by S. Moose
“What about you? Care to fill me in on the situation with Aimee and Zoey?”
Remy pauses before answering, “You know, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I don’t know, man. Zoey’s comfortable and doesn’t expect anything from me. We fuck, and she leaves. I know she’s using me to get back at Lawrence. We keep fighting because she wants Lawrence to see her and I together. I told her I’m not playing any games and I’m too old for that shit. Then, there’s Aimee. She says it’s fine that we keep it a beneficial thing. She knows I’m not ready for a relationship, and I don’t see myself in one. I’m not blind though. She’s falling for me.”
“Let her go then. Don’t let her get too invested in you. It’ll hurt her in the long run.”
He sighs. “I wish I could let her go.”
“Come on. Let’s watch the movie, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Sounds good, man.”
The next afternoon in the office, I’m catching up on emails and waiting for Brett to come back with an update on where the hell Fin is. A knock gets my attention, and it’s my parents and Brett. The three of them sit down, and I join them at the conference table in my office.
“So?” I impatiently ask.
“No luck, boss. The company called me back and said the last they heard from Fin was a few days ago. He’s not responding to their messages. I put in a call to a friend and placed a trace on his credit cards, as per your request, and nothing.”
I slam the table with my fist. “Get me something, Brett.”
“Calm down, son,” my dad says. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. For now, let the police do their job. You can let Brett do the grunt work. Please. You need to think of Reagan and Dawson.”
My mother nods. “Drew, I know you’re in a tough position, and you want to do everything possible to get her justice, but, sweetheart, what you’re doing is illegal and dangerous. Take a step back. It’s Friday, so go home and go out. We’ll take Dawson for the weekend.”
I slump in my chair and let out a heavy sigh. I want to keep things light around Reagan. She’s been through enough, and I don’t want her to feel any of this stress or know what I’m doing.
“Okay.” I give in. “Brett, take the rest of the day off, and meet us tonight at ROOF.”
“Good choice, boss. My BFF works there and can get us a great table!” he exclaims. “I’ll see you around, say, ten?”
I nod. “Sounds good. Thank you for everything.”
“You’re so very welcome. The guy should pay for what he did. I’m just glad you’re all okay.”
“Thank you again, Brett.”
I hug my parents before going to my desk and shutting down. Someway, I’ll figure out where he is, and I’ll take matters into my own hands.
A night of celebrating our engagement is what we all need. Something to focus on other than the havoc Fin has brought into our lives.
Arriving at ROOF to find Brett has gotten us a private table from his best friend is a great addition to the evening. The music is lively, and the drinks are flowing. Reagan and Aimee have had three martinis since we got here two hours ago. I’m on my fourth beer, and Remy’s sober.
I look over his way and lean toward him. “You okay?”
“Zoey’s pissed we didn’t invite her. And now I’m not sure how she feels.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “You think she’s falling for you too?”
“I’m almost positive. She came over last night and asked where I was going. When I didn’t answer she begged me to stay with her so we could talk. Then she said she’s not sure how she’s feeling for me.”
“I’ll take her out for lunch and talk to her. Maybe she’s confused and doesn’t know what she’s feeling. Her breakup from Lawrence is still fresh. Plus, I didn’t think she’d want to come and be around Aimee. You figure things out yet?”
“I slept over at Aimee’s apartment last night. Zoey blew up my phone, telling me to come over. She sent some pictures and I think Aimee saw. She didn’t say anything though.”
I lean on my forearms and turn my head. “You can’t do this to them. Aimee’s Reagan’s best friend. If you hurt her, it’ll hurt Reagan, and then I’ll have to hurt you.”
“I’ll talk to her later. Not tonight. It’s Reagan’s night, man.”
“You’re right,” I tell him.
I lean back on the sofa and reach my arm over Reagan’s shoulders.
She slides over to me and leans in, bringing her lips close to my ear. “You’re amazing.”
“Nah, babe. You are.”
She giggles, and it’s the best sound in the world. The drinks she’s consumed relieve the tension I know she feels, but she has tried so hard to hide it.
“I gotta go to the restroom,” she adds as she kisses the side of my neck before pulling back.
“I’ll come with.”
She holds me back and shakes her head. “I’ll be fine. It’s just around the corner. Be back in five.”
“If you’re not back in four minutes, I’m coming for you.”
“I hope you will.” She winks and trots off.
The crowd gets bigger, and I look around. I’ve been overly observant lately, more so than normal. Scanning the room, taking in my surroundings, has become an involuntary act, like it is something as common as breathing. I notice Remy’s looking around as well. We’re both on high alert. It probably wasn’t the best idea to come out, especially on a Friday night. I should’ve listened to my gut and cooked at home for everyone. It would have been much easier for me to relax had I been in my own home versus some highly crowded club.
I look down and notice the time on my watch. “Aimee.” I get her attention.
The both of us stand up, and Remy follows.
“Can you go check on her?”
“Relax, Drew. She’s fine. There’s no way in hell he’s going to show up, not when the two of you are ready to kill.”
I look at my watch again before looking at Aimee.
“Fine. I’ll be back,” she says with a laugh. “I guarantee you, she’s fine. You’re being paranoid.”
“Thank you,” I tell her as I sit down, watching her walk toward the restroom.
They should be back in less than two minutes.
Reagan knows not to make me worry. She’ll be fine. It’s all in my head.
40
Reagan
I’m tipsy, but the delirium feels so good. I’ve been wound so tight over the last week or so that letting go feels liberating. At first, falling back into old habits threatened me. The fear, the panic—it’s all there. But, each time I look at Drew or hear Dawson laugh, I know I’m never going back to how things used to be. They need me, and I need them.
So, for tonight, I’m choosing happiness and forgetting the chaos around me to live for the life I have.
For the man I love.
I stand and brace my hand on the side of the stall, feeling light-headed. The drinks are hitting me hard, and I take a minute to catch my breath and relax a little. For the first time in years, I’m not wishing myself away or feeling nervous. I smile because, even though I’m unsteady, I feel amazing.
I even giggle to myself as I reach out to unlock the door.
I continue to hold on to the wall as I move toward the sink, and once I get there, again, I brace myself, trying to regain some balance.
“Hello, Reagan.”
I spin around to the sound of a deep, husky voice and almost fall as the room spins out of control.
“I know you didn’t truly believe I would just leave without reconnecting with my girl, did you?”
Bile rises in my throat as he moves closer.
“You and I need to have a little talk,” he states as he pauses only a few feet away.
I look over his shoulder as I weigh my options. There’s no way I’ll be able to get around him and to the door before he stops me. Not in my current state.
“You see, there’s something I need you to do for m
e,” Zane says as he takes another step closer.
“Zane, please, you don’t have to do this.”
His mouth lifts in a grin that makes my stomach tighten. “Call me Fin,” he says. “All my friends do. I haven’t gone by my middle name in years.”
It all makes sense now—how I was unable to pin Drew’s long-lost friend to the same man who nearly destroyed me.
The moment he reaches out and grips my arm, I screech in pain and fear.
The sound of the handle on the door behind him rattles.
“Reagan?” It’s the sound of Aimee’s voice as she continues to rattle the door in an attempt to open it. “Are you in there?”
I want to scream out for help, only I can’t. The moment Zane heard her, he covered my mouth with his hand, making it impossible for me to call out to her.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Reagan,” he whispers near my ear.
The urge to throw up hits me as I try to hold myself together.
“You already know you don’t stand a chance against me.”
“Reagan, open the door,” Aimee demands, followed by a loud thud. It is almost like she kicked the door.
Then, it goes silent, and panic shoots through me.
“It appears your friend has given up,” Zane says, still covering my mouth with his hand. “Now, back to our conversation.”
He backs me up to the wall next to the sink and holds me there, staring back at me with a crazed look in his eyes. “You need to explain to Drew that you’ve made a mistake. You wrongfully accused me of being the man who hurt you.”
It’s too late for that. He has to know that.
“I can go back to my life, and I’ll leave you and Drew to yours.”
Before I can answer, the door begins to rattle once again.
“Open the door, Reagan.” It’s Drew this time.
I see the panic in Zane’s eyes as he begins to look around the small restroom. There is no way out, not even a window.
The thrashing continues, and with each blow, the door vibrates against its frame.
“Come on, Reagan, open the damn door.” I can hear the worry in Drew’s voice, and it nearly breaks me.
Tears pool in my eyes as he continues to pound on the opposite side.
“Get security,” I hear Remy demand. Again, the pounding grows louder. “There has to be a way to break this handle or fuck up the frame or something.”
Zane turns just enough that his hand slips from my mouth, and I take the opportunity to scream.
“Help me!” echoes throughout the small space.
Before I have time to register it, a powerful blow hits my cheek, and my head collides with the block wall behind me. Dizziness consumes me as I try to fight through the pain that’s running throughout my face and head.
“Shut the fuck up,” Zane says as he wraps his hand around my neck, squeezing hard.
My own hands go to my neck, instantly fighting to loosen his grasp.
“Unless you want Drew to find you lifeless on the floor, I suggest you—”
Before he can finish his sentence, the door behind him flies open.
He moves faster than I can as he spins my body around to shield his own. His hand still tightly grips my neck, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
“Let go of her,” Drew demands, his voice vibrating with anger. Since I’ve known him, I’ve never seen such a murderous look in his eyes. “I’m going to kill you,” he tells Zane. “I’m going to make you cry in agony. I will watch you suffer. Break you, fucking destroy you.”
“You make a move, and your precious Reagan pays.”
I try to swallow, only he has such a tight grip on my neck that I’m unable to.
Drew’s gaze shifts to mine, and that anger in his eyes falters. The pain hidden there is enough to make me fall as tears begin to seep from my eyes. Those tears only seem to further his determination to save me as he quickly moves in.
A scuffle takes place, and I’m pushed to the side. I fall to the floor, my head hitting the ceramic tiles, as I heave to take in a breath. My throat aches with each attempt.
Cries of pain take place to my left, only I’m unable to see whom they are coming form.
Aimee moves in, practically dragging me toward the opposite side of the restroom and shielding me with her own body.
Three bodies roll around, and then I am able to focus enough to see whom they belong to. Drew and Remy both pummel Zane as he attempts to protect himself before each blow. I watch in horror as the grunts and painful screeches fill the small space.
Remy stands to move around the other two, and before he can get too far, Zane reaches out and hooks his legs. It feels like it is all happening in slow motion as I watch Remy teeter over. When he falls, the side of his head makes contact with the marble vanity. There’s a loud crack just before his lifeless body hits the floor. Aimee cries out, and I stare as a small pool of blood begins to cover the shiny white floor beneath him.
Aimee moves toward him and kneels down. She pulls her sweater off and holds it to the side of his head. The room fills with security, and they fight to pull Drew and Zane apart.
Yet, still, Remy doesn’t move.
“Someone, call an ambulance!” Aimee screams. Her voice goes right through me, making the reality of the situation more real. “Oh my God, please get help, someone, please.”
I look to Drew, who is crouched on the floor, looking between me and Remy, who still lies motionless in Aimee’s lap. Someone just outside the door hollers for someone else to call 911.
Aimee’s cries mix with my own, and they grow louder as I finally fall over the edge.
This can’t be real. None of this can be happening.
“Remy,” I cry, as if he’ll actually answer me.
His silence only makes me cry harder as my own anger takes over.
The security guard leads Zane from the restroom, his hands bound behind him. He is a mess. His face is already swollen with signs of what Remy and Drew inflicted on him. In the moment, I find it isn’t enough, and my own vengeful thoughts fill my mind. I want him to pay for the things he’s done—not only to me, but also to those I love.
Drew tries to get to me, only he can’t. The chaotic atmosphere around us keeps us apart as we watch a man we both love dearly being lifted to a gurney and wheeled from the room. Another paramedic begins looking me over, examining my face and neck. The painful feeling each time I take in a breath is an indication of the grip Zane had on my throat. I know that the damage is more than I believe it to be, but my thoughts are with Remy.
He has to be okay.
He has to.
41
Drew
I’m sitting in the far corner of the hospital room while Reagan’s asleep. The sound of raindrops hitting the window and sliding down the glass has my attention. Her screams repeat in my mind, and the pain of not being able to get to her fast enough is still deep inside me.
My cell phone beeps. I’ve set it to do that every two hours. I get up from the chair and make my way over to Reagan’s bed.
I gently shake her. “Baby, it’s time to wake up.”
“I’m up,” she whispers. “My name’s Reagan Halloway, and I’m in the hospital because of an altercation with Zane. My amazing fiancé is by my side. Better?”
I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Okay, smart-ass. I know you don’t like being woken up, but it’s what the doctors need you to do. I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t, Drew. I’m right here. A little banged up, but I’m here. And it’s because of you. As scared as I was, being trapped in the restroom with Zane, it was your voice that pushed me to hold on. I held on and didn’t let him win.”
My body tightens, and I see her fearful and hurt face with his hands on her body. My breathing becomes rigid. That fucker’s in jail where he belongs, and I’ll be sure he never sees the light of day again.
“Calm down, babe. Please.”
“I’m trying.”
“How’s Remy?”
I pull the chair over and sit back down, so I’m close to her. “Better. The both of you have a concussion, but since you’re both alert, they’re going to discharge you in the morning.”
She winces and turns her head to the other side. “This is my fault. If I never came to Chicago, Remy wouldn’t be in the hospital. I wouldn’t have caused all these issues.”
“Then, we wouldn’t have met, and I wouldn’t know what true love felt like. You can’t blame yourself, baby. You’ll get justice. I’ve hired the best lawyers in town, and I will make sure he remains in jail until his court date.” I take her hand and bring it to my lips. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Okay.”
The door slowly opens an hour later, and Aimee quietly walks in. Her eyes are swollen and red from crying. I wonder if everything’s okay. She pauses by the bathroom door, looking at Reagan and then at me. She slowly walks over and pulls over the other chair, so she’s sitting next to me.
“Zoey’s with Remy,” she sadly says. “He asked me to check on you guys. I stood outside the door and heard him tell her I meant nothing to him.”
I’m not sure what to say, so instead, I pull her near me, and she places her head on my shoulder.
“Three weeks ago, I saw my ex-boyfriend of two years announce his engagement. They’ve been together for about a year. He met her when we were going through a rough patch. He never physically cheated, but he opened himself up to her. He let her in while I was kept in the dark. The night we broke up, I got drunk and called him, but she answered in her sweet Southern accent. I immediately hung up and put all my energy into my law career. I’m a damn good lawyer. If I wanted, I could become partner. I guess I have to put that aside though.”
“Why? Because of Remy? He’s my best friend, but don’t put your dreams on hold for him. You’re too talented, nice, and beautiful to wait around for him.”
She sighs and lifts her head from my shoulder. “In eight months, I’ll have a new name.”