“Mommy!” Oh my God, it’s Adam and he looks fine. He couldn’t walk to me because Cole was grabbing onto his collar.
I want to continue to appear like I’m still drugged so I say unsteadily, “Adam, hi sweetheart.”
“Tori, I have someone who wanted to see you for the last time.”
I look up slowly, playing the part of a disorientated victim. I see my baby boy, he looks unharmed. I smile at him but he looks frightened probably at the sight of me like this. He has tears in his eyes, I hate to see him like this but I have to wait until the perfect moment for Libby to be on her own without Cole.
Libby grabs Adam’s shirt and pulls him beside her, “Darling boy, don’t touch her. She is sick, you don’t want to catch whatever she has, right?”
“Let me go! Help, Mommy!” Adam yells. Cole appears and grabs onto Adam and pulls him out the door.
“Leave him alone, please. Let him go, your problem is with me, don’t take it out on him.”
She ignores my pleas, what a bitch. I want to pull her hair out of her head.
“Okay, now that the boy isn’t here. I have a few things to say before we get rid of you.”
She walks closer to me. “I hope your conscious and understand what I’m saying. I would hate to waste time. I’ve always hated you, you walked around in school like you were untouchable and you always had Alexander on a short leash. He would come back to me though, every now and then. We would make love for hours on end because he couldn’t stay apart from me, he needed me as much as I needed him. Then for some reason he would get brainwashed by you and follow you around again. Pretty pathetic to tell you the truth but I figure with you out of the picture, it will make my dream come true. Alex, myself, a kid and a few millions, the perfect life for I will create for myself.”
This woman is fucking crazy, is she seriously saying all this crap? I just listen without giving any indication that I understand what she is saying.
Finally, when she’s done talking, she walks up slowly towards me. I wait for it. When she is closer, she makes like she’s about to kick me but instead I grab her foot and push her onto the floor.
“Ahhhh!” She screams. “Cole! Hmmph.” I kick her in the stomach and she turns into a fetal position.
I continue to kick her until I see red, she’s bleeding everywhere. The adrenaline is running through my body and I realize that I have to stop before I kill her. Which is really what I wanted to do for laying hands on my son. I fall to the floor; my body is still unsteady and I wait for someone to come and help me.
Libby is on the floor crying in pain, her lip is busted open and there is a large amount of blood on her nose and mouth. She also looks like she’s missing a few teeth, good.
I make myself get up so I could look outside and see if there was a way out. Maybe there was a car or something I could use. I hope that I was able to drive. When my back is turned to Libby, I hear heavy panting behind me.
“You’re going to pay for that you stupid bitch!” She yells. She’s standing with a piece of glass in her hand and she has it raised like she is going to stab me with it. I’m not sure of what I do so I look around for an object I could use to defend myself. There is a piece of wood sticking out of the T.V. stand so I rip it off and look at her.
Her eyes seem crazed, I never knew she was capable of this. She was always obsessive and devious but I never imagined that we would be here in this situation.
“Libby, put the glass down. You’re going to hurt yourself.” I try to say calmly. I have the piece of wood in my hands but I know that it wouldn’t do much to her, so I pray that she will drop the piece of glass.
She laughs hysterically, “You are done for. You should have stayed away, you stupid bitch! Now, the tables turned, hasn’t it?”
I try to remain calm but I’m not sure that she won’t hurt me. “Libby, please put the glass down.” I say again.
I hear a noise outside, it sounded like a loud bang so I turn my head I the direction of the noise and I hear yelling. Libby is running towards me with the shard of glass raised. It’s no use, I’m going to die. I close my eyes and hear another loud bang. This time it’s a gun being fired. I’m standing there waiting for my fate when I hear a woman crying in pain. I open my eyes to find Libby on the floor, blood pouring out of her shirt. She’s been shot, but by who?
I look at the doorway to see police officers and what looks like a SWAT team pour into the small cabin. I fall to the floor in exhaustion, the officers are accessing Libby who seems like she is unconscious.
I start weeping, it’s over. It’s finally over.
I also see Alex come in looking at the scene. He blinks a few times before dropping onto the floor and hugs me.
“Oh my God baby. Are you okay?” He whispers in my ear.
I’m so glad he’s here, I nod. I cry into his shirt, it doesn’t feel real. “Yes, I’m okay.” I manage to get out. I think about Cole and that he has our son still. “Adam, our son…”
He knows what I’m about to say, “We have him in the car, we got him and Cole.”
A flood of relief washes over me. Thank you so much. “Thank God.” I cry into his shirt. We stay there still, frozen while the SWAT team shows up to haul Libby out in a gurney.
Adam finally pulls away and studies my face, his expression is of sympathy. “We have to get you looked after, baby.”
I shake my head, “No, I want to see my son.”
“We will see him, we just need you to get looked at. I promise we will see him as soon as the paramedics look at you.”
I give in and nod my head.
Alex helps me up and we slowly walk outside where there is an ambulance and police cruisers scattered all over the property.
The paramedic checks my blood pressure and cleans the cuts and scrapes on my face, legs and arms. I told him about being given a heavy dose of muscle relaxants and he said that once it wears off, I should be fine. He asked if I wanted to go to the hospital and run some blood tests, I was going to say no but Alex insisted I go with Adam to be one hundred percent sure. I was starting to feel like my old myself, minus the cuts and bruises but if it made him feel better than I would go.
“Let’s get home, baby. Adam is already asleep in the car.” He grabs my hand and helps me to the car.
“I didn’t know Cole would be involved in something like this.” I say.
“We found out a connection between the two and came as quickly as we could. Speaking of which, I thought you were supposed to stay home.” He playfully chastises me.
We are in the back seat of the car and heading to the hospital to check Adam and myself out just in case they gave us something with long term effects. My head was on his shoulder and his arm around me. I missed his smell, I thought I would never be able to see him again. We appreciate the things we have when we lose them or on the verge of losing them.
“I couldn’t just sit and do nothing while you were playing hero. If anything happened to him, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself. I whisper.
I can’t see his expression but I do feel him nod once while staring out the window.
“I don’t think I could ever forgive myself if anything happened the both of you. I just found you and my son, I didn’t want to lose that. I can’t imagine what would have happened if we got there a minute later.”
I shut my eyes, not wanting to think about it. I just wanted to stay in this moment.
“I love you, Victoria.”
I smile, “I love you do, Alexander.”
We ride the rest of the way to the hospital in silence as Adam slept in the middle row seat in front of us. I’m glad this nightmare is over and wishing that we could forget everything about tonight.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
Five Years Later…
Victoria
We’re on the beach in the 4th of July, it’s extremely hot and I feel like I’m going to pass out. I’m nine months pregnant and the baby is due any day now.
This is the absolute last time I’m going through this. Alex keeps wanting to get me pregnant but I’m talking to my OB about getting my tubes tied. I cannot go through this again.
I’m watching Alex play with Adam and Lucas in the water. He’s teaching Lucas how to swim while Adam watches. Adam and Lucas have a big age gap but they both get along great. Lucas looks up to his big brother. Adam is already fourteen and in high school with his first girlfriend named Ariel. She’s a sweet girl, I like her a lot. She doesn’t put up with his crap, which is admirable.
Lucas is five and the troublemaker of the family. He started preschool last year and is blossoming quickly. He reminds me a lot of Alex as a kid because of the trouble that kid gets into. I love all my boys but I’m ready for my baby girl to come, I always feel outnumbered.
Alex and I got married a few months after the incident with Libby and Cole. We had a small wedding with our family and friends. My dad walked me down the aisle and we said our I do’s in front of twenty people. I dreamed about my happily ever after with this man for a long time and I finally got to. It was my dream wedding and it will be something that I will always remember.
I forgave my mom because she was doing what she thought was right at the time. If it weren’t for my parents, I’m not sure that I would be here today. I got to finally see Bruce after all these years and he looks happy and youthful again. His girlfriend has really brought the old Bruce back and we are all thankful for that.
I was offered a job at S & J without Alex’s influence, I hope, and turned it down because I was already a month pregnant. I was able to stay at home to take care of our children which is a twenty-four-hour job but so worth it. I get to sit back and enjoy them growing up, because with Adam I felt like the years were passing by and I was missing out on a lot of his growing up.
Alex looks at me from the water and smiles his sexy smile, I love that man. After all these years he still makes my body tingle. I’m extremely happy and thankful that I had found my best friend again. With everything that we have gone through, I know that we are only stronger for it. He made my world complete.
LIKE & FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/lmsousa.author
&
LIKE MY AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/lmsousa150/
Free Preview
Here’s a preview of L.M. Sousa’s Ebook
Her Second Chance
CHAPTER ONE
JEMMA
“Just leave those boxes in the living room. I got it from here, thanks guys.” I grab my check book from my purse on the kitchen counter and write the movers a check for twelve hundred dollars. Great, the last of my savings is gone. I’m not even sure if there will be enough for electric and groceries before payday next week. I hand the tall burly guy the check, he lifts is chin in acknowledgment, grumbles a thanks and they both leave the apartment.
I look around my ratty apartment, it wasn’t too bad considering the area we were in. The rents were high and the apartments weren’t that big. After waitressing at a bar and saving up all the money I could for first, last, security and moving costs I finally have my own place.
I love Tracey, my best friend, but I was getting tired of sleeping on her couch at night and having awkward run ins with her one night stands in the morning.
Who the fuck was I kidding? This sucked, I was a twenty-six-year-old divorcée who was starting her life from the bottom. If you had told me three years ago that I would have to go through this again, I would have laughed. I gave Nick everything I had to make our marriage work and it still wasn’t good enough, I gave up my life to support his and he wakes up one day and decides he wants a divorce because he’s ‘in love’ with his secretary. This came after I walked into his office with his pants around his ankles and the bitch leaning over his desk. Truth be told, it looked like she was just laying there, bored out of her mind. I do however know the feeling unfortunately.
Nick was my high school sweetheart, he was my first everything. My first kiss, my first boyfriend, my first sexual experience. He used to always tell me that we would go places and he was going to make something of himself. We both wanted to leave our small town and live in New York where he would become a big shot lawyer and I would be by his side, supporting him. Kingston was a small town, we all knew each other. So when everyone found out that my husband was sleeping with his legal secretary, I became secluded and didn’t talk to anyone besides my close friends. For the first few months I was a shut in. I didn’t eat or sleep and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. The only reason why I talked to my friends was because they basically broke down my door one day and confronted me, so it was hard to ignore them after that. What was even more sad about all of that was that everyone knew we were done for before the divorce papers were even served to me. Apparently, my dear husband was flaunting his and Stephanie’s relationship around town, while I was at home getting his dinner ready and keeping his house clean.
I look around the apartment, maybe I can spruce it up a bit. I don’t have a lot of money left from what I got in the divorce, which was hardly anything to start with. I know Nick hid accounts from me and the attorney’s but I couldn’t afford to get my attorneys to look into it considering I was paying them $250 an hour.
Just thinking about the past gets me anxious and nervous and when I get that way I start cleaning. Which, in this case, is good considering this place is a dump. I fill my bucket with water and soap and start cleaning.
Three hours later, I am deciding where to place the sofa when I get a knock on the door. I open it and I freeze up. The most beautiful man I have ever seen standing in front of me just staring at me. He has to be at least six feet tall and wide shoulders that you can just hang off of. He’s wearing a black t shirt and you can see his tattoo covered arms. He has his black hair in a low ponytail, but if I had to guess, his hair would reach to this neck, just above his shoulders. His beautiful chestnut brown eyes stare at me. When I realize that I’m just staring at this stranger, I snap out of it and greet him. “Hi” I smile at him, his brows furrow and I stop smiling. He looks angry for some reason.
“Is that your Honda out front in my spot?” He asks, I step out of my front door just enough to see what he’s pointing at. I see my Honda in spot that isn’t numbered or doesn’t have any street sign above it.
I snap out of it and say, “Umm, yes. Why?”
“That’s my bike’s spot, move your car.” He turns around. He walks down the stairs towards what I assume is his motorcycle. Our apartment complex is built like a motel so we don’t actually have hallways. One of the compromises I had to make when looking at places is the lack of security. Tracey was worried and said it wouldn’t be safe but I figured if I could save three hundred a month then so be it. I grab my keys from the bowl beside the door, slip on my jacket and UGGS and go move my car. When I’m outside I realize that I’m only wearing my pyjama pants and a tank top which with the cold airing blowing, it hits me that I’m not wearing a bra and my nipples are poking through the tank top material. I’m pretty sure someone would notice. I hope to God the gorgeous man doesn’t notice.
I get into my car and park on the other side of the lot where it’s empty. He parks his bike where I was and gets out. He doesn’t even put a disc lock, I wonder if it isn’t such a bad neighbourhood. I slowly walk up to him, he looks down at me with me being only five foot seven and him being six foot three at least. He has a brow raised, “Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that we were assigned parking spaces.”
He looks down at my chest and I suddenly feel self conscious and cover my chest with my jacket. He smirks at me and says, “We’re not. But I always park here.” He walks past me and up the stairs. I’m thinking that he is going to my apartment, 2F but he passes mine and goes next door to 2G.
I honestly can’t deal with this right now. I go into my apartment and slam my door, hoping he hears it. I try not to dwell on him and decided to order Chinese. I would have to keep my
spending to a minimal but what’s thirty more bucks? Tomorrow I would have to go grocery shopping before my shift at four.
After I placed my order for the Chinese food, I sat on my dark brown worn sofa. It was in ok condition considering I paid forty bucks for it at a garage sale a few weeks back. I looked at my phone. No new calls. What did I expect, that Nick would call me and apologize? I was being stupid. Sometimes, when I was feeling weak and defeated, I would hope that he would take me back and we would go back to the way we were. I have to stop thinking about him.
The food comes and after I eat two hefty plates of my takeout, I take a shower in the small shower. I get into bed but can’t sleep because my mind is racing. My mind is stuck on my neighbor and how gorgeous he is, those eyes and what a body he has, he seems pretty big so I’m sure he spends a fair amount of time at the gym. He also had the facial hair… wait what am I thinking? I can’t get involved with someone now, I need to get my life together before I start dating. Anyways, Mystery man could already be involved with someone, they almost always are.
To find out what happens next…
Purchase the eBook on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited
“Her Second Chance” by L.M. Sousa
https://www.amazon.ca/Her-Second-Chance-L-M-Sousa-ebook/dp/B07984CBR7
My Best Friend Page 12