by Ash, Nikki
Stunned at what I just did, I start to hyperventilate. I’m not Justin. Who am I to play God with someone’s life like he did with mine and my daughter’s? I crawl over to my cell phone and dial 911. The operator answers, asking what my emergency is.
“I shot…a man. He’s bleeding,” I say. “I need an ambulance.” I rattle off the hotel information and the room number. The blood is everywhere. I need to save him. He might deserve it, but I’m not a murderer. She tells me help is on the way and to stay on the line, but I drop the phone.
Grabbing a towel, I locate the entry point. It’s on his chest, right on top of his heart. I press down on it to stop the bleeding. He’s shaking. His eyes are closed.
A few minutes later, the police enter. Then the paramedics. They ask me to release Justin and I do. They put him on a gurney and suddenly Tristan has me wrapped up in his arms. Safe. Secure.
“I- I didn’t mean to,” I cry out, but Tristan just shushes me while he rocks me gently.
“It’s okay, baby,” he coos into my ear. “It’s all over.”
Chapter Forty-One
Charlie
The police officer tells Tristan he needs to step outside. I’m to remain inside because I’m part of the investigation. The investigator takes my fingerprints, dusts my hands for residue, and takes pictures of my neck. Once they’re done with me, I’m put into the back of a police car. The officer tries to explain it’s just proper protocol, but Tristan isn’t having it. He tells me not to say a word until he arrives with my attorney. When we arrive at the police station, I’m brought to a room where I let the officer know I have to wait for my attorney. Once Tristan arrives with him, he requests to speak to me alone. I tell him everything. From the verbal and physical abuse to Georgia being made to appear dead.
Once the detective comes in, questions are asked and answered. It feels like it goes on for hours. Eventually a gentleman in a suit with a badge attached to his belt comes in and informs us Justin has been declared dead. The sense of relief that courses through my body almost has me feeling guilty, but then I stop myself because he did this to himself. He made his own choices. He chose to abuse me for years. He chose to lie to me about our daughter. And he chose to come to my hotel room with a loaded gun with the intent to end my life.
I’m brought into an interrogation room and asked several questions by a few different detectives with my attorney by my side the entire time. Once they’re done interviewing me, I’m asked to wait while they look over my case. After what feels like several more hours, I’m told I won’t be charged. All the evidence, including the hotel footage of Justin breaking in, proves I shot him in self-defense. Once I’m finally released, the only place I want to go is to my daughter, but I’m covered in blood.
“Can you take me to my car?” I ask Tristan. “I need to go buy some new clothes. I can’t go back to the hotel room yet and my clothes have blood stains on them. I need to go to Justin’s mom’s house so I can get Georgia. I’m not even sure—”
“Hey, stop,” Tristan says calmly. “You just went through something life altering. Take a second to breathe.”
“I can’t stop. I can’t breathe!” I exclaim. “My daughter is alive and God knows what she thinks about me! She probably thinks I abandoned her.”
“Okay, your car is safe at the hotel. I’ll drive you to get clothes and then we’ll head over to Georgia. Okay? Just… please, breathe. You’ve been through a lot.”
I inhale deeply and let out a ragged breath, the reality of today’s events hitting me like a punch to my gut. I killed my husband. My daughter is alive. Grabbing Tristan’s shirt, I pull myself toward him, my head going to his chest as I let out one of the most therapeutic cries of my life. He holds me while I let it all out, running his hands up and down my back in a soothing motion until my tears finally dry up. When I lift my head up, I notice his shirt is covered in my tears. Tristan has always been my strength. Even right now, he’s able to take all my tears and remain strong for the both of us.
“You ready to go get your little girl?” he asks.
“Yes, I am.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Tristan
I have never been so scared in my entire life than I was when I heard Charlie scream. When I walked in and saw her trying to save that motherfucker’s life, I knew without a doubt, Charlie is the best woman I have ever met. If I had had the pleasure of shooting that piece-of-shit, I would have stuck a couple extra bullets in him just to make sure he was dead. But not Charlie—she tried to keep that sorry excuse for a man alive. The man who put his hands on her over and over again, kept her daughter from her, and tried to kill her. It only makes me love her even more.
We pull up to a beautiful home that screams wealth, and the attorney pulls up behind us. I don’t know what will go down when Charlie tries to get her daughter and I’m not taking any chances. We knock and a butler looking guy answers the door. Charlie remains calm and asks to please let us come in and see Georgia, and that’s when a woman appears.
“Is it true?” she cries out. “Did you kill my boy?”
Charlie steps closer to me, clearly afraid of what this woman will do.
“Ma’am, we’re sorry for your loss,” I say, not meaning it in the slightest but trying to calm her down. “We’re here to see Georgia.”
“She’s crazy!” the woman screams out, pointing to Charlie.
“Devon, can you help me out here?” I call the attorney over. He nods and approaches the situation.
“Mrs. Reynolds, I have an emergency court order requesting you to hand Georgia Reynolds over to her mother. If you can’t hand her over civilly, I am going to have to ask the police to become involved.” That’s when I look back and see two police officers standing at the end of the driveway.
“I don’t understand!” she cries.
“Hilda,” Charlie says softly. “Justin—he had an abusive side to him. I tried to run with Georgia to get away, and to punish me, he made me believe she was dead. When I took off, he told you I was put into a mental institute. I was in California this entire time grieving over the death of my daughter.”
The woman—Hilda, as Charlie calls her—brings her hands to her mouth, and begins to cry. “I didn’t know, Charlotte. I swear I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Charlie assures her. “I would just really like to see my daughter.” Hilda moves to the side and lets us in. Once inside, Hilda calls Georgia’s name, and several seconds later, a tiny little mini-Charlie comes running into the room.
“Mommy!” she shrieks and jumps into Charlie’s arms. “Where were you, Mommy? I missed you so much. You left me.”
Charlie tries so hard to remain composed but at those last words, she breaks down. “I’m so sorry, baby girl. There was a big misunderstanding, but I’m here now and I promise you no one will ever keep me away again.”
“Can we go home now?” Georgia asks, and my stomach clenches with the realization that Texas is her home. Will Charlie want to stay here? Now that Justin is dead she has no reason to run anymore.
“We sure can, baby girl.” Charlie picks her daughter up and carries her to the door. “Hilda, I just want you to know I don’t want anything of Justin’s. Because of his death, I don’t have to file for a divorce, but you can have any papers drawn up you like and I will sign it all over to you including the house if he still owns it.”
“But where will you live?” Hilda asks. “Surely, you need a place for Georgia and you to live in. We can figure it all out.”
“My home isn’t here anymore.” Charlie gives me a small smile. “My home is in California. You’re welcome to visit Georgia any time you like, but that’s where we’ll be.”
Hilda nods in understanding then gives Georgia a kiss on her cheek. “She was homeschooled by the best tutor, so make sure you continue her education. While Justin was working, she stayed here with her nanny—”
“I appreciate that,” Charlie says cutting her off, “but Georgia will be g
oing to school. Call if you would like to visit.” She gives Hilda her number and with that, Charlie walks out the door, her head held high, with her daughter’s arms wrapped tightly around her neck.
Because it’s so late, we have to wait until tomorrow to fly out. Georgia insists we stop at her house to pick up her toys and clothes. Charlie, not wanting to upset her daughter, agrees. While they’re inside grabbing the items important to Georgia, I contact the rental car company and let them know where to pick up the vehicle and give them my billing information. Then I book a hotel room for the night for the three of us.
Once we get to the hotel, Charlie gives Georgia a bath. I can see her eyes glassy with emotion in everything she does, and I can’t blame her. She thought her daughter was dead, and now to find out she’s alive… She never thought she would get to do something as simple as giving her daughter a bath again.
Once Georgia is dressed and fed, Charlie holds her daughter on the couch while they talk. Georgia is only four, so she doesn’t really understand it all. It’s a good thing because she’ll get over it all quickly. When she asks about her dad, Charlie tells her he was hurt and went to heaven. Georgia barely even shows any emotion. I stand by the theory that kids are a good judge of character. They know who is good and who is bad.
Once Georgia falls asleep—still in Charlie’s arms—Charlie finally looks my way. “Thank you for coming. For hiring that attorney and for being so amazing through all of this. I’m sorry for lying to you.”
“You didn’t lie.”
“No, don’t do that. I should have told you I was still married. I should have trusted you enough to know you would stand by my side and help me through it.”
“All that is true. I’m just ready to move forward and make you my wife.” I give her a small smile, but she frowns.
“I’m going to need some time, Tristan. I’m moving Georgia to a new state, to a new city, to a new home. I can’t just move her into your home.”
“It’s your home too.”
“And I love you so much for that,” she says, tears building up in her eyes. I want to shake her, beg her not to do this, but I know she’s only doing this because that’s what a good mother does.
“I think it’s time I tell you about my life in Texas.” Reluctantly, Charlie puts Georgia into her bed, not wanting her daughter to overhear anything she’s saying. She joins me on the couch but won’t let me hold her while she tells me about her old life. She tells me about how she met Justin, her parents having died and her feeling alone. I listen as she tells me how it started with him putting down her degree, calling her love of art, silly, then it moved on to him putting her down as a parent. He would question every decision she made, making her feel like a bad mother. She tells me about the verbal and emotional abuse. Him not allowing her daughter to color. His cheating habits. How she felt trapped in her home and was trying to escape. She tells me about her plan. The money she was stashing away. Finally, she tells me about the day she thought her daughter died. How she couldn’t remember what happened until Justin hit her at the hotel. My fists clench at the thought of that guy laying his hands on my fiancée. Needing to touch her, I reach for her hand at the same time the phone rings.
“It’s Mila,” she says.
She answers the phone and tells Mila about finding her daughter alive. She laughs and cries and then she says, “Actually, I’m going to find a place of my own. My landlord mentioned his granddaughter staying at the loft and I would feel bad asking him if I could stay after all.” She glances at me, her eyes pleading for me to understand. “Really? Are you sure?” She pauses while Mila says something. “That would be great. It’s only temporary…Okay, thank you. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
She hangs up the phone. “I’m thinking a June wedding.” She slides closer to me, her arms going around my neck.
“But you just said…”
“I said I need some time, and now you know why. I need to make sure Georgia is comfortable with this transition. I’ve been without my baby girl for a year, and she doesn’t know you. Mila is in search of a new roommate. She has a three-bedroom home she wanted to keep after the divorce, but she has been struggling to keep up with payments since her roommate moved out after getting engaged. While she continues to look for a new roommate, Georgia and I will stay with her while we all get to know each other.”
“Let’s buy a house,” I insist. “A fresh start for all of us. Once we’re married we can all move into the house together.”
Charlie’s face lights up. “I like the sound of that…so six months?”
“It will be the longest damn six months of my life.”
“I want to get married in Vegas.”
“Anything you want.”
“I want to honeymoon with both our girls,” she chokes out, another sob coming out. “I can’t believe it. Both girls,” she cries. “I have my daughter back.”
“She looks just like you.”
“I can’t wait for Lexi to meet her,” Charlie gushes.
“They’ll be best friends. So, where do you want to honeymoon?”
“I always wanted to take Georgia to Disney but Justin wouldn’t allow it. I’m thinking a Disney trip or a Disney cruise.” She beams.
“I say we do both.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Charlie
Christmas morning
“Mommy! Wake up! I want to go see Lexi pleeeeaaassseee.”
I stretch my arms and legs as my beautiful baby girl jumps onto the bed we share, her loose curls bouncing in the air as she jumps up and down next to me in excitement. Watching her face light up will never get old. When you find out you’ve been given a second chance, you suddenly view the world and your priorities in a whole new light.
“Mommmmmy! Please!” Georgia squeals. “I wanna go see Lexi.” She jumps onto my belly, her tiny hands smashing either side of my face in an attempt to make sure she has my undivided attention.
“Did you check to see if Santa came?” I ask, and Georgia freezes.
“No! I’ll go now! Get up, Mommy!” she yells as she jumps off the bed and runs out the door, the sound of her tiny feet pitter-pattering down the stairs. A sound I will never tire of hearing.
I’ve only had Georgia back with me for a little over a week, but she and Lexi have already made the decision to be best friends. When Tristan and I brought Georgia back with us, our first stop was to Lexi. I felt it was important for her to be a part of Georgia’s homecoming, and Tristan agreed. What I didn’t know was that Tristan had already contacted Mason and Mila, and with the help of Alec and Lexi, they had a mini-surprise homecoming party waiting for us. Takeout food, a cake, balloons, and a huge ‘Welcome Home’ sign.
We had to explain to Lexi, Georgia didn’t in fact go to heaven—we didn’t want her thinking people can just rise from the grave and return—and like the sweet girl she is, she welcomed Georgia with open arms.
The days are spent at the studio getting ready for the grand opening—which will take place at the end of January—with Georgia by my side. On the days Lexi has school, I spend that time with Georgia attempting to make up for lost time. The great thing about kids is that they tend to bounce back easily. I am taking her to see my therapist on Mondays with me, and we’ve discussed her dad going to heaven. He might be an evil bastard, but he was still her father.
“Okay! Okay! I’m up!” I pull the blankets off my body, and as I’m about to stand, when my cell phone rings. I see Tristan’s name on the caller ID. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, baby,” he says. “I wish you were in my bed right now.”
“Only a few more months.”
“Few? More like five. I think we need to move the date up. The girls adore each other, and they can’t wait to live under the same roof.”
“We still need to find a house,” I argue.
“So, what you’re saying is once I find the perfect house for us, you’ll move in with me?”
“After we
get married,” I add.
“I already found it.”
“What?” I laugh. “You found us a house?”
“I did! It’s perfect and you’re going to love it. We’re going to look at it next weekend. So…I’m thinking a January wedding.”
The fact is, I would love to marry Tristan right this second, but I want to make sure I’m making the decision that is best for my daughter as well as Lexi. I’ve spoken to Dr. Monroe about this and she says there is no set timeline. However, the statistics for divorce in blended families is high and that scares me.
“How about May?” I counter, and Tristan groans not liking my answer. I laugh.
“February,” he argues.
“April,” I volley.
“March.”
“Sold!” I yell and he chuckles.
“I’ll take it.”
“Mommy!” Georgia screeches, running back into our room. “Santa brought me so many presents! Can we bring them to Lexi?”
“My daughter wants yours,” I inform Tristan, who is laughing over the phone.
“Lexi wants to open her presents with you guys as well. Why don’t I pack up her presents and come over with Mason and Lex?”
“Sounds good! See you soon.”
We hang up, and I grab Georgia by her tiny waist and pull her into my lap. “They’re on their way over. Merry Christmas, baby girl.” I give her a kiss on her cheek and hug her tightly, thankful for the priceless gift I’ve been given this year.
Chapter Forty-Four
Tristan
We get over to Mila’s house and the kids are all chomping at the bit to open their gifts. My mom and dad have made the move to LA, not wanting to miss any more time with their kids. They pull up at the same time Morgan and her fiancé pull up. Emma is in the car with them because she’s living with Morgan and Adam temporarily to help out with the baby which is due in June.