Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1) (17 page)

“You are mine, Juliana. All mine.”

I looked around my room, suddenly feeling very exposed. Did
I want to share my past with a man I barely knew?

“I’m not sure I want to talk about it right now. My emotions
have been on a never-ending tilt-a-whirl and I feel like it might make me throw
up.” My words were serious. Very serious.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story
inside you,” he said, and gave me a quick peck on the lips.

“Maya Angelou’s inspirational words definitely strengthen
even the most fainthearted,” I said as I sighed and internally scolded myself.

“I promised myself I would talk to you. I guess I should
keep my promise instead of chickening out. The only thing I ask is, please, no
pity or shame. Don’t feel sorry for me. That is the last thing I need. Pity
does nothing to make a situation better. I just need support and an occasional
shoulder to cry on.”

He nodded and allowed me to continue.

“I was seventeen when I met Rob. I was graduating high
school in a few months and looked forward to going to the community college in
my hometown. He was handsome to me back then. I took pride in the fact that a
good-looking, twenty-four-year-old man showed a mature interest in me. After I
graduated high school, things began to change.”

My heart was beating so fast, I had to take a breath and
steady the thrumming that took over my chest cavity.

“He suddenly became controlling, to say the least. He didn’t
allow me to work or go to school. He even kept me from Sid for over six months
because he didn’t want me seeing any of my friends,” I explained with a monotone,
careless quality to my voice.

“When I was able to leave his side, or when I was ‘bad’ as
he would say, and I would take off without him knowing, he would leave
threatening notes everywhere I went, like he was following me. I was with him
for almost two years. Things were not just controlling on the outside, but
also…” I tried to swallow the lump stuck in my throat at what I was about to
tell this man.

He grabbed my hand as assurance that he was there for me.

“He would sexually control me. He would force me. No matter
how much I would plead for him to stop, he would just get that much more
domineering. I can’t go into specific details… you may never look at me the
same if I do… but one night he sodomized me so badly, I was bleeding, a lot,
and feared for my life. I seriously thought it was the end for me—I was
sure I was going to die that night,” I admitted, while continuing to avoid his
gaze.

“I tried to reach out to my mom, but she just called me a
whore, accusing me of sleeping around, and told me I would ruin things with Rob
if I didn’t get my act together. Knowing I was in bad shape, I called Sid, even
though I knew Rob would probably punish me for it later. At this point, he was
passed out in the bedroom. I remember sneaking into the coat closet by the
front door just so I could call my friend for help. She came to get me and we
were both lucky he didn’t wake up as I left out the front door wrapped up in a
sheet. I left my cell phone behind so he couldn’t track me. Sid took me to the
hospital where I had to have several stitches… um, down there. She refused to
let me go back, not even to get my stuff.”

As I spoke, he just sat there in stunned silence. So, I
continued.

“Sid took me to her apartment and within thirty minutes, she
packed most of her clothes, toiletries, and any other necessities we needed,
including a cooler of food, all into her station wagon. We left our lives
behind in a matter of hours. I couldn’t believe my friend was willing to give
up her entire life to save me.”

Tears began streaming down my face again as I spoke of her
heroic actions.

“We went up to Georgia and stayed with Sid’s cousin for just
under a year. Luckily, her cousin never asked us to pay a dime toward rent or
bills. So, we were able to save up enough money to come here and start our new
lives.”

As I continued my story, I felt marginally better.

“Even though I told them I didn’t want any legal trouble
with Rob, the hospital thought my injuries were bad enough to report them to
the police. The day after we arrived in Georgia, Sid found out through a friend
that they arrested him. The cops did get in touch with me and asked if I would
be willing to testify against him. I told them I never wanted to be in the same
city with the man and admitted to them how terrified I was of confronting him. They
said they could not do anything further without my participation… and that was
that. Now that he has found me, I just can’t let him tear my life apart again. It
took Sid and me so long to put our lives back together. We had to save up to
get this apartment and my car. She’s been working two jobs and while I know she
enjoys them, part of me feels bad for everything I’ve put her through,” I said
solemnly.

“So when Sid said she wanted to call the police and report
him, or at least let them document his actions, I couldn’t argue with her. This
whole situation affects her just as much as it does me.” I trembled at the fact
my loved ones were being hurt because of my stupid choices.

“May I ask what has happened over the past week?” he asked
with a wary look on his face, like he was afraid he would spook me if he spoke
too loud.

I sighed. “This is one of the reasons I felt I needed to
tell you. He was at the club Tuesday night, only I didn’t know it until later. He
saw me… with you, close to you. And it made him mad. He left a note on my
windshield that night so I would find it when I got to the car.”

“What did it say?” Aiden asked with ferocious curiosity.

“It’s embarrassing,” I admitted as I blushed and looked down
in my lap, where I was wringing my hands tightly together.

“Please, Angel. Don’t be embarrassed. Not with me. Plus,
you’re not the one who wrote it, so you should have nothing to be embarrassed about,”
he consoled.

I slowly got up and didn’t bother to cover my panty-clad ass
as I went to get the notes out of my desk drawer. I brought the box back to him
and handed him the first one.

“This is one he left Monday night. I think he left it on my
doorstep because I found it stuck to the heel of my shoe once I was inside my
apartment,” I explained.

Thought I couldn’t find you? Think
again.

Before Aiden could react, I handed him the second note and
said, “This is the one he left on my car Tuesday night. I saw the note when I
was leaving work, but knowing I shouldn’t get back out to get it, I let it stay
on my windshield until I got home. I didn’t even stop to read it until I was in
the apartment. This is also the night I called you, needing to talk to someone
because I didn’t want to be alone.”

I saw you with him tonight. Does he
know what a slut you are? Does he know you belong to me?

He scowled and clenched his jaw tight. He looked like he
wanted to punch something. I backed away slightly, remembering when Rob used to
get mad. He would swing at whatever was in his way—including me.

Aiden must have noticed my cowardice, because he suddenly
became calm and gentle.

He reached out slowly and brushed a curl out of my face. “I’m
sorry, Angel. I don’t want to frighten you. He must have done some horrible
things to make you so scared of men.”

I just nodded, not trusting my voice at the moment.

“There’s more…” I stated. Aiden’s eyes widened.

“He left a note on Sid’s car. She found it Wednesday before
she had to leave for work.”

With trembling hands, I handed him Sid’s note.

You won’t interfere again. You can’t
take her from me this time.

“And then… Sid and I were leaving the club last night and he
was waiting for me in the parking lot. Again, I don’t even want to think of
what could have happened if she wasn’t there to call for help. I froze. He
didn’t approach me. He just stood by his car and stared at me with a huge smile
on his face,” I said, while shivering at the memory of how sinister he looked.

“Sid screamed for the club’s bouncer, Dex, who came running
out a moment later. I must’ve blacked out, or at least became a tad faint,
because he swooped me up and carried me. I only remember him putting me on the
couch in the employee lounge,” I told him calmly.

“Shit, Julia. You should have…”

I held my hand up to stop him. “Wait, I’m not done yet. So,
I spoke to my boss, Libby. Lib and Sid are the… well, they
were
the only two people that knew of my past. With Lib’s suggestions,
Dex and Pete drove us both home and I sat them both down and told them most of
the story. I did not divulge the sexual aspects because I don’t think it’s any
of their business and, well frankly, it embarrasses me and it’s very painful to
relive those details. I also did not tell them how I managed to get away or
what Sid gave up for me, because I knew that would make her feel uncomfortable.
They know just enough to hopefully keep him out of the club. However, when Pete
woke up early this morning, probably because my alarm clock went off, he found
another note…” I trailed off as I handed the note to him.

So, I scare you? I
like it when you’re afraid. You know it excites me when you fight.

“So, this brings me to my next confession.” I looked at him
to make sure I had his attention before I continued.

“Aiden, I’m messed up in the head because of this man.” I
pointed to the notes in his hand as I spoke. “When you pinned me to the wall
yesterday, I freaked out. I tried to keep telling myself you weren’t him, but
my mind kept screaming for me to run. When your words became forceful too, I
couldn’t hold it together anymore… I panicked…”

My tears cut me off once again and the next thing I knew, he
was crushing me to his chest, holding me, and rocking me.

“Shhh. God, Julia. All you had to do was tell me. All you
ever have to do is talk to me. I never, ever want to hurt you,” he said with a
desperate and loving voice.

He pulled me away from his chest, keeping his hands on my
shoulders, and looked into my eyes as he explained, “I want you to know that if
you feel threatened, ever, you call me. If I upset you or hurt you in any way,
you tell me. I need you to communicate with me. I want to be part of your life,
but I can’t do that unless you tell me what’s going on.”

Then realization hit me. He had some secrets of his own.

I cocked an eyebrow and spoke in a firm voice, “That goes
both ways, Mr. Stone. I think I’m ready for you to explain the whole ‘wife’
thing,” I said as I pulled away from his body and wiped at my tear-stained
cheeks before I continued.

“I have plenty of time. I will try my best to keep an open
mind. So, please… tell me your story,” I pleaded.

I stood up from the bed and his eyes slowly followed me.
Grabbing the bottle of water on my desk, I took a long, cleansing swig. He
shifted and sat at the edge of the bed, looking up at me with gentle eyes.

He tenderly grabbed my hands and brought them to his lips. Then,
wrapping his arms around my bare legs, he sighed and began to speak.

“I married Tanya as a contractual agreement. She was set to
inherit her father’s estate worth over eighty million dollars. Tanya has been a
friend of mine since high school. She’s always been just a friend, but someone
I could confide in at all times. I told her about you.” He spoke softly as he
looked up at me with a pleading in his eyes, pleading for me to understand. “She
can’t wait to meet you. I know that sounds weird, but she really is just a
friend. She may be my wife on paper, but my heart does not belong to her.”

I just stood there, shock evident on my face. What should I
say? It seemed he was being sincere, but… I had so many questions.

“Julia, say something. Anything. Please, tell me what is
going through that beautiful mind of yours,” he said in an imploring tone.

“I…” I what? I had a hard time forming any words. “Why don’t
you wear a ring?”

“I only wear it when we go to social occasions together. Our
wedding rings are props to us and we only wear them to keep up appearances.”

“How long have you been married to her?” I asked in a small
voice.

He flashed a glamorous smile. “It’s been about a year and a
half now. We are supposed to stay married for two years or more in order for
her to keep her inheritance. At the end of the two years, she will provide me
with five million, as a way of saying thanks. I don’t know how I feel about the
money because I didn’t agree to this just to get rich. She is my friend and she
couldn’t stand the fact that her father had a marriage clause in his will. She
was heartbroken and I felt bad for her. I wasn’t tied down to anyone and
figured two years would be easy to give to a friend in need.”

His words melted me to the bone. This man was so thoughtful
and, if he was being truthful, I didn’t blame him for his actions. I would have
done the same for a friend… money or not. I decided to tell him how I felt and
hoped he could put up with the crap going on in my life.

“I understand. I think I would do the same for a friend in
need. I’m not sure I would accept the money though. If I didn’t have the
choice, I would probably donate most of it to charity. Or…” Did I want to
reveal one of my secret ideas?

“Or what?”

“Okay, promise you won’t laugh?” He nodded, so I continued,
“I would use the money to open a community art studio so people of all ages had
a place to express their art without the need to enroll as a student or the
money to build their own workspace.” I smiled sheepishly and turned away from
his gaze before I continued.

“Many artists struggle to make a living and most don’t have
the money to have their own studio. So, I have been drafting up plans to build
a community art studio that will include workshops and labs for all kinds of
fine arts as well as storage for artists to keep their artwork and supplies. Photography,
ceramics, stained glass, woodwork, screen-printing, jewelry, painting, drawing,
a computer lab, you name it. I also thought a small gallery would give
beginning artists an opportunity to display their work and maybe a few
classrooms for new members to learn from resident artists. Of course, there
would be some sort of membership fee to keep the facility running, but I was
hoping to get a few government grants to make it as affordable as possible for
the starving artists out there. And it would also open up volunteer
opportunities for high school students interested in earning a scholarship or
fellowship. Volunteers could help man the gallery and keep the place tidy. It’s
just an idea I’ve been toying with. Of course, I plan to graduate first and
possibly go on to a university-level graduate course. But, this community
studio is something I feel very passionate about. I haven’t shared the idea
with anyone yet. I worry so much about criticism. I don’t want anyone to rain
on my parade or steal my idea. So, I usually just keep my thoughts to myself.”