by Eden Rose
He kept the secret and I'm not wanting anyone to know the real reason why I moved here and why I wanted to join this bureau. I think the captain knows or her suspects that he has some sort of an idea. I refuse to mention anything though.
"I'm sorry... she just... she just... How could you let her talk to us about this?"
His eyes narrowed and I knew I am truly fucked. "This is my division. I'm not going to have some hot shot cop think he can run this shit. Get out of my office, you're off this task force. It's obvious that you can't be around Natasha."
Begrudgingly, I stand and gather my phone while walking to my new office. I sit my stuff down and put my head in my hands. This is all going so wrong. I am supposed to be able to solve this case and get Chloe to love me again. Everything is now totally fucked up. Maybe I should go back to the P.D. Maybe that would be easier.
Chloe comes into the office with William and that dumb fuck trailing behind her. "What's going on?" She asks me and sits her stuff down at her desk. She then kicks her shoes off and sits in her chair by hugging her knees. I think she only does this to make herself smaller.
Bradford smiles and then sits on the edge of Chloe's desk. I want to rip his fucking face off. This whole macho act that he's doing is getting out of control and it's pissing me off. "He got kicked off the task force. Delacruz, it's just us now."
I jump out of my seat and stalk towards the big mouthed asshole. "What is your deal, man?" He asks me as he stands up. "You're acting like a jealous boyfriend."
God damn it. I storm out of the office and then walk into the break room. I need a break.
By the time we get home, Chloe is completely ignoring me and I know it's because she doesn't know what to say regarding what happened. Fuck, if I know what to say either. This is completely a different thing for me.
Truth is, I moved to the bureau because I wanted Chloe back. Everything that happened with Emily only proved that I needed to wise up and take back my life. The past five years have been useless and I have been a fool to think that I could survive like this.
I knocked on the bathroom door and waited for her to answer. I knew she is in there taking a bath. It's something that she does when she's upset about something. "Chlo?" I call through the door.
"Go away, Grant. I will be out soon."
No fucking way am I going to let that slide. I open the door and find her hugging her knees in the bath tub. Bubbles are surrounding her and her eyes look up at me and widened. "Excuse you!"
"No! You're not going to push me away."
Chloe stands up and the suds trail down her body catching my eye. Great, now I have a boner. "Don't look at me like that!" Chloe shouts at me and reaches over to grab her towel. "This is not going to happen."
I follow her retreating back as she stomps to her bedroom. "Chloe! Stop fighting with me! I'm not letting you do this!!"
She turned around and looked at me with fire in her eyes. "You completely embarrassed me! How you came at Colin like that? Jesus Christ!"
Very slowly, I walked over to her and dropped to my knees and rubbed my head against her stomach. "I'm so sorry. Precious, I'm sorry. It makes me crazy that he's always panting after you like... like..."
I felt her slip out and I gripped the back of her thighs in my hands. I squeezed and held tight. "Grant, where did this come from? You never were like this with your other girlfriends..."
My fingers bit into her flesh and I looked up at her. "Those girls weren't anything compared to you. Chloe, I'm not going to tell you again. Those girls mean nothing and you mean more than to me than you possibly know." I didn't mean to be a pussy but it is time to let it out and for to grasp everything.
"No... Grant... you're just being sensitive due to what happened today," she clawed her nails into my hands that were gripping her until I let go. "I think it's best for us to have some space."
Chloe walks over to her closet and then pulls out a shirt. I watch, still on my knees, as she walked to her dresser and grabbed a pair of shorts. After she slipped into both, with the towel hiding her body, she grabbed a pillow off the bed and walked it over to me. It's the same pillow that I've been using since I came here. "There are blankets in the closet. You should be comfortable on the couch."
When I didn't grab the pillow, she dropped it on the floor. Now, I'm fucking pissed. After everything I just said to her, she's going to kick me out? That's horse shit. I jump onto my feet and I followed her like a hunter. She's not doing this again. "Oh, this brings me back!" I yell and she stops right before her bed.
"What are you talking about?" She whispers and then pulls the covers down on the bed before climbing into it.
I continue to hurl my thoughts at her as she gets comfortable. "Typical Chloe. Shuts down or runs at the prospect of having an actual conversation! Glad to see you haven't changed, princess. Still the same stubborn girl as you were all those years ago."
Chloe closes her eyes and rolls over so her back is facing me. "Good night, Grant, please turn the light off."
Before she can pretend to fall asleep, I climb in behind her and hold her close to me. "You're going to realize, precious, that the old Chloe... the one that doubts everyone and thinks she's all alone... she's done. I'm not playing this cat and mouse game." Even though I'm angry, I speak calmly.
"Get out of my bed, Grant," she says it so quietly.
"No. This is having a conversation and you're done running. You get me?"
She rolls out of bed and then walks out of her room. I follow her and against my instincts of grabbing Chloe and throwing her into the closet, I walk up behind her. "Give yourself to me... just let me have you. You know me... Precious, you know you can trust me."
I feel her shoulders move and I know she's crying. "What's wrong?" I whisper and hug her back to my chest and gently rock. This is what she used to like to do when we lived together and she got stressed out.
"Barry's getting released next week and I just know that there is going to be a shit storm..."
"Try again. There's something else bothering you."
She shrugs me off and walks towards the couch but does not sit. Instead, she paces around the living room and I can just tell that things are about to go bad. I hate this so much. I fucked up everything with today. "Grant, I need a minute. Can we please talk in the morning?"
"Fine. Do whatever the fuck you're going to do. I'll sleep on the couch."
*Chloe
"You have a collect phone call from inmate-"
"Barry Delacruz."
"Do you accept the charges for this phone call? Press One or hang up."
I press one and then wait for for the beep in order to know that I have been connected to my brother. "Chlo?" Barry's voice is gravelly and I can tell it's because he's still smoking in the joint.
Defeated because I know this call is not going to go well, I place my hands on my desk and then lay my head on them. "Yeah?"
A gust of air comes through the line and my stomach drops. "My P.O. says I can't go home to Mom and Dad and Janet won't let me stay with her and I don't have any money and I'm so fucked."
He's either going to ask for money or a place to stay... Great. "What do you need?" I know I sound like an asshole but I have dealt with so much shit because of his arrest. My own family hates me and I know that half of the bureau and P.D. think I'm cold hearted.
"I don't know yet. I gotta go. My time's up. I'll be out soon." And with that, he hangs up.
I adjust my pillows a few times and snuggle into my bed. Like I'm actually going to be able to get some sleep. The truth is, Grant really pissed me off today. His whole macho act is completely unnecessary.
For the time being, I need to focus my energy on making sure that Barry doesn't go back to prison. Grant can wait. Great. What the hell am I going to do? I know that he needs a stable place to live but I don't think him staying with me is going to work... I work crazy hours and Christine doesn't need to worry about it.
Even though, I know she has
always had a crush on him...
*
The next morning, I get out of bed and dread fills me. Grant really did humiliate how he came at Colin like that. What the hell am I even supposed to say to him?
I creep out of my room and crack open the door. I smell food being cooked and coffee being made but I don't hear any noises. Slowly, I walk out of my room and go into the kitchen to see who is cooking. I scan the living room and there is no sign of Grant or him sleeping out here.
"Hey."
I spin around and am faced with a naked man who looks as if he just stepped out of a magazine. Naked. Very. Naked. Yum. I fight the urge to run into my room and brush the snarls out of my hair and maybe put on some clothes. Wait, he's in my place! "Uh, hey..."
He helps himself to a mug on the mug stand next to the coffee maker and holds it out towards me. "Want some?"
"Sure..." In a trance, I step up to him and grab the mug from him. "Okay, who the fuck are you and where did you come from?" I blurt and push my lips together.
Great. He probably thinks I'm insane.
"Name's Matt. You're Chloe?" He gestures to the stove and looks closely at me. "You hungry?"
This is getting bizarre. "Okay, Matt... why are are naked and in my place making breakfast?" I stumble out and sit in the chair that is next to the island countertop. I reach under the chair and unlatch my emergency gun. When I sat it on the counter, his eyes got big. "You going to start talking or am I going to start shooting?"
"Christine!" Matt yells and in runs my naked roommate. "You told me she knew I am coming?"
Her eyes get wide as she looks at her naked friend, the coffee, breakfast and then the gun before looking at me. "This is Matt."
"I believe we gotten that part established. But I want to know why Matt is naked and in my kitchen. Did you two have a sleep over?"
She approaches me and shakes her head. "Sorry, he's my friend and came home with me. So... yeah... Were you really drinking coffee and about to shoot him?"
Before I could answer, the door opened and I heard stomping. Steve stood up next to me and ran towards the door barking. "Steve, what's the matter? Who's here?" I ran after him but I grabbed my gun first.
I approached the door with my gun aimed and I called Steve to my side. "Who's there?" I called towards the door and walked along the wall. Christine and Matt peaked their heads around the corner.
I could see a shadow creep along the wall as well. "Chloe, Jesus, precious?"
My hand flew to my heart and I started to hyperventilate. Steve ran towards Grant and I watched as he leaned over and picked him up. "Why do you have a gun?"
"Don't worry about why I have a fucking gun. People just want to show up on a fed and not warn me? What the fuck is wrong with everyone?" My shoulders began to shake as the emotions of everything came flooding through me.
Grant walked over to me but before he did, he stopped and looked at Matt and Christine. "Why the fuck is there a naked man in your kitchen?" He grabbed the gun out of my hand and slid it into his back pocket. I want that back, it is expensive. I spent almost two grand on that bitch.
"This is my friend, Matt."
I watched the two guys puff their chests out and Grant let Steve down. "I would appreciate if Matt would wear clothes around my woman."
My woman? What am I pair of boots? I don't know if I can do this. Honestly. I can't stop shaking and my heart feels as if it's going to pop out of my chest. This is way too much. "I'm sorry," I whisper and snap my fingers at Steve. He comes up to me and I walk towards my bedroom to get his leash.
The thing about beagles... they need to be on a leash or you're never going to get them back.
"No, fuck that, Chloe!" Grant yanked the leash out of my hand and clipped it on Steve. "We're going to have a conversation. Everything that is going on is going to be laid bare. I'm tired of you only being half here."
How did I even respond to that? I didn't and slipped on my shoes. Once my feet are shoved into the flip flops, I follow out the door. Grant starts leading us out of the building and I trail behind.
Once outside, I gulp a desperate amount of air into my lungs as I try to get a handle on my thoughts... Somehow. I need to not be so crazy. This is killing me. I don't know what to do with myself.
"Grant-"
"-Chloe-"
I smile and nod at him to encourage him to say what he's going to say. He leads us over to the grassy part and Steve goes about his business. I watch him as he circles and circles the same spot. It's not as if that spot is going to change. I watch as his chubby self squats and relieves himself. Anything to avoid this conversation.
"I'm sorry... I don't know what has gotten into me..." Grant grips my chin and holds it up so I'm craning my neck to look up at him. His big and beautiful eyes are shining brightly as they look at me and I'm lost. "Precious, I'm so worried that I'm going to wake up and you're going to be gone. I don't know what's going on with us, but I do know, that... I need you..."
Well... Way to let it all out. "You can't keep being possessive. I don't like it. I'm not a piece of property and it's not going to work for me." I held my chin out to act as if I'm in charge of the situation.
In everything, I have always been in control. However, in this relationship... I feel less and less in control. I really don't like it and I hate the way it feels. This feeling is giving me a horrible after taste.
Much to my dismay, Grant drops to his knees in front of everyone in the apartments and everyone on the street and grabs my hand. Steve starts to excessively bark and try to tug on the leash to go to a different grassy knoll. "Precious, I know I'm not making things easier for you, but I need you. Please don't give up on me. You're the first woman that I have ever felt this strongly for and for the first time... I need to keep something."
I pluck the hand that migrated to my mouth off and placed it in his hair. I wrapped my fingers around the softness of his hair and lightly pulled. There isn't really anything for me to think about. I have become a slave to him... For some reason, he has fucking managed to sneak his way into me again and this time... I can't let him go.
Even with our height difference, I found it funny that he isn't that far from my mouth. I leaned over and kissed him. I poured everything I had into this kiss. My tongue begged for entrance into his mouth and once it gained it, our tongues began to duel. We fought for closeness. Both of us had a need to get closer and no matter what, I couldn't begin to get closer to him.
Grant dropped my hand and gripped both of his huge paws into my ass to bring me resting against him. My neck began to cramp with how much I craned it in order to get closer to him. He dugged one of his fingers into the crease of my ass. "Are you going to give me you? I need all of you." His finger danced against my puckered hole and I shivered.
It's such a taboo place... No one has ever touched me there and I had the sudden urge to beg him to touch me there.
His teeth sunk into my lip and I moaned into his mouth. I gripped my fingernails into his neck and pulled him closer.
Suddenly, as if the earth has decided to crash into us, we both came crashing down. "Excuse me! This is a nice neighborhood! Take it inside," a voice yelled.
I ducked my head into my chest and my cheeks flamed. Grant got off the ground and wrapped his hand around me. We were seriously about to fuck in the middle of the street? Oh my god. How embarrassing. I would have done it too... That's how far gone I'm for this man.
"Come on, let's go inside," I let Grant lead Steve and I inside and we walked up the stairs in order to get to my place. "My place should be ready soon... I have a couple bids on some places."
The world came slapping me in the face out of nowhere and I completely forgot that he's just playing house with me. Quickly, I regained my composure and smiled at him. "That's great. Where are you looking?"
He opened the door to my apartment and bent over to unclip the leash of my psycho dog. "Close by. Why, are you going to miss me?" His cheeky smile is sly and resembl
ed a shit-eating-grin.
God damn it. He should know what that grin does to me. Makes me melt like a popsicle. "Nah, don't flatter yourself." I hope I managed to sound disinterested but in truth I didn't want him to leave.
*
Our next work day, is intense. Since Grant had managed to take himself off my new force, I worked closely with William and Colin.
Colin, the forever ass-kisser he is, has now brought me coffee this whole week as we listen to the tape from Natasha again.
"I gather girls on top of girls who come to ask for job in house. One day, I got six of them and I put to work them all. I hear them cry all the night through and I hear skin hitting skin over. I need to do it for my safety. The girls are take care of just fine. I put them on pill and gave condoms. I know from my experience, condoms didn't make it on every time. I tried to save them. I so scared."