The Man I Need

by Williams, Shanora

  “It’s better to get this over with now.” Gabby throws her arms around the back of Teagan’s neck. They hug for a long time, standing in the parking lot of the apartment complex. I put Callie in the truck and wait by the passenger door. “Thank you for letting us barge in. I know you had better things to do,” Gabby says.

  “Oh, please. I’ll always make time for you. You know that.” Teagan smiles, holding Gabby by the upper arms. “Stay strong, okay? No matter what happens, promise me you’ll keep your head up.”

  Gabby nods. “I will. I promise.”

  “Good. Love you,” Teagan says after a kiss to Gabby’s cheek.

  “Love you, too.”

  Teagan waves goodbye to me, and I wave back. She then climbs into her Hyundai as Gabby climbs into the passenger seat of my truck. I start the ignition, waiting for Gabby to give me instruction.

  When she’s quiet for a moment too long, I ask, “What’s wrong?”

  “My parents,” she mutters. “I already know they’re going to freak out.”

  “Better to get it over with now, right? Get to them before he can.”

  “Yeah. True. I’m just…” She crosses her fingers in her lap with a huff. “I’m worried.”

  “About what?”

  “Disappointing them.”

  “I think they’ll be much more disappointed in him than you, Gabby. If they aren’t, that’s on them, not you. And we all make mistakes. I met your parents, and they seem like the kind of people who know all about learning from their mistakes. You should trust them the most with stuff like this, right?”

  “I do…I just…I remember how badly they wanted me to marry Kyle. They were so in for it, you know? He had money, and the looks, and the charm. They love him.”

  “Yeah, but it clearly wasn’t the real him, and once they find that out, they’ll be grateful you left his sorry ass.” I grip the steering wheel. “Where to?”

  She doesn’t need the GPS this time. She points ahead and says, “Make a right out of here.”

  I leave Teagan’s apartment complex, taking the first right, then I reach over and grab her hand.

  “Be strong, Gabby.”

  She locks her glistening eyes on mine. “I will.”

  * * *

  We arrive at her parents’ house in about forty minutes.

  The house is simple. Quaint. A two-story home painted a very pale yellow. Brown shutters and a deep, wooden porch that’s set up with cushioned rocking chairs.

  I shut the car door behind me. Gabby is already out of the truck, with Callie in her arms. She stares ahead at the house then shifts her eyes over to the car in the driveway. There’s a white Camry parked there.

  “My dad’s not here.” She walks up the cement driveway, heading straight for the door. She gives the doorbell a ring, and I wait behind her.

  “Do you want me to wait in the truck?” I ask.

  “No, it’s okay.” She looks at me over her shoulder.

  I let out a steady breath. I don’t know if it’s a good idea having me around with all that’s going on. Who’s to say her parents won’t blame me for what happened? They don’t seem like the kind of people who would jump at my throat, but it would make matters much more complicated if they do.

  It takes a while for the door to open, but when it does, I spot the familiar petite Colombian woman on the other side of the screened door, only this time she isn’t all dolled up in a dress, heels, and makeup.

  She’s wearing a black V-neck shirt tucked into high-waisted jeans. Her face is curious as she spots me first, but when her eyes drop and focus on Gabby, her half-smile completely collapses.

  She swings the door open rapidly, screaming, “OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?” Cupping Gabby’s face in her hands, her eyes immediately fill with tears. “Gabby? Que pasó, huh? What the hell is going on?” Her eyes shoot up to mine, and just like Teagan, she’s already on the fence, probably assuming I have something to do with this. What do they think, I’ve kidnapped her and am bringing her around to say her goodbyes?

  “Can I come in, Mamá?” I can hear the emotion in Gabby’s voice as she asks.

  “Yes, get in here!” Her mother opens the door wider, grabbing Gabby’s hand and escorting her into the house.

  I hesitate going inside when her mother gives me a death stare over the shoulder.

  “It wasn’t him, Mamá.” Gabby glances at me. “Kyle did this.”

  Mrs. Lewis turns and frowns deep as she looks Gabby over. “Kyle? What do you mean he did this?”

  “He choked me and kicked me in the face several days ago.”

  “He kicked you! Are you fucking kidding me?” Mrs. Lewis’s voice is shrill.

  “Mamá, calm down. It’s okay.” Gabby is holding her mother by the shoulders now, almost like she’s soothing a child throwing a tantrum.

  “No! This is not okay! How could he do that to you? How!”

  Gabby closes her eyes very briefly and inhales, before opening them again and exhaling. “I’ll explain everything to you, okay? Can you make some coffee or tea or something? Take a minute to calm down?”

  Mrs. Lewis doesn’t look like she wants to pull away from Gabby for one second, but she finally does, nodding as she twists around hastily for the kitchen.

  She says something in Spanish as she storms away, and from the sound of it, I can tell she’s pissed. Angry muttering continues from the kitchen as utensils rattle and drawers slam.

  Gabby sighs, looking back at me. “There’s a TV there, if you want to watch it. I know you’re tired of hearing my sob story.” She forces a laugh.

  “Stop that.” I rub her shoulder. “I’m fine, but if you want to talk to her privately, I understand. I’ll just take Callie out for a walk.”

  “Sure. That’ll be good.”

  “You got it.”

  I go for the door, pushing it open and letting the dog out. When it shuts, I look back, watching Gabby walk to the kitchen.

  I can’t help wondering if she’s hiding something from me. There’s something in her eyes—the way she looks at me, with so much guilt and apprehension. It’s like she wants to tell me something but hasn’t found the right words to say it.

  I walk Callie around the neighborhood for about twenty minutes, but when we circle back to the Lewis home, I notice another car pulling into the driveway. This car is a blue Subaru.

  Mr. Lewis steps out of the car as I walk across the street. He frowns when he spots me walking in his direction, then drops his eyes to Callie.

  “Marcel?” He’s confused, eyes narrowed. “What in the world are you doing all the way in Virginia?”

  “I’m here with Gabby, sir,” I answer.

  “Gabby?” Mr. Lewis is still confused. His eyes shift from mine to the door. “Is she in the house?”

  “Yes.”

  “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here. She didn’t tell me she was visiting.”

  “It was an unplanned trip. I offered to drive her here after what happened.”

  “Well, what the hell happened?”

  “I suggest you go find out for yourself, sir. She’s inside waitin’.”

  Instead of asking another question, he marches toward the house and goes right inside.

  I walk Callie to the door and go inside too, and from where I stand, I can see Gabby hugging her father in the kitchen.

  “What is going on? What in the hell happened to you?” he asks, voice laced with worry. He has her face in his hands and is rubbing it with the pads of his thumbs.

  I unclip Callie’s leash from her collar, standing upright.

  “Kyle happened,” Gabby sighs.

  “Kyle? What do you mean? I’m not understanding what’s going on. And, I’m sorry, but why is your yard guy with you?”

  Landscape architect, jackass.

  Gabby focuses on me as I walk toward the kitchen. “He saved me from him. Offered to bring me here to see you guys.”

  “I’m so confused—”


  “Dad—just sit. Okay?” Gabby’s hands are in the air, her eyes now shut. I can tell she’s tired of his interrogation.

  When I’m in the kitchen, Gabby looks at me and points to the four-top table in the corner. There is a carafe of coffee on top of it, set up with creamer and sugar. I sit as Gabby and her mom do, but when I look up, Mr. Lewis is staring right at me, still standing in front of his chair.

  “Do you two have something going on?” he demands.

  Gabby frowns at him. “Dad—is that really your biggest concern right now?”

  “I mean, if so, it’s pretty damn obvious, Gabby.”

  She shakes her head, pouring some coffee into my mug. I thank her, reaching for the creamer and sugar. “I’ve already told Má what happened, so now I’m going to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “How about you sit, and maybe I’ll fill you in.”

  Mr. Lewis blows out a breath, placing his tall frame on the chair.

  Gabby dumps sugar and creamer into her coffee, stirs, and then sips it. She then looks up at her father and says, “Kyle found out about me and Marcel a few days ago. When he did, he choked me and then kicked me in the face.”

  “HE DID WHAT?!” Mr. Lewis shoves out of his chair, as if Kyle is in the room and he’s going to pummel him into the ground.

  I know exactly how he feels. I wanted to beat that fucker into a pulp when I first saw her face, so I can’t imagine what her own father wants to do to him.

  “Sit, Will. Please,” Mrs. Lewis pleads, but her husband is still seething. He sits back down but leans toward Gabby.

  “How in the hell did this happen, Gabby? I mean, why would he choke and kick you? That doesn’t sound like him at all!”

  “It’s been happening for a while, Dad. He’s never kicked me before, but he has hit me before.” Gabby’s throat bobs. “A few days after we got back from our honeymoon, he choked me. That was the first time.”

  “But that was months ago,” Mr. Lewis croaks.

  “I know.”

  “And you didn’t tell me?” He glances over at his wife. “Did you tell your mother?”

  “No, the only person who knew about it was Teagan, and Kyle, of course. I didn’t know how to tell you guys, especially since we’d just gotten married. I considered it a mistake, and he promised he’d never do it again. He was drunk when it happened—”

  “Drunk or not, he doesn’t have the right to fucking hurt you like that!”

  Gabby lowers her head, focusing on her lap. “I thought it would stop there, but with every month, he seemed to get more controlling. When we moved, he grabbed me more. Held me tighter. I started to pull away, I guess, but I ended up focusing too much on Marcel, and I’m assuming Kyle noticed too. I didn’t mean for the affair to happen, it just did, and things got a little carried away…” Her voice thickens, and she huffs, like she’s frustrated with herself.

  I clench a fist beneath the table. I hate hearing the pain in her voice.

  “I slipped up, and Kyle grew suspicious about it. He said he had to work out of town for a couple days last week, but now that I think about it, I don’t think he had to. I think he waited around somewhere and watched me leave, then checked my emails or something. That, or he followed me. I’ll never know.”

  “How long has this been going on with you two?” Mr. Lewis asks, sliding his eyes over to me before focusing on his daughter again.

  “Since April…” Gabby answers.

  “Jesus.” Mr. Lewis plants an elbow on the table and drags a hand over his face. He then looks up at Gabby, bringing that same hand forward to clasp her chin between his fingers. “Look, I know you feel bad about what you did, but you can’t live your life with regrets like that. He never should have put his hands on you. Ever. Doesn’t matter what you did.”

  Gabby’s eyes are instantly damp, the tears falling when she closes them. “You sold the docking company to him, Dad. Why would you do that?”

  Mr. Lewis withdraws, eyes widening. “He told you?”

  “I saw papers on his desk last week. He’s going to ruin everything I care about, which means he’ll cancel whatever arrangement he made with you. It will take a while to get your assets back. You could lose a lot of money.”

  Mr. Lewis huffs out a breath, sitting back against the chair. He stares absently past Gabby then lowers his gaze.

  “When did you sell it? You never told me about this.” Mrs. Lewis is staring a hole through the side of her husband’s head with a deep scowl.

  “I sold it completely a couple months ago, but before that, he’d only been investing in it to keep business going, so I could settle some of my debts, renovate, and so on.”

  Mrs. Lewis groans and pinches the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Will!”

  Gabby asks, “Why, though? Why sell it to Kyle?”

  “Because I was losing money,” he answers, slightly frustrated. “People aren’t coming to rent boats anymore and most are building their own docks. Fredericksburg is just a small blip on the radar. There aren’t as many tourists as there used to be. I had heard about Kyle’s investment company years before selling it and was told if I ever needed to sell it or have someone invest in it in a reasonable time, to go to him.” He sits forward, shoving his fingers through his peppery hair. I can tell something’s bothering him—something deeper than all of this. “Mariana, Marcel, I need a word with Gabby alone, please.”

  Mrs. Lewis lets out an aggravated sigh. I push to a stand, taking my coffee mug with me.

  “I’d love to check out your backyard, Mrs. Lewis,” I offer. “I noticed the front yard is well kept.”

  “Sure.” Mrs. Lewis waves a hand, going for the backdoor. “Come on.”

  Callie is right at my heels, following me out the door. I look back at Gabby, but she doesn’t look my way.

  She’s staring at her father, and even I can tell that what he’s about to say to her will end up breaking her even more.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gabby

  Dad gets up and walks straight to the fridge.

  I push out of my chair, going to the counter opposite of him and resting my lower back against the edge of it.

  “Why would you make a deal with him anyway?” I ask.

  Dad is quiet, pulling out lunchmeat, bread, mayo, and a few other ingredients.

  “Dad?”

  “I had no choice, Gabby.”

  “There is always a choice.”

  “I was losing money, and a good friend of mine told me about Kyle and his company in New York, so I went there to check it out and to see if he could help.”

  “And?”

  “And…I ended up hearing more than I should have the day I met with him.” He side-eyes me.

  “What do you mean?”

  He takes two slices of bread out. He’s going to make his infamous turkey club sandwich. He makes them when he’s stressed, otherwise my mom is the one making them for him.

  “Okay, look.” He sighs, stepping away from the counter and holding his hands in the air. “The first time I went for a meeting, I overheard Kyle talking to his mother.”

  My frown deepens, but I don’t speak. I wait for him to go on.

  “I overheard his mother asking about his dating life and telling him he needed to hurry and get out there so he could get a wife. Just a bunch of stuff that was clearly annoying for him to hear, and like she’d told him about it plenty of times before. She left out, and Kyle called me into his office moments later. I had my papers and was hoping for a small investment at least, but he turned it down. I was a little annoyed that he’d turned me down so quickly without even giving me a chance, so I told him I’d overheard his conversation with his mother.” Dad looks at me warily, eyes glistening. “I told him I could help with his…situation.”

  “Help? How?” I snap, and he groans, dragging both palms of his hands over his face.

  “Gabby, look…” He hesitates, avoiding my eyes. “What I’m
about to tell you might upset you, but I want you know I did it for all of us.”

  “Oh my God, Dad, just spit it out already!”

  “Okay—fine. It’s just…well, the relationship you have with Kyle was, in lack of better words, arranged. I told Kyle I had a daughter who was finishing up college. I showed him a picture of you, and he told me he would go to the place you worked and see you for himself. I guess he liked you, because he called me a few days later and told me he was willing to invest.”

  Wow.

  I was not expecting that.

  If I thought the kick from Kyle was a big blow, this one feels even worse. This blow is stronger, and I’m surprised it doesn’t knock the wind out of me just as much as Kyle’s kick did.

  I don’t even know what to say to him right now. I can only stare into my father’s eyes—the eyes I inherited.

  All this time, I thought Kyle was coming to Nuni’s out of sheer coincidence, but it turns out it was all planned? By my own father?

  “Dad…” I feel like all my words have been lodged in my throat. “How could you do something like that? All for your company?”

  “I didn’t want to, Gabby, trust me, but I was desperate! You were already struggling with getting through college, and we were close to losing this house!” He throws his hands in the air. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I took what I heard and threw it right back at him!”

  “Is that why you were so adamant about me marrying him? He asked me to marry him almost a year later, and you were all for it! You even met him before I’d even introduced you to him, but pretended you didn’t know him at all! Who does something like that?” I’m shouting now, something I’ve never done to my father out of respect, but I don’t care right now. I feel victimized.

  That rich man in Nuni’s only wanted me because of a recommendation from another man—and not just any other man. My own goddamn father. Kyle would have never met me otherwise. Hell, if it weren’t for my dad, I never would have fallen for Kyle, which would have spared me from the trouble I’m in now.

  I can’t believe this shit!

  Rage takes hold of me, boiling in my bloodstream. My rage is horrible, but it can’t be controlled until it’s unleashed.