And the drama keeps piling up on poor Gabriella. Somebody is out for her, what are we going to do?
COMMENT VOTE PASS IT ALONG
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Waking up four days ago, I thought for sure that I was tripping. The ordeal with being drunk out of my mind at the club, Tonya leaving me there to fend for myself, and waking up to James—amazingly it all happened. Then to top it off the theatrical night, he gives me the most amazing oral treatment causing me to damn near pass out. If I were dreaming it would explain the wonderful experience mixed with the nightmare but it was all a reality.
One minute he was willing me to feel all sorts of things and the next he was high-tailing it away from me. Whiplash was becoming a common feeling for me when dealing with James. Tuesday was our normal day to visit the gun range for my training but he had to cancel. According to him duty called but I was having a hard time believing that. Lately, I felt skeptical about anything that came out of his mouth, the little he did talk.
Not to mention, he has yet to let me know what was going on with my car. The rental had to be racking up fees out of this world. Speaking of rentals, I have so many questions about the night he picked me up from the club. There are pin-like holes in the night. How did he find me if I could barely function? How did I know to call him? Where the hell did Tonya's ass dip off to and why wasn't she answering any of my phone calls?
It was like she dropped off the face of the Earth. All I wanted was answers to some questions. The harassing phone calls have come to a screeching halt for now but I wasn't holding my breath for the reprieve to last too long. Determined to shake off the funk and quit asking for trouble, I continued with life as if the last weeks hadn't happened.
"Hey bitch!" A screechy voice shouted. Even after the months since Darnell met his demise, I still remember that voice.
"And the bullshit begins..." Rolling my eyes, I turn to see she wasn't dumb enough to come alone. "So, we meet again."
"It was only a matter of time. You thought you could duck and dodge but we found your ass." Reaching into my purse on the sly, I gripped my stun gun knowing that any minute these hoes would jump. There was no way I wanted to wait too late to grab some type of protection.
"I have never been a coward. You got me confused with your 'man' as you called him."
"Tha fuck, he was your man also—let you tell it!"
"That was until I found out that he was laying with rats, then he was no longer my responsibility." In some cases, taunting the enemy wouldn't be wise but I needed time to map out my situation.
"Fuck this shit, stomp that hoe KeKe!" One of the get-along rats shouted.
Just like that, they rushed me. Too sad for them that they thought I couldn't fight. Slinging my purse and other belongings under a nearby car, I braced myself not wanting to play my spade so early. Swinging with all my might I clocked the first bitch dead in the jaw with the hand holding the stun gun, dropping her enough to slow down the others momentum. That only encouraged the other two to start swinging wildly to duck and dodge the hits I could get off.
Holding the trigger down the entire time on the gun to make sure I had maximum strength, I kept swinging. Taking a chance jab, I rammed the stun gun into the main hitter's gut while blocking with the other arm. It was better to take hits from one than both. Soon the first one that I hit was getting back up to get back into the mix. Gathering enough energy, I tagged her ass as soon as she got close enough for the gun to make contact.
In the distance, I could hear security running in the direction of the fight. Between swinging and zapping, I was quickly losing my drive. The last one had sense enough to stop fighting long enough to help her two cohorts and make a run for it. This was the business district after all that they chose to jump me at, everything was on camera. Along with the fact that none of their faces were covered, they were bound to be caught eventually. The only dilemma I faced was getting fired over this bullshit.
"Are you all right Gabriella?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure, your bleeding?" Dave pointed out.
"Bleeding," I asked. "Damn, that hurts..." As if seeing the blood is what shook me from my state of shock, the cut started to throb.
"An ambulance is on the way, just hold on." Dave kept talking as he assisted me to sit on the ground.
Sirens were drawing near and my head started to hurt a bit. There was a stream of blood running down my arm. Too afraid to see where it was coming from, I waited and prayed it wasn't too bad.
"Ma'am, can you let go of the stun gun?"
"Huh, oh I'm sorry." I allowed the person closest to me take it from my hand.
"That is a pretty nasty bump on your head. The cut on your arm looks deep enough to need stitches."
"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" Noticing for the first time that an officer was on the scene, I began to feel a bit nostalgic. Should I ask for James? "Ma'am," he gave me a questioning look.
"These girls approached me, for some reason I can't remember what they were speaking about. They were calling me out of my name and then they rushed me."
"Did you recognize any of them?"
"Not that I know of, they could have been patients or customers that have come into the building I work for or something. I see so many people daily, I can't be sure."
"Is there anything else you can think of that could help us track them down?"
"I used my stun gun on two of the women at a pretty high voltage. They may seek medical attention, I don't know."
"I'm sure the security camera caught the women and we should have no problem tracking them down. We will be in touch Miss Cooper."
"Thank you."
"Ma'am, can you stand?" The EMT helped me onto the gurney.
"Gabriella," a voice I didn't expect to hear was approaching. "What happened?"
"Some girls jumped me when I got off." From where I sat, I could see the anger take over the concern on his face.
"Are you her husband?"
"No," was his simple reply. The resounding one syllable word resembled another brick being built around my heart.
"He is my safety instructor." I added.
"Obviously not a good one," James remarked.
"If it weren't for you teaching me to use my stun gun, it would have been worse. It was three to one, I came out pretty good if you ask me."
"You call being sliced and having a nice lump on your head pretty good."
"It's better than the alternative—damn near dead." I shrugged at his question.
"Sir, we have to take her to the emergency room to stitch up this cut and possibly get a CT for the bump on her head." The EMT working on me said to James. "You are welcome to follow us there."
"Oh shoot, can you grab my purse from the car I was near?"
"Sure, I will drive your car there." James stated with a final nod.
"That is one fine man there," said the lady working on me in the back of ambulance.
"Yes, he is," was my reply. There was no denying how attractive James was, I couldn't be mad at her for admiring him. He wasn't mine, no matter how much that sucked.
"Girl, how do you function with a him around? I probably wouldn't learn a darn thing." She laughed and I joined along, leaning back on the bed. The adrenaline that once pumped through my veins had officially evaporated leaving me exhausted.
~
"Are you feeling better?" James asked for the umpteenth time.
"Yes, you can leave. I know you probably have something else you need to handle. You don't have to babysit me."
"No, there is nothing I need to do right now." He said.
"James, it's okay seriously. I haven't heard from you since Friday night or Saturday morning, whenever the last time you were here." The salt that seeped from words were not intentional but the reality was the same. "My injuries were not life-threatening, I can take care of myself."
"..."
"What were you doing near my job anyway?"
"I was coming to see you but I got tied up. I can't help but blame myself, if I was on time this may not have happened."
"You have no reason to feel guilty, especially since you weren't the one who jumped me."
"Still..."
"Thank you for driving me home, I really appreciate it but you can leave."
"I don't want to leave you alone."
"James, it wouldn't be the first time. If memory serves me right, it wouldn't be the second time either." The petty in me couldn't resist bringing up the fact that he keeps leaving me hanging. "Sorry not sorry, I would rather be alone than confused."
"Why are you confused?"
"Confused, conflicted—you name it. You are a walking contradiction." I exclaimed. "You kiss me like your life depends on it and tell me that you like me but you move away. Then you give the most amazing...orgasms but never finish the job. You leave me wanting more times than not."
"There is a reason for everything Gabriella."
"Yes, I understand that and that is the reason I want you to leave. Thank you for being there for me when I obviously needed you but I can't stand to be strung along again. This feels like the same thing I dealt with when I was with Darnell. And we aren't even together nor have we dated." Taking a deep breath, I did my best to calm down. "Can you tell me what is going on with my car? I really must give you back the rental, I feel like I owe you enough already. At least tell me what company you rented from so we can switch the credit card on file."
"That isn't necessary, let's just say I know somebody that knows somebody. The car was on the house. Your car is another story, it is beyond repair." James stated, I was stunned to hear that my car could not be fixed. "Furthermore, I am nothing like Darnell!" The anger that clouded his face was enough to make me shrink away but I wasn't done talking by a long shot.
"You should really take the car back, I guess I will have to break down and get a new car. That is if I still have a job after the mess from earlier today," I admitted. "As for you being like Darnell, the proof is in the putting. You pop in and out, it's like you have a wife that you must attend to first. I am being treated like a side chick whether you like the comparison or not."
"It's not easy for me to leave you when I do but for now it's the way it has to be. Perhaps, I am doing more harm to you than I am protecting you."
"Protecting me from what or who? This is what I mean by being confused, I could have sworn I heard you saying you needed to keep me safe. Who are you keeping me safe from? Are you referring to the harassing phone calls, whoever vandalized my car, or your many secrets?"
"All of the above, you couldn't possibly brace yourself for the truth in it all."
"I'm not trying to be a bitch or ungrateful but I feel like I don't even know you. You taught me how to shoot. You rented me a car to drive while mine was down. Somehow you arrived to pick me up from the club and I have no recollection of that night. Today you arrived just as I was being lifted into an ambulance. It's like you are whoodini, always popping up at the right time."
"I know nothing about you. Whether you are married, have a girlfriend—I have no clue. Where you live? Where you come from? Hell, what nationality you are, I know nothing."
"What really scares you Gabriella?" James asked calmly. "Are you afraid that I am attached, that I am playing you for a fool? Every so often you become timid as if you are frightened to be alone with me yet the next second you hop into my arms. The more I am there for you, the more you are starting to question my motives. Is it a crime to want to keep you safe?"
"It isn't rocket science that I am attracted to you James but I refuse to attach myself to someone who is unavailable in all forms. It's not fair to me. I deserve a full man not a ghost of one."
"..." James backed away from where I sat as if I cut him deep with the last statement. However, callous it may have sounded, it was the reality of the situation.
"Lock your door," he said after a moment of silence. Just like that he was gone and only then did I feel my chest tighten.