by Cate Mckoy
She tried to turn her face away, Erica brought it back and shoved her tongue into her mouth.
Chastity cried, trying to avoid the unwanted intimacy. Erica pulled back and slapped her. “If I can’t have you…” Erica let her sentence trail off as she pushed the knife just a tiny bit more to puncture, drawing blood. “I love you Chastity. Be my forever Valentines.”
Erica kissed her again. Chastity felt the warmth and wetness of her blood along her ribcage and tried to remain pliant under the kiss. She was too sickened by the violation of her friend and started to struggle. Using avoiding motions with her body, Chastity fought Erica the best she could without her hands.
Erica grew angrily frustrated. She pulled away from Chastity. Her eyes gone dark and evil. “You think that white cop wants you. He fucked you and left you. I heard you calling his name as he walked out the door. Did he not want you anymore after getting his dick wet?”
Chastity cried and tried to maneuver into a sitting position. She moved clumsily. “Erica, it doesn’t matter about Rick. I don’t feel about you the way you want me to. We’re friends. Please, stop this.”
Erica stood and her eyes went dead. “If we can’t be lovers, we can’t be friends and if I can’t have you, no one can.”
Seeing the intent in her eyes, Chastity screamed as Erica raised the knife.
Suddenly, Rick flew across the bed in a diving tackle, taking Erica down with him. Hard. They crashed into Chastity’s vanity table and bench before landing on the floor. Erica’s struggle was short lived. Rick snatched the knife from Erica and laid her out with one well-delivered punch.
***
Chastity lie in her hospital bed saying goodbye to her latest stream of visitors. Word got around fast that she was in the hospital. Colleagues and friends had been popping in all morning to wish her well. Even Forbes had made the trip down from his floor to say he was glad she was alright. She told him the same. He wasn’t so bad.
Her parents had been waiting at the hospital when she was brought in. Her dad had apologized profusely, begging her forgiveness. And, after last night’s events, Chastity found it very easy to forgive her father. She loved him. She had always felt safe with him. He had always been her protector, even if he didn’t feel like it.
She sighed and looked around her room. It was beginning to look like a flower shop. She had flowers of all kinds, little stuff bears, heart shaped candy boxes and cards. Even Murdock and Danes made and appearance with some flowers. Everyone had been to see her.
Everyone that is except, Lieutenant Rick Racuanelli of the Kingston Falls Stalker Division.
It was Valentine’s Day.
He didn’t come.
Chastity’s heart hurt. She felt as though she lost her best friend. Technically, she had, two of them in fact. Three, if she counted Rick. Had she lost him for good?
As if her thoughts manifested him, he walked through the door.
Their eyes connected, caught and held. He carried a box of heart shaped candy and yellow roses. He walked to the bed, leaning over he gave her a peck on the cheek. He found a place for the flowers on the overcrowded nightstand by moving the phone further back. He pulled a visitor’s chair close to the bed and sat. He gently took her hand in his. Giving her a smile that reach his eyes and warmed her soul, he said, “Happy Valentine’s Day Chastity.”
They held their straight expressions for two seconds before they both burst out laughing.
When their laughter died down, she touched his cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day Rick.”
“I am sorry it took me so long to get here.”
She shyly cast her eyes to the side. “I had wondered if you would come at all.”
Rick tenderly brought her eyes to meet his with a finger under her chin. “Hey, none of that. Remember, it’s me. There is no reason to be embarrassed. Of course, I was coming.”
She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. She whispered. “Thank you for being here.”
“Nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”
Her heart skipped a beat at his sincerely spoken words. Tears came to her eyes. He touched their foreheads together. “Ssh, baby, don’t cry.” He kissed her one more time on the cheek before leaning back. “So, how do you feel?”
“I’m okay. I have six stiches where Erica puncture my ribcage. She didn’t hit anything vital. My doctor is being cautious with the observation because of my recent injuries. I am not in any significant pain.”
“Good.” Rick’s hand tightened on hers. “Chastity, I am sorry for what I said.”
She shook her head. “You don’t owe me an apology. The circumstances were bad. If the roles had been reversed, I probably would have done the same thing.”
It was his turn to shake his head. “No, you’re too sweet and compassionate to be cruel. And, I was unnecessarily mean about it.”
“I know you didn’t mean what you said. I—”
“Oh, I meant every word.” Rick assured.
“What?” Chastity was incredulous.
“I said and I quote ‘I got some great pussy out of it. And, the way you give head is almost a religious experience. I will miss that and your tight little body’ end quote.”
“Rick, that was mean.”
“No, it wasn’t. It may have been crude and rude but not mean. I love your pussy and the way you give head. And, if you don’t forgive me, I am very much going to miss what you do to me. Because when you do me it is like a religious experience.” He jokingly added. “I say church!”
She laughed and pulled him in for a kiss. He accommodated both their needs. They separated and looked deeply into each other’s eyes. They said simultaneously, “Amen.”
“Sweetheart, my answer to your declaration of love is, I love you too. I think I loved you the second I walked into your kitchen.” He kissed her again, taking his time ending it.
“I love you, Rick.”
“I know. Now, you know too.” He winked.
“So, what’s going to happen with Sydney. I know you said you were going to do what you could to make sure she got the maximum. Where is she?”
“I was angry when I said that, but I still want to do everything I can to make sure she receives the max.” Seeing Chastity’s sad look, he continued. “However, I know you’re too kind for that, so I helped her get a plea deal.”
Chastity smiled. “Oh, Rick. Thank you, thank you.” She kissed him all over his face.
“Now hold up on the gratitude. Although, she won’t do any jail time, she can no longer practice medicine in the United States. She must do two-hundred hours of community service. Separately, she must volunteer at various kids’ clubs throughout the city for a full year. And, five years of probation.”
“She deserves to be punished. Yet, it is a harsh deal.” Chastity felt for her friend.
“The hell it is.” Rick’s brow was deeply furrowed. “She could have killed you. She’s lucky nothing too serious happened to you or others while you were under the influence of those drugs. Even though she swears she didn’t give you all the drugs that showed up in your lab report.”
“She didn’t. Erica told me she drugged me too, so she could watch me sleep.” Chastity shuddered. “She said she laid down with me for hours.”
Rick kissed her temple. “I am so sorry, baby. I know they were your friends.”
Her smile was sad through her tears. “I have no close friends left.”
Rick shook his head looking at all the get-well items all over the room. “Your room filled with all these flowers and other gifts would suggest otherwise.” He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss. “Besides, I am your very close friend.”
Looking at his teasing smile and laughing eyes, Chastity’s good cheer returned. “Oh, very close, huh? How close?”
He moved in, their noses touching, and before taking her mouth in a relationship-solidifying, toe curling kiss, he whispered, “This close.”
Chastity felt their connection strengthen as he deepene
d the kiss. These feelings she was having she knew she would always have them with Rick. The feelings of closeness and love. The feeling like she was home. From the moment she met him, he had made her feel safe. A month ago she had feared Valentine’s Day. Because of this incredible man, Valentine’s Day would be one of her favorite holidays. Rick had saved Valentines. He saved her. Chastity knew they would happy together for all the days of their lives.
The End
A Note From The Author
Thank you for purchasing my book. I greatly appreciate it. I love to write. I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. Whenever there was a card to be written on for; birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations and get wells, I wrote a small passage. First my siblings and then my kids often teased me with the words, “Don’t write a book.” Now I get to do it all the time and I thank you.
As always, I wish you, HAPPY READING!
About The Author
Cate is a mother of five and a Nana of three. She loves her big family. She is an upstate New York native. She is a hybrid of a traditionally published author and Indie author. She is a multi-genre author of nine books and counting. Her favorite genre is Romantic-Suspense and Action-Thriller. She has a series of children’s books for ages preschool to third grade.
Cate is also a screenwriter and has several screenplays under her belt. In 2014 her horror movie, “Hudson Haven” was a finalist in the 2014 Horror Movie Contest with Cherub Films. In 2015 her Criminal Minds episode, titled, “BAU-HCD” was a quarterfinalist in the 2015 Stage 32 TV writing contest.
Cate is a ghostwriter too. She has written screenplays for other authors’ books that have an NDA attached. She continues to write in the Horror, Romantic-Suspense, Action-Thriller, Sci-fi genres and her series of children’s books.
Cate Mckoy’s Online Presence
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