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Friday night, Dee sped into Nelda’s driveway and parked behind the marked police car.
The male officer briefed Dee as soon as she got to Nelda’s living room.
Nelda sobbed on the beige and green striped couch. “Oh, Detective Quarter.” She held an ice pack to her swollen jaw.
“Are you all right?” Dee knelt in front of her, grabbing her hand. “I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. How could Grayson do something like this?”
“You look very nice.” Nelda sniffled, alluding to Dee’s knit, black dress and gold stilettos.
“I was on my way to a date but that doesn’t matter. What happened?”
“She says Grayson Paul pushed his way through the door.” The skinny, white officer pointed toward the door with his notepad. “Threatened her and hit her.”
Dee closed her eyes. “Are you sure, Nelda?”
“I’m sure.” She lowered the ice pack, her purple jaw so swollen it made her face lopsided. “I was screaming for him to get out my home and he smacked me. He was so wild and crazy.”
“Why was he even here?”
“He was upset that I’d told you about Suzanne seeing him at Autumn’s place. He tried to choke me, but I fought him off.”
Dee covered her mouth. “This can’t be happening.”
“My neighbor, Odina will vouch for me,” Nelda said. “She knows what Grayson did.”
Dee closed her eyes, fighting tears.
“Are you all right, Detective?” the cop asked.
“No, I’m not all right.” She exhaled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. Are you pressing charges, Nelda?”
“Yes.” She raised her shaking hand. “He’s gonna kill me, Detective Quarter.”
Dee stood, straightening her dress. “Go get Grayson and take him to the station.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” The officer left.
“Do you need any medical treatment?” Dee asked Nelda.
“No, I’ll be okay. What’s wrong with Grayson?”
Dee’s phone rang.
She got it out, sighing when she saw Winston’s name. “Hey,” she answered.
“What’s up? You said you were picking me up at seven-thirty and it’s five minutes after eight. You’re never late.”
“I’m sorry, baby.” She walked to the window with the turquoise curtains. “I can’t make it.”
“What? We’ve been looking forward to this.”
“It’s Grayson—”
“Grayson?” he snapped. “Fuckin’ Grayson?”
“You don’t understand—”
“I understand. We’ll never be rid of his ass will we?”
“This is about the case he...”
Click.
“Wait.” She looked at the phone. “How dare he hang up on me?”
****
“Where’s Lisa?” Dee barged into Jake’s front door later that night. “I need to speak to Lisa.”
“Calm down.” Jake rolled across the living room rug. “What’s going on?”
“My life is a mess.” Dee plopped on the couch and hugged a pillow. “I’m losing it, and I need my best friend. Where the hell is she?”
“She’s having a group session with Dr. Guzman for domestic violence survivors.” Jake parked his wheelchair beside the couch and shook his hair out his face. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s not wrong?” She threw the pillow aside. “I was supposed to go out on the town with Winston tonight and relieve some of this stress but to hell with that.” She broke down. “How could he do something like this, Jake?”
“What did Winston’s do?” He joined her on the couch.
“Not him, Grayson.” She sniffled. “I arrested him tonight.”
“For Autumn Stuart’s murder?”
“No, for attacking her property manager.” She grabbed a tissue out the box off the coffee table. “He barged into her place, threatened her, and hit her.”
He grimaced. “That doesn’t sound like Grayson at all.”
“He acted like a lunatic at the station.” She wiped her eyes. “He was cursing at me and talking crazy and his lawyer wasn’t any help. Grayson swore he didn’t do it, but Nelda says it happened and has the bruise to prove it.”
He patted her back. “No, I can’t believe Grayson would attack a woman.”
“He changed after we broke up, Jake.” She struggled to see through tears. “I blame myself because after he lost me he felt he lost everything.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“It is. Everything went south after I broke it off. Even his career isn’t what it once was. Now Winston is pissed at me too. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain why I had to cancel our date.”
“You’ve been going through a lot with your father and everything. The last thing you need is worrying about Grayson.”
“I wish I could get a break.” She exhaled. “Just one break so I can breathe. Every time I turn around there’s something.”
“Lisa told me she suggested you go to Dr. Guzman.” He raised a blond eyebrow. “Not such a bad idea.”
“You too?” She groaned. “Why does everyone want me to go to fuckin’ therapy?”
“Because it can help.” He nodded. “Speaking from someone who benefited a lot from it. After I had the car accident, talking to a professional was the only thing that helped me. It helped me come to terms with being an alcoholic and understanding the emptiness. I wouldn’t be here if not for therapy. Couldn’t live with the guilt of driving that car into that tree and taking away what meant the most.”
“Katherine?”
“Because I couldn’t stop drinking, I lost my fiancée forever. That was my fault, Dee. Even now I don’t know if I forgive myself.”
“I don’t want therapy, Jake.”
“No one wants therapy.” He smiled. “But most of us need it.”
****
Sitting on her living room floor with her legs Indian-style, Dee’s body relaxed as random thoughts filled her mind.
On his website, Jonathan proclaimed that mindfulness meditation relieved stress the best and within ten minutes, Dee understood why.
Though she drifted into memories of her Dad and Lydia during childhood, she didn’t become upset and with each passing moment, the boulder of stress became lighter.
“Mm.” She moaned, enjoying happy memories of her and Winston.
Someone knocked on the door, awakening her from the serene escape.
“Goodness.”
“Dee?” Winston shouted, knocking. “Are you still up?”
Dee hurried and answered the front door.
“Hey.” Winston lifted his head, giving her those bedroom eyes.
She pulled the sweat pants out her crack. “What the hell do you want?”
“You don’t make it easy, do you?” He walked in with his hands in his pockets. “I came to apologize.”
She closed the door and leaned against it. “Is that so?”
“Connie told me you arrested Grayson for hitting Nelda North.” He extended a hand. “That’s why you canceled our date. What the hell’s going on, Dee?”
“He attacked her, and I arrested him.” She waltzed into the living room, pulling at her snug tank top. “No more and no less.”
“Gotta be more to the story.” Winston held his flat hips.
“Want more?” She huffed, tired of him second-guessing her. “Grayson damn near attacked me at the station tonight. He was all in my face, cursing like a moron. When I looked into his eyes, I didn’t even recognize him.”
He moved his hands, holding a distressed expression. “I’m sick of talking about Grayson.”
“Me too.” She studied his handsome face.
“I’m sorry for hanging up on you.”
“You better be.” She sat on the pillows on the floor. “I didn’t deserve that.”
“You’re right. What’s with the pillows?”
“I was meditating.” She scratched her head, her messy bun wiggling.
“Since when do you meditate?” A line appeared between his brows.
“I’ve been so stressed I had to find peace somewhere.”
He sat in front of her, Indian-style. “Was it helping?”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “My body opened, and I channeled every thought that came to mind no matter how afraid I was of it.”
“I’m glad you’re taking steps to make things better.” He rubbed her thigh. “I still wish you’d try therapy.”
She sighed. “All right, I won’t rule it out, but I’m telling you therapy won’t do anything for me.”
“What would do something for you?” His glossy lips formed a sensual smirk. “Maybe this?” He leaned forward on his palms and gave her a kiss that made her toes quake.
“You gonna relieve my stress, big boy?” She got on her knees, grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. “You’ll have to do more than that.”
“That’s cool.” With his mouth open, Winston delivered rough, carnal smacks to her lips. “I’m up for the challenge.”