight because Ocean Hawthorne is not one to go down without a fight himself.”
My heart was pounding at the mention of his name. What the hell did she know about my Ocean? Before I knew what my mouth was doing, I was asking her.
“What do you know about Ocean?” I didn’t care how it sounded when the words came out. I needed to know what she was trying to get at.
“I’m simply saying Livie, I know who the Hawthorne’s are and I know that they are very, very strong and influential men. I’ve become a fan of the cousins actually.”
My heart settled a little but not enough to make me feel comfortable again.
She studied my face for a while before she continued.
“Let me move on, I’ve never been good with words and communication. The only thing I’ve ever been good at was running track, so forgive me if I’ve offended you.”
I nodded in her direction while thinking about Law and Ocean. She reached inside of a drawer, pulling out a blue folder with my name on it.
She slid it across the table towards me. “This is your schedule and everything else you need to know about the facility. Inside are codes to the different sections within the facility and by your physique, I would say the gym will be your stomping ground.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Oh and before I forget…” she said, standing and walking to a tall file cabinet along the wall. With a key, she unlocked the middle drawer and pulled out a duffle bag…my purple with-zebra-stripes Tap Out duffle bag.
“Courtesy of Lawrence.” she said, placing the strap around my shoulder making sure it was leaning against my good arm.
“I usually don’t do this for my residents, but that Lawrence is quite a pain in the ass.”
I laughed this time because he really was, but he was my pain in the ass and I would not trade him for the world.
“Good to see I’m not the only one to think so.”
“No, you’re definitely not.”
She grabbed me under the arm to help me up while handing me my folder.
“If you have any questions my direct phone number is in the packet. Other than that, everything else is pretty much mapped out for you. My first suggestion is to make sure you have a good breakfast because you’ve got a rigorous rehab schedule waiting for you. You did a number on your arm missy and we need to get that corrected ASAP.”
Clutching my folder to my chest, I looked her in the eyes. “Thank you for this. I promised not to let Lawrence down and that promise applies to you too now.”
Her smile lit up the small space between us. “Then get to it. Anything you need let me know. I’ll take care of Oscar, he gives me the creeps.” She said, shaking her entire body and I laughed as I exit her office.
She poked her head out of the door. “For breakfast, turn left and make two rights. You’re nostrils will lead the rest of the way.”
“Thank you.” I called back quickly before she shut her door.
I really wanted to get back to my room and open my duffle bag, but I knew if I was going to be working out and rehabilitating my wounds I’d need to eat first.
****
The cafeteria was like an international buffet. There were all types of foods from all types of places. Everything looked and smelled delicious considering the pain I was in and the physical therapy I was probably going to have to start today.
I opted for a protein shake and a blueberry muffin. The last thing I wanted to do was puke all over my therapists; ironic the assistant manager to a future MMA studio is in physical rehabilitation for a failed suicide attempt. That’s a story to put on a plaque in my office…if I still had one when I got out.
I shuffled to the nearest bench where I sat and carefully pulled off the duffle bag with my good arm. I don’t know how I would be managing if I would have damaged both arms.
Stupid!
I took a gulp of my protein shake and my body shook from my lack of sugar. Tough cookies because I had to drink it. I continued to chug it down, holding my breath as I swallowed the thick shake.
Opening my folder, I found Marion’s phone number on the top with a ridiculous smiley face. She was a character and someone I felt comfortable with, to a certain extent.
I pulled out my schedule to look it over.
My schedule read as follows:
6:00 a.m. First Wakeup Call
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Visit With Dr. Fraise M.D
11:00 a.m. 2 Hours of PT – Arm
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Free Time (Gym Time!)
3:30 – 5:30 p.m. 2 Hours of PT – Leg
Tuesdays and Sundays were visiting days, but I still had PT on those days. Marion was definitely not playing around. Either that or Law was making sure I got as close to one h
undred percent as possible.
I took a bite out of my muffin and immediately wish I hadn’t. Out of nowhere, my bandaged hand…the injured hand starts to pulsate and throb like hell!
I set down the muffin, holding onto the table while trying to take deep breaths as best I could.
“Easy Sunshine, what’s going on?”
Thank God!
“Dulce, do you know where the medical office is? I think I need to see a doctor. My arm is about to explode.” I felt hot all over and my vision blurred.
“Yeah sure, hold on a sec.”
I caught glimpses of her searching around the cafeteria like she was searching for someone.
“Finally! Santi! Over here I need help.”
“Shit. She’s burning up. I’ve got her. Go get the doc. I’ll be right behind you Dulce. Go!”
The voice that spoke was male and deep. Part of it reminded me of Ocean. I knew it wasn’t him but I wished it were because I was drowning in pain and the only thing that would calm me down was his touch.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ocean
Stepping out of the shower, I could have sworn my cell phone was ringing but maybe it was just my ears buzzing.
Last night after Law so called kicked my ass; he took me down to the studio to kick my ass some more. Aunt Layla would kill us both if she found out I let him use me as his punching bag after she semi fixed my face. At least this time he, let me put on some of the protective boxing gear lying around.
My face still looked like shit with the black and blue bruises, but I could honestly say that I felt a lot better about Law and me. We fought, yelled, screamed, and cried last night. So yeah, I could say we were back to normal.
I wiped the foggy mirror with my towel good enough so I could see myself from the neck down. I rubbed my hand over the tattoo of Stormie’s beautiful face. That was how I always wanted to remember her in my mind, but every now and then I would get a glimpse of the memory of her lying lifeless in her coffin. She was an angel before she died and seeing her after she passed, it was like looking at a true sleeping angel.
The blaring of my Drake ringtone interrupted my trip down…well down somewhere. I wouldn’t exactly call it memory lane. I let the phone go to voicemail.
Oceans Submerged: Book Two, the Oceans Series Page 9
