Acts of Desperation (12 page)

“Come on, you liked it!” I slapped his chest, laughing.

“No, I’m teasing. It was a good show. I really liked it. A lot.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re such an ass.”

He chuckled. “Nah, I just like pushing your buttons.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “You have room for dessert now? I actually went and picked up something special after I left the courthouse today.”

“Really? What?” I asked.

“I stopped by the Bellamy’s and got their tiramisu,” he said.

“You did? You know how I love tho
se two. Bernie raved about that dessert,” I said. “I officially have room now.”

I followed him into the kitchen and took a seat on one of the barstools opposite the island. He took out a bottle of pink chilled wine and a white
dessert box from the fridge. When he opened the bottle, the cork flew out then he poured two glasses.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“I don’t know but Mrs. Bellamy insisted I buy a bottle. She said, ‘You cannotta eatta this, withoutta this.’” I laughed at his fake Italian accent, and his hand gestures mimicking Mrs. Bellamy. “I’m not one to argue with an Old Italian lady, so I did what she said.”

“Oh, it’s bubbly and a little sweet,” I said, after taking my first sip.

He plated a generous single serving of tiramisu and handed me a fork then I took my first bite. The layers were creamy, yet light and fluffy with hints of chocolate and coffee. I drank another sip of the wine and, I must say, if you can have an out of body experience eating dessert, I think I had one that night. It was absolute heaven on a fork. The two flavors of the wine and the dessert combined were phenomenal.

“Ok. I think this might be one of the best things
I’ve ever eaten,” he said.

“Yeah, I have to agree. It might even trump dinner.”

We finished up our dessert, and he set the plate in the sink then shut the lights off. He blew out all the candles, and after plugging his phone in next to the stove, we headed up to bed. He led me by the hand up a narrow wooden staircase adorned with a wrought iron railing and into his spacious bedroom.

The headboard of his sturdy king size bed was pushed up against a fully exposed brick wall. I was excited for many reasons, but one was imagining sleeping next to him in it, enveloped in the layers of
gray washed velvet and silk. I wondered if he’d used a decorator or just flipped open the pages of a catalog and picked a set. Either way, it was perfect for him. It was masculine in color yet also soft and comfortable.

He stood me
at the edge of his bed and slipped off my clothes. I undid his pants, and they fell to the floor along with his boxer briefs. He removed his shirt then I switched positions with him and turned his back to the bed. I pushed him back, and as he fell, I crawled up next to him eager to please. I grabbed his thick shaft and caressed the tip of his sculpted cock. I took all of him in my mouth, teasing the tip with my tongue. I massaged his balls, and he let out a moan, driving me to satisfy him. I pumped him into my mouth, my hand chasing my lips, up and down. I felt his need to release as his balls tensed up and his cock hardened in my hand. But that wasn’t what I wanted. I stopped.

“Oh
God baby, what are you doing? Don’t stop,” he said through a moan.

“I want you inside me,” I said, straddling him.

He moaned again as I grabbed him and slid him inside of me. I lowered myself down, and groaned, taking all of him. His hands shot out, slapping my ass and holding me in place. He threw his head back and shut his eyes, lifting his hips and pushing himself deeper. I lay on top of him and nestled into his ear.

“Uh uh, look at me,” I said, and he chuckled.

He opened his eyes, and I held his stare, smiling against his lips. I rode him into the night. Sometime shortly after midnight, we drifted off to sleep, completely satisfied and exhausted.

****

Something woke me. I lifted my head a
nd looked over at Jax sleeping, his chest rhythmically rising and falling. I admired him for a few moments, the beauty of his face at rest, so peaceful and pure. His lips were parted slightly as he drew in shallow steady breaths. A stray strand of his dark hair had fallen over his one eye, and I could already see the hint of stubble peeking out from under his skin casting it in a greenish hue in the moonlight. I found myself smiling just watching him, undisturbed and completely relaxed. I put my nose to his chest and inhaled. He smelled like him mixed with a little bit of me, and it was at that moment that I physically felt it. I was falling for him—hard.

But, w
hatever had woken me hadn’t disturbed him in the least. I always was cursed with being a light sleeper though. I swear I could hear a pin drop in my sleep. I sat still for a second waiting to hear whatever it was again. After a few seconds of silence, I dismissed it. I slipped out of his arms and went to the bathroom off his bedroom. It was on my way back to him that I heard it again—a buzzing sound.

I quietly went downstairs and into the kitchen, following the sound. I saw the source glowing on the granite countertop—his cell phone. It was just after two, and I wondered who’d be texting or calling at that hour. I walked up and glanced down at the screen then my breath caught in my throat.

There were multiple text messages from an unknown number, and they all said the same thing.

MURDERER.

“Can you come get me?” I whispered into my phone. I was hiding in Jax’s office.

“Sember? What time is it? What’s wrong?” Liz said
, her voice groggy with sleep.

“I need you to come get me right now. I’m at Jax’s. Don’t ask me any questions. I’ll explain later, but I need to get out of here now.”

“You’re scaring me. Are you ok?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m fine. But come now.” I gave her the address.

“Ok, sit tight. It shouldn’t take me but ten minutes.”

“Ok, h
urry. I’ll be outside.” I hung up and took a shaky breath.

I crept back up to the bedroom and grabbed my clothes. I stood next to the bed and watched Jax slee
p again. What was he hiding from me? He mumbled something under his breath then rolled over. I nearly had a heart attack, so I snuck back downstairs, glancing back over my shoulder once, and got dressed in the kitchen. I grabbed my purse off the table and slipped out the front door.

Within minutes, Liz’s car pulled up to the curb.

“What the hell is going on?” she asked.

“Just go,” I said, sliding in.

She hit the gas, and we sped away.

“You’
re freaking me out,” she said. So without further ado, I told her about the messages I discovered on Jax’s phone. “What? That’s messed up.”

“I know. I don’t know what to think. He still hasn’t told me his little secret. Then, I found this picture of a girl shoved in a book. Liz, she looked a lot like me. But when he saw me looking at it, he snatched it out of my hand. What if he’s some crazy serial killer?”

“I highly doubt he’s a serial killer, Sember.” Ok, hearing her say it did make it sound ridiculous.

“I know, but he’s hidin
g something from me, and what would explain those messages?”

“You’ve got me there. I have no idea, but I’m glad you called me. I wouldn’t have wanted to stick around either.”

When we got home, we locked up the house and went up to bed. I borrowed one of Liz’s t-shirts from her closet.

“I’m s
taying in here with you tonight.” I wasn’t asking either, it was a fact. Throughout our friendship, we’d had countless sleepovers. One night after we played with a Ouija board, it set the precedent for us sleeping together when we were spooked.

“That’s fine, but if you put your cold feet on me, you’re outta here.” She winked.

I laughed. “Deal.”  Then we crawled into bed and went to sleep.

****

I heard a shuffling noise. “What time is it?” I asked.

“Six thirty,” Liz whispered.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ve got a bridal party going into hair at seven thirty. I need to make sure everything runs smoothly.
It can start going wrong right from the get-go. Girls forget to eat then they drink too much alcohol. I need to be there to supervise the whole time to ensure a prefect, fairy tale day. Are you gonna be alright? I hate to ditch you.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m here,” I said, despite the growing uneasiness that hit me every time I’d rolled over in my sleep.

“K. I’ll check in with you later,” she said.

While Liz showered, I must have fallen back asleep because I don’t remember hearing her leave. When I woke up, I looked over to my phone. I’d turned it off before we went to bed, and I dreaded hitting the power button to turn it back on.

I went down to the living room and sat on the couch with a warm mug of coffee. I stared at the TV as I tried to make sense of what I’d seen. The mystery girl’s face flashed in my mind and then the text messages. They were running in a loop over and over in my mind. I couldn’t make sense of it.

When a knock came at my door
, my stomach dropped. Jax had probably rushed right over when he discovered I’d gone. He was likely either pissed or confused, or maybe some combination of the two. But, it was time to face the music and get some answers.

I set my mug down and wrapped a blanket around my waist
since I was still only wearing Liz’s t-shirt and my undies. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I was surprised when I saw John.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

He didn’t acknowledge me and pushed his way inside.

“O-k…I guess come on in,” I said, shutting the door. There was something off about the way he looked; it was peculiar. He just stood and stared at me. “Do you
…want a cup of coffee or something?” I started walking toward the kitchen. When he didn’t respond, I turned back to look at him. “John?”

“This isn’t over, you and me,” he said.

“Yes, it is,” I said. “Why are you here?”

“None of my calls are going through.”

“Yeah, I know because you wouldn’t stop calling me. I blocked you,” I said. I loved that new addition with the latest Apple software update.

“We’re no
t over until I say it’s over,” he said.

“Are you kidding me?” I had never seen this side of him before
and I felt like it was some kind of joke. I briefly wondered if I was being punked and expected Ashton Kutcher to jump out any second. “What’s with this act you’re putting on here?” I said finally when the dreamy actor never rushed through my door.

“You know what your problem is? Your mouth. You never did know when to shut up,” he said and took a step toward me.

“Ok. You’re going to need to leave now.” I began to get nervous and wrapped my arms tightly around myself.

“No,” he said and crept closer.

“Get out,” I said, taking a step back into the kitchen. My hair was standing on end, and my skin went cold.

He lunged for me and
caught the edge of my blanket. He ripped it off and I ran to the backdoor. But he was already on me. He spun me around and slammed me up against the door, shattering one of the panes of glass. All of the air was forced from my lungs.

“John…I…can’t breathe,” I said,
raising my arms to his chest and pushing him, but my attempts were futile.

If I could just get me him off me,
I thought to myself
.

“You’re spreading your legs for him already, aren’t you? Is his dick as big as mine?
” He splattered my face with tiny droplets of spit.

Panic. I couldn’t panic. I shook my head
frantically from side to side. He grabbed my face and squeezed my cheeks in his hand. He thrust his tongue in my mouth, smothering me with his hot breath and ground his erection into me.

This has to be a dream
.

He tugged at his pants, and I heard his belt clink. Somehow, I was able to raise my knee and catch him in the groin. He hunched over, and fell to the ground. I broke free and made a run for the front door. I only got to the couch before my head was yanked back, and I was slammed to the floor.

“Stop! Stop!” I said, but he didn’t stop. His sweaty hand covered my mouth. My frantic gasps weren’t enough to fuel my weakened punches. He grabbed my hands and pinned them above my head. Then, I looked up into the eyes of a stranger. This wasn’t the John I knew, and his feral stare paralyzed me. I stopped fighting and closed my eyes.

I p
ictured the beach—the powdery white sand of Siesta Key.

The warmth of his penis grazed the inside of my th
igh, and he yanked my underwear. He tugged it harder and harder until some of the threads finally snapped. 

I’m under a cabana with a cold beer in my hand, staring out at the Gulf of Mexico.

Then there was a loud crash and suddenly his weight was off of me. I opened my eyes and crawled to the stairs. I hugged my knees and rocked myself. Then, I turned my head and watched as Jax pounded John into the floor. He had him by the shirt, punching and punching and punching until John’s body finally hung limp.

I saw the rage in Jax’s face as he defended me, saved me. And although he was beating John to a pulp, there was something in my gut telling me that he’d never hurt someone unless he had to. The look in his eyes was nothing akin to the look John just had.

The blood on Jax’s knuckles snapped me out of my trance.
“Stop,” I said. “That’s enough. You’re going to kill him.”

He dropped John and was instantly at my side.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

I didn’t look at him and reached up to rub my head. “No...I don’t think so. My head hurts, but I think it’s just my
scalp. He pulled my hair really hard.” Jax leaned over me and looked over my head. I didn’t mention the throbbing in my hip where my underwear still hung loose.

“I don’t see anything,” he said and got down on his knee next to me. “Who is that? Do you know him?” he asked.

“John.”

“Who’s John, baby?”

“My ex-boyfriend.”

“Ok. I’m going to call the police. Don’t move.”

I sat in a daze, shaking from my adrenaline rush, and listened as Jax made the call. When he was through explaining to the operator, he came and scooped me up off the floor then carried me to the couch. He covered me with several blankets and within minutes, there were police officers
and EMTs swarming my living room.

While someone examined me, Jax spoke with the police
. A couple of EMTs assessed John. His face had significant swelling already. One eye was a horrid shade of purple and nearly swollen completely shut. The EMTs bandaged up the other areas where his skin had split under Jax’s fists. I’m assuming they saw no major reason for concern since he was arrested and led away in cuffs.

“She’s in shock and needs some rest but she should be fine,” she said
to Jax. I didn’t know who she was, this stranger that poked and prodded my body, but the smell of her latex gloves would be burned into mind for eternity. I wanted her to go away and to stop touching me. Physically I knew I was fine.

They all need
to leave or I’m going scream,
I thought.
I need quiet.

“Ok,” Jax said. “I’ll bring her down to the station later to give her statement. I think she needs a little time.”

“Well, the sooner the better Jax but only because it’s you,” a strange male voice said.

“Thanks for coming Kevin. I appreciate it,” Jax said.

“No problem. Take care of her,” the man now known as Kevin said. They shook hands, and the house was finally quiet. Jax sat down and went to put his arm around me, but I recoiled.

“Whoa whoa, it’s ok, it’s just me,” he said, and thankfully scooted away a little. “Do you want me to call someone? Liz or your parents?”

“No.” I turned to him. “Why are you here?”

He sighed and frowned a little. “I woke up and you were gone. Where’d you think I’d be?”

I looked at him and my eyes began to well with tears. I covered my face and finally broke down. When he put his arm around me this time, I let myself melt into him. Whatever reason he had to explain what I’d seen on his phone didn’t matter. He was no murderer, and I needed to be held.

“Just breathe baby,” he whispered. “Just breathe. You’re safe now.”

I took comfort in the smell of him, his warmth, his familiarity. And, at that moment, nothing else mattered. Then, I must have closed my eyes and drifted off. When I woke up, the house was dark except for what remained of the daylight streaming in through the blinds. Jax had drawn them all, and when I sat up, I saw him sitting at the island with his head in his hands.

“What time is it?” I asked.

He raised his head and looked at me. “Just after six. How you doin’?”

“Fine, I guess, aside from feeling like I’ve been slammed with a baseball bat.”

He grinned a little. “You need anything? I had some Chinese food delivered if you’re hungry.”

“Yeah, that actually sounds pretty good.” I s
at up and uncovered myself from my cocoon of blankets. I slowly stood on wobbly legs then my underwear almost fell down. I quickly grabbed for them and plopped down as images of the scene flashed in my mind. My chest began to heave, and I started to cry.

He rushed up to my side.
“Why don’t we go upstairs and get you into some fresh clothes.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,
” I said, nodding my head.

As we walked upstairs, I held my underwear on my body. I sat on the edge of the bed
rubbing the creases from the soft silk of my lavender quilt, and Jax left the room to start the shower. He took me by the hand and led me across the hall and into the bathroom. I stared at the green glass tile walls and the white porcelain sink. Normally, I felt like I was in a spa when I stepped into this room, but not today. I stood on the light green shag rug and squished the fluffy fibers between my toes, feeling like I’d been punched in the stomach.

“I don’t want to lea
ve you,” he said over the waterfall in the shower, and he reached up to caress my cheek.

“I don’t want you to leave,” I said, looking into his eyes.