Chapter 10
It was driving him nuts to the point that Tyrese could not wait any longer. He had to see Zaire, so he left work and drove the thirty minutes it took to get to Pacific Palisades. He had placed a call earlier to Malcolm to obtain permission to come to the house.
“How is she?” Tyrese asked as soon as he arrived.
“As well as can be expected,” Malcolm responded. “She had a nightmare last night.”
“I’ve made some changes to ensure that this will never happen again. We’ve installed additional surveillance cameras around the building and more in the parking deck.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Malcolm stated. “Hopefully, there won’t be another occurrence. This incident has forced me to review the security at all of our properties.”
“I’d like to see Zaire, if it’s all right with you,” Tyrese announced.
Malcolm eyed him for a moment before replying, “I’m not sure she’s up for company, but I’ll check.”
“Thank you.”
Tyrese waited in the living room for Malcolm to return. He couldn’t wait to lay eyes on Zaire. She had plagued his thoughts since the attack, and he just needed to see her for himself.
“I didn’t realize we had company,” Barbara said as she descended the stairs. “How are you, Tyrese?”
“I’m fine,” he responded. “I came by to see Zaire.”
She smiled. “I gathered as much.”
Malcolm returned. “Zaire would like you to come up to her room. I’ll take you up there.”
He knocked on the door and waited for her invitation to enter.
“Come in.”
Tyrese opened the door and stepped inside to find Zaire lying beneath a throw on the chaise in her bedroom. Her face was still swollen, and her bruises were turning colors. She looked away when he approached her.
“I hope you don’t mind that I’m here. Zaire, I really needed to see you for myself. I’ve been going crazy since you got hurt.”
“I’m fine,” she mumbled. Her tooth had been chipped in the front, and it was clear that she was self-conscious about her appearance.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” he whispered. Tyrese sat down on the edge of the chaise.
She put a hand over her mouth as she talked. “It’s not your fault, Tyrese. You warned me about staying too late in the evenings. I should have listened to you.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, forcing Tyrese to strain to hear her.
Tyrese rose to his feet.
He sat down beside her on the chaise, and then he reached over to gently pull her hand away from her face. “You are still a very beautiful woman, Zaire. You don’t have to hide from me.”
Her gray eyes filled with tears. “He broke my tooth, and he punched me in the face. He kicked me in the stomach.”
Tyrese embraced her, hoping to comfort her. He hated seeing her in so much pain. “It’s going to be all right. I will never allow something like this to happen ever again.”
“I was so scared.”
Tyrese nodded in understanding.
“If all he wanted was the car...all he had to do was ask. He didn’t have to hit me. Why are people so cruel?”
There was a knock on the door, and then Barbara stuck her head inside. “It’s time for us to leave, dear.”
Tyrese glanced at Zaire, who said, “I have an appointment with my dentist. He’s going to repair my tooth.”
He hid his disappointment. Tyrese had hoped to spend some time with her that afternoon, but he also understood the reason for the rush to get her tooth repaired. He would respond in the same manner had he been in her shoes.
“Do you want to go with us?” she asked him.
“No, I’ll give you a call later. Maybe I can come back to visit you tomorrow, if you’re up for it.”
“I’d like that, Tyrese.”
He escorted her down the stairs, where her parents were waiting for them.
Malcolm opened the front door.
Zaire took a tentative step toward it and then stopped. She clutched her chest. “I can’t breathe,” she said between rapid panting.
“She’s hyperventilating,” Tyrese stated. “Zaire needs to sit down.”
Her mother reached out to rub her back.
“No, don’t touch me,” she snapped. “Please...I can’t breathe.”
“She’s having a panic attack,” Tyrese said.
Barbara looked almost as stricken as Zaire.
“I can’t do it,” Zaire said, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I can’t go.”
Tyrese glimpsed the fear in her eyes. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Right now, I just want you to close your eyes and visualize your favorite place in the world. Close your eyes.”
She did as she was told.
“Slow down your breathing,” he said softly. “That’s it. You’re doing well.”
Zaire appeared much calmer a few minutes later.
“Honey, do you want me to cancel the appointment?” Barbara asked.
“No,” she responded. “I need to get my tooth fixed. Can’t he come here to the house?”
Tyrese reached over and took her hand. “Zaire, you can do this.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Just the thought of leaving this house... I can’t breathe. I feel like I’m dying.” Zaire wiped away a tear.
“I won’t leave your side,” he assured her. “You trust me, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“Just hold on to me,” he whispered. “I want you to close your eyes. Keep them closed until I tell you to open them.”
* * *
Zaire gasped when Tyrese picked her up. She held on to him for dear life when she felt the cool air against her skin.
Her chest began to tighten, and it was increasingly hard for Zaire to breathe.
Tyrese must have sensed her distress because he whispered, “Inhale slowly...good. Now exhale...”
Zaire had no idea whose car she was in, but it did not feel familiar. She considered that it was Tyrese’s until she heard her father talking. She kept her eyes closed and she concentrated on breathing.
“You’re doing so well, dear.”
“Mama...”
“I’m here with you, sweetie. Your daddy and I are right here with you.”
Zaire leaned against Tyrese for strength. She inhaled the light, woodsy scent of his cologne. Her head fitted perfectly in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. She relaxed, sinking into his cushioning embrace.
Tyrese must have sensed her need for silence because he did not attempt to draw her into conversation. He gently massaged her arm as she clung to him.
Zaire had calmed down when they arrived at the medical building where the dental office was housed. She was able to get out of the car and walk without assistance into the waiting room.
Tyrese sat down beside her. “You’re doing great,” he told her in a low voice.
When her name was called, Zaire insisted on going back on her own. However, she felt the onset of panic once again when the dentist came into the room they had placed her in.
“Miss Alexander, how are you?”
Zaire’s body trembled, affecting her words. “F-fine. J-just want to get this over w-with.”
“Your mother explained what happened. We can sedate you if that will make you feel more comfortable.”
Zaire nodded. “That’s what I want,” she replied. “It’s the only way I’ll be able to get through the procedure.”
An hour and a half later, they were heading back to Pacific Palisades. She was still groggy from the sedation, which made the trip back to the house easier for her to bear.
* * *
T
yrese was grateful when Barbara invited him to stay for lunch. Zaire had gone back to her room. He had stayed with her until she’d fallen asleep.
“I really appreciate your help with Zaire,” Barbara told him. “It’s hard for me because she’s never been afraid of anything. I guess we sheltered her too much.”
“She believes there’s good in everybody,” Tyrese said. “It’s not a bad thing, but it may take her some time to get past the reality that there are some horrible people in the world and they don’t care who they hurt.”
“You sound as if you speak from experience,” Malcolm commented.
Tyrese leaned back in his chair. “I do.”
Barbara wiped her mouth with the corner of her napkin. “I just hope she will find the strength to get past this. She has the rest of her life to live, and I don’t want her to do it in fear.”
Malcolm nodded in agreement.
“I believe that Zaire should consider therapy at some point,” Tyrese said. “If she doesn’t, she may not ever leave this house again. The way she responded today seems similar to agoraphobia.”
Barbara looked stricken. “Oh, I hope that it doesn’t come to that.”
“I hope you don’t mind my asking,” Malcolm began. “How do you know so much about this condition?”
“A friend of mine developed it after 9/11,” Tyrese explained. “He’s still unable to work and is on full disability.”
“Is he able to leave his home?”
“No.”
Barbara’s eyes teared up. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” She glanced over at her husband. “I suppose we need to keep a watch on Zaire.”
Malcolm agreed.
Shortly after four o’clock, Tyrese left the Alexander estate despite his deepest desire to stay with Zaire. He would have preferred to be there when she woke up, but he did not want to wear out his welcome.
All Tyrese wanted to do was protect Zaire from further harm.
Chapter 11
“Thanks so much for your help yesterday,” Zaire told Tyrese when she called him the next day. “I really don’t think I could have made it to the dentist’s office without you. I don’t know what happened, but just the thought of leaving home... I had a panic attack.”
“How are you feeling today?”
“Better than yesterday,” Zaire responded truthfully. She paused a moment before continuing. “Tyrese, the reason I called is to let you know that I won’t be returning to the office. I just can’t do it.”
She placed a hand on her chest and continued, “Leaving the house... Just the thought makes me extremely anxious.”
“You’ve been through a very traumatic experience,” Tyrese responded. “I understand that you may need some time to work through it. Zaire, take as much time as you need. Working from home may be just what you need right now. Eventually, you’ll be able to come back to the office.”
“I didn’t feel safe when we left the house yesterday even though you and my parents were with me. Tyrese, I’m not sure I will ever feel safe again.”
“Zaire, you will get through this, and you don’t have to do it alone. You have your family...and you have me.”
“I appreciate you saying that, Tyrese.”
“I mean it. I am going to be by your side every step of the way.”
“I hope that you won’t come to regret that.”
“I won’t,” he said. “I have a meeting later this evening, but I’d like to spend some time with you tomorrow, if it’s okay with you.”
“I’d really like that. I look forward to your visits.”
“Same here,” he murmured.
After they hung up, Tyrese typed the word agoraphobia into Google. He wanted to learn everything about the condition, but he especially wanted to research treatment options.
It saddened him to see Zaire a reflection of her former self. She lived in constant fear. Her mother had shared with him that since the attack a few days ago, Zaire kept her bedroom windows locked; she was not capable of even sitting on the patio. She did not like being left home alone. If Barbara and Malcolm were out, Franklin would stay in the house with her.
Her car had been repaired, but Zaire wanted to sell it. She said it reminded her of what had happened when she wanted nothing more than to forget.
* * *
“Is there something going on between you and Tyrese?” Barbara asked when Zaire put her cell phone down on the breakfast counter.
Zaire glanced over at her mother. “Why would you ask me that?”
“He seems to care a great deal about you.”
“He is a really nice guy, Mama,” she said. “When his assistant’s babysitter did not show up, he told her to bring the baby to work. He set up an empty office as a temporary nursery. Tyrese is always doing things like that. Max told me that when one of his staff couldn’t get to work because his car kept breaking down, he advanced the guy enough money for a down payment on a better one.”
“That was a wonderful gesture,” Barbara said as she handed Zaire a cup of hot tea. “But I’m not convinced he doesn’t have stronger feelings where you are concerned.”
Zaire took a sip of her tea. “How do you feel about it?”
Barbara shrugged. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, Zaire. Office romances are not a good idea, but they do happen. The only thing I would say is that you have to be able to separate your business relationship from a personal one.”
“He’s my partner, Mama. We have to get to know each other.”
Barbara let the subject drop. Instead, she questioned, “Honey, how are you really feeling?”
“There are times when I relive what happened and then I feel like I can’t breathe. I’ve been having panic attacks. The mere thought of leaving home brings them on, as well. Mama, there’s something really wrong with me.”
“Would you be willing to see a therapist?” Barbara asked.
“I don’t know.”
“There’s nothing wrong with seeing help. You don’t want to become a prisoner in this house, dear.”
“I can’t talk about this right now, Mama,” she said.
“Okay, we can change the subject.”
Zaire stepped out of her chair and walked over to the French doors. She stared outside, past the patio toward the ocean. She missed the way the water felt on her bare feet when she strolled along the beach.
She craved the feel of the ocean air on her skin. Zaire’s eyes traveled the length of the pool.
Zaire could still remember the day she’d entered this house for the very first time. What excited her most about the home were the pool and the view. She loved the outdoors, which was why this felt like a death sentence to her. Zaire wanted to try to work through her fears on her own, but she did not seem to be getting any better. She still had nightmares. Zaire knew that her fear was irrational, but she could not get it under control. She was fine as long as she was home.
* * *
“Tyrese, why don’t you ever talk about yourself?” Zaire inquired as they settled in the family room to watch television. They had just finished eating dinner ordered from a nearby restaurant. Her parents had previously committed to attending an event. Tyrese had volunteered to stay with Zaire until they returned.
He met her gaze. “There is nothing interesting about me to talk about.”
“I don’t believe that. Everybody has a story. Why don’t we start with where you are from?” Zaire asked. “I know it’s not Los Angeles.”
Tyrese eyed her with amusement. “I’m from Chicago.”
“What brought you out here?”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Grinning, she shook her head. “I want to know more about my partner.”
“I would rather hear about you,”
Tyrese said. He picked up a photo album. “What were you like as a child?”
“You’d better not open that book unless you are prepared to show me photographs from your childhood.”
“I don’t have any,” he said quietly. “When I was ten, we had a house fire and we lost everything.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You had no way of knowing.”
“How did it happen?”
“I didn’t know a whole lot about it at the time, but I later learned that some people wanted my dad to sell and he refused. Then the fire happened and they said it was arson, but they accused him of setting the fire. I don’t think the insurance paid because of that. We ended up moving in with my grandparents. That’s when I met Pilar.”
“So they never found the person responsible?”
Tyrese shook his head. “The person my parents believed had the house burned down was a very wealthy man who owned lots of real estate—he made millions selling it off to developers. He died the year I graduated from high school. Someone shot him in the head and stuffed him in the trunk of his Mercedes.”
“I guess somebody got tired of his antics and decided to make him pay.”
“I guess so,” Tyrese responded. “There are some men who wield their millions like power, and they don’t care who they hurt. They develop a god complex over others.”
Zaire agreed, “Eventually, they will find themselves on the receiving end of all they’ve done to hurt others. I believe that what goes around will come around.”
Tyrese gave a short chuckle. “I used to believe that.”
“Pilar is a beautiful and intelligent woman,” Zaire said. “Did you two ever...?”
He shook his head. “She’s like a sister to me.”
“Are your parents still in Chicago?”
“My dad died when I was thirteen, and my mother died a year after I graduated high school. My grandparents died within months of each other after I graduated college.”
“You’ve had a time of it, haven’t you?”
“Actually, I had a good life for the most part,” Tyrese explained. “I had parents and grandparents who loved me unconditionally. We didn’t have much, but we had love.”
Zaire smiled. “That’s what is most important.”
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