by Laura Farr
“I would never want that, Cooper. I would never want you or Bella to ever think I was trying to replace her. What we have is different. No better, no worse. Just different. It has to be that way; otherwise, how would it ever work? If it were the same, we would forever be comparing, forever looking back.” I hold my palm over his heart and wait until his eyes meet mine. “Emerson will always be in here, always have a piece of you. Loving her and losing her, getting to this point right here, has made you the incredible person you are now.”
Tears track down his face and I reach my hand up, wiping them away with my thumbs. Standing on tiptoes, I brush my lips across his, wanting to take all his pain away. I can taste his tears in our kiss, and it breaks my heart to know he’s hurting.
“Stay with me tonight? I just need to hold you,” he murmurs against my lips as he pulls back slightly.
“Okay,” I whisper, letting him take my hand and lead me through the house and up the stairs. I’m not nervous. I know nothing’s going to happen tonight. He just wants to be close to me. I feel the same.
Lexi
It’s Wednesday afternoon and I’m getting ready to collect Bella from her morning at preschool. After quickly tidying up around the kitchen, I just need to grab her scooter from the garage on the way out. We’re heading into Oceanside afterward to meet Cooper at the ice cream parlor, so I thought she could ride it there to save her legs getting tired.
Stepping into the back yard, I close the doors behind me before stopping in my tracks. “What… What are you doing here?” I ask when I see Greg sitting on one of the loungers around the pool. I look around, wondering how long he’s been there. Bailey is snoring by the edge of the pool and seems oblivious to the fact that a stranger is in the back yard.
“My calls won’t go through to you, Lex. Why is that?” Standing up, he walks toward me, and I feel a wave of panic wash over me. He’s never done anything to hurt me in the six years I’ve known him, but looking at him now, he looks unhinged.
“Look, you need to leave. Cooper will be back any minute,” I lie, taking a step back. He takes a step toward me, invading my space.
“I don’t think so. He’s at work. And you haven’t answered my question. Why are my calls and messages suddenly bouncing back?”
“I blocked your number, Greg. It’s over. Why are you here?”
“Well, after speaking to lover boy the other night, I got on the first flight out. I had to know you were okay.” His voice is emotionless, and I can’t figure out if he’s concerned or pissed off.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“It didn’t take much to get your address off your old landlord. Your mail has to be getting redirected somewhere.” He gestures around the back yard with his hand. “You’ve landed on your feet here, Lex. Nice house. Nice pool. You’re even fucking the boss…” He trails off and I frown at him. How does he know Cooper’s my boss, and how does he know he’s at work?
“Have you been watching us?” I shout, pushing on his chest. He stumbles backward, but manages to save himself before rushing toward me, backing me up against the glass doors. His body holds me prisoner against the doors, and I shudder at how close he is.
“Yes, I’ve been watching you. All of you,” he whispers. His breath is hot on my skin, and it makes me recoil. “Looks like you’ve got yourself an instant family. What’s the deal with you two anyway? You clean his house and he fucks you in payment?” I try to move away from him, but his body pins me in place.
“What do you want, Greg?” My voice sounds harsh, but it’s masking how scared I am. I never felt threatened by him while we were together, but I’ve never seen him like this.
“Well, I would have thought that was obvious. I want you, Lexi.” His hand comes up, his fingers stroking my cheek. I turn my head in an attempt to get him to stop touching me.
“That isn’t going to happen. I’ve moved on. You need to do the same.”
“Baby, we were good together. Don’t you remember?”
He pushes his hips against mine, and I feel his erection pressing against me. Beads of sweat break out on the back of my neck as a wave of nausea washes over me. Panic overwhelms me as the realization of what he could do dawns on me. He’s not the person I thought he was, the person I fell in love with. I need to get away from him. Reaching behind me, I grab the handle of the door and turn it. The door opens inward, allowing me to escape from him as I scramble into the kitchen. I realize a second too late what I’ve done. He follows me into the house and closes the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I walk quickly backward and around the side of the breakfast bar, putting as much space between us as possible.
“I’ve lost everything, Lexi.” He walks toward me, and I move around the unit, keeping my distance from him. “Everything!” he shouts, banging his hands on the counter. I jump at his outburst, my eyes wide. Knowing that I need to get help, I discreetly feel in the back pocket for my phone and wonder if I can call Cooper without Greg realizing. Sliding it out, I hold it below the counter and blindly fumble to switch it to silent. If Cooper gets cut off while the phone’s back in my pocket, I don’t want to alert Greg to the fact I have my phone if he calls me back. “Are you listening?” he bellows.
“Greg, you’re scaring me,” I whisper, holding the phone behind my back. “We can’t be together. You have a wife.” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. Seeing he’s not looking, I quickly glance at the list of numbers I last dialed and hit Cooper’s name. Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I pray that he answers the call and he can hear what’s happening.
“My wife kicked me out. She won’t let me see the kids.” He rakes his hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up and looking as wild as his eyes currently are. “I’m living out of a motel, paid for on my credit card. She’s drained the joint account, leaving me with nothing.” He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “And, to top it off, I got fired.” He walks around the counter toward me, and I move backward, desperate to keep some space between us. “You’re all I have left, Lexi.”
I frown and shake my head. “No, Greg. Don’t you get it? What we had was never real. Our whole relationship was based on a lie.” I’m speaking louder than I normally would in the hopes that Cooper can hear me. Thankfully, Greg doesn’t seem to notice.
“No!” He bangs his hand on the counter again and I jump.
“You don’t want me. You just don’t want to be alone.”
“You just need to be reminded how good we were.” His voice is low, and his face has taken on a strange expression. One I can’t read. Before I have time to react, he’s moving quickly around the counter toward me. Grabbing me by the wrists, he drags me from the kitchen. I try to pull back, but he’s stronger than I am. I don’t stand a chance at fighting him off. Bailey, shut out in the back yard since Greg closed the double doors, begins to bark as he hears the commotion. Ignoring him, Greg pulls me along the hallway and into the den, throwing me onto the couch.
“Greg! What are you doing?” I shout, praying that Cooper has answered the call and can hear me shouting. I try to sit up, only for him to push me back down, his body coming over mine. I kick my legs and pound my hands on his chest, but it doesn’t help.
“Stop it!” he growls. Taking both of my wrists in one of his hands, he pins them above my head. “I’m going to make this real good for you, baby.”
“No, Greg!” I continue to kick my legs and squirm underneath him. There is no way I’m letting this asshole touch me.
Suddenly, his hand connects sharply with my face, the force of the blow knocking my head to one side. My legs still as my head spins and my cheek burns.
“That’s better,” he mumbles as his fingers undo the button on my jean shorts. With one hand, he somehow manages to tug them down my legs, leaving me in just my panties. My top has become twisted in the struggle and is pushed up, exposing my bra. “So beautiful.” His eyes track over my body and another wave of nausea washes over me. If I c
an’t talk my way out of this, he really is going to rape me.
“Greg, please. You’re hurting me. Can’t we talk about this?” I plead, willing to agree to anything to get him to stop.
“It’s too late. This is the only way to make you see we belong together.”
He’s not making any sense. How can he think doing this will make me want to be with him? His hand reaches for the buttons on his jeans, quickly undoing them. Knowing I’m running out of time, I begin to struggle again. My hands are still being held above my head and as I squirm, he pushes one of his knees between my legs, forcing them open. I can feel his erection pressing against the thin material of my panties, and tears threaten to fall as panic takes over. Using his free hand, he grabs my breast through my top and squeezes…hard. I bring my leg up around his back and kick him as hard as I can. He grunts as my foot connects with his body. For a split second, I think I can wriggle free. He recovers quickly, though, and his eyes connect with mine. I don’t recognize him anymore. I don’t know who this man is, but it’s not the man I spent six years of my life with.
He lowers his face to mine, and I turn my head away to the side. “That was a mistake, sweetheart,” he whispers into my ear before sitting up. Out of nowhere, he pulls his arm back and slaps me around the face again, much harder than last time.
Pain explodes in my cheek and I swear I see stars. My ears begin to ring as black spots form in my vision. I struggle desperately to stay conscious, knowing what will happen if I give in to the blackness.
The black spots increase, a blanket of fog washing over me. Despite fighting against it, I’m powerless to stop it as everything around me fades to black.
Cooper
I’m just about to head out of the office to the photocopier when I hear my phone ringing on my desk. Jogging back across the space, I scoop it up and smile as I see Lexi’s name on the display.
“Hey, baby,” I say as I answer, holding the phone to my ear. I wait for her to reply, but I’m met with muffled voices. “Lex, can you hear me? Lex?”
“Everything okay?” Alex asks from his desk opposite mine.
“I think Lexi’s phone called me from her pocket. Listen.” I place the phone on the desk and hit the speaker button. There are definitely two voices, but I can’t make out what they’re talking about. I look to Alex, who shrugs.
“Yeah. Sounds like she called you without realizing.”
I nod and pick up the phone. Just as I’m about to hit the button to end the call, one of the voices gets louder, and it sounds like a man is shouting.
“Lexi, can you hear me?” I shout as I hold the phone close to my ear, the loudspeaker still activated. We continue to listen until the voices get louder again. “Did that sound like she said Greg?” I ask Alex with a frown.
“Yeah, man. It did. Isn’t that her ex?”
I nod as I grab my keys off the desk, apprehension flooding my body. “I’m going home. I just pray to God that’s where she is. I might be overreacting, but I’ve got a feeling her ex has shown up.” Making my way to the door, I glance at the clock on the wall. “Shit! Bella! I might have this all wrong and Lexi is fine, but if my hunch is right, there isn’t going to be anyone to pick Bella up from preschool.”
“Go! I’ll get her. I’ll keep her with me until I hear from you. I’m calling the cops, too.”
“Thanks.”
I run out of the office, sprinting across the parking lot to my truck. I keep the call open as I drive. Suddenly, the line becomes clearer and I can hear Lexi’s voice.
“Greg, please. You’re hurting me. Can’t we talk about this?”
I see red as I hear the desperation in her voice. My foot presses down on the gas as I race toward the house, praying I get there in time. Screeching into the drive, I run across the grass and burst into the house. I can hear voices and struggling coming from the den. I run in, the door bouncing off the wall as I fling it open.
“What the fuck?!” I yell as I see Lexi lying on the sofa, some asshole on top of her. Crossing the room, I drag Greg off her, my eyes settling on a shaking Lexi, who’s only wearing her panties and a top. Her face is red and swollen. Rage takes over as I realize he’s hit her. Grabbing Greg by his shirt, I pull him up to stand before knocking my fist into his face. He doesn’t even have time to react to what’s happening before he falls to the floor like a sack of shit.
When I’m sure he’s out cold, I move across to the edge of the sofa, dropping to my knees at Lexi’s side. “Baby, are you okay?” I sweep my fingers over her red, swollen cheek and she winces. Pulling her into my arms, her fingers claw at the material of my t-shirt as she clings to me. She’s sobbing against my chest and I hold her close, stroking her hair. I glance at the piece of shit sprawled out on the floor, checking that he’s still out of it before focusing back on Lexi.
“Shhhh, I’m here now.” After a few minutes, her sobs have slowed and she relaxes her death grip on me. “Lexi, did he…” I feel my jaw tick as I start to ask the question I’ve been dreading asking.
She shakes her head. “No, you got here just before…” She trails off, unable to say the words.
“Fucking bastard! What happened, baby?”
“I went outside to get Bella’s scooter. He was waiting for me. I opened the door to get away from him and he followed me inside.” She gasps and grabs my hand. “Bella! Someone needs to pick her up.”
“It’s fine, Lex. Alex was with me when I took your call. When I realized something was wrong, he offered to pick her up. He called the police, too. They should be here any minute.” I see her glance past me to Greg, who is still unconscious on the floor. Seeing where she’s looking, I use my fingers to tilt her chin so her eyes are back on me. “You’re safe, baby. I promise.” Bursting into tears, she buries her face in my shoulder.
“If you hadn’t gotten here…,” she sobs.
“Shhh. I won’t let anything happen to you.” I hold her close until her tears subside. “When I answered your call, I thought your phone had just dialed me from your pocket or something. When I couldn’t get you to answer me, I nearly hung up. Then I heard shouting. I kept listening, and suddenly, the line became clearer and I heard you say Greg’s name.”
“It must have been when he pulled my shorts off.” Her eyes close and she takes in a shaky breath. I feel my body tense, knowing what he could have done if I hadn’t made it home in time. “The phone must have fallen out of my pocket, making the line clearer. He wasn’t making any sense, saying I was all he had left and we needed to be together.” She shakes her head and looks at him again. “It’s like he’s a totally different person than the one I was with for six years. Sure, he was an asshole for what he did, keeping his wife and family a secret. But I never thought he’d hurt me.” She reaches up and gingerly touches her face. “I tried to push him off me. I tried to stop him.” Her voice breaks again, and I pull her into me, desperate to take her pain away. “He hit me. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn’t fight it.”
“He knocked you out?” She nods, and I reach for my phone. “We need to get you checked out at the ER.”
“No! Please, Cooper. I’m fine. I just want to stay here with you.” Her eyes plead with mine.
“I really think you should get checked out.”
“I was only out for a few seconds. I’m fine, really. If I start to feel unwell, we can go then.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” Relief floods her face, and I pull her to me. Sirens sound in the distance, and I reach for the blanket lying across the back of the couch. “Let’s cover you up before the cops get here.” I wrap it around her, and the sirens get louder as the police pull up outside, the lights from their cars flashing through the den window.
Hearing a knock, I reluctantly let her go and stand up. She reaches for me, and I can see from the look on her face she doesn’t want to be left alone with Greg, unconscious or not. Wrapping my arm around her, I walk her to the door.
The police waste no time cuffing Greg, who
wakes up not long after they arrive. With his dick practically hanging out of his boxers, it doesn’t take them long to realize what almost happened. He fights the officers who remove him from the house, and I move Lexi behind my back as he passes us.
“This isn’t over, Lexi.” Greg shouts as he’s dragged to the door. The officer who’s standing by us shakes his head.
“Don’t worry, ma’am. He’ll be going away for a long time. You have nothing to worry about.” I feel her drop her head onto my back, her fingers holding onto the material of my t-shirt.
After what feels like a million questions, as well as having to tell three different people what happened, we’re finally left alone. They try to insist that Lexi be checked over at the hospital, but she refuses. After what she’s been through, I can understand her not wanting to go. We’ve been reassured Greg will be charged with breaking and entering, as well as attempted rape and assault. With a rap sheet like that, there is almost zero chance of him getting bail. I’m relieved to know that he’s going to be locked up, and I know Lexi feels the same.
I message Alex and Maddie, letting them know what’s happened and ask them to keep Bella for a while longer. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I turn to Lexi, who’s standing by the breakfast bar.
“Cooper, I need to shower. I need to wash away every trace of him,” she says quietly, her arms wrapping around her body.
Nodding, I help her upstairs. Turning on the shower in the bathroom off my bedroom, I wait while she removes what’s left of her clothes. Purple bruises are forming on her upper arms, where she’s been held onto too tightly, and her cheek is still red and swollen. Helping her into the tub, I close the curtain so she can have some privacy.
“I’ll wait for you in the bedroom, baby,” I say as I walk back out of the bathroom.
The curtain flies open and the fear on her face is plain to see. “You’ll stay there until I’m done?” she asks desperately.