CHESSY had no clear destination in mind as she left her neighborhood. There were three options available to her. She could check into a hotel, go to Joss’s or go to Kylie’s.
She instantly vetoed the hotel because the very last thing she wanted was to be alone. Which left either going to Joss’s or Kylie’s. In the end she decided on Kylie because Kylie was closer and Joss was pregnant. Chessy didn’t want to cause Joss undue stress, nor did she want to keep her up all night. Besides, Joss couldn’t drink and Kylie could and right now a stiff drink was definitely in order.
She pulled into Jensen’s driveway and parked beside Kylie’s car. She sat there a moment, trying to collect her scattered thoughts. It hit her all at once. She’d walked out on Tate. She’d left him. Her marriage was over.
Tears gathered in her eyes but she gulped in air and swallowed convulsively. Then she braced herself and got out of her car. She hauled out her bags and walked up the pathway to the front door. She hadn’t even rung the doorbell when the door opened and Jensen filled the doorway, his expression one of concern. Then he took in her suitcase.
“Shit,” he murmured. “I’m going to kill him.”
She promptly burst into tears and Jensen immediately pulled her into his arms, kicking aside her luggage and closing the door behind her.
“Come inside,” Jensen said kindly. “Let me get Kylie. She just got out of the shower.”
Chessy sniffled. “Thank you. I’m sorry to burst in on you unannounced like this. I just didn’t know where else to go.”
Jensen’s expression grew fierce. “You are always welcome here, Chessy. Now sit tight. Let me go get Kylie for you.”
Before he could move, Kylie walked into the living room, her hair wrapped in a towel.
“Jensen? Was that the front door I heard …”
Her voice trailed off when she saw Chessy sitting there.
“Oh no,” Kylie whispered. She rushed over to where Chessy sat and pulled her into a hug. “What happened?”
Jensen handed Chessy a tissue but Kylie took it and gently wiped at Chessy’s tears.
“It’s over,” Chessy said brokenly. “I left Tate.”
Kylie exchanged shocked looks with Jensen. Jensen had a baffled expression as if he couldn’t possibly understand why Chessy was sitting in his living room telling them she’d left Tate.
“What happened?” Kylie prompted again.
Chessy closed her eyes and then spilled the entire ugly tale. By the time she was finished, Jensen wore a murderous expression, rage emanating in waves from him.
“Un-fucking-believable,” Jensen swore. “I’m going to kill him,” he said, repeating the words he’d uttered in the doorway moments before. “What he did is unforgivable. How could he have let it happen?”
Kylie had gone pale and she looked stricken as she stared at her friend. “Chessy, are you hurt? Do you want me and Jensen to take you to the hospital?”
Chessy shook her head. “I’m fine. Okay, I’m not fine, but physically I’m okay.”
“Show us your back,” Jensen said bluntly. “Or if you aren’t comfortable with me in the room at least show Kylie. I doubt you can see if the skin is broken but it needs to be looked at just in case.”
Chessy had ignored the pain over her shoulder blades because the pain in her heart overshadowed everything else. Slowly she turned, presenting her back to Kylie and Jensen, and allowed Kylie to lift the T-shirt she’d changed into at home so she could see the damage inflicted by the strap.
She heard Kylie’s swift intake of breath and Jensen’s savage curse. She winced at the colorful expletives that exploded from Jensen’s mouth.
“How bad is it?” Chessy whispered.
“Bad enough,” Jensen said, but then he was never one to sugarcoat things. Chessy had only known him a few months, but she liked his no-nonsense air and the fact that he was always plainspoken.
“The skin’s not broken, thank God,” Kylie said, soothing over Jensen’s more terse response. “But there are raised welts and bruises already forming.”
Kylie lowered Chessy’s shirt back down and Chessy turned to once again face Kylie and Jensen. She was mortified by the fact that they were witnessing the results of Tate’s negligence.
Kylie opened her mouth and then closed it again, visibly uncomfortable with whatever it was she’d started to say. Then she stared directly at Chessy.
“I know you’ve explained some of what you and Tate do, but is this … normal?” she asked in a faltering tone. “I mean is this what he does to you? I’ve never known Joss to wear bruises but then what if I just don’t see them? I guess I don’t understand the dynamics of the lifestyle you and Joss live.”
Jensen sighed and rested his hand on Kylie’s shoulder, squeezing. “It’s not something that should ever happen, honey. A Dominant is charged with the absolute safety and well-being of his submissive. He’s supposed to safeguard that gift and cherish it and her. What Tate did tonight …” He broke off, shaking his head in confusion. “I still can’t wrap my mind around it. What was he thinking? The idea that he allowed Chessy to be hurt when she was such a short distance away sickens me.”
Chessy teared up all over again and Jensen looked immediately contrite that he’d caused her more upset.
“No, it’s not how our relationship works,” Chessy said in response to Kylie’s original question. “He’s never left bruises on me. He’s always been so careful and mindful when he uses a crop or flogger. I don’t expect you to understand the reasons why, but the line between pain and pleasure, if done correctly, can be exciting and edgy. Pleasurable. And tonight isn’t something new to us. It’s something we’ve enjoyed before. But in the past, Tate’s focus was always solely on me. He always made sure that my pleasure came first and that the man he chose never went too far. Tonight that wasn’t the case. He took a damn phone call while another man had me tied and helpless and unable to protect myself.”
Anger surged in her voice, becoming stronger the more she explained. Her rage surprised her. She’d expected to feel a whole host of things, but the storm of fury temporarily edged out her absolute despair.
“I want to go over there and beat his ass,” Jensen said darkly.
Chessy sent him a watery smile. “Thank you, but don’t bother.”
“I’m so sorry this happened to you, Chessy,” Jensen said, sincerity ringing in his voice. “Tate is a goddamn fool. I can’t believe he doesn’t recognize the treasure he has in you. But I’m glad you left his sorry ass. It’s high time you stuck up for yourself.”
She sighed, knowing that she’d been a doormat for far too long. Even her friends could see that and it shamed her that she’d never recognized it until now.
“I hate to ask this,” Chessy said, embarrassment making her cringe. “But can I stay here tonight? I left in a hurry and haven’t even figured out where I’m going or what I’m going to do for that matter.”
Jensen scowled and Kylie added her own frown.
“That is not something you even have to ask,” Jensen said. “You’ll stay here with us for as long as you need to. We aren’t kicking you out in the morning. You need friends right now.”
Kylie nodded her agreement. “You’re staying indefinitely,” she said in an adamant tone. “I know what it’s like to be by yourself in misery and believe me, it isn’t pretty and it isn’t fun.”
Jensen flinched, knowing she was referring to the time she and Jensen had spent apart, alone and miserable after Jensen had stupidly broken things off with her.
“No, it isn’t fun,” Jensen agreed. “Which is why you’re staying here where you can be among friends. You’ve always been an invaluable source of support for Kylie and I can never repay you for that. You staying is the least I can do so that we can return the favor. And we won’t take no for an answer.”
“Thank you,” Chessy said with deep relief. As much as she hated intruding on Kylie and Jensen’s newly formed relationship, she really did need her friends around her. Now more than ever. Because now the pretense would be dropped. No longer would Kylie and Joss bite their tongues and hold back their opinions. It would now be open season on Tate.
It was part of the Southern Girlfriend code of honor and etiquette, one of the first entries being that a friend will be there to bail you out of jail but a VERY good friend will be sitting in the jail cell WITH you.
And well, Chessy needed to view her husband through the eyes of others for once. Because she had only what she’d built into her mind and so it had become truth when in fact it was all lies. It was time for the blinders to come off and for her to see what everyone else had seen for a long time. Just maybe not tonight …
“Uh, Kylie?” she hedged.
“What’s wrong, sweetie? Is there something you need? Something Jensen and I could get you?”
“We’re running low on wine and I wouldn’t mind running out to restock the cabinet,” Jensen said with a smile. “When my girls get together a lot of alcohol is laid to waste. I’m beginning to think the three of you could drink a whole horde of military guys under the table.”
She was in turns delighted and saddened by Jensen’s endearment. His girls. It gave her insight to the fact that he’d long ago accepted Joss and Chessy’s role in Kylie’s life and that he encouraged those friendships. Wasn’t threatened by them whatsoever.
The sadness came in because Tate had always referred to Chessy as “his girl” or “my girl” and each version did something deep in her heart. It squeezed parts left untouched by years of neglect and feelings of being unwanted. He’d touched those areas, and now? They’d fade back into the bleak memories she carried of her childhood and how she was raised. Unwanted. Unloved. Because it was precisely how she currently felt about the way Tate treated her.
“I think that’s a lovely idea, darling,” Kylie said, her eyes growing warm as she looked up at her lover. Boyfriend seemed so 1980s and a term used for teenage kids.
“Uh, before you go, and I realize the chances of this are slim, but there are a few things I wanted to bring up,” Chessy said, her chin quivering in her nervousness.
Jensen eased down on Chessy’s other side, adding his support to Kylie’s.
“If either of you happens to run into Tate, please don’t cause a scene. Not because of me. I’d rather you just look past him. But he’s your friend too and I don’t expect you to dislike him just because of something that happened between us.”
Jensen snorted but remained silent.
“The other thing, and I know this is complete chicken shit of me, Kylie, but can you call Joss in the morning and give her the rundown for me? I don’t know if I have it in me to rehash it all over again. And I didn’t want to barge over to her house at this hour and potentially upset her. She hasn’t been sleeping well and her mornings have been hell with all the morning sickness, so maybe you should wait until she’s feeling human to dump all of my misery on her.”
Kylie patted Chessy’s hand and then squeezed. “Of course I will. I don’t want you to worry about a thing. Tomorrow we’ll send Jensen over to pick up the rest of your things. Just give him a list so he’s sure to get everything you want.”
“I can go,” Chessy said quietly. “I need to go. Maybe moving my own stuff will be the beginning of closure. Of acceptance that my marriage is over.”
“No way,” Jensen said emphatically. “You aren’t going over there to face him by yourself.”
Chessy smiled sadly. “Oh, he won’t be there. I’m sure he has some important client meeting. Why else would he have been on the phone when he was supposed to be paying attention to me?”
“Still, I think it’s a better idea if Jensen goes with you,” Kylie soothed. “For that matter I’ll come too. Won’t take long with the three of us working. Dash can man the office by himself for the day. And when he and Joss learn what’s happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dash doesn’t show up himself.”
“All right,” Chessy conceded.
“Now, do you want a drink or would you prefer to go straight to bed?” Jensen asked. “I’m sure Kylie doesn’t mind staying up with you as late as you need her, and since I’m her boss I get to tell her she’s going to sleep in tomorrow and blow off work.”
Kylie rolled her eyes. “Just wait until I get that promotion, Jensen. Then we’ll see who’s the boss of that operation.”
“Oh I know,” Jensen said in a fervent tone. “Dash and I will spend the days in our offices hiding under our desks.”
Chessy laughed and then because she couldn’t fathom how or why she could be laughing when her entire world was crumbling around her, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
“Can you take her to bed, Jensen?” Chessy heard Kylie say. “Our bed. I don’t want her to be alone tonight. Can you take the guest bedroom?”
Chessy lifted her head and shook it vehemently. “No. No way I’m putting Jensen out of his bed. That’s where he belongs. With you, Kylie. I would never do anything to change a thing about y’all’s relationship.
Jensen smiled and tousled Chessy’s hair affectionately. “I assure you our relationship will survive me sleeping in a different bedroom this one night. If it can survive me being tied to the headboard I think it’s safe to say that we’re pretty solid. Besides, if I sleep there, I don’t have to be tied up by my kinky girlfriend.”
“Jensen!” Kylie hissed. “For God’s sake! Do you not have any sort of a filter when it comes to what spills from your mouth?”
“And yet that’s what I love about him,” Chessy said in amusement. “I suppose my taste in men isn’t quite so horrible after all.”
“Let’s get you to bed, sweetie,” Jensen said in a gentle voice. “You look like you’ve reached the limit of your control. Get some rest. Tomorrow you and Kylie and Joss can have one of your terror … er … uh I mean girl lunches where y’all threaten the demise of the male population. If I wasn’t so pissed off at the asshole for what he did, I’d actually feel sorry for Tate about now. But he made his bed and now he has to lie in it. Alone.”
“You know,” Kylie said thoughtfully.
“Uh oh. I recognize that voice,” Jensen said in a dry tone.
“We get up with Chessy whenever she’s ready to go over and tackle packing whatever she wants to take. Then I’ll call Joss, give her the 411 and have her meet us back at your place. And you can be the sweet, adorable guy who gets us takeout so we don’t have any messy upsetting issues in a public restaurant. You’d be invited of course,” Kylie said teasingly.
“It’s a good plan and I certainly don’t mind getting all my girls something to eat, but you’re going to need to give Joss a heads-up before we go over there because I have to call Dash to tell him neither you or I will be in the office and I’ll have to explain why. And then Joss finds out important information about her best friend from a third party, which will hurt her feelings and cause her to instantly freak and run out the door to go and help with the packing. I think we can all agree that doesn’t need to happen.”
“Then it’s a plan,” Kylie said, hugging Chessy to her once more. “Now let’s go get you into bed. You look like hell, Chess. I can only imagine how exhausted you are right now. I’ll stay up and talk to you as long as you want.”
But as soon as Kylie returned from the bathroom after taking the towel from her hair and combing it out she saw that Chessy was already passed out on the bed, her expression one of sorrow.
Kylie’s heart clenched. She knew all too well how much love had the power to hurt but also to heal. The question was, which would it do for Tate and Chessy?