Our seven hour and forty-five-minute drive turns into an eight and a half hour drive. Marcel swears he’s okay, even when I offer to drive for him so he can rest, but men will be men.
When we’re about an hour away from Fredericksburg, I look over at him. “Can I use your phone really quick?”
I don’t know if it’s me, but I notice he hesitates before saying, “Yeah, go ahead.”
I shrug it off and grab his phone from the cupholder, and after he tells me his passcode, I plug Teagan’s number into the keypad.
She answers. “Hello?”
“Hey, T, it’s Gabby.”
“Hey, girl! Did you get a new number?”
“No—I uh…” I glance at Marcel, “I’m calling from Marcel’s phone.”
“Oh.” That’s all she says, and I’m sure that’s all she can really say to that. “What’s going on? You okay?”
“Not really. Marcel is driving me up to see my parents, but I was thinking we could come see you first since you’re along the way, before heading to see them?”
“You know you can! Where are you right now?”
“About thirty minutes out.”
“Well, I’m home and not working tonight. It’s perfect timing.”
“Okay, good.”
“Did something happen?” she asks in a lower voice. “With Kyle, I mean?”
I sigh, stroking Callie’s back. She’s resting on my lap, but her eyes are wide open. “Everything happened with Kyle. Tell you more when we get there.”
“Okay,” she says, more seriously. “See you soon.”
I end the call and then type in Teagan’s address in the GPS of Marcel’s phone. I have no idea how I remember her address, but considering how often I stayed at Teagan’s apartment during my college breaks, it’s not shocking that it never left my memory.
Teagan went to a college in Virginia and had her own apartment by the time she turned twenty. She lives about forty-five minutes away from my parents in Fredericksburg now. One thing I can say is I do remember my parents’ home address. I won’t ever forget that.
“You and Teagan are complete opposites,” Marcel says. “How’d you two meet?”
“Oh, I met her in middle school. We had science class together and partnered up for a project. We got in trouble because we couldn’t stop complimenting each other’s clothes and shoes.”
“Really?” he laughs.
“Yeah,” I laugh. “She used to live a neighborhood over from me, so we got closer that way. Had sleepovers all the time, rode the bus to school together every morning. She used to have a huge crush on Ricky.”
“Really? Well, I guess I could see that. That’s cool how you two met, though. Can’t say I had many friends back then. Due to my big teeth, I was a bit of a lone wolf. I did get good grades though.”
I giggle. “I would have been happy to be your friend back then.”
“Well, back when I was in middle school, you were most likely a toddler. Not sure that would’ve worked out.”
I bump his shoulder playfully. “You know what I mean.”
“So, we’re headed to Teagan’s?” he asks.
I nod, handing the phone back to him after plugging the address into the GPS. “I just want to see her really quick, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah. It’s fine. Don’t stress it.” He puts on a gentle smile for me, following the route.
Before I know it, we’ve made it to Teagan’s apartment complex. He parks in front of her building, letting out a loud sigh as he kills the engine.
“Gonna feel good to stretch these legs,” he groans, pushing the car door open. He steps out and stretches his arms above his head, then twists his torso to crack his back.
I hop out with Callie in my arms, but she insists on being put down. I grab her leash, clip it to her collar, and place her down.
“This way.”
I head for the stairs, going up to apartment 6A. After knocking twice, Teagan answers and at first, she smiles, but when she sees my face in full, she gasps.
“Oh my God, Gabby! What in the hell happened to you!” she screeches, grabbing my arm and hauling me inside. She turns toward Marcel with a vicious scowl. “Did you do this to her?” Her voice is full of rage as she shoves him backward with all her might. He hardly budges.
“Teagan! He didn’t do this! He’s helping me!” I yell before she can shove him again.
Marcel’s hands are in the air now, his eyes wide and confused.
Teagan settles down a bit, glaring over her shoulder at me. “He’s helping you do what?” she snaps.
“Get away from Kyle!”
When it registers to her, her mouth clamps shut, and her eyes get bigger. “Oh my God.” She rushes my way again, holding my upper arms. “Oh my God, Gabby!” She reels me in for a hug, and this hug is powerful, which threatens me with tears, but I refuse to let them fall. I’m tired of feeling weak about what Kyle did to me. I’m stronger than this and I know it, so I keep my tears at bay for now, focusing on my best friend’s face again as she looks me all over. “Kyle did this to you? Are you serious?”
I nod. “He found out about Marcel.”
The rims of her eyes thicken with tears. “Shit! I’m so sorry this happened, G! I can’t believe this!”
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “Don’t worry. I’m okay now.”
“I’m gonna take Callie for a walk, let you two talk,” Marcel mumbles behind Teagan.
Teagan turns, looking him over in his white T-shirt and dark jeans. “I’m so sorry for hitting you. It was just a reaction—I didn’t think it all the way through.”
Marcel gives her a swift nod. “You’re just lookin’ out for your friend. I get it.” He scoops Callie up. “But for the record, I would never hurt a woman, especially a woman like Gabby.”
Teagan nods and Marcel turns away, walking out the door. One of his cheeks tips up in a smile as he focuses on me, before shutting the door behind him.
“Fuck,” Teagan deadpans.
“What?”
“Why is he so damn hot? When my hands were on his chest, I almost forgot what I’d pushed him for!”
“Oh my God, Teagan!” I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me as I wipe the dampness from under my eyes.
This is why I needed to see her. She always lifts my spirit, even when she isn’t trying.
“What? It’s true!” She drags me to the sofa. “But enough about that! I’m glad he brought you all the way up here. Most guys wouldn’t even bother.”
“Yeah, he’s been a lifesaver.”
“Good. That’s exactly what you need right now.”
“I hope I didn’t interrupt your plans or anything.”
“Nah. I was going to go to the movies with Josh, but you called and that was much more important. I told him I needed a raincheck. I think he’s a little upset, considering we hardly ever get to go out as it is, and I canceled.”
“What? Well, don’t let me stop you! I can always come back!” I start to stand but she grabs my hand, forcing me back down.
“No—don’t even try it! Sit down.” She’s looking me deep in the eyes now. “How did this happen, G?”
I throw my hands in the air, at a loss for words. I know this won’t be my last time hearing this question, so I might as well get used to answering it. “Kyle found out about Marcel.”
“I figured as much, but how, G?”
“I don’t know, but from what he’s said to me, he’s had his suspicions about it for a while. He found Marcel’s business card on our kitchen floor, the day after the table broke.”
Teagan gasps.
“Then when I was on the way home after spending those three days with Marcel, Kyle was already there. It’s like he was waiting for me. He saw me when I got home and told me to get in the house, and as soon as we were inside, he, um…he grabbed me by the throat and pushed me against the wall.”
“Oh my God.” Teagan’s eyes close softly.
“He finally let me
go, told me I was pathetic, then he kicked me in the face.” I point at myself as nonchalantly as possible. “That’s how I got this lovely bruise.” I force a smile, but everything about it pains me.
“Fuck that! This isn’t a joke! Nothing about that bruise is lovely, Gabby!” She sits up higher, grabbing my hands and squeezing them. “I thought you said things had gotten better with him! Has he been hitting you all this time?”
I half-shrug. “It wasn’t constant. Just holding me too aggressively sometimes, which always left marks or small bruises. Little stuff that I shrugged off. He hasn’t exactly hit or choked me since the night I came running here the last time.”
Teagan releases an annoyed breath. “I hate that you waited until now to walk away.”
I drop my head. “I know. Me too. I wasn’t going to walk away at first, though.”
Teagan frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…the day after Kyle found out, Marcel stopped by to give me my wedding band. I’d forgotten it at the villa. Marcel saw my face, and he flipped out. He wanted to rip Kyle in half, but instead he told me to pack a bag and to come with him. I packed one, but Kyle showed up as soon as we were leaving and reminded me why I couldn’t.”
“What do you mean? Why the hell couldn’t you?”
“Because of my family, T. You know about the situation with my mom, and what Kyle did for Ricky. And to make matters worse, my dad sold his docking business to Kyle’s investment company. My dad will rely on whatever money he can get from that, but after walking away, Kyle will terminate that, I’m sure of it. He’ll do everything he can to get to me—he’s threatened to kill me before.”
“That’s so fucked up, Gabby! You have to stay the hell away from him! And he’s an idiot if he drags business into something personal.”
My throat feels raw and tight again. I’m on the verge of another breakdown, but I do my best to hold it together.
With a shaky voice, I say, “I haven’t told Marcel this but…Kyle raped me before I got the courage to walk out. It happened in the kitchen. It was worse than the first time he did it.”
Teagan sits forward. “What? Are you fucking serious?”
I nod. “He kept asking me how I had sex with Marcel—kept acting like he really wanted to know how we did things. He forced me on top of him and told me to—”
I can’t even finish. I hate thinking about it. Every single second of that day was misery.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Teagan wraps her arms around me, and it’s now I realize I’m doing exactly what I said I wouldn’t do. Crying. She holds me tight, and I rest my cheek on her chest. “You got away from that shithead. That’s all that matters. Fuck him. If things go a little off-course with the family, it will suck, yes, but there are always ways to build back up. They’ve survived for this long, I’m sure they’ll keep doing what they need to do to survive. But if something happens to you, they won’t survive, Gabby. It would kill them if they got to the bottom of why something happened. If they found out you were severely hurt or even killed because you didn’t want your family to suffer, that would make matters even worse for them. They’d blame themselves for the rest of their lives. You did the right thing by running away from Kyle, trust me.”
She’s so right, but it’s not so much that I’m worried about my parents. I know they’ll make a way—they’ve done it all their lives. It’s more so the fact that I know Kyle well enough to know that he will not let this go. He will hunt me down. He’ll make my life a living hell and possibly even hurt me or someone else that I care about. It’s a horrible thing, to live in fear.
“I’m just worried. What if I did the wrong thing by walking away? I know cheating was wrong—I understand that—but I can’t help thinking that maybe if I hadn’t hired Marcel in the first place, none of this would have happened. We would have tried to be happier and gotten Kyle some help.” I sniffle and swipe at my face. “Shit…I don’t know. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”
Teagan forces me to sit back up then wipes one of my stray tears away. “Listen to me, Gabby. You are the greatest woman I know, okay? You can’t let something like this tear you down or think this is all your fault. It’s not your fault Kyle is the way he is. When I first met you, I was so envious of you—I still am—but only because you are everything I aspire to be. You’re beautiful, funny, and maybe even slightly more sarcastic than I am.”
I bubble out a laugh.
“You are an amazing person who deserves so much more than the shit Kyle gave you. I can tell Marcel is a good guy—the kind of guy you need. It doesn’t matter how you met him. At the end of the day, you were clearly supposed to meet him. You’re hurting, and this all seems so fucking surreal—and not in the best way—but there are people who are here for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Okay?”
I nod as her misty eyes lock on mine. “ ’Kay.”
She lets out another sigh then pulls me in for a tighter hug. I hug her back this time, and as we do, there’s a knock at the door. Teagan gets up to open it, and Marcel is on the other side.
“Okay to come in?” His deep voice carries through the apartment.
“Yeah, come in.”
He steps inside, placing Callie down after shutting the door. He smiles at me as I wipe my tears away. “Should I look for a hotel?” he asks.
“What?” Teagan shakes her head. “Hell no, save your money. You guys can sleep here. That couch is a pull out. Gabby can sleep there with you, or she can share the bed with me.”
I smile. “I’ll take the pull out with him, T. It’s okay. I don’t want to intrude too much.”
“Oh, please. You know I don’t mind. The only time I care is when your armpit ends up in my face.”
Marcel breaks out in smile. “Is it like that?”
“No!” I laugh, shaking my head. “It is nothing like that!”
“It really is!” Teagan shouts. “You might want to watch out, Marcel! You don’t want to end up with a mouth full of armpit!”
The laughter continues, and damn, does it feel good. This is exactly what I needed. Being out of Hilton Head has already been a relief, but to be here laughing with my best friend is gold.
“Let me grab some blankets.” Teagan walks off, still laughing, and Marcel’s brows shift up as he focuses on me.
“Everything okay?” he murmurs, stepping closer.
“Yeah. Everything’s good.”
“Good. So, interesting thing just happened. Got a phone call, and the person left a voicemail.”
“Who was it from?”
He takes his cell out of his back pocket. “Your husband.”
My heart gallops, quick and unhinged. Marcel hands me his phone, which is already on the voicemail app. I press the phone to my ear after tapping play, and Kyle’s British accent sends my heart plummeting to my stomach.
“Gabby, I know you’re probably fucking Ward right now. Just know if you aren’t back home within the next two days, I will proceed with cutting off all of your ties. Don’t forget everything I’ve done for you. The loans I have paid off for your sake. The house I bought for you to be fucking happy in. I don’t understand how a woman in your position can be so ungrateful. There are so many others who would kill to be where you are—to be with me. Get your ass home immediately, or I will find you.”
I lower the phone, handing it to him like it’s caught fire. “Delete it.”
Marcel looks me over. “No. You can use this as proof that he’s a threat to you.”
He’s right. I didn’t think of it that way.
“Okay. Well, we have to see my parents by tomorrow. He said two days. That’s plenty of time for us to fill them in so they can prepare themselves.”
“He’s going to leave you with nothing, Gabby. It’ll be tough for a while. Are you prepared for that?”
“I don’t care. I went into it with nothing. I’ll be fine in the end.”
He nods, as if he likes that answer.
> Teagan returns with a sheet and a blanket, and we help her set up the pullout couch.
After she opens up a bottle of wine to share while I discuss the plan with my parents tomorrow, we’re all exhausted and curling into bed.
I rest on Marcel’s chest, letting out a long sigh. It’s nearing midnight—I see it on Teagan’s microwave in neon blue numbers. Callie is sleeping on her dog bed next to the pullout.
“What’s wrong?” Marcel asks.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m surprised you’ve stuck around after everything. Most people would bail.”
“You shouldn’t be surprised. I like helpin’ people.”
“What about your company? You’re missing work for a big job, right?”
“It’s handled. Told the guys I’ll be back in a few days. Rob is in charge for now. If anything goes bad, he knows to call me.”
I nod, glad to hear that.
We’re quiet again.
“Marcel?”
“Hmm?” He’s rubbing circles on my upper arm.
“Are there other things about you I should know before this gets any deeper?”
The circles on my arm stops, and he’s quiet for so long I assume he isn’t going to answer the question. But then he says, “There are a lot of things about me you don’t know, Gabby, but right now, I’m focusing on you. We’ll get to my shit eventually.”
I’m not upset by those words, nor am I comforted by them. I’d like to know what more there is to him, and if it will make or break us, but at the same time, who am I to question his past when my skeletons have all tumbled out of the closet? I didn’t tell him anything, and now we’re both reaping what I’ve sowed.
I don’t think what he’s given me is false. I really do think he likes me, and that he has fallen for me.
I’ve fallen for him too…but I’m hoping that falling for him isn’t going to end up being another giant mistake.
Chapter Eleven
Marcel
Teagan wakes up early to make coffee and pancakes. She said she had to work in a few hours and that we were free to make ourselves comfortable, but after chowing down on the breakfast, Gabby decides it’s time to leave.
The Man I Need Page 8