by Angel Rose
you don’t have forensic evidence or any evidence, for that matter, linking him to the murders, there’s nothing anyone can do. Not even DNA! I can’t even tell you if he is actually guilty of those
gruesome murders or not, the prosecution had nothing and they were working on a whim. It’s a damn shame though, the prosecution didn’t do their homework, and it was embarrassing losing
like that in court. Every time they questioned Dave he swallowed hard. I actually smiled and he saw me. Victory does smell sweet, though,” he said nonchalantly. I really couldn’t read his face
and his eyes said nothing. I wondered how he really felt, if he was scared or he just didn’t care. I just couldn’t tell.
“Yeah but at what cost? You have to defend murderers…how does that make you feel?” I asked a little afraid of what the answer was going to be.
“I don’t know if he’s guilty, Jenesis, usually I can tell if my client is a liar, but this guy is good. It’s my job, Jenesis, I don’t like doing it more than I like throwing out the garbage, but it’s what I
do, and I am damn good at it.” He seemed bothered by my question. I felt bad asking him that, but I wanted to really understand how he felt about defending these criminals.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to know how you felt.” I walked up behind him and he turned around to face me. I inhaled his scent and hugged him tightly around his waist.
“I know baby, I love you. Be careful tonight, I’ll pick you up. Stay. Inside.” He kissed my forehead and my nose.
“I love you…more.” I smiled at Michael then removed my towel and walked over to the dresser drawer to grab some underwear and a matching bra. I looked through the mirror and saw Michael
gaping at me. He slid his hands in his pants front pockets and said, “Why would you do that?” “Do what?” I asked with a smirk, shaking my ass at him.
“Walk in front of me like that,” he motioned with his eyes for me to walk over to him, his seductive gaze swallowing me up as I approached him.
“Michael, I have to get dressed,” I whispered, as I stood in front of him naked.
“You don’t have to do anything, including work, ever… again. Come here.” he pulled me close to his chest and held me tight. “Jenesis, I want us to get married and have children…lots of children.
So be prepared to be a stay at home mom.” My heart stopped for a moment. I didn’t expect Michael to say that at all, and my whole body shuddered.
“What’s the rush?” I said nervously.
“No rush…I just think I’m ready to start a family,” he said as he kissed my nose.
“Not yet Michael. I need more time, I’m still young, and I’m still healing.
I’m just not ready.” I held him around his waist and leaned my head into his chest again, listening to his heartbeat. I was exhausted from the strain in my heart when he mentioned the word children. I felt so guilty, and I wanted to die.
“Well, I think my clock is ticking.” He laughed and grabbed my ass. I felt cold and I didn’t want to let go of his warm embrace. He wrapped his arms around me and noticed that I was shivering.
“Get dressed baby, let’s grab a bite to eat before you head to that dungeon Dave keeps you in.” he smacked my ass as I walked over to the closet. I got dressed and Michael and I got in his car and
headed to the diner. We sat and ate together. The conversation was light. I was hoping he didn’t mention children to me again. It was like getting punched in the stomach over and over.
“I have to go,” I said softly. “I’ll grab a cab from here.” Michael paid the waitress, and we walked out of the diner together, hand in hand. He hailed me a cab, and I got in. “Be careful Michael, I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be, I can take care of myself.” Michael kissed me softly on the lips and then closed the door. The cab drove off slowly, and I turned around to watch him. He slid his hands into his pockets
and watched as the cab drove away. I was worried. Something didn’t feel right. I hoped, no, I prayed that he would get to work safely.
I walked into the precinct, and Dave was on his cell phone shouting. I walked pass him as he glared at me, my eyes meeting his. I smiled at him thinking only the worst. I felt as if he betrayed our friendship by sleeping with Tilly, and I had no idea how I was going to approach this.
I opened the door and the office was a mess and some papers and files were on the floor. A bottle of Jack Daniels lay sideways on the desk with two shot glasses. It seemed as if I walked into a
private party, and I felt like the intruder who crashed it. I started to pick up the files and the papers on the floor. I noticed one of the files was a file I had read and filed under cold cases already. It
was the Hunter file, the one where the woman was beheaded. It stands out to me because she was the one who shared my birthday. I quickly picked it up and placed in on the desk. Another file was
Tina Danielson’s and the mug shot of Stephen Marquis with his testimony. The other papers were reports from the private investigator in that case. Some were crumbled and others were near the shredder. As I reached for the papers near the shredder, Dave walked in.
“Don’t touch that!” he shouted. I dropped the papers on the floor, startled, and then I stood up quickly. “I got it Jen, this is my mess. I’ll clean it up,” he said adamantly.
“Dave, what happened here?” I asked as I stood there staring at what felt like a complete stranger.
“Nothing, I had a guest over, and we were reminiscing about old times.
Things got out of control. I drank too much,” he said. Despite his mouthful of lies, he managed to make it seem as if he was entitled to a drunken good time. I really didn’t care what he did, but what he did to Tilly needed an explanation.
“That’s nice, but you don’t have to explain anything to me. The only thing
I want to know is why?” I asked with my arms crossed tightly against my chest.
“Why what?” his eyes met mine in a standoff.
“Dave, how could you?” I glanced away.
“How could I what?” he asked, starting to get annoyed.
“You slept with Tilly!” I belted out.
“Who told you that?” he demanded as he slammed his hand on the desk, then smacked the Jack Daniel’s body against the wall smashing it into pieces. I ducked like I was being shot at, and Dave
grabbed me by the arms. “Did she tell you that? When! When did she tell you?” I almost peed my pants I was so frightened. His grip was tight on my arms.
“Let me go, Dave…please!” I shouted.
“She’s a fucking liar!” he barked. He let go of my arms, and I stumbled to the side.
“No she’s not, and you know it,” I said firmly. “And you could be a father soon, since you didn’t use protection.”
“Since when do you care, anyway? Everything is Michael. Michael this, Michael that. I can’t remember a time you called me just to talk…the way we used to,” he said as he lowered his head, his breathing erratic as sweat piled above his eyebrows.
“You slept with Tilly because I didn’t call you? That’s down right disturbing.” I grabbed the broom and started to sweep the glass from the bottle to the other side of the room. I was shaken, and I needed to move around.
“No…I slept with Tilly because she’s someone I care for…and I wanted to,” he admitted. He shook his head and sat on the chair.
“What?” I said as if I heard him say differently.
“Tilly and I have history,” he said smugly.
“Really? What type of history?” My curiosity was killing me.
“I’m the father of the child she didn’t get to give birth to,” he said without blinking. I almost fainted. How could he speak like that?
“Dave, what are you saying?” I said angrily.
“What does it sound like I’m saying? Tilly and I had a whirlwind romance. She was my world for a little while, but she w
as with Eddie. Eddie cheated on her with Cassandra after we were together, not because he knew, but because he’s a damn cheater!” he snapped.
“Oh and she’s not! Where the hell did you guys meet?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“In London, while she was visiting her parents. I had business in London, and I was lost and she guided me around town. It was perfect. She fell in love with me and I…loved her, instantly. We spent two weeks together, every moment of every day. I met her parents, and she planned to leave
Eddie for me,” he whispered. I felt my anger subside as I heard Dave’s pain in his voice.
“Does Eddie know? And how does Margaret fit into this equation?” I asked softly.
“No…she got pregnant, and she didn’t know if it was mine or Eddie’s. It was too risky, so she had to terminate.” He punched the cabinet with his fist and cracked open his knuckles. He grabbed his hand and kept speaking, “Margaret lived in London for a while, and she knew Tilly’s aunt. When
I met Margaret at the Gallery, I didn’t know she knew Tilly. It was a coincidence that she knew her, and supposedly they had known each other for years. I didn’t know until I spoke about my
trip to London and that’s when Margaret told me about when she lived there. I had carried a photo of Tilly and I in my wallet for months, and then the one day I left my wallet on the table, that’s
when Margaret finds out.” he wiped the blood off of his knuckles with a paper towel and sat on the desk defeated and heartbroken.
“Oh my God, Dave, I’m so sorry. I thought you took advantage of her. That’s what she told me.” My heart broke as Dave’s eyes welled up with tears. I couldn’t believe how emotional he became.
That was rare for him, and it took everything that I knew about him to know…he wasn’t lying. I walked over to him, kneeled in front of him and held his hands.
“I’ve never loved anyone like I loved her…ever. She understood me, and she was patient, loving, and an animal in bed. I couldn’t ask for anything more and, I never touched her money…never, unlike Eddie, who’s been mooching off of her for years.” He started to clean up the files and placed
them neatly on the desk. He ignored his bleeding knuckles while I stared at him in awe after listening to the fucking novella, which was his life, which he shared with me so nonchalantly. I
didn’t know what else to say, and the clock was ticking. Michael was going to pick me up soon, and I needed to get this office cleaned up.
“I’m sorry, Dave. Really, I am.” I started to sweep up again and placed the trash in the bag. I didn’t know what else to say or do, so I preoccupied myself with cleaning up.
“I have to go. Don’t tell Tilly I spoke to you, she won’t believe anything I’ve told you. I’ve hurt her.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell you that, but please, leave my name out of the conversation. I’ll see you later. Is Michael picking you up?” He looked at me as if he wanted to tell me something else. I felt bad for
him, and my inner daughter wanted to come out and comfort him the only way I could, by being there for him.
So that’s what I was going to do.
“Dave? Brunch tomorrow before work?” I asked as I hugged him tightly. “Yes, I’d like that.” He smiled and hugged me back. The kind of hug you give your daughter when you really truly love
her and care…I think. “See you tomorrow. I’ll clean up here. What do you want me to do with that file near the shredder?”
“Shred it, I have a copy.” His eyes met mine, and I grabbed the file, turned on the shredder and began to shred the documents.
I spent the rest of the night with a headache, trying to wrap my brain around Tilly and Dave’s escapade. I didn’t know what to think, and I felt sorrier for Dave than I did Tilly. That seemed wrong, but I believed him, and I wanted to call Tilly and tell her what a fucking bitch she was for
lying to me. I started to shred the rest of the Hunter file, and a couple of other files he ordered me to shred. I glanced over at the clock. It was ten to two, and Michael would be waiting for me
outside. I gathered my things and started walking towards the front of the precinct, and on my way I bumped into Cassandra.
“Hey Jenesis,” she said smiling.
“Wow…” I whispered laughing, shaking my head.
“What?” she said rudely.
“How many people have you fucked? And how many lives have you ruined?” I couldn’t contain myself, and I wanted to smack her fucking curls right off of her head.
“What did you say to me, bitch?” she barked. Her arm swung from Jupiter, and she smacked me across the face leaving bells ringing in my ears. After the shock of her hand hitting my face, I balled my fist and punched her right, smack-dab in the middle of her face, not knowing I hit her in
the nose. I yelled as I knocked her right on her ass. She grabbed her nose as the blood poured from it.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Nick pushed me against my chest while Cassandra stood up and charged at me. He grabbed her from behind and threw her on the floor. I was standing, rubbing my chest, as Nick pressed a button on his cell phone.
“I’m leaving,” I said firmly. “You take care of that home wrecker!” I shouted.
“You can’t leave, I can arrest you, you know,” Nick said seriously.
“You know where I live.” I walked out of the precinct and into Michael’s arms.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Jenesis, what the fuck happened? You can’t just leave, she’s bleeding,” he said as he ran out of the precinct towards me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” Michael shouted as he smacked Nick’s hand off of my shoulder.
“Michael, your girlfriend practically broke Cassandra’s nose. Cassandra’s a cop, you know. She should be in hand cuffs right now,” he said calmly.
“Jenesis, what’s going on?” Michael’s eyes scrutinized me.
“She smacked me across my face, and I hit her back in self-defense,” I said nervously.
“I have to call Dave. We’ll meet tomorrow to talk about this. Let’s hope she doesn’t press charges.” He shook Michael’s hand then walked away into the precinct.
“Let me see your face,” Michael said as he tucked my hair behind my ear to get a better look. I inhaled deeply and tilted my face. I didn’t get to see what I looked like either, but I didn’t care. I’m glad I almost broke her nose; she deserved it and then some.
“It’s nothing, let’s go.” I grabbed his hand and led him to his car.
The ride home was silent, and once in a while Michael glanced over at me but didn’t say a word. I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to. I was speechless, and my actions towards Cassandra were uncalled for. Who was I to even get in the middle of this fiasco? I thought about having brunch
with Dave tomorrow; I needed to get to the bottom of this. The only way to do it was to make sure Tilly was there, too, so I texted her.
Today 2:39 AM
Tilly meet me at the diner on the corner of 68th and 2nd ave tomorrow at 11. We need to talk.
J
What about?
Tilly
Please, just meet me there. J
Ok…I’ll be there.
Tilly
We arrived at the loft, and Michael let me out so he could park the car. I went upstairs and entered the loft exhausted and hungry for something sweet. My heart was still pounding and I was nervous
and being nervous brought on my craving for sweets. I opened the fridge and found a chocolate pudding cup behind the orange juice. I smiled because I know Michael loves his chocolate pudding
and brownies and they are off limits when they are on his side of the fridge. He warms my heart, sometimes he’s just like a kid and even though he’ll be thirty soon, he’s still a big kid at heart.
“Hey, are you stealing my pudding?” he said playfully.
“Sw
eet tooth,” I said.
“I’m sweet,” he said, pressing against me.
“Michael, you are really sweet, and you taste delicious, but I’m really tired tonight. Do you mind if we just snuggle up in the sheets?” I said as I swallowed the pudding.
“Of course, baby, something wrong? You usually don’t say no.”
“Just a little cramps. My friend is due soon.” He raised his eyebrows and crinkled his nose.
“Some friend that is, interfering with my favorite part your body.” He laughed, and I gasped, punching him on the arm playfully.
“Come on. Let’s call it a night and cuddle.” I grabbed his hands and dragged him to the bedroom. He dragged his feet knowing he wasn’t going to get any tonight. He stepped into the shower as I
changed into my sweatpants and T-shirt and washed off my mascara. I didn’t anticipate feeling so sorry for Dave, but I couldn’t get him out of my head. A baby with Tilly? His first child, like
Michael, and gone, like Michael’s. I felt more like shit than anything else. There was no forgiving our behavior, and now I had a reason to feel guilty all over again. Michael came out of the shower,
and I went in. He wrapped the towel tightly around his waist and kissed me on the cheek then headed to the bedroom. I took a hot shower to relax the tense muscles all over my body. I skimmed
over my stomach with my hand, and stopped at the memory that tortured my soul every day. Dr. Logan was right, I had to move on, but I would never forget, and somehow Tilly’s and Dave’s
love triangle made me feel worse about what I had done to Michael or what I was going to do. She had an excuse, what was… mine?
I finished taking a shower, then peeked into the bedroom. Michael was already fast asleep. I walked over to the kitchen and sat pensively on the windowsill. I thought about my relationship with Michael, Dave, Tilly, Margaret, and the people at work. I was tired of all the bickering,
fighting…bad blood, and I just wanted everyone to get along. I felt like I was losing control of my life. I felt like I needed to make a choice between
Dave and Michael. They’ve both turned my world upside down. But, how could I choose? How could I walk away from Dave who’s done so much for me with no questions asked? And Michael?