25. Holy Shit! Youre Alive
Holy Shit! You're Alive
Luke
You’ve reached Dani, leave a message.
I have been trying to reach Dani for hours. After four calls went through, the rest went straight to voicemail. I don't like the fact that I can't get ahold of her while she's dealing with Josh. I don't know much about the man, but I do know the Whitlock's reputation. If you won't give them what they want willingly, they'll take it from you and leave you penniless with a mess to clean up. I try calling a few more times but give up and head to bed.
Sleep doesn’t come easy. I try for hours but give up once the sun starts shining through the windows. I hop in the shower, making it a quick one and throw on a pair of sweatpants. I head into the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker and grabbing a mug from the cupboard. My thoughts go back to Dani and last night.
Her lips, her moans, how sweet she tasted—fuck! I nearly blew my load from the taste of her alone. Her body is a road map of scars and burns. I don’t know what happened or what she went through to receive those marks, but she survived, and it proves just how strong Dani truly is.
Mug in hand, I walk to my office to finish my proposal in preparation for Joni Dobson's case. I sit at my desk and turn on the computer.
I don’t remember falling asleep, but the ringing of my phone wakes me. The sun’s shining through the windows, I have a piece of paper stuck to the side of my face and drool on my arm. I reach for my cell and my heart jackhammers against my ribs when I see the name.
"Daniella," I answer.
"You rang, Archer." She hums.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay."
A sigh comes from Dani, but it’s not one of annoyance. "I’m…I’m sort of okay."
"Feel like explaining?" I question.
She makes a groaning noise. "I got into it with Josh last night."
My temper hops into the drivers seat. "He didn't lay his hands on you, did he?" I growl.
"No."
I relax against the chair. I would've returned the favour if he did.
"Do you need some time off, Sweetheart?"
"I—I’m okay. Really."
Yeah, I smell bullshit on that. "Truly? I’m sure Carrie would not mind filling in for you for a few days."
A soft noise comes through the phone. "I can’t afford a few days off, Archer."
"But—"
"I’ll be in on Monday," Dani hangs up on me.
I finished most of the proposal by mid-afternoon. Hopefully with the evidence Joni gave me, it will be a quick case. It not only proves that Doug cheated while he was still married, but that a child has come from his infidelity.
I stand and stretch, grabbing my phone, and checking it. I don’t know what I expected to find. I spoke to Dani a little over four hours ago, why I have my hopes up that she will call again is beyond me. I hit send on what I have finished, emailing everything to myself, so it'll be waiting for me when I get in Monday. The shrill ringing of my office phone scares the hell out of me.
"Lucas Archer."
"Holy shit! You’re alive." Carrie says in way of greeting.
"Of course, I’m alive. You saw me yesterday."
She raspberries into the phone. "Sure, but I figured by the way you and Dani were going at it when I left, I thought she would have killed you by now."
I let a chuckle loose. "If I’m being honest, I could have sworn she wanted to stab me with a pen."
Carrie lets out a squeal and starts laughing. "She wouldn’t be the first."
I have been punched and slapped. I have had things thrown at my head. When people don’t get their way, they tend to take it out on the person they feel responsible for it.
"So, CeCe, to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?" I ask.
"Well, Elle—"
"Do not put this on me! This was your idea!" Elle yells in the background.
"What was your idea?" I inquire.
"I was thinking of having you and Dani over for dinner tonight."
Dinner.
With Dani.
At Carrie and Elle’s.
I would rather scoop my eyes out with a rusty spoon. Those two are like a couple of bloodhounds. They’ll know something physical went down between Dani and me last night.
"I don’t think so."
"Lucas. Pleeeaaassseee." Carrie starts to whine into the phone.
Christ on a cracker. I hate when she does that. It always guilts trips me into doing shit and she knows it. "I shouldn’t be saying anything as it is not my place, but something happened last night with Daniella, and she is not in a good place right now."
That should shut her up.
"Dani’s totally on board with this, yeah. She’s even bringing her friend Erin and her hubby Jake." Carrie says enthusiastically.
Son of a bitch. I rub my forehead. "What time?"
Carrie squeals. "Yay! Be here for eight and wear something casual. Bring beer." The phone disconnects in my ear.
I hate when she does that too.
Tossing a shirt on, I swipe my keys and head out to The Beer Store while I’m thinking about it. The elevator doors open, and I curse under my breath.
"Hello, Lucas," Sarah says as she steps off the elevator. The Coach bag I bought her on our one-year anniversary dangling from her slim arm.
"Why are you here?"
"I haven't been able to get ahold of you, and Gabe refuses to talk to me. I was getting really worried."
"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to speak with you and that's why you can't get ahold of me." I step onto the elevator, punching the button for the underground garage. "Goodbye, Sarah."
Sarah scurries into the elevator behind me. "I think we should talk about us," she says, eyeing my faded Iron Maiden shirt with disgust.
"There's nothing to talk about. You made the decision to cheat on me then leave and I have made my peace with that." I move to the far corner of the car.
"I made a mistake. I didn't value all your hard work to give me the greatest life I've ever had," she stands in front of me. "I realize now how much I truly do love you and I think we should give us another chance."
"There's no second chance. I found an amazing woman who wants to be with me because of who I am, not because of how much is in my bank account." The doors ding open and I push past her.
Her heels click on the cement as she tries to keep up. "Your money meant nothing to me, either. I love you for you."
"You don't love me, Sarah, you love my money. Maybe when we first started dating you loved me but once the money started rolling in, you stopped giving a shit about me and only focused on yourself and what my money could buy you." I stop at my truck.
"Why did you quit your job once I was financially stable enough to take care of everything? If you didn't love me for my money, you would've kept working."
"I wanted to be a stay at home wife. Take care of the household chores and keep you happy sexually." She says, a little winded.
"You didn't do either of those things. I would be the one cooking and cleaning. I had to beg you for sex. Fucking beg you! You never gave a shit about me." I unlock my truck and slide behind the wheel.
Crocodile tears run down her cheeks. "I should've never left you for Robin. He was awful to me. He didn't want to work and I had to find a job to pay the bills. That money you gave me didn't last as long as I though it would."
I sigh and drop my head back against the headrest. "I never gave you money, Sarah, you stole that from out joint bank account."
She pulls a tissue from her purse and dabs her eyes. "I was forced to get a job, while he sat at home spending all my money. He was never home, never spent any time with me, then he left me for someone else!" she sobs.
I shut the door and start the truck. "Guess the grass isn't always green, huh. Bye, Sarah."
I drive away, leaving her standing in the now empty spot.