The Broken Parts Of Us (4 page)

“Think it over and get back to me.”

I raise my wine to my lips and gulp down the whole contents. “I accept, thank you.” 

“Good.” She smiles back at me. Her eyes dart to Michael who’s looking back at her. Maybe she’s worried about him seeing the little episode with Jasper and Hannah. I reach for the pot of food in front of me and help myself to a portion, so I don’t seem rude. Derek reappears and takes his seat next to me.

“Dinner smells good, Riv. I’ll talk to Jasper.” Her gentle nod ends the conversation as everyone begins to eat.

Sammy doesn’t come back to the table and the atmosphere leaves me wanting to go home and crawl into my bed, and pretend Jasper’s news didn’t happen.

I
drive Kyra home and kiss her gently on the cheek before leaving her safely locked inside her apartment. My mind is on Jasper and his news. I’m not sure if he’ll be home when I get there. River and Sammy left just before me, so I’m hoping to get to sit down with him.

The incoming call from the station was the last thing I needed. “Jefferson.”

“Hey, it’s Masters. We have an incident and the victim asked us to call you. A Lake. Caroline Lake?”

Shit!

“What happened?”

“She was attacked getting into her car. There was note on her windscreen and we think this is connected to the stalker case.”

“Where did it happen?”

“At her office.”

Shit, what was she doing there at this time on a Saturday? That woman needs to take a fucking break. She's a workaholic.

“I’m on my way.”

 Fifteen minutes later, I pull up at my lawyer’s office. An ambulance and two squad cars are parked up, their red and blue lights lightening the darkened sky.

“Jefferson.” A uniform nods his head at me. I go straight to the ambulance and wince when Caroline’s bruised face comes into view. Her eye is swollen shut and her cheek’s a deep red-purple colour. Her blouse is ripped open showing her white lace bra.

“Cover her up,” I growl, angry that they haven’t already.

“Derek?” she sniffles.

“It’s okay, can you tell me what happened?”

“He came from nowhere. I was just getting to my car and I noticed a note.” 

A whimper leaves her. “Someone grabbed my hair and forced my head into the bonnet. My legs gave out and I couldn’t see very well, but he grabbed at my blouse to hold me up while he punched me.” An uncontrolled sob shakes her entire body. I jump into the ambulance and pull her into me.

“It’s okay, ssshhh.”

* * * * *

“They want to keep her overnight. I want you to get her statement while it’s fresh in her mind. Have forensics run that note for fingerprints,” I tell Hance while I rub the crease I know is furrowing my brow.

I hate men who do this kind of violence to women, and we have nothing to go on, so this is going to keep happening.

I slip into my car and check the time. Four hours it’s been since I got that call; this day has turned out to be a nightmare. I drive the six miles home, the rain washing the day away as it batters against the car.

T
hud, Thud, Thud
. Every time my foot hits the treadmill, the impact echoes around the room. The sweat has soaked down my bare torso and runs into the waistband of my sweatpants. With every thud, the memory of Danny’s gun going off flashes into my thoughts. I try to think about what happened earlier and the drive back with Hannah. Listening to her talking drove me in-fucking-sane. It's true men fade women out when they go on a verbal rampage; twenty minutes we had been in the car and she was still going on.

“Jasper, seriously?” she whined.

Her heavy sigh forced me roll my eyes. Shit! Am I really going to take the plunge with this chick? Can I live day in and day out coming home to her?

“Your friends were rude, implying the baby isn’t yours.”

I pulled up on her drive and inwardly groaned when I saw her dad’s Mercedes parked on the drive. The front door opened and out stepped her mother dressed in a pencil skirt, blouse, and suit jacket, hair neatly pinned back, nothing out of place as she air kissed Hannah’s cheeks and gestured for the kid to go inside. “We have a wedding to plan. We need to make an appointment to have you fitted for your dress before you start showing.” She looked down at Hannah’s almost flat stomach and sneered. “Anymore then you already are.”

I couldn’t be around them. I drove around trying to clear my thoughts and then decided to work myself into exhaustion on the treadmill. My mind can’t focus on distracting myself with other thoughts, Danny and the left over anxiety are willful tonight. I push harder, but nothing helps me escape the images. My feet come down harder.

 
Thud, thud, thud
. The sound, and then instant pain rips through my flesh, the warmth of my life flowing from me at an uncontrolled rate; the dizziness makes my head swim. River’s voice, her scream a distant echo as the darkness closes in around me, suffocating me in the fear that I may never open my eyes again.

Swiping at the sweat trickling into my face, I notice it's red in colour–
blood
.

“What the fuck?”

I look down my body. It’s also red; I’m bleeding. I’m covered in blood. What’s happening? Fear grips me in a vice hold.

“Wake up, you’re dreaming. It’s just a dream, Jasp. Wake up!”

Derek, Derek
? That’s Derek. I’m dreaming. I gasp for breath; I grasp on to him, the sweat clinging to my skin, leaving a musky scent in the air.

Two nightmares. Two nights in a row.

Fuck
!

Derek moves from the bed, but I jump up to stop him. “Don’t, don’t go yet, please.” I know I sound weak, but I need him here right now. His eyes are trained on my naked form. I sleep naked and when I jumped up to stop him, the sheet had fallen away.

“Der, why you staring at my junk? You’ve seen it before, man,” I joke, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere, but it has the opposite effect.

Holy shit! Is he blushing?

“Der?” I ask, confused. I’ve never seen Derek flustered, but he looks embarrassed. What the fuck?

“You should see the therapist again for these nightmares,” he tells me as he marches from my room, leaving me completely bewildered.  

* * * * *

The light bleeds through the blinds, casting a warm glow over the room. I couldn't get back to sleep after the weird shit with Derek last night, so I just laid here and tried to make sense of everything. It didn’t work.

I drag the covers off and head for the shower. I prepare myself to have to deal with Sammy and River today. Hannah emailed me last night—not picked the phone up. She fucking emailed me, stating we need to gradually get used to her idea of being a bigger part of each other’s lives and start the move in process. Apparently that starts with her letting me do the shopping. What kind of test is that? I don’t shop, so when she’s eating Cheetos and cereal for dinner later she better not complain.

I wash the dry sweat from my nightmare off my body in the shower. I slip into a clean shirt and jeans, and run my hands through my messy hair before going downstairs for coffee. The smell in the air is one more thing I’ll miss when I move out. Derek always makes a fresh pot of coffee every morning without fail.

I follow the tempting aroma into the huge kitchen. This place is too big for two guys to live in; this kitchen could keep a hotel in food service alone. Derek stands with a mug in hands, his suit neatly pressed with nothing out of place. I can see why Kyra is attracted to him. Derek is a good-looking man; he has that whole dark mysterious shit going on for him, and he also has an air of confidence that makes even guys take notice.

“Hey,” I say with a head nod.

“Hey,” he responds, still not looking at me.

“Listen, Der, I know I overstepped with that chick, but this is getting old now.” I walk right up to him, our bodies a breath away. He lifts his head, so he’s looking me in the eye. “I need my friend right now. I promise not to do that shit again. I’ll even apologise to the chick if you want to bring her back here.”

He squints his eyes and seems to be studying me; I shift under his scrutiny. He steps forward, his chest touching mine, his warm breath whispering across my cheeks. “I’ll always be your friend.”

I have never felt anything like this; I’m a man who’s banged his way through many a woman. I’ve been in the presence of some good-looking men, and men of power, but no one, not a women nor a man has ever made me feel the way I’m feeling, and I’m not even sure what the fuck this is I am feeling. Derek is too close, his eyes too emotional, too personal. His body is having an effect on mine, a sexual effect. I step back and shake my head.

What the fuck, Jasp
? I risk a glance up at Derek; he has a raised eyebrow like he knows what I’m thinking. My head spins as I feel a knot twist my stomach.

“Cool,” I say before I scurry from the kitchen without my coffee. I need to be away from him. I’m losing my fucking mind. I need to get out of here.

I head for the coat closet and find the console I bought Michael in there, smashed up. “What the hell?”

“What?” I jump at the sound of Derek behind me, the sneaky fuck. I didn’t realise he had followed me out.

I grab up the console and lift it for him to see. “I got this for Michael.” Derek’s brow furrows in thought. “What’s going on?” 

He exhales hard. “Has River not said anything to you about Michael?”

I immediately go taut and alert. “No, what? What’s wrong with Michael?”

Derek notices my stiff posture, rests a hand on my shoulder and rubs. Such an innocent gesture that he’s done many times before, so why is my stomach bottoming out and why is it leaving a fire trail in its wake?

“He’s fine. She’s convinced herself he’s Danny’s. She said he pushed her down the stairs.”

That shakes me from my Derek-confused state. “What? I need to see her. Is she still seeing her therapist? She needs to get over this shit,” I grumble, gaining me a smirk from Derek.

“She needs to get over her shit, yet you still have night terrors?”

I glare back at him. “I don’t think my kid's trying to fucking kill me.” I’m being a defensive prick, but I need this emotion. It’s better than what I was feeling seconds ago.

His deep laugh echoes in the lobby. “Give it time, yours isn’t here yet.”

That empty feeling creeps over me. Hannah! God, how could I let this happen? I slip my jacket on and leave without saying goodbye.

* * * * *

Shopping is not my thing. I hate the supermarkets from the parking to the harmless looking fragile old ladies who would wrestle you to get the next bargain. Their innocent “
Yes, dear,
” “
No, dear,
” “
Can you reach and pass me this, dear?
” to trolley ramming you and queue jumping.
Fragile my ass
!

I manage to fill a trolley and get it to the register and out the store without cursing every ancient lady who abuses her old age position.

Hannah’s apartment is spotless. It’s hard to believe anyone actually lives here; the white walls in every room give it a sterile feel; it’s cold and lifeless—like its owner. I hate shopping, but putting the groceries away is even worse. I don’t know where she keeps everything, so if she complains, it’ll be her doing all grocery shops in the future.
Fuck,
that made me shudder… a future with Hannah.

I set up my laptop and get to work sorting the accounts for the new business.  Sammy and I are opening a new garage in the next town over. Hannah hates the trade I’m in. She thinks I should be doing more with my business degree, but I’m happy doing this. I have money from my mom’s life insurance that I’ve never needed to touch. Hannah doesn’t know about it and I earn a good income being in business with Sammy.