Wilson (Sons of Saint Mercy Book 1)

by Kylar Wilde

  As she put down her phone, it started to vibrate in her hand. Liz took one look at it before tossing it aside, unable to mask her growing frustration.

  “Derek's still calling you?” Erica questioned.

  “Yes. It's like that's all he has time for. It's really annoying.”

  “You need to report him or something. He could be dangerous.”

  Liz had thought about the possibility, but because of the history that they shared, she wanted to give Derek the benefit of the doubt.

  “I'll just ignore him,” the actress said. “I really have to leave now. It's already really late, and I don't want to get home any later than this.”

  “Hurrying home, huh? You think you'll catch him shirtless again?”

  Liz walked away to hide her growing embarrassment. “I knew I shouldn't have told you about that.”

  It was extremely late and already very dark out. Liz had to drive extra carefully, but it was a bit easier for her now that she had started to get used to the new route from her home to her workplace.

  She got home, but was unable to park in her normal parking spot. There was already a car there, and it wasn't one that she wanted to see.

  At that point, fear wasn't what she felt. Liz was angry. This felt like a deep invasion of her privacy, and she was going to have none of it.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Derek?” Liz yelled at the owner of the vehicle in front of her.

  Derek stood, unwavering. It was hard to see him clearly in the darkness, but there was no mistake it was him. Liz had spent the past few months staying as far away as possible from him. She had left their shared apartment and found a place that was hers. Her own private space. Now Derek had ruined that, just like he ruined everything else.

  “Hey! You could at least be nice to me. Do you know how many times I've tried to call you?”

  “And do you know how many times I've hung up on you? I do not want to talk to you. Like a tea kettle, Liz's anger continued to rise gradually, until she felt so palpable that she was afraid she would blow her lid.

  “Come on, darling, don't be like that,” Derek said, reaching for her arm. Liz swatted his hand away immediately when it came close.

  “Don't touch me and never call me that. You and I are through. Stop trying to contact me.”

  Derek leaned forward again to get close, but he staggered, almost falling to the floor. That was when Liz realized that he was drunk.

  “We're supposed to be together. How can you leave me like that?”

  “You heard me! I'm done with this.” Liz moved past him and walked back to her front door. “I'm done with this. Go home, Derek.”

  “You bitch!” Liz felt the venom in his voice. That was when the fear came. She quickly opened the door and ran into the house. As she tried to close it and lock it, she felt an obstruction.

  “Leave me alone!” she pleaded, her voice cracking. Liz hoped that he would see the fear in her voice as a sign of weakness.

  “Open the fucking door!” Derek ordered. He banged on it so hard that it hit Liz right in the face. The actress fell to the floor in a heap. The world spun around her, and as she tried to regain herself, she saw that the door was wide open. Derek was in her house.

  “Derek, please leave,” she begged again.

  “You're really gonna play me like this? After everything we've been through?”

  “We haven't been through anything, Derek! You and I are through. Stop doing this.”

  “Oh, I'll teach you to mess with me,” her assailant replied, menacingly. There was no shred of his voice that sounded like he was joking. He was about to really hurt her.

  Derek rolled up his sleeves and his hands balled up to form fists. “I'll fucking teach you to mess with me.” He lifted his right fist, and Liz closed her eyes. Her hands covered her face in an attempt to shield it from the impact that was coming.

  She heard a hand swing through the air, and she heard something crack as well. This sound was soon followed by a massive thud. Liz opened her eyes slowly to see that someone else was standing where Derek had stood.

  “Wil . . .” Liz said weakly. As soon as she saw him, her tears fell freely. She jumped to her feet and hugged him. In turn, he held her tightly.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “Did he hurt you in any way?” He let go of her and ran a quick inspection.

  “I'm fine,” Liz replied. She smiled, despite her tears. “Thank you so much. I don't know what he would've done if you weren't . . . if you hadn't . . .” Her sobs proved to be too much for her to continue speaking.

  “It's alright. I called the police before I got here. They'll be here to take him away soon.

  Just like Wilson had said, the police arrived soon enough, and they placed Derek under arrest. The man was still out cold, and after taking a few statements from both Liz and Wilson, they left.

  Liz had a lot of trouble coming to terms with what had happened that night. She couldn't believe that Derek had tried to attack her. He had done a lot of things to her, a lot of things that hurt her, but he had never tried to assault her before.

  She felt her walls break down, and it took all of Wilson’s effort to calm her down. She felt like a complete mess that night, but Wilson sat with her in her home, trying to get her to calm down.

  It was quite the feat, but eventually, Liz was calmed by Wilson. He talked to her to distract her, and this was the tactic that won out in the end. Instead of fixating on her fears and the events of the night, she found herself entranced by the stories that he was telling.

  Wilson had never spoken a lot to her. He was clearly the quiet type, but there he sat, trying to make her feel better. She loved every second of it.

  After a while, he announced that he would be going back to his place, and she felt her heart sink.

  “Can I go with you?” Liz blurted out the question, and it hung in the air for a full second before she realized that she was the one that spoke. She chose not to back down though.

  “Please,” she begged. “I don't think I can sleep, and I would honestly feel a lot safer if I was around you.”

  Wilson gave her a smile that turned her knees to jelly. “Of course.”

  Chapter 8

  Wilson moved behind Liz as she made the slow walk to his house. He could honestly sympathize with her. He had seen a lot of patients admitted to the hospital because of domestic violence.

  They would often have to also receive counseling because of the emotional trauma that the events left them with, added to the physical injuries.

  Luckily, Liz hadn't been left with any injuries—thanks to Wilson. The doctor had been half asleep when he heard voices outside his house. In the frenzy, he had gone to see what was wrong. Luckily, he had made it in time to save Liz from any serious harm.

  The actress was still pretty shaken up by the incident. The least he could do was give her a place to spend the night. He understood that her home wouldn't feel safe to her anymore.

  They walked the short distance in silence, and when they entered Wilson's home, Liz stood as if unsure of what her next move was supposed to be.

  “You're really neat,” Liz said. Signs of a small smile danced on the corners of her lips. “If I had known you were like this, I would've cleaned up my place some more.”

  Wilson laughed a bit. “Come with me.” Wilson led her to the bedroom. The structure of the house was just like hers, but the arrangement was vastly different. Wilson had a huge bed, even bigger than the one in Liz's new place. There was also a TV in his room as well. This one was larger than the one she had passed on her way to the bedroom.

  Wilson watched as Liz got into the bed. She crawled under the covers and looked at the TV with a blank expression.

  “I have an idea,” Wilson said, when he saw that she was beginning to zone out again. “I have a couple of old movies that we could watch to pass the time.”

  Liz brightened up at the prospect of seeing old films. “I love old movies.”

  �
��Would you like something to eat as well?”

  Liz shook her head, so Wilson put on a movie and got into bed with her. It was a Charlie Chaplin film, and as far as comedies went, it did its job. The next hour saw laughter shared as the two sat side by side.

  The events of the night had taken their toll on Liz, and eventually, she was no longer able to fight the effects of sleep anymore. She leaned against Wilson and placed her head on his shoulder.

  The doctor readjusted so that she would be comfortable as she slept.

  Wilson was the first to wake up the next morning. The sun peeking through his curtains was enough to tell him that he had slept a little longer than usual. As he tried to move, he felt a weight on his right arm, pulling him back down. When he turned to his right, the doctor was met with the sight of the beautiful girl that he had brought home the previous night.

  Liz slept with her head and right palm resting on his arm. Wilson tried to move again, and the actress stirred. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep, and he held on to her. Liz was incredibly soft, and Wilson realized that all he wanted to do was stay in that position for as long as he could.

  Sadly, this was not a luxury he could afford. He tried to leave again, and this time, his attempt led him to success. Wilson escaped to the kitchen to make breakfast. He brought out bacon strips from the freezer and added a couple of eggs to the unprepared batch. He set up for some toast as well— all to make his guest a simple breakfast.

  The toast was ready before anything else. Wilson diligently prepared the eggs sunny side up. He had no idea what her preference would be, but he hoped she would be able to eat what he had prepared.

  Wilson knew that waking her up would be a bad idea. After such an experience, the more sleep that Liz got, the better. She needed the rest, and he prayed for her to get it.

  After the eggs, Wilson prepared the bacon pieces and threw them into the sizzling oil. The distinct scent of fried bacon filled the air in minutes.

  The young doctor laughed at the irony of having to make breakfast for someone when he was so busy that he hardly had the time to make breakfast for himself. Still, he went through the motions diligently, and soon, he was rewarded with two plates of a hearty breakfast.

  “That smells really good.”

  The soft voice came from behind, and Wilson turned to see its owner. Liz stood at the door, and Wilson took a minute to admire how beautiful she was. It was always surreal to see her close to him. Just a few months ago he had been watching her on TV, marveling that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Now she was right in front of him, giving him a smile that he couldn't help but mirror.

  “Yeah, I need a hearty breakfast,” he responded. “There's some cereal in the pantry if you'd like.”

  “Hey!” she objected. “There's no way you're eating all of this on your own.” Liz grabbed for a plate, and Wilson pretended to stop her. Even if he was actually trying to stop her, he wouldn't have been able to. Liz was faster than she looked.

  She was hungry too. The actress engulfed her breakfast with gusto. It seemed like she hadn't eaten in a while. Wilson understood this; Liz had probably not even had the chance to eat before what happened with her assailant.

  “Here," he said, handing her his plate. “I'll just make some more.” She nodded appreciatively as she took it from his hands.

  “Thank you,” Liz mouthed.

  Wilson sat beside her, watching her eat. She suddenly became very aware of this.

  “What?” Liz asked, defensively.

  “Nothing. You're just really pretty.”

  There was a visible blush on her cheeks, and this made Wilson laugh internally. He thought about the best way to phrase his question—a way that wouldn't upset her. Lucky for him, Liz did the heavy lifting.

  “I'm guessing you'll need an explanation for last night.”

  “Only if you're willing to. If it's too hard to talk about, then I completely understand.”

  Liz pushed the plate aside. “No, it isn't. It might even help a bit.”

  Wilson nodded and leaned in closer to show that he was paying attention.

  “The man that attacked me was Derek. He is my ex-boyfriend, and we dated for quite a while, but he changed. He wasn't the same sweet person I met. Well, actually, no that's wrong. I think that subconsciously I knew that he was always like this, but I just wasn't willing to admit it to myself. It may seem a bit odd, but I usually don't think people like me. At least genuinely.”

  Wilson continued to focus on Liz, hanging on to every word the actress said.

  “Since the break-up, he has been calling me nonstop. I usually ignore it, but I didn't think it was this bad.”

  “He's sick," Wilson said. “Luckily, we've seen the last of him for a very long time.”

  “Oh, I'll make sure of it," Liz said, with resolve. “I'll file for a restraining order. I don't want to ever have contact with him again. He tried to hurt me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't . . .”

  Wilson's hand moved faster than his mind. He placed a reassuring hand on hers and offered her a smile.

  “Try not to think about that too much. You're with me now—you're safe.”

  “I do feel that way.” Liz took in a breath and closed her eyes. She looked like she was preparing herself for something. Wilson watched her with growing curiosity. She opened her eyes again and spoke.

  “Go out with me!” Her voice was a lot louder that he expected. Judging by her embarrassed face, Liz hadn't been expecting it to come out this loudly either.

  “What?”

  “Please go out to dinner with me,” Liz finally said. Her tone was back to normal this time. “I've been wanting to say this for so long, but each time I talk to you, my mind goes blank. Which is not something I should probably be telling you, but I really like you, I have for a while and I . . .”

  Wilson watched her as she rambled on and on. It took her a few moments to realize that she was the only one talking.

  “So that's why all our meetings have been so awkward?”

  “Yeah,” Liz replied, in embarrassment.

  “Well, I would love to have dinner with you. I kind of have a confession to make as well.”

  “What's that?”

  “I really like you too. My friends have been advising me to ask you out on a date forever. I guess I just didn't think you would like me.”

  Liz's eyes grew, then unraveled, to hide her surprise. “Huh? Have you seen you?”

  “So, I've heard,” he laughed. The pair shared breakfast and the rest of the morning together, making plans for what would be their first date.

  Chapter 9

  “And scene!” the director yelled. “Elizabeth. Be on standby. We'll call you if we need a retake. Nice job, ladies.”

  Liz and Erica nodded at the director before walking off the set. A testament to how good they were as actresses was the fact that they were enemies and bitter rivals on TV, but best of friends in real life.

  “I'm a bit tired,” Erica moaned, as they walked. They stopped at a couple of chairs near the staging area. “Scratch that. I'm exhausted.”

  Liz shared the sentiment. They were getting closer to the end of the season. The show had been renewed for a new season, so the writers and directors had been trying to get in as much work as they could, so that the season could leave people wanting more.

  “It is really late. I was supposed to have dinner with Wil tonight. He was getting off work early.”

  Erica's smile grew to comic proportions at the mention of Wilson's name.

  “What?”

  “We get it—you have a boyfriend.”

  “What? We aren't official, we've only been on three dates. No, we've actually been on two; this was supposed to be the third.”

  “Yeah, sure, but you still can't help but tell everyone that would listen that these dates have been the best you've ever had.”

  “But it's true. They have been.”

  Liz was having the t
ime of her life. She had gone out with Wilson twice, once to an Italian restaurant he really liked and the other one just a stay-at-home date. Both of them had got along extremely well. They had so much fun together, and they didn't seem to run out of things to talk about.

  “So, give me the details. Have you two—” Erica wiggled her eyebrows suggestively “—you know?”

  “No!” Liz yelled. Her face was completely red. “No, we haven't.”

  “Taking it a little slow, are we?”

  Liz opened her mouth, but Erica interrupted. “Speak of the devil. Look who's coming over.”

  Liz looked up and saw who Erica was talking about. Just a few yards from them, Wilson stood, with a confused look. He was scanning the area, probably looking for her. His amazing gray eyes finally landed on her. As they made eye contact, the doctor smiled at her.

  “The doctor will see you now,” Erica joked.

  “That is so corny,” Liz said, laughing.

  “Sure, but it was your line just a few minutes ago.”

  Erica stood and left just as Wilson made his way towards them.

  Liz welcomed him with the same smile that Wilson had on. Halfway into his approach, Wilson's smile disappeared. He looked up and his face morphed into a horrified expression.

  “Look out!” one of the crew members yelled.

  Liz looked up as a light beam came crashing in her direction. Her body froze, and she could only stare in fear. Just before it made contact, Wilson tackled her to the floor, moving her out of the way just in time.

  “Oh my God! Are you okay?” Erica's voice mixed in with the ringing in Liz's ears. Liz opened her eyes to see gray ones looking down at her with worry in them.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” She didn't feel any immediate pain—that was a good sign. Wilson helped her to her feet, and both cast and crew rushed to her aid.

  “Outta the way!” the director yelled, as he came through the crowd. “Are you good? Are you hurt? Oh, I'm so sorry!”