The woman who came to see Roxie yesterday, Cassidy, had pretty much tortured my wife with verbal beatings for years, Cassidy’s sister Radha, the ringleader. She had been the worse, but the two had been a strong pair, one feeding into the other, the weaker one, Cassidy. And then there had been Roxie’s old stepmother, the absolute worse from what I understood.
The trio had been a motley crew of insults both passive and overt, dragging Roxie through the mud whenever they could. They picked on her, poked at her, someone who’d already been through so much. Roxie’s momma had killed herself, her dad remarrying very quickly. From what I understood, he did so to help his daughter by providing a family unit for her, not knowing the ultimate result.
Knowing the reality of that chilling result, I couldn’t believe I was here to approach one of those very people who’d hurt her. Before she’d been kicked out of Roxie’s office, Stevie told me, Cassidy had begged to see Roxie, actually pleading, saying she needed her help, saying she needed her.
So where was she when Roxie needed her?
The house I stood before was more than run down, shutters falling from the windows. There was garbage on the lawn and more than enough yelling coming from inside. The smell—sewage or something, burned my lungs as I made my way from my car to the door, and I cringed, disgusted by it. That woman would live in a place like this, and I wondered for how long as well as something else, too.
Had she been watching us? Had she been watching my wife, waiting in the wings to approach her, take something from her?
The potential of the thoughts being true absolutely sickened me and my fists hit the door of the house a little too loud for the hour.
So much for being calm.
I hit the door so hard, a burn struck my fist when I pulled away, but I didn’t bother to shake it out. I simply hit again until a woman answered—her face dirty, her lips chapped.
Her gaze grilled over me, spotting my car behind me.
I stepped in front of her, cutting off her view. “I’m looking for someone who lives here.”
A whistle pulled through her teeth when she sucked at them.
She crossed her arms over a large bust covered in a dirty shirt. “A lot of folks live here.”
And from the background noise, I could tell. The arguing simply got louder when she opened the door, kids in the background, too, and from behind her, I could see folks gathered in the kitchen. They ate there, talked, and smoked.
Stepping to the side, she cut off my view this time.
I got out a paper from my pocket, handing it to the woman. I wrote down Cassidy’s information this morning from Stevie.
Squinting, the woman read it. Tipping her chin, she called out behind herself.
“Cassidy,” she said, turning back my way.
She smoothed her arms back over her chest. “She’ll come. She said to get her if anyone comes by for her. She’s only been living here a few weeks or so.”
That answered my earlier question, but that didn’t mean she didn’t live in the city for longer.
She could have been watching us for a long time.
Stay calm.
I tried as well as I could, thanking the woman before I distanced myself. I left from in front of the door, going out to the dirty lawn with my hands in my pockets.
Heat in my veins, I could feel myself getting amped up, and the movement in my peripheral vision brought my head up, a woman catching my attention. She couldn’t be much older than Roxie and my age of twenty-six, considering she went to high school with Roxie.
But damn did she look it.
She had bags under her eyes, her hair messy and eyes bloodshot like she barely got any sleep last night.
Coming outside, she stepped with hesitant steps, her pink flip-flops stepping into the dirt of the property.
I stared at her with every step she made, stared into the eyes of the woman who caused so much pain. How could someone be so terrible to someone else? How could someone be so hurtful to Roxie in particular? She was so good, kind.
My nostrils flared at who was clearly Cassidy got closer and hands on her stomach, she clearly cradled something. I hadn’t noticed before, so put off by how run down she looked.
The evidence of a bump was clearly there. This woman was pregnant. Not as far along as Roxie, but she was definitely carrying a child.
I took a step back when I felt she was getting too close and that summoned her to stop, dark, black hair flowing over her eyes.
“You’re Griffin,” she said, and I wasn’t surprised she knew who I was. I’d probably been the reason she’d come, sought her previous step-sister out.
No sense in beating around the bush.
“How much?” I asked her, forcing my words to form, slow and calculated. Again, I was trying to check my temper, keep my cool.
Especially since she was pregnant.
Cassidy’s mouth parted. She blinked but said nothing.
I pushed air through my nose.
“How much do you want?” I asked, moving my arms over my chest. “That’s why you’re here, right? That’s why you came to her? To Roxie?”
She still played dumb, shaking her head as she pushed hair behind her ear.
She squeezed her stomach, rubbing. “No. That’s not why I—”
“Good,” I said. “Because you weren’t going to get anything. I only came out here to put everything out on the table. To get everything in the open so you’d know.”
Dark eyebrows narrowed closer together. “So I’d know what?”
“Where you stand when it comes to my family and me. Roxie wants nothing to do with you and you coming here only started a shit storm that wasn’t necessary. I mean, she’s pregnant for fuck’s sake.”
That anger no longer held back. It came in a fury, and I looked away for a moment, squeezing the bridge of my nose.
“I know that,” came in front of me and I looked up, a woman so very pregnant with her hands on her own swollen belly.
I dropped my hand. “No contact with her. You don’t go to her office, and you don’t come by our house. We’re not giving you anything. Not you, your sister, or your momma—”
“Please,” she said, coming forward. “I don’t want your money. I don’t want Roxie’s money, and my sister and mom don’t want anything either. In fact, they don’t even know I’m here.”
I eyed her, not understanding.
She clued me in.
“I just need to talk to Roxie. I need her help.”
Her hands moved, tenderly, lovingly over that swollen bump.
I did that with my own child, my wife’s stomach a deep connection between our baby and us.
Cassidy didn’t know, but what she’d done only made this whole thing worse. She was using her unborn child to get to me. What kind of person did that?
I guess her.
Disgusted with her even more than I had been when I arrived, I left her, going to my car. I said what I needed to. I was done, but that didn’t stop her from following me and later, calling my name when I got behind the wheel of my Mercedes convertible.
I faced her, no more patience. I had a little when I came.
Now, no more.
I pointed at her, all but shaking behind the wheel.
“Stay the hell away,” I said, swallowing. “Just say away.”
I’d like to say shock took her face.
But my words only seemed to sadden her, her expression falling as she took a step back away from my car.
Unaffected by the expression, I forced my key into the ignition, starting the car. I put the Mercedes into gear, then sped the hell out of there.
I had to be there when my wife woke up.
Roxie
Fatigue writhed throughout my entire body, my eyes especially. I rubbed them, feeling cold when my arms fell from the sheets.
“Griffin?” I questioned, my lids sliding open. They burned so badly. They itched.
God, how did I lose it so quickly?
&nbs
p; No one answered my call, and I fell out of my head. Griffin, he was gone.
I pushed up, my arms weighted, drained. I pulled Samson, my body pillow, from my side and up to my chest. I snuggled him and Jackson but wished for something more. I had Griffin’s arms around me just this morning. I felt them all night. He’d been there all night with me.
I pushed my hair out of my face, feeling like more than a fool. It had been years since her, since them, but it all… It all suddenly felt so fresh.
Sliding to the edge of the bed, I used the bedpost to get up, slipping my bare feet into my house shoes.
Usually, I had a house full of people to worry about, workers and what have you. But today was Sunday, a day of rest. It also happened to be Ms. Harris’ day off. I could relax.
I could recoup.
“Griffin?” I rounded a corner of the house moments later, peering out a window in the hallway to the beach. A few runners hiked their knees during a sprint, our neighbors. I passed the window, circulating the house. I called Griffin most of the way, but like before I heard nothing. I eventually made my way back to the bedroom and grabbed my phone off my end table. He left me no text message. He left no note.
Where is he?
I checked the garage last, my Mini Cooper parked next to his silver Range Rover, but one car was missing.
I stood in the spot of his Mercedes. He never took it out. It was something he drove when he wanted to relax or take us out for the day somewhere.
A chill pulsed through me and I realized I shouldn’t be standing out here. I had higher risks now. I had responsibilities with Jackson, so I made my way back to the bedroom. I took a moment to dress, finding a breathable sundress. After zipping it up, I found my phone again, dialing.
My flip-flops creaked on the floorboards as I went out into the foyer. The chandelier above drew in the sun and painted colors on the walls. That’s when I spotted him, right out the front window.
I hung up the phone, Griffin’s little Mercedes cruising up the driveway.
Confused, I dropped my cell to the lounge by the front door.
Opening up the door, I did so as the garage opened, Griffin’s doing when he placed his hand to the button on his car’s visor.
He spotted me when he did it, his lashes lowering a little before lifting his hand from the wheel to wave at me. He actually didn’t end up going into the garage. He parked outside the door, getting out in a set of stretchy black Under Armour and athletic shorts. With his matching sneakers and baseball cap, he looked like he’d just got in from doing a run. We had a local park he’d drive to sometimes, but he’d never take the Mercedes for that.
“Hey. What are you doing out here?” he asked me like it wasn’t unusual he was out here.
Getting to me, he reached out, but I backed up. He didn’t look right, his cheeks all flushed and everything.
I pulled my arm in. “What’s going on?”
He had to know this was usual and I think he did right away. I saw it when his eyes averted.
He palmed his keys but didn’t answer.
“What. Is. Going. On, Griffin? Where did you go?”
A drawn out breath escaped his lips. Raising his hat, he pushed a hand over flattened blond locks before repositioning it.
His eyes found mine. “Let’s go inside.”
I crossed my arms, standing my ground. “Let’s stay out here.”
“Roxie.”
“Griffin?”
He sighed, coming forward. “It’s important people know they can’t bully you. That’s why I went out. That’s where I went.”
My eyes narrowed, confused. “What do you mean?”
His hand went over his mouth, no words falling from his lips, and my heart fluttered a wave. Something wasn’t right. Something… felt off.
“Where exactly did you go? What do you mean people need to know they can’t—”
“I have to protect you,” he said, his jaw working. “And that’s what I did today. Now, I don’t know exactly what that woman wanted with you yesterday, Roxie, but she needed to know that coming to see you was inappropriate. She knew that after our interaction, and won’t do it again.”
It all flurried around me, an active blizzard with a chilling current.
I squeezed my arms, feeling that chill again. “You mean Cassidy? Why are you talking about Cassidy? Why are we talking about Cassidy, Griff—”
“Because I went to see her,” he said, putting his hands on my arms. He squeezed. “I had to. She needed to know and she won’t bother you anymore. I made sure of that.”
The words ripped through me, sliced and cut sharp like a blade. He went to see her. He went to see my former step-sister. He…
“Why would you do that?” gasped from my throat. It was so dry, cracked. “Why would you actually talk to her? Interact with her? I didn’t want that. Why would you? How could you?”
I could see the questions hitting him like bullets with his expression, silencing him.
He rubbed my arms. “I had to, baby. Her coming here wasn’t okay.”
“So, you decided to make that call?” I asked, backing out of his arms. “Take it upon yourself and do something about it?”
“Well, yeah,” he said and once again, reached for me. But this time, I didn’t let him.
I wouldn’t.
His arms went down to his sides. “I had to protect you. I have to protect you, both of you. You and Jackson. Baby, I watched you cry for hours last night, literally until you fell asleep by something that woman did. You can’t expect me to do nothing about that, to not look out for you and Jackson?”
But no one asked him to. No one ever asks him to, but always thinks he needs to. He always thinks he needs to bubble me, shelter me.
Last night, I admit I had been weak. But what he needed to do, he did. He was there for me. He listened.
He didn’t need to fight my battles.
I turned away, and warm hands came down on my shoulders, pulling me in.
“I don’t get why you’re mad,” he said, hunkering down to my level, holding me. “She probably only wanted money or something. Had to, considering the place she was staying at. It was filthy.”
Filthy?
I stepped away, turning, and he lowered his hands.
“What kind of place?” I asked him.
Confusion wrung through his eyes and he shrugged a little. “Just some place. Garbage everywhere. A bunch of people lived there, too. Probably boarders. Why?”
Boarders? Garbage…?
I left him without words.
The door still opened, I pushed through and found my phone where I left it.
Griffin stayed close behind.
“Roxie?”
I was unable to answer him as I was busy, getting my purse off the coat hook and shoving my phone inside. I moved around him, then went out the side door that connected to the garage.
“Roxie? Roxie, slow down what are you—?”
I opened the door of my Mini Cooper, getting inside without words.
Griffin gripped the door before I could close it. “Rox—”
“You shouldn’t have gone to see her,” I said, my face boiling. All the anger came so quickly, steadfast.
I shook my head. “I didn’t want that, and you should have talked to me before you did.”
His hand slid down the door. “Maybe I should have. But that doesn’t stop the fact that she needed to be talked to. She’d just keep coming if no one—”
“You don’t get it,” I said, nearly shaking as I looked him. “I don’t want her having anything to do with us, Griffin. I don’t want her near us, near you. I…”
Dampening my lips, I faced the window, trying to put into words what I was feeling, but found myself unable to. Maybe it was my body, my condition making things a mix in my head and leaving me ineloquent.
I just knew what he was trying to do for me was the opposite of the solution. He thought he was protecting me, making things better, but by talking
to Cassidy, going to one of the people that left me so damage in the past, he only hurt me. I didn’t want Cassidy having anything to do with me.
But I wanted to protect him from her even more, her and her family’s cancer.
I breathed. “Please let go. I need to go out.”
In silence, he stood above me. He removed his hand from the door, but only put it above on the roof of my car.
He let out a long breath. “Where will you go?”
I closed my eyes.
“I have an errand to run,” I said, facing him. “And I don’t need you to do it for me this time.”
The words ran deep over his eyes, far into the heart of his blue irises. He wasn’t okay with that, what I said, but I doubt he’d try to stop me.
I was proven right when he lifted his hands from the top of my car, stepping back. I closed my door. After starting it, I put the gear into drive, then let off the brake.
Backing away, I left the garage and down the driveway. I didn’t look for Griffin at all until I made it to the street. I couldn’t help it.
He had followed me down the driveway with his hands laced behind his neck, and I knew I would never forget the look I saw on his face through my rearview mirror.
He sported the same worry I felt when I woke up to him missing.
Roxie
I turned off my GPS, closing out the address Stevie gave me. She’d forwarded it to me after my ex-step-sister left, said Cassidy gave it to her.
Sitting in my car, everything in my stomach pushed up into my throat. Swallowing, I attempted to force nausea down, but the feeling continued to swell. It swarmed my body, sharp with its hit, and I held my stomach.
Why am I here? Why had I come?
I opened my eyes, seeing the scene before me. It was like Griffin said, and so much worse.
Cassidy lived in an underbelly, a place of poverty and chaos. Folks argued in the street, audible even louder from their homes. A couple of people eyed the street down, a clear drug exchange only feet away from me on the sidewalk. And the smell…
Cherished by You: A Found by You Finale Novella Page 8