Miles for Love Series Box Set, page 95
Marie, my therapist, works out of her home. Her office is in her finished basement, and there is a separate entrance to her office from outside. This is the reason I came to her; because being here is less clinical. It was the only reason why Paul initially agreed to see Marie as well, and why I stayed after he gave up. Her practice is small; she has no assistant, and she answers her own calls and makes her own appointments. As I enter her home, she’s sitting in the office with the door open.
“Hi there, stranger.” She says, smiling. “Come on in.” she gestures with her hand. She could pass for Sally Field with her appearance and demeanor. Warm and friendly, yet with a comforting and timely sense of humor. “You want a coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’m fine for now.” I say as I sit in the chair. She rises and closes the door behind me.
Sally knows that I was in the hospital. She’d left a message when I missed my appointment. I didn’t tell her the gruesome details over the phone.
“So, you’re feeling better?” she opens with.
“Much, thanks.”
“Were you sick?”
Drawing in a deep breath, I muster the courage to tell her what happened. After all, if anyone should know the truth, it’s her. She knows Paul’s past. It’s about time she knew about his future, too. She looks at my face. “Your eye…” her head tilts as she takes a closer look. “Were you…in a…car accident?”
“You get one more guess, Marie.” I say, wiping the first tear off my face.
Her hands go to her mouth. “Dear God.”
“There it is.” I nod, grabbing a tissue from the box that she’s handing me.
Her head shakes slowly in disbelief. “No…oh, Lord, Ripley…I’m so sorry.”
I wipe my eyes and nose.
“Where is he now?”
“Jail.”
She searches my face. She sounds like she’s in disgusted awe when she asks. “What did he…do to you?”
“Do you want the actions or the list of damages?” I almost scoff. I feel angry. I’m never angry. It’s an odd feeling and it doesn’t suit me.
“Ripley, it’s what you’re comfortable with, honey. You know that’s how I work.” Her voice is even and fair, not chiding.
“Three broken ribs with internal bleeding, a closed head injury with brain swelling, multiple bruises and contusions…what am I leaving out?” I ask, almost facetiously.
“So he damn near killed you.” She says levelly.
“That about sums it up, yes.” I say pointedly. “But he didn’t.”
She nods and has a deep, thoughtful look on her face. “You’re right. Great attitude, Ripley.”
“I never knew I’d have so much support, Marie. It’s been wonderful.”
“Good always comes out of bad.” She says warmly.
“I believe that.” I agree.
Marie steeples her hands under her chin. “So what happens to Paul now?”
I shrug. “I’ve been almost removed from it to be honest. My family is dealing with that part. Last I heard he’s been tried for attempted murder.”
“Sounds right.”
“I have an appointment with a lawyer next week. My friend has a lot of money and isn’t afraid to use it to get me an express divorce.”
“Are you keeping your house?”
“If I can, but it isn’t a deal breaker for me.”
She sighs and unclenches her hands. “Aside from the outside injuries, how are you doing inside?” she asks, the notion is implied that she means how am I doing emotionally.
Measuring my words, I look at her. “I never thought I’d say this, but, in the last year I knew, deep down, that things would never be the same. Certainly, I didn’t know things would escalate this badly, but Paul…changed. Something inside him was lost. That sparkle in his eyes was gone the moment he got that promotion.”
“You’ve been alluding to that for a long time. I don’t know if you realize that.” She volunteers. “What got you through these past few weeks, Ripley.” She asks, framing it as a statement, as though fishing inside my head for my own answer, and I know that it’s been here the whole time, it was just hidden under a pile of illusion. Walls that I put up to protect myself from the impending letdown of my marriage. Truths that I withheld from my family and friends that could have led me down a safer path. I know that deep down, I would have left him after that night at The Mill, but I protected him…stupidly.
“Support. Love. Strength in numbers.” I answer honestly. “Not to mention the fact that most of the men in my life are built like bricks. Had I let on even a little bit that Paul had hit me a year ago, he wouldn’t have the teeth to smile about any promotion ever again.” I manage a tight grin. “If he wasn’t behind bars, I know that I’d have enough bodyguards keeping watch, all hours of the day and night.”
She’s impressed. “Sounds like you have a great support system.”
“I do.”
“So, what do you want to work on now, Ripley?” she asks poignantly. “Getting over what’s happened to you, or moving on to the next step?”
“Isn’t that one in the same?”
“Not exactly.” Marie purses her lips together. “We’ve always looked at ways to drive you forward, looking through the windshield if you will, not analyzing the past, or looking at the rearview mirror. We can do the same here, but this time it won’t be about coping mechanisms to help keep your marriage healthy, it will be more about helping you develop skills for your next relationship. You’re a young, vibrant girl, and you deserve a stable relationship. We can look at ways to form that.”
Considering her statement, I’m silent. After a beat, I say. “Is it entirely possible to meet someone who has such a caring heart, a healing touch, and an honest smile, that you wonder how and why you ever deserved to have such a person in your life?”
“Ripley, you deserve all that. Don’t let what Paul did to you erode your belief that you are worthy of such a person.”
I shake my head and speak levelly. “That’s not what I mean, Marie.” I pause for emphasis. “What I mean is that…I’ve already met that person.”
Chapter 15
Tyler
Today was tough. I’d taken some time off to spend with Ripley, helping her and her family out to get her through the rough spots. It wasn’t a big deal; I’ve been there for more than five years and haven’t taken much vacation time. Truth be told, most of my job can be done remotely. Being an engineer for a large machinery manufacturer, developments are born at home via software that I specifically engineered myself. Head executives over there love me and don’t give me any trouble when I need flexibility. For what I’ve contributed both in time and innovation, makes up for any inconsistencies in my schedule. They come to me, and that’s the only reason why I stay. Between the shop and my inheritance, I don’t need to work. I choose to.
When I decide to close up the office for the day, it’s around lunch time, so I head over to the shop, since I haven’t been there in a few days. I’ll knock off some design work on my laptop later. Always the happy one, Hector slaps me on the back when he sees me as I arrive at the shop. “We’ve missed you, boss man. Where have you been?”
“Ah, just helping out a friend. Everything going well around here?”
“You would be the first to know if there were any troubles, my man.” Hector smiles.
“I know that, buddy.” This man deserves a raise. He’s an absolute champion.
“Has anyone come around needing free work done?”
He nods once. “Just one young lady. A student. It was a brake job. The car had just been bought and it was a piece of crap. Falling apart all over the place. I tried to tell her to get her money back, but she said that it was an ‘as is’ purchase.” He bites his lip and tilts his head. “I’d like to pound the son of a bitch that took that poor kid’s money.”
“And her father or someone hadn’t looked it over?” I ask.
One side of his mouth quirks into a sad smirk. “Her father’s passed. Mother, too. That’s why I couldn’t charge her a dime, man. It was sad.”
“You get a name for the kid?”
“Yeah. I told her to come back the next time something goes wrong with it. I give it a week.”
I don’t know why I care so much, but I do. “What’s she taking in school?”
“Culinary Arts. She’s in her first year.”
“What kind of car?”
“Beat up Toyota. Never been undercoated. Rust all underneath. He saw her coming.”
“Give me her name and address. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Sure thing.” Hector says.
Heading home, I go downstairs and get a long overdue workout in. I know that Ripley is at her therapist appointment this morning, and she’s supposed to see Daniel this afternoon, so I take my time. After what that girl has been through, she’s a real trooper. My buddy is a lawyer, and he’s going to expedite a divorce for her, at her request. Frankie or one of her brothers will go with her for that. I mean, I don’t want to overstep. If she asks me to do anything, I’ll do it, but I don’t want her to think that I’m being overbearing or nosey. It’s her life, after all.
At around three o’clock, as I’m reviewing a plan I made for work, I receive a text message from Ripley. It says, ‘I got the all-clear from Daniel. Heading back to work next week!’ I can feel the excitement in her voice.
‘That’s excellent news! I’m sure that Lacey has missed the crap out of you’, I answer, realizing that I have to leave shortly to go get her. Grant isn’t home from work yet, and I haven’t heard from him. His focus is a little divided since Frankie became part of his life.
‘I can’t wait! Let’s celebrate!’ she answers back.
‘what did you have in mind?’ I reply.
‘Anything. Let’s order pizza and play cards or something.’
‘Where? Your place? Mine?’
‘I’m sick of these four walls, do you mind it at your place?’
‘Don’t be silly. Come on over when you want. I’m just popping out to get Lacey and I’ll be back shortly.’
‘Sounds good.’
Her little smiley face is cute. ‘See you soon.’ I send my final reply.
When I get back from dropping Lacey off at my parent’s place, Grant is home. “Hey, sorry. Work was killer. I just got home and I’ve still got a ton to do.”
“No problem. Everything cool at work?”
“Yeah, fine. Just loads to do, and I’ve missed some lately.”
“Anything to do with your latest conquest?” I ask, half-teasing, half-curious.
“It might have something to do with that.” He admits.
“How’s it going, anyway?” Okay, now I’m just being nosey.
“Really good.” He nods. “Frankie’s great. It was a bit of a rocky start, but, I think it could turn out to be the real thing.”
“Why was it a rocky start?”
“What, are you new?” he barks, chuckling. “The whole ‘your brother told my best friend that he’s gay and he’s not’ deal, and then, let’s not forget the whole drama with Ripley.” He shakes his head. “It hasn’t been a smooth ride by any means.”
“Well, that’s new for you, anyway.” I state. “Let’s face it, your relationships don’t stem past one or two dates, with a couple of casual lays in between.”
“Thanks, man.” He says quickly, indicating that he doesn’t appreciate the reminder.
“Frankie know that you haven’t been in a serious relationship since Stacey?”
“Man, that was a disaster.” Grant scoffs, cutting the air with his hand for emphasis. “The less she knows about her the better.”
Stacey was a girl that Grant dated off and on while he was in the military. Their relationship was not exclusive…to her, anyway. It broke Grant’s heart when he came back during breaks in our deployment, to learn that Stacey had been with other men, even though he okayed it before leaving. By the time our mission was over six years ago, she’d married and moved to Canada. To be honest, I think part of him stayed with her.
“I agree. That was…yeah, that was a disaster.” I chuckle. “Sorry, man, but there is no better way to put that.”
“No trouble, man.” Grant smacks me on the back as he passes by to grab a glass of water. “You get Lacey today?”
“Well, I certainly hope so. Or she’s still standing outside waiting.” I joke.
“I’ll get her tomorrow.”
“No sweat.” I change the subject. “Frankie coming over later? I know that Ripley is.”
“Yeah, she said that Ripley wants to have pizza and hoop it up, since she’s going back to work next week.”
“Exactly.”
“Hey, speaking of conquests…I notice that you spent the night with Ripley last night.” Grant asks, fishing.
“And nothing happened, man.” I state plainly. “What do you think I am? She’s still pretty beat up, and not to mention the fact that despite his ass being in the slammer, Ripley is still a married woman.”
“But you like her.”
Like isn’t the proper word. Ripley is…amazing. She’s unlike any other woman I’ve ever known. Brave, selfless, hard-working, honest, driven, and hell bent on being independent and strong, in spite of the fact that she almost died at the hand of her abusive husband mere weeks ago. “I think she’s awesome.” I look at him pointedly. “But I know the rules and I’m not about to break them.”
“Plus, she’s probably not even thinking about you the way that you’re thinking about her, no?”
“I’m a big boy, brother. I can handle it.”
“Just…I don’t need the whole drama between the girls, man.” Grant grunts. “Twenty bucks says that if things go sour with you and Ripley, that Frankie’ll dump me like a sack of potatoes.”
“Better to find that out now, if she’s a piece of shit like that.” I point out.
He considers that statement for a moment. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
“Plus, Ripley and I are just friends, man. Like you said yourself, she’s not looking for a relationship for a very long time. Maybe never again after what she’s been through.”
Grant rakes a hand through his hair. “I’ve got a few hours of work to bang out before Frankie gets here. I’ll get started.”
“Sounds good.”
After making a few phone calls, catching up on some personal and work items, I order the pizza and slip out to grab some snacks and drinks, making a quick stop on the way for something else. As I pull into the driveway, I see both Ripley and Frankie’s cars in the driveway.
“Hey, hey.” I say, walking into the house. My arms are loaded with grocery bags.
“Here, let me help you.” Ripley says, trotting over to me. She’d been standing in the front foyer, so she was closest to me.
“I don’t think so, pretty lady.” I scoff, pulling the bags away from her. “You’re not supposed to be lifting anything.”
“Here, let me take something.” Frankie says, approaching from the kitchen.
“You’re just in time, brother. The pizza just arrived.” Grant calls from the kitchen. I see him pulling plates out of the cupboard.
To my surprise, Ripley hugs me hello. “What’s this for?” I ask as her arms are around my neck. I pull her close very gently, fearing I’ll hurt her.
“Just…because.” She says, holding me tighter.
“You okay?”
“Wonderful.” She says softly into my ear. “I saw my therapist today. She says I should give you a big hug next time I see you. So here it is.”
“Aw.” I tuck my face into her neck, amongst all her hair, and I give her a tender kiss. “You tell her thank you.”
She pulls back and kisses my cheek. Her happiness is palpable. I can’t help but smile at her. “You look like your heart’s grown two sizes today, kid.” I comment.
“I think it has.”
“Pizza’s on!” Grant bellows from the kitchen, which receives a playful punch in the arm from Frankie.
Ripley takes my hand in hers and leads me to the kitchen. I love it that she’s so affectionate. We sit and eat dinner, and I notice something different about her. As I give her a second glance, she picks up on it. “Oh yeah, check it out.” She says, winking with her bad eye, that she hasn’t been able to properly open in weeks.
“Way to go.” I say, giving her back a little rub.
“Are your ribs feeling better, Rip?” Frankie asks with her mouth half full.
“Pretty good, yeah.” She says, almost giddy. The happiness in her voice is so nice. Not that she ever sounded down, which is amazing, but she sounds like she’s really feeling back to her old self. “Almost a hundred percent better. Daniel says that was the deciding factor in determining when I can go back to work.”
“You’re not excited at all.” Frankie says facetiously.
“I can’t wait.” Ripley counters. “I miss those little kids, and I love my job, so I miss it so badly.”
“And you were only in it for a couple of days, too, right?” Grant adds.
“Yes, exactly.”
After we clean up, Grant suggests that we watch a movie. It’s a comedy that we choose, and as we all huddle onto the couch, Frankie lays across Grant’s lap, with her body lengthwise on the opposite side. Ripley sits next to me, and I lay my arm across the top of the couch, draped above her head. About ten minutes into the movie, there is a really funny bit, and Ripley laughs really loud, and when I look at her, her face pales. “You alright?”
She swallows. “Yeah, I just…laughed a little too hard.”
My arm comes down from the top of the couch, and rests across her back, as I stroke her with my hand.
“You want me to pick a different movie?” Grant offers.
“You do and I’ll kill you.” Ripley says, recovering. “This is the most I’ve laughed for as long as I can remember.”
