Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
SALVATORE
Vance. The guy we’re about to hire to fucking work with us? If my muscles weren’t already wound so tightly, I have no doubt they’d be coiling like a spring at her words.
Vance Fucking McMillan.
And it all comes back. “Fuck, Keeley. Did he do this to you?” As the question leaves my mouth, the thought of that notion has me springing to my feet. “What the fuck did he do?”
“Nothing. Not really.”
“Not really? That doesn’t exactly ease my mind.”
“All he did was grab my waist, and I overreacted. It’s my fault.
I stumbled backward, not remembering the stairs were behind me.
” She laughs, her cheeks flushing, as though she’s ashamed of her clumsiness.
While I can’t even smile. I’m caught on the beginning of her explanation. All he did was grab my waist.
First, why the fuck is he grabbing her waist?
Second, why the hell is his touch making her move away from him so quickly that she falls down the fucking stairs?
My fists clench but I try to stay calm.
“This wasn’t your fault, Keeley.”
“It kind of was…” She trails off when I shoot her a glare, and her lips pull into a smile. “Okay. It was an accident.”
“No, it wasn’t. If you ‘overreacted’ as you said, it’s because he was touching you without your permission. Am I right?”
She nods, and I briefly close my eyes, breathing in through my nose to calm myself. Only it doesn’t work.
“Fuuuck.”
“Sal.”
“I should have been there.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Why would you have been there?”
“To protect you. I’ve been so focused on the reasons I should stay away from you, when I should have been worrying about keeping you safe.”
“Sal. Come on. We’ve both been focused on other things, and you could hardly have stopped this.”
“Yes, I could have.”
“How? Rolled me up in bubble wrap and never let me out?”
“No. But I should have been there. I should have seen the signs.”
“Seen the signs? You’re not being fair to yourself. And maybe if I’d told you, you would have been.”
Her words wound me like a stab to the chest, but I don’t show it.
She didn’t mean the maybe as if she’s questioning whether or not I’d actually stay to protect her.
Though she has every right to. Camilla wouldn’t have questioned it at all.
She would have assumed I wouldn’t be there and hired someone else to help her.
I don’t want Keeley to ever have to question that.
And I know with absolute certainty that I would have made sure Vance never got close enough to even talk to her, let alone touch her.
“I would have been here. For you, I would have come.”
“I know. I’m not doubting that. I’ll never doubt that.
” She holds out a hand again and I hesitate taking it.
My palms are sweaty from how worked up I am, and I don’t want her to know that just yet.
Instead, I brush the tips of my fingers from her open palm to her hair, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.
“Will you tell me about it now?” I whisper as I pull away, sitting down beside her.
“That depends.” Her face twists.
“On what?”
“On whether or not you promise to stay calm.”
Since no part of me is calm right now, I can’t exactly promise that, so instead I nod.
“Thank you.” She accepts my answer before a sigh escapes her.
“I think we need to start talking more, Keeley. I said I didn’t want a casual relationship, and yet, that’s exactly how we’re acting. I need to know what’s going on in your life. And your head. It’s the only way we’re ever going to make this work.”
“Likewise.”
“I know.”
“I’m usually an open book, Sal. You know that.”
“Keels, you?—”
“Wait. I’m not finished. I’m an open book, but in some cases, I’ve ripped out the pages, preferring to pretend they never existed.”
A thought hits me and I speak before thinking. “You told Paige?” I wince, trying to hide my pain and jealousy, but Keeley sees right through my fa?ade, like she always does.
“Please don’t be upset with her,” I beg. “She wouldn’t tell me what. Just that there was more to the story.”
“I’m not upset. I completely understand. I’d have done the same. The thing is, I told Paige because she wasn’t likely to go after him.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I’d told you or Easton, within twenty-four hours he’d probably end up on the back of a milk carton.”
“You think we’d make him disappear?”
“I think you’d want to hurt him, sure. In fact, I know it. I can see it in your eyes as we speak.”
“You’re right. I want to hurt that fucker more than I’ve ever wanted to hurt anyone. But you told me to stay, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Didn’t Paige tell you to leave it too? With the Mikklesons?”
“Not exactly, but…” I trail off, unable to lie to her. “I can’t guarantee that if an opportunity presents itself, I’ll be able to walk away.”
“So if Vance walked in here a week from now, you’d…”
“Have words.”
“Words?”
“With my fist.”
“He’s a recently retired football star. I think he can take you.” Keeley laughs, making me sit back. “You don’t even know what he did.”
“It doesn’t matter what he did. He hurt you. And that’s what counts. That’s enough.”
“Aren’t you my hero.”
“Keeley. Please. You have to talk to me. No more deflecting.”
“Okay.” She takes a deep breath before glancing at the door, only speaking when I’ve turned around to follow her gaze.
“Vance and I attended the same college close to where I grew up. He was a year above me, and while he was one of the most popular guys on campus, he was also considered one of the good guys. He was focused on the game. He wasn’t a player like the other guys on his team.
” My stomach knots as speaks, and it’s hard not to let my imagination run away from me.
“I’ll save you the details, but after a little while he asked me out.
Took me to some fancy restaurant away from the college.
He was nice enough, and I had a good time, but we didn’t click.
At least I felt that way. He didn’t agree.
He’d convinced himself I was a sure thing, so when we pulled up to my off-campus apartment, he wouldn’t let me get out of the car. ”
She pauses to glance away while my hands ball into fists again, and I force myself to release them, flexing once before curling them around my thighs. He wouldn’t let her out of the car?
“I wasn’t the badass I am now.” She fakes a smile, making my chest ache as she sucks in a breath. “If I was, I would have kneed him in the balls, or screamed my lungs out. But back then, I let him kiss me. I figured he’d notice we didn’t have a connection and pull away. I was wrong.”
Jesus, fuck. I stiffen, reaching for Keeley’s hand only to have her shake me off as she turns away again, unable to meet my eye.
“He didn’t go all the way, but he…” she trails off and I stupidly answer for her.
“He assaulted you? In the car?” My fingers dig into my legs, inflicting an ounce of the pain I want to inflict on Vance.
“He did.”
“Fuck.” I stand, running a hand through my hair as I pace. “Did you report him?” I glance back her way, as Wes’s words flit back to mind, my anger growing. Was that why he got a one-game suspension? One fucking game?
Keeley nods, and bile rises in my throat. I’m going to kill him. I’ve never been one to solve problems with violence, but what the fucker did deserves?—
“Sit down. Please. It was a long time ago and?—”
“The ‘when’ doesn’t matter. How the hell is he still playing football? Why isn’t it on his record?”
“They covered it up and fired me from my athletic department internship.”
“They what? Are you kidding me? Who’s they?”
Keeley smiles but I don’t see what’s funny. “Thank you for caring. We can’t do anything about Vance or the entire athletics department now. I’m sure they’ve all moved on.”
“They may have, but you haven’t. How is that fair?”
“I have moved on. At least, I thought I had until Vance was standing in front of me.”
“Then let me do something to help.”
“You can’t. Hurting him is not going to take the memories away. And he’s the reason I’m stronger now. I wanted to ensure that never happened again. That I was never that vulnerable.”
“You’re allowed to be vulnerable, Keeley. And you can be strong without enduring trauma. He deserves to pay for what he did.”
Keeley plays with the edge of her sheet, as she smiles. “I don’t disagree, only that ship has sailed. I want to move on. For real this time. Can you help me with that?”
I pause, staring into her uncertain eyes, and drop back into the seat beside her. “Of course. What do you need me to do?”
“Do you think you could ask Wes not to hire him? I know it’s been hard to find someone and a QB coach is more essential than a media liaison but?—”
“What? No. Keeley…” Fuck, she’s worried about history repeating itself. “There is no way in hell we would choose that fucker over you. Or anyone else. Is that what you think?”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know. I didn’t think my boss in college would do it either, but he’s more important and?—”
“Keeley, stop. You are important. If anyone on that team hurt you, they’d be gone the second I found out. It wouldn’t matter who they were. And I have no doubt, Wes would feel the same.”
Keeley’s eyes water, and I silently curse myself for never taking the time to ask her what she was thinking the few times I noticed her hiding something.
“I promise you, that asshole will be sent packing as soon as we’ve finished talking. I’m sorry you ever doubted that.”
“No, I’m sorry. I?—”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. How else can I help?”
“I need you to let me be the one that confronts him. I thought I was okay. I’m not. And-”
“You want to confront him?”
“I do. Alone. I want to remind him of what he did to me and make sure he knows how messed up it was. I’m not even sure he realizes the damage he did.”
“Fuck, Keeley. I can’t. Not alone. I understand you wanting to talk to him, but please let me be there.”
I reach for her hand again, and this time she lets me take it, curling her fingers through mine as she contemplates my request. “You’d have to promise to give us space, and you can’t say a word.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How am I supposed to do that?
“Sal?” she pleads as her eyes grow round.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes.” Dammit.
“You can be there.”
“Thank you.” A breath rushes from my mouth.
It’s not exactly what I want to do, but at least she won’t be alone with him again.
If I can help it, that will be the last time she ever has to see his face.
“We might need to stall him to keep him in San Francisco. You’re not seeing him while the pain is still fresh. ”
“I know. Maybe we can go after they release me.”
“I’ll set it up.”
“Thank you.”
She squeezes my hand, and a little part of me wishes she didn’t have such a big hold over me. I want to kill him. I also want to do everything she asks of me. And she will always win. Though, I can use it to my advantage.
“Since I agreed to your plan over my own, I have a request for you.”
“Oh-kay.” Keeley frowns, making me laugh.
“I want you to stay with me after they discharge you.”
“That’s not necessary. It’s not like he’s going to track me down at home and attack me after I confront him.”
“Jesus, Keels.” My stomach knots as if that’s now a possibility. “I wasn’t thinking that at all.” Until you put it in my head. “I want you to stay with me because I don’t want you to be alone. In fact, my guess is that the doctors will insist on it anyway.”
“You don’t want me to be alone?” she asks, her tone suspicious.
“Yes. The doctor will likely say you need someone with you, so it makes sense.” And I want to be the one to take care of you.
Always. From here on out.