worried. I’m not a bad guy. I’m just a demanding man who has needs to be fulfilled and ok, so I’m not a one woman kind of man, but I’m trying desperately to change that. For Jade. I don’t know what it is about her, but I want her, need her, and I’ll do anything to get her to see that. I know she has a past. I’ve done my homework, so I know why she’s the way she is. Hell, I have a past and as far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t need to know about it, well not all of it anyway. There are some things I’d rather not dredge up or ever think about again.
Amber finally left two hours later, and I got a lot of paperwork done in my office. When I went to check on Jade, I found her asleep, the covers thrown off her and the breakfast tray sitting on the floor next to the bed. Carefully, I pull the covers up to her shoulders and take the tray to the kitchen.
Sitting at the table drinking a bottled water I’m lost in my thoughts. I don’t know what to do with myself. This hasn’t happened before. I feel antsy and with nothing to bide my time. I make a decision, walk quickly into the bedroom, into my walk-in closet and change my clothes. After checking on her one last time I head out the front door, take the elevator to the first floor, out of the building and begin jogging down the sidewalk. Running was always a great deterrent when I’ve felt lost, alone or just the need to release some energy. Today, I’m feeling a little bit of all those emotions. My body’s sweating after running for two miles, and I stop in the park, cross the grass and lean my back against a tree to get some shade. Pulling my bottled water from my side pouch, I guzzle about half of it, screw the lid back on tight and put it away.
Memories hit me like a ton of bricks and I lower my head, my eyebrows creasing as they appear in my mind. “You’ll never amount to anything, you spoiled brat. I don’t know why your father lets you get away with what you do. Don’t ever let me catch you doing that again! Do you hear me?” My stepmother continues to beat me with my father’s belt until I feel the blood dripping down my back. At the age of eight, I wasn’t strong enough to stop her, and she’d threaten to take it out on Tabbie if I told my father any time she beats me. I couldn’t let her hurt the only one in my family that actually loved me, and that I loved. She can beat me until I’m dead, but I won’t let her hurt Tabbie.
The sound of children playing brings me back from my horrible past, and I look up to see a young girl and boy rising from a sandbox then chasing each other across the grass, their apparent parents standing a little ways from them laughing and smiling. A sandbox, a little girl and boy. Why does that seem so familiar? That’s the way a family should be. That’s what I wish I would have had and now that’s what I want for my future, to find the right woman to settle down with and have a family. My phone rings in my pocket. I take it out and see its Ralph calling. “Ralph?”
“Sir, sorry to interrupt but you left without taking protection. We’ve spoken about this before,” he says with no sympathy.
“I know, Ralph. But I just needed to run. You know I hate having Emerson around me all the time and you couldn’t come because I don’t want Jade left alone.” Damn, he catches me every time, I swear.
“Very well, but don’t do it again.” He sounds exasperated. “Speaking of Miss Morley. She’s asking for you.” My eyes widen, my heart beating a little faster, knowing she’s awake and asking for me.
“On my way.” I swipe ‘end’ and put away my phone and take off at a full run.
It doesn’t take me near as long to get home as it did to run the first two miles, my anxiousness from boredom now replaced with seeing Jade. I hope she’s not in too much pain, but I left the medicine on her night table. Finally, I walk through the front door, but stop suddenly when I look into the living room and see her
Amber finally left two hours later, and I got a lot of paperwork done in my office. When I went to check on Jade, I found her asleep, the covers thrown off her and the breakfast tray sitting on the floor next to the bed. Carefully, I pull the covers up to her shoulders and take the tray to the kitchen.
Sitting at the table drinking a bottled water I’m lost in my thoughts. I don’t know what to do with myself. This hasn’t happened before. I feel antsy and with nothing to bide my time. I make a decision, walk quickly into the bedroom, into my walk-in closet and change my clothes. After checking on her one last time I head out the front door, take the elevator to the first floor, out of the building and begin jogging down the sidewalk. Running was always a great deterrent when I’ve felt lost, alone or just the need to release some energy. Today, I’m feeling a little bit of all those emotions. My body’s sweating after running for two miles, and I stop in the park, cross the grass and lean my back against a tree to get some shade. Pulling my bottled water from my side pouch, I guzzle about half of it, screw the lid back on tight and put it away.
Memories hit me like a ton of bricks and I lower my head, my eyebrows creasing as they appear in my mind. “You’ll never amount to anything, you spoiled brat. I don’t know why your father lets you get away with what you do. Don’t ever let me catch you doing that again! Do you hear me?” My stepmother continues to beat me with my father’s belt until I feel the blood dripping down my back. At the age of eight, I wasn’t strong enough to stop her, and she’d threaten to take it out on Tabbie if I told my father any time she beats me. I couldn’t let her hurt the only one in my family that actually loved me, and that I loved. She can beat me until I’m dead, but I won’t let her hurt Tabbie.
The sound of children playing brings me back from my horrible past, and I look up to see a young girl and boy rising from a sandbox then chasing each other across the grass, their apparent parents standing a little ways from them laughing and smiling. A sandbox, a little girl and boy. Why does that seem so familiar? That’s the way a family should be. That’s what I wish I would have had and now that’s what I want for my future, to find the right woman to settle down with and have a family. My phone rings in my pocket. I take it out and see its Ralph calling. “Ralph?”
“Sir, sorry to interrupt but you left without taking protection. We’ve spoken about this before,” he says with no sympathy.
“I know, Ralph. But I just needed to run. You know I hate having Emerson around me all the time and you couldn’t come because I don’t want Jade left alone.” Damn, he catches me every time, I swear.
“Very well, but don’t do it again.” He sounds exasperated. “Speaking of Miss Morley. She’s asking for you.” My eyes widen, my heart beating a little faster, knowing she’s awake and asking for me.
“On my way.” I swipe ‘end’ and put away my phone and take off at a full run.
It doesn’t take me near as long to get home as it did to run the first two miles, my anxiousness from boredom now replaced with seeing Jade. I hope she’s not in too much pain, but I left the medicine on her night table. Finally, I walk through the front door, but stop suddenly when I look into the living room and see her
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