by Callie Cole
Jason gets in the guy’s face. “I thought she told you to get lost.”
Anger building, I look at Jason. “I can take care of myself.”
Connor pulls me closer.
I pull away from his grasp, turn, and punch him in the face.
He puts his hand to his nose, and seeing blood, tears begin to well up.
Connor cries, “Officer, you’re a witness. I’m pressing charges. Arrest her for assault.”
By now, Nicole and Noah have arrived, and it’s obvious I’ve embarrassed her. No doubt I’ll be hearing about this later.
Jason puts my hands behind my back and handcuffs my wrists.
“You are not serious. You can’t arrest me. He was assaulting me. I was defending myself.”
I guess Noah must have convinced Connor to drop the charges before Jason could walk me to his cruiser. Connor Devlin’s pride was severely damaged, and I assume his reputation as well. After all, it’s not every day that you get your ass kicked by a woman. But he couldn’t run the risk of losing his rich friend, Noah Cunningham.
Chapter Four
Jason
Getting off my shift, I decide to check on Bella. I wanted to follow her home, but instinct told me that I needed to appear neutral in front of my partner, Mike. It’s difficult keeping my feelings for Bella to myself. I have to be careful. The last thing I need is a conflict of interest complaint against me.
I park my car in front of Bella’s apartment and look up. I can see her in the window, and for a moment I wonder if I’m making a mistake. I tell myself that I’ll only stay a few minutes, just to make sure she’s all right.
Bella comes to the door wearing yoga pants and a short top that exposes one shoulder of tanned skin, and no evidence of a bra. She looked gorgeous in the black dress she was wearing earlier, but now, clearly comfortable with her body, she’s even more beautiful.
“What have I done now?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to see how you are after the altercation at the party.”
Inviting me in, she says, “Altercation? You mean the ass-whooping that guy got?”
Laughing, I can’t help but be proud of her.
“That’s the Bella I remember, but did you have to give the guy a bloody nose?”
“He deserved more than a bloody nose. Doesn’t he realize women don’t like that whole caveman routine? And I didn’t need you to come rescue me either.”
“I wasn’t there to rescue you. I didn’t even know you were at that party. What were you doing there anyway? I know you’re going to college but aren’t you past the frat party stage?”
“It wasn’t a frat party, and Nicole asked me to go. She’s crazy about the guy who lives there. She didn’t want to go alone. I know it’s not my scene, but I’m a good friend. You remember that about me, don’t you?”
Bella stands close to me, looking up at me, waiting for an answer. Tonight her eyes are green.
I look toward the door, not wanting a confrontation.
“I should get going. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Wait. Don’t go. Come with me?”
“Where?”
“My bedroom.”
I hesitate.
“C’mon, don’t be afraid. I don’t bite. I want to show you something.”
I take her hand, and we walk into her bedroom.
Opening her closet, she reaches for a box on the shelf above.
Bella hands the box to me.
“These were Cole’s things. They gave them to me after he was killed. I guess that’s what they do. They give the personal belongings to the next of kin. I took his wallet and wristwatch and threw it in with all this other stuff he was keeping.”
I take the box and sit on her bed. Bella sits beside me.
I open the box and see several items their mother must have saved. A tooth, a lock of hair, a hospital wristband.
“I’ve got a memory box too. Mom kept everything from the day we were born to report cards and pictures from school.”
A bit of sadness shades Bella’s voice.
“Mom tried so hard to do right by us. She must have felt the weight of the world on her shoulders knowing she had to be mother and father.”
I continue to look through the box and find memories of events Cole and I attended. Ticket stubs from a U2 concert and a Red Sox game. We laugh when I pull out a piece of paper with a poem Cole wrote about a frog.
“I remember every now and then Cole would write these things. His poems always had to rhyme though. He’d come up with some really stupid ones because of it, but it always made me laugh.”
I nod. “I remember that about him. He had a great sense of humor.”
I look at Bella, the memories bringing us closer than ever before.
I close the box and put it on the nightstand.
“Thank you for sharing Cole’s things with me.”
A tear falls down her cheek, and I forget about everything else but the need to hold her close and tell her everything will be all right.
I wipe the tear away and cup her face in my hand.
“Beautiful Bella.”
I run my hand through her hair and pull her close, my lips lightly brushing hers in a kiss. For a moment, I pull back and look into her eyes.
“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”
Bella grabs onto my shirt and pulls me to her. I kiss her again, this time with more passion and urgency. My lips move to her neck and her shoulders. Her skin is soft and warm.
I lay her back on the bed and move my body over her. Looking into her eyes, I’m struck by her beauty, and I’m overwhelmed by the way she is responding to my touch.
“Jason, make love to me.”
Bella saying my name drives me wild, and I need to taste more of her. I kiss her again, my tongue sliding into her mouth, playing with hers. Our bodies so close, me on top of her. Cops and robbers.
I feel myself getting out of control and that realization overcomes my desire to continue.
I can’t do this. No matter how badly I want her, I have to stop before we do something we can’t undo, before it goes too far.
I stop and push myself off the bed.
“Jason. What is it? Why did you stop?”
“I’m sorry, Bella. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“What are you talking about? Why shouldn’t we? We’re two consenting adults. I want you. I’ve always wanted you—don’t you know that? What’s more, it’s obvious you want me too.”
I can hear the heartbreak in her voice, and it kills me that I’ve already done more damage than I ever intended.
“You don’t understand.”
Bella gets up off the bed, and now there are tears welling in her eyes.
“No. you’re right, I don’t understand, so why don’t you explain it to me?”
“I’m not the right guy for you, Bella. I can’t be. You think you know me, but you don’t. I’m no good. Find someone else.”
As I head to the door, Bella’s voice stops me.
“Wait. Don’t go. I want to give you something.”
Bella goes to the closet and pulls out a brown leather jacket.
“He always said how much you loved this jacket. He’d want you to have it.”
I take the jacket and look at Bella, but her eyes don’t meet mine.
Fighting back tears, she says, “You’ll regret this. You love me. I know you do.”
I walk out of her apartment, angry at myself for letting her believe we could be anything more than friends. Angry that I’m bound by a promise I can never break, and wishing with all my heart that I could turn and run back into Bella’s arms.
Chapter Five
Bella
It’s been almost a month since Jason and I last saw each other. The morning after we kissed, and for several days after, I wanted to call him, but I decided to keep my distance.
I won’t chase him. He knows where I am if he wants to talk to me. What can be gained by forcing things? Giving him s
pace is the only thing I can do. I know he loves me, so I have to believe that in time, he’ll come to me. Until then, I have to move on and live my life.
As sad as I have been feeling about Jason, I’ve placed all my focus on studying for the LSAT exam. Getting back into a student mindset feels comforting to me, and it’s been a welcome distraction.
My phone buzzes, and I answer. “Hey, Nicole. What are you up to?”
“I’ve got about five minutes to get to work, but I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. Are you getting nervous about the exam?”
“No. Actually, I’m surprisingly calm. I hope that works in my favor. God knows I’ve been studying for this thing until late at night, every night. I feel prepared, just anxious to get it over with.”
“Well, good luck. I know you’ll do great. Call me later and let me know how it goes. Maybe we can go out and celebrate. Love you.”
“Thanks, I will. Love you too.”
The test took several hours, and when I was done, I felt like my brain was fried. The plan to get together with Nicole for dinner sounded good this morning, but I’m not sure I’m up for going anywhere tonight.
I dial Nicole’s cell and it barely rings before she answers.
“How’d it go?”
“It was tough, but I did the best I could. I won’t know for another month though, so for now, I’m putting it out of my head. It will be what it will be. Listen, I’m really tired so if you don’t mind, I think I’ll pass on getting together tonight.”
The silence on the other end of the line is weird. It takes a minute before Nicole answers.
“Can you change your mind? I need to talk to you about something, and I think it would be better if we talked in person.”
“You’ve got me worried. Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”
“No. I’m fine. It’s nothing like that.”
“Look, why don’t you just come over here and we can talk. I’ll make us some pasta and open a bottle of wine. That way, if we’ve had too much to drink, no one has to drive anywhere. You can crash here for the night if you need to.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be over around six if that works for you.”
“Yeah, of course, that’s fine. I’ll see you then.”
The next few hours, all I can do is think about Nicole. Whatever she needs to talk about, it’s got to be pretty important.
Why wouldn’t she tell me on the phone? This can’t be good news.
Nicole is usually so upbeat. I can’t remember the last time she was upset about anything. Most of the time stuff just rolls off her back. If anyone has to be talked off the ledge, it’s usually me.
Nicole arrives right at six o’clock, and if I wasn’t worried enough before, the serious look on her face has me very concerned.
“I’ve put the water on for the pasta. Let me pour you a glass of wine and we’ll talk.”
I fill two glasses, hand one to Nicole, and we sit on the sofa.
“Promise you won’t get mad?”
“That’s never a good way to start, Nicole. What is this about?”
“I know you don’t like to talk about Jason, but just this once, you have to listen to me.”
Already my guard is up.
“I was at Noah’s house the other day, and as you probably already know, since they’re so rich, they’ve got maids and housekeepers, and God only knows who else to run that house.”
I nod and take a sip of wine—okay, maybe a gulp.
“Anyway, while I was there I overheard two women that work there talking about the article in the local news section of the paper. I guess there was some domestic disturbance call that Jason’s father took. They arrested the man who was abusing his wife, and so there were some quotes from the arresting officer, an Officer Cooper.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t Jason instead of his father?”
“Yes. I heard them refer to him by his first name, Richard. I guess these two women who work at Noah’s home were talking about what a joke it was to hear him act so outraged over the guy who was beating on his wife since Jason’s dad beats on his wife all the time.”
I pour more wine into my glass.
“Nicole, you must have heard wrong. I’ve been around Jason all my life. I’ve been in and out of that house growing up. I’m sure I would have known what kind of man his father was. I would have seen something, or at the very least, Jason would have told me.”
“Are you sure about that? There’s more to his father than you know. Apparently, these women also talked about how he cheats on his wife. I don’t think they’re lying. Their friend is the one he's been cheating with, at least this time. Looks like there have been several women before her. They’ve been trying to talk their friend into leaving him because he’s such an asshole.”
Nicole hands me the newspaper with the article.
“When I left Noah’s, I picked up the paper to read it myself. Bella, this isn’t the kind of information Jason would be proud to share. Isn’t it possible he shielded you and Cole from it?”
I grab the paper from Nicole and read the article.
“My God, I can’t believe this.”
“Maybe you can. You told me once that you had a bad feeling about him. Don’t you remember?”
Thinking back on our discussions, I can’t remember Jason ever painting his father in a positive light. In fact, I can’t remember him ever saying anything nice about his father at all. I try to remember if Cole ever mentioned it in passing, but he practically worshipped the guy.
Is it possible that Jason never said anything to Cole either? How could we all be so blind? How could I not see it? What kind of friend am I?
“I’m sorry if this upsets you, but maybe it explains a lot about Jason. You told me that he never wanted to be like his father. Maybe he had good reason.”
I’m so stunned, I can’t find the words, but reassuring Nicole that she did the right thing is just about all I can muster.
“No. You were right to tell me.”
Hearing the water boiling, I run to the kitchen and put the pasta in the pot.
“Dinner should be ready in a few minutes. Let me prepare the salad. Pour yourself more wine and tell me all about you and Noah.”
Talking about Noah Cunningham is the perfect distraction. I need to think about all that Nicole told me before I do anything. My heart breaks for Jason, and if I could, I would run out of this apartment and into his arms tonight, but it will have to wait.
I don’t know when or how, but Nicole may have given me the opening I need.
Chapter Six
Jason
Work is the only thing keeping me from calling Bella. I take every double shift I can get, every detail available to me, but nothing keeps me from thinking about her.
The memory of her soft body under mine makes me hot with lust. Cold showers and constant work is the only remedy.
Stopping at a local restaurant for take-out, my cell phone rings.
The panicked voice on the other end of the line tells me all I need to know.
I do my best to reassure her.
“I’m on my way. Hang up and run to the neighbors. I’ll be there in less than ten minutes.”
I hang up the phone and head out the door.
My mother never calls me, but this time, she had no choice. The terror in her voice makes my heart race.
I know what’s going on. I’ve heard her begging him to stop many times before. I know what I’m up against when I get inside the house. I only worry that I won’t get there in time. Being pulled over won’t help the situation, but I can’t slow down now.
I park my car in front of the house and run to the front door. I can hear him shouting at her, and then a crashing sound. When I get inside, he has her pinned against the wall, his hand on her neck.
Instinct tells me to keep my gun in its holster.
“Take your hands off her.”
My father turns to look at me, but never releases her.
“Well, if it isn’t Mommy’s little boy. Come to fight your daddy, little boy?”
“I said let her go.”
He grips her tighter.
I have no choice. I pull my gun, pointing it at his face.
“Don’t make me do this.”
It isn’t a plea; it’s a threat.
He removes his hand from her neck, and she falls to the floor. He mocks me as he moves closer.
“So you think you can beat me, boy? You don’t have the balls to pull that trigger.”
I’m sweating now, but my hands are steady, and I feel power. I feel stronger by the minute, and I make sure he knows it.
“I’m not afraid of you, old man. You’ve made our lives miserable all these years. I’d be doing the world a favor killing you. I’ve killed before, remember?”
My mother stands and moves toward me.
“Jason. Baby, you don’t want to do this. You won’t be able to undo it. Your future will be over if you kill him. I can’t lose you. Please. Put the gun away.”
My father turns and slaps my mother across the face.
“Stay out of this. Your son is about to learn a hard lesson.”
He walks toward me, his hands forming fists.
“Your mother’s right. Put the gun away and fight me like a man. That is, if you’ve the guts to.”
His face is red, and what seems like a lunge toward me is instead the contortions of a man about to fall to the ground.
I keep the gun on him, as he falls, clutching his left arm.
I put the gun away and bend over him, placing my fingers on the pulse of his neck.
Looking at my mother, all I can say is, “He’s dead.”
I stand and run to her, pulling her into my arms.
“It’s over, Mom. He’ll never hurt you again.”
I hear her tearless words. “He’ll never hurt either of us again.”
Chapter Seven
Bella
The police funeral details are everywhere in the local news. I can’t go anywhere without hearing people talking about what a shame it was that Jason’s father died so young.