Page 6 of Charged With Forever

"To be honest, I have no right to judge since I was doing the same." She looks guilty now.

When she reveals she's been getting them, too, it takes a lot of control not to scream. Neither of us have a leg to stand on with this. We were each keeping secrets to protect the other, and in the process, made a big mess.

"Do you have any of them?" She shakes her head no.

“I just through them out. I thought they were all bull shit, and eventually he would move on.”

Unfortunately, he's already changed his pattern by contacting a woman in a serious relationship. The others were all single. Then there are the notes to me. "So far, he’s only left notes, which is still creepy. Your dad suggested I bring mine in on it, and I agree.”

"What about the rest?" She asks, referring to our issues aside from those secrets that we hold.

"I'll cut back my hours, delegate more. We'll take our honeymoon before the wedding, let that be our vacation,” I promise. “Can you take time off?"

“Thanks to Tina and the unexpected help from my grandfather, I can."

"We should have done this months ago," I concede, accepting part of the blame. With Sawyer in my arms, I take her mouth, and when we come up for air, I ask if we can go home. "I need to make love to my fiancée."

Chapter 7

Sawyer

I’m sore yet happy when I wake in my own bed thanks to the exhausting night Cole and I had. The likes of which we haven’t enjoyed for too long. Sex multiple times, showering together, eating pizza in bed. It was perfect, and Cole must agree considering his heavy arm is still wrapped firmly around my waist. I can count the humber of times on one hand this last month alone we’ve woken up together.

My cell buzzes, rousing me fully from sleep, and I carefully reach over to look at it, giggling with relief and true humor when I read the text from Tina. "What's so funny?" Cole asks, his breath tickling the back of my neck.

"Tina found my necklace at the office. She’s keeping it safe."

"You should take better care of the gifts I give you," he jokes, something that would’ve had me ready to kill him yesterday.

"I feel so stupid. All that anxiety and worry about us could’ve been fixed with a simple conversation. Why are we so stupid?”

"You'd think after all these years we’d be better at communicating."

"Life isn’t meant to be that easy," I muse.

"Speaking of, we should get going. I have to hand off some cases and meet up with my dad." I know he said he would, but hearing that he’s following through on it warms my heart.

"And I need to do the same, minus the get together,” I say with a wink. “How about we have a big family dinner tonight? I'll call my mom and set it up."

He kisses the top of my head before getting to his feet and I immediately miss the heat his body provides. "Sounds great."

An hour later, we’re both dressed and I’m finishing the dishes after a quick breakfast when he presses against me.

“Need help?” he kisses down the back of my neck.

“I got it, besides, you should get going.”

Looking at his watch I hear him groan. “I do. Have a good day.” And then with one more peck, he moves toward the door, reminding me that a patrol car will be here soon to keep an eye on me.

I’m sure his overprotection isn’t necessary, but I let him do it. "I’m gone in ten, so you might as well tell them to head to my office to check that area.” I call after him as he leaves.

Once I finish the dishes I plan to phone my parents with the good news, as well as the plan for a cookout with our families. Mom, knowing Cole proposed yesterday, is already going full-steam ahead on wedding planning. Not that she and Naomi haven’t been working on it since Cole and I started dating. I prepare to grab my stuff to head to work, but I hear the front door open and close.

Figuring it is Cole, I holler out, "What’d you forget?" However, when I shift to see him, there’s a strange man standing there instead. The self-defense moves Clive has showed me over the years tumble in my brain, but most of all is that I need to remain calm to do them. Panicking won’t help, despite how badly I want to. "Who are you?" I inquire, hoping to distract him as I reach behind me to snag the knife I’d thankfully forgotten to wash.

“After all the love letters I’ve sent you, why would you marry him?” He asks, his countenance clearly angry. Oh shit, it’s him. It has to be. How does he even know we’re engaged? Well, duh, he's a stalker.

Lying won't do any good, so I tell him the truth, “I love him.” Before I can react, he pulls out a stun gun and hits me. I collapse, my makeshift weapon clattering to the floor beside me. I try my hardest to stay conscious, but I can't. My eyes close, and that’s the last I remember until I wake up, groggy. Looking around, I see bags of soil, tools, and flowers, and discover I must be in a greenhouse. "Hey!" I yell as I struggle against my restraints. The zip ties are so tight on my wrists I can feel them digging into my skin. I slowly get to my feet, searching for anything I can use to free my hands.

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