Tension (11 page)

As she was walking the few blocks to George’s house, the hair stood up on the back of her neck. Lately, it wasn’t uncommon for her to feel unsafe whenever she was alone, which wasn’t often. Something about almost dying does that to a person. She tried not to take it too seriously. Pulling out her phone, she texted George.

not up for Patrick. Headed back to ur house

He replied quickly.

Our house love

She replied.

Love night

The scent of clementines drifted past her nose and she shivered; her skin tingling like a million tiny pins stuck her at once. There were two houses between her and George’s house. She began to trot. Of course, the one time she wanted cameramen hanging outside of George’s house, there were none. Almost running up the stairs to the front door, she felt herself spiraling into a full on panic attack. She pushed the front door open and took a deep breath as the panic subsided. Suddenly, the smell of clementines surrounded her and she was shoved the rest of the way in the house. She fell, catching herself with both hands. Stella hung her head and closed her eyes.
This cannot be happening
.

“Stella...” she heard from behind her. Fear traveled from her brain all through her body, like a live wire. Shaking her head, she turned over and sat with her knees drawn protectively to her chest, hiding her face between crossed arms.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” His voice was hoarse with emotion as he got down on his knees, gently pulling her face up so she was looking at him. “I swear; if I hadn’t shot you, he would’ve raped you, Stella. Don’t you remember us talking about that once? You said you’d rather die than be raped. I wasn’t trying to kill you of course; I just needed them to think you were dying. You’d rather die than be raped. Right?” Jamie rattled on without taking a breath. He attempted to hug her, but her knees blocked him and her entire body tensed.

“Are you seriously trying to justify shooting me?” she choked out. Gasping for breath, Stella closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe Jamie was in George’s house.

“Stella, I love you, why would I want to hurt you?” Jamie pleaded.

At the strained sound in Stella’s voice, Cooper bounded down the stairs, his fur raised down the middle of his back and his teeth bared. Cooper had taken to sleeping in George’s bed, even when they weren’t there. He was barking as he rounded the corner into the foyer. As he attempted to stop on the hardwood floor he couldn’t gain any traction and slid, knocking Stella into Jamie. He was stunned for a second, then his tail wagged so hard his body bent from side to side. He dove at Jamie and licked him all over.

“Cooper! I missed you too, boy.” Jamie rubbed him and Cooper nuzzled Jamie’s neck.

“I can’t fucking
believe
this. You don’t want to hurt me? You don’t want to HURT me?” Her voice raised an octave. Her emotions were so extreme it was like she was seeing herself from above. Jamie was still on his knees in front of her, his torso pressing against her. She began using her feet to push herself away back from him; he grabbed her forearm with an iron grip. “You proposed to me, made me move to DC, faked your own death, and then shot me. I think you’re way beyond hurting me.”

“That’s not how it happened. I mean, I guess it is, but I never really meant for any of this to happen.” Jamie examined his hands.

“Oh, you didn’t mean for it to happen,” she said sarcastically. “Then all is forgiven, asshole.”

“Stella. Come on. I love you.” Jamie rubbed her arm and she flinched away from him. “You know me.”

Stella shook her head and started laughing hysterically. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Jamie reached out to touch her face and pulled on a strand of her hair. “I love you, I do. It may not seem that way, but I do. All I’m asking for is a chance to explain, Stella. Come with me.”

“You shot me and you’re a wanted man. I think I’ll pass,” she seethed through clenched teeth.

“But, I need you to listen to me,” he implored. His eyes pleaded with her.

She was completely baffled. Stella’s fear manifested itself with pinpricks along her skin, sweat collecting on her upper lip and dropping in between her breasts. “Oh well, since it’s what you need, I’ll pack a bag,” she sassed, sarcasm masking her terror. “Get the fuck out of here before I call the FBI. You should know they have a detail on me because of all the publicity, so it won’t take long.”

“Stella, I know you haven’t told anyone it was me.” Jamie reached out to touch her again.

Her voice was soft but steely. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

His hand froze in mid-air. Jamie knew her well enough to know that he’d lost any chance to reason with her. “I’ll never give up on you.” He stood up, leaned over to where she was still huddled on the floor, and kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

“The next time I see you, I’ll kill you,” she muttered as he closed the front door. Putting her head down, she cursed herself for being so weak. Stella let herself sob once. Her injuries made it impossible for her to fight back, but she would. Quiet filled the house and her thoughts unraveled. A tear fell down her cheek.
I’ll be prepared for next time
.

Cooper sat next to her, his tail brushing the floor rhythmically for a few seconds before lying down with a resigned sigh. His person had come and gone.

Pulling the covers over her head, she groaned at the pain in her head. After Jamie left, she’d drank an entire bottle of wine by herself in an attempt to chase away the demons. The hatred that began growing in her gut the second she’d woken up in the hospital now filled her. She didn’t have room inside her for anything else. She was fighting it, trying to save some part of her that felt something other than vengeance. George was her saving grace; her love for him was her only redeeming characteristic. And that was pretty sad, considering he was just her boyfriend, not a part of her personality. So, it was possible that maybe she didn’t have a positive quality right now.

“Coop!” Stella called from the bed. His absence was strange because he usually stayed in the bed with her. George had left early this morning, she guessed to work out. Stretching her arms and legs as far and wide as they could go, she moaned in pleasure and pain. She assumed there would always be a little bit of pain in her life.
It seemed fitting somehow
.

She wanted to focus on loving George with all her heart and just appreciate life. That’s how she
should
be reacting to this miraculous recovery from her injuries. Her life was spared; gratitude should come easily, but instead it evaded her. All she felt was bitterness, rage and tension.

Cooper ran into the room and jumped on the bed, rocking the entire California king. He dropped a tennis ball on Stella’s face.

“Ow!” Stella yelled and grabbed her nose. “Asshole,” she said with a laugh.

Then Cooper’s ears went back and the loud thunder of his bark made Stella jump. Leaping off the bed, Cooper bounded down the hall. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get any traction on the hardwood floor and he looked like a cartoon character trying to get to the door. Then she heard why Cooper was barking; someone was knocking incessantly on the front door.

Stella thought about ignoring it, figuring it was another reporter, but the knocking failed to cease. Rolling off the bed, she picked George’s dirty t-shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head. Smiling, she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. He always smelled of the wood from the bar, beer, and mint. She walked slowly down the stairs and padded over to the front door.

Looking through the peep hole, she smiled and yelled, “hold your fucking horses!”

Millie stopped mid-knock and smiled. Several camera flashes went off when Stella opened the door, but she stayed far enough behind the door that no one got a shot of her. Millie walked right past her and into the den. She sat down on the couch and then got back up.

“We need to talk.” Millie paced the length of the couch. “You’re ignoring me and I know you’re upset because I didn’t come to Montana when you were in the hospital, but I tried. I didn’t have any money and I couldn’t get off work, I hadn’t been there for that long. I’m sorry. I should’ve come.”

“Mil, I don’t give a shit that you didn’t come to Montana. I was unconscious most of the time. It wouldn’t have mattered.” They walked through the foyer into the den.

“Then what?” Millie’s hands flew out to her sides and Stella looked down.

“I don’t want to be around Patrick,” Stella said honestly.

“Why? What’s going on with you guys? He won’t talk to me about it either…”

Stella yanked at George’s shirt, pulling it farther down over her thighs. “Millie, it’s really simple. Patrick lied to me and I can’t get over it. Period.”

“No period. What’d he lie about?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Stella walked into the kitchen. “You want something to drink?”

“No. I want my two best friends, who used to be best friends, to get over whatever is going on so we can hang out again.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Stella poured herself a cup of lukewarm coffee left from George’s morning pot.

“Why?”

“I...” Stella stalled, staring in the black coffee before taking a sip.

“Stella, FUCK YOU!” Millie shouted, exasperated.

Stella flinched.

“You and Patrick and your fucking secrets! I’m tired of it!” Millie barged out the front door.

He felt like he hadn’t seen Stella since the beach. He was so busy the last couple of days with work he didn’t think they even had a real conversation. She was asleep when he got home last night and he left early this morning to get some things done at Finnegan’s. George was entering data into the computer when his cell phone rang. He recognized his mother’s ringtone. “Hi, Mom.”

George’s mom had done something to her TV and she couldn’t get it working again. He nodded to one of the new bartenders and told him he’d be back.

He drove the five minutes to his mother’s house. She opened the door as he walked up the few stairs to the front porch.

“Hey, Will. Thank you so much for coming. I’m so sorry for bothering you. You know I can’t figure out how to work this new TV you bought me.” She let him in, kissed his cheek, and shut the door. “I made some chicken salad. You want some?”

George smiled at his mother, walked over to the TV, and reprogrammed the remote. He was slightly nervous about the
real
reason his mother had him rush over. Best to get the conversation over with quickly. “Sure, I can stay for a few minutes.” He followed her into the kitchen and sat at the table.

“What do you want to drink, Will?”

“I’ll get it. Do you want something?” He got up and pulled down two glasses.

“Sure. Just water’s fine.”

George filled both glasses with ice and water while his mother prepared chicken salad sandwiches for both of them.

“Will?”

“Yeah, Mom?” he replied, taking their waters to the table.

“I know you think that Stella is the one, but I’m just not sure.”

His head snapped in his mother’s direction, more upset at her condescending tone than her words. “What do you mean?” This was out of nowhere. “Mom?” He knew his mother hadn’t been vocal about their relationship, but it never occurred to him that she didn’t like Stella.

“I don’t know, honey. I just…I just don’t think she’s dependable.” She put his plate down in front of him. “I think you can do better.”

“Mom. I love her.” Of course he sought his mom’s approval; everyone seeks their parents’ approval. “You haven’t even met her yet.”

“I’ve seen enough, believe me. Honey, I just want to make sure you end up with someone who will be around and will give
you
everything you need. Just like me and your dad. We were everything to each other and were married for 28 years. I want that for you.” She took a bite of her sandwich.

“Mom. I love her, when I’m around her I feel…I don’t know…alive, like a live wire is coursing through me, if that makes sense. It’s like she has everything I need. I don’t need dependable, I need that…fire.”

His mom shook her head. “Fire burns out, Will. I don’t like her. I don’t think she’s good enough for you.”

“Mom, please. You don’t know her,” he pleaded. His mom’s opinion meant everything to him. If she wouldn’t give Stella a chance, he’d be lost.

“I just have your best interest at heart, you know that.” She took another bite of sandwich. “Plus, I want some grandbabies soon.”

George smiled sadly. “I know, Mom.” He’d mistakenly told Kara about doctors telling Stella she wouldn’t be able to have children. Stella hadn’t seemed phased by the news at all. It was like they were reciting her blood pressure. Stella’s mother had broken down and run from the room.
Fucking Kara; I can’t tell her anything
.

He ate the rest of his sandwich in three bites, kissed his mom’s cheek, and left. Neither one of them said another word.