"Too Tall, Too Dark, Too Handsome"chap 7

Chapter 7


The car ride back to the hospital was one taken in complete silence, silence that had not been broken since they'd given their orders of what to eat. Since then, Kent hadn't looked at her, he'd simply been polite holding doors for her, and then driving back to the hospital. As soon as the car was parked, she hopped out saving him the trouble of holding yet another door. "Thank you for dinner." she said quietly, then stalked toward her car.
"Wait, Shea!" his voice echoed in the parking garage.
She turned on her heel hoping to get an explanation for his silence, yet all he did was extend her purse toward her. "Thank you." she replied, and turned once more.
"Wait, Shea, I can't let it end like this. What's going on? Why are you so scared when I touch you?" his words echoed even in their softness, and her heart stopped.
Once more she turned toward him, saw the hurt in his eyes and she couldn't hold onto her heart any longer. Slowly, she walked to him and let herself grip his hand. "It's not you, it's men in general." The words were hollow, she was dettached from all emotion.
His hand cupped her chin, "What happened to make you afraid of men, Shea?" His eyes held intense emotion, anger mixed with something unidentifiable.
Closing her eyes so she wouldn't think about what she saw in his eyes she sighed, "My ex-boyfriend. My father. You name a male figure in my life, and they've touched me inappropriately."
"Inappropriately? Shea..."
When she opened her eyes and forced herself to meet his gaze, his eyes were blazing. What had she done? "That's not even the worst of it. He killed my daughter, Kent." No longer hollow, her voice was now thick with tears as he pulled her close embracing her, which for the first time in years did not make her breathing stop.
"Who? Who, Shea? I'll kill him with my bare hands." his words rumbled, and it made her catch her breath. He was serious.
"Rick Harley."
--
The name made his insides burn, the man had hurt Shea. More than her, he'd killed a child. A child that bore Shea's features he was sure, one that could've been his. Holding her closer to him, he couldn't help the protective feeling flowing through him, nor the anger that pushed to the surface. He needed to get control of himself before she got scared of him again. What could he do though?
"What happened to him?" he asked slowly, hoping beyond hope that the man had been put out of his misery or incarcerated.
"No one knows." her tears were more than he could handle.
Reaching beyond his own anger, he wiped her tears slowly and kissed her cheek. "Shea, if that man were around right now .... I can't stand the thought of anyone mistreating you, or your daughter."
"Well, that's what happened. Now if you'll excuse me, I should get home." she whispered, tugging out of his embrace and backpeddling toward her car.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked to her back.
He saw her head nod, as she climbed into her car.
Sighing, he watched as she drove away. She had just taken his heart with her.
--
Rick looked around the apartment, kicking the cat as he went. Why did Shea have so much garbage around this house? A large picture of their daughter hung over the couch, the cat crowded his walking space, and even worse books. Piles and piles of books. What was the woman, trying to make a library all her own? The sound of a car pulling into the garage alerted him it was time to spring into action if he was going to. Yet, he looked around. No, not tonight, it was not worth it. He looked at people milling down the street and sighed. This was going to be a complicated escape. Opening the front door quietly, he slid off the side of the porch and crept out into the darkness. He'd attack another night. Tonight, he'd let Shea enjoy what she thought was her safe home.