"In your fucking imagination, Tyler. I don't miss you and I don't want to have lunch with you. I want you to leave me the hell alone and stay out of my life." Nicole's eyes opened and settled on him with a glint of determination and clarity that he found unnerving. "Far out of my life, which includes talking to my damn parents. What right did you have to tell them that I was dating Danny?" She climbed to her feet as though she was a giant.
"I was just looking out for you." His voice bordering on outrage and fearful because of the way that she stalked over to him. He thought she might devour him whole. Her presence right now seemed to fill the whole room and felt crushing to him.
"You don't have any right to look out for me. I don't know if it's your damn ego or the fact that you really think that Danny is dangerous, but you don't have any right to stick your big nose in my business. This is my life to live and if being with Danny was a mistake, it was mine to make. You don't have any fucking business crying to my parents about anything," Nicole said in a calm, tense tone.
A lone bead of sweat traversed the length of Tyler's face. He gulped, "But, Dane would've done horrible things to you. She already managed to seduce you…"
"She didn't seduce me. I am madly, head over heels in love with Danny and that happened through her actions, the way that she treated me, and how she respected me. We had a marvelous, fulfilling relationship before we became a couple and after. Now, you've freaked my parents out. They think that Danny's some kind of sex maniac and criminal."
"She is. You don't know Dane the way I do."
Nicole folded her arms across her chest. "Then enlighten me, Tyler. Name instances with examples that you know of from personal experience that makes Danny a bad person." She leveled a glare at him.
"If I knew we were going to be having a trial, I would have prepared, counselor," Tyler snapped.
"If I knew you would fuck up my life more so than you already have, I would've told my parents not to believe any of the bullshit coming from your mouth. Are you the reason Danny's parents showed up, too?"
Tyler frowned. "What do you care? You should be happy I got that plight out of your life before she hurt you like she's done other girls. You think that 'Danny' is so great and precious? Well, let me tell you something about Dane. Dane's a hardheaded punk who likes to be seen with her arm around a different woman every time you see her. She gets drunk before noon. She shows up to places high as a fucking kite. She's a nasty viper, who has been known to abuse her girlfriends…"
"You damn liar," Nicole hissed. Outrage poured off of her like a thick, choking gas.
"You think so? 'Danny' never told you about the lawsuit her daddy had to make disappear? She beat the living shit out one of her girlfriends. And that was just one that was willing to come forward. I can only imagine the ones that were too scared." He had the nerve to appear smug, as if he cornered her with logic by producing her revered examples.
"You're lying." Nicole turned her chin up in defiance. Tyler had no conscience when it came to lying to her.
"You think so? Why don't you ask your precious 'Danny'? I'm sure she'll tell you the truth." Tyler rolled his eyes. "You don't know what kind of fucking bastard she is."
"She's been more truthful and upfront with me for the half-year that I've known her than you have in the time I've known you."
"Fine, take Dane's side. See what it gets you. Just know, Nicole, if you mess around too long, I'll be gone," Tyler stated as if that were a threat.
"Good. That's what I've wanted since I threw you out of my house months ago."
"I'm serious." Despite all of his posturing, he didn't make any moves toward the door to walk out of her life or at least out of her office.
"Bye, Tyler."
He growled loudly and threw his hands out, making tight fists. "How the hell can you pick her over me. Dane doesn't have a steady job and she's homeless. She takes fucking advantage of everyone that she comes across. She's a beast, a dog."
"You might think of her that way, but I don't. Danny is just better than you, Tyler, simple as that. Before I was even dating her, she was better than you to me. She's just better," Nicole's voice was calm and her demeanor was commanding. It was only now he seemed to notice and it infuriated him.
Tension wrenched at his face and his eyes appeared ready to tear apart the office. "You think she's better because she turned you into a faggot?" His tone was hateful and that last word twisted out of his mouth without shame or decency.
Nicole's entire body tightened, as if he bludgeoned her with that word. Her hand went to a thick metal penholder on her desk without her realizing it. "I think she's better because she wouldn't ask me something like that. I think she's better because she knows the world doesn't revolve around her. Now, step out of my office and never come back in," she ordered, her hand tightening on the penholder. A vein on her temple poked out as tension and fury ripped through her system.
"Oh, did I say something touchy?" He dared to taunt her by giving her a haughty look.
"No, just something hateful, something I could expect from a small-minded asshole like you. So, once again, get the hell out of my office and never come back. Don't call my parents for anything that isn't work related, either," she instructed him in a hard tone. "Now, get the fuck out before I throw this fucking thing at you." She shifted the penholder before picking it up and flipping it in her palm.
Tyler didn't falter and continued looking as arrogant as always. "Your father didn't mind the tip. I'm sure if I have any other news, he'd be happy to hear it."
"I'm sure he'd be happy to know that you called his daughter a faggot, too. I'll remember to tell him that at dinner one day. Maybe if you ever come up for partner, I'll mention it." She smiled at him like some unholy, avenging demon. "Now, unless you want to have surgery on that big fucking head of yours, I would suggest you leave." She tossed the penholder up a couple of inches.
Tyler stammered over his own words, which prevented him from uttering another comeback. She managed to back him out of the office thanks to his shock. He took a step back whenever she stepped to him. The moment he was across the threshold, she slammed the door in his face.
***
Fucking jackass. He thinks that I'm going to get back together with him? If anybody in his family is on controlled substances, it's him. She slid her penholder across the desk, not caring where it landed.
She tried not to let Tyler's words trouble her as she settled in to finish some of her work, but she couldn't help it. The few things that he said made her recall how Danny said that she was misrepresenting herself. Are the things Tyler brought up part of that?
Before she could dwell on those things, Mina and Clara entered the office to drag her off to lunch. She didn't put up any struggle on what was quickly becoming their routine now that she didn't bring her own lunch. The first couple of times she didn't want to go, but Mina laid a good guilt trip on her, and surprisingly enough used Danny to do it. Sometimes, Mina is just too damn persuasive.
"So, I saw Tyler coming out of your office looking like you had killed, skinned, fried, and eaten his puppy right in front of his face. What the hell was he bugging you about?" Mina asked as the trio sat down inside their regular café. The weather outside was too chilly now for them to eat comfortably outside.
"The good for nothing bastard was actually asking me to lunch. Can you believe he thought that I would go out with him?" Nicole said, insulted by the very idea. She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes.
"He's been pining for you since you left him." Clara sighed and shook her head.
"The fucker's been giving you all the attention in the world after you left him. I wonder what made him think that you'd go out with him now, though," Mina commented, mouth turned upward in thought.
"I think he knows that Danny left me. Somehow, he knows. I think he's the one that sent her parents, too. I mean, how else would they know that she was at my house? They don't know me, and Danny never spoke to them."
"He was probably trying to get them to take Danny home or something, so he could try to court you again," Mina suggested.
"Whatever his plan was, if the outcome was to make me single again, it worked. I don't know what Danny's parents said to her, but it was enough to scare the shit out of her and have her leave me the same day they showed up."
"Well, I think we all know that parents know the best buttons to push…next to younger brothers, anyway," Mina said, which earned her a couple of amused smiles.
"Your brother's a sweetheart, Mina. Danny's father was very rough with her. It wasn't so much pushing her buttons. He yanked her off the stairs and threw her to the ground. He made her hurt her already injured wrist and she cut herself up, too," Nicole reported, tone haunted with the memories of that day. Danny had been so embarrassed and infuriated by the incident that she hadn't even allowed Nicole see to her wounds.
"Sounds like a piece of work, like his nephew," Clara commented. She shook her head and frowned in disapproval.
"Yeah, I can definitely see why Tyler's his favorite nephew. I wish everyone would just butt out of my life…" Nicole sniffled, but she forced herself not to cry. She wanted to believe that she was out of tears, but the hurt refused to go away. Going home to an empty house stung as much now as it did the first day she walked into the house without Danny there, and that was three weeks ago. It was like being hit by a truck every time she went home and every time she awoke.
"Don't cry, sweetie. We know how much Danny meant to you. If she loves you half as much as you love her, she'll come back after she realizes that she made a mistake," Mina tried to assure the tearful lawyer, rubbing Nicole's shoulder.
"And if she never comes back? I don't know how I would get along like this for the rest of my life," Nicole said.
"You shouldn't think so negative," Clara chimed in sagely. "If Danny doesn't come back, she's not the caring individual that you thought she was and you don't need another asshole Wolfe in your life."
Nicole wanted to laugh; the comment was made so that she'd laugh. She couldn't muster the energy to do so. She didn't want to hear how Danny wasn't what she thought she was or some other cliché. She just wanted her roommate, girlfriend, lover, and soul mate back. She felt incomplete without Danny and she couldn't imagine living with the feeling for the rest of her life.
Mina and Clara had mercy on Nicole and dragged the subject away from her lost love and her idiotic ex-boyfriend. They had a pleasant lunch and returned to work in good spirits. Nicole stayed at work long after everyone else, hoping that the demand of her cases and files would keep her from thinking about Danny. She dreaded the thought of returning home to that empty house, but she had to go home eventually.
The night was cold, nipping at Nicole's exposed face as she walked to her car. The wind howled outside as she drove home in the chilly night. Winter was on its way, frosting over the outside like Nicole's soul and darkening her resolve with the shortening of the days.
She pulled onto her street and her headlights shined onto her front yard before she parked the car in the driveway. There was a shadowed lump on her dying grass. Nicole exited her car and kept a watchful eye on the lump, carefully approaching the mystery item.
A shiver that had nothing to do with the weather raced through Nicole as she got close enough to make out that the shadow was in the form of a body—and wheels. She gulped and wasn't sure what to think since she never had to deal with a body on her lawn. Upon closer inspection, it was a body and bicycle. A body that looked mighty familiar.
"Oh, my god, Danny," Nicole gasped as she fell to the tall woman's side.
Dane was lying prone, spread out like she had fallen from the sky. The right side of her face was planted in the dirt. Her eyes were at half-mast and nonsense gargling was coming from her dry throat.
"Danny, what happened?" Nicole cried. She put her hands out, but didn't touch Danny. She feared that she'd do something that hurt the musician more so than she already was.
"Huh?" Dane turned in the direction of the voice coming from above her. Her unfocused eyes were glazed over. "Oh, an angel. I guess I finally died. Great." She had the nerve to smile and sound so jovial.
"That is not great. Don't you ever say anything like that. Now, what the hell is wrong with you?" Nicole demanded, taking hold of Danny to help her up. Fury kept the lawyer's tears at bay, but her sorrow and relief wanted to escape her body. She ignored those emotions for the moment.
"I dunno. I'm drunk…or high…or both, but definitely one of the two. Probably both, though," Dane answered with tired honesty and with her face still planted in the dirt.
Nicole bit back the pure rage that she felt race through her like white, hot lightning in hearing that Danny had been drinking and possibly getting high. She'd address those issues later, after she got Danny off the lawn and out of the cold.
"Danny, I need your help if I'm going to pick you up." Nicole groaned as she strained to lift the larger woman.
"Don't waste time helping me, angel. Bury me where I lay…" Dane announced dramatically.
"Shut up and get up," Nicole commanded in a hard tone that she had only used a few times on Danny. It worked.
Dane groaned and coughed as she climbed to her feet. Nicole assisted her in standing, and as she stood they could hear her joints popping even over the howl of the wind. Nicole dragged Dane's freezing, heavy body into the dark house, bewildered about what was happening. The blackness of the house swallowed them as the door shut.
CHAPTER 17
Nicole didn't bother to turn on the lights in the house. She just wanted to put Danny some place the younger woman could rest. Nicole felt the weight on her— cold and wet—and she knew Danny was close to passing out from the way she was dragging herself. There was no chance that they'd make it upstairs, especially since Dane was barely lifting her feet as they walked. Nicole managed to get the woman to the living room sofa.
"Come on, Danny, get some rest," Nicole said gently and eased the rundown woman onto the couch. Danny leaned over when her back hit the cushions.
"Nick…" Dane moaned, sounding like a drowning woman. She lurched forward like she was trying to rise.
"Just rest now, Danny. We'll talk later, once you've rested." Nicole softly shoved against Dane's chest to discover the area was damp and chilled. Part of it, Nicole was sure was due to the rain on the lawn and the frosty air, but another part of it was from the alcohol in Danny's system.
Dane took the prompt and fell back, lying down on the couch. Nicole lifted Danny's legs up so that she was completely supine and helped Dane turn onto her side. Dane didn't make a sound. Nicole stood there briefly hoping to hear Danny breathe. Panic rose in her chest, but soon wheezing, shallow breaths came from the reclined body. Nicole made sure Danny was secure and went to turn on the light to get a better idea of the situation.
Nicole bit her lip when her eyes settled on Danny. She was dressed in shorts despite the cold weather, and the shorts had seen much better days. The garments were torn, tattered, and caked with dust and grime. They showed off grubby, dirty, and marked up legs. Some of the wounds looked fresh and they were bright red from irritation. Her socks appeared to be wet, so her feet were probably frozen. Her injured knee looked like it might never see a good day again.
The knee was swollen making it easy for Nicole to tell she was in pain. The entire limb was swollen, discolored, and darkened to the point of looking black. The redhead wasn't sure if that was from the cold, dirt, or abuse. Nicole winced, imagining the agony coursing through Danny.
Dane's chest was slightly better because she had a long sleeve shirt underneath her short sleeve shirt, but both shirts were torn, holey, filthy, and drenched. There appeared to be some dried blood on them, too, which made Nicole swallow hard. She hoped those stains didn't mean anything too deep. She especially hoped the blood didn't belong to Dane.
"Oh, Danny, what happened?" Nicole wondered aloud with concerned eyes. She wanted to burst into tears, bu
t that wouldn't do any good right now.
Dane started quivering and her teeth began chattering. "Cold…"
Nicole rushed into action, stripping off Danny's soiled and saturated clothing. Dane was in no shape to put up a fight or to help in any way. She was hastily and easily undressed and she didn't even seem to notice. Nicole dumped the dirty clothes on the floor and gave Dane the once-over as a quick checkup. Danny was much thinner than she had been weeks earlier and her body was checkered with bumps, scratches, and bruises. One thing that was noticeably absent were any track marks, so whatever Dane might possibly be high off of didn't involve using a needle. She took Danny's temperature by feeling her forehead and her neck. She found that Danny was colder than she first assumed.
"Shit," Nicole hissed in distress.
She hurried to the linen closet and grabbed a thick blanket. She returned to Danny and covered the entire length of the taller woman. Her heart rate sped up as Dane started coughing. She prepared tea wishing had cough syrup in the house. She hoped the tea would do the trick.
"Danny, honey, I've got peppermint tea for you," Nicole said tenderly. She placed the beverage on the coffee table. She gently shook Dane in case she was sleeping.
"Huh?" Dane groaned, attempting to open her eyes, but failing miserably. Nicole smiled from the sound; it showed that Danny hadn't died on the couch.
"I have tea for you. I want you to drink it to help warm you up."
"Nick?" The name came out as a bewildered grumbled mixed with a cry from a person that clearly had no clue what was happening.
Nicole fought back the urge to weep again. She sensed Danny's confusion and she could almost picture the damage Danny had done to herself over the past few weeks. She took a deep breath to make sure she sounded composed.
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