Over. (This. Is. Not. Over. #2) (30 page)

              “You’re forgetting Jasmine that I already know this.” I say with a smile.

              “I don’t think you really get it though.” She’s serious.

              “Get what?”

              “Listen, I’m trying to protect you Danielle. The life that you’ve built was just tarnished in one day just because you are connected to Malcolm Blair. Just because his house caught on fire, you were dragged down by association. That fire should’ve had nothing to do with your divorce, but when you keep company with a Blair, things like this happen. Yes, you were cleared by that phony divorce decree, because we all know that you were in fact married when you met up with Malcolm again, but what has that done to your image? And then this fire and the fact that Malcolm owned that home. Why didn’t he tell you that? It’s made you appear foolish and as a feminist and business owner, you can’t afford to appear foolish. Your entire image is being picked apart right now. Everything that you’ve worked for in high school, college and beyond has been threatened by one fire. Have you thought about that? Jon may not have been perfect but you never had to worry about this kind of stuff. It’s outrageous and if I were you, I’d leave Malcolm Blair alone now. Even if he saves you from all of this stuff going on, your image is still hurt while his is strengthened. Once again, Attorney Malcolm Blair has saved the day. You need to think about that before you let Jon leave for Philly.”

              “What? Philly?”

              “Marlon texted him and asked was everything alright and Jon admitted that he was going to Philly to get Marla and take her and Nicky to New York.”

              “Jon said he had business to take care of.”

              “Jon was trying to get away from here.” She walks over to me. “And Marlon and I are leaving tonight as well. I think it’s best and I’ve already switched our tickets.”

              “Jasmine–”

              “I love you too much Danielle to watch you destroy your life.” She walks back towards Italiano’s.

              Damn.

              Wow …

              Everything I’ve worked for my entire life has been trashed.

              She’s right. 

             
Me 10:45 pm:
Jon … wait.

Danielle

10:45 p.m.

              “Danielle.”              

Shit! I drop my phone before I’m able to press send. My back is to Malcolm as he bends down to pick up the pieces of my cell.

“Sorry.” He says as he hands it back to me. As I take it from his hands, I feel a wave of energy pass through us. Energy. I know what Jasmine has said but she doesn’t know how I feel when I’m with this man. I feel alive with this man. Sometimes it’s dangerous, but I still feel alive. I know that relationships aren’t always about feelings, sometimes it’s about safety and duty and compatibility. But this shock of energy that I feel with him, I’ve never felt with another man before.

“That’s okay.” I whisper as I put the pieces back together.

“I won’t lie, I need some air after that meet and greet.” I hear the laughter in his voice.

“I know, me too.” I smile. “You wanted to talk?” Though my back is to him, I can tell that he’s moved closer to me because I’m now engulfed in his scent. That Malcolm scent. Orient Kings.

“The last time we were together and it was this cold, you were sitting next to me in Belgium and you didn’t have a clue.” Billy Goat Gruff and the chatty kid; I smile at the memory. Wait, Malcolm and I have a
memory
. But Cocoa Lady was there too. Laura. I drop my smile. “And the last time we were on a pier together like this, you never turned around to look me.” He says as he begins to loom in back of me. Another memory. “It was a night like this.” He points up the moon. I look at it and notice that it’s full. He’s right, the last time we were on a pier the moon was full and it was reflecting on the water just beyond us. “I always regretted that I didn’t make you turn around.” And then I feel him resting his coat over my shoulders. Goodness … déjà vu. I will never forget that night on the pier. What Jasmine doesn’t realize is that Malcolm and I do have history and it goes back a year before I even met Jon. “I would tell myself over the years that if I could do it all over again,” he whispers in my ear, “whether you wanted to or not, I’d make you turn around. Tonight feels like that night on the pier. You have your back turned to me and I’m right behind you hoping you’ll turn around and look at me. But now I see that if I could do it again, I still wouldn’t have asked you to turn around.” And then he moves from behind me and eases in front of me. I look up at him and see that Roman nose, square jaw and those chocolate eyes that I missed out on for twelve years. “I see now that if I could’ve done it all over again, I would have let you sit there on that pier, just as you were and
I
would have been the one to get up to stand in front of you.”

“I’m in trouble here.” I whisper to him. “That fire …” I swallow hard to stop the sob that’s stinging my throat. “I’ve been trying to push it all out of mind, I’ve been trying to turn my fear into anger but the truth is that I’m scared. I have a feeling that something … the law, Laura, Lola … something’s coming for me.”

“You’re
scared
?” He says the word like he’s never heard it before. “I’m standing here in front of you and you’re scared?” He’s looking at me like I’ve just done the impossible.

“What do I do about Laura?”

“Nothing.” He says slowly. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” At that moment I hear the pier door open. I turn to see Jacob and Winnie walking out; they close the door and stop right by it.

“You look
scared
.” Malcom says to me like he’s trying out a new word that he’s just learned.

“What’s going on?” I ask him.

“I need you to come with us.”

“Where are we about to go?”

“We’re about to go and get you out of this.” And then he smiles.

Tuesday

Laura

12:15 a.m.

“Help!” I try to cough out and fight back, but it’s no use. Winnie has a gloved hand around my throat and a hand over my mouth. She’s holding me down with
the pure strength of her arm. She’s too strong, no one’s going to hear me. I can’t get her arms off of my throat! I can’t breathe!

“Shut the fuck up and calm the fuck down
before I break your fucking neck.” Winnie says with the composure of a seasoned assassin.

Winni
e with her signature dark, wavy bob and cranberry red lips. Winnie, the army brat.

And that’s when I see
them
.

Malcolm and Jacob. They’re gloved as well while they
open my luggage and dump everything out, yank the drawers out of dressers, and lift up the mattress with me still on top of it.

“Dena!” I try to yell out but my voice just com
es out like I have laryngitis. It’s no use. Winnie’s looking at me, but she’s really looking through me. She has a detached look to her, almost bored.

Like she’s done this before.

Malcolm and Jacob continue to turn the suite’s room upside down and then as flashes of white light are twinkling in front of my eyes, I see that Malcolm’s found
it
.

Malcolm’s found my diary.

“Got it.” He says as he holds it up and some pictures fall out of it. He bends down, picks them up and looks through them. And, when he comes across one of them in particular, his eyes grow mischievous. He gives the most wicked smirk, I’ve ever seen on a human being and then he holds it up to Jacob. It’s
the
picture
.

“
Thought so.” Jacob says with a nod. He then places a hand on Winnie’s back, leans over, kisses her on the forehead and nods for her to let go of me. Winnie calmly releases my throat and mouth and eases her way back. I gasp for air, as the twinkling lights are starting to turn into black spots. Before I have a chance to regain my senses, Jacob is holding me down and Malcolm is standing over me, a syringe in his hand.

“I’ve already taken my Lithium!” I yell out, struggling under the weight of Jacob’s body. But Malcolm says n
othing as he places a hand over my mouth and injects me with more of my medicine, while Jacob holds my arm … and then, with his hand over my mouth, Malcolm waits.

He’s waiting.

Looking at me.

His face blank.

I struggle but Jacob has nailed my arms and legs down with his own arms and legs. I can’t move.

I can’t even get a full thought out.

My mind just can’t connect.

I can’t connect …

I struggle …

I try …

I can’t understand …

I try …

and … then  … I … fall …

asleep …

Thank you for rushing here
… we asked the hotel staff to let us in … she’s suicidal … she just set her home on fire in Boston … she’s acting a bit schizophrenic … she has this wig … she destroyed this room … we had to restrain her … Wow, I can’t believe she overdosed … she may need a seventy-two hour observation … her father is Senator Rossi … he was just given power of attorney by a judge in Massachusetts … he’s arranged for her transfer back to Boston … Thank you again … I just really want to see her better … Yes, I’m the one who found her ... Well, it’s like I say, we woman have to stick together … Yes, I’m Danielle Rouge …

Malcolm

1:30 a.m.

             
“I’ve got to end this Jakie.” Winnie says.

             
And I think I just saw the wind get knocked out of him. He swallows hard but says nothing. His eyes are saying it all though, they’re asking her to stay. They’re asking her to talk this over. They’re asking her to accept his ‘I’m sorry’. They’re asking her to see that beneath the picture and the cocky stance is a man who does really love her. But he’s not saying anything; he’s just standing outside of this hotel, holding their son, looking at her.

The fire department is gone, as is everyone else who rushed here after Red called them. After Jacob, Winnie and I were done with Laura, I told Red to notify everyone of Laura’s suicide attempt. And, while everyone else was beyond shocked at the news, Lola wasn’t dazed at all:

“Eh, I saw the suicide coming. It’s been in the works for years.”

Now, Dena and Nat are on their way back to Boston with Laura, my parents, Lola and Cadence are already back at the house. (Cadence was so distraught he damn near had to be carried away on a stretcher.) And Winnie is standing out here, in front of this hotel, staring at Jacob, asking him questions and she wants answers.

How come you never told me that you were seeing her?

Why were you still seeing her while we were engaged?

How could you sleep with her the month before our wedding?

Why did you hold on to that picture for all of these years?

Where did Laura find it?

When did you realize she stole it?