“Ryan...” I sighed again for emphasis. “There are priests all over this city who are willing to listen to your problems for free. Find one of them because I don’t have the time.”
“I would like a second chance with you, Claire.”
The earth fell away at my feet and I lost the ability to speak.
I was shocked. Blown Away. Disgusted.
“You heard me...” He brought his face close to mine. “A second chance. You and me. It can be calm and easy again. I know it because that’s who we were.”
“The moment I lost you I felt empty,” he continued. “I had no idea that you would pack up and leave the way you did. I mean, just because I said that I’d always had feelings for Amanda, didn’t mean that I didn’t have any left for you. I was just...in a tough spot in my life. I thought you would at least reconsider the divorce, but you just...You filed the very next day. I wasn’t expecting that...”
“Ryan...” I barely managed. “Stop it...Stop it right now.”
“Everything happened so fast...Months later you moved all the way out here and you just cut me off like I was—”
“Worthless? Pathetic? Full of shit?”
“You were just angry.” He pressed his thumb over my lips. “And you had every right to be...But people make mistakes Claire...I tried making it work with Amanda—I did the right thing and I married her but...All we ever did the first year and a half was talk about how guilty we felt over what we did to you.”
I tried my hardest to block him out. I didn’t want to hear the rest of this shit. I didn’t care.
“You know I never meant to push you down those steps...” he said as he cupped my chin. “And even though your new fiancée got me fired and blacklisted me from every single firm in Pittsburgh...I think that you and I could rebuild what we had again. I have enough saved up and I really believe that. Amanda is talking about divorce for the fifth time and I think she finally means it...Can’t you see? Our lives weren’t worth much without you in it—which is exactly why you should take me back. I know how badly you’ve missed me, because I’ve missed you too.”
I felt my eyes widening as far as they could go. This was a painful sight to see, but for some reason I couldn’t look away.
“What the two of us had was special...” He caressed my cheek with the back side of his palm. “It was something I’ve never felt before. All these years I’ve wished that I could go back in time and change what I—”
The next thing I saw was a fist connecting with his jaw. It took me several seconds to realize that it was Jonathan and he was punching the shit out of him, so hard that I heard his bones cracking.
Ryan tried to fight back, swinging his fists in the air, but Jonathan sent a fist straight into his eye—knocking him against the wall.
I thought he would leave him alone—that he would allow him to suffer with a bloodied eye and a cracked jaw. But he stepped closer and jabbed Ryan in the ribs again and again—until he slid down to the floor, murmuring—pleading for him to stop. Unconvinced, Jonathan stood over him and punched his face repeatedly, until he couldn’t utter another word.
I clutched my chest and gasped at the ugly sight in front of me: Ryan was curled up into a ball with his eyes swollen shut, bleeding all over the floor.
Calm as ever, Jonathan walked over to the sink and rolled up his sleeves, taking all the time in the world to wash his hands. When he was done, he reached for a paper towel and dried them as if he hadn’t just beat someone to near death.
He looked into my eyes as he took out his cell phone. “Greg? Yes. I’m on the twenty third floor. Women’s restroom. Could you get someone up here to help Mr. Hayes down to the ER please? He’s in desperate need of assistance.” He paused. “I’m taking Claire down to return her ID badge and we’ll meet you in the garage. Have Sean take my car home. Thank you.”
He hung up and slipped his arm around my waist, walking me out of the room. There were no words between us, no glances either.
I wasn’t sure how I made it downstairs, or how long it took to get my license back, but the next thing I knew I was sitting in the back seat of the town car, watching the streets rush past in the window.
As we were approaching the expressway, I turned to face Jonathan. “You almost killed him...”
“He put his hands on you.” He narrowed his eyes. “He’s lucky I didn’t.”
I swallowed and sat silently by his side, still in shock at the scene that had unfolded in that bathroom. I had no idea he was capable of beating someone that terribly. He’d been so possessed, so obsessed with beating him within an inch of his life.
“Did you really have him fired...And blacklisted at every firm in Pittsburgh?” I whispered.
“No...Every firm in the country.”
Silence.
“You didn’t hit Amanda...” My voice was shaking. “Did you?”
“I’ve never hit a woman, Claire.” He looked into my eyes. “And I never will...I told her that you weren’t interested in being contacted by either of them again, and that I didn’t want my future wife to have any more sleepless nights due to their interference.” He lifted my hand and circled his thumb around my knuckles. “I paid for her surgery since it might be a little harder for them to afford since Ryan isn’t working, and I’ll have the hospital bill me for his injuries as well.”
I was sure there was still fear in my eyes, because he cupped my face in his hands and pressed his lips against mine. “I’ll hurt anyone who hurts you, Claire. Anyone.”
I nodded and he pulled me up against his chest, stroking my back with his fingertips. “You’ll never have to worry about either of them ever again.”
Chapter 18
Jonathan
“Is there a reason why I just received a call about you assaulting a man in a hospital bathroom?” Milton walked into my office. “Please tell me that’s a joke.”
“I didn’t mean to break his nose. Only his jaw.”
“Well, thank god you broke his ribs and his clavicle bone too. I’m sure they were feeling quite neglected in the brawl.”
“I already paid his hospital bill, and that includes post-therapy treatment. It’s been over a week. Is he trying to sue?”
“Damn right he’s trying to sue, Jonathan! He’s a lawyer! What the fuck did you think was going to happen?!”
I shrugged. “I’ll take care of it. Is there anything interesting you want to talk about today?”
He rolled his eyes and handed me a folder. “Here are the stock options that will be changed over to your wife’s name. I’ve already added her as an accessor to all of your personal accounts and she’ll gain full access the day your marriage license is approved...Full access...to all of your money...All of your—”
“Anything else?”
“Yes.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Congratulations. It’s a rare pen—just in case you change your mind over the next few days...There’s also a real gift in there for your wife to be. I like her more than I like you.”
“Thank you very much. I’ll see you at the wedding.” I laughed as he walked out of my office.
Just as I was getting ready to follow suit, Corey came in and slammed the door shut, narrowing his eyes at me.
“Yes?” I narrowed my eyes right back. “Is there a problem, Mr. Walters?”
“Yes. There is a fucking problem.”
“That’s a very loaded sentence, don’t you think?”
“Greg is not going to be the best man at your wedding, Jonathan. I am. And if you have a problem with that—”
“I do have a problem with that.”
“Greg isn’t your best friend.”
“Greg isn’t sleeping with my little sister.”
“Neither am I.” His eyes turned to slits. “I like Hayley—a lot. Hell, I might even love her—I don’t fucking know yet because I don’t even know what that word means, but it’s different with her. She’s not like the other women I’ve been with.”