Saving Us

by Heather D'Agostino

  I nodded as I sat beside him. “I just thought…”

  “What? That I’d not care? That I’d demand something from you?” His voice sounded hurt, not angry, and I turned to see pain in his eyes. “My father never cared whether my mother wanted to or not. I’d hear her trying to reason with him on the nights she just wanted to sleep. I can’t believe you’d think I would do that.” Pain filled his features as he shifted, and pulled a bent leg up on the bed. He turned to face me, “I love you. I love being with you, but you can always tell me no. Sex is something that both parties should enjoy, and if you’re not, then I won’t be able to either.”

  I nodded as I released a deep sigh, “I’m sorry. I just…Richard always.”

  Cole stopped me by placing a finger over my lips, “I’m not him. You can tell me anything; I’ll never do the things he did. Do you hear me? Never.”

  I nodded again before throwing myself into his arms, “I’m sorry.” I hugged his neck as I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Guilt filled me as I thought about what I’d just done. I’d unknowingly put him in the same category as his father. Cole was nothing like Richard and nothing like his father. The more I slipped back into the past, the more Cole proved me wrong.

  ooooooooo

  “You gonna sleep all day, or get up and eat something with me?” Cole smirked as he rolled onto his side and snuggled into me effectively ending my musings about the night before.

  “I’m still kinda tired, but whatever Wes is cooking sure smells good,” I groaned.

  “Wes knows his way around a kitchen,” Cole chuckled, “but if we don’t get up, there won’t be anything left for us to eat.”

  “About last night,” I murmured causing him to pause where he sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Don’t worry about it; just promise me that you’ll talk to me and not try to hide whatever it is you’re worried about. I’m not him, and I’m never gonna be him.”

  “Deal,” I nodded my head as I got up, grabbed my robe, and began shuffling toward the door. “Let’s go eat,” I grinned and began making my way downstairs.

  “It’s about time!” Wes quipped as we walked into the kitchen. “I thought I was going to have to beat your door down.”

  “Shut up, asshole,” Cole grumbled as he shouldered past Wes and began fixing two cups of coffee.

  “You must have been up awfully late,” he grinned as he turned and leaned against the counter. He was only wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, and when he crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps flexed with the movement.

  Cole glared at him as he handed me my cup of coffee sat on a barstool beside me. “We were tired,” he glanced at me before turning his gaze back to Wes. “How’d you sleep? Your hand do its job last night?” He grinned as he wrapped an arm around me pulling me closer to his side.

  “I’m afraid of what I might have to do to my room after you two vacate it,” Wes grunted before placing several plates of food in front of us.

  “Nothing that you didn’t have to do after Vicki left,” Cole’s eyes widened when he realized his slip. “Sorry, man,” his shoulders slumped. “I didn’t think…”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Wes waved a hand in the air. “She was a bitch; I’m over it.”

  “How are things with Erin?” I tried to change the subject. I’d seen them flirt and I’d secretly wondered if they’d gone out yet or not.

  Wes’s face crinkled before he chuckled, “Not gonna happen.”

  “What? Why?” I gasped.

  “I don’t date clients, and she’s most certainly a client.” He lifted a piece of toast and tore a bite off.

  “But I thought,” I shook my head as I snapped my mouth shut.

  “This fucker doesn’t date,” Cole pointed at Wes and laughed when Wes’s eyes bulged. “He meets women, takes them home, and fucks them. He doesn’t get their number, and he doesn’t keep them around.”

  “But?” I tried again.

  “Shut up!” Wes shook his head and huffed.

  “It’s true,” Cole looked at him exasperatedly. “Ever since the bitch burned you, you haven’t seen anyone more than once.”

  “I said. Shut. Up.” Wes slammed his fist down on the bar causing me to jump in my seat. When he saw my reaction, his face paled. “I’m sorry. Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” he shook his head as guilt filled his features.

  “It’s ok,” I mumbled.

  “No it’s not. I’m around women like you all the time. I should know better,” he chastised himself. “Fuck,” he hissed.

  I tried again, “It’s ok.”

  Wes’s eyes darted from mine to Cole’s before he finally relaxed enough to slip back into the easy banter we normally had. “So I don’t mean to be a buzz kill or anything, but you do know we have to go back to reality today, right?”

  I sighed as I leaned my head on Cole’s shoulder. “As much as I’ve enjoyed it here, I miss things about reality.”

  “Like what?” Cole mused.

  “Like work, Zeb, Erin,” I looked up at him. “Zeb’s like my child. I haven’t seen him in days. I bet he thinks I left him.”

  “How’s the whole adoption thing going?” Cole smiled at me. We’d talked about him adopting Zeb a while ago, but then everything happened, and that plan got pushed aside.

  “He’s still available. Most people want a puppy,” I looked away.

  “So, I could still take him?” His eyes watched mine.

  “Yeah,” I giggled. “You really want to take on a dog right now though?”

  “Of course I do. I owe him everything,” he shrugged. “He’s the reason I met you.”

  “Well,” I smiled. “When I go into work tomorrow, I’ll start the process. It takes a few weeks. You’ll need to come by so he can bond with you, and we’ll go over care, stuff like that,” I waved my hand in the air.

  “Sounds great,” he chuckled. “Maybe reality won’t be so bad.”

  “And what am I?” I elbowed him in the side.

  “I love spending my days with you, but you work all the time. Zeb doesn’t,” he winked as he scooped some eggs into his mouth and hummed in approval.

  “You two act like an old married couple already,” Wes rolled his eyes at us.

  Cole and I both looked at each other and laughed. “Not ready for that yet, dude,” he chuckled. “I’ve got to finish getting through the walls first,” he whispered so quietly that I barely heard him, but I knew what he meant. I was still pushing him away at times, and there were still trust issues that we were working through. I was trying, but as I sat there watching him, I knew that we still had some hills to climb.

  In a few days, we were going to come face-to-face with Richard and both our pasts, and it was going to be a true test of our strength. Cole’s day in court would be a defining moment for us. A moment that would either bond us tighter, or blow us to bits, and as much as I wanted it to be over, I still feared the damage that Richard could wreak.

  Chapter 13

  Maddie

  The drive back to the city was uneventful, and when Cole pulled up to my apartment complex, I insisted that he go home to his place. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him there, but I had to work the next morning, and we’d been joined at the hip for the last five days. I loved him, but I wanted a little alone time.

  “I promise I’ll meet you tomorrow at the dog park with Zeb,” I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I don’t like the idea of you being here alone,” he grumbled as we stood in the doorway of my place.

  “Richard doesn’t know I’m back. I’m only sleeping here and then I’m going to work in the morning,” I mumbled against his lips as I kissed him again. “I promise; I’m fine.”

  Cole sighed, but relented and left me for the night.

  ooooooooo

  Now, driving to work, a small sense of independence surges through me. For the first time in a long time, I feel happy and proud. I’m not worried about what lurks around the corner, a
nd I’m looking forward to meeting up with Cole later. The thought of running into Richard isn’t even on my mind. Moments like this make me feel normal. These are the moments that cause me to let my guard down. These moments are the ones that let the darkness sneak up on me without me even knowing.

  “Morning,” Jo called as I sauntered in the door of the clinic.

  “Good morning,” I smiled. “What’s on my schedule for the morning?”

  “You’re free until nine, then Mrs. Greenburg is bringing in Spike to be neutered.”

  “Finally,” I sighed. “She’s been putting that off long enough. Spike keeps visiting their neighbor’s Collie. I’d hate for poor Millie to have puppies again.”

  “Tell me about it,” Jo rolled her eyes. “Oh,” she held up her hand as I started to turn and grab some files before heading toward my office “You’ve got a visitor.”

  I wrinkled my forehead in confusion as she grinned at me. I wasn’t expecting Cole, so I wasn’t sure who else would come to my office other than Erin.

  “He’s cute, too,” she winked. “I want an introduction if you’re not dating him.”

  I turned and picked up the stack of files on the main check-in desk and rushed down the hall hoping that my instincts were wrong, that Cole was waiting on me. When I rounded the corner and saw who was sitting in my chair, all the papers in my hands fell to the floor.

  “It’s nice to see you, Madison.” His voice held a fake happiness. “You sure didn’t mind keeping me waiting these last few days,” he stood and rounded my desk as he moved closer to me.

  “What do you want?” I hissed as I backed away from him.

  “What do I want?” he laughed humorlessly. “I want you,” he waved his hand dismissively at me, “to realize that whatever you think you have with this thing against me…is nothing. You won’t win.” He rolled his eyes as if I was of no consequence to him.

  “You and that overgrown muscle think you can outsmart me? All you’re going to do is show the world what a whore you truly are and he’s gonna lose everything he’s got, he and his sister.” He grinned when he saw the shock on my face. “Yeah, I know about her,” he nodded. “I’m gonna sue him for defamation of character when this is all said and done. I know what you’ve told him about me, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut in court.”

  “Get out!” I pointed to the front door of the clinic.

  He chuckled as his head shook, “Go ahead, and exert what little power you have now.” He leaned in close to me when he started to walk past, “When all this is over, I’m taking back what’s mine. I’ll show you who you belong to Madison, and you won’t forget so easily next time.”

  My body trembled as he inched past me brushing his fingers along my arm in the process. I fought against the urge to pull away. As much as I didn’t want to believe his words, I knew that he was going to fight until the end, and I didn’t know when the end would be.

  “Are you ok?” Jo gasped when she walked down the hall a few minutes later. “I saw the papers and thought something happened.”

  “I’m fine,” my voice quivered. “If that guy ever comes in here again,” I lifted my eyes and blinked as I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. “Call the police.”

  “Shit!” Jo hissed as she rushed over to my desk.

  “I’m fine, really,” I held my hand out to stop her. “I just need some time to myself.”

  “Well, if you want to talk, I’m here,” she gave me a sad smile before scurrying back out into the main office.

  ooooooooo

  As the day wore on, I pushed thoughts of Richard into the back of mind. I didn’t want him to monopolize my day, but he had a habit of ruining things for me no matter what. I kept running over what he’d said about Cole and his sister. How did Richard know anything about Cole’s sister, and how did she play into all this? I knew I needed to talk to him about this, and make sure he was aware of Richard’s threat.

  “All right boy,” I patted Zeb’s head as I released the clasp on the leash. “Have fun.” Zeb took off running across the large green area in front of me, and I made my way over to the bench where Cole was meeting me.

  “Hey,” his voice sounded not long after I sat down.

  “Hey,” I smiled up at him as he approached.

  “Where’s Zeb?” He reached up and shielded his eyes as he searched the park.

  “Somewhere out there,” I laughed. “It’s too hot to be in the sun today, so I’m staying here.” I slid over, allowing Cole to sit beside me. Summers in Boston weren’t bad most of the time, but we did have hot days, and now that summer was in full swing, we were getting them.

  The walk to the park had worked me up enough that I could feel a few droplets of sweat trickling down my back, but being in the sunshine and breeze made it worth it. What I needed to work on now was calming down so I could tell Cole about this morning.

  “I need to tell you something,” I looked up at him and motioned for him to sit. “But you have to promise to let me finish.”

  “Sure,” he slowly lowered himself beside me before placing his elbows on his knees. “Why do I get the feeling this is bad?” he sighed.

  “Richard came to my office this morning. He was there when I got to work. Jo didn’t know,” I clarified when Cole lifted his head to look at me. “Anyway,” I blew out a breath. “He threatened me. Told me I needed to stop whatever I thought I was proving with you. He said he was going to end you.”

  Cole reached over and placed his hand on my knee, “Don’t worry about me.”

  I gave him a pained expression as I sucked my lip into my mouth and bit down on it. “How’s your sister?”

  That got his full attention and his head snapped up, “She’s fine, why?”

  “Did she go back to California?” I was trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice, but it cracked as I watched him.

  “No,” he shook his head. “She came back after I got out of the hospital; and she’s been staying with me ever since. Why the sudden interest in Angela? What does she have to do with all this?” He ran his hand though his hair before he rose to his feet.

  “Richard said he was going to take everything you had. He said you and your sister were going to lose everything. Cole?” I tipped my head back so I could make eye contact with him. “How could he hurt your sister?”

  ooooooooo

  Cole

  That fucking asshole. I can’t believe he fucking showed up at her work. Maddie can’t seem to escape that fucker. He keeps popping up every time we get rid of him.

  “She’s pregnant,” I let the words fall from my lips and Maddie sucked in a breath. “That asshole better stay away from my sister,” I began pacing in front of the bench. “He better fucking stay away, or I’m gonna kill him,” I roared and the full impact of my words rolled over me.

  “Nice! Just what I wanted to hear, a threat,” I spun around to see the owner of those words leaning against a tree not too far behind us. “It’s nice to see our conversation had its desired effect on you today,” he smirked as he eyed Maddie and pushed off the tree, moving closer to us.

  “You better walk away while you can still walk,” I threatened as I stood in front of Maddie.

  “Cole, don’t!” she grabbed my arm stopping me. “This is what he wants. He wants to cause you to lose it. He wants you to beat him up. It’ll help his case. He’s proving his point.”

  My body shook as I held onto my control. This fucker didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Maddie and she was fucking protecting him. “I’m fine,” I growled shaking her off. “I’m fine,” I reiterated.

  “Letting a woman tell you what to do?” Richard taunted. “She listened to me,” he nodded toward Maddie and winked at her.

  I felt her shrink behind me before I moved to lunge at him again, “You fucking asshole. Give me a reason to hit you!” Maddie’s hands flew out to stop me once again, and Richard’s head tipped back as he laughed. />
  “Seems like you’ve got your hands full with her. I’ll be around if you ever need some help. I think I might visit that sister of yours down at the Sports Bar,” he smirked when my face paled.

  No one knew about Ang’s job. We hadn’t told anyone she was back. Wes didn’t even know. We’d kept it quiet. She didn’t want anyone to know about the baby or why she was back, and it seemed that this asshole knew everything.

  “You didn’t think you could keep her a secret did you?” he taunted. “She’s a sweet little thing. I don’t think it would take much to break her. See you in court,” he smirked again as he turned and headed for the gate, whistling as he walked.

  “You’re staying with me until that fucker is locked away for good. You and Ang are not to go anywhere without me. Do you understand?” I turned and took Maddie by the shoulders as I watched Richard disappear around the corner.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “I’ll take you to work, and I’ll pick you up. Other than that, you don’t leave without me,” I bent my knees so I could look directly into her eyes. “I’m not letting him hurt me by getting to either one of you.”

  “I’m sorry,” Maddie sniffed as a tear broke free. “This is all my fault. He wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for me.”

  “This is not your fault. He’s the asshole here. What he did to you was wrong. No man has the right to do that to a woman, and I’m going to make sure he never does it again. Do you hear me?”

  She nodded as she collapsed against me, “What about your sister?”

  “I’ll call Wes. He can help; he owes me. He can watch Ang during the day, and I’ll watch you,” I hugged her tighter as I felt her sigh against me.

  “Like a body guard?” she laughed lightly.

  “Exactly. One ex-professional fighter and one bad ass trained by a professional fighter, how much better protection can you get?” I chuckled. “Now, call that dog over here so we can bond,” I placed a kiss on top of her head as I released her.

  As Maddie whistled for Zeb, I called Wes. I wanted him to go down to Carino’s and sit at the bar. Ang was going to have a fit when she realized he was there watching her, but he was the only one I trusted at the moment. Wes had a protective streak, and I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to my sister, but Ang had always hated Wes for his flirting and womanizing ways. Once she found out he was shadowing her, I was going to have hell to pay.