Текст книги "Following Me"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

Devon smiled and started from the beginning, the very beginning.  “When I was in high school, I was dating this guy, Mason,” she began.  “I’d known him all of my life.  His mom was my mom’s best friend.  I think they had arranged for us to be married while we were still in the womb.  I think it’s how I got my nickname, Dixie.”

“Dixie?” he asked, unable to hold back his chuckle.

Devon nodded.  “Mason and Dixie.  Mason Dixon.  I’m sure you get it.”

“How Southern, Belle,” he said, squeezing her hand lightly.

“Exactly.  My mom still calls me Dixie even though I’ve told her a million times that I hate it.  Anyway, long story short, Mason and I dated through almost all of high school.  I was a cheerleader, and he was the quarterback.  I know, big surprise.  It’s really cheesy and embarrassing.”

“That sounds like everything in high school.”

Devon smiled faintly.  “Yeah.  Well, as we grew up, we grew apart.  It was only natural.  We weren’t the same people anymore.  I didn’t want to be a country music singer or Dixie or anything related to my parents’ life, which included him, and he just wasn’t okay with that.”

“I could see that if you had been together all your life,” Brennan said.

“We had this abandoned house that we used to meet up at.”  Devon’s cheeks flushed.  “I’m sure you can imagine what for.  Anyway, I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore.  He freaked out and slapped me.  I started crying and swore I was going to tell everyone, but he apologized and then freaked out even more.  It never happened again, but I think it was part of the reason I chose to go to Wash U,” she whispered.  “When Reid hit me the first time, I just thought that he was like Mason …that he wouldn’t do it again, but he did…”

“You made the right choice by leaving,” Brennan said, drawing her closer.

Devon shook her head.  “I’m not sure my choices were ever right.  If I’d made the right choices, then I would have outted Mason.  I would have outted Reid.  Then, maybe all of this would have turned out differently.”

“And maybe then, I never would have found you,” he said, softly kissing her swollen cheek.

“I would have found you,” she whispered.

“Good.  I wouldn’t have wanted another life that didn’t include you.”

“Me either.”

He smiled.  “Tell me the rest of the story.”

And so she did.  She told him everything she had told Garrett that night she had mistakenly decided to trust him with her secret.  It hurt just as bad the second time.  She hoped that the pain would dampen over time.  She also hoped that she wouldn’t have to tell the story that much.  She knew at least two other people who needed to know—her mom and Hadley.  Maybe if she was completely honest with them, they would be able to forge a better relationship again.  She knew it would take time.

When she finished, she found that her tears had dried up, and Brennan had his arm around her shoulders.  She didn’t feel like he was trying to control her.  She only felt that he wanted to comfort her…be there for her in any way that he could.  She turned her face up to him, and then she felt his lips land softly on hers.

“Belle,” he whispered against her lips.

“Yeah?” she asked.

He said stared down at her intensely, and she found herself gripped in his gaze.

“I think I knew you were running the first time I saw you,” he said.  “Those big stormy eyes telling me you were lost with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide.  I just didn’t know what you were running from, but I think, all along, you were running toward me.”

SLEEPING THROUGH THE night and much of the next morning had been a surprise to wake up to.  More ibuprofen waited for her on the nightstand.  She smiled and then immediately winced from the pain in her face.

After taking the medicine, she padded into the bathroom to take a look at her face.  One of her eyes was swollen shut, the other eye had a large black circle under it, and her face looked like hell.  The spot on the back of her head where she had fallen and hit the side table had a huge knot.

Devon swallowed back tears as she stared at the damage to her face.  She felt even more defeated than she looked.  How had she let Reid get to her again?  She had left St. Louis.  She had thought she was safe, and still, he had managed to break her.  It was even worse this time because she had finally started feeling like herself again.  Running away from him was the best thing she had ever done.  It was the only reason she had retained her sanity.

She couldn’t let this keep happening.  She had to do something.  She didn’t know what that was, but she had to figure it out to move on with her life.

All she really knew was today was going to be roughhh.

Devon walked out of the bathroom and sat down heavily on the bed. Brennan appeared in the doorway with a smile.  His smile faltered when he got a good look at her face.

“Oh, Belle,” he said, walking over and taking a seat next to her on the bed.  He kissed her temple next to her swollen eye, like he intended to kiss away the pain.  “It’s good to see you’re awake.  I’ve been checking on you off and on to make sure you are doing alright.”

“I can’t believe I slept for so long,” she said, leaning into him for support.

“Injuries like that require a lot of rest.  It’s good that you slept.”  He kissed the top of her head.  “Do you mind if I take a look at you?”

“Go ahead.”  She didn’t even want to look at herself.

Turning her face toward him, he examined her more closely than he had the night before.  “Are you sure we can’t take you to a hospital to get this looked at?”

“I never went before, and I recovered just fine,” she said, wanting nothing to do with hospitals.

Brennan winced.  “I hate that you’ve ever gone through this before, let alone all by yourself.  I’m not a doctor yet.  I want to take care of you, but I don’t know how serious this all is.”

“No hospitals, Dr. Walker,” she said, poking him gently.

He laughed at the nickname and nodded.  “Alright, I got it.”  Then, he stared down at the bruises on her face, and his smile slipped again.

“Give me your best assessment,” she said, straightening.

“I think you’ll live,” he said with a sigh.  “At least, it doesn’t seem like the brain damage has affected your sense of humor.”

Devon giggled and swatted at him playfully.  He grabbed her hands before they even made contact with him and pulled her in for a kiss.  She wanted to give him more, but even the kiss was hard to manage with her face so messed up.

“Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, shifting uncomfortably.  He reached out for her hands and laced them with his.  “And I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”

“What is it?” she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.  What more could possibly go wrong in her life?

“I think you should file a restraining order against Reid,” Brennan said.

“What?” she asked, snatching her hands back.  That hadn’t been what she had expected.  “No.  No.  No.  I can’t do that.”

“Devon, I said you wouldn’t like it, but it’s a good idea.  Then, if he comes near you again, you can take legal action against him.  I think you’re within your rights to press charges for assault and battery after what happened last night.  The least you can do is stop him from doing it again.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head and ignoring the pain.  “No hospitals, no cops, no court.  I should have made myself clearer.”

“I already agreed to no hospitals.  I can’t agree to your other two.  You’re terrified that this guy is going to come after you for a reason.  He’s dangerous.  He could hurt you.  I couldn’t live with that, and I can’t be with you twenty-four/seven to make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” he said, scooting closer to her.  “If you don’t get a restraining order, which I still say is the very least you should do, your distaste for hospitals won’t keep you from ending up in one.”

Devon looked away from Brennan, tears pooling in her eyes again.

“He’s applying to med schools in the fall.  A record could keep him from getting accepted,” she told him.  She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her, but Reid had mattered for so long.  Old habits die hard.

“You want this guy to become a doctor?” Brennan cried.  He was beside himself.  “Are you out of your mind?  Go look in the mirror, and tell me you want him treating patients!”

“No,” she said softly.  She didn’t, but it felt wrong admitting it.  “No, alright, I don’t.”

“Belle, don’t cry.”  Facing her, he kissed her softly.  “I didn’t mean to yell.  I just don’t think someone without a shred of compassion should be working in the most selfless job.”

“I know he shouldn’t,” she said.  She had known that for a long time.

“You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy.  Someone who won’t complicate your life.  Somebody who won’t hurt you.”

“Someone like you,” she said.

“Someone like me.”

COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT Court was about a twenty-minute drive outside of the Loop in downtown Chicago.  Devon stared up at the imposing building with its all-glass entrance.  Her hands were shaking, but when Brennan touched her back, she began to relax.  She could do this.  She could be strong.

The wait was to be expected, and more than a half-dozen times she had tried to convince Brennan that they should just leave.  He had smiled at her for strength before he told her that they had made the drive out for a reason.  He was happy to wait it out with her.

He had called in at work again.  Devon had heard Jenn bitching at him through the line, but he had carefully explained that Devon had a concussion.  Jenn hadn’t sounded pleased, but really, Devon needed Brennan around to help take care of her.  She was doing a lot better, but she didn’t trust herself to be alone.

“Devon Sawyer,” a woman in a suit called when it was her turn.

She looked over at Brennan anxiously.  “I can’t do this.  I can’t.  Brennan, what am I going to tell them?”  She was panicking.

“The truth, Belle.  Just tell them the truth, just like you told me.  I’ll be here waiting for you when you get done,” he reassured her.

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he said with a smile.

Devon stood stiffly and walked across the room with her head hanging down.  “I’m Devon,” she told the woman.

“Come with me,” the woman said.  She had a comforting voice, not what Devon had been expecting.

They walked down a hallway, and the woman took a seat behind a desk at a cubicle.  Devon sat across from her and folded her hands.

“How can we help you today, Ms. Sawyer?”

“I, uh…want to file a restraining order against my ex-boyfriend,” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

“Of course.  Let me get you the paperwork.”  She rifled through a file cabinet against the wall and handed it to Devon.  “Just fill this out, and then I’ll see when we can get you in to see the judge to plead your case.”

“Thank you,” Devon said softly, staring down at the paperwork in front of her.  There was no turning back now.

A FEW HOURS after her arrival, Devon exited the Circuit Court office with a temporary restraining order in her shaking hand.  The judge had approved her case and scheduled an official hearing in three weeks.  She didn’t like the thought of what might lead up to that.  Reid would get served papers.  He would realize what she had done—that she had taken legal action.  It was a complicated system, and she would have to face him in court to make it permanent.  The thought of seeing him again made her stomach twist.

Brennan seemed pleased that it had worked out in her favor.  He had suspected it wouldn’t take a lot of effort to get a restraining order.  Her face was pretty beat-up, and she hadn’t even had makeup at his place to hide any of it.  She was a pro at covering bruises with makeup.

The drive back into the city had a calming effect, and Devon found her eyes drooping.  It had been a long couple of days, and with her head injury, she was just so tired.

“Hey,” Brennan said, shaking her shoulder softly.

She peeled open her eyes and saw that they were parked somewhere.  She rubbed her eyes, and immediately, she regretted it as pain shot through one side.

“Where are we?” she asked with a yawn.

“Jenn’s.  I just wanted to stop by and get my check.  Is that alright?” he asked, his face showing concern very clearly.

“Yeah.  I’m not going inside though,” she said, looking around.  She could see they were parked in the alley behind the restaurant.

“I didn’t expect you to.  Want me to grab yours while I’m in there?” he asked.

“I got mine last week.  I don’t know how you could even forget.”

“Distracted by a beautiful woman, I guess,” he said with a smile.  He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips.  “I’ll only be a minute.”

“Alright.  See you soon,” she said sleepily.

Devon closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window.  She could fall asleep again.  When they got back to Brennan’s, maybe she could sleep through the afternoon.  She hoped he would hold her.  Being with him calmed her nerves and allowed her to actually rest.

She felt herself drifting away when the handle of the car door clicked.  Her reaction time was off, and when the door swung open, she tumbled sideways out of the car.  She landed heavily on her hip as her hand struck the pavement.

“Ugh,” she grumbled.  She wiped gravel off her clothes and picked it out of her hand.  A sharp piece had embedded itself into her palm, and blood pooled at the point of injury.  “Great.  Add that to the list.”

She turned her head to look up at what had been the cause of her fall, and her vision blurred.  She scrambled backward, but he was on top of her before she moved two feet.

“Did you think I would just let you leave?” Reid grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

He looked terrible.  His clothes were a mess.  His usually perfectly manicured hair was tousled.  His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept all night.  Still, it was nothing compared to how she looked.

“Reid, stop!  Leave me alone,” she said, trying to pull away from him.

He ignored her and started dragging her down the alleyway.  Her balance was shot, and she kept tripping over her feet and falling.

“Stop!  Reid, fucking stop!”

“You’re mine, Devon.  And I said I would have what is mine,” he said.  “I always keep my promises.”

She knew Brennan would return soon, but clearly, it was not soon enough.  She didn’t know where Reid was taking her.  If he got her somewhere private, she didn’t know what would happen.  Putting all her energy behind it, Devon screamed at the top of her lungs.  Someone had to hear her.

Turning around, Reid covered her mouth with his hand and shoved her back against the wall to hold her in place.  “Shut up!” he yelled into her face.

Her eyes went wide at the ferocity in his gaze.  He had gone crazy, completely crazy.  Whatever shred of humanity he’d had left in him had evaporated.

“If you make another sound, I’ll knock you out and carry you back to the car.”

Devon didn’t put it past him.  Her heart was beating so hard that she thought it might jump out of her chest.  She couldn’t stop staring into his eyes and wondering where the man she had once loved was.  Where was her greatness?  Had he never actually existed and she had only clung on to hope like a child?

“I’m going to release you, and you’re not going to make a sound or try to get away.  Right?” he asked threateningly.

Devon nodded slightly.  She was lying.  She would fight him tooth and nail to get away.

He slowly dropped his hand, and she kept her mouth clamped shut.  She wanted to take him by surprise.  She heard footsteps crunch on the gravel, and Reid’s head whipped to the side.  Devon used the distraction to her advantage, and for the second time in two days, she brought her knee up into his groin.  She hoped he would never be able to reproduce after this.

Reid dropped over, holding himself.  She turned to run, but his other hand shot out, catching her in the chest and slamming her into the wall again.  The air quickly left her lungs as he knocked the wind out of her, and she cried out.  She heard footsteps running toward them, but she didn’t look up to find out who it was.  She was concentrating too hard on trying to breathe.

“Hey, get away from her!” Brennan yelled as he approached them.

Reid stood and faced Brennan, planting himself between Brennan and Devon.  “Stay out of this.  She’s none of your concern.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Just get the fuck out of here!” Reid cried.

“I’m not leaving her,” Brennan said determinedly.

“Brennan,” Devon gasped out.

“I’m not going anywhere.  Don’t worry,” Brennan said to her.

“Don’t you talk to her,” Reid growled.  “Don’t even look at my girl.”

Brennan stared Reid down.  “I think you should just calm down and step away from Devon.  She’s hurt and probably needs medical attention.  She suffered a concussion last night.  Somehow, her head connected with a table.”  He waited for Reid to react, but he didn’t.  “If you care about her,” Brennan said skeptically, “then you’ll let me take her to a hospital.”

“You’re fucking stupid if you think I’m ever letting her near you,” Reid said.  “She’s fine.  She doesn’t need to go to a hospital.”

Devon slowly straightened, feeling air fill her lungs again.  She closed her eyes and opened them again, adjusting to the light.  She leaned back heavily against the wall for balance.  “Reid, stop it,” she said breathily.  “Leave him alone.”

“You can stay out of it, too,” Reid said, not even looking at her.

Brennan started walking carefully toward Reid, like a circus ringleader holding off a lion with a wooden chair.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Reid asked.

“I’m just going to check on her,” Brennan said, inching in closer.

“Don’t come any closer!” Reid yelled.  “We’re getting out of here.”

Reid turned as if he was going to walk away from the scene, and then he countered and swung at Brennan.  With considerable force, his right fist moved toward Brennan’s face, and Devon screamed.  Brennan must have been anticipating it because he deftly blocked the punch as if it bothered him no more than a fly.  Reid was thrown off balance with the force of his own throw, and Brennan took the opportunity to connect his fist with Reid’s jaw.

Reid cried out in shock and rushed Brennan.  Brennan sidestepped Reid’s advance, and then Brennan jabbed his fist into Reid’s kidney, causing him to double over.

“Not as easy to take on someone your own size, is it?” Brennan taunted Reid.  “Don’t worry.  I won’t tell anyone you were beat up by someone smaller than you.”

Reid glared at him with murder in his eyes.  He was bigger than Brennan, and that reminder made Reid try to counter with his size.  Brennan saw it coming and ducked Reid’s advance, sending him sprawling to the ground.  Brennan rushed forward toward Devon, planting himself between Devon and Reid.

Reid scrambled to his feet and charged Brennan again.  Reid threw a wild punch, but Brennan landed a hit first, cracking Reid’s nose with a terrible popping sound that rang throughout the alley.

“You broke my fucking nose!” Reid screamed at Brennan.

Devon rushed past Brennan to stand between Reid and Brennan.  She wasn’t stupid though.  She still stood closer to Brennan.  “Stop!” she screamed.  “Stop it!  Just stop it!  Hasn’t there been enough fighting?”

“Devon,” Brennan said, taking a step forward to help support her.

She was wobbly on her feet.

“Reid, just stop.  You’ve lost.  You lost me,” she said, trying to stay as strong as she could.  “You’ve been following me in my dreams for months…and I want you to stop.  I want you to stop following me.  I’m not in your life.  You’re not in mine.  You need to find a new life because we’re over.”

“Dev,” Reid said, the life draining out of his eyes.

“No, Reid.  We’re done,” she said.  “I’m never letting you hurt me again.  You’ve done enough damage.”

“The papers,” Brennan whispered.

Devon nodded.  “I filed a restraining order.  Someone will be serving you papers, and you’ll have to appear in court.”

“A restraining order?” Reid asked in a strangled voice.  “But my med school applications.”

“You should have thought about that,” Devon whispered harshly, barely able to keep the tremble out of her voice, “before you ever laid your hands on me.”  She paused to let that sink in, and then she released a shuddering breath.  “Low scores are the least of your problem.  Good luck having your dad get you out of this one.”

Devon felt herself sinking.  Her vision blurred, wavered, straightened, and then blurred again.  “Brennan,” she said, her voice coming out slow, like her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth.

“Yeah, Belle?” he asked, pulling her in closer.

“You saved me.”

“I’d do anything for you.”

She smiled.  Then, she felt her world tilt, and she lost consciousness.