Paint It Black

by Michelle Perry

  “Bathroom.” He glanced past me, and I realized he’d never been inside my house. Without asking my permission this time, he swept me in his arms and carried me upstairs.

  “There,” I pointed him toward the master bath.

  Cougar kicked the lid to the commode shut and plopped me atop it.

  “First-aid kit is under the sink.”

  Cougar popped open the kit and began laying supplies on the sink. “Do you have a camera? We need to document your injuries.”

  “Uh, yeah. Three doors down, on the left. There’s a digital camera on the computer desk.”

  He retrieved it and snapped probably a dozen shots. He lowered the camera, pausing long enough to shove a stick of gum in his mouth. “Take off your dress.”

  I gave a startled laugh. “Excuse me?”

  Cougar frowned and tossed me the short white robe hanging on the linen closet door. “I’m serious here. Need to get a shot of your ribs, too. You’re bound to have a bruise there, as hard as that bastard kicked you.”

  When I hesitated, he said, “Come on. Leave your underwear on. I’ve seen you in a bikini before. Same difference. I’ll think professional thoughts …” He smiled and cracked his gum. “Mostly.”

  I laughed, mostly out of pure panic, and he turned his back to give me some privacy. Whether it was because my hands were shaking, or where they were stiffening, I couldn’t grasp the back zipper.

  “Cougar, could you … help?”

  I lifted my hair and hopped around to present him with my back. The floor creaked when he took a step toward me, then his warm breath tickled my neck. My heart seemed to thump with every click of the zipper.

  “Okay,” he said, releasing me. “Not looking.”

  I shrugged the dress from my shoulders and let it fall to the floor. I slipped on the robe, thankful that, at least, I had on my good underwear. “You can turn around now.”

  “Let’s see what we’ve got.” He carefully peeled open one side of the robe. When he saw the ugly purple and red welt, he let loose a stream of obscenities and trailed his fingers over it. I shivered.

  “Necie, we probably need to get this x-rayed.”

  “Um-hmm,” I said, then snapped back from la-la land. “No. It’s not broken or anything.”

  “Could be cracked.”

  “Could be, but what could they do for that anyway?”

  Cougar took one more picture and laid the camera on the back of the toilet. Then he pulled my robe closed and tied it. I sat back down, and he knelt in front of me. The troubled look on his face made my chest constrict.

  “Look,” he said. “I need to know one thing. The reason you’re divorcing Grady…” He grazed his thumb across my swollen lip. “Is it because of this? If I find out he’s been hitting you—”

  “No.” I gave a mortified laugh. “This is only the icing on the cake. First, it was his drinking, then I found out he’d been unfaithful… all this OJ stuff is new.”

  Cougar winced. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

  “So much has been going on. And it’s just… humiliating.”

  “You have nothing to be ashamed of. He does.” Cougar shook his head. “But I’ll tell you one thing. He’ll never hurt you again. Now …” He gave me a strained smile. “Let’s check out those knees.”

  I held my breath when his long, tan fingers slipped beneath the lacy edge of my stocking and rolled it down. I flinched when he tried to pull it past my knee. Dried blood stuck the nylon to the raw wound, and it felt like he took another strip of flesh when he gave it another tug. He pulled it free and pitched it at the wastebasket.

  I sighed. “Huh. Shows what Tori knows. Eighteen-dollar hose doesn’t last any longer than a pair of dollar ones.”

  “What?” Cougar grinned.

  “Never mind. Ow. Ouch!” I said when he pulled the other stocking free. It looked like a sad, raggedy snake hanging over the side of the trash can. Cougar placed my bare feet on his thighs and began cleaning my wounds.

  After taping the last piece of gauze in place, he rested his hands on top of my feet and waggled his eyebrows. “You got any place else that needs fixing? I’m kinda getting into this playing doctor thing.”

  I giggled and he winked. Then he grabbed the windowsill to pull himself up. The cell phone clipped to his pocket played “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.”

  “Excuse me.” He flipped it open and wandered to the hallway. “Hello? Yeah. She’s okay. No, we’re at her place. She didn’t want to go to the hospital. Bunch of scrapes and bruises, but—”

  I left him talking and hopped my way to the bedroom to pull on some clothes. No way I wanted Elizabeth to pull up and catch me half-naked with Cougar.

  He rapped on the door while I tugged a T-shirt over my head.

  “You okay in there?”

  “Yeah.” I tightened the drawstring on my shorts and hopped back to open the door.

  “That was Linda,” he said, eyeing me. “They’re all worried about you, and cussing me for not taking you to the doctor.”

  “I need to be here. My mother-in-law is supposed to be bringing Abby.”

  He frowned. “I forgot to check that ankle.”

  “Ah, it’s okay.” I wrinkled my nose. “But the next time I get in a fight, I’m wearing my Keds.”

  Cougar gave me a sad smile, then leaned to kiss my forehead. I closed my eyes, suddenly very conscious of his proximity and the fact that we were standing about three yards from my bed.

  He cleared his throat. Embarrassed at the route my thoughts were taking, I limped past him to the safety of the hallway. Or so I thought. Once again, Cougar lifted me off my feet.

  “You don’t have to carry me,” I said, jolted by the feel of his big, warm hands on the back of my bare legs.

  “And you don’t have to act so tough all the time. Not around me.”

  Touched, I rested my cheek against his shoulder. That was nice to hear tonight. Cougar had seen me at my best and my worst, and he liked me anyway. Like I’d been looking at it through the wrong end of the telescope, I suddenly saw just how guarded my marriage had been. I’d never really felt free to be myself with Grady, not even in the beginning. He always made me feel like I was lacking somehow, and his attempts to take care of me came off as attempts to control me. I didn’t get that vibe from Cougar.

  When I was with him, I felt safe from everything and everyone except myself.

  After placing me on the couch, Cougar flopped down beside me and pulled my feet into his lap. He inspected my ankle with the same diligence he had my ribs. “Well, it’s not swollen, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to get some ice on it.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he silenced me with a finger shake and a frown, propped my foot on a throw pillow, and wandered into the kitchen. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back on the sofa arm and listened to him rattle around in my freezer.

  He startled me when he touched my face. “Hey,” he said. “You okay?”

  I blinked at him. He leaned over me, close enough to kiss, and for a moment, I thought about doing just that. Then a long, auburn hair brought me crashing back to reality. Casually, I peeled it off his shirt and let it fall to the floor. Grady must’ve hit me harder than I thought. I’d forgotten that the second prettiest girl in New Jersey was waiting for Cougar at home.

  “I’m fine,” I said, a little louder than I intended.

  Cougar backed off and held up his palms. “Sorry.” With a sheepish grin, he said, “You and Angel have made me a nervous wreck. I’m turning into my mother.”

  I smiled despite myself. He winked, lifted my foot, and resumed his seat.

  The ice pack felt good against my ankle, but not as good as the fingers that kneaded my instep. “Thanks … for everything,” I said. “But you don’t have to babysit. I know you have to get back. You can take my car.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “You trying to get rid of me?”

  “Of course not, but I—” I rolled my eyes. “I
don’t want you to get in trouble with Kim.”

  He gave me a patient look. “That’s the second time you’ve said that tonight. I told you, Kim and I aren’t dating anymore.”

  Did not, I wanted to say, but my mouth was too dry. I would’ve remembered that.

  “We’re friends.”

  Like we were friends? I wondered, then decided I didn’t want to know. My ego was as bruised as my body tonight, and right now, I wanted to think the connection Cougar and I shared was special.

  Call me Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.

  My silence seemed to make Cougar nervous. He leaned forward and talked faster. “Kim’s dating a marine. He’s stationed in Pensacola right now. She hates to go to work functions alone, says the chemist geeks won’t leave her alone—”

  We jumped at the pounding on the door.

  “Denise!” Elizabeth yelled. “Denise, are you in there?”

  I started to stand, but Cougar moved my foot back to the pillow.

  “I’ll get it,” he said.

  I pushed myself up on the couch and watched him stride toward the door. I caught a glimpse of Elizabeth’s flushed face when he opened the door.

  “Who are you?” she demanded. “Where’s my daughter-in-law?”

  “She’s on the couch,” he replied, ignoring her first question. “Hiya, Abby.”

  “Hi.” Abby peeked at him from behind her grandmother. She wouldn’t look in my direction at all.

  Elizabeth stalked toward me. “Denise, I want you to know how much you’ve inconvenienced—dear God, what happened to you?”

  I glanced at Cougar and he nodded. Pasting on a smile, he scooped Abby up in his arms. “Hey, kiddo. Why don’t you show me your room while your mom and grandma talk?”

  “Okay,” she said, and they headed up the stairs.

  I waited until they were out of sight, then turned to face Grady’s mother.

  “Your son happened to me. He assaulted me tonight. He was drunk, again.”

  Elizabeth blanched and took a step backward. Her hand fluttered to the pearls at her throat. “I-I don’t believe you.”

  “You don’t have to believe me. He did it in front of a couple dozen witnesses in the parking lot of a restaurant.”

  Elizabeth’s face washed even paler. She staggered toward me, nearly falling over an end table. “Grady … where is he now?”

  Alarmed, I tried to stand. “Elizabeth? Elizabeth, are you okay?”

  “Where is he?” she shouted.

  “Jail. He’s in jail,” I said. “Unless he’s posted bond—”

  Elizabeth shot me a horrified look, then grimaced. She grabbed her chest.

  Helplessly, I watched her fall to the carpet.

  CHAPTER

  10

  Cougar!” I screamed. “Cougar, help me!”

  Footsteps thundered down the stairs while I scrambled around the couch to Elizabeth and flipped her onto her back. She blinked up at me with dazed eyes.

  “Grandma!” Abby shrieked.

  I glanced at Cougar. “Her heart, I think it’s her heart.”

  “Call 911,” he said, and knelt beside Elizabeth. Abby scurried to her other side.

  While I gave the operator directions, Cougar eased Elizabeth into a sitting position, propping her against the couch. “Mrs. Bramhall, can you hear me? Everything’s going to be all right. Help is on the way.”

  She gave Cougar a weak nod and awkwardly patted Abby’s head. Elizabeth’s color scared me, a waxy, deathly gray. Sweat beaded her upper lip. Her eyelids fluttered closed.

  Abby twisted to glare at me. The hostility on her face took my breath away. “What did you do to her?” she cried.

  Tears blurred my eyes. I reached for her and she flinched away.

  “Don’t touch me!”

  “Abby,” I managed, but she’d already turned back to Elizabeth.

  “Grandma, please open your eyes.”

  Though I could tell it taxed her, Elizabeth did what she asked. I knelt beside Abby, but didn’t try to touch her again. For the next seven minutes, we sat in silence. I knew exactly how long it was because I watched each second tick off the mantel clock.

  At the faint sound of sirens, I shifted and grabbed the back of the couch. Cougar moved quickly to help me to my feet. Abby shot me another contemptuous look over her shoulder, and I wondered if something had been irreparably broken between my daughter and me tonight.

  Cougar, Abby, and I followed the ambulance to the hospital. Abby would have nothing to do with me, choosing to cling to Cougar instead. He let me out at the emergency-room entrance before going to hunt a parking space and Abby insisted on staying with him.

  Shivering, I stepped inside the automatic doors to wait for them. I’d grabbed a long coat while heading out to the car, but I still wore my shorts and T-shirt beneath. When a cell phone began to ring, I reached for it automatically before I remembered it wasn’t my purse that I held, but Elizabeth’s. Not knowing what else to do with it, I’d brought it along. She would need her insurance card, I was sure. Now I stared at the little black phone hanging out of the side pocket and wondered if I should answer it. It might be one of her brothers …

  I snatched it out and flipped it open before I could change my mind. “Hello?”

  Silence on the other end.

  “Hello?” I repeated. “Elizabeth Bramhall’s phone. May I help you?”

  “Necie?” Grady said. “What are you doing with Mom’s phone?”

  I fumbled the cell and nearly dropped it. Oh, hell, why had I answered it? What was I supposed to do now? In the glow of the streetlights, I watched Abby and Cougar walk down the line of cars. For my little girl, I could be civil. For her, I’d do the right thing.

  “Uh, listen, Grady … we’re at the hospital.”

  “Who is? You are? God, Necie, I didn’t mean to hurt you that bad. I was upset, but you know I’d never intentionally—”

  “It’s Elizabeth,” I interrupted. “She was having chest pains, but I think she’s going to be okay. She’s responsive and at the hospital now.”

  He lapsed into silence, then sighed. “Man, could this night get any worse?”

  Yeah, I thought. Try it with a couple of cracked ribs. Nothing like a size ten in the side to put things in perspective.

  “You got three minutes,” I heard someone say in the background.

  “Okay,” Grady said. “Look, Necie. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you call my uncle Morty? This is my one phone call, and—”

  “Sure.”

  Before I could hang up, Grady started talking faster. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I love you. I don’t know—”

  I snapped the phone shut and would’ve banged my head against the glass if I thought I could’ve withstood one more ache tonight. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I laughed. How screwed up was my life?

  The double doors swung open, and Cougar shot me a curious glance. “Necie?”

  I waved him off. “I’m fine. I need to make a couple of phone calls. Would you mind—”

  He nodded. “No problem. Abby and I will wait in there. Come on, squirt,” he said, and tugged her inside.

  I took a deep breath and called Grady’s uncle. He answered on the fourth ring, sounding sleepy and annoyed. His tone didn’t improve much when I identified myself.

  “What can I do for you, Denise?”

  “I’m at the hospital. Elizabeth’s been admitted with chest pains.”

  “Where’s Grady?”

  I hesitated. “In jail. He assaulted me tonight.”

  “What? What are you talking about, assault? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard—”

  “No, Mort. The stupidest thing is me calling his lawyer for him. Elizabeth and I are okay, thanks for asking. Now I gotta go.”

  “Denise, wait!” His voice turned sugary in an instant, reminding me of why I disliked him so much. “Honey, I’m sorry. You call me out of the blue, telling me all these things … are you okay?”

  I
leaned against the glass entryway and stared inside at Cougar and Abby. Cougar hunched forward in a waiting room chair, watching me. “Just… don’t bother, okay, Morty? I want to make a deal.”

  That brought his sharp lawyer voice back. “What kind of deal?”

  “I want a divorce. My terms. If Grady agrees, I won’t press charges.”

  “Now wait a minute—”

  “I’m not asking much. Grady already knows what I want. I’m calling my lawyer now. We’ll meet you at the jail.”

  I pressed END without waiting on a reply and called Milano’s house.

  “Milano,” he said through what sounded like a mouthful of chips.

  “Hey, Milano. You busy?”

  “Hey, doll. Never too busy for my cutest client. What’s up?”

  When I heard sirens approaching, I stepped outside to clear the way for the ambulance. My ankle and ribs throbbed. If it wouldn’t have caused Cougar to rush to my aid, I would’ve sat down right there on the sidewalk. “The most embarrassing thing happened tonight. I got beat up by a lawyer.”

  “What?”

  I gave Milano the CliffsNotes version of the attack.

  “So, where are you now? Are you okay?”

  “I’m at the hospital, but not for me. My mother-in-law might be having a heart attack. She—never mind, I’ll tell you later. Well, what do you think? Should we meet with them tonight, or wait till morning or what?”

  “As much as I’d like to see him spend the night in jail, we should probably move tonight. Our main leverage is not letting the press find out about his arrest. The longer he stays there, the more likely they will. But, Necie … are you sure you want to do this? I guarantee you, I can get you anything you want at this point, without your handing him a Get Out of Jail Free card.”

  “I want this to be over.” Glancing inside at Abby, I said, “He’s the father of my child. I don’t want to destroy his life. I want him to get help.”

  “Okay, I think we can work something on that end, too. Are you at Jefferson?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll pick you up in fifteen. It’s on my way.”

  Clicking the phone shut, I shoved it back in Elizabeth’s bag and limped through the automatic doors. Cougar waited on the other side to help me.