“I like it there. It’s the first place I’ve felt safe, and had real friends.” She nodded as she sipped her coffee. We sat there in quiet conversation until we’d both finished our drinks.
It was getting dark out, and the wind was starting to pick up. “You ready to head back? It’s looking like it might snow.”
“Snow? Already?” Isn’t it kinda early?” She watched out the window like a small child would.
“It’s a little early, but I remember getting snow early in years past.” I stood and reached for her empty cup to toss it out.
“The days all ran together in that house. I tried to not think about what day it was. It just made time go slower,” she muttered as she stood and slipped her coat back on.
“I’m sorry.” I cringed. I didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s ok.” She followed me as we weaved through the tables and back to the door. I pushed it open, and she stepped outside and turned slightly to wait for me. After tossing the cups into the can by the door, I joined her on the sidewalk. “Thanks for this.” She smiled softly.
“It was nothing.” I lifted my arms slightly.
“It was everything to me. This is the first time a man has been nice to me that I won’t be punished for. Warren was a jealous man. If anyone was nice to me, especially a man, he accused me of cheating. I’ve never been able to experience what we just did.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and shivered.
“Come here.” I motioned her closer. “Is this ok?” I gently placed my arm around her back and pulled her closer. She went stiff but I waited. “Tell me if this isn’t ok.” I looked her right in the eyes and waited.
“You’re warm,” she murmured as her body slowly relaxed against my side.
“That was the idea. You’ve been shivering since we stepped outside.” I started to move us down the sidewalk.
“Thanks, Blake.” She leaned her head against my shoulder and sighed. I didn’t say anything, just continued to walk although every part of me wanted to say something. I wanted to give her this. Her perfect evening; something she said she’d never had.
We walked in silence back to the house, and when we got to the steps, I stopped. This wasn’t a date, at least for her it wasn’t. Going inside wouldn’t do anything but make it awkward. “Thanks for coming tonight. I enjoyed it.” I released her and waited.
“Me too.” She smiled.
“Maybe next time we can get something to eat.” I stepped back, giving her space.
“I’d like that.” She moved up the steps.
“Goodnight, Brooke.” I waited.
“Night, Blake.” She opened the door and disappeared inside. I stood there just staring at the house for several minutes. I wondered what she was doing. Was she talking to the other girls? Was she spending time with Ava? Was she thinking about me, and the friendship I’d proposed? I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings as I turned to walk back to the hospital or I would have been more prepared.
“Stay away from my wife.” It was a deep, menacing voice. I turned just in time to come face to face with a fist heading straight for my right cheek. I stumbled back and blinked several times as I stared at him. He wasn’t a big guy. We’d met the first time he’d brought Brooke into the ER. “She’s mine, I know it and she knows it. You keep your fucking hands off her!” He turned and stormed away as I pulled my phone from my pocket to dial my brother. Warren wasn’t supposed to be within a hundred feet of Brooke, and the front lawn of the house was definitely within a hundred feet.
Chapter 12
Blake
As I made my way back to the hospital, snow flurries began to fall. My face was throbbing, and I could feel my eye swelling shut. ‘Great. I’m on call tonight for the ER. How can one perform surgery if one can’t see?’ When I reached the ambulance bay, I pulled my cell from my coat pocket.
“S’up?” Cal ‘s voice sounded from the other end of the line.
“I need to file a report.” I sighed. “I was assaulted tonight.”
“What?” Cal suddenly got serious. “When? How?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” I muttered as I shifted. “I took Brooke for coffee. Her husband saw us, and took a swing at me. I wanna press charges.”
“Ok. Where are you? Can you come to the station?” I could hear him fumbling around with something.
“I’m at work. My shift starts in just a few minutes. Can I come by after my shift?” I glanced at my watch. I had less than five minutes before I was supposed to make rounds, and then I had to be in the ER.
“Sure. Pressing charges will help her case.” A loud crash sounded and Cal muttered something. “Did she witness this?”
“No. She was inside. He came up to me outside the house.” I started walking inside.
“So he broke the order of protection?” Cal’s voice climbed.
“Yes.” I nodded. I knew he couldn’t see me.
“I’ve got to let her lawyer know. I need to pick him up. Breaking that means he goes to lock up.” More noise and I could tell Cal was moving.
“I gotta go, Bro. My shift started, and I’m still in the ambulance bay.”
“Ok. Call me when you’re on your way. I’ll get everything filled out, and you can sign your statement.” The line went dead, and I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
ooooooooo
I rushed through the ER toward the elevators. I wanted to get up to my office to grab the files I needed for rounds. Just as I stepped onto one, one of the residents followed me.
“Evening, Dr. Blake.” She smiled up at me. Jenny’s always been a flirt, and tonight was no different.
“Hi.” I glanced at my watch and tapped my foot. I hated being late.
“Yikes! What happened to your face?” She cringed.
“Does it look that bad?” I touched it lightly. I was starting to get a headache, and it was really tender. “You should see the other guy.”
“No crazy story like walking into a door while reading?” She giggled. One of our other neurologists was notorious for reading files while walking. He’s fallen down the stairs from it.
“No, nothing like that.” I sighed. Right at that moment, the doors opened on my floor and I rushed off. I scurried down the hall toward my office, ignoring the strange looks I was getting from the staff. I didn’t want to explain myself, and I didn’t have the time anyway.
Once inside, I closed the door, and rushed into my private bathroom. I clipped my pager on my belt in case I got called, and then flicked the lights on. Upon seeing my reflection, I knew why Jenny reacted the way she did. My eye was swollen, and my cheek was an angry red. I was sure to have a bruise. I used my fingers to feel along my eye socket. Nothing felt broken, it just hurt. I cursed myself for not reacting quickly enough. After slipping into my lab coat, I rushed to the closest nurse’s station. Luckily, it was empty. I grabbed a cold pack, activated it, and held it to my face as I rushed back to the ER.
My night was uneventful, and as the sun began to rise, I yawned and made my way back upstairs. I needed to make a quick change, and then head to my brother’s district. He said it wouldn’t take long, and I hoped he was right. I haven’t slept in thirty-six hours, and I’m starting to feel it.
ooooooooo
Brooke
I haven’t left the house today. When I woke up, I lifted my blinds to see Warren standing across the street. He’s exactly a hundred feet away. He can’t legally come any closer, but he won’t leave either. I don’t know when he showed up. Donna told me to ignore it. She said as long as he doesn’t try to come closer, I shouldn’t be in any danger.
Roni called this morning. She said she was going to stop over on her lunch break. Since Warren was staking the place out, she thought it better for her to come to me. She said she had some leverage for my case, but I have no idea what that is.
“He still out there?” Amy leaned against my door.
“Yeah.” I sighed as I tickled Ava’s belly. She’s been st
aying awake more now, and actually playing with me.
“Wanna hang out downstairs with me? I don’t have to be at work for another hour.” Amy motioned to the hallway.
“Sure. That beats being stuck in here.” I lifted Ava into my arms, grabbed her baby seat, and headed to the family room. Just as I was settling Ava into her seat, Lauren, another woman at the house, came rushing in.
“There’s something going on outside.” She pointed to the front window. “Did one of you call the cops?”
Amy and I both looked at each other, “no.” We scrambled to get over to the window and what I saw brought relief and a little satisfaction. Warren was being handcuffed and placed in the back of a cruiser.
“I thought he had a hundred feet?” Amy looked at me, perplexed.
“He does. Maybe this is something else,” I mused.
“You think he’s done something to someone else?” Amy glanced at me, and then turned to stare back out the window. Ava cooed as her baby seat bounced from the floor. I stared, unblinking, as I watched Warren get man handled as he was forced into the backseat of a cruiser. His gaze never wavered from staring at the house, and at one point I thought we made eye contact. I shivered as memories of that stare rushed through me. It was the same look he gave as a warning whenever people were around. It meant ‘just you wait until we’re alone. I’m coming for you.’
“Isn’t that the guy who helped you move?” Lauren pointed to one of the officers. I couldn’t see his face at the moment, but he did seem familiar.
After the back door to the cruiser was closed, the officer turned around. It was Cal. He waved at the house, and smiled softly. It was as if he was telling me that everything was going to be ok. As the cruiser pulled away, Cal jogged across the street, and up the walk to the house.
Before he got to the door, I flung it open. “What happened?” I looked past him at the group of cops all slowly leaving the scene.
“He assaulted someone last night. They pressed charges, and we had reports that he broke the order of protection. He’s heading to central booking now.” Cal touched my shoulder. “You’re safe. He’s not getting out for a few days at least, maybe longer.”
“You wanna come in?” I stepped back, but Cal shook his head.
“Gotta head back and process the paperwork for him. I just wanted to come over and tell you that he won’t be bothering you for a few days, minimum.”
“Thanks.” I waved as Cal made his way back to his car across the street.
“Looks like you can go outside after all.” Amy smiled.
“Yeah. I just wonder who he assaulted. I’m the only person he’s ever hit in the past. Did he find someone new already?” I lowered myself onto the couch and stared off into the distance.
“I don’t think that’s the case at all. I’m sure we can find out though.” Amy placed her arm around me. “Don’t be sad. Whatever happened wasn’t your fault and it’ll help your case.”
“I know. I know I shouldn’t feel bad, but I can’t help it. He hurt someone like he used to hurt me. It scares me to know he’s started going after others. At least when I was there it was just me.”
“Stop.” Donna came into the room. “You stop thinking like that right now. This isn’t your fault. Think about what we’ve talked about in group. You’ve come a long way since leaving him; don’t go backwards. You’re doing what you can to heal you. You can’t think about anyone else right now. You and Ava are your priority.”
“You’re right.” I slowly nodded.
“Of course, I am.” Donna grinned.
“Thanks, guys. I think I’m gonna go lie down for a bit before Roni gets here.” I lifted Ava, and headed back to my room. I needed to process all of this in a quiet place.
ooooooooo
“Knock knock.” Roni stuck her head through the door of my room. “I hope this is ok. Donna told me to come on back.”
“Sure.” I yawned. When Ava had fallen asleep, I’d napped too. I hadn’t realized how tired I was just from stress.
“We can talk in here.” Roni pulled the chair I had in the corner closer, and sat down. “First, I wanted to let you know that Warren was arrested this morning.”
“I saw that from the front window,” I mumbled.
“Well, I’m planning to use jail time as a bargaining chip for signing the divorce papers. I’ve talked to the DA and they’re willing to play ball along with the other victim. Since this is a first offense, the judge will probably grant probation and some type of community service. If the other victim wants to go to court, we can get assault three which comes with jail time of up to two years. I figured Warren won’t want to go to jail, so he’ll sign.”
“So, that’s it? He gets off if he signs?” I was confused. Did I want that?
“Not really. He’ll still be punished; it just won’t be as severe.” Roni smiled. “This is good, Brooke. Believe me, this is what we need.”
“Ok. If you believe that this is the best option, then I’m ok with it. I just want to move on. I want to live my life and not worry about him.” I glanced towards the window where the afternoon sun was starting to peek through.
“I’ll draft up a proposal and get this right over to his lawyer. We should get a response in a few days.” She stood, tucked the papers back in her briefcase, and walked out the door.
Was this really as good as Roni said it was? Would I be able to accept Warren being free, when he could serve time? Was the other victim really ok with this? I mean, they got hurt. I knew what that felt like, and I knew what it was like to not get any reparations for it. Why did it always seem that no matter what, Warren was lurking in the background? How much more was I going to have to endure?
Chapter 13
Brooke
I’ve spent the last couple of days in a fog. Roni sent our proposal to Warren’s lawyer, and now we wait. The waiting is the worst part. There’s no timeline, and Warren knows that the longer he takes, the worse it is for me. He used to keep me on pins and needles all the time when we were first married. He’d tell me that we ‘might’ be doing something or someone ‘might’ be coming over. I was expected to be ready regardless if it happened or not. The first time I thought he was joking around. The black eye I received said he wasn’t. Now, even though we’re living apart, he’s still pulling this crap.
“Brooke. Blake is here.” Amy stuck her head in the office. It was the middle of the day, and I wasn’t expecting him. I frowned as I stood up and made my way to the family room. When I rounded the corner, I was shocked at what I saw. Blake had a giant bruise on his cheek. It was a greenish purple color like it was a few days old.
“Hey.” He waved when he saw me, but I just stood there staring. “You should see the other guy.” He chuckled, but I still couldn’t move. “Brooke.” He held out his arms as he approached. “I’m fine. Really.”
“These hurt.” I lifted my hand and gently touched his cheek. He stood there not moving a muscle, letting me touch his face. When I pulled my hand back, he released a shuddered sigh as though he was in pain.
“I’m fine,” he whispered and his mouth curled up on one side. “I was thinking you might like to grab a coffee before I go on shift.”
“Sure. Let me get my coat.” I smiled softly as I turned and walked back to my room. Ava was fast asleep in her crib. I grabbed the monitor and my coat, and headed back to the family room. Lauren was reading on the couch. “Can you keep an ear out for her? She just went down, and should sleep until I get back.”
“No problem.” Lauren set the monitor on the table beside her.
“Thanks.” I slipped my coat on and turned toward Blake. “We can’t be out long. I need to be here when she wakes.”
“We’ll be quick. I just want to talk to you about something,” Blake promised as he opened the door and let me pass.
ooooooooo
It didn’t take long to get to the coffee shop, and when we did it was surprisingly empty. “So, is this going to be our thing?” I
glanced up at him as we stood in line. I couldn’t help but stare at the bruise.
“It can be.” He smiled. “I’m always up for coffee with a beautiful woman.” I blushed and turned away. I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t used to being complimented. “It’s the truth.” He nudged my shoulder as we moved up in line.
After ordering our coffees, we made our way to a table in the back. Soft music filled the air along with the clicking of laptop keys. This was a popular place for young professionals to work while they snacked. “I’m surprised it isn’t more crowded.”
“This is an odd time. Usually the rush is around meal time. We’re in between that,” Blake mused as he sat across from me. “I guess I should tell you about this before you stare a hole in my face.” He laughed lightly.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I just know how bad those hurt.” I cringed as Blake seemed startled by my response.
“Your ex hit me. He saw us the last time we came here. This was a warning, apparently.” He shrugged.
“A warning for what?” I gasped.
“To stay away.” Blake rolled his eyes. “I’m not staying away, Brooke. We’re friends, and your asshole husband doesn’t get a say in who you are friends with.”
“You’re the victim Roni was talking about.” The words tumbled from my mouth as my head tried to make sense of it all. The pieces were clicking together and light bulbs were flashing. Blake was the reason that my divorce would go through. He was the one pressing charges.
“Yes.” He sipped his coffee and nodded.
“You’re the one who agreed to less jail time so she could pressure him to sign.” I stared at my cup in front of me.
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