Chapter 37 Count Me In #2
“I work here. I can be here whenever I want. Who were you expecting? Your latest hookup?” His eyes are bloodshot, and I don’t respond.
I thought Sam turned on the location thing for Jude and that’s what the notification was. He must’ve thought so too because I could’ve sworn that’s what his goofy grin was telling me. I need to look at my phone.
I reach for my back pocket as Nathan walks toward me.
“Can’t look away from your phone for a minute, can you?” He laughs.
“Did you tell Gavin to get me?”
“Who? The kid with the trash? Yeah. You got a thing with him too?” He keeps inching closer, but the door’s locked, and they’d never hear me knock. I’ll have to run all the way around the building to get back in.
My shoes are slick from the greasy kitchen floor. It’s dark, and the ground is wet.
Maybe he’ll leave if I let him talk. “What do you want?”
“You got me kicked out of my house.” He adds a nasty term of endearment at the end.
“I haven’t even seen you!”
“All I needed was a little support, you selfish witch. You think you’re so much better than me while you’re out here sleeping with half the town.”
I ignore the accusation and focus on the kicked out part.
“If Jackson kicked you out, that’s between y’all. Maybe you shouldn’t have fought someone who let you live there for free.”
Well, that was dumb.
His teeth clench as he takes a step closer, forcing me to step back.
“You gotta keep pushing, don’t you? Always had to kick me when I’m down.”
“I’m not the one who knocked a girl up. You can’t stand me anyway, so just go.”
I’ve got to stop talking. He doesn’t self-reflect or apologize. He won’t even give me the silent treatment when he’s like this. All I can do is not engage.
“I already told you I’ll be here whenever I want!” He charges toward me, spitting as he talks. “You ruined everything! I had to move! I lost my job!”
I stumble backward over some landscape rocks and fall on my butt in some mulch.
My head smacks the side of the building, but he keeps coming toward me.
I use my hands to scoot away from the wall so he can’t corner me, then instinctively cross my arms in front of my face.
“I had nothing to do with any of that. I wasn’t even there! ” I cry, beginning to panic.
Nathan stands over me and screams, “There’s no baby! She said it’s not mine. I lost everything because you couldn’t wait one more freaking month. Everything would’ve worked out!”
I don’t mean to close my eyes, but I can’t help it. He’s so close and so loud. The smell of alcohol on his breath makes me gag, and I snap.
With both hands and not enough air in my lungs, I shove him back as hard as I can.
Something pops in my wrist when I connect awkwardly with his face, and it burns like all the fire in Hades, but Nathan flies backward like he was jerked from the other side.
Somewhere I can hear Annie talking. Familiar arms hook under mine, pulling me up a rag doll just in time to see Jude’s fist connect with Nathan’s jaw.
Sam wraps around me from behind, pinning my arms to my chest like I might try to fight. I couldn’t if I wanted to. His heart hammers against the back of my head, but he’s the only thing holding me up. “You’re okay. Danny’s got him. Annie called the cops.”
Jude puts Nathan on the ground, restraining him with a knee in his back while he flails and screams obscenities. A police car arrives in seconds, blinding me with flashing LED lights.
“Danny Crawford? What the hell are you doing? Why are you out here street fightin’ in a dang suit? Don’t you own half this town?”
“Tony West. Excellent timing, man.”
“Shortstop timing.” Tony cuffs Nathan despite his insistent protests that we hit him. “That may be, sir, but you smell pretty intoxicated, and I bet you drove here. We’ll sort it out.”
Nathan continues to yell out every few minutes. “You’re friends with the cop? This whole town is rigged. I’ll sue you! I’ll sue all of you!”
Another police car pulls in, and a female EMT asks questions and shines a light in my eyes when Annie tells her she thinks I hit my head. Sam gives me one last squeeze before releasing me to Jude.
Tears turn to sobs the minute he touches me.
He carries me to the ambulance so I can sit down while a younger officer asks us questions.
Jude never lets go while we give our statements and answer everything we’re asked.
He tells him it’s happened before, and he’s sure Lainey and I have both reported Nathan to management.
Officer Tony talks to Dave, Lainey, and Gavin while Jude negotiates with the EMT and the other officer to let us drive to the ER to get my head and hand checked. Tony must think highly of Jude, because he tells the younger cop to let us go.
“Where’s the blood coming from?” I ask Jude, looking at my hand. “I don’t see any cuts.”
“Baby, I’m pretty sure it’s his.” He grins at me. “Nice job.”
“I’m sorry. You told me to quit.” I look Jude over in the sexy, probably ruined suit.
“What? And miss all this? Come on. You can quit now if you want to.”
Once we’re in his SUV, he palms the steering wheel, backing out with his left hand, when I see the puffy angry purple of his right.
He meets my horrified eyes and winks to ease my concern.
“Totally worth it, but I’ll get it checked out, okay?”
I nod, and he drives up to where Tony’s talking to Dave so I can officially quit. Poor Gavin is distraught, apologizing profusely for setting me up.
“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” I tilt my head at Dave. “But he did.”
Sam and Annie stay to wrap things up while Jude and I take a left toward Community First Hospital, fully aware the questioning we just endured was merely a warmup for the interrogation we’re about to face.
“I don’t know whether to be proud or freaking strangle you.” Jace flings both hands up in frustration before lacing his fingers together through his messy black hair. “I’d high-five you for breaking the jackass’s nose, sweetheart, but you have a fractured wrist. What the actual hell?”
I can’t resist messing with him now that my adrenaline’s come down. “I can tell you’re upset, but have I ever told you the blue scrubs really bring out your eyes?”
“We told you to quit!” Jace glowers.
“Watch it,” Jude warns.
“I have bills, Jace! My phone, car insurance, rent …” I list them off when Jude’s body stiffens next to me and Jace’s face drops into a blank stare.
His eyes shift to Jude and back to mine. “When JC Enterprises takes money from your account on the first of the month, who exactly do you think that is?”
“Johnson Cit—” I begin when Jace’s facepalm tells me I’m an idiot. “Wait … Jude Crawford?”
Jace tilts his head and holds a palm up toward Jude, who’s begun stroking his good hand through my hair.
I knew that.
If I’d been asked under different circumstances … it just never crossed my mind.
“John Crawford Enterprises,” Jude says gently. “The company. Not me personally.”
“It doesn’t matter. My bills are my responsibility,” I tell them both, winding Jace up again.
“You had a vindictive ex and people to help you! There’s no reason to be a stubborn little—"
“That’s enough, Jace!” Jude’s tone makes me shiver next to him on the ER bed. “She did what she had to do. Drop it.”
“Oh, I haven’t even started with you.” He points at Jude, still pacing like a madman, but noticeably softens his approach.
“Are matching fractures a new couple thing? Distal radius fracture for the violent cupcake and fifth metacarpal for you, Tennessee Tyson. But I’m not a doctor, and you didn’t hear that from me. ”
“How bad?” Jude asks.
“Hairline. You’ll probably just get splints—both of you.
You seem fine, Cupcake, but assume a mild concussion out of caution.
Rest, ice, and ibuprofen.” He sighs heavily.
“Lead with your left, man. It’s the same one as last time.
” Jace takes another exasperated look before reluctantly hugging us with big, disappointed dad energy.
“Love you, Mr. Stark.” I pat his shoulder. He’s obsessing over every worst-case scenario that didn’t happen, but if my wrist wasn’t throbbing, I’d still like to smack him one good time.
Jace folds his arms and sits at the foot of the bed. “Love you both. Still mad.”
“You’re off the clock now, right?” I ask. “Go home and check on Annie and Sam. I’ll drive if he’s too tired.”
“I’m wired, man,” Jude adds. “Go on home. We’re good.”
Jace will be a cat in a room full of rocking chairs until he has eyes on all of us.
Once he finally leaves, I shoot Jude a look. “Last time? Do you slug people often?”
“No.” He grins and leans down to kiss me. “Once, in high school, he ran his mouth at someone without a sense of humor and I … mediated.”
“I see. So, it’s like an every ten-ish years thing?”
“Ish.” He shrugs. “If you two stay out of trouble that long.”
He kisses my cheek, over to my ear and down my neck before reclining us while we wait on a doctor to officially tell us what Jace already did.
“How long do I get to keep you?” I ask, snuggling closer.
“As long as you want me, Punk. I’m yours.”
“Good answer, but how long are you home?”
He kisses my head, and I look up to meet his eyes, crinkled at the corners with a contented grin that defies the nightmare we just endured.
“Surprise.”
“Surprise? It’s been a long night, Boss Man. Spell it out for me.”
“Read my lips.” He kisses me softly, rubbing his nose against mine. “I’m. Not. Leaving.”
He punctuates each word with kisses until I’m not sure if it’s a concussion or the sweet taste of mint on his lips causing my cognitive delay.
I pull back once I put his words together. “Wait, you mean forever?”
He grins, tucking some unruly hair behind my ear.
“That’s the plan.”