Trish, Just Trish (21 page)

That’s when I heard it; the running
footsteps and, “Oh my god! Honey, are you okay?”

Dad.

“I’m okay,” I whispered, knowing they
couldn’t hear me. Tony turned and headed for the porch. I felt him
climb the steps as Gayle’s soft sobs broke the silence. I lifted a
little to find her.

“I’m okay. I’m just sore. Please don’t
cry.”

She and my dad both gave Tony room to carry
me into the house. He walked to the living room and set my feet on
the ground easily. I moved to head for my parents, but Tony’s grip
on my waist tightened, not painfully, just enough to hold me in
place. And I didn’t fight it. I’d probably fall flat on my face
without his help.

“Honey,” Dad whispered when he saw me fully
and Gayle broke into another fit of tears. I straightened and
opened my arms for them to hug me, even though I could barely hold
them up.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” Dad said
quietly. I knew he was trying hard not to choke up. Gayle, on the
other hand, had no problem with it.

“I should have been here for you. We’re
moving back,” she said as she looked up at my dad. “I can’t be away
from her anymore,” she cried and Dad nodded. He’d do anything to
make Gayle happy.

“It’s okay. I promise I’m okay. You don’t
have--” Gayle cut me off. “It’s not up for discussion. We’re moving
back,” she snapped. I knew it was the frustration talking, so I
whispered, “Okay.”

I actually wanted them to move back.

We stayed in our little group hug and Tony
continued to help me stand, until I couldn’t take anymore. I
couldn’t even keep my eyes open. “I love you both,” I whispered
before I continued. “I hate to ask because I know you’ve been
scared to death, but I’m so exhausted and I’m desperate for a
shower. Can I explain things to you after I get some sleep? I just
need to lie down,”

“Of course, honey. We’re just so relieved
you’re okay,” Dad said as he touched the bandage on my throat. The
damn thing bothered everybody.

“We love you,” Gayle whispered and I hugged
them both as tight as I could once more.

When Tony moved to lift me again, my dad’s
eyes narrowed on him. “You and I... tomorrow…
words
,” he
warned, grabbed Gayle’s hand and pulled her off to the kitchen.

“At least he didn’t hit me in the face…
yet
,” Tony grumbled and lifted me.

“Who hit you,” I asked curiously as I eyed
the bruise on his face.

“There’s too many to name only one.”

“I’m not staying in here,” I informed Tony
when he opened the door to his room.

“Yes, you are,” he informed me and headed
straight to the bathroom.

I stiffened.

He dropped my feet to the ground and kept an
arm around my waist as he turned on the shower. When he lifted the
hem of my shirt I slapped his hands away and asked heatedly, “What
do you think you’re doing?”

He sighed. “I’m gonna help you shower. You
can barely stand on your own.”

“I don’t want you to see me,” I hissed. I
felt his body tighten and watched his jaw clench.

“Did he touch you?” Tony asked in a deadly
tone.

I shook my head. “I just don’t like you
seeing me like this…so helpless; it’s embarrassing.”

His hands cup my face. “Don’t ever be
embarrassed with me… about anything. You’re the least helpless
woman I have ever met in my life, Trish. Ever since I met you,
you’ve done everything to make the people around you feel happy and
loved, even safe. Me, Lex, her girls, your dad, Gayle, all of ‘em…
you’ll do anything for them because you love them. Let me do that
for you.”

I stared at him for a long moment before I
conceded. I was still embarrassed, but his soft words touched my
soul. But I didn’t let him baby me. I took of my shirt before he
tried again, but I let him undress the rest of me. When he started
to undress himself, I glanced around the bathroom.

That’s when I noticed that all my cosmetics
were back where they used to be and not in my packed bags.

“What are my things doing in here?” I asked
as I turned my gaze back to Tony. He glanced back at the counter
quickly and then back at me.

“I had Larry unpack your bags.”

I closed my eyes and breathed, “Why?”

“I told you; I’m not letting you leave me…
let me see your wrists.” He lifted them himself and unwrapped the
bandages. He inhaled sharply when he saw the abrasions and redness
that marred my skin.

“I’m so… damn… sorry…” he said in a agonized
whisper.

“It’s not your fault,” I said, but the way
he looked at me after I said that told me he thought this was all
his fault.

He touched my neck and asked, “Does this
have to stay on?”

“Yes. I can’t get the stitches wet for at
least twenty-four hours.” I panicked when it hit me. “How am I
going to wash my hair? Tony, I have to wash my hair. I feel so
dirty.”

“Hey.” He caught my face between his hands.
“Let me take care of you.”

I repeated, “Don’t cry, don’t cry” over and
over in my head because the sincerity in his voice was so nice to
hear, but there were still so many questions that hung in the back
of my mind.

I nodded.

The shower was amazing and relaxing, and I
kept my eyes closed through most of it. Tony washed every inch of
my body, being mindful of my bandage. When it came time to wash my
hair, he grabbed a hand towel and covered my bandage with it before
he tilted my head under the water. He massaged the shampoo into my
scalp for what felt like hours and I might have even moaned. It
felt so good.

He stole a kiss… two kisses, but other than
that, he stayed on the task at hand.

Dim light seeped through the window as Tony
carried me to the bedroom after he dried us both off. The sun had
risen and I’d officially been awake close to twenty-four hours.

Tony sat me on the edge of the bed, went
back to the bathroom, came back with a dry towel and laid it out
over my pillow. “Your hair’s still wet. I don’t want you to get
sick,” he muttered and tossed back the covers. When I climbed in,
he said, “I’ll be right back.”

I was half asleep when he came back and I
stayed that way as he massaged medicine over the cuts on my wrists
and rewrapped them. By the time he climbed in behind me, I was dead
to the world.

He kissed my shoulder as he ran his hands
over every inch of my body greedily, desperately… possessively.

He squeezed me gently and told me he loved
me through his tears.

Tony was still behind me when I woke and I
froze when I felt what was pressed against my ass.

“Ignore it. I can’t help it,” he grumbled
before he asked, “How are you feeling?”

I stretched a little. I wasn’t near as sore
as I was before I fell asleep.

“I’m good, but my neck is throbbing.” I
lifted a little and Tony sat up completely, scooted off the bed and
pulled on some shorts. He walked out the door and I stared after
him.

Okay…

I got up, walked to the dresser to see if my
sleep shirts were inside, and sure enough, they were… along with my
panties. I cringed when I thought of poor Larry putting these up. I
slipped into some, threw on a shirt and headed to the bathroom. I
dreaded my next mission, but after I brushed my teeth, I slowly
started to pull off the bandage at my neck.

My stomach knotted at the sight. The cut
wasn’t as long as I’d imagined, but it was definitely longer than
I’d hoped; close to three inches and located directly in the middle
on the right side of my neck. I’d see it for the rest of my
life.

Tony walked in just as I lifted my hand to
touch it.

He froze.

“Why the hell did they put stitches and not
glue?” he growled.

“Because of where it’s located… and it was
too deep,” I whispered. Then I shrugged my shoulders because there
was nothing I could do about it.

I faced Tony. “Is that for me?” I asked and
pointed to the glass of water in his hand. He came out of his
daze.

“Yes, I brought your pain pills and the
antibiotics.” He held the out for me, but I only took the
antibiotics and the water.

“I’m not hurting bad enough for that. Plus,
I still don’t feel one hundred percent,” I told him as I looked at
the pain pill in his hand.

“Your dad and Gayle are waiting to see you.
Although, I think your dad is waiting for me. He looked more than
ready to lay into me.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him.”

“Don’t. You can tell me that this…” He ran
his fingertips over the bumpy stitches, “…isn’t my fault, but that
doesn’t make it true. It might as well have been me holding that
knife.”

I stiffened. “Tony, one way or another, this
would have happened. Everything happens for a reason, which is
exactly why this isn’t your fault.

“It is. And there’s no way I can make this
up to you, but I swear I’ll live the rest of my life trying
to.”

“I can’t do this right now,” I whispered. He
waited a beat before he nodded.

“I know you need more time and I’ll try to
give it to you, but I’m not going to lose you.”

“Tony, the things you said to me… I can
forgive them, but I’m not sure I can forget. But the woman you were
with--”

“What woman?” he interrupted and looked
genuinely puzzled.

“The morning of our fight, I could smell
perfume all over you. You told me you found someone else and then
in the hospital you said you never touched another woman while you
were with me.”

His sigh was exaggerated. “I would never lie
about that. You already know I went to the bar with Larry and a
couple of the guys. Brenda was there--”

“Brenda?” I interrupted this time and Tony
closed his eyes.

“The brunette you ran into when we were
having dinner with your friends.”

“Ah…
Brenda
.” I looked away because
the knowledge of her name stung.

“Trish,” Tony warned.

“I’m not trying to fight with you. I just
want to know,” I said calmly because it was true. I was tired of
fighting and I needed answers.

“She came into the bar, she saw me, she was
drunk, she tried hugging on me, but I shoved her away and left.
Larry brought me home. You can ask him.”

I didn’t say anything, because I was
mentally making plans to break
Brenda’s
nose.

Tony didn’t say anything straightaway
either, but he didn’t have to because none of this really mattered
anyway.

“Do you already know that when Shane hugged
me, he was only comforting me because I was upset? It wasn’t what
it looked like.”

“Mi reina, I know. Shane threw it in my face
when you went missing, but I already knew. I figured it out after I
left. I just couldn’t stand to see him touching you, I was sick
with jealously… I’m not sure I’ll ever stop being jealous, and I
sure as hell don’t want another man touching you, but things are
going to be different from now on. I didn’t trust you completely,
but I was working toward it and I would have gotten there
eventually on my own. I loved you enough to work on getting over
the past. Think about that.”

I’d think about that and a shit lot of other
things. I nodded.

My parents were sat in the two rocking
chairs on the front porch when we joined them. It was mid-day and
beautiful outside. I took in the scenery, the bright green field,
the sunny blue sky filled with clouds, the beauty of men working
with their horses, the picturesque stable in the background, the
sparse tree line surrounding the property, and I felt… at home.

“How are you feeling?” Gayle asked as I sat
down across from her on the swing, Tony followed.

“I feel better,” I answered, but when Gayle
got a glance at my neck and closed her eyes, I knew she was trying
hard not to cry. Dad didn’t say much, but he didn’t look upset
anymore. He looked pissed.

I explained and described the whole ordeal
with Zacharias, but I made sure to leave out the really bad parts.
Gayle was upset enough.

“So he’s dead?” Dad asked in a hopeful
tone.

“Yes, he’s dead… I think… I mean, I never
actually saw him,” I turned to Tony as I started freaking out and
asked, “He is dead right?”

“Yes, mi amor, he’s dead,” he said before he
grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together.

“How did you get out?” Gayle asked.

I turned to stone.

“She won’t talk about it. She said someone
saved her, but she won’t give details and she says she doesn’t
remember his face. She wouldn’t even tell the police,” Tony
answered for me even though he looked at me like he planned to
grill me for details later. Well, he could try, but hazel eyes
saved my life and asked me not to tell. So, I was taking his eyes
with me to the grave. I shrugged and kept quiet.

“How long are you staying?” I asked my
parents.

“We didn’t plan a return flight home, but
Gayle and I talked about this from the moment we got on the plane
to come here… we’re moving back. Gayle’s unhappy being away from
you, so am I, and you already know how much I miss Texas. I was
planning to retire soon anyway,” Dad finished.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Oh, we’re more than sure,” Gayle answered
for the both of them.

I thought about that. And the more I thought
about it, the happier I became.

“There’s a little over three thousand acres
here,” Tony chimed in and we all faced him. “You’re more than
welcome to build on it if you’d like.”

“Build what?” I asked in a rush, but I
already knew what he was going to say.

Tony glanced at me, his brows furrowed and
he said, “A house. What else?”

A house?

“Son!” Dad called out and I turned to
him.

He stood and faced Tony. “Remember that
talk?” He pointed to an invisible spot in front of him and barked,
“
Now
…” before he walked down the steps and headed for the
side of the house. Tony didn’t hesitate. He jumped up and
followed.