Chapter 9
Marci
Ileave Jacob's side to find my friend Elena. She's the one who mentored me in medical transcription, and thanks to her contacts, I was able to get jobs quickly. We've become good friends, and I can't wait to tell her that I was finally able to talk to Jacob.
I don't know if I'll tell her the dirty details of our morning encounters, nor that we're engaged. We'll see how the conversation flows.
I hurry along, waving to a few of the folks I know from around town, and look into the coffee shop's glass window.
There, sitting together are Elena and Carly, and I'm sure they are gossiping. Not about me, I hope. I turn the handle and step inside. I hang my coat on the hooks provided and walk over to them.
"Hey, mind if I join you?"
"Mrs. Claus, it's so good to see you!" Elena says.
"Doesn't she look great?" Carly asks.
"She looked wonderful next to Jacob in his Santa suit. Sit down and spill, Marci."
"Let me get some hot cocoa first."
Because of the parade, the coffee shop is self-serve today. So, I serve myself a steaming cup of hot chocolate and add a ton of tiny marshmallows to it. I walk back to the table and sit down. The women have a look of expectation on their faces.
"Fine. I tried to seduce him."
"What?!" They both shout.
I shoosh them and look around to see if anyone is eavesdropping. The coast seems clear, and I lean forward with my cup in my hands.
"I was nervous, so I drank too much cider. He came home to find me sleeping in his bed like some crazy Goldilocks."
Both women just look at me and don't say a word.
"He tried to get me out, but we were snowed in. Today I continued my seduction."
I hear the bell ring as the door opens and someone walks in. I'm still looking at my friend's expressions of surprise. Then someone grabs me by the arm and starts pulling on me.
"You're coming with me, Marci," a male voice says.
I look up, shocked.
"Carl, are you crazy? Let go of me."
He pulls me off the chair and starts dragging me toward the door. By now everyone around me is screaming at him to let go, but he's a stubborn one and just keeps on going. At that moment, the door opens, and I sigh in relief. Jacob is here.
"Let go of her, right now."
"Get out of my way, old man. She's my girlfriend."
"I'm pretty sure she's not. Either way, let go of her."
"Are you sweet on her, old man? She's nothing but a dirty whore. Trust me, you don't want her."
"If you don't let go of her this minute, I swear to you that hand will be broken into several pieces."
Carl, being stupid as he is, doesn't listen to my Jacob. Things are about to get ugly. I can feel it in my bones, but I don't know what to do to stop it. Carl shoves me in front of him like a shield and starts pushing me forward. He's got both my arms in a tight grip, and I can't get loose.
Jacob's face is distorted in anger, and he's not fooled by Carl's antics. As soon as Carl pushes me past Jacob, he grabs him by the collar and pulls him back from me. I fall forward against the door and am glad to see that Hunter, Elena's husband, is outside trying to come in.
I open the door for him, and he rushes past me, where I realize Jacob is beating the crap out of Carl. Hunter interferes, but Jacob seems to be in a haze of anger and keeps getting loose and attacking Carl.
I don't like Carl, but even I know this has gone further than a simple beating.
Carly manages to get Captain Miller from the fire department, and together with Hunter, they manage to separate Jacob and Carl.
From looking at Jacob, I can tell he's not all there. I guess these are the episodes he warned me about. My heart breaks for him, and a big part of me feels guilty because I didn't tell him about Carl.
I hope he didn't believe the lies Carl said about me.
Someone else enters the shop, and I realize it's the sheriff. He starts interviewing Carl, and Carl has the gall to ask the sheriff to arrest Jacob for assault. Jacob almost gets away from the hold the two men have on him when he hears that.
"Officer,” I call out. “This man was trying to drag me out of this place by force. I didn't agree to go with him. Jacob came in just as he was dragging me by the arm. Look."
I pull up my sleeve and show him the large bruise. His face turns angry, and he immediately arrests Carl and takes him away. He tells Jacob and me that Jacob should go into the sheriff's office tomorrow to give a statement. Unfortunately, Jacob is not completely here right now.
When Carl is finally gone, the firemen let go of Jacob. He looks very shaky. I approach him carefully and take his bloody hand in mine. I lead him to the bathroom, where I can wash away the blood and maybe disinfect the wound.
"Carly, do you have a first-aid kit?" I shout into the shop.
After a few moments, Carly hands me a first aid kit, and I place it on the counter. I wash his hands and dry them with some paper towels. Then, I clean his wounds with disinfectant wipes. Jacob doesn't say a word while I'm doing this, and I wonder if he's in shock.
I put some of those butterfly bandages over the worst cuts, and when I'm finished, I look up at his face. He's looking at himself in the mirror and seems somewhat lost.
"Are you okay, Jacob?"
"I'm sorry, baby girl."
With that, he pushes past me and leaves the coffee shop. I don't know where he's going, but I certainly know where I'm headed. To the sheriff's office. Carl is not getting away with hurting me and making my man go apeshit.