Screaming was going back and forth and time literally stood still as Tony Romo threw the ball. I just prayed to God the receiver didn’t catch it because that would mean a touchdown and in turn he’d win.
SON OF A BITCH! He won the damn bet. I was never living this down with him or Jeremiah. As much trash talking as I did that my team was going to win and now they had lost. Plus, there was also the fact that I now owed that sexy ass man a kiss. Could I even let him get that close to me without freaking out? I only prayed I could because I couldn’t bear to answer any of the questions that would follow. I’d gotten lucky that he didn’t ask any questions about the night before. I don’t think that I would get that lucky again. I needed a plan of action. Slipping away while no one was looking was what I would try and do. That could work for now. At least that would give me time to get used to the idea of him kissing me.
I made my way into the kitchen to get rid of my trash and grabbed my purse in the process. Walking back towards the living room, I noticed that everyone was lost in their own conversations about the night game that was about to play. This was perfect. I tip-toed to the door and made my way outside. I let out a breath that I was holding and started walking fast towards my car. I was searching for my keys when I heard him yelling my name. Turning around slowly, I noticed him running towards me. Well damn. I almost made it.
He made his way up to me and was attempting to slow his breathing. All I could do was stare at him with what I knew was a guilty expression on my face. I had no clue how I was going to explain this.
“Did you think you could get away from me that easily, sweetheart?”
“Well, yeah and it almost worked.”
He shook his head and let out a nervous laugh. “I believe you owe me a kiss.”
“You do? And what makes you think that?”
“We made a bet and I believe that I won; therefore, you owe me that kiss.”
I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. Plus, he was constantly calling me sweetheart and it was getting to me. I always hated pet names, but with the combination of his sexy accent and the fact that it was coming from him made me want to hear it even more. I had no clue how I was going to handle this, but apparently he wasn’t going to give up. I took a couple of deep breaths while trying to come up with some witty comment.
“Then why are you still talking, Texas? You must not want to kiss me as bad as you make it seem that you do.” That should get the ball rolling so we could get this over and done with. I needed to get away from him.
He walked toward me and had my back pressed against my car in a matter of moments. His hands were on either side of my head, and he had pressed his forehead up to mine. His breathing was becoming heavier, and he had closed his eyes. If I didn’t know any better, he seemed to be struggling with the idea.
His breathing slowed down and he slowly opened his eyes. I couldn’t help but stare back at him. God would he just do it and get it over with.
“You have no idea how bad I want to kiss you right now,” he stated breathlessly.
“Then what are you waiting for,” I whispered. I hope he didn’t take that the wrong way. I just wanted this to be over and done with so we could move past it.
Before I knew it, his succulent lips were on mine. He was soft and gentle. Cupping the back of my head, he just held me there as we explored each other’s mouths. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. He didn’t deepen the kiss, but he didn’t need to. This gentle side of him was almost more than I could bear. Taking one look at him, you’d think he was some rough ass, but this tender side was undoing me. He kissed me until we were both breathless and when he pulled away, I couldn’t make myself look up at him. I don’t think I could have handled what I’d see.
He had his forehead resting against mine when I barely heard him whisper “Are you ready to admit you feel it now, sweetheart?”
Could I risk admitting our connection? Not quite yet. I was going to fight it with all of my might because I didn’t need this complication in my life. I had accepted long ago that I couldn’t form bonds like these ever again and now he shows up and is weakening all of my inhibitions. I opened my eyes and was about to answer when I felt him lean in and kiss me on my cheek. I looked him right in his eyes and he said “You’ll admit it one day if I have anything to say about it. You can count on that. By the way, I hate it when you call me, Texas.”
“Well, you call me sweetheart and it drives me crazy so it seems fitting that I call you something that you don’t like.”
“Anything but that,” he stated and winked at me.
I really needed to think of something, but nothing else was coming to mind.
“Ummmm….How about, Mattie?”
“I can live with you calling me Mattie, sweetheart. You coming up with that nickname just means we’ll see more of each other.”
Well damn. Now he’s just twisting my words around. I was about to speak when he stopped me.
“I’ll let you run and hide this time, but just know this. You’ll be admitting that you feel this too one of these days and it will be sooner than you think.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked back towards Jeremiah’s apartment.
I got into my car and rested my head on the steering wheel. He going to be the death of me, I swear it. I’d resist him for as long as I could. Giving into him would be a long time coming if I had anything to do about it.
Chapter 6: The Case that Brings Us Closer
Emily
It’s been a week since that kiss and it’s all I’ve been thinking about. I know I shouldn’t, but a woman can dream, right? That’s the problem though. I shouldn’t be dreaming about him. I know that getting close to him will only cause problems, but what could it hurt? My therapist says that I should try the dating scene again, but the thought of letting someone get that close to me again terrifies me. Plus, how long could I possibly keep someone around before they wanted the inevitable? Letting someone in meant telling them things and I couldn’t reveal anything about my past. Slipping up would be inevitable. Two years of trying to memorize my story is starting to take its toll. The good thing is the people that I’m close to now don’t ask questions anymore. They just go with the flow. The bad thing is, I don’t think Mattie will do that. At times, I think he can see right through me. That could be a problem if he doesn’t take my story at face value. He’ll want to dig deeper because it’s in his blood. He’ll always be a detective and if I did decide to even be friends with him, I’d have to find a way to convince him that there isn’t a reason to look any further. Oh, the dilemma I have on my hands right now. On one hand, I feel the need to protect myself from him because I know that I couldn’t give myself to him fully and that’s not fair to him. On the other hand, he makes me feel safe for some reason and I need to feel that way again. I haven’t felt that in so long and I have no clue why he made me feel protected. I guess it is what it is. One could call it fate if they believe in that sort of thing. I haven’t believed in such a thing in a long time and right now fate seems to want to bring us together when we’re both trying to hide from one another.
Today I’m volunteering at the teen center again. I love it there, but I’m starting to get worried. Mia hasn’t shown up but one day this week and that day she seemed so closed off and scared. I’m not supposed to push them to talk to me, but I’d like to find a way to get her to open up. Something isn’t right there. She used to be so vibrant and carefree. Now she shies away from everyone and barely speaks to people. The crowd she usually hangs out with seems to have given up on her and stopped trying to talk to her; which makes me want to know the answers to my questions even more. If I asked the other kids, they would be suspicious of me and I can’t have that. I also can’t get anyone else involved on the police force because I don’t have any evidence. I guess I’ll just have to keep doing what I’m doing and wish for the best.
I made my rounds and all of the kids seemed to be enjoying themselves enough. Some were playing video gam
es, others were playing cards, while the rest were either playing pool or reading. Mia was actually here today, but something wasn’t right. She was wearing more makeup than usual and she hadn’t taken her coat off. It was comfortable enough in the building, so she couldn’t be cold. It was odd, but I needed to keep reminding myself that I couldn’t do anything until she came to me or I had proof of what was going on with her. I made my way back around to her side of the building, cleaning up along the way. Once I was satisfied that everything was where it needed to be, I walked to her and sat down. I was going to try and see if she wouldn’t at least talk to me more than she had been.
“Hey Mia. How’re you doing today?”
“Fine,” she responded, without even looking up from her book.
“I see you’re still reading “The Great Gatsby.” What do you think so far?”
“It’s ok, I guess,” she whispered, still not looking up.
“Well, I’ll let you continue to read. Do you still have my card?”
“It’s at home, but I’ve still got it.”
“That’s good. You know you can use it anytime day or night, right?”
“Yes ma’am,” she whispered.
“I just wanted to make sure. See you later.”
“Bye, Miss Emily.”
I took a deep breath and walked away from her. I wanted to keep pressing, but with teenagers today you couldn’t or they would clam up and stop talking. I couldn’t risk that. I just hoped she would eventually use my card when she felt like she could open up. I didn’t want to see anything happen to any of these kids, especially her. Before she started to change, she wormed her way into my heart. I couldn’t give up on her. I would just keep reminding her until she realized I meant what I said and felt comfortable enough.
Before I knew it, the time came for me to go home. The hours always flew by when I was here. I felt like I was doing the right thing when I walked through the doors. It made me feel better about the decision I’d made almost three years ago. I needed these things in my life so that I didn’t think about what was left behind. Thinking about the past only led to heartache and more what if questions. They were pointless and only caused me to doubt everything. Doubting my decision would get me nowhere because I didn’t have a choice.
I got into my car and plugged my phone into the radio. Listening to music would help get me out of the funky mood I was in. It would also distract me from where my thoughts had been heading before. Getting back into the right frame of mind was important to me. I needed to get my focus back on the here and now. The past is just that; the past. I wasn’t going to let it rear its ugly head. Especially when things were beginning to look up for me. I had great friends and a great career. Plus, I might have someone new to add to the list of people that are significant in my life. Who knows where that might lead? Making it clear to him that friendship would be the only option was something that I needed to remind myself to do. Putting my heart on the line wasn’t an option. I couldn’t let someone find out who I was. That could be dangerous for everyone involved and I needed to protect myself and those I cared about.
I made my way home and decided that a bubble bath was in order. I retrieved some towels from the linen closet and got some matches to light the candles in the bathroom. Once the water was turned on, I made sure the temperature was perfect and added some of my favorite bubble bath. While waiting for the tub to fill, I lit the candles and adjusted the light to where it was barely on and the room would glow from the candlelight. I stripped from my clothes and turned off the water once the tub was filled. Sinking down in the tub, I hoped that the warm water would relieve the stresses from the day.
***
Matt
Working night shift really sucks. At least here in Maine, we had the same partner. Meaning that we always had the same schedule. It was just hard to adjust your sleep patterns when they were constantly changing. I was beyond exhausted. Mason and I were both making notes on some case files when a call came in. The call was for an assault on a minor. She was currently being taken to the hospital via ambulance. This was just what I needed to wake up. We grabbed our coats and notepads and headed for the car. While driving to the hospital, I allowed myself a brief moment to think about those beautiful hazel eyes that I was beginning to grow fond of. Even though we had only been around each other a few times, I constantly wanted our time together to be more often. I know that I had vowed that relationships were out of the question, but when I was around her, all my inhibitions went out of the window. I stopped caring that I didn’t need the complications that relationships would bring and started to care about how I wanted to know his magnificent woman even more. Well, that settles it. I’m going to get to know more about her. I just had a feeling she wasn’t going to make it easy.
I pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked the car. We headed into the emergency room and I walked up to the receptionist, showing her my badge.
“Hi. I’m Detective Anderson and this is my partner Detective Cruz. We’re here to interview a minor assault victim with the last name Castle.”
She typed the information into the system to check the room number.
“Yes, Detectives. She’s in ER7. I’ll show you the way.”
She punched the access code into the door and made her way to where Miss Castle was located. I hoped I could handle seeing this poor battered girl. I wished that she would press charges on whoever did this to her. There had been one too many assault victims in Texas that refused to press charges on their attacker for various reasons, only for them to continue needing visits to the emergency room. Letting out a breath, I prepared myself when the nurse stopped in front of the door.
She was standing in front of where Miss Castle was located, when another nurse stepped out.
“Good, you guys are here. We’ve finished up the exam for Miss Castle. I’ll let the doctor know you’re here. I just want you to know that she’s refusing to talk to you guys until you find the person who’s on this card. She handed it to the doctor when she walked in. I haven’t had a chance to contact her yet. I guess I will leave it to you guys to contact her and have her come in now that you’re here. Her mother is in with her now.”
“Thanks, ma’am. We’ll take it from here,” I stated, as I took the card from her hand.
I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and glanced down at the card. Well, I’ll be damned. The card was Emily’s. How did she know the victim and why does she have her card? I guess I was about to find out. Letting out another breath, I dialed her number. Was Fate messing with me right now or is there some other explanation as to why we’re always being thrown together at the most inopportune times? I only wished that this wasn’t going to be awkward for her since we haven’t really talked since the kiss. I just needed to remain professional for the time being. The only good thing that has come out of this is that I now have her number.
***
Emily
This bath was extremely needed. I was lost in my own thoughts just relishing in the moment, when my phone rang. Whoever this was interrupting my much-needed relaxation had better be calling for a good reason. Drying off my hands, I picked up my phone from the floor. Glancing down, the number wasn’t one I recognized. I almost didn’t want to answer, but the thought came to mind that it could be Mia so I reluctantly answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Miss Jackson, how’re you this evening?”
I knew that voice. Oh God, it was him. The things his voice did to me.
“I’m good, Mattie. How’d you get my number?”
“Do you know Mia Castle?”
“Yes I do. She attends the teen center where I volunteer a few days a week. Is she okay?”
This can’t be good if he’s calling me. Especially if she gave him my card and told him to call. All the worst possible scenarios were running through my head before he started to answer my question.
“Miss Castle was brought into the emergency room via ambulance f
or an assault. She’s refusing to talk to anyone including her mother until she speaks with you. Is there any way you can come to Augusta General?”
“Sure. I can be there in about thirty minutes, maybe sooner depending on traffic.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
I let out another breath. I released the plug on the tub and got out to dry off. I dried off and quickly dressed in jeans and a tee shirt. I didn’t care how I looked. I needed to find out what happened to Mia. The rest of the questions would have to wait. I put my hair it in a messy ponytail and put on my socks and shoes. I grabbed my purse and headed for the door.
Once I had locked up the house, I ran towards the car. I needed to keep reminding myself that speeding could cause more problems, but I couldn’t help the fear that was starting to eat at me thinking about the state Mia was in. My gut told me something like this would happen. I just wished that Mia would open up to me so that whoever did this to her would be punished.
I arrived at the hospital with ten minutes to spare. Partly because traffic was light and because I was going ten over the speed limit the entire way. I got lucky that there weren’t any cops around because I didn’t need a ticket on top of dealing with helping Mia cope with whatever had happened to her. I parked the car and made my way into the emergency room entrance.
I walked over to the receptionist and told her who I was here to see. I hoped she didn’t give me a hard time because I wasn’t family. Hopefully Mattie clued her in that he was expecting me because I know that hospitals are sticklers about their policies and who they let see patients in the emergency room. She took her sweet time looking up Mia’s name and room number. Being patient wasn’t easy for me.
“May I see your driver’s license, ma’am?” She asked.
I retrieved my license from my wallet and handed it to her.
“Miss Jackson, we’ve been expecting you. Right this way, please.”
My nerves were getting the best of me. I needed to calm down so I could be strong for Mia. Breaking down in front of her wasn’t an option. I also needed to prepare myself for what I was about to see. He didn’t tell me the extent of her injuries and I could only pray that they weren’t as bad as I was making them out to be.
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