by H. Q. Frost
"It looks like one," I mumble, trying not to express in my tone how weird the question was.
"Brad's never realized," she quietly replies, staring at the necklace. "It's my favorite picture." Popping the locket, she smiles.
"How long have you had this?"
"The locket since I was a little girl. You in my locket since we were together years ago. I stopped wearing it," she admits and heads for the sink. "And when my divorce was final a few weeks ago, the night of my party that you and I reconnected, I found it the next day."
"That's why you were having a party. A divorce party?"
"My friends thought that'd be a fantastic idea." She rolls her eyes as she starts washing dishes. "I tried to act like it wasn't happening and Mandy wanted to celebrate."
"You didn't want the divorce?" I calmly ask and dig my hands into the water to help.
"Yeah, I asked for it. I loved him at one point. He fixed the broken heart you left me with. I hated you, loved you, hoped you were miserable, and felt so guilty all at the same time. And being with Brad helped me bury all that. Not deep enough though. He wanted to know why I was so hesitant to give my heart away again and information about you started coming out. I didn't realize I was so hung up on you still. I knew I was so angry at you though. So I fell in love, got married, and then one day out of the blue in the middle of the night he woke me up. He said 'You did it again.' I had no idea what he was talking about but apparently I called out your name. I dreamed about you all the time, Dom." She glances at me. "I didn't know I was calling out for you and I don't know why I would. You never fucking saved me." She rinses her hands and starts drying them. "He said 'I won't be second in your heart or your thoughts. You never stopped loving him like you said.' He suggested counseling, I suggested a divorce. And he served me with divorce papers. I said the words, and deep down wanted it, but felt horrible and hurt he would just give up on me like that. We wrote a story together for five years and he was just ready to rip those pages from his book." She chuckles in disbelief.
"Is it true?" I dry my hands with only one question I need an answer to right now.
"What?" she asks and walks to the kitchen table. "Is what I just told you true?"
"You never stopped loving me like you said?"
"I said I did. I always said I stopped loving you." She chuckles and heads for the couch. "I said it over and over."
"Did you ever fucking mean it, Nyla?" I'm getting aggravated she's avoiding my question, and worried she's going to confirm she did.
I never went into this thinking she still loved me, but after finding all this out, I have hope right now.
"I wanted to," she says and pulls me to sit on the couch before straddling me. "You broke my heart and it's going to take a lot for me to believe you won't leave me for prison again." Her tongue slides to my ear.
"I'm never going back, La," I promise as I slide my hands over the curve of her thick ass and keep going to her thighs. My fingers span her inner thighs so I can pull her legs wider for me and position her to rub against me.
"Promise me you'll stop with that life." She moans in my ear then clamps her teeth to my lobe.
"What life, baby? I'm not following any life that'll take me away from you again." I help the rock of her hips and she pushes harder against the steel in my jeans.
"Oh god," she moans and holds the back of my neck while her forehead pushes to mine. "Trouble, Dom. You love trouble and fighting. You got involved with deliveries thinking you were delivering illegal drugs. You got involved with a woman involved in the shadiest of shady shit."
"I didn't know any of that about her, and I didn't know what I was delivering," I claim and tilt her head, clamping my teeth to her flesh, making her grind a little harder. "I need money and it's easy money."
"You have to stop." Her fingers grip my hair and she yanks my head back, releasing my mouth from her neck. "You have to get straight for me. Living your life knowing you won't be locked up may seem boring to you, but I need that. I need to know that at the end of every day, you'll still be right where you belong." Her eyes keep flashing from mine to my zipper as she releases me. "Dom." Her hand strokes over me and I groan, dropping my head back. "Promise me."
In a quick yank I pull her shorts down and move her leg so I can get them off.
"Where do I belong, La?" I ask while I position her to sink over me.
"Right here," she breaths, sliding down my cock.
"I love you, Nyla." My kiss expresses that claim. "I'll never leave you again. I promise you."
This time we don't fall asleep on her couch, and when I get her in her bed, I fuck her deep and slow, promising everything she needs to hear to let me back into her life.
I'll change. For her.
"Why's it been two days since I've seen or heard from you, La?" I answer her call.
"Because I'm a busy woman. What're you up to?"
"I'm finishing up my last lawn for the evening," I respond and glance toward Keith who's been talking to the homeowner for thirty minutes. "I was talking to my mom about you and she wants you over for dinner."
"Oh yeah?" The sound of her chuckle makes me furrow my brows.
"Yeah… so, when can we set that up?"
"Soon."
"Like tonight?"
"Tonight's not good. I'm sorry," her tone is passive.
"So when am I going to see you next, La? What's goin' on with us? I was under the impression we were trying this again. You seem to be under the impression I'm a piece of ass."
When she laughs I roll my eyes but can't help my smirk.
"Let's get together, just you and me around eight. I'll be free by eight."
"I can tell my mom to prepare a late dinner."
"Just me and you tonight, Dom. It'll be late and I just want to unwind. We can watch some movies? Meet me at my house."
"Yeah. Fine." I'm not mad, but I am wary.
She's avoided me for two days, and again she wants to get together for sex and nothing more.
When I show up, she's already in comfortable clothes and looks tired.
"Hey." The smile on her face turns me into a sucker, and after she closes the door, she hugs and kisses me. Confirming I'm fucked for life with this woman. "What've you been up to?"
"Working. Waiting. Worrying."
"Wow." She grins at me.
"What've you been up to besides avoiding me?"
"I'm not avoiding you, Dom." She huffs and walks to the refrigerator, grabbing a beer. "I bought you beer."
"No thanks." I put it back. "I'm not here to drink beer."
"Okay. You want wine? You seem to be on a W kick."
"No, I'm here to see you, La. Spend time with you and I really don't want intoxicants coming between that."
"Okay." She nods her agreement then walks her glass of wine to the sink.
"You can drink the wine if you want it, Nyla." I huff. "Just tell me what's going on? I'm not going to be your booty call." That's a downright lie, because if she asked it of me, I would. "I'm sorry. I'm not there in my life anymore. I need something real and I need it from you."
"You're not my booty call." She kisses my chin then pulls me to the couch. "You know I'm busy with work and then the operation. Sometimes it's going to be hard to get in touch with me."
"Why?" I blurt. "Why should it be hard for me to get in touch with you unless you're hiding something?"
"Dom." She chuckles and straddles me, grabbing my face. "Because I'm busy and I start work at seven in the morning, then I'm working with MFW sometimes until insane hours in the morning."
"Sounds like you need more sleep," I mutter, glaring into that pretty face I think is lying to me.
"Kind of." She laughs. "But we're here now, so let's enjoy being together and this movie." When she gets off me and cuddles into my side, it immediately lessens my worries.
Sex with Nyla is great. I want it all the time. Only sex will break me. I just can't have that from her. I need so much more because this
is it for me. When you're given a second chance with your good book, you don't lose your place.
"Have you heard anything about that little boy?" she quietly asks, her fingers softly rubbing up and down my arm.
"No. The only person I know that could update me, I'm avoiding."
"Who? And why are you avoiding them?"
"That Brie girl. And because I think I need to cut all ties with anything to do with this situation. I made an anonymous donation to the hospital and it's all I can do."
And because I fucked up by letting Brie stay over that one night. I really don't want to give her the wrong impression again.
"You donated money?" She tilts her head to look up at me.
"That's all I tried to do for those kids, La. I just wanted to help better their lives."
"I know." She cuddles in closer and kisses my jaw. "You're a good book."
~~*~~
Deja vu.
Two more days with no contact until I call her around seven, figuring maybe begging her to come to my mom's for dinner will get her here.
"I don't have time right now, Dom, stop fucking asking," she barks.
I remain silent after that, not sure how we're going to manage this between us when she's so hot and cold with me.
"Dom?"
"Yeah, that's cool. So get ahold of me when you can make time."
"I'm just busy. I'm sorry." It sounds apologetic, but it's too late for that.
"No problem. I'll talk to you later." I hang up because if I don't, I'm only going to get pissed and we'll fight about nothing, because that's where our relationship is standing right now.
When we actually get together, she's attentive, affectionate and I think she wants this. Not until I'm actually face to face with her does this happen though, and it's a bitch trying to get her to come out and see me. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think, but damn if I'm not thinking there's more between her and that ex than she's leading on. I'm dying for her to tell me she loves me. She won't even call this a relationship. But when we get together, I can't get her off of me. Not that I want to, but it'd be nice if she remembered that when we weren't together.
The phone rings a few minutes later and seeing it's her, I ignore it. Maybe I should blow her off and it'll make her try harder. Or it'll push her away more than she's doing herself. I try to answer but she's already gone to voicemail and I don't bother calling back. I do what my still delinquent brain tells me to do when I'm pissed.
"CJ, I'm heading to the bar. You comin'?"
"I thought you were heading to your mom's?" He looks around the corner.
"Naw." I grab my keys.
"Wait up. I'm comin'."
The first thing I do when I walk into the bar is look around, seeking out an easy target to take this anger out on. I spot him a mile away. Or about thirty feet, but he just grabbed some chick's ass, and when she slapped him in the face, he grabbed her tit. He's got a couple friends with him and they think he's a fucking comedian. This fight will give me what I need for the night. I just need a few drinks in me first to dumb down my rationality and amp up my testosterone.
Five beers and three shots hit the lucky number.
I kick CJ's stool. "See that guy over there?"
"The tool with the backwards hat?"
"Yeah. Let's start some shit."
With a laugh he says, "You're always starting trouble."
"The waitresses won't even go around him anymore 'cause he's such a fuck."
"What's your story, man? Why don't you have a girl? You're passable lookin', and you're that nice guy chicks like. Why you still single? Gay?"
"Passable," I laugh at the funniest part of his statement. "You're barely passable looking and I'm a ten to your two."
"You're definitely not gay, you'd be hitting on me."
"You'd have to fight me off with a stick." I shove him off his stool and stand, ready to get this fight started.
"Shouldn't we wait till he at least does somethin'?"
We're staring over at the tool and his douchey friends and it only takes a second for him to give CJ a reason to have my back.
"That was my cousin," he snarls about the girl the asshole just oinked at. "Hate the girl, but fuck this guy." CJ approaches from behind and yanks his shoulder. "Dick fucker," then he swings, spinning the asshole off his stool.
I didn't really mean for it to go down like this. A little word exchange, provocation, then fists. But this will work. When his friends jump in, I happily step up and start swinging.
~~*~~
I'm in the cage at SPD but still don't regret that fight. The only problem is we're locked up with the assholes we fought and I'm still drunk so I want to keep going, but we were warned what would happen.
"Sestak," a voice calls out and I lift my head from leaning on my bent knees.
"Dude." CJ grabs my arm. "Can you get me out? I'll pay you back."
I hadn't called anyone; I was waiting until the morning to call my mom. CJ must have called Rory.
"Rory musta posted bail, he's probably here for you too," I tell him then look over at the guy that got me in the eyebrow and ruined my shirt. "I'll send you my dry cleaning bill." I wink at him and he stands, trying to attack but his friends hold him back and I laugh, exiting.
Rory's going to give me a lecture I don't want to hear, and I'd almost rather wait until the morning when I can call my mom. With a cocky smirk in place, I glance around for him but don't see anyone.
"Uh…" I look around again when the cop walks away, but I'm only left alone less than a second before another grabs my arm and guides me down the hall.
"Shut up and sit down," he says, pushing me into a dark room.
A brick to my gut drops me to my knees and the lights flip on.
"Fuck," I groan and open my eyes I had squeezed shut. "Oh fuck," I mumble, landing my eyes on Nyla's ex.
"Oh fuck," he mocks me in a dopey tone and I get to my feet. "What're you gonna do, punk?" he waves me forward as if I'm stupid enough to attack a cop in a police station.
"You pulled me out of the cage to sucker punch me?"
"It wasn't a sucker punch." Grabbing my arm, he slams me face first into the wall then cuffs my arms behind my back. Pulling me to face him, his fist cracks across my jaw. "That was a sucker punch," he says shaking his hand out.
"You're a bitch." A mouthful of blood hits the floor and I look the asshole in the eyes.
"Not so sure about that. But I am your worst nightmare." He slams me to the wall, almost hard enough I get the wind knocked out of me. "You been screwing my wife?" His hot breath fans down my neck. "Huh?" Oxygen is cut off when his forearm pushes against my throat.
"Nope," the word strangles out.
"You fucking lying?" He pushes harder.
"She's not your wife."
The fucker does the one thing you don't do to another man that's undeserving and can't defend himself. The ball of his knee meets the balls of my nuts and I jerk forward, falling to my face when he moves.
"Try fucking her now," he says on his way out the door, flipping the light off.
I'm grateful for the dark right now though, it's helping with the pain. I lay here until the door opens, and expecting to get a foot in the gut, I try to move but the pain is too much so I close my eyes, being pulled to my feet by two guys. If I could, I'd walk, but I can't, so they drag me back to the cage and toss me back in.
"Fuck, Dom, dude." CJ tries to help me up but my groans of pain indicate I'm not in a position to get up.
He leaves me alone and I keep my forehead pressed to the cool cement floor that's probably been shit on, but right now I don't care. It's a few hours before they take the cuffs off and when they do, I demand a phone call. I've already been here hours, and at the time of arrest, I cooperated. I get it though, but what I don't get it is how Brad found out I was brought in.
"Hello?" Nyla's voice is sleep laced and I feel guilty using her as a pawn in this fucked up game between me and her ex.
"Baby, it's me."
"Dom, what's wrong?" Now her voice sounds panicked and I'm really regretting making this phone call.
"I need you to do me a favor. Can you come post my bail?"
"Dom," she whispers in disappointment.
"I know. I'm sorry, La."
"Where are you?"
"Me and CJ. Seattle PD."
"I'll be there soon." She hangs up and a smirk pulls at my mouth, but I don't let it out.
When she shows up, her fuck-stick ex is really going to have it out for me.
It's a few more hours but when she shows up we're released and there's no paperwork or anything waiting. We're just given our shit then 'free to go'. Seeing my face, her hand covers her mouth and she's staring at me like this is the worst she's seen.
"Thanks," I tell her, but she turns around and marches out of the building; I glance at CJ.
"Dude, I'll have money for her after I talk to Rory," he quietly tells me as we follow a distance behind.
"I'll cover you."
Getting in he says, "Thanks, Nyla. I appreciate it."
There's no response from her and we all fall silent as she drives us back to our house.
"Thanks again. Sestak's gonna get you some money," he says but she remains silent, not even turning her head to acknowledge him.
I wait until he's in the house then take her hand that's gripping the steering wheel.
"La, I'm s—"
"Don't," she says in tears and pulls her hand away.
When I look into her face, she looks like she's been crying this whole drive.
"La." I reach for her again.
"Stop!" she barks at me, pushing me back. "You lied. You're such a fucking liar," she cries at me.
"What'd I lie about?"
"Look at you, Dom," she whimpers. "You said you'd stop this shit and look at you… Get out."
"La, this shit didn't happen until after I was arrested."
"What were you arrested for, Dom?" she barks at me, effectively shutting me up. "Get out," calmly comes from her lips and I consider telling her it was her ex that did this, but that'll just be more anxiety for her.
"Let me get you some money—"