Chapter 13
Hayden hadn’t slept properly in days, his argument with Whitney weighing heavy on his heart. Thinking back, he was aware of how he overreacted and that he made her cry, made guilt sit like a stone in his stomach. He had promised her he would never intentionally hurt her and although it was normal for couples to have their disagreements, the fact that he let his own stubbornness go that far, causing her pain, was unacceptable.
The hardware store door chimed, and he glanced to the entrance to see Bea Baxter enter. Spotting him, she walked over to where he was stocking a shelf and gave him a hearty punch in the arm.
“Hey there Hay Bale!”
“Hey Bea.” he replied, in a wary tone as he feigned a smile.
Bea put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side, giving him a once over as she asked,“Why so glum, chum?”
Hayden shook his head, not wanting to answer her, and continued with his task of stocking the shelves.
“If you don’t spill, I’m going to have to text Ben, or perhaps Whitney.” Bea threatened playfully as she pulled out her phone, making a show of texting someone.
“Please don’t,” he answered. “Whitney’s upset with me right now.”
Stuffing her phone back in her pocket, Bea offered him a frown. “Trouble in paradise?”
“You could say that,” he answered, walking back to the counter. “Whitney leaves for Toronto next week for the court hearing and insists I stay back here.”
“Oh, so she doesn’t want you to go with her?” Bea asked, leaning over the counter.
“She says she needs to deal with this on her own.”
Bea stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. “I understand that. Did you get all protective caveman on her?”
Hayden met her inquiring eyes as he nodded.
Bea shook her head as she responded, “You forget I know you, Hayden. You fiercely protect those you love, whether they need it or not. Maybe you need to back off on this one. Whitney has been independent for a long time, and you need to respect that. Isn’t that part of what you love about her?”
“Yes.” Hayden answered, meeting Bea’s gaze.
“Then trust her when she says she”s got this.”
Hayden knew Bea was right. Whitney wouldn’t be facing this alone unless she needed to. Her words about facing her past echoing in his mind confirming it. He had to give her this. Give her a chance to stand strong on her own and find the closer she needed to move on with their future, no matter how hard it was to watch her go.
* * *
Whitney rummagedthrough the closet and pulled out a few of her suits, laying them on the bed. The court hearing was three days away, and she was flying out tomorrow morning, so she had time to meet with her lawyer and get debriefed as to how this was going to go.
“Packing?” a deep voice asked from the doorway.
Whitney glanced up to see Hayden, looking exhausted and a little sheepish. Neither had gotten much sleep over the past few days. Hayden fell asleep in front of the TV each night and Whitney found herself tossing and turning in an empty bed. An invisible wall seemed to have been erected between them, and neither knew exactly how to cross it.
He approached her gingerly, the awkwardness thick between them. “Whitney, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you wanted me to come with you to Toronto.”
Whitney looked up at him, her eyes sad. “Hayden, I understand your desire to protect me, but you can’t protect me from everything. Some things I just must face on my own.”
“I realize that,” he said, meeting her gaze. “I love you so much, Whitney. I can’t think of you being in that room with him. The thought of it is killing me.”
“I know.” She acknowledged, coming closer to him. “I appreciate that. This is simply something I need to do. For the first time in years, I feel confident and brave enough to face him and the reason I do is because of you.” she confessed, her eyes holding his gaze as she stepped into his space and reached up wrapping her arms around his neck. “I need to close my past fully, so I can move forward with our future.”
Hayden gave her an understanding smile and leaned down, kissing her gently. The feel of his lips on hers, something she had missed and craved over the past couple of days. Whitney pulled him in closer, deepening their kiss, allowing their deep commitment to each other to wash away all the tension from the past few days. Pulling her lips away from his, Hayden raised his eyebrow in question, flashing her his familiar frisky grin.
“Can we have make up sex now?” he asked with a coquettish waggle of his brows.
Whitney threw her head back in laugh as she replied, “I thought you would never ask.”
* * *
Whitney’s taxipulled up in front of Burke Hatheway Law office in downtown Toronto. Gerald Burke, a family friend and her lawyer for her divorce years ago, knew her history with Paul. Although Gerald specialized in Family Law he was also well versed in Criminal and Civil Law and there was no one else she trusted more in this situation.
Checking in with the receptionist, Whitney went to take a seat, but before she could sit down, Gerald rounded the corner and greeted her with a big hug. “Whitney! It is so nice to see you! Are your parents well?”
“They are. I was just down in Arizona about a month ago to visit them.”
“Wonderful. Let’s go to my office and discuss the hearing. There are some interesting developments I want to go through with you.”
Whitney followed him into his office and sat down.
Gerald took his seat and opened the folder in front of him. “Let’s get to it. It seems Paul has changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on all counts, including Breaking and Entering and Criminal Harassment. With the surveillance footage, his fingerprints were found at the scene and with the evidence found in his apartment, his case was not strong enough for a not guilty plea. Also, because he moved into the apartment building in August and the order of protection didn’t expire until September, he’s in violation of the protective order, so we can charge him with that as well.”
“So, what does that mean?” Whitney asked.
“It means we’ll not be going to trial and there will just be a court hearing and sentencing. It means this is going to be over quickly and you can move on with your life,” he answered, offering her a compassionate smile. “Paul is looking at a minimum sentence of 10 years without parole and a max of 20 years if found guilty on all charges, possibly more. He will get parole but will have to serve at least 10 years before that becomes an option.”
Whitney looked down at her hands. Paul wouldn’t be able to get near her again. “Will I be required to take the stand?” she asked, looking up at him.
“No, but as the victim here, you have the right to speak and say your piece if you want to.”
Whitney glanced towards the window and reflected for a moment. Am I brave enough to say what I need to say? Knowingly, she looked up at Gerald and raised her chin. “I want the opportunity to speak.”
* * *
Whitney wasnervous as she paced the courthouse hallway. She felt her cell phone buzz in her hand and checked the message.
Hayden: You got this gorgeous. Remember how brave you are. Say what you need to say and come home to me.
Whitney smiled, hugging her phone to her chest. She loved Hayden so much. Even though he wasn’t there with her physically, he was with her in spirit, giving her strength.
Gerald popped his head out of the courtroom and motioned for Whitney to come in. Whitney entered the courtroom, following Gerald to the front, and he gestured for her to take a seat to the right of him. A side door opened, the defence lawyer walked in with Paul following behind him, his hands cuffed and two court officers flagging the duo. Paul’s eyes flitted over to Whitney, and she met his stare. His cold dark eyes froze her for a moment as she took in his thin, gaunt frame with the beginnings of a scruffy beard. So different from the Paul she remembered and yet the same. Darting her eyes away from him, she faced forward, remaining poised as Gerald leaned over to her and whispered. “We got this Whitney.”
Whitney nodded and continued to look forward as the judge entered the room and they rose in her presence.
“The Honorable Justice Fields,” the bailiff announced.
The judge took her seat.
“Please be seated.” She said, before looking at the case file in front of her. “In the case of Paul Denski, the defendant and Whitney Faris, the plaintiff, with the charges of stalking, uttering threats, breaking and entering and failure to comply with a protection order, how do you plead?”
“Guilty, your honor,” the defence lawyer answered on behalf of her ex-husband.
The judge nodded and opened the folder, perusing its contents for a few minutes, a restless quiet falling on the courtroom before she continued. “In reviewing this case and the evidence collected supporting these charges, it is the opinion of the court that a trial will not be necessary. Are we in agreement?” the judge asked, looking back and forth between both parties. Both lawyers answered, “Correct.”
“Before I commence with sentencing, I want to give both Mr. Denski and Ms. Faris an opportunity to speak. Ms. Faris, you can go first.”
Gerald touched her shoulder and gestured for her to stand. Whitney stood nervously wringing her hands, the judge nodding for her to start. “Thank you, your honor. I would like to address Mr. Denski personally.”
“I will allow it. Go ahead.”
Whitney took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as she turned towards the defendant’s table, her eyes meeting Paul’s from across the courtroom. His gaze was vacant and void of emotion. She held her head higher and spoke, her voice shaky but full of conviction.
“Paul, when we met 12 years ago, I was just a young, na?ve woman, a woman that had her entire life ahead of her and wanted nothing more than to be cared for and loved. I wanted to have the love and devotion my parents had, and you promised that to me when you married me. In the years we were together, you did everything in your power to break my spirit. You called me horrendous names and blamed me for your shortcomings. You accused me of doing terrible things, things that you did many times during our marriage. You made me believe no one would ever love me. You tried everything you could to break me, but I want you to know that you didn’t break me. I have risen above those years with you and have a bright, beautiful future ahead of me. A future full of love and true, honest devotion. And I hope you think about what you did to me and get the help you need so that one day, God willing, you’ll become a better person.” Whitney turned to the judge. “Thank you, Your Honor.”
She sat down and the judge turned her gaze to Paul.
“Mr. Denski. Do you have anything to say?”
The defence lawyer turned to Paul, whispering to him, and turned back to the judge.
“My client has nothing to say.”
The Judge took off her glasses and rubbed her hand over her face then looked up, addressing everyone in the courtroom.
“Mr. Denski, please stand.” She announced. Paul stood as directed, and Whitney glanced at him, looking for any shred of remorse. Nothing.
“Although, this would normally be a case that would see trial due to the severity of the charges, I feel with the plea of guilty on all counts, jumping ahead to sentencing is the best course of action for all parties.” Turning her attention to Whitney, the judge continued, “Ms. Faris, as a woman, I feel your words to Mr. Denski deeply. I’ve seen many cases over the years, and a case such as this is never cut and dry. However, in this case it needs to be.” She turned back to Paul and continued. “Mr. Denski, I hereby sentence you to the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for one count of stalking and one count of Breaking and Entering. An additional five years will be added to your sentence for uttering threats and two more years for breaking the order of protection against Ms. Faris. That is 27 years for the crimes you have committed. You will be eligible for parole in 15 years on the condition that you seek psychiatric help. Bailiff, please escort Mr. Denski out of the courtroom. This court is adjourned.”
The gavel dropped, and Whitney seemed to finally wake from her nightmare. “Did that just happen?” Whitney whispered to Gerald, as he closed his file folder and stuffed it into his briefcase.
“It did, Whitney. It”s finally over.”
Whitney smiled, a tear escaping down her cheek. It”s finally over.
* * *
Hayden couldn’t waitto see Whitney. She had been gone for five days and he missed her so much he ached. Seeing the arrival doors open, he waited with bated breath as he held a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses. Her favorite.
Having video chatted with her last night, he knew the outcome of the court hearing and could see the relief on her beautiful face. She was finally free, and her ex-husband was in jail. That dark part of her life was now over and allowing them to finally move forward.
He glanced up to the top of the escalator and spotted her blonde head in the crowd. There she was, his gorgeous girlfriend, the love of his life. A huge, bright smile enveloped her face when she spotted him. Descending the escalator, finally reaching ground level, she ran towards him, dropped her carry on to the ground and jumped into his arms. Hayden laughed, trying to hold onto her and the bouquet of roses in his hand.
“I missed you, Hays.” she declared, meeting his eyes, and crushing her lips to his. Her kiss softened as she melted into him, and he could feel all the tension leave her body. Pulling away, Hayden glanced around them, their kiss having made them a spectacle amongst the arriving passengers. “I don’t care!” she exclaimed, showering his face with kisses. “I love you so much!”
“I love you too, gorgeous!” he laughed as she continued her onslaught of affection, and he slowly lowered her to her feet. “These are for you.”
“They’re beautiful.” She mused, breathing them in deeply. “Thank you.”
“Let’s get your luggage and go home,” he said with a coy grin. “I have plans for us.”
She wrapped her arms around him and looked up through her long lashes as she asked. “Sexy plans?”
He stopped cupping her face and gave her a sensual kiss right there in the crowd of onlookers. “Is there any other kind?”
* * *
Hayden and Whitney lay naked,tangled in their sheets, their bodies covered in a sheen of sweat.
“Now that”s what I call a homecoming.” She commented lazily, tracing figure eights on his chest.
Hayden’s hand caressed down her back and over her backside, lifting her leg to curl over him. “I missed you,” he confessed, kissing her head.
Whitney propped her chin up on his chest, looking up at him with a contented gaze. “I missed you too.” Hayden overwhelmed her, in the best possible way and laying here, naked and satiated she knew that she never wanted to spend another day without him. He was hers and she was his, mind, body, and soul. “I can’t imagine my life without you,” she confessed, meeting his admiring gaze.
Hayden’s lips curved into a sweet smile, and he flipped himself over and on top of her. Hovering over her, he dropped his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly, their love drowning them both and neither wanting to come up for air.