Lex(147)
I feel him nod, “Yes, swimming in her head again, blaming herself. Emma said she cried again last night. Is she at least allowing you to take the pain away?”
This is the conversation Gage has with Lincoln every four days or so, when Gage is able to make it out here with us. He’s been busy with work. Mainly he’s busy putting Melissa, his ex-wife behind bars for good. She’s in police custody and her lawyer is trying to plead insanity in court. Gage is trying to prove otherwise so she isn’t stuck in a comfortable mental hospital. He wants her stuffed into a maximum-security prison. I don’t get involved much. I let him do what he thinks is right. I trust his judgment and his ability as a lawyer. Whatever happens to Melissa will never be enough, not through my eyes anyhow.
“Yes, I try to take the pain away a few times a day. It seems to regulate her sadness when I get her to come. I do think she’s getting better though. Her doctor said she’s going through stages of grief. The crying is much less and she smiles a lot more. Has even started to cook and she never sways from spending time with or taking care of Emma. As long as we keep her from my dad’s wife, I think we’ll be good.”
His dad’s wife, arg! Don’t get me started on that home wrecker. We go to Gage’s father’s house every Sunday for lunch or supper. His dad Henry loves me, as does his sister, brother in-law, and his nephews, who have crushes on me. It’s cute. Then you have Maxwell, who basically dotes on me and flirts from the time I walk in, until the time I leave, drives Gage nuts. Then you have Chelsea, the woman who spends more time trying to seduce Gage than she does breathing. Low cut shirts, short shorts, sexy comments, and that’s just the tip of the sleazy slutbag iceberg.
Two weekends ago when we went to his dads. We walked inside and Tasha was cooking. I go to help with what I can, knowing it can’t be much, but I really enjoy her company. However, I shouldn’t have left Gage’s side. Ten minutes after arriving I’m walking to the bathroom, and inside I hear Chelsea saying, “Come on Gage, just a little, I just want a little taste.”
Gage sternly replied with a clear grumble in this tone, “Let me out of this bathroom, Chelsea. I’m with Lex and you’re my father’s wife. If that’s not enough to convince you that what you are doing is trashy, then let me be more forward. You’re not my type. I’m not attracted to you. If we were both single, I still wouldn’t touch you.” He was fairly calm and collected, I wasn’t. I stood outside the bathroom, frantic, and so angry I wanted to gut the slut. — Pardon my French.
She argued with him a few moments about showing him a good time and about five minutes later the door swung open. They both came out and she started to fix her hair and skirt, winks at him and licks her lips. Acting like something had just happened. The scared shitless expression on his face told me he thought I might believe her slutty little show. And when he opened his mouth to try to explain, I turned to her. That’s when something came over me. I grabbed her skimpy light blue tank top, shoved her against the hallway wall, and glared, making threatening eye contact.
“Don’t you ever and I mean ever, touch or try to touch what is mine again. Gage is not interested in you. Take the hint. When a man says you’re trashy, it’s not a good thing.” That’s when I glanced over to Gage, conveying with my eyes how much I love him, and he finally loosened his edgy stance.
I released stupid Chelsea and she scampered off. Then Gage and I ended up back into the bathroom, making out like hot and horny teenagers. Lifting me onto the bathroom vanity, he entered me, and we heatedly got lost in a passionate moment of sheer unadulterated ecstasy. I came so hard I had to bite his shoulder to keep from screaming. Needless to say, the rest of that day she stayed away from Gage and never uttered a single word to me. Tasha noticed something off and I told her what happened. Not sure, what Tasha did after that, but I knew she was livid, and it wouldn’t have surprise me if she didn’t put Chelsea in her place, as well. Chelsea though, much to our amazement, hasn’t peeped a word about me being who I am to anybody. No rumors, no stares, nothing but the normalcy you expect from a small town that feels like a close-knit family most of the time.
“Angel, did you want to tell Lincoln the good news?” Gage interrupts my musings. I’ve spent more time in my head the past month, than I have since Brian held me captive. I really need to snap out of it.
“Sure.” I peer up to the delightful expression marking my best friends face. You couldn’t tell he was hurting even if he was. Even though he swears, his life is fine. No, it’s not. It’s my fault and Lincoln has paid the ultimate price. A feeling I am quite certain I will never get past.