Page 20 of James

Sasha

After talking to James on the phone last night, I’m hoping he drops by so we can finally talk. I’m not sure what to do with the hope that I’m suddenly feeling. Hope that James, Jye and I could be a family, hope that we could start anew. Hope that James has an answer for the events that took place. My internal dialogue driving me crazy, I decide I need to talk to him, and today. I drive with Jye to his house, bringing a packed lunch for all of us. When I pull into his driveway I see a police car there. Worried, I quickly unbuckle Jye and take him in my arms. I practically run to the front door, and start knocking frantically. James suddenly pulls open the door, his eyebrows raising when he sees me.

“Is everything okay? What’s wrong?” he asks, giving us both a once over.

“I thought something was wrong with you! Why is there a police car here?” I ask him, rushing out the words. James’ eyes widen and he starts to nibble on his lip ring.

“No, nothing is wrong, Sasha, come on in,” he says, opening the door wide for us to enter.

I put Jye down, and take his hand in mine as we make our way into James’ house. I freeze when I see a pretty blonde sitting at his kitchen table. She has natural beauty, with short blonde hair and no makeup.

“Sasha, this is Tatiana, Tatiana, this is Sasha,” he introduces. An awkward silence ensues, and I’m grateful for Jye when he walks up to James and hugs his leg, offering a distraction.

“Hi,” she says softly, after a few seconds.

“Hello,” I respond, not knowing what else I could possibly say. Tatiana, James’ ex, is a police officer. I must say that I didn’t see this one coming.

She clears her throat, and then says, “Well, I better get going.”

I take Jye outside to play as James walks her to the front door. Why does she still come over? Is he going to tell me that they're getting back together? The thought makes me want to cry. Jye runs over to the sandpit and starts to dig in. After what was probably only a minute but felt like an hour, James comes back and stands next to me.

“We’re just friends,” he says, rubbing his hand down my back. I move slightly away, out of his reach. “Sasha…”

“How would you feel if you dropped by my house and an ex of mine was there?” I counter.

“This is a completely different situation, Tatiana and I work together,” he says. I glance over at him in confusion.

“Okay, I know you’re not a cop,” I tell him, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“You know I make my money from the stock market,” he starts.

“Yes, but that doesn’t explain where you sneak off to all the time whenever she calls you,” I say sharply.

“Retract your claws, Sasha, and let me explain. Please,” he says sincerely.

It’s the please that gets me. “Okay.”

“I help run an organization. We help abuse victims get out of their situation by taking them away to a safe and secure spot. They're offered therapy and anything else they may need. Then we help them start over, so they're happy, healthy, and no longer in jeopardy. Tatiana helps with the abuser, taking the necessary steps to ensure they don’t go after their victims. She sets up the houses, and works closely with social services,” he says whilst staring at Jye, not me.

I’m silent, feeling slightly choked up. This man, he's good right down to his bones.

“Say something, Sasha,” he says, sounding worried. I step towards him, and wrap my arms around his waist. His strong arms instantly respond, cocooning me in his warmth.

“Why did you hide this?” I ask, confused.

“I mainly work the high profile cases. The woman you met, she was the wife of a very powerful man. I still can’t really talk about it, Sasha, but you could have been put in danger, I just needed you to get safely out of there. I would never cheat on you, ever,” he says as he stares into my eyes.

“So you never answer your phone because?”

“These jobs get intense, Sasha. When you see a woman battered, bruised and hiding in a corner, you’re not really thinking about answering your phone. I put my all into helping these women. Sometimes they want me to stay there so they feel secure. Most of the time I need to drive far to get to them or safe houses, so that’s why sometimes I’m gone for a few days. I know I need to be more available now that I have a family, and I’m going to try my best to make that happen.”

“You’re a good man, James,” I say softly, in awe.

“Does that mean you forgive me?” he asks.

“I do, I’m just wondering why it took you this long to tell me the truth,” I say boldly.

“I tried,” he says quickly.

---