Mangled Hearts

by Felicia Tatum

  The blaring alarm clock shocked my system, causing me to sit straight up in bed. Friday. It was Friday. I would be able to relax in a mere ten hours. I shut it off, leaning back on my fluffy pillow and reaching to my side to pet Hamlet. He was still iffy about me, but I thought he was warming up nicely. About three a.m., he had appeared in my room, jumping up and curling at my feet. He gradually moved up to my side. Not bad for the first night.

  I scratched his ears, listening to the relaxing sound of his purr. If only I could have the life of a cat. The images from the night before were still fresh on my mind. Daphne’s stricken face when I opened my door, the last time I’d seen Cade, his arms wrapped around that woman that I couldn’t stand, and my sister…my sweet baby sister telling me she would be safe.

  I pushed down the sob trying to escape, clenching my eyes to fight the tears. I rubbed them furiously, and slid out of bed. My toes wiggled in the soft carpet. I once again prided myself in getting it all laid last year. This place had been a wreck when I’d bought it, but it was an amazing deal. I couldn’t pass it up. The price was cheap, it had a weeping willow (my favorite tree), and it was fixable. I’d gotten the assistance of my dad with most of it, so it really hadn’t cost much to get in top shape.

  I trudged to the kitchen, starting the coffee maker, and gathering up food for Hamlet. I heard a soft meow, followed by a warm, fuzzy body pushed against my ankles. I smiled down, happy to final have some sort of companion in this lonely house. I loved being on my own, but I missed people being around sometimes.

  “Hey, kitty. Here you go,” I said, placing the dish in front of him.

  He started inhaling it, so I left him and went to start my day.

  I made it to work early, so I stopped by and chatted with Zander for a bit over coffee. He was ruggedly handsome. Tall and muscular, he would make most girls swoon. Well, if they weren’t in love with Cade Kelling already. He flirted with me which worried me to an extent. I didn’t want to lead anyone on. My heart belonged to Cade, though I didn’t even know if I could let him hold it in his hands again.

  “What did you do last night? Who was that guy you got in the car with?” he asked me curiously.

  “Oh, Zander, I found a kitty! The guy was my client, Mr. Kelling. He took care of the cat for me since I found it at his apartment complex.”

  “Really? You just found a cat and then left it with a client?” he questioned, dark brows raised unbelievably.

  I nodded, knowing I was caught.

  “You know this guy, huh?”

  I sat on the side of his desk and buried my face in my hands, mumbling, “Yes.”

  He smirked, “And?”

  “I kind of dated him…” I said sheepishly.

  “What?” he almost shouted, jumping from his seat, “You can’t date a client,” he hissed, grabbing my arm.

  I pushed his hand off, “I’m not dating him, Zander. I said I kind of did. Totally different.”

  “Francesca…” he warned, grasping my wrist gently.

  I looked into his blue eyes, full of worry and dread. “I’ll be careful. It’s my only chance, Zan. I’ve been here three years,” I whispered, my eyes pleading with his desperately.

  He nodded, pulling me in for a quick hug. “Ok. I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thank you,” I said, sniffling into his shirt. I couldn’t cry. I just refused.

  “Here, you have tons of messages and a court date to attend to. Go get busy,” he commanded.

  I giggled, calling back to him as I walked towards my office, “Order the usual lunch, my treat, and come eat with me.”

  “Ok,” he agreed as his line rang.

  I walked on, looking through my messages, groaning at some, curious about others. The very last one was the document with Cade’s court date. Two weeks from today. I picked up my step, realizing I was behind on the information I would need. I collapsed in my chair, swiveling and swirling to get it out of my system, then diving head first into the work.

  The hours blurred by full of documents, papers, and calls to various places. Cade hadn’t been in deep trouble during his adult years (a fact that surprised me greatly) so this should be an easy win. He had been arrested multiple times (that’s more like it) but never convicted. Damned if I was going to let it happen while I was representing him.

  Lunch with Zan was fun and relaxing, something I needed. Daphne called near the end of the hour, begging me to go out with her after work. I obliged, but only because I couldn’t resist her when she begged like that. She was the twin I never had. I finished the day, glad it was the weekend and I wouldn’t have to see or talk to Cade until Monday.

  I spun, eyeing my backside in the fitted black dress Daphne insisted I buy last time we went shopping. It made my butt look huge. I growled, rushing to the door when I heard the bell. Daphne swayed in, looking as gorgeous as ever. Her dark locks were pulled off her face with a few tendrils curled and loose. She wore a tight red dress, probably four inches shorter than my almost knee length one, and heels that I would break my neck in.

  “Seriously? I can’t go,” I groaned, collapsing on the couch in frustration.

  “You look great, Francesca,” she assured me, smiling widely.

  “I’m a cow compared to you. Why does my best friend have to be so perfect?” I asked no one in particular.

  “Oh, stop the dramatics. Get your shoes, finish the eyeliner, and let’s go.”

  “How did you know I didn’t finish my eyeliner?” I asked, wondering how awful I truly looked.

  “Umm…it’s only under one eye, Franny Girl. Now hurry your cute butt up so we can go,” she commanded, pulling me off the couch.

  I despised that nickname, “Franny Girl,” and she knew it. I gave her a look that could kill and sauntered off to finish my make-up. She stood in the doorway, nagging me about Cade until I was satisfied with my face. Turning sharply, I said, “Daph, we aren’t talking about him.”

  “Umm…when did you get a cat?” she asked, her eyes wide as Hamlet came crawling out from under the bed. Lucky for him the rails were high or he would have gotten stuck in his hurt condition.

  I giggled, sitting and reaching down to pet him. “I found him yesterday when I dropped Cade off at his apartment,” I explained, patting my legs so Hammy would come up there.

  “His apartment?” she questioned, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She moved forward, hands on hips, and bent to meet me eye to eye. “And what exactly where you doing there, Franny Girl?”

  I exhaled sharply, “If you call me Franny Girl one more time, I’m going to punch you,” I threatened, even though we both knew it would never happen. “Nothing went on. You left your car for me, he didn’t have a ride, I took him. End of story.”

  “You still love him,” she stated, matter of factly.

  Rolling my eyes, I sat Hammy down beside me and brushed the shedded fur off my legs. “Daph, what happened to not talking about him? I thought we were going out?”

  She brushed past me, sitting and taking over my previous position. “We don’t have to. I think I’d rather hear this,” she chuckled with a wink.

  Groaning, I mocked her earlier stance, glaring at her. “It doesn’t matter if I still love him. Not after what happened with Josie. Now, can we please go?” I begged her, my voice threatening to break.

  She stood, grasping me in a tight hug. “I know you miss her, but Francesca, you need to talk to him about this. You don’t know one thing or another at this point, only what other people said. We know how the rumor mill likes to turn.”

  I pulled back, my face hardening. “If it wasn’t true, he would have come to me. He would have told me, Daphne. He didn’t even talk to me at the funeral! That’s as much as saying he’s guilty,” I yelled, my hands moving on their own accord. I was sure I looked like a crazy person.

  “Oh, whatever, we both know Cade is a big ass chicken when it comes to you. He was proba
bly scared to talk to you,” she said.

  “He’s not a chicken. I was just a game to him, but I’m stronger now. I won’t let him toy with my heart ever again,” I declared, wiping the moistness from my eyes.

  She moved back, studying me. “Ok. You know I support you, Francesca, but I want you to know I honestly think you should talk to him. If nothing else, it’ll help you gain closure you desperately need. It’s been seven years and you still hold a lot of anger towards him.”

  “You aren’t my therapist,” I spat at her, instantly regretting it.

  “No, I’m not, but I am your best friend and I’ve known you forever. I see that this haunts you. I just want you to be able to move on. Josie would want you to.”

  Hearing her name twisted something in my heart. Joslyn Taymon, my beautiful little sister, whose life ended too soon and tragically. I could still remember the way her long, blonde hair would fly around her in all directions. Her dark brown eyes that matched mine perfectly. She was so full of life and energy. It still pained me to think of how she died.

  “Let’s go,” Daphne instructed, pulling me out of the memories before I lost the stream of tears on the verge of escaping.

  I grasped her hand, following her out to the vehicle. I had to just forget everything for a little while. I settled in as she turned up the music and rambled on about some current celebrity she saw something about on facebook. She was trying her hardest to distract me, and I appreciated it. I needed distracting. I needed to forget.