I call 911 for an ambulance first, then I call my Dad and Donovan, because I will be needing an attorney. Angel and I wait on the couch for them to arrive.
The police rush into the house, and Dad and Donovan arrive shortly after.
Angel sits at the dining room table and gives her statement to the detectives with my Dad by her side. Donovan and I sit on the couch as I give my statement to the other detective. They ask me what Jim was doing when I arrived in the house and about the shattered window. They ask what words were exchanged between us prior to the shooting.
Dad is acting as Angel’s attorney, and Donovan is acting as my attorney.
I look over at Angel, who is wringing her hands together and biting the inside of her cheek. She nods her head and wipes the tears from her cheek. My Dad hands her a tissue and she dabs at the dried-on blood on her lip.
The detectives swab my hands before swabbing Angel’s hands for gun powder residue. Dad tells us that if the detectives want to speak to us again to make sure he or Donovan are present.
The coroner enters the house and pronounces Jim dead. Angel, Dad, Donovan, and I remain on the couch, and she leans into me and hugs me tightly. I can feel her body start to shake as she continues to cry. I wrap her up in her mother’s quilt that lies on the back of the couch and Angel calms a little.
Once they remove Jim’s body from Angel’s house, the police tell us they will be in touch tomorrow. I go to the hospital with Angel in the ambulance, and I ask Dad to lock up. I get Angel’s crutches, purse, and a change of clothes from her bedroom before leaving.
“We’ll drop your car off at the hospital,” my Dad says while opening my car to turn off the headlights that I left on.
Angel and I ride to the hospital in silence in the ambulance. She holds my hand tightly and cries softly the entire way there. She flinches when they hit a bump and keeps her legs tightly together.
I sit beside Angel in the E.R. as she holds my hand. She still hasn’t said anything. I think she may be in shock. They want to do a rape kit on her, and I wait outside her room. My stomach turns at the thought of Jim forcing himself on her.
I know what a rape kit consists of and I want to be in there with her. They will give her a vaginal exam and swab for DNA from the semen. It’s a simple test but for a rape victim, it can be very traumatic. They will identify the semen with a special light then test for DNA from the semen by sending it to a lab. Sometimes semen is not always detected, if contraception was used.
When the doctor is done, I walk back into Angel’s room and she is crying. The doctor tells us they want to keep her overnight for observation and they want to give her the morning-after pill and something to calm her. He explains the morning-after pill is 95% effective if taken within 72 hours of the assault. He tells Angel she has some vaginal trauma and some lacerations on her face. All the injuries will heal on their own without medical intervention, but she will be sore for a while. They give her some brochures on rape intervention meetings and a list of therapists for her to talk to. They check her right arm and leg; she hasn’t suffered any more injuries to them. Angel listens but doesn’t say anything. I sit beside her and hold her hand and offer comfort and support. It’s the only thing I know what to do for her. They encourage her to go to counseling and she only nods.
The lab technician comes in to draw blood. They want to check for Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Angel throws up in the emesis basin, and I know it’s the events of the night causing it. I could throw up myself if I wasn’t trying to be strong for her.
Before the doctor leaves, he tells Angel the nurse will be in soon with some medication for her before they move her to a private room.
“I can’t take the morning-after pill,” she says quietly. “I’m Catholic, it’s against my religion. I’m sorry.”
I look up at her, but I don’t say anything.
“Oh, I see,” the doctor says.
“My religion won’t allow it. We don’t believe in abortions.”
“Miss Perez, it’s not an abortion; it’s more of a prevention.”
“I know what it is and I can’t take it.”
“Ok, Miss Perez. It is totally up to you. If you change your mind, you have up to 72 hours after the assault.”
“I won’t, but thank you.”
Once the doctor leaves, I stand up and stand beside Angel. She leans into me and wraps her small arms around my waist. I fist my hands in her hair and hold her tightly to me. After kissing the top of her hair, I whisper to her that I love her.
“Mason?”
“Yes, Beauty?” I say, leaning back just enough to look at her. I wipe her tears from her cheeks with my thumbs.
“I’m sorry.”
“Beauty, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I know what you must think of me.”
“If you think anything less than I love you with all my heart, then you don’t know what I am thinking.”
“Do you understand why I can’t take the pill?”
“Beauty, it is entirely your decision and I will back you up, no matter what.”
She leans into me and cries.
“It’s all right, I’m just glad it’s all over,” I say, holding her as tightly as I can without hurting her.
“It’s really over?” she asks while leaning back a little to see me.
“It is, and now you are free to live your life anyway you want to. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“I love you,” she says, leaning into me and wrapping her arms tightly around me.
“Oh, Beauty, I love you more” are the only words I can say.
The nurse comes in and medicates Angel with Xanax before moving her up to a private room. When she is settled in her room, I dim the lights and sit next to her on her bed.
“I want a shower, I have to wash him off me.”
“Ok, I understand, just give me a minute to get the nurse to help you.”
Once she is showered and dressed, I just sit beside her on her bed. I don’t say anything. I just sit there and stroke her cheek and hair over and over again. Angel holds my free hand before drifting off to sleep.
When she is finally asleep, I go into the bathroom and scrub my hands and face. I look in the mirror at my reflection. I think I should feel differently after just killing a man, but all I feel is relief, relief for Angel. She has lived in fear and has been terrorized for I have no idea how long. That sweet girl can now live her life any way she wants to.
I look at my clock — it is 1:17 a.m. I text Sara and Brea and tell them briefly what happened and that Angel, of course, won’t be in to work tomorrow. I text Mom and ask her if she can sit with Angel at the hospital while I work. I have to go to work because there isn’t anyone who can cover me since it’s my own private practice. Today would have been a good day for a sick day.
Mom arrives in plenty of time for me to go home and shower before work. I kiss a sleeping Angel and tell Mom when they release her to bring her by my office before going anywhere else. I also tell Mom to make sure they release her with a prescription for a low dose of Xanax. After everything she has been through, I want her to have something on hand if she needs it.
I call Mom when I get a break, and she informs me that Angel is awake and has just been released. I tell her when she brings Angel to the office to enter through the back door and wait for me in my office. I have a few more patients to see after lunch, then I’ll be done for the day. I make a mental list of the things I need to do today.
After finishing up with my last patient, I walk into my office and Mom and Angel are sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee. They stop talking when I enter the room. Angel puts her coffee cup on the coffee table and stands, and I walk over to her.
“Having a good day, Handsome?” she says as she wraps her arms around my neck.
“I am now, and you?” I smile.
“Better by the minute,” she says, standing on her tiptoes as she kisses me.
I have waited weeks for thi
s moment. I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her up off the floor. She giggles but never breaks contact with my lips. I kiss her back and she lets me. There is nothing holding her back now, and I can already see a difference in her. My mother clears her throat, and Angel pulls away from me.
“I’m sorry, Lilly,” Angel giggles.
I kiss her again and lower Angel on the ground and hold her steady until she gets her balance. She slowly sits back in the couch, pulling on her dress making sure her dress covers as much of her skin as it possibly can.
“Are you finished working, Mason?” my mother asks, smiling up at me.
“I am. I just saw my last patient and I can finish my charting in the morning.”
“Would you and Angel like to come over for dinner tonight?”
I look over at Angel, who smiles at me.
“Lilly, we would love to, thank you,” Angel says.
“Are you sure you are up to that?” I ask with furrowed brows.
“Yes, Mason, I am fine.”
My mother stands and hugs me. “I need to get going,” she says, then asks, “Is 7:00 a good time for you?”
“Perfect,” I say, looking over at Angel. She smiles.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to walk Mom out to her car. Or would you like to walk out with us?”
“No, I’m fine here, go ahead. Do you need us to bring anything tonight, Lilly?”
“No, Angel, thank you. I’ll see you tonight.”
I walk my mother out to her car. She tells me she hired a few contractors: one who specializes in blood cleanup, and a second one to replace the carpet in Angel’s bedroom. She also hired someone to replace the broken window and front door.
Wow, I didn’t think about that. Jim’s blood will be soaked into the carpet in Angel’s bedroom; also, blood will be splattered on the walls and the broken window and door.
I offer to pay my mother for the services she hired, but she tells me we’ll discuss it later. I kiss her goodbye and get back into the office where Angel is waiting.
First, I inform the office staff I am leaving and I will see them tomorrow. When I walk into my office, I find Angel is on her crutches, walking around and looking at everything. She designed my office for me and hasn’t seen it completed. She is standing by the bookshelf, holding a photo of me and her.
“When did you get this?” she asks while holding up the black and white photo identical to the one I put on her office desk in her home.
“The night we went to O’Leary’s Tiki Bar. Sara and Brea took pictures that night, and I had some printed off.”
“Some?” she asks, looking at the different pictures of us on the bookshelf and on my desk.
“These are my favorite ones; the other ones are framed at the penthouse.” I smile as I walk over to her.
“You framed these after we broke up?”
“I didn’t think of us as broken up, Beauty. I thought about us as you needing time to yourself. I knew we would be together again, I’m just glad it was sooner than later,” I say, bending down to kiss her.
“I’m glad you knew the truth even though I wanted you to believe the lies I was telling you. I was afraid Jim would kill you if we stayed together. That’s why I told you I was seeing someone else. I needed you to stay away from me to keep you safe.”
“I was watching your house every night, so I knew you weren’t seeing anyone.”
“You were?”
“I was. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. Angel, I am a big boy and I can take care of myself. I am so glad that this is behind us; now we can focus on us.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Dr. Myles,” she says as she leans up to kiss me.
“Shall we, Miss Perez?” I want to get my girl some lunch before we head home.”
“Ready whenever you are, doctor,” she says, giggling.
“You have no idea how much I have missed that sound.”
“What sound?” Angel says, listening to the silence.
“Your giggle,” I say, laughing. “Come on, Beauty, let’s go and start living.”
“Lead the way, Handsome.”
Angel
Mason holds the door open for me as we leave his office. After everything I have put him through, he is still the gentlemen I have come to love. He should have run far and fast from me, but he didn’t. He waited and fought for me until the end. He called me last night to try to warn me that Jim was granted and had posted bail, and then he showed up at my house ready to protect me at all costs.
Jim was already at the house when Mason called, but I knew why he was calling.
I am so grateful things ended the way they did. I feel bad that Jim is gone. He must have been sick for a long time. I hated him, but I never wanted him dead. A mother has lost a son and that saddens me. I am sure she loved him very much. I will never understand why Jim couldn’t just walk away.
The whole time Jim and I dated, I never met any of his family. He said they lived out of state, and he was always too busy to travel to see them. He would talk to his mother on the phone from time to time. I didn’t think it was odd at the time, but — with hindsight — I do now.
“What are you thinking about, Beauty?”
I look up at Mason, and a smile automatically forms on my lips. “I was just wondering how long it will take you to get tired of me,” I lie.
“Mmm, that is a good question,” he says, rubbing his scruffy chin and giving me his all dimpled smile.
“Mason, stop teasing,” I say, hitting his arm softly.
“All right, Beauty. You are right. I am teasing you,” he says, reaching over the console of the car to hold my hand. Where would my girl like to eat lunch today?”
“May we eat outside, please?”
“We may. What are you in the mood for?”
“Anything, you pick.”
“Do you want me to change first?” Mason asks, looking down at his scrubs.
“Nope, you look handsome as you are.”
“Handsome, huh? You do have a way with words, Miss Perez.”
“I love you,” I say, looking into his dark eyes.
“Beauty, I love you more,” he says while lifting my hand to his lips to kiss it.
We have lunch while sitting outside of the Twin Dolphins Marina and Grill in downtown Bradenton. We order salads while we sit outside admiring the view. Mason tells me he is happy that I am doing better although he thinks I should stay with him for a while. He goes on and on about the benefits of me being there with him. None of which is a sexual reason. He also tells me I need to schedule an appointment with a rape intervention.
I don’t say anything even though I have already made the appointment, I have also decided I don’t want to be apart from him for another night. I just nod and smile as he talks.
“Well, Beauty, what do you say? Should I go to your place and pack you a bag or two?”
“I think that is a great idea.”
He gives me an all-dimple smile and waves to the waitress for the check. “Eat up, Beauty.”
Mason wants to stop by my cottage to grab some of my things for me before going to his parents for dinner. He doesn’t want me to go inside the cottage although I have assured him I am fine.
We pull up, and I see a three white vans in the driveway. One has a logo on the door that reads, “Carpet Outlet” and another van’s logo reads “Specialty Cleaners for All Your Cleaning Needs.” The last van says “Mobile Window Replacement.” I look over at Mason and he tells me his mother is having someone replace the carpet and window and clean the walls.
“Why would she do…? Oh, I didn’t think about that.” I shiver after I get a cold chill.
“Are you ok?” Mason says, reaching over to warm my bare arm with his warm hand.
“I didn’t think about the blood,” I say, getting another cold chill.
“I didn’t either. My mother, however, did. I forgot to tell you. She must have called them early this morning for them to be here already.”
“I would rather you stay here, but if you want to come in, you can.”
“I need to come in; there are things I need and I would rather I get them than you. I don’t want you rummaging through my…. delicates.” I smile sweetly.
“Angel, I’m pretty sure I have seen your delicates before.”
“Mason, stop trying to embarrass me,” I say, laughing.
“Ok, I’m sorry. Stay here, and I’ll enter your cottage first and then I’ll come back out and get you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Mason walks into the cottage. Carl is standing at the doorway, watching the workers gather the last of their supplies. Mason walks through the house before returning to the car to get me.
I walk cautiously into my cottage.
“Angel, it’s great to see you and I am so glad you are all right,” Carl says, leaning in to hug me gingerly.
“Thank you, Carl.”
Mason walks the workers and Carl to the door and thanks them for a job well done. He also thanks Carl for letting them in and overseeing their work. I wait at the door for Mason; I do not want to walk through the house alone.
“Come on, Beauty, let’s get your delicates all packed up,” Mason says, walking towards the bedroom. He stops at the entrance to the bedroom door and waits for me to join him. I know he is having flashbacks from last night.
I walk to the bedroom door and stop next to him. I look at the bed, and then at the floor where Jim lay dead just a few hours ago. The new carpet has replaced the blood-stained carpeting, and the new bay window is installed as well. I am so grateful that Lilly thought to have it replaced.
The smell of fresh paint fills the air. The comforter on the bed has been replaced with a new one along with the bedside lamp.
Mason walks into the bedroom and tells me he thinks the new carpet looks great. I know he is trying to take my mind off my thoughts of Jim.
“It sure does,” I say, smiling and walking into the bedroom.
I’m not about to have a breakdown here and now. Mason killed Jim to save my life, and I don’t want him to dwell on that. These memories will no doubt haunt us both for a long time. A doctor is supposed to save lives — a doctor who takes a life will certainly suffer repercussions from it.
Starting Over Trilogy Boxset Page 30