Page 67 of Body

He sniffs and wipes his eyes with his hands. “The neighbors called the cops. He left my Mom there for dead but the paramedics got there and she made it. Survived against all odds. Thirty seven stab wounds, and she’s still here. It was a miracle. After the attack, she spent a year in a coma, and another year in therapy. In the end, she never walked again.”

“And your Father?” I asked while sweeping his chocolate hair off his brow and around his ears. Mostly just to touch him, which I knew he liked.

“He was picked up at a local bar. The bartender called the cops when he entered covered in blood. The bastard had the audacity to sit down and ask for a drink. Bartender kept him there until the police arrived. He’s in Joliet Correctional Center in Illinois for two counts of attempted murder.”

“Chase, I had no idea. That didn’t come up when I was Googling you.”

“It wouldn’t. My name has always been Davis, but I was born with the hyphenated Father and Mother’s names. James-Davis. My Uncle changed it back to just Davis and spent a lot of money ensuring that both names stayed out of the papers. Since I was a minor, the records were locked. It would be quite the scandal if it came out now.”

I loop a leg over his and mimic the position he had held me in during my story. He lays back and I follow him down, covering him like a blanket once more with my head on my spot, directly over his chest and his heart. He slides his hands enticingly over my bare back. Story time is over. It gutted us both, leaving us raw and emotional. Tonight we let the ugly out. Our pasts are behind us, our love between us. I kiss his chest over his heart.Mine.

“Thank you,” I whisper, lips against his chest.

He tunnels his hands into my hair and urges my face to his for a sweet, deep kiss. A kiss of rebirth, of the gift of knowledge that we both survived and came out on top, against all odds. Just like our relationship.

“For what?” he asks.

“For listening. For not judging me. For trusting me with your past and allowing me to be part of your future.” I search his gaze and his eyes shine in the dim light.

We lay holding one another until we both fall asleep, completely spent from baring our souls, content in the knowledge that tomorrow will be brighter because we’re together.

Chapter 16

The next few weeks provide a whirlwind of activity. Chase and I alternate between each other’s homes most nights. It constantly surprises me that a man so used to luxury willingly stays in my cramped apartment, sharing space with my wacky roommate. He even seems unbothered by the frequent bouts of marathon sex between Maria and Tom on some of our shared evenings. Maria and I did try to schedule our overnight stays at our boyfriend’s houses so that we would each have a bit of privacy but more than a couple times a week that didn’t work out. Most of the time it was because Chase’s schedule was sporadic. Everyone, including me seems to want a piece of him.

Since the night where we uncovered our demons we’ve been inseparable. At least as much as possible considering he often travels or has meetings well into the evenings. We haven’t said the “L” word to one another again after that deeply emotional night of baring our pasts. I think we were both afraid to break the spell. Somehow we accepted each other’s pasts as just that, our pasts. We chose not to let it taint the relationship we’ve built.

I am up to my eyeballs in alligators at work, dead set on proving that I deserve my new title and promotion. I have regular meetings with Mr. Hawthorne and Taye about upcoming fundraising initiatives and events that we are working on. This weekend I am going on my very first major giving donor prospect visit with Taye. He’s going to teach me the fine art of asking a wealthy donor to give tens of thousands of dollars to the Foundation. In equal parts, I am excited and terrified.

The only problem I have now is telling my very overprotective boyfriend that I am going to be gone for a few days, without him and meeting privately with a rich stranger. Both of which he’d balk at. In a normal relationship, this shouldn’t be a problem, but Chase and I are anything but normal. It’s not as if he doesn’t go on plenty of business trips alone. I don’t bat an eyelash when he jets off to put out some fire at one of his companies across the nation or the globe for that matter. Sure, I miss him terribly when he is gone, but didn’t some philosophical genius say that absence makes the heart grow fonder? I believe it to be true because when Chase is gone I think about him incessantly. So much so that the girls all know when he is out of town based on my depressive sulking and lack of interest in going out with them. They understand that I am in deep with Chase and tease me like crazy over it.

It takes some time to get up my nerve, but I finally I come to the conclusion that the best way to handle this trip, is tonotmake a big deal about it. I am going to New York with Taye whether Chase approves or not. I’ll just shoot him a quick text and be done with it.

To: Chase Davis

From: Gillian Callahan

I’m going out of town on a donor visit Thursday through Sunday with Taye. Excited! I’ve never been to New York City.

I re-read the text. Sounds straightforward, to the point. There’s nothing special about it or any hidden meaning. I click send and turn to my computer to crunch some numbers. Ever since the promotion a few weeks ago I’ve been thrown into the world of budgeting and forecasting. At first it was a daunting world I wasn’t familiar with, but I’ve found that I’m actually pretty good at it. I’m able to see the areas where we can grow our donor dollars as well as the areas of concern that need more attention. My cell phone pings.

From: Chase Davis

To: Gillian Callahan

I’d prefer you didn’t go alone.

If I’m honest with myself, I had an inkling that he wouldn’t be thrilled about me heading out of town, but I won’t be alone.

To: Chase Davis

From: Gillian Callahan

I won’t be alone. I’ll be with Taye.

I send the text and start reviewing my numbers again. I’m disrupted by the ping from my cellphone once more. I roll my eyes and look down at the display.

From: Chase Davis

---