by Khan, Jen
I smile back.
He slides out of me and lays next to me, pulling the blankets over our bodies. He tugs me into his arms. I wrap my arm around his middle and put my cheek to his chest.
His hand roams up my back and his voice sounds like he is smiling when he says, “I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here in my arms.” He kisses on the top of my head.
I lift my head back, resting it on the pillow to get a better look at him. He looks down at me.
“This is nice,” I smile.
“It is,” he agrees and dips his head, kissing along my jawline. That is another thing I love that he does along with calling me baby and beautiful.
Braden falls back on his pillow and I follow him, putting my head back to his chest letting out a sigh of contentment.
We lie like this silently for a while until sleep takes me over.
******
“What the hell?”
“I need to see my kid.”
“What you need to do is leave my house and never come back.”
I am slowly coming through the fog of sleep, blinking my eyes and peer at the bedroom door.
It opens and Braden is standing in the doorway. He is wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms. He has a blank look on his face, which sends an alarming jolt coursing through my body. I perch up on an elbow.
“Baby,” he says quietly. “Your father is in the living room.”
“What?”
I throw back the covers, bolt out of bed, round Braden, and stomp my way down the hall.
I don’t make it very far when he hooks me around the waist, bringing my back to his front. “Clothes,” he whispers.
Shit.
I walk around the room, retrieving my tank top and underwear. I was so blinded with rage that I didn’t think to put on pants.
I stomp my way through the hall and into the living room.
“Un-fucking-believable!” I screech.
He is here for more money. He went off and blew the six grand Braden had given him on drugs, drinks, and whores. That has to be the only explanation.
He isn’t getting shit.
Joseph Chase no longer has a place in my life. I made that decision the day I woke up in a hospital bed a few months ago.
I round the hall into the living room and see my father standing near the dinner table looking weak and defeated. His hair is disheveled like he just rolled out of bed, and according to the dark circles under his eyes, that is a big possibility. He also needs a good shave.
He looks like he’s aged ten or fifteen years since I saw him last. His clothes are wrinkled and his shirt is half tucked in and half out.
When I approach him, he smiles. “Emma bear,” he greets.
“Don’t!” I snap.
“Come give your old man a hug.”
“Don’t you come near me,” I snap again, louder this time.
He stumbles back on his feet and sways a little.
Great. He is drunk. No surprise there.
“Leave!” I shout, and his eyes do a sweep of my body in my tank and panties before he looks over my shoulder.
I follow his gaze to see Braden there, resting against the doorframe to the hall with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I just wanna talk to her,” he says to Braden.
Braden watches us without answering.
“You’re leaving, “I announce. Reaching around Joe, I pull the door and slap my hands to my hips. I nod to the door. “Now.”
“Emma,” Joe says.
“Leave,” I say back.
Joe stumbles toward me and stops. “I just wanted to see how my kid was hangin’ in there. Can’t a dad pay a visit to his daughter anymore?” he slurs.
“No, he may not,” I answer.
“What’s crawled up your ass?” he slurs.
My eyes go wide. Braden’s eyes are on me and then he materializes next to me.
“Leave,” I demand.
“You uppity little bitch,” Joe snarls.
“Go,” I whisper.
“Look, I just need a little money and I’ll be outta your hair.”
“Jesus, Joe!” I yell.
Braden’s arms are around my shoulders. “Fuck!” he quips.
I see red.
“Get. Out,” I say through clenched teeth.
Joe drops his head, rubbing the back of his neck, and says, “You’re not gonna leave your old man out to dry, are ya?”
Now I really see red.
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“You owe me everything, you spoiled little bitch. I raised you. I fed you. I put a roof over your head!”
I slam the door, cross my arms over my chest, and stomp my foot like a child. I lean in slightly and jab my finger at him. “You hardly raised me. I was lucky if you remembered to feed me and we lived in squander. You were out drinking and snorting and gambling all of the money away. You brought hookers home and had wild parties with me in the house. Not exactly an ideal childhood.”
Braden puts an arm around me and squeezes.
Joe sweeps my body with his eyes and barks, “You ungrateful little slut.”
Braden’s body jerks, and next thing I know, his hand is around Joe's neck.
I put my hand on Braden's arm, "Let him go." His eyes slide to mine. "Braden, let him go," I repeat.
His eyes glare at me and now turn on Joe. He releases him.
Joe clutches his throat coughing, desperately sucking in air.
I take one long stride towards him. "I think you get the fact that we don't want you around, Joe. Now, will you leave? Or does Braden have to physically remove you from his house?"
He watches me for a few moments longer, straightens his torso, and with another blow, he says, "Your mother would be ashamed of the way you ended up."
It's as if the man has no grip on reality.
My mind goes blank, and before I can understand what I am doing, I draw back and throw an open-handed smack right across his face with every ounce of strength I have. His head jerks to the side, his hand to his cheek, face filled with shock.
Braden wraps his arms around me, pinning my wrists to my body, my body pressing to his front. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
I don’t say anything else. My mind is scrambling in every direction. I hate this man. I hate him as much as I hate Jose Delgado. Maybe even more right in this moment.
After the shock wears off of Joe’s face, he narrows his eyes at me. “You shoulda died instead of your mother,” he seethes, “She was the love of my life! It shoulda been you!”
My body jerks as if his words kicked me.
“Out!” Braden orders. Joe opens his mouth to speak again, but Braden is done with him. “I’m not saying it again.” He releases me and stalks to Joe.
Joe looks at him and declares, “I’m leaving, I’m leaving.”
Braden yanks the door damn near off its hinges. Joe’s eyes meet mine before he walks out the door.
Braden slams the door, locks it, and comes to me. My eyes find the floor very interesting. I can’t bring myself to look up at him.
All he says to me is, “Baby.”
I lean in towards him, curling my fingers and placing them and my forehead to his chest. Braden cups his hand to the back of my head, the other running up and down my back soothingly.
“Please look at me,” he whispers.
I keep my forehead pressed to his chest as I nod my head.
I look up to him to note the concern on his face. He squeezes my waist, kisses my forehead, and releases me, muttering, “Breakfast.”
I follow him to the kitchen, climbing onto a stool and watching him as he fills the coffee pot with water.
I get lost in my mind again. It’s horrible. This unpleasant, horrible, ugly feeling grows inside of me.
I was getting better. I was building a new life. I have friends and family and Braden. God, he is this wonderful man and he is all mine. He is my hero. That knight in shining armor you hear stories
about but aren’t quite sure if you’ll ever meet him. The stuff that Disney movies are made of.
Joe weaseled his way back and I’m deduced to this again. Shit.
A strangled sob I don’t even recognize as my own escapes me and I cover my mouth with my hand.
Braden rounds the bar of the kitchen and comes to me. “I was impressed with that slap, baby.”
It is all coming to me at once. Every emotion I’ve had buried deep inside. My walls are cracking right in this very moment. Everything I’ve stored away to worry over at a later date starts to bubble up inside.
I look up at Braden’s face and my lip starts to tremble. His hands come to my hips and he pulls my body to his.
“What’s happening to me?” I whisper.
“Baby,” he whispers back.
“I was raped, Braden,” I state. His body goes tight and he stands straight. “I was raped,” I repeat, “and all that fucker cared about was getting more money out of me.”
One of his arms stays around my waist but the other comes up to cup my cheek, pulling my head back to look up at him. His thumb circles the apple of my cheek. “Em, I’ll make sure he never gets near you again.”
I look into his eyes, where I see certainty. He is relaying to me with his eyes that he is going to take care of all things related to Joe.
His head bends down so that we were at eye level. “You got me, baby? I’m not going to let him anywhere near you again.”
I breathe out, closing my eyes and going over all the reasons why I love this man so very much.
His arm gives me a squeeze. “I’ll pay him off. Right him a big enough check to keep him away. I’ll pay him off with the condition that he never comes near us again.”
“You can’t do that—“I start but I get another squeeze.
“Em, it’s done.”
I narrow my eyes at him when I state, “No you will not!”
“It’s done.” He nods with certainty.
“Braden!”
“I want him out of your life. I don’t mind writing a check to make that happen.”
“Braden!”
“It’s done.”
I am getting really pissed when there is a knock at the door. Braden watches me and I get one more squeeze before he rounds me to go to the door. He turns to me.
“Em, I love that you are comfortable enough to wear next to nothing in my apartment, but I’m gonna have to ask you to put some pants on. Can’t have everyone seeing how sexy my girlfriend is.”
I look down at my pink tank and white panties. Oh my God! It finally dawns on me that I barely had any clothes on when that whole incident between me and my father went down.
I nod and head back to the bedroom.
I take a shower, throw my hair back in a messy bun, and lightly apply makeup. There are a couple of muffled male voices coming from the living room.
After I am done getting dressed in jeans and thin long-sleeved emerald green scoop-neck tee, I head in the direction of the voices.
Jake is sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand, talking to Braden, who is sitting on the arm chair next to him. Both sets of eyes move to me when I enter the room.
“Jake,” I smile.
He stands and pulls me in for a hug. “Good morning, Emma. Just the girl I wanted to talk to.”
I walk to the couch and plop down next to him. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I have favor to ask of you. You see, there’s this girl I know that needs a job. She’s a single mom with a shitty boyfriend who strips. I don’t like the idea of her being a stripper. She’s not the type. On top of that, she needs to get out from under that loser she’s shacked up with. Her little boy…” Jake sighs. “He’s an amazing little man. He doesn’t stand a chance with that loser boyfriend of hers hanging around.”
“Jake? Honey, are you sweet on this girl?” I ask.
“I just need to pull out a favor for a friend, Em.”
“Mmmm hmmm…”
“Baby, give Jake a break. If getting his girl a new job gets him a piece, help him out.”
Braden and I laugh together while Jake scowls at his brother.
“Fuck off, bro,” Jake grumbles. He looks back to me. “Please, Em. I know you need the help, and Claire’s a sweet girl.”
“Claire’s her name, huh? I do like the name Claire.” I lay my head on the back of the couch and look up to the ceiling, pretending to be deep in thought just to make him stew.
“Well,” I go on, “I did fire that idiot Murphy and could use the extra help.” I roll my head to the side to look at Jake. “Tell Claire to come in and fill out an application. I’ll give her an interview and answer on the spot.”
Before my brain can register what is happening, Jake has his hands under my armpits and is lifting me into his lap.
Damn, the Holt brothers are strong.
“Thanks, sis. You do this for me, I owe you big.”
“Yeah you do,” I mutter. I kiss him on his head and roll off Jake’s lap. “Well, boys, I’m going to have to pass on coffee. I just realized that I have to go shopping and get ready for tonight. Braden and I have a nice, quiet dinner date planned for my birthday.”
I don’t really have to go shopping, but it’s been a while since Jake’s had a day off and I know that Braden misses him, so I figured I would give them this time together.
“Nice and quiet, huh?” Jake asks.
“Yes, nice and quiet. Tell Claire to come see me as soon as possible. I need to fill Murphy’s position.” I kiss Braden on the forehead, whirl on my heels, and head for the bedroom to grab my purse.
“You got it. Oh and Em?”
I stop halfway down the hall and face Jake.
“Thanks again. This means a lot to me.”
I smile back at him, knowing how important this girl Claire must be to him. I can’t wait to meet her.
Chapter Twenty
When we arrive at Holt's after my fabulous birthday dinner at Giovanni’s Trattoria, I am surprised to see that it is dark. The back door is ajar, but I can’t see anyone. Great. It’s my birthday and it’s my night off and chances are I am going to have to put out a fire. So, not what I need tonight.
Braden parks and unfolds himself from behind the wheel before rounding the hood and coming to my side. A man who knows the importance of opening doors for a lady. I like this display of chivalry.
He opens my door, taking my hand and helping me out of the car.
I lean in towards him, to which he stops and faces me. I look up at him, his face gets soft as his hand comes up and cups my jaw, using his thumb to circle the apple of my cheek.
Braden brings his face to mine so we are mere inches apart.
“When I’m finished dealing with Delgado, can you take me away? Somewhere far away. Fiji sounds good. Take me to Fiji, will ya?”
A low chuckle emanates from deep in his chest. “You want Fiji, baby? You got it,” he responds.
I nod my head affirmatively in response.
He dips his head to mine so that our foreheads are touching. His eyes close as he whispers, “Sounds like a plan.”
I tilt my head back and he touches his lips to mine. He drops his hand from my jaw and takes my mine, pulling me up the steps to the back entrance.
We make it inside and the whole place is completely dark. “What the—” I start as the cheering begins.
I still next to Braden, gripping his hand tighter. He squeezes me back, and that’s when the lights come on and everyone approaches us, singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ Jim is carrying a large sheet cake that is lit up, leading my group of friends and coworkers.
“What is…”I mutter but decide to keep quiet as everyone stands before me, finishing their birthday greeting.
I notice a large group of people, all friends and regulars from the bar who have become friends, balloons, streamers, and a huge banner that reads, “Happy Birthday, Emma!”
Everyone is here. Hugo and Tony, Charlena, Bob, Big Pete, Bobbie and Jo
sh, and Mike and Bernie (who recently became a couple and I couldn’t be more thrilled). Of course Holly, Olivia, Jim, Tristan, and Jake are here.
Holly and Olivia walk around Jim, throwing their arms around me in an "Emma sandwich." Holly's words, not mine. Tristan comes up to me, lifts me in the air, and shakes me like a rag doll. God, he is strong. He drops me back to my feet and hands me off to Jake, who lifts me into his arms in a bear hug.
“How does it feel to be dirty thirty, sis?”
I push my hands to his chest and narrow my eyes at him. Jake snaps his head back and roars with laughter. I’ll deal with him later.
“Emma?”
I glance over my shoulder and see that Jim is still holding my cake up.
“Blow out the candles so I can put this thing down,” he quips.
I smile at him, make my wish, blow out the candles, and kiss Jim on the cheek.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Jim smiles as he puts the cake on the top of the bar.
Braden wraps an arm around my waist, bringing my back against him. I can feel his warm breath on my neck.
“Happy birthday, baby,” he says quietly against my skin. His lips meet my neck, causing a shiver to run through me.
I examine my crowd of loved ones. They are all part of my family now. I smile while I let that sink in. After all these years, I finally have a family. It’s not your typical blood-related family. None of us share blood except for the Holt brothers, Olivia, and Jim, but we are all family. I don’t know how I went so long without them.
The tears prick the back of my eyes as I watch them all studying me.
This is all real. These people care about me. Hell, these people love me. I have never had a family, and now I do and it is beautiful.
“Thank you. I love all of you,” I call out to them.
“Emma needs a beer!” Juice announces, rounding the bar.
I see that they put out nachos, wings, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, massive amounts of macaroni salad, dips, and plates on the bar. I allow my body to absorb into Braden’s, wrapping my arms over his, which are still at my waist.
Juice offers me a light beer. I accept it from him and take a sip.