Sunday (Timeless Series #7) (2 page)

Goddammit, Mark
. “I didn’t want to drag you into this—until the case was over.”

She gripped her skull. “Do you realize how insane this is? You’re living a double life, one that I didn’t even know about.”

“No, I’m not. I was going to tell you everything—I just didn’t know when.”

“I just can’t wrap my mind around this…”

“Look, this is what happened.” I tried to keep my voice calm even though I was shaking. “Mark asked for my advice about the trial. When I looked through the file I saw your picture. That’s when I figured everything out. Since he lost your case I took it on because I couldn’t afford to lose this one. I have to make sure Peter goes to jail for the rest of his life. I took this case for you. I want to do the right thing—
for you
.”

She stopped walking, her hand covering her mouth.

“Rose, I’m—”

“That means you saw everything. Every picture and every description I made…”

Unfortunately.
I read her account of that evening, of all the terrible things the men did to her. It was so disturbing it made me cry—in my own office. It was painful to read about it, so I could only imagine how painful it was to experience it. The fact Rose still continued on with her life, still smiled and laughed, was beyond me. “Yes.”

She closed her eyes like she’d been stabbed.

“It was hard to read it. It was hard to know the truth. But you know what? It makes me realize how strong you are. Only a strong woman could come back from that and hold her head high. You should be proud of yourself.”

“That I was raped by five guys?” she asked coldly.

“Don’t twist my words around.” There was nothing I hated more, as a man and a lawyer. “Most women don’t recover from these sorts of things, but you have.”

“Who said I recovered?”

“I did.” She was a beautiful person when she was with me, happy and carefree. “Rose, you’re unbroken when you’re with me. You’re happy. To me, that means you’re healed.”

“It’s far more complicated than that…” She was drifting further away, escaping to a place where I couldn’t follow.

I came closer to her, needing to hold her.

“I told you not to come near me.” She took another step back, her hand held out.

I stopped, hating this situation even more. “Rose, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of this.”

She turned her gaze out the window, her eyes still wet.

“Please forgive me. I love you and I don’t want to live without you.” She was vital to my existence. I’d spent twelve years of my adult life going through women like toilet paper. I only used them for a moment before I threw them away. Francesca was the first person who meant something to me. But when I met Rose, it was different. She shined brighter than the sun, making every other woman become blurred in the shadows. She wasn’t just the next one.

She was the one.

“I just…so many lies.”

“None of them were malicious.”

“I just can’t believe that entire time you knew. Now I understand why you were so gentle with me, why you didn’t think my behavior was odd. I feel stupid for not figuring it out sooner.”

My hands were still shaking by my sides.

“Now everything was a lie. Everything was nothing like it seemed.”

“That’s not true,” I whispered. “Everything was real—whether I knew or not.”

“I can’t trust you.”

That hurt more than anything else
. “Yes, you can. You can trust me more than anyone.”

She pulled out the kitchen chair and sat down, unable to stand on her own two feet anymore. “I want you to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” I wasn’t leaving this apartment until we settled our differences.

She rested her elbows on the table with her face pressed into her hands. “I can’t do this…”

“Yes, you can.” I pulled out the chair and sat beside her but restrained myself from touching her.

“I just don’t feel the same way anymore.” She didn’t pull her hands away. “Nothing is what I thought it was. And then you slept with me without telling me you know…and then you’re the attorney on the case. I feel like I was in a dream and now I’ve finally woken up.”

I felt sick
. “Rose, no.”

She finally pulled her hands down, revealing her wet tears. “It’s just not the same anymore. I don’t trust you. I feel like I’ve been played—played hard.”

“That’s not how it was—”

“But that’s how I feel.”

“Rose—”

“Just go…” When she blinked more tears emerged. “If I’d known you’d known I wouldn’t have slept with you. So I feel like I was tricked into doing something I wouldn’t have done otherwise. And that’s something you can never take back.”

I couldn’t believe this was happening. I wanted to argue she did the same thing to me when she didn’t tell me the truth. But in my heart, I knew she was right. “I love you. That’s something that’s never changed. That’s real and true—always.”

“I believe you…”

Finally, some hope
. “Then give me another chance.”

“That’s not possible. You can’t have a redo in a situation like this. It just can’t be done.”

“That’s not fair…”

“I know it’s not.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a napkin. “But that’s how it has to be.”

I felt my hands shake on the table, feeling the pain shoot all the way down to my stomach. Everything hurt. It was a new realm of pain.

“I really did love you, Kyle. But this isn’t something I can get over. This isn’t something I can move past. It changes everything—changes us.” She clutched the tissue against her lips, the tears sliding down her cheeks. The apartment suddenly felt cold, like all the joy, hope, and love had been sucked out of it.

Or maybe it was just sucked out of me.

On My Own

Kyle

I’d been depressed a lot in my life, but this had to be the worst. I lost Rose over something I couldn’t control. No matter what action I took, it was the wrong one.

And that was unfair.

I hoped taking a step back would give her time to calm down and see reason. Or maybe it would give her enough time to realize that she loved me and couldn’t live without me—the same way I felt about her.

When I pursued her, the wound was still fresh. She was bleeding all over the place, trailing it everywhere she went. Giving her time to heal was the smartest move right now.

I had to keep my distance.

In my heart, I knew she would come back to me.

The case was my priority at the moment and I couldn’t lose my focus. Not only did Rose’s justice sit on the line—but so did Audrey’s. There were other victims of Peter’s, ones that hadn’t come forward—I was sure of it. There was a lot at stake. And I couldn’t afford to lose the game.

Sitting in court was a great distraction from my break up with Rose. When I was this focused on another matter I was able to breathe. For that time period, it didn’t seem like we were apart at all. My energy was entirely focused on the man sitting across the room.

Audrey was quiet the entire time, and she refused to take the stand and give her testimony. That was her right, but it did hurt us. If the jury could hear about the events directly from her mouth, there was no way they could doubt her story. Despite that evidence, Audrey refused to budge.

But I would still win this case.

***

I sat at my kitchen table for nearly three hours, the beer beside me untouched. I rested my face against my outstretched arm, leaning over the table like I was falling asleep in class.

I stared into my living room, noting the dark furniture and the black TV. Rose used to come over and watch basketball with me. We’d share a pizza and make fun of the opposing team playing against The Warriors. It was times like that when she was truly happy.

And I lost it.

Now I was alone, sitting in my apartment without anything to do. I wondered what she was doing, if she were thinking about me just the way I was thinking about her.

Did she miss me?

I was still in my suit and tie because I was too depressed to shower. I’d probably stay exactly like that until I had to go to court in the morning. Of course, I would change my suit. But I probably wouldn’t shower.

I sat up and rubbed my throbbing temple, feeling inexplicable pain emerge in the strangest places. Heartbreak was more unbearable than any physical damage I’d ever received. There were no antibiotics that could cure the infection.

I’d just have to deal with it
.

I stared at my phone even though Rose’s name wouldn’t appear on the screen. Sometimes I pictured my phone lighting up with a text message, her name sitting right above it.

But it remained black.

Minutes passed before someone came into my mind. She was from my past, but her face comforted me. Even though our relationship didn’t work out, we were friends before we were lovers. For some reason I wanted to talk to her.

Or maybe I was just desperate
.

I called her and didn’t expect her to answer. The last time I called her was over a year ago. She probably didn’t even have the same number anymore. I listened to it ring, wondering if a stranger would answer the call.

“Hello?” Francesca’s soft voice came over the line. “Kyle?”

“Hey…I hope this isn’t a bad time.” I couldn’t force myself to sound remotely happy. It was impossible.

“Of course not. Are you alright?”

“Uh…no.” Despite our time apart she still knew me well. We did spend a year together. No matter how much things had changed, we couldn’t change the past. “I’m pretty low, honestly.”

“I’m so sorry. Talk to me.” A baby cried in the background. “Shh, baby,” she said gently.

I forgot about her pregnancy. Her daughter must be a few months old. “How’s Suzie?”

“Fussy. She gets upset if I stop paying attention to her for just a second.”

“Just like her father,” I teased.

“How about you come by and see her?”

Being anywhere besides my apartment sounded fantastic. “If that’s okay.”

“Of course it is. Let me give you my address.”

***

They had a house just outside the city in Connecticut. It was two stories, white and beautiful. A large yard was in the front with crisp, green grass. And the backyard was blocked off by an elegant white fence.

It was perfect for her.

I knocked on the door and immediately heard a baby cry.

“I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” Francesca’s voice trailed from the other side of the house. A moment later, she opened the door. She wore a loose dress with her hair pulled into a braid over one shoulder. She was still carrying some baby weight but you could hardly tell. “Hey.” She gave me a genuine smile before she invited me inside.

I took a look around, marveling at the hardwood floors and elegant furniture. “Your place reminds me of the shop.”

“I’m always cooking so it’s fitting.” She guided me into the living room where Suzie lay in the playpen. She stopped crying once we walked into the room. With blue eyes exactly identical to Hawke’s she looked up at me. I didn’t care for babies or ever think they were cute—but this one was special. “Wow…she’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed Suzie and cradled her in her arms.

I sat beside her and watched her rock her child. “She looks just like you—except the eyes.”

“I know,” she said fondly. “She couldn’t be more perfect.”

Suzie stared at me the entire time, fascinated.

“Would you like to hold her?”

“Sure.” I carefully took her from her hands and held her on my lap. She was lighter than I expected her to be. “How’s motherhood?”

“So wonderful,” she said with a happy sigh. “There’s nothing like it.”

I gently rocked Suzie back and forth and admired her beauty. Her skin was vibrant just the way Francesca’s was. And she had the same dark hair. “I’m happy for you.”

“I’m happy for me too. And Hawke is already wrapped around her finger.”

“I can imagine.” I gently handed her back.

Francesca took her then wrapped her in a thin blanket. “So, what’s on your mind, Kyle? On the phone you sounded…devastated.”

Suzie lit up my life for just a moment and I forgot about my pain. But then it came rushing back to me in a crushing wave. “There was this woman I was seeing…but we aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

With Suzie secured in her arms she watched me with a sad look. The sincerity was in her eyes, that she wanted me to be happy. “I’m so sorry, Kyle.”

“Thanks…”

“What happened?”

I told her the entire story, from the very beginning to the very end.

Francesca was speechless, unable to process the trauma Rose went through. “Oh my god…”

“I understand why this relationship will never work. I know where she’s coming from. But I can’t let her go. It’s too hard.”

Francesca held Suzie tighter.

“When I first saw her…there was something inside me. It was like something clicked into place. I can’t explain it. The moment she walked into my life everything was different. She was all I ever thought about. I wanted to live my life for her—completely and utterly. And the fact my sister went through the same thing and the kind of cases I take…it’s just a crazy coincidence. I don’t love her because of what happened in the past. I think I loved her the moment I saw her. But when I found out the truth…it only intensified my feelings.” Listening to myself talk was making me realize how ridiculous I sounded. “I know I sound like a nutbag right now. I’m not even sure what I’m trying to say.”

“You don’t sound like a nutbag at all.”

I knew she was saying that to be nice.

“Remember how incredulous you were when I told you Hawke was my soul mate?”

Every time she said it, I thought it was crazy. How could someone feel that way? How could someone possibly think the universe created another person just for them? “Yes…”

“Now you know I’m not crazy.”

I looked at the window before I turned back to her. “I don’t understand your meaning.”

“Think about it, Kyle. Think about everything you just said to me.”

I was still clueless. “You need to be more transparent.”

“Kyle, she’s more than just a woman you love. A lot more than that.”

“What could be higher?”

She stroked the thin strands of hair Suzie possessed. “She’s your soul mate, Kyle. Your destiny. Your meant-to-be.”

I stared at her blankly. “Maybe Hawke is yours, but not everyone has a soul mate.”

“Just think about it.”

“What’s there to think about?” I asked. “I love her. I loved you too, but I never thought you were my soul mate.”

“Because I wasn’t,” she said gently. “But Rose is.”

“I don’t know…”

“I’m not going to sit here and convince you. But if you took the time to think about it, you would realize the truth is staring you right in the face.”

“How did you know Hawke was yours?”

She sighed. “That’s a loaded question. I have an answer—but it’s long.”

“I have nowhere else to be.” Because the woman I loved didn’t want to be with me. I was sitting inside Francesca’s beautiful home, the place she made a family. The jealousy coursed through me because I wanted what she had.

“The first time I saw him, I felt something. I looked him in the eye and felt an immediate attraction. At the time, I mistook it for lust. He’s a good-looking man and every girl has the same reaction to him. But when our relationship didn’t work out, I still wanted him in my life—even if he was just my friend.”

My eyes were glued to Suzie’s face as I listened.

“I knew he was meant to share his life with me, whether as friends or lovers. And even though it hurt that I couldn’t be with him and I knew he spent his nights with other women, I still stuck by his side. Just being near him made me feel better. The further my heart was placed from his, the more it ached. But when they’re right next to each other, the agony stops. And as time went on, I realized I couldn’t live without him. Before we broke up, I knew I would never love another man as long as I lived—not the way I loved him. If you can have a wordless relationship with someone, one that lacks physical intimacy, then you know you found the person who shares your soul. Just staring into each other’s eyes is enough intimacy to make you feel a whirlwind of emotions. There’s not a specific reason I feel this way. When I’m with him, I just know.”

Was I crazy for thinking all of that made sense?

“After everything you just said, it sounds like you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“I do…”

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence she went through the same thing your sister did. I don’t think it’s a coincidence this is what you’re passionate about. I think it’s a sign. I think she’s the one.”

When I reflected on my relationship with her I remembered all the strange experiences I couldn’t explain. Just hugging her gave me more satisfaction than sex. I was content staring into her eyes and never looking away. When I found out she’d been raped, my reaction wasn’t one of hesitance. I knew I could put her back together. I knew I could fix her.

Francesca studied my gaze, trying to read the look in my eyes. She used to be able to decipher me, but now it wasn’t so easy. The sound of jiggling keys came from the front of the house, and then the front door opened.

Hawke.

Should I be terrified I was caught alone in her home? Would he pound on me until my face was so bloody I couldn’t show up to court the next day? There was no point in trying to hide now.

“Muffin, I’m home.” His heavy footsteps sounded from the front of the house.

“In here.” She was just as calm as before, not showing any sign of concern.

Hawke walked into the living room wearing slacks and a collared shirt with a tie. He was just as muscular as he used to be. Being a father and a husband hadn’t stopped him from going to the gym. His eyes fell on Francesca and their daughter, love written all over his face. Then his gaze switched to me.

Instead of being livid like I expected, he walked over to me and extended his hand. “Hey. Came to see my daughter?”

I eyed his hand in surprise before I took it. “Yeah. She’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” He dropped his hand then walked to the other side of the couch. He kneeled in front of Francesca and gave her a slow kiss on the lips. Francesca melted right in front of me like I wasn’t even there. Then Hawke kissed Suzie’s forehead before he scooped her into a single arm and sat in the recliner. He gently rocked back and forth as he looked into her face, clearly in love. Not once did he seem upset or suspicious of my presence. It didn’t seem like he even cared. He used to be insanely jealous of me, but after Francesca married him he didn’t seem threatened by anything.