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Yesterday was the most fun I'd had in a very long time. Or ever, if I was being totally honest. Mara and Brenna’s wedding turned out perfect, and we all had a blast.
Good friends, good food, and our beautiful Seaside beach as the backdrop. No surprise, there were shenanigans brought on by the town clown, Abel. He decided to christen his new wife in the ocean, fully clothed, might I add. I thought Elsie was going to have a heart attack, until she saw Brenna laughing and making the most of Abel's game. All in all, it was an awesome time and just cemented my belief that I'd made some great friends, and I needed to let them in more. Baby steps, but I was heading in the right direction.
I filled Brenna in on what has been going down with Stefan, and she wasn't all too surprised. Sadly, she'd seen the darkness in people throughout her life and knew the signs. I promised I'd keep myself safe and told her not to worry about me. She had a honeymoon to enjoy, and I refused to fuck that up for her.
That's why I lied.
Last night Dana had called me in a panic, saying she'd run into Stefan, and Spencer was coming by to check on me. I was extremely confused, as she'd never seen him before. Quite honestly, I couldn’t remember ever telling her what he even looked like. I found out the whole story, and it was without a doubt him. I knew he'd be spotted eventually, I just didn't think it'd be so soon. Then again, it'd been months since he’d started leaving his stupid notes at my shop. Silver lining was that he hasn't caught on to where I live. He was dumb, but he wasn’t that dumb. I mean, we could only hope for the best yet prepare for the worst. Right?
I didn't sleep a wink last night, and I was feeling it this morning. This has to be how zombies feel. Walking around, dazed and confused, and not being able to get some shut-eye. Literally. Have you ever seen a zombie movie where their eyes were shut? Me neither. I mean, except the ones that were finally put out of their misery with a bullet to the brain. See? Lack of sleep has me overthinking shit. This was what we called a hot mess, and today I was the queen bee.
"Good morning, sweets. Is that coffee I smell?"
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that Spencer may have slept over last night after all the Stefan chaos died down. Before you assume the worst, we did share a bed but had separate blankets. Okay, and there may have been some making out involved. He was hot, I was a mess, and things happened. Sue me.
"Caffeine is my specialty, kind sir. Hey, thanks again, for last night. I didn't want you to find out about my personal shit show like that, but at least it's out in the open now. I really appreciate you not bailing out. It was nice to have someone next to me. The only male who's slept next to me in a long time is Beethoven, so consider yourself very special. Should we state that sleeping in my bed together was kind of like our second date?"
Spencer laughed as Beethoven came barreling into the kitchen. The dog had an internal food clock and knew when it was time to eat. I swear, he and Brenna could be soulmates if he wasn't a dog.
"If last night was our second date, I can't wait to see what you pull out of your hat for our third, sweets. Let me feed this big boy for you. Go and relax, and I'll order us some breakfast. Then we need to talk about going down to the station and having a word with Nich. I think you should fill him in on anything you know about your ex. Let me just say, he's a damn fool for ever treating you poorly and letting you slip from his fingers. His loss. My gain."
Oh, boy. I got a hot one here. That was him flirting with me, right? Was I right? Spencer was also correct in saying I needed to talk with Nich. He needed to know just what Stefan was capable of. Did I even know what he was really capable of? Would he hurt my friends to get to me? These were all questions I didn’t know the answers to, and it fucking sucked.
I’d never had to worry about others being hurt when I was with Stefan because he made sure I pushed everyone out of my life besides himself. I’d had no one. He was my whole life, and I knew nothing else. It was astonishing how one single person could have that much control over someone's life. It was an emptiness you couldn’t begin to describe unless you'd been in the same predicament. Something I wouldn't wish upon anyone.
Spencer got me and Beethoven fed and asked if it would be okay if he went with me to talk to Nich. Hell, yes it was. I didn’t think I'd have the guts to do it without him. In the short time we'd spent together, he had more than proved that he was worth being in my life. I got those stupid girly feelings when he was near me, and I didn’t mind one damn bit. This was a huge step in taking my life back and letting a man break down my walls. The only difference was I was a willing participant this time around.
"Sweets? Before we head out, I want to ask you a very important question. Can I kiss you? Last night was incredible. I've never made out with a woman and just held her in bed without it turning into sex. It was euphoric. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I claim you. You should know, once I've been inside you, you're mine."
Well, shit. That was a line straight out of one of my many naughty romance novels, and who was I to reject an offer like that? It sounded even hotter coming out of the mouth of a real life man. It was like the pages of the book literally came to life in front of my eyes. So I greedily gave him what he’d asked for. Our teeth clashed with my sudden onslaught, and I was aroused as fuck. His tongue was so far down my throat, I swore he was touching my insides. Gross? Hell, no. We only stopped when we were both heavily panting and in need of some air and personal space.
"I take it that's a yes? Damn, I'm a lucky bastard. Mr. Beethoven? Do I have your permission to date your beautiful momma? Don't worry, you're still the main man of the house. This means you'll get extra cookies, buddy."
Bribing my dog? Shit, he'd agree to anything if there were snacks involved. He barked at us and did a little twirl to the word snacks, so I gladly gave my boy a handful of his favorite cookies.
Grabbing Spencer's hand, I pulled him towards the front door, as I said, "Let's go! Before B's fluffy cuteness traps us in the house all day, and he demands more treats from his human servants."
Again, he laughed, but the more time he spent here at my place, the more he'd learn how true that fact was. We decided to walk to the station and get a little fresh air along the way. When we arrived, we were escorted to the back where Nich was sitting at his desk, yawning. I felt that too, my dude.
"Morning, sunshine. Rough night at the homestead? Did your woman keep you up all night?"
Nich looked up to see the two of us standing in front of his desk with Spencer razzing him. He let out a tiny growl, as he poked back at Spencer. "So, let me get this straight. Since Abel's away, the mini version has taken over the role as a giant pain in my ass? Lovely. Morning, Cindy. How are you holding up, sweetheart?"
Dana scored in the hot cop department when she snagged Nich. He was an amazing man and treated Dana like a queen, so he was a keeper in my book. He liked to mess with Spencer and Abel but considered them brothers, same with Noah. Those four were thicker than thieves and always had each other's backs, and they would defend us girls with their lives. It was crazy how you saw the worst in people but forgot to see the good, and those boys were the prime examples. Not all men were douchebags, ladies.
Spencer grabbed my hand, and I saw the shit-eating grin on Noah's face, so I piped in before he could, saying, "Don't get your gun jammed, we're taking it slow. Yes, you and Dana were right. Spencer is one of the good guys, disguised in tattoos and broodiness. Are you happy?"
By the look on both of their faces, they were very happy. I told Spencer he didn’t have to sit through all the details I was about to spill on mine and Stefan's life together, but he insisted he was staying to support me. I couldn’t say I didn't warn him.
"Okay, then, here we go." I took a deep breath and started my story. Halfway through, I saw the look of distress and helplessness on both their faces. Spencer was clenching his fists so tight, it looked like all the blood had drained out of his hands. This was the first time I'd ever talked so in depth about my past with anyone. I didn’t want pity, and that's not what I saw right now. I saw two men who wanted justice for me. I saw love and friendship. I saw things that made me hopeful of a new life with people that actually gave a damn. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest, and I didn’t have to lie to protect Stefan anymore. This wasn’t about him, it was about me and wanting to be in charge of what life handed me. Turning every black cloud that's ever hung over me into a rainbow.
"You are the strongest fucking woman I've ever met, sweets. I'm so proud of you. Mark my words, that rotten piece of shit will never lay so much as a pinky on you again. I'll kill the bastard first. Sorry, Noah, I guess that means I've just made a threat on someone's life. In a police station. To a cop. Sorry, not sorry, brother."
Way to make a girl swoon. Not the killing part, but the caring part. Although I wouldn't shed a tear if Stefan happened to disappear off the face of the earth. Noah just shook his head, like he didn't understand what was just said.
"Oh, my bad, my pen doesn't seem to be working. Unfortunately that means I can't write down anything you just said. I'm also having a hard time hearing today. You said you wanted to get me some tacos from across the street for lunch, right? Thanks, brother, that's mighty fine of you. I think we're done here. Don't worry, Cindy, we got this fucker. You're part of our family now, and we defend family with our lives. Just to be safe, I'll have a couple of my guys patrolling your street twenty-four-seven, until we catch him. We will catch him, sweetheart."
Dammit. I’d tried so hard to keep the tears in but failed. "Thanks, Nich, I appreciate you. All of you. It's a good damn feeling knowing I'm not alone. I just want everyone to stay safe. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to any of you because of me."
