by Edwina Fort
Free
“I get it! You obviously don’t want to be with me!”
I closed my eyes… So close! I was sooo close!
I’d just made it to my office and almost had my door closed when he pushed it open behind me.
“Dillion, listen. I—” He continued to push inside, shutting the door behind him.
“No, you listen!” he hissed. My lips snapped shut. “I know Tucker is behind all of this!” He waved his hands in the air as if none of this mattered. Not the job opportunities for the people or the games and free food for the kids.
And you know what? That pissed me the hell off.
“All of this?” I snapped, waving my hand like he did. “I’ll have you know that this day has changed the lives for a lot of people.”
He laughed bitterly. “And look…you only had to whore yourself out to make it happen.”
My mouth popped open as if he’d slapped me. I balled my fists up, preparing to swing at him. But before I could, my office door swung open, slamming into Dillion’s back so hard it took him off his feet, causing him to smash face-first into the wall behind the door.
I grimaced at the sound of his nose cracking.
“Hey, Free, I was wondering…” Tucker began until he noticed what had happened. “Uh oh! Dillion…Buddy, are you okay?” he asked, reaching down to pull a screaming Dillion up off the ground by his collar.
My ex clutched at his nose that gushed blood. There was a bloodstain on my wall from where his face connected with it.
Angrily, he snatched away from Tucker and hurried out of the room.
“Buddy! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you standing there!” Naphtali called after him. “Oh, and D man…I’m back, spread the word!” When he turned around to face me, I threw myself in his arms.
“What’s the matter, baby? You’re shaking.”
“Nothing…” I moaned, pressing my face against his muscled chest as he tightened his strong arms around me, securing me in his embrace.
“Nothing, now that you’re here...”
Chapter 13
When the Truth Catches You
Letting Go Does Not Mean Giving Up, But Rather Accepting That There Are Some Things That Cannot Be…
--Unknown
Free
I often wonder is there an unseen hand out there who determines who receives happiness, and if so, how do you make the list? There are very few times in my life where I can say that I was happy. Yeah sure, it came in spurts, like the time my mom took me to get two scoops of blueberry ice cream at the new ice cream parlor on the corner, or the time I got brand new roller skates for my seventh birthday. When I received my PHD, for truly I did it against all odds.
However, the thing about my happiness is, it doesn’t last. And I know in general, nobody is happy all the time. For me, my painful days greatly outweigh my good ones. Still, I never let myself ponder on the possibilities that it wasn’t fair. I’ve always thought that was prohibiting behavior. I was dealt my cards, so now I had a responsibility to play them. At least that’s the way I’ve always looked at it.
But then something happened. The dealer of the card game called life, dealt me a new hand. Guys… for the last month and a half, I’ve been blissfully happy. No… I don’t think you understand. I’ve been every day, blissfully happy.
And I had Tucker to thank for it. He is so amazing. Caring, loving, thoughtful…insightful. Goodness! The list can go on.
Do you guys know that since the job fair, he and I haven’t spent one night apart? A few of those nights we spent at my place, but most of the time, we’re at his. He even gave me a key. Of course, I gave him one in return, although my house was nowhere as near as nice as his.
Anyway, he always gets me there by calling me right before I close the clinic and telling me about some delicious dish he’s whipped up especially for me. He’s discovered my weakness, and the man can cook. He could take simple ingredients and string together masterpieces. I often joked that I was going to get him signed up for Hell’s Cafeteria. Seeing him and the ill-tempered Jorden Ramblesby going toe to toe would make for good TV.
Anyway, as you guys know, I had to let him go as a patient. The next day after the job fair, I went to talk to Dr. Ross and he agreed to take Tucker on till Dr. Kimbell came back. Thank God Dr. Kimbell came back a week ago because for some strange reason, Tucker and Dr. Ross couldn’t seem to get along.
I was in my office the other day with a client when I heard Dr. Ross’s door slam across the hall. A split second later, an enraged Tucker opened my door, held a blunt up in front of him and lit it.
“My Doctor drove me to it!” he growled before putting it in his mouth and leaving, slamming my door behind him. My only thought was… It’s a good thing his captain still calls me for his weekly checkups and not Dr. Ross.
Now, I believe I’ve figured out the secret to happiness...at least in my life. It’s keeping Angie and the twins out of it. Of course, they tried to invade it anyway, but for the last month and a half, I can say I successfully thwarted all their attempts.
Because I was in her wedding, I had to communicate with Laureen from time to time, but outside of that, nothing. If Angie calls my phone, I send it straight to voicemail. One-time Tucker was over at my place and Layla showed up. I held my finger to my mouth, motioning for him to be quiet until she got the picture that I wasn’t answering the door.
And guys, she was desperate. I guess word had spread that Tucker and I were dating, and it was driving her wild. Not only was she calling me more, but she’d even attempted to show up at the clinic a few times.
Okay, confession time. When we were younger, it was kind of a well-known fact in our house that Angie was pushing for Layla to snag Tucker. Somehow in her whacked out and extremely outdated mind, she felt that Layla and he were destined to be together.
In her vanity, she assumed that out of all the princesses in the town of Aldshore, that her Layla was the prettiest and surely would be the logical choice for his royal highness. Boy, it must really be rubbing her raw to know that his royal highness had chosen her unwanted stepdaughter, who had not come from the plush streets of the rich but had been born and bred in the ghetto.
Ohhh! Just the thought of it makes me chuckle. So, like I said, everything in my world is going beautiful, the winds have shifted for me and I was ready to soak it all up.
“Hey, baye, my parents are leaving for their European tour tomorrow. They want to have dinner with us at the Whitney,” Tucker said when I arrived at his place after work.
He sat on his couch cleaning his guns. I found out this was something he did to clear his mind. Easing the grocery bags I carried down on the couch, I studied him for a moment.
“The Whitney? Wow! How long are they going to be gone?”
He shrugged, nonchalantly. “Six, seven months.”
There were three subjects he and I barely spoke on, and it wasn’t for lack of trying on my part. The fact that he may have Dissociative Identity Disorder, the fact that he may be a real-life Superman, and his parents.
As a kid, I thought he and his dad were close. The mayor showed up for most of his games and always seemed to be really proud of him. However, you should never judge a book from the outside. Tucker and I have officially been dating for a month and a half and this is the first time he’s brought up his parents.
Of course, the doctor in me had to probe… just a little.
“Sure, sounds good. I would have to run home to find something to wear.”
He nodded. “I told you, you need to bring more stuff over so that you don’t have to run home every time something comes up.”
I smiled; he had been pressuring me to practically move in with him. We nearly got into our first argument as a couple over whether or not I should have toiletries in his bathroom. He got upset that I used my things and then repacked them inside of my bag rather than leaving them at his place since I’m always here anyway.
Let me tell you…Mr. Man
was still very much a bully. However, I’ll go into detail about that later. I was not letting him off the hook before we can have a little discussion about his parents.
“So, they’re going to be gone for a half a year, you’re going to miss them. Huh?”
Without looking away from his gun he shrugged. “Not really.”
“You guys close?”
“Nope.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. So, he thought he was going to one-word answer me to death, did he? Well, he didn’t know who he was dealing with.
“Why not?”
Chuckling, he finally turned to look at me. “Remember we agreed that just because my girlfriend’s a shrink, she won’t shrink me?”
I laughed, waving away his silliness. “Shrink you… Is that even a thing?”
“Yes, and we agreed that you weren’t going to do it.”
The smile left my face to be replaced with a pout. “You agreed. I didn’t agree to anything. Like normal people, I like to talk.”
With that grin still on his handsome face, he shook his head. “You don’t like to talk. You like to break everything down and find out the meaning and the reason behind it. That’s not talking, and it ain’t normal.” He went back to cleaning his guns.
I snatched the grocery bags off the couch. “Fine, have your secrets.”
“So Free, how long have you been working in the Oakwood Heights area? Fredrick and Naphtali tell me your clinic is a staple in that community. Great job, young lady.”
I blushed, honored by Tucker’s mom’s compliment. “Wow! Thank you, Mrs. Pelletier-“
She waved away my words. “Please, call me Nadine.”
Wow! Tucker’s mom wants me to call her by her first name! Don’t fangirl out, Free! As if he could hear my inner dialogue, Naphtali chuckled as he chewed his steak.
“Nadine,” I said, testing it on my tongue. “I am extremely honored and grateful for all that your family did for the clinic. The community is still abuzz about it, waiting to see Mayor Pelletier’s name on the ballot so that they can repay him for his generosity.”
Oh yeah! I didn’t make it this far not knowing how to snoosh. And don’t stone me for wanting my boyfriend’s parents to like me. You see how well my relationship was with Dillion’s parents. Who wanted a repeat of that fiasco?
Tucker’s dad puffed out his chest in a way that said he approved my statement. Nadine patted her husband’s hand. “Yes, Fredrick does have a big heart, and will do all we can for the community, sweetheart.”
“I like her, son.” The mayor told Tucker, who never looked up from his steak that he was cutting with his knife and fork.
“Thanks, Dad, you know how happy it makes me to have your approval,” he said dryly.
There was definitely something going on with this group. Tucker barely hugged his mom when we walked into the restaurant. And when he did, she looked extremely uncomfortable. Every now and again, she shot him wary glances as if she feared he was going to snap and hit her or something. And his dad, goodness. For him, it was all about appearances.
He was the shifty-eyed type. His gaze had not stopped scanning the upscale restaurant to see who he could spot and who was spotting him. In a weird way, it appeared as if he was showing Tucker off. He’d motioned for several people to come to the table just so he could tell them that his son was home from Virginia for a little while.
Yeah…It was very weird.
But on the upswing, it seemed as if they liked me. For so long, Angie has been obsessed over traveling in this couple’s circle, that I’d just assumed they were as evil as she was. Granted, I don’t know how evil they are, but they were nice.
Well…nicer than Angie.
“Free, honey, is that you?”
My fork froze halfway to my mouth. That was a voice I’d successfully dodged for a month and a half.
“Angie!” Great, Free! You’ve gone and spoke up the devil! And she wasn’t alone. Layla, Laureen, and Dillion were with her.
“Mr. and Mrs. Mayor Pelletier, so good to see you again,” she cooed, holding her hand out to shake theirs.
“Why yes, An..An-”
“Angelica,” she said helping the mayor out.
I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from grinning. What is the irony? She’d obsessed over these people and they didn’t even know her name.
"And how do you know our Free, Angelica," Nadine asked with a kind smile on her face.
“Why Mrs. Mayor, Free is my daughter,” she spoke as if she was awed by the fact that she didn’t know that, as if she didn’t keep me hidden in the basement.
Nadine’s surprised gaze came to mine. “Step,” I said with a stiff smile on my face. “Stepdaughter.”
“Well, it is so nice to see you again. We were just telling Free how proud we are of the work she’s doing in the Oakwood Heights community. We need more people like her that’s ready to pull up their sleeves and dive right in to help.” Spoken like a true politician’s wife.
“Thank you, Nadine,” I told her, once again blushing from her compliment.
“Oh yes, Na—” Angie began, but Tucker’s mother chuckled, cutting her off midsentence.
“Mrs. Mayor Pelletier is fine, dear.”
Oh God!
Help Me!
Take the wheel, Master… I wasn’t going to make it.
A giggle left my lips before I could catch. But I quickly recovered by picking up my napkin, pretending to cough in it.
“You alright, sweetheart?” Tucker asked with a grin on his face as he rubbed my back. It was that grin that made another giggle escape my lips. I had to look away from him. Instead I picked up my water and took a sip.
“Yes…” I said clearing my throat. “I’m fine, just swallowed my chicken the wrong way.”
He still rubbed my back, but I could tell by the mischievous look on his face he was getting ready to try to tip me over. “Okay… be careful, we don’t want you to choke like your stepmother here just did.”
That was it, I was back to coughing viciously in my napkin. That Bastard!
“Well!” Angie hissed, good and insulted. “It was so nice seeing you again, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor.” She actually bowed slightly.
What?! Who does that?!
Her gaze came to Tucker‘s. “A pleasure as always, young man. You and Layla will have to get together and hang out again, soon.”
My eyes shot to his. Again! The muscle ticked guiltily in his chin. You bastard!
Knowing she’d nailed a deadly blow; Angie’s piercing gaze came to me. “Free, we leave for Vegas next week, and you still have yet to tell me if you will be attending your sister’s wedding alone or with someone.”
Tucker’s gaze shot to me… Damn it! I had intentionally not mentioned the wedding to him because I’d planned on going alone. No way was I going to take him so that he could witness our dysfunctional family dynamics.
In only the way true evil could, Angie’s whole mood shifted when she sensed she’d successfully caused strife in his and my relationship. “Alone then…I’ll let the wedding planner know. Chat with you later, dear.”
Although she said that with a smile on her face, I knew it for the threat it was. She’d been embarrassed and insulted. Of course, she was blaming me and was going to try her damnedest to make me pay for it.
“So, when were you going to tell me you slept with my sister?” I asked him as soon as we got in his truck.
He exhaled, shaking his head. “Look…I was going to tell you. It happened before I met you, she was my first.”
“Your first?!” I screeched. “Are you f*cking kidding me? My sister took your virginity and you didn’t think to tell me this before I fell—” I caught myself.
No way was I going to admit that. Not now!
With his hands resting on his steering wheel, he angrily stared straight ahead out of the window. “So what? It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal? Really, Tuck? She took your virginity, that is a huge deal. You never forg
et the person who takes your virginity.”
I’ll never be able to forget you, bastard!
“You tripping, man, that sh*t only a big deal to women. We don’t give a f*ck who we f*ck as long as we f*ck!”
Insulted, I sat back in the seat and folded my arms. I had to fold them or I was going to hit him. Now I had my answer about how it was he left me on the beach by myself the night he took my virginity.
Apparently, the only thing he cared about was f*cking!
“And you sitting yo’ ass over there judging me for keeping secrets. When were you going to tell me about the wedding? How the f*ck you think you going to Vegas without saying anything?”
“Real easy…take me home.”
“I ain’t taking you nowhere until we work this sh*t out.”
“Take-me-home!” I yelled, close to tears.
He growled something under his breath and threw the truck in gear, pulling off from the restaurant with his tires screeching. We didn’t say a word to each other the whole way. When he pulled up out front, I slammed out of the car and watched appalled as he pulled off with the same loud screeching tires that he’d done back at the restaurant.
Damn it!
I stood there unsure of what to do. I didn’t want to go in my lonely house. It never felt like home.
Layla and Tucker had slept together. She’d taken his virginity… Oh God! No wonder she’s been acting as if I’d betrayed her. No wonder…
Turning, I made my way into my lonely book house. Because I didn’t have the will to walk up the stairs, I collapsed on my couch. Tears were running down my eyes before my butt touched the cushion. This was the same feeling I’d felt that morning I woke up alone on the beach.
I was such a fool… I wasn’t supposed to be feeling this way again, only it was worse, a hundred times worse. My heart hurt so badly I was finding it hard to breathe. I think that maybe I was going to have another panic attack.
Balling up on the couch, I gave into my tears and let them pour from me freely. The next morning when my alarm went off, signaling it was time for me to get ready for work, I lifted the lamp on my nightstand and smashed it.