Never Judge a Book By Its Cover
Chapter 27
***2 years later***
There was a knock at the door. I rolled out of bed, rubbing my eyes.
"Baby, its the middle of the night, come back to bed," said Brian, half asleep.
"Bri, there's someone at the door," I said pulling my robe around my body tightly and walking down the hall slowly. As I walked by James' room, a glanced in to make sure everything was alright. I smiled as I saw him sleeping peacfully. The doorbell rang repeatedly as I made my way down the hall.
"I'm coming!" I yelled as I pulled open the door. Erika was standing on the other side with her arms wrapped around herself, tears falling from her eyes.
"Erika? Are you okay?" I asked putting my arm around her shoulder and helping her into the house that Brian and I had bought not too long after we were married. I helped Erika onto the couch and looked at her, waiting for her to reply. She shook her head. "What's wrong?" I asked turning the light on. I noticed a dark circle under Erika's right eye. She tried to cover it up, but I had already seen it. "Erika, tell me what happened. Who did that to you?" She cried harder.
"Nick," she said in a whisper. My jaw dropped.
"Honey, Nick did this to you?" I asked pulling her hand away from my face so that I could look at it better. She nodded. "Why?"
"I...I don't know...he just...I made him mad...I deserved it..."
"Erika, you don't deserve to be hit...especially not by Nick."
"What about Nick?" asked Brian walking down the hall. Erika got a frightened look on her face and she leaned closer to me and whispered into my ear.
"Nick told me that if I tell anyone, he'd hurt me even worse. You can't tell Brian...he'd tell Nick," she said as new tears fell from her eyes. I nodded and took her into my arms, rocking her back and forth lightly. Brian looked at me, waiting for me to answer.
"Nothing sweetie...can you get me some ice please?" I said looking at Brian. He could tell by the look I was giving him that he shouldn't ask anymore questions. He just nodded and went into the kitchen. "Erie, why did he do this to you?"
"I...he...I forgot to tell him that some girl named Rose called earlier. He saw it on the caller ID and thought that I was keeping him from his business. I didn't mean to forget...I really didn't," she said crying into my shoulder.
"He hit you because you didn't give him a message from some girl named
Rose?" She nodded, shaking. "Is this the first time that he's hit you?" She shook
her head.
"No...he did one other time. I was out with you and Jenn...that night that we didn't get home until 3:00 in the morning and he claimed that I was with some guy named Joe. That was the first time he had ever done anything like that but I just thought it was normal...but when he did it this time, I could see the fury in his eyes and I know there's something going on much deeper then what I can see."
"Why didn't you tell me then?"
"I didn't think it was something to worry about."
"Erika, it's not normal for someone to hit another person. Especially for the reasons that Nick hit you for. You have to get out of that relationship before its too late. I mean, I love Nick like a brother, and I've never known him to be like that, but you need to get away from him and you have to let me talk to him about it."
"No! You can't! He'll hurt me so bad if he finds out I told anyone and he might even hurt you."
"Erika, I'd hope that if Brian ever hit me either you or someone else would talk to him and try to cool him down for me. You have to leave him. Once your gone, I'll talk to him. You can stay here as long as you need to."
"No, I have to go back."
"Erika, listen to me! If Brian or Nick or anybody else ever hurt me in anyway physically, I would be gone in an instant and you have to do the same. It's not normal for someone to purposely hurt another person."
"I know, but he's been under a lot of stress lately with his solo stuff. He's just stressed and he doesn't know how to express his anger."
"Erika if you don't leave him, I'm going to talk to him while you're still with him. I won't let him ever lay a finger on you again as long as I'm alive."
"But I love him, Kaitlyn. I love him so much and you know that. I can't just leave him. Then not only would I have physical scars, I'd have mental scars, too and I can't handle that." Brian walked back in the room with the ice for Erika's eye and handed it to me, then sat next to me on the couch. I helped Erika put the ice on her eye.
"What happened?" asked Brian.
"I...I was cleaning...and I...a box fell from the closet on top of me," said Erika holding the ice on her eye.
"Erika, tell Brian the truth, or I'll tell him."
"Kaitlyn I thought you were supposed to be my friend? I thought you would understand what I'm going through and try to help me keep this a secret. Now I know I can't trust anybody."
"Erika, Brian can help. Nick will listen to him." Erika shook her head.
"No. No, he can't help. No one can."
"Erika just listen to me. Nick's not going to get any better on his own. He needs someone to talk to so that he can get over this. I'm going to leave you alone w/ Brian so that I can check on James. You have to tell him," I said standing up. I walked out of the room and down the hall. I could hear Erika begin to tell Brian everything as I walked down the hall and into James' room. He was sound asleep, so I decided not to bother him. Instead I went back into the bedroom and went back to sleep.
***Next Morning***
I woke up to the sun shining brightly through the window. I rolled out of bed and down the hall into the kitchen where Brian and James were. Brian was cooking something and James was sitting at the counter drinking Apple Juice.
"Hey baby," said Brian coming over to me and kissing me lightly on the lips.
"Hey," I said stretching out my arms and walking over to to the counter where James was. "Hey sweetie," I said kissing the top of his head. I sat at the counter next to him. "So, where's Erika?"
"She's in the guestroom. She told me everything. I never knew Nick to be like that. I'm going over to his house later to talk to him."
"She's going to let you?" He nodded looking at me over the brim of his coffee cup.
"Uh huh. We talked for a long time last night. I..umm...you might get a little pissed at what I told her," he said looking down at the cup in his hands.
"What did you tell her?"
"I sorta kinda forgot that she didn't know about your father...I...well, It sort of slipped." He looked over at the counter and picked up a muffin. "Muffin?" he asked quickly changing the subject.
"No thanks. So...what did she say? I mean was she mad?"
"She couldn't believe that you never told her since you had been best friends for so long...but she understood that you didn't want everyone in the world knowing and being scared and stuff."
"Momma, can we got to the park and see uncy AJ and auntie Jenn?" asked James
pulling on my shirt. I looked at Brian and he shrugged.
"We'll see baby, okay?" James nodded and went back to drinking his juice.
"You can take him to the park if you want to while I'm at Nick's. It'll give you and Erika something to do while I beat Nick's ass."
"Don't hurt him, Brian. As much as you want to, don't do it."
"I won't. You know I wouldn't hurt Nick even though he does deserve it."
"Good," I said standing up and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'm gonna go call Jenn and see what they're up to and see if they want to come to the park with James and I."
"Okay. Come here a second," he said taking my hand and taking me into the other room. He pressed his lips hard against mine and roamed my mouth with his tongue. He pulled away and smiled at me.
"What the hell was all that about?" I asked catching my breath.
"Sorry, I was just really in need of a real kiss!" I smiled and pulled him to my lips again.
"There, that should hold you over for a while," I said as we pulled away.
"At least for a couple of hours!"
"Come on, we have to go back into the world of parenthood," I said taking his hand and leading him back into the kitchen.
***2 hours later***
The doorbell rang and I raced James to get to it first. I picked him up and flung him over my shoulder with his legs kicking the air.
"Who is it?" I asked as I tickled him.
"Jenn and the horny one," came Jenn's voice. I smiled and opened the door to AJ kissing all over Jenn. Jenn smiled at me and pulled AJ's head off of her.
"Opps...sorry about that!" he said smiling. "Hey Jamin' James! What's up dude?"
"Hey uncy Alex!" he said giving AJ a high five. AJ smiled and messed up James' hair. "Come on little one!" he said as I handed James to him.
"Are you sure you don't mind watching James for me tonight?" I asked as they walked to the living room with me.
"No, we don't mind! James loves AJ which means I'll have some time away from the hornball!" said Jenn laughing. AJ looked at her and shook his head.
"He's gotta go to sleep sometime!" he said grinning at her like the Grinch who stole Christmas.
"Hey, none of that around my baby! I don't want him growing up like you, Alexander! You just keep your hands to yourself tonight!"
"Oh alright!" he said crossing his arms over his chest. I smiled and shook my head.
"Oh yeah, did you get the stuff I asked you to get?" I asked looking at Jenn. She nodded smiling. AJ let out a small chuckle.
"What the hell do you need 5 billion candles for?" he asked laughing. James looked up at AJ confused and then started laughing, too.
"Brian and I haven't been alone in a while and I want to make tonight really special. You don't know what parenthood is like, yet, but when you find out you'll understand the value of time away. I mean we love him dearly but there's no "us" time anymore." AJ nodded.
"I'll get all your stuff out of the car," he said standing up and walking towards the door.
"Can I come?" asked James standing up.
"Course you can buddy! I couldn't carry it all myself!" James smiled and ran to the door with AJ. After they were gone, Jenn turned to me.
"I want kids so bad, but I'm worried he'll never be ready," she said resting her head on the back of the couch. "I mean it's about time, right? We've been married for about year now."
"If you think it's time then it probably is. You should talk to him about it."
"I've tried but then he just you know gets closer and closer to me and then we end up making love and then I just forget to say anything again. I don't know...maybe he's not the type of guy who wants kids...I mean he's an only child."
"Just talk to him about it sometime when he's not in the mood."
"That never happens! He's like a walking, talking hard on!" I started cracking up when AJ walked back in with the bags. He dropped them on the floor and picked James up.
"You ready to go, buddy?" he asked.
"Where we goin?" asked James as AJ swirled him around in the air.
"To my house. You're staying the night there," said AJ letting James down.
"Goodie!!! Mommy, I can go?"
"Sure can, sweetie! Your bags on your bed."
"Yes!" he yelled running down to his room and returning with his bag.
"He's got a lot of energy, huh?" asked Jenn smiling at him. I nodded.
"Tons of energy!"
"Come on Jenn! Let's go! Bye mommy!" said James giving me a kiss on the cheek, then grabbing Jenn's hand and running out the door.
"I'll call you later," I said to Jenn.
"Don't worry about it...you'll be busy!" she said closing the door behind them. I smiled and stood up to get everything ready for that night.
-=Chapter Twenty Eight=-
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