by Megan Green
I lightly bump my shoulder against him, flicking my chin at his toy. “That’s a cool truck. You like trucks?”
He looks back at the toy in front of him, focusing his attention on pushing it through the mounds of dirt. He nods in answer, not making a sound.
“Me, too. I like them so much that I have one of my own. It has big jacked up tires. I have to jump to get into it. Maybe I can show it to you sometime.”
He shoots me a look, and I wince, realizing how that must have sounded.
“I mean, if it’s okay with your parents. I can show it to them, too.” I meant to make him feel like he could trust me. Like we could be friends. And, instead, now, I’ve come across like Chester the Molester.
Deciding to change the subject before he can run screaming for a teacher, I turn my attention back to the other kids. “You like soccer?”
He looks up at the kids, watching as a boy kicks the ball toward the net, the ball flying past the girl who’s acting as a goalie. A swarm of kids gather around him, all of them jumping up and down and high-fiving each other.
Cade looks back down at his truck and nods. “Yeah,” he says meekly.
“Well, why don’t you go play?”
His gaze never lifts from the toy. “I’m not very good.”
“Nonsense. You can’t be any worse than any of the other kids. I think that kid who just kicked that goal scored on the wrong net.”
He cracks a small smile as he looks back at the field where the celebrations have died down, and an older boy is yelling at the boy who scored for being a dummy. I’m almost tempted to go break them up, but I don’t want to leave Cade just yet.
“Nobody ever picks me,” he says. “They say I’m a loser.”
My heart breaks at the sadness in his voice, and a sudden protective urge wells up in my chest. I look around at the other kids, wondering which of them said such a mean thing to him. I’d never hurt a child, but I’d consider telling off one of these little jerks if I heard them talking to this sweet kid that way.
I look back at the boy by my side, seeing him trying to discreetly wipe away a tear. I put my hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort him.
“You know what, Cade? People used to call me a loser, too. Then, one day, I met my best friend, and she helped me realize that, all those mean things people said about me, they were just words. They only have the power to hurt you if you let them.”
He looks up at me, that tiny smile returning to his lips. “Your best friend was a girl?”
I laugh. “I know, right? But Nichole wasn’t like most girls. The cootie gene missed her. She was cool.”
He looks unconvinced, as if the idea of a cool girl is ludicrous. But then he nods. “Yeah, my mom is cool, too, I guess. For a girl.”
I tousle his hair, smiling at his response. “She’d have to be cool to have an awesome son like you.”
He beams at me, pushing the truck toward me. “Do you want to play?”
I close my hand around the tiny truck, pushing it through the dirt and crashing it into a rock. I make the lame sound effects, knowing full well that Cade is too old for that. But it seems to make him smile, so I keep doing it.
When the whistle blows, he stands, brushing the dirt off his pants. “Thanks for playing with me, sir.”
“Anytime, Cade. And my friends call me Joey. So, you can call me that from now on, okay? None of this sir business.”
His green eyes light up as he grins at me. The whistle sounds again, and I see him look toward the teacher standing among the crowd of children.
“I’d better go. Mrs. Miller gets mad if we don’t line up fast.”
I nod. “I’ll see you around, Cade.”
He turns with a quick, “Bye, Joey” shouted over his shoulder, and then he runs toward his classmates.
I stand up, sweeping the dirt and pine needles from my uniform. I walk over to my car, opening the driver’s door but pausing momentarily before climbing inside. I take one more look back at the kids lined up to head back in the school.
Cade watches me, and when he sees my eyes on him, he smiles big, waving.
My own grin spreads across my face, and I wave back, feeling warmth spreading through my chest.
I might be more than two decades older than him, but that kid needs a friend. And, if I can be that person for him, then I’m going to do my damnedest to do exactly that.
Sliding the slip of paper I’ve been using as a makeshift bookmark into my library book, I close my eyes and lift my face toward the sky. The midday sun feels amazing on my skin, seemingly warming me from the inside out. School lets out next week, and if the weather of the past few days is any indication, we’re in for a long, hot summer. It’s the end of May, and while the temperatures are still in the low eighties, that’s relatively warm for this time of year for this area. Come July and August, it’ll be like stepping out into a sauna. I make a mental note to enjoy the nice weather while I can. Maybe Cade and I can go to the zoo tomorrow.
Filing the thought away for later, I open my eyes and turn to watch Cade play with his friend, Zach. I smile at their laughter as they each take turns on the monkey bars. Cade has recently become obsessed with the monkey bars. And watching him with Zach, it’s easy to see where he gets it. The two of them are incredibly competitive as they try to beat one another with the number of times they can cross. Cade’s poor hands were covered in blisters last week, the skin rubbed raw from the hours he’d spent swinging from bar to bar. But watching him, seeing his smile so wide as he plays with his only friend, I can’t help but feel happy for him.
Boys are supposed to get scrapes and bruises, right? What are a few little blisters compared to the lasting memories he might be creating with his friend?
Cade has always been a quiet child. He learned early on that staying quiet around James was a lot easier than listening to him scream and yell and eventually take it out on me. Thinking back on it now, from the outside, it breaks my heart that I let my poor boy endure that for so many years. I allowed him to think not speaking would be better than having to watch his daddy hit his mommy.
What the fuck was I thinking, staying for so long? I’d convinced myself it was best for Cade. But, now, I can see. It wasn’t what was best for him. It was what was easiest for me. Staying with James, as strange as it sounds, meant safety. I didn’t have to worry about where our next meal would come from. Or how I’d pay the phone bill.
Mario has been gracious enough to allow us to stay above the restaurant for free, but I can’t take advantage of his hospitality forever. It’s been just over a month since I left James, and I know the day will come when I’ll have to venture out completely on my own. The thought is terrifying.
Seeing Cade smile though, truly smile, for the first time in I don’t know how long makes it all worth it. He is acting like a normal little boy playing with his friend. He isn’t watching me out of the corner of his eye, trying to make sure he is on his best behavior, for fear of what might happen at home should he misbehave. He chases Zach around the playground and collapses into a fit of giggles when he finally catches up to him. And my heart soars.
Deciding to give him a little longer to play, I open my book again. Within a few pages, I’ve completely lost myself in the story, so when a dark figure moves in next to me, casting a shadow over me and my book, it takes me a moment to notice. Startled, I move my gaze up, pulling me from the halls of Hogwarts—yes, I’m thirty years old and reading Harry Potter—and back into reality. Only to find my own version of Voldemort standing over me.
I bite back a scream, knowing there’s no way this is going to end well. I haven’t seen James since the day I left. And, while I knew this day would inevitably come, I hoped for just a little more time before I had to face him. I’ve been careful in my travels around town, not wanting word to get back to him as to where Cade and I are staying. It was stupid of me to bring Cade to the park on a Saturday, a day when James would be off work and might be out and about. I tried t
o stay hidden behind a few trees, but he must’ve seen Cade.
Or followed me here.
I silence the notion that he might’ve known where we were this whole time, just biding his time until he could get me alone.
No, if James knew where I’d been staying, he would’ve shown up by now. I’m sure of it. Patience has never been a virtue he possessed, especially when it comes to getting something he wants.
He grins down at me, the smile full of malice, his eyes full of anger. He takes a seat on the bench beside me, settling in as if this were just a casual day in the park. He lifts his leg, crossing it over the opposite knee, and he casually grabs ahold of his ankle with one hand while his other arm rests on the bench behind me.
Anybody walking by would see a loving couple sitting on a bench in the park, watching their son play. They wouldn’t see the terror in my eyes. The way my heart feels like it is going to beat right out of my chest. They wouldn’t see the sweat forming in the palms of my hands and along my brow as my eyes dart around for Cade, trying to figure out the best way to get to him and get out of here before things turn south.
No, they’d see James Reynolds, the city’s most prestigious attorney, and his docile—if not a bit reclusive—wife. They’d think to themselves, What does he see in her? and What an amazing man, staying with her for the sake of their son. We all know he could do so much better.
If they only knew…
If they only knew what had happened when the doors closed and the blinds were pulled tight. If they only knew how many times I’d prayed he’d move on, find somebody else. And then the hours of guilt I’d felt over wishing this kind of torment on anybody else just for a bit of reprieve for myself.
James closes his hand over my shoulder, pulling me into his side. He presses his lips against my temple, but it isn’t a kiss. “Where have you been, sweetheart? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” His voice hisses against my skin, his fury seeping out with his every word.
Still, I can’t help the sigh of relief that escapes my lips at the confirmation that we’re still safe. He doesn’t know where we are staying. If I can just get out of here without incident, we can go home and still sleep at night without the fear that he might show up at any moment.
I feel the corners of his lips pull down into a frown against my temple. “Don’t think I won’t find you, sweetheart. It’s only a matter of time. And then you’ll come home, back to where you belong, even if I have to drag you, kicking and screaming.”
I turn my head, my eyes darting to his.
He smiles. “Hi, beautiful.”
His words send a shiver up my spine, the loving term coming across as anything but.
“I’ll scream, James. If you try to touch me here, I’ll scream. People will see.”
He shakes his head. “I knew you wouldn’t come easily. Don’t worry. I’ll let you have your fun a little longer. Let you think you’re in control of our future. Just remember though, my dear wife, you are mine. You won’t be able to hide forever. Sooner or later, I’ll come for you. And I’ll make sure you remember just how lucky you are to have a husband like me. A husband who’s willing to put up with your bullshit. And I’ll make sure you never leave me again.”
My breath catches in my throat at his threat, not even wanting to imagine what he might be insinuating. My eyes meet his, and his gaze transfixes me. I can’t breathe as I stare at him, my tongue feeling as if it’s swelling to the point of choking me, my words unable to form. I can’t even open my mouth to choke out a sob. I’m completely paralyzed before him.
“Nichole?” a soft deep voice asks from somewhere behind me.
James’s eyes snap from mine, and I instantly feel the relief from being out from under his scrutiny. I watch as his eyes narrow at the figure over my shoulder. I turn, already knowing whom I’m going to find there.
I’d recognize that voice anywhere, regardless of the circumstances I heard it in.
Joey.
He stands a few feet away, his mouth pulled down in a concerned frown, his eyes narrowed on James’s hand on my shoulder.
“You okay, Nic?” Joey asks, his eyes moving from James’s grip to find my eyes.
At the use of the nickname, I feel James’s fingers tighten on me.
He turns to me, fury flaring in his eyes. “Do you know this man, Nichole?”
I hesitate, glancing from James to Joey and back again. I see Joey take a tentative step toward me, and I quickly shake my head. James takes it as an answer to his question.
“She says she doesn’t know you, pal. So, if you’d please be on your way, my wife and I were having a discussion.” James dismisses Joey with nothing more, turning his attention back to me.
But I see Joey’s eyes widen when he realizes who James is.
I try to warn him, silently begging him with my eyes to just leave before he does something he’ll regret. But either he misses it completely—doubtful, given how well he’s always been able to read me—or he flat-out ignores me. Judging by the square of his shoulders and the pursing of his lips as he glances at me once more, I’m definitely leaning toward the second option. Joey has never been one to back down from a fight, especially when it has to do with me.
I’d be lying if I said it didn’t amaze me that, after all these years, after all our history together and our turbulent ending, he still has any sort of protective feelings toward me. I know it doesn’t rival the intensity with which he once took up for me, but even still, it’s incredible that he isn’t just walking away after the way things ended between us. He’s willing to put our past aside for even a moment when he thinks I might be in trouble. It’s a testament to how good Joey really is.
“If you don’t mind, bud, I’d rather hear the words from her mouth,” Joey clips out, his tone malicious when he uses the normally friendly term.
James’s head whips around, and I realize I really need to put an end to this now before it becomes a problem. James might hurt me, but I’ll be damned if I sit by and watch him do something to an innocent man who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“James, honey,” I say, my voice saccharine sweet, cupping my hand to his cheek and gently turning his face toward mine, “this is my old friend from high school, Joey. Joey, this is my husband, James. We just brought our son to the park for the afternoon. That’s him, right over there.” I point out Cade on the playground.
Both men turn and follow my finger, watching my son as he climbs to the top of the slide with his friend.
While they’re momentarily distracted, I catch sight of my salvation across the park. My heart leaps, and I say a quick thank-you to the powers that be for saving me.
“James, look!” I say enthusiastically. “Isn’t that Mayor Clarke? Haven’t you been trying to get a meeting with him for ages? Go, go! Cade and I will be fine. We can walk home.”
I can see the wheels turning in his head. He hasn’t wanted to meet with the mayor. I completely pulled that out of my ass. But, now that he knows there are people here, people who matter, he definitely won’t risk causing a scene. He turns and looks at me, and I can tell he’s trying to come up with an excuse not to go. I don’t let him.
“Sweetheart, please, don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. The people of this city need you. They need your ideas to be heard.” I jump up from my seat, waving my arm in the air in an exaggerated motion as I call out. “Mayor Clarke!”
The mayor’s head whips around, and he smiles when he sees James. His wife is standing next to him, and he briefly says something to her before he turns and heads our way.
Thank you, I mentally breathe, my shoulders relaxing for the first time since James showed up.
James gets to his feet to shake the mayor’s hand when he reaches us. After I hastily introduce Joey, who Mayor Clarke instantly remembers the second I say his name, he turns back to James.
“You know, James, I have something I’ve been meaning to speak with you about. Care to grab a
bite? You can bring your lovely wife with you.”
Fuck.
Joey’s eyes flash to mine when he realizes I made up the story about James wanting to meet with the mayor. My mind spins as I try to come up with a valid excuse as to why I can’t go to lunch, so I don’t have time to worry about how I’m going to cover my ass with him.
“Actually,” Joey’s voice interrupts, “Nichole and I made lunch plans to catch up. I hope you don’t mind, sir. I certainly wouldn’t want to intrude on your business dealings, but this is my only day off this week. And I’d very much like to talk with my friend. You know, get caught up on all the town gossip I missed over the past twelve years.”
Mayor Clarke grins at Joey. “Of course, of course. You kids have fun.” He chuckles, like we aren’t thirty years old and we have reverted back to the love-struck teenagers we once were. “James and I will have plenty to talk about. Won’t we, James?”
James presses his lips together in a tight line, and I know that I’m going to be in big trouble for this later. He doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do, especially by me. But either he goes along with it, or he blows his cover. And I know he’d never risk doing that. So, unless he finds me, I’ll be safe. I’ll just have to make sure that never happens.
James leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek, his lips hard against my skin. “I’ll see you later, sweetie. You and Cade be safe getting home. Call if you need anything.”
I nod and watch as he and Mayor Clarke rejoin his wife.
Once the trio has disappeared beyond the trees, I whirl around to face Joey. “Are you out of your fucking mind? What business did you think you had, butting in like that?”
Now that James isn’t a threat to him, I’m furious.
Who in the hell does Joey think he is? I haven’t seen him in twelve years, and now, he’s suddenly everywhere, constantly sticking his nose in places it doesn’t belong.
His eyes slowly rise to mine, and when he speaks, his voice is barely above a whisper, “He hits you.”