Chapter 8

 

The next few days were a major switch from when Charlie first brought Kiley home. He updated Dr. Voras, leaving out the sex he and Kiley had every night and morning…and in between. He simply let her know Kiley had been very close to the edge, but she finally opened to him and told him what had happened. Dr. Voras wanted to come over and try to talk to her, but Charlie begged her to wait, not wanting to breach the trust Kiley placed in him. She agreed, reluctantly, but requested he keep her informed all the same.

“I wanted to ask you something,” he whispered as he stood in the kitchen. The water was running, but it could shut off at any second.

“What?”

“Her friends—she hasn’t seen them in two years since all this started. How wrong would it be for me to contact them and try to get them here? So she can see them?”

“It’s not a bad idea. You said her mood has improved greatly.”

“Yeah, and we changed her number so that prick can’t call her.”

“She really needs to tell the cops,” Dr. Voras urged again, but Charlie shook his head.

“No, I’m not dragging the cops here or her to them until she’s ready. It was enough for her to tell me what happened.” Since that first night, she’d told him a little more every day.

He learned about her childhood and the foster homes she’d bounced around in. She’d told him about her job as a social worker and how good she’d been at it. Then Ned appeared in her life, and the Kiley with plans and dreams was squashed and threatened into almost non-existence.

“Fine, but eventually, they need to know. Call her friends,” she added. “You’re right to think it will help.”

“Thanks, Mandie, really.”

“You’re welcome,” she said and sounded as if she wanted to say more but hung up instead.

Charlie was tucking his phone away when he heard the water shut off. Kiley had moved into his room over the last few days, and he pictured walking in there to see her dripping wet and naked. His hands hung onto the counter to keep himself firmly planted in the kitchen. Sex with Kiley was beyond intense and all raw emotion. Each time, she let a little more of him in as she handed over control. She seemed to prefer being on top, but her tone was steadily changing.

They’d spent most of the day lounging in his bed, letting her rest as they spoke about their lives. She asked about his and he almost felt bad telling her how good it had been growing up. His childhood was easy, and though med school was a nightmare, he paid for it out of pocket and graduated without the heavy load of student debt most other students had to deal with.

“Hey,” Kiley said as she reached him in the kitchen, kissing him. “What are you up to?”

“Why would I be up to anything?” he asked.

“Your eye’s twitching,” she said, squinting at him. “Charlie, what are you planning?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“You know, you’re as bad at lying as I am,” she pointed out. “Oh, by the way, would you mind taking me to the bank and the DMV tomorrow?”

“What for?”

“I managed to hang onto my safety deposit key,” she told him. “I found it in my duffel. They didn’t search it well enough, so if I can get my birth certificate and social security card, I can get a new driver’s license since my wallet’s gone. I’ll need a new one eventually.”

He told her they would go after breakfast and proceeded to go about cooking, avoiding her curious stare for a while. She distracted him easily enough, and soon, they were making out in the kitchen while attempting to cook dinner. Charlie reminded himself on several occasions their days couldn’t always be spent with each other, not when his vacation was over. He would have to return to work at some point, and what would she do then?

He caught himself wanting to talk to her about when those days arrived a few times but stopped short. He was looking at this relationship as if it would be long-term. He had no way of knowing if she would be with him in a few weeks. She laughed and smiled with him, but he sensed she held back in case she did cut and run. He would fight for her tooth and nail if it came down to it, but his heart told him she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to his face. One day, he would wake up and she would be gone. The thought kept him up at night after she’d fallen asleep, draped over his chest.

It did the same that night after his talk with Dr. Voras. Unable to sleep and unwilling to wait until the morning, he shifted carefully out from under her and picked up her cell phone and his from the nightstand. She’d changed her number and transferred the numbers she wanted to keep. Ned hadn’t been able to get ahold of her at all, and for that, Charlie was thankful.

He went into the bathroom, shutting the door, and sat on the edge of the tub.

“All right, Kiley, time to see your friends again,” he whispered.

He created a group text with his phone to send to four friends whose names he remembered as the ones who reached out to her the most. He gave them the address of his penthouse and asked if any of them would be able to come visit her. She had a lot to catch up with them on. He worried, at first, that they would think it weird that she texted them from two different numbers, but a quick look through her cell said she hadn’t texted anybody yet. He was ready to head back to bed when his phone vibrated. Shannon, one of her friends, had already texted back, saying she was thrilled to hear from her and would find the first flight out of Chicago. Charlie’s spirits lifted as one by one, her friends texted back, saying they would meet up and fly in together.

He texted back, saying he couldn’t wait to see them and to let ‘her’ know when they got into town. They said they would, but not to worry about picking them up. They were all so happy to hear from her, no one cared what they had to do to get to her.

As Charlie crawled back into bed, Kiley rolled over in her slip and curled up against his side. He kissed the top of her head and hoped that after tomorrow, she didn’t hate him.

***

Charlie was making dinner—enough to feed more than him and Kiley—and she’d pestered him about what he was up to. He’d smile, flashing those dimples, and tell her it was nothing to concern herself with.

“Charlie, really, who’s coming over? Did you invite that doctor? Please tell me you didn’t.”

“Nope, not her.”

She paced around the kitchen, watching him cook up a good old-fashioned pot of Texas chili with enough sides to feed half the building. “Your friends from the other night?”

“Wrong again. You should really stop guessing.”

An insane notion crossed her mind, but she shook her head, laughing that it wasn’t possible. Charlie started whistling, and she paused, asking, “It’s not your parents, is it?”

He burst out laughing as she sagged in relief. “No, I didn’t ask my parents to fly down from Maine to meet my new friend,” he said, but she saw the glimmer of emotion in his eyes when he said friend. That was one thing they hadn’t discussed yet—what they were to each other.

They both wanted more, Kiley knew it, but fear of the future and her possibly leaving held her back. She had a new license but no money. Whenever she did leave, she would be on the run, taking whatever crappy jobs she could find along the way until she reached her destination. She wasn’t even sure where she could go. North. Very far north.

A knock at the door startled her, and Charlie checked his cell. “You’ll want to get that.”

He’d been on his phone all day, too. Each time she asked him, he shrugged her words away and mumbled something about consults at the hospital. His eye twitched when he’d said it though. Why would he lie about it? The knock came again, and he shooed her out of the kitchen to answer the door.

“But it’s your front door,” she argued.

“Just answer the damn door, love.”

Kiley mocked him and he frowned, but she unlocked the door and yanked it open.

“Surprise!” She barely had a chance to brace before four women tackled her in warm hugs and kisses to the cheek, squeezing her tightly in their embraces. “Oh, my God, woman! Why the hell did it take you so long to invite us over!”

“Shannon?” Kiley stared from one friend to the next. Shannon, Alana, Nikki, and Drew. Her four friends through her later high school years, college, and for the past ten years. “How…why…” she sputtered, turning around to find Charlie chuckling quietly to himself in the kitchen. “You. You did this?”

He nodded. “Surprise.”

The four friends turned at the sound of his voice and a chorus of oohs went up around Kiley. “Why didn’t you tell us you had a new man in your life?” Drew asked, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder and winking. “Damn, he is quite attractive.”

“He’s a…he’s a doctor,” Kiley informed them as her mind tried to keep up with what was happening.

“A doctor. This story requires details, lots of details,” Shannon urged. “And this place?”

“Mine,” Charlie supplied helpfully. “Kiley moved in with me a little while ago.”

“Yeah, I did. It’s a long story,” she said slowly. “How did you know who to call?”

“Wait,” Shannon asked glancing from Charlie to Kiley. “Who actually invited us out here? Was it you?” She pointed to Charlie and he bowed his head.

“Guilty as charged.”

“Kiley, why does your new boyfriend have to call us?” Alana asked, but she wasn’t angry. She was confused and worried. They shared the same look of concern, and Kiley knew there was no lying her way out of it this time.

Kiley’s mouth moved, but no words came out.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, ladies, I have plans to be elsewhere tonight so you can catch up. Dinner is ready, and help yourself to whatever booze you can find,” Charlie announced, tromping towards the door.

“Wait,” Kiley said, following him, but he cut off her complaints with a brief kiss.

“You need to talk to your friends. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and you can be mad at me later, but right now, they’re here for you. Let them be here for you.”

He was gone a second later, and Kiley turned to see her four friends staring at her expectantly.

“Kiley, what’s going on here?” Shannon asked. “What happened with you and Ned?” Her eyes narrowed the longer Kiley stood by the door, and when her gaze slipped lower, Kiley cursed herself for wearing a tank top and shorts today. Shannon reached towards the scar on her arm, but when her gaze moved lower to the faded but still visible word on her thigh, her face darkened. “Kiley… oh, my sweet Kiley!” she cried as she pulled her friend into her arms.

The rest joined them, and Kiley couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She held onto her friends as she had to Charlie the night he pulled her from the ledge.

“I lied. I lied about everything,” she gasped through the tears. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to know. I was ashamed and stupid…and…and…” She tried to say more, but Shannon shushed her, tears wetting her cheeks.

“No, don’t say any of that. You should have told us, but we’re happy you’re all right and you’re finished with him, right?”

She wanted more than anything to say the worst was over, but in truth, she had no idea.

“Right, your boyfriend said booze,” Alana said. “Where is it? I think we all need a drink.”

“Not me,” Drew told her.

“Not you?” Kiley asked, surprised. “Not the woman who can drink the rest of us under the table—oh, my God. You’re pregnant.”

Drew broke out in a bright grin. “Three months along.”

The penthouse erupted in cheers and squeals of delight as they wound up in a massive group hug again. Three out of the four of her friends were married. Shannon was engaged to be married. Her wedding, as far as Kiley knew, had yet to set a date. None of them had kids yet.

“We need a toast,” Nikki called loudly. “To friends and their crazy lives.”

The whiskey was poured and the five women settled around the breakfast bar in the kitchen to eat and drink. Kiley let them talk about their lives first, but each new event was a knife to the gut. She’d missed so much of their lives because of where her path had led her. Because of Ned. She hated the man before, but now she loathed him for what he had taken from her. He made her feel as if she was alone in the world, but Charlie was right. She had never been alone, not truly. And she never would be again.

“Kiley? You’re awfully quiet,” Shannon mentioned in a lull in conversation.

“Sorry. I just realized how much I missed you guys.”

“And this place? Charlie, right? How did all of this happen?” Her eyes darted lower, and Kiley knew what question was coming next. “Those scars—you didn’t have them before.”

“No, no, I didn’t.” She gulped the rest of her whiskey and poured another. “I have a lot to tell you guys. A lot.”

“How did you meet Charlie?” Alana asked, leaning back in one of the bar chairs.

Kiley smiled softly as she said, “He saved my life—quite a few times, actually.”

“How?”

Kiley wasn’t sure where to start, but the words poured out of her mouth as she told them about the morning she met Charlie. They gasped, and Shannon laid her hand over Kiley’s, but she kept on going. If she stopped talking, the words would never find a way out of her mouth again. She told them about what had landed her in the hospital and about running from Ned. She expected tears to flow down her cheeks as she told them about her life with Ned, but instead, a fiery rage built within her the longer she spoke of him. Each time she said his name, her ire grew until she saw red and would have loved nothing more than to find that man and carve a few words into his body before she put him in his chair.

She told them about Charlie bringing her to his place, and when she reached the part about her on the balcony, Alana was cursing, Drew crying, and Shannon and Nikki were hugging her between them.

“I wasn’t going to do it,” Kiley assured them. “At least, I don’t think I was.”

“You were still out there.” Shannon hugged her harder. “Why didn’t you ever call us?”

“I told you. I didn’t want you dragged into this mess.”

“We’re your friends,” Alana insisted. “We’re supposed to be dragged into your shit storm of a life.”

The friends burst out laughing, and Kiley let their love surround her. “Thanks for that, really.”

“I’m being honest.”

“If we’re being honest, I’m going to place a vote that you make this hotshot doctor your new boyfriend. I like him.”

“Yes,” Shannon agreed with Nikki. “There are no weird vibes from this guy at all.”

“Weird vibes?” Kiley asked.

“Ned had them pouring off him in waves,” Nikki assured her. “But you seemed happy so we didn’t say anything. Now I’m kicking myself for not being that obnoxious friend you apparently needed.”

“It’s all right. I should’ve said something sooner.”

They finished dinner and their round of drinks and migrated to the living room to enjoy a bottle of wine, all of them except Drew. They talked about the baby to come and Shannon’s wedding finally having a date. Kiley would never have been able to go before, but now she was away from Ned, the possibilities were endless. She could go back to a normal life.

A normal life with Charlie. That’s what you want.

“You know,” Shannon said a while later, “that scar? You could cover it up with a tattoo.”

Kiley ran her hand over her bare thigh, tracing the pale letters. “What would I get?”

“I dunno, something fun and bright,” Nikki suggested.

“Something that screams Kiley,” Drew added. “The old Kiley we love and miss terribly.”

“She’s coming back. Slowly but surely, she’s coming back,” she promised them, smiling. “Charlie’s helping with that.”

“Oh, I bet he is.” Shannon leaned closer and whispered, “You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”

“What? No, that would be weird, right? I mean, I just met the man and I’m in the middle of completely falling apart and…and yes, we’re sleeping together,” she finished as the others cheered and clapped.

“And? Details please!” Drew urged.

“It’s amazing,” she admitted. “Best sex I’ve ever had, and he’s so…I don’t know. It’s like he knows what I’m thinking before I do sometimes.” She held a throw pillow to her chest as the idea of Charlie warmed her better than the whiskey had. “I feel like it should be awkward, but it’s so normal with him. So easy, I guess? Comfortable?”

Shannon beamed. “That, my dear, sounds as if you’re in love.”

“What?” Kiley gasped nervously. “No, no, that’s not possible. It’s me being overemotional, right? From the attack and you know, Ned and the…the suicidal thoughts… no…I can’t. He can’t. Can we?”

“Why not? Love isn’t easy to explain,” Nikki told her. “You’re talking to three hitched women and a fourth who’s finally made up her mind.”

“Sometimes, love happens quick and sometimes it’s slow,” Drew agreed. “I fell in love with Todd the first night we met, the cocky bastard. He thought he could win me over and he did, but I stole his heart the same night. You remember.”

“Yeah, you were engaged within a month,” Alana said wistfully. “It took us a bit longer.”

Kiley tugged at a string on the pillow. “What should I do?”

“What you’ve been doing. You’re happy with Charlie, aren’t you?”

A smile came unbidden to her lips at the thought of his grin or him holding her in his arms. “Yeah, the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

“Then do what you’ve been doing, because if you run from him, you’ll regret it,” Shannon warned.

“I never said I would run.”

“No, but I can see that flight instinct in your eyes. Running will only make you regret leaving the best thing that’s come into your life.” Shannon held her hand. “He’s seen you through so much already. Don’t lose faith that you two can make it. Your life should be normal after this, right?”

“I’ve forgotten what normal is.”

“You’ll find it again, and then you can join the ranks of your boring friends,” Drew teased. “Not so boring in six months, but you know what I mean.”

The rest of the evening passed, and when they were ready to crash, Kiley showed two of them to the guest room while the other two said they were fine bunking on the couches. Kiley offered the other bed and said she and Charlie could manage on the couch, but her friends told her to get her butt in bed. They’d all slept on couches before at one point or another.

Kiley was nearly asleep when her cell dinged. She checked the message from Charlie and grinned. He was down in the parking garage, making sure it was safe to come upstairs. She said it was, but to be careful of the two women asleep on the couches in the living room. He said he would be as quiet as possible and see her soon. As she waited for him, she snuggled with her pillow smelling of his husky, deep woods scent and debated on the best way to thank him for this night. The door opened a few minutes later, but instead of hearing Charlie’s footsteps head to the bedroom, she heard whispering from the living room. Shannon. She knew there was a reason her friend insisted on taking the couch. She had the covers thrown off and was on her feet before a voice in her head said to stop. Her friends loved her, and if Shannon wanted to talk to Charlie, she would let her talk to Charlie.

She sucked on her bottom lip as the minutes ticked by before his shadow finally fell in the doorway. He carried his boots and set them aside as he closed the door quietly.

“I’m awake,” she said from the bed as he flipped on the bathroom light.

“I figured.” He tossed his leather jacket aside and crawled onto the bed beside her, fully clothed, kissing her. “How did your night go?”

“Nope, you first. What did Shannon want?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Charlie, really, what did she want? She wasn’t trying to scare you off, was she?”

“She may have threatened to destroy my manhood if I hurt you, but she thanked me,” he told her with another kiss. “Thanked me for texting them for you and for taking care of you.”

“And I need to thank you for that, too.” She cupped his face lovingly in her palms. “Thank you, Charlie. I know you’ll scold me for saying this again, but I don’t deserve you.”

“You’re right, I’m going to scold you,” he grumbled, kissing her back as he worked her tank up over her head. “But first, I might spank you.”

“There are people here,” she complained weakly as she unbuttoned his shirt and shoved it over his shoulders, their lips not leaving the other’s. “What if they hear?”

“I doubt they will care,” he whispered and rolled her over in bed.

He grabbed her hips, spanked her ass lightly, and kissed his way down her back. She grabbed the pillow tightly in her hands and bit back a moan as he shoved aside her sleep shorts and panties so he could spank her bare skin. She trembled at his touch and moved her hips backwards, seeking more of him. Her breasts grew heavy, and as if knowing they needed to be touched, his hands reached around and cupped them, tugging and teasing her nipples as he pressed the bulge in his jeans against her rear.

“Why are you still wearing clothes?” she asked and cursed when he tugged even harder on her nipples so a jolt of pleasure shot through her body. He started to get off the bed, but she shook her head. “No, get them out of the way. I need you right now,” she pleaded.

With a grunt, he undid his jeans, and she heard the tearing of a condom wrapper. His hand cupped her sex, spreading her lips. “So wet… how are you so wet already?” he mused as his cock replaced his hand, rubbing her cleft.

She wanted him badly and pushed back into his body. He thrust hard, filling her in one try. She grabbed his thigh as he pounded into her body, ravishing her in the most delicious ways until she was dizzy with passion and drunk on his love. Love. Her friends were right. These feelings hadn’t faded in the least since Charlie had come into her life. They’d only grown as the hours and days passed in his presence. She wanted Charlie more than she’d wanted anything before and not having him in her life to brighten her days, to fill her nights with pleasure and laughter, made her heart ache.

Charlie grunted and pulled out only long enough to roll her over and thrust back inside. She gasped at the shift in angle. The pleasure built, but Kiley’s body craved more. As he took her, she let her hand slither down to her clit, massaging it hard and fast as he watched. His eyes narrowed and his hips bucked in time with her motions. Her back arched off the bed as the orgasm reached its peak, and she nearly failed in biting back her scream. His mouth covered hers and they swallowed each other’s moans as their bodies shook and shivered together in a heap on the bed.

He withdrew and she cursed as another ripple of pleasure rolled across her skin. “How do you do this to me every time?” she asked, amazed.

He traced her cheek and kissed her nose. “This is what it should be like when you’re with a man who…uh, who cares about you,” he said, but his cheeks burned red and he pulled away, murmuring that he needed to clean himself up. She followed so she could relieve herself and wondered if he too had stirrings of the same love she felt. She wanted to ask but wrapped her arms around his body in the bathroom, pressing her chest to his back, and kissed him.

“I care for you too, Charlie,” she whispered, and he grinned at her in the mirror, holding his hand over hers. For now, those words were enough for them both.