Single Mom's Protector - Complete Series

by Nella Tyler

  From there, things only got worse. For the entire week, I had been in a constant battle with my editor in regards to Bennett. She seemed to have suddenly developed blood lust for him. One minute she had been hoping we would work out our relationship and then the next she wanted all the blood and gore. She literally wanted me to rip out his guts with prose – I just couldn't do it.

  All the while, Bennett was claiming his innocence for good reason. My heart bled for him and all that he was going through. Even though he claimed his innocence throughout, no one seemed to care about it. Just like my editor, they assumed the worst about him and already figured he was guilty of the allegations. It was heartbreaking to watch, especially as someone who was trying to defend him. They had watched Bennett rise up in his career in awe, trying to figure out how someone was so talented. Now they figured they had their answer for it and the city was furious.

  I believed Bennett wholeheartedly, but he was right when he said no one cared about his innocence. They already had their minds made up about Bennett and it didn't matter what he said to defend himself, they weren't going to believe him. He was already guilty of the crime in their eyes and he would have to prove his innocence if he expected anyone to believe a word he said. I felt helpless in the situation, especially since I was trying to write about his side of things, as well, and all my editor wanted to focus on was the allegations alone. I couldn't have been more frustrated with everything that was going on.

  Every time a new article was assigned to me, it was about Bennett and his allegations. I continued to quote him as I felt that was only fair journalism. I didn't want to just tell one side of the story, but still it didn't matter. The next story would be about the same thing, and I could only do so much for Bennett until he was able to prove himself right.

  The problem was, the story and the allegations were tearing us apart. Even though we tried to remain normal throughout everything, it was next to impossible. After our last call, he had shown up at my apartment with flowers again and apologized. He stated that he shouldn't have treated me poorly even if he was under stress. I had obviously forgiven him and we went forward with our relationship. Unfortunately, it just wasn't that easy for us.

  We had agreed to not discuss the case at all, that we would just enjoy each other’s company and not worry about it. Our time together was limited and we just wanted to focus on one another. It was impossible to do so, however, as the case was so prevalent in both of our minds that we ended up discussing it even when we didn't want to. It just kept coming up. It was impossible for Bennett to forget, to just let it go for one night, and I was right in the middle of it because I was writing about it,

  It was a tragic mess, and I wasn't sure how to fix it. What was worse was that I was starting to worry that we weren't going to survive the scandal. Things were just so heated all the time and neither of us was handling it very well. I was helpless to fix things and the fact that I was writing about his scandal was not helping our relationship at all. It was becoming a wedge between us and I didn't know how to stop us from pushing each other away.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Please tell me you have some words of wisdom because I feel like I'm going slowly insane.”

  Connie smiled sadly. We were sitting across from each other at the burger joint, sharing some French fries. I felt incredibly saddened and a little depressed as I felt I was powerless to the fact that I was slowly losing Bennett. I had called Connie for some girl talk and moral support, but things were looking grim. In fact, I had not ordered a beer; instead I was drinking whiskey with a dash of coke.

  “I don't know what else I can say here, Emmi. You are definitely in a very tough situation and your editor is kind of a huge bitch.”

  I laughed. I didn't even want to get on the topic of how unimpressed I was with my editor. Sometimes I felt like she had gone off the rails with the story. She was so determined to get the inside scoop on the scandal first that she was forgetting the fact that a relationship was being ruined in the meantime.

  “Yeah, I can agree on that one.”

  “It sucks, Emmi. I understand. It really sucks. You are being forced to choose between your boyfriend and the career path you want. It's a shitty deal. Now because of that, Bennett is pulling away and I can also understand that, as well.”

  I sighed. “How can you understand that, Connie? I'm doing the best that I can, and I care about him a great deal. I don't want him to pull away from me. I want us to survive this and stay together...possibly forever.”

  “Well, unfortunately, this is a good indication that maybe he isn't the one. The guy you share your life with should be someone that you can brave any storm with and still survive in the end. Now I get that this is a different storm, one that puts you both in unusual circumstances, but I think the theory still holds true. You guys should be able to band together and get through this and you just aren't doing a very good job.”

  I frowned. “I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better here, not worse.”

  Connie chuckled. “I'm sorry, Emmi. I'm definitely not trying to make you feel worse. Like I said, this is a shitty deal and neither of you deserve to be in it.”

  “What do I do? How can I save this?” I took a large gulp of my drink and waited.

  “Go easy on the liquor, okay, girl? I don't want to have to hold your hair back tonight.”

  I laughed.

  “Look, Emmi, I know you care a lot about the guy and you really do seem good for each other, but you have to understand that Bennett is under a great deal of stress right now. His career and future is on the line.”

  “I know.”

  “That's great that you know he has a lot going on because you'll have to keep reminding yourself of that. The best thing that you can do at this point is to just continue to write your articles. That's your career path and that at least isn't going to change, so that's something you need to focus on. In the meantime, continue to be there for Bennett as best as you can. The guy is going to need you if he is willing to lean on you for support.”

  “I hope he can, but he doesn't always do that.”

  “Just be there for him when he needs you and step back, Emmi, when he doesn't. You're not going to be able to fix everything, and this is something he has to deal with. It may not end well for him and you need to prepare yourself for that possibility.

  It was all very good advice, but I just wasn't sure if I could follow it. It was easier said than done, I guess. I just wasn't sure that I could put her advice into practice. I knew logically that I needed to step back and let Bennett handle his own problems, but it wasn't an easy thing for me. I wanted to take care of Bennett and be there for him every step of the way, but I also knew that he didn't want that, either.

  I was really starting to fear for the future of my relationship with Bennett. I had grown to care for him a great deal and there was a chance we weren't going to survive.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next night, Connie was over and we were drinking wine together and watching sappy romantic comedies. We were laughing and it was a good opportunity for me to forget about the heartache I was experiencing in my relationship with Bennett. I hadn't heard from him all day and the thought just about broke my heart. I needed to hear from him, but I knew if he needed me he would call and clearly he didn't. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but that night I was determined to have fun with my friend and not worry about it.

  We had rented The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and we could not stop laughing. It was one of the best movies I had seen in awhile and we loved every moment of it. I swear it was a great movie – it wasn't just the wine talking.

  We were on our second bottle of wine when I asked Connie to pause the movie. I got up and headed to the kitchen to make some dip. We had got chips and I wanted to make some french onion dip to go with them. Connie was lying on my couch with her legs spread out; she couldn't have looked more comfortable. We were both in pjs and had not a care in t
he world.

  I was finishing up with the dip when there was a knock on the door. I looked at the time and it was awfully late. Connie sat up on the couch and I asked, “You didn't order pizza, did you?”

  She laughed. “No! Who could it be?”

  I shrugged as I made my way to the door. I never got late night visitors, so it was just as much a mystery to me as it was to her. I peeked through the peephole to see who was out there. I was shocked to see Bennett standing out there.

  “Holy shit, it's Bennett!”

  “What?!” Connie hissed.

  I unlocked the door quickly and pulled it open.

  “Oh my God, Bennett, what are you doing here?”

  He immediately enveloped me into his arms, and I gasped in surprise. I hugged him even tighter as tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't believe he was there and I didn't know what made him come, but it was exactly what I needed. He was what I needed, right then and there.

  He pulled away slightly and his lips met mine. Electricity filled the air just like it always did when we kissed. We hadn't kissed that passionately in a very long time and it was nice to feel that passion from him again. Our tongues met and we literally made out right there at the open door, not caring that Connie was probably watching us.

  We finally pulled away and I laughed excitedly, so happy to see him. The darkness seemed to have lifted from him – he had a smile on his face and I had never seen anything more amazing.

  Connie began clapping and we turned to her, laughing. “Good show, guys, well done. That was much better than the kissing in the movies.”

  Bennett winked at her.

  “What's up, Bennett? To what do we owe the pleasure of such a late house call?”

  I turned back to him and smiled. I was just so happy to see him.

  “What happened, Bennett? You look so happy. What's going on?”

  There was excitement oozing off of every word when he said he had a story for me to write.

  “What? What do you mean?” I couldn't have been more confused. It was my stories that seemed to be tearing us apart, so why would he want me to write another? If anything, I didn't want to write any more articles about him ever again. I hated the fact that I had to write them, so why on earth would he want me to write more?

  “Baby, I have been exonerated.”

  “What!”

  Connie was getting up off the couch and had a smile on her face.

  “It's true, you beautiful angel you. I just got the call, they found out what happened. They proved my innocence. The league found out that it was actually the other team's ball, so I'm off the hook. I'm not to blame anymore. My suspension has been lifted – I can go back to playing on the team. Isn't that great?”

  I squealed with excitement. “Oh my God, Bennett, that is so amazing. Oh I'm so excited for you, that's great news.”

  Connie came up to Bennett and hugged him, “That's really great news, Bennett. Congratulations, you deserve this. It was a shitty thing that happened to you and this is just great news.”

  He smiled at her, “Thanks, Connie, I really appreciate that.”

  He turned to me once again and hugged me tight. It was the best feeling in the world – it didn't get much better than that. The news was incredible, amazing even, and I couldn't believe the great news I was hearing. I was so happy for Bennett and Connie was right, he deserved this. Everything was going to be all right, I just knew it. I would write the best story ever to tell about his exoneration.

  Throwing Love #3

  Chapter One

  “God, I still can't believe it's over, that you are finally free of that mess,” I said.

  Bennett put his arm around me and kissed me softly on the lips. “I know. I find it hard to believe myself. There was a period there where I really believed that I would never get to play baseball professionally – it turns my stomach just thinking about it.” It totally turned my stomach, as well, but I kept that thought to myself.

  We were all sitting on the couch in the living room, the movie all but forgotten. It remained on pause while the three of us talked together. It had been amazing to see Bennett at my door, heart in hand. I had been beginning to think that our relationship was truly over. Who could blame me? How much more could we survive being in the spotlight over and over again? Considering my articles certainly hadn't helped the situation, it was a miracle he showed up at my house at all.

  “I know, Bennett. It was really hard for both of us. I felt so helpless through it all. I wish there was more I could have done.” I moved in closer to him. I needed to feel close to him, I had missed him so much and that connection between us had been missing.

  “I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I should have focused more on you instead of the stress. It would have been pretty stupid if I had lost baseball and you. It's just hard for me...it's my dream. I thought I was losing everything I had worked so hard for.”

  Connie smiled, nodding her head.

  I was glad to have her there, as well. It was good for her to see that side of Bennett because she had only seen the bad side – the side she felt wasn't good enough for me. She had been trying to get me to back off from him for so long, and I almost did at one point. It was good for her to see him feeling bad about how he acted.

  “Well, maybe now you guys can finally get things back on track,” she said with a smile.

  I smiled. “That is my thought exactly. I can't wait to do exactly that.”

  Bennett smiled back at me. “I just knew it wasn't my ball, ya know. But there it was and suddenly I'm being accused of something that I never did. It was all just so crazy.”

  I put my hand on his knee. “It's pretty messed up – something that no one should have to experience ever.”

  “I'm not completely clear on all that happened. My coach was pretty vague about the details. I'm just glad I was proven innocent and all the haters can leave me alone for awhile.”

  “There will always be haters, Bennett,” I said with a laugh. “You just need to forget they exist and focus on yourself. That's life in the limelight, so you might as well get used to it.”

  “Very true and I would like to focus on you, as well.” He leaned in and kissed me on the mouth. I lingered in that kiss before I slipped my tongue into his mouth to meet his.

  Connie cleared her throat. “I think that's my cue to get up and get some more drinks. Would you like anything Bennett?”

  “Sure, I will have whatever you guys are having.”

  “Wine it is, then.” She left us on the couch and went to get another bottle of wine. Bennett leaned in and kissed me softly on the mouth again. My body hummed every time our lips touched. I wanted to cry I was so happy to have him there, in a good mood, all his worries gone. He was very lucky. It could have easily gone the other way and then what would he do with his life? Dreams can be crushed so easily, and there had been a lot of people out there trying to crush his.

  Connie returned with the bottle and an extra glass and filled all our glasses. We all silently took a drink, taking everything in. It was just amazing how quickly your life could change, and in Bennett's case, he had nothing to do with it and there had been little he could do to change it.

  Bennett turned to Connie. “I wanted to apologize to you, too, Connie.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “What for? I barely know you, what have you done to me?”

  “That's the whole point. I've been acting like an idiot lately, focusing on myself and pushing Emmi away in the meantime. You must have thought I was a real jerk. It's not who I am at all. I just have a hard time dealing with situations like that. I would never hurt Emmi, and I just want you to know that. You are a good friend to her, and I'm glad she has you.”

  She smiled. “Well, I really appreciate that, Bennett. You're a stand up guy.”

  “She really means that, too,” I said with a laugh. “She would totally tell you if she hated your guts.”

  “Good to know,” he said, laughing.

&n
bsp; “I'm not going to lie. I have told Emmi a few times to run the other way in regards to you. Your lifestyle isn't the easiest thing for anyone to have to deal with, especially a girlfriend. I think she's pretty amazing despite her baseball obsession, and she deserves the best. If you think you can't do that for her, then you need to step the other way.”

  “I agree and like I said, I'm sorry. I want to take very good care of her, and I'm hoping that it's smooth sailing from here on out.”

  “Amen to that,” I agreed.

  He turned to me. “I'm sorry if I hurt you, Emmi. That was never my intention. I'm a mess sometimes. I'm glad you stood by me, even though I didn't deserve it. I couldn't ask for a better girl.”

  I smiled and leaned in for another kiss. “You're forgiven. I would have done anything to help if I could. I hated having to write about you the whole time when you were going through that. It definitely didn't help our relationship at all.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Connie spoke up, “I still can't believe the gall of your editor. She should have assigned that story to someone else. Rebecca was sure chomping on the bit for another chance. I wonder what she thinks of the announcement of your innocence. Having been wrong the whole time must be eating away at her.”

  I laughed, “Yeah, maybe. She's pretty ruthless, though. She's probably just on to the next thing.”

  “Yes, probably,” Connie said as she shook her head.

  “I'm glad you ladies are so understanding. There is no excuse for the way I acted, but I was just so frustrated, ya know? You have no idea what it's like to know you are innocent, but have people not believe in you.”

  “I always believed in you, Bennett.”