Leverage (The Mistaken Series)

by Nancy S Thompson

  I smiled in excitement. “What’ll it be, boys? A little Alice in Chains?”

  “How ‘bout Over Now?” the bassist suggested, and we all nodded.

  The drummer introduced the beat and we joined in. My voice was hoarse from nearly three hours of solos, so I was grateful the guy on bass took lead vocal, but the bongo player and I offered backup. We grooved perfectly, like we’d been playing together for years. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, and I let myself drown in the camaraderie of the moment and the enthusiasm of the onlookers. After four songs and two more beers, I set my guitar down and excused myself for the john.

  When I came back, I found Nova watching a group of guys doing keg stands. “You’ve got some wild friends,” I said.

  She just smiled and took my hand. “What d’ya say we get outta here, go home?”

  My shoulders slouched in relief. “Yeah, it’s been a long day.”

  We wound through the room saying our goodbyes as I made my way to my guitar. I packed it up and joined Nova near the front door, a final wave and thanks before we left. Instead of a leisurely walk home, we sprinted down the sidewalk from awning to awning in an attempt to avoid the pouring rain. The last block proved futile, though, with no overhangs and only winter-barren trees to protect us. Nova squealed as she dashed the last twenty yards then yanked our building door wide and scampered inside.

  She’d already shed her jacket and was squeezing out her long hair when I followed her into the lobby. I gave my head a hard shake, sending water droplets flying all around.

  “Conner!” Nova squawked as she held her hands up in front of her face.

  “Sorry.” I was sincere, but couldn’t help chuckling.

  “Like hell you are.” She waved me her way as she turned for the stairs. “Come on. I just did a load of towels this morning. We can dry off at my place.” She didn’t bother to check if I was following her, just muttered under her breath as she climbed the staircase, and I simply stared after her, unsure if I should accept her invitation. “You coming?” she yelled, out of sight.

  “Um…yeah. Sure,” I murmured and, with a shrug of uncertainty, scaled the steps after her. By the time I reached the third floor, she’d already unlocked her front door and was waiting for me to join her.

  I stopped in front of my apartment door. “It’s late. Maybe I should just call it a night.”

  Nova walked back to me and grabbed my guitar from my hand. “You’re sopping wet and need to dry off. You don’t want to wake up your roommate, do you?”

  I shrugged again and stared into her eyes, all huge and sweet-looking. With both hands wrapped around my guitar case handle, Nova backed away, sliding closer to her open door. She stopped and smiled, just a tiny one, her lips together, before she turned and disappeared into her apartment. I remained rooted to the floor, staring down the darkened hall, when her head popped back around the door frame.

  “You coming or what?” she said then disappeared again.

  With a sigh, I stepped down the passage and into Nova’s flat. It was comfortably furnished with two leather chairs and a matching sofa set around a square, stone-top cocktail table. A small round table, stained dark, with four chairs sat near the dining area window, and two more matching leather stools were tucked under the kitchen counter bar. The walls were adorned with framed gilded prints of religious icons.

  “Whoa,” I whispered to myself then realized I must have spoken aloud when Nova looked at me with a questioning stare.

  “You don’t like it?” she asked, now at my side and scanning the room with me.

  “Oh, no, it’s just… I’m surprised, that’s all.” I turned and looked around again. “You have a really nice place.”

  She surveyed the room again, too. “Yeah, well, my benefactor can afford it.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bathroom. “Come on. This way.”

  Nova opened the hall linen closet and snagged a stack of fluffy beige towels, then directed me to sit along the tub’s edge. “Take off your clothes. I’ll put them in the dryer.”

  I stood back up and shook my head. “Oh, Nova, really, that’s not necessary.”

  She tossed a flannel robe in my face. “Here. Just do it.” she ordered and left, closing the door behind her.

  I did as she asked, emerging a few minutes later with my bundle of wet clothes. Nova, freshly dressed in purple sweats and fuzzy pink slippers, grabbed my leather jacket and hung it up on a sturdy hanger above her washing machine. Then she threw all of our clothing into her fancy dryer. Her fingers poked at the control panel, and the dryer began to spin quietly.

  “There,” she said and turned back to me, pushing me down the hall and into her bedroom. “It’ll only take twenty minutes. We can sit in here and listen to music.” Nova grabbed a remote from her nightstand and soft music instantly filled the room. She plopped down onto her bed and patted the mattress in front of her. “Have a seat. I won’t bite.”

  I tugged the robe tightly around my waist and legs and carefully sat down.

  “So modest,” she remarked.

  I offered a crooked smirk, barely able to look her in the eye. “This is awkward.”

  She scooted closer and glanced down as she walked her fingers over to my knee. “Do I make you nervous, Conner?” she asked and peeked up at me.

  With my heart pounding in my throat, I swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, you do.”

  She laid her hand on my thigh and slowly ran it upward, a sly smile spread across her nymph-like face. “I’m glad. Means you like me, right?” Her pointy little chin turned at an angle, and Nova stole another glance before looking away.

  My breath caught for a moment, but I managed to whisper, “Yeah, I do,” before her fingertips grazed my skin where the robe peeked open. I gasped and captured her hands in mine. “Nova, please, I…I can’t explain, but…”

  She peered up at me, her eyes hungry with desire and her lips gently parted as she leaned in and lightly pressed her mouth against mine. My eyes closed, and I felt her move her head from side to side, ever so slightly, as the tip of her tongue ran first along the edge of my teeth then across my upper lip. Her teeth nipped at my bottom lip before she sucked it between her own, but for only a moment. Then she was gone. I opened my eyes and found her eased back against the headboard, chewing on her fingernail as she stared at me.

  “I’m a patient woman, Conner, but make no mistake. I want you. And I know you want me, too.” Her eyes flitted downward to the bulge beneath my robe.

  I covered myself with both hands and twisted away, my chin dropping to my chest. I was ready to bolt when I felt her hand run up my arm.

  “I don’t know what’s happened to you, Conner. I only hope it’s not so bad that we can’t become…closer.” Her hand squeezed my forearm then dropped away as the dryer buzzed. “I’ll get your clothes.”

  My body sagged when she left the room, both in relief and in disappointment. Nova had no clue how much I wanted her, how every nerve in my body screamed for me to jump her bones, to drive myself into her until she screamed for me to stop. But I had to remain in control. I had to take it slow and learn to trust again, both her and my own judgment. The only way I could do that was to make a clean break from Katy, to disinfect my life of all that she’d brought back into it.

  Once Nova had returned with my clothes, I dressed quickly, determined to start on my rebirth immediately. Katy would have to find another place to stay, starting tomorrow. I didn’t care how short notice it was. I wanted my life back, and I wanted it back now.

  I pulled open Nova’s bedroom door and marched into the living room. From her seat on the sofa, Nova’s head popped up, and she smiled so reassuringly, my heart felt as though it would smash right out of my chest. I strode over and pulled her up by the arms, looking her in the eyes before I kissed her, hard, this time my tongue plunging into her mouth. When I broke away, Nova was breathless and stunned, her eyes glassy and half-closed.


  “I’ll be back,” I mimicked in my best Arnold-Terminator accent.

  Nova covered her mouth with her fingertips and giggled.

  I saw myself out and walked back to my apartment. The place was dark when I opened the door, but I could see evidence of Katy’s presence, her purse on the kitchen counter, her jacket hung on the back of the kitchen chair. With a deep breath, I turned to gather my nerve and caught my reflection in the entry hall mirror. And just like that, all the bravado I’d felt only a moment ago suddenly vanished when I glimpsed my bloodshot eyes and smelled the alcohol bouncing back at me.

  The man I’d worked so hard at rediscovering was gone, and the old Conner glared back at me yet again. What was I thinking, allowing myself to slip into old habits, to get drunk, to consider flying back into yet another relationship when I obviously wasn’t ready, when I still didn’t have control over the urges that had sent me spiraling into addiction?

  Fuck! Was I so weak that any pretty face and gorgeous body had the power to overwhelm me, to turn me from my vow to stay sober? It wasn’t Nova’s fault. She had no idea what I’d been through after Leo’s death, how Katy and I had fed off each other like vultures. It was up to me to stay clean, to abstain from all that tempted me. So, yes, I would ask Katy to leave, but I couldn’t replace her with Nova either. I had to do this alone. And I had to start now, when I had the image of my self-destruction so clear in my mind.

  I ran my hands over my face and turned down the hall, but I lurched to a halt when I heard Katy’s soft cries coming from my bedroom. Though the room was dark, Katy had left the blinds and drapes open, and white streetlight flooded into the space. She was curled on her side, her body silhouetted against the harsh light from the window beyond.

  I walked around to her side and sat down along the edge of the bed. Her face was buried in the sheets and blanket, and her shoulders quaked with the soft sound of her muted sobs. We’d been so acutely attuned to each other following Leo’s death, maybe she somehow knew this was the end, that I’d come to tell her she had to leave, to find a life without me.

  I skimmed my hand along her arm. Katy flinched and pulled away as she wailed louder and her body shook beneath the bedcovers.

  “Katy,” I whispered and fell to my knees beside her. I tugged at the covers, even as she tried to hold them in place.

  “No,” she whined and rocked away, pulling the sheet down far enough to see me.

  The ghostly streetlight blanketed her eyes for just a moment, but that was all it took for me to see. I yanked the bedcovers back with enough force to strip them from the bed. Katy moaned and turned her face into the pillow. That’s when I noticed the blood. It was smeared across the pillow and the sheet below Katy’s body. I grabbed her wrists and turned her to face me.

  Her face was a patchwork of scrapes, cuts, and bruises, her eye black, and her lip split and swollen. I recoiled, removing my hands from her wrists. They, too, were bruised and scraped. Horrified yet frantic, I returned to her side, panting as I pulled up on her sleeves, her pant legs, the hem of her shirt. Every part of her was marked. I grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a small shake.

  “What the fuck happened to you, Katy? Who did this?”

  She shook her head and sobbed, her eyes closed against me. I pulled her to my chest and held her tight, my arm wrapped around her body and my hand against the back of her head. She cried and flinched under the pressure, but I couldn’t seem to let her go.

  “Who did this to you, K?” I asked again and pulled far enough away to look her in the eye. “Was it a man? Did he…touch you?”

  She closed her eyes and twisted her head away, and in that moment, I knew, in the way she turned from me, that whoever had beaten her, had done that and so much worse.

  CHAPTER 15

  Conner

  Everything around me seemed to move in fast motion, the nurses and their aides, the doctors and technicians, other patients and their families, even the maintenance workers appeared to whirl around me like Tasmanian devils. But in my own world, as I waited for word on Katy’s condition, life seemed to have come to an abrupt halt.

  I was stranded in a bubble of unknown, of unanswered questions. So far, no one had come to brief me on Katy’s status. My nerves were strung so taut, I felt like I could literally bounce off the walls of the waiting room.

  What in God’s name had happened to Katy? Who had dared touch her, to hurt her so badly? Had she been in the wrong place at the wrong time, flirting with the wrong guy?

  She hadn’t said a word on the ride over to Harborview. Earlier, I’d urged her to let me call 9-1-1, to involve the police and have her transported by ambulance, but Katy had refused, saying she’d gotten home by herself, so she could damn well walk into the emergency room under her own steam. And she was adamant about not involving the cops. In her condition, I wasn’t about to argue. I knew, once the docs had seen her, that someone at the hospital would likely call the authorities. Katy would have little control over that.

  I helped her down to my car and drove her over myself, holding her up as I escorted her into the emergency room. At that point, I was just relieved she’d agreed to be examined. She’d fought me on that, as well. I couldn’t figure out why she was so reluctant, why she wanted to hide. Didn’t she want to catch the guy who’d done this? I know I did, but my word had little sway so far.

  So I waited. I waited for a doctor to come tell me she would be okay, to escort me to her bedside so I could see for myself, for the chance to convince her to cooperate, and for the police to arrive and question her. I wanted answers, and I wanted them now. A glance at the time on my phone told me I’d been waiting over ninety minutes already. I didn’t think I could take much more. My heart was already trying to burst from my chest, and just when I thought it might be successful, a young doctor walked in.

  “Anyone here for Katy Holender?” he asked.

  I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of her name and was at the doc’s side in an instant. “Me, I am,” I said in a rush. “How is she? What happened? Will she be all right?”

  The doctor raised a hand. “She’s resting. And you are…?”

  “Katy’s…um…roommate.”

  The doc scanned the other faces in the waiting room. “There’s no family here then?”

  “Um, no. Just me. Is that a problem?”

  “I can only divulge information to her legal next-of-kin. Has anyone contacted them?”

  I shook my head. “Katy doesn’t have any siblings, and, from what she’s told me, she’s not on good terms with her father.” I put my hand to my chest. “I’m all she has, really.”

  The doc pressed his lips together and sighed through his nose. “Look, I appreciate your position, but—”

  “Oh come on! Just…tell me she’s gonna be okay.”

  He nodded. “Yes, she’ll be fine. Her injuries are mostly superficial, cuts and bruises, which is remarkable, considering her condition.”

  I pulled up short. “Her condition?”

  “Yes. She could’ve easily lost the child.”

  I took a step back. “What child? What are you talking about?”

  “Her baby. Your friend’s pregnant. She didn’t tell you?”

  “Pregnant?” I shot back, my hands to my lips. “No…no, she never… H-how far along is she? I mean, she doesn’t look pregnant.”

  “She’s twelve weeks.”

  Twelve weeks? I stared past the doctor and mentally counted back over the last few months. Twelve weeks. That means she’d conceived right about the time of Leo’s death. Fuck! Katy was pregnant, but was it mine? Or Leo’s?

  I focused back on the doctor. “You’re sure? Twelve weeks?”

  He nodded again. “Yes, the OB on call confirmed it with an ultrasound.”

  “Shit.” I spun in a circle and started to pace, unsure what to think, what to do. “Shit!”

  “I assume it’s your child, correct? I’m sorry, Mi
ster…?”

  I stared at the floor for a moment then looked back into the doc’s eyes. “Oh, um… Maguire,” I said as I offered my hand. “Conner Maguire. And…yes. Probably. I think.” I shook my head.

  “Well, then, congratulations.”

  “Yeah, thanks. Um…can I see her now? Is she up for visitors?”

  A third nod. “Sure. Follow me.” He led me back to the nurses’ station and away from the chaos of the waiting room. “Debbie,” he called to a busy nurse, who looked up yet seemed distracted. “This is Katy Holender’s boyfriend. He’d like to see her.”

  The doctor excused himself as Debbie checked the computer then glanced up at me. “She’s been admitted for observation and moved to the Pacific Tower, room 612.” She smiled briefly then went back to whatever she’d been doing.

  After getting lost twice and walking in circles, I finally found Katy’s room. When I entered, she appeared to be sleeping. Walking past her roommate, I stood at Katy’s bedside, examining every visible inch of her flesh, especially her face, her black eye and split lip secured with tiny stitches. I slid a plastic chair up close and sat down, gently taking her cold hand in mine.

  Katy stirred, and her swollen eye opened to a mere slit. She turned and looked at me. “Hey,” she said in a hoarse whisper and with the slightest smile.

  I let my tears fall. I didn’t have the strength to fight them off any longer. “What happened, Katy? Who did this to you?”

  She sniffled and looked away. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not now. Please respect that and try to understand.”

  “I don’t understand, Katy, but…I’ll back off. For now.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to be so much trouble.”

  “Katy, please. You’re gonna be fine. One day in this place, that’s all. They just wanna keep an eye on your… I mean, on our…you know. On the…baby.”