Page 62 of A Game of Secrets

"Many cars. I'll give you one if you want? It would make me feel more at ease with you driving one of our cars rather than the death trap you call a car." I tell her.

She giggles, shaking her head. "When are you going to give up on that?"

"Whenever you give in and let me buy you a car. I'll give you the world, Topolino, if only you’d let me" I tell her truthfully. She blushes and walks past me getting into the passenger seat.

I glance over to Lucille but she doesn't make eye contact with me. I'm a bit confused. Did I say too much?

Just as I am about to question her, Lucille whispers, "I was so scared that Vinny had taken him, Cole. I didn't know what to do. I promise I'll explain everything later, once Teddy is asleep. Can you just not ask until I have him settled at home?" I nod, noticing her hands are clasped together to stop herself from shaking. I grip the steering wheel hard, whitening my knuckles, I'm not angry at her. I'm pissed that some dickhead has scared her so much.

Once we pull up at her apartment we hop out and make our way inside. Teddy is chatting away about his day at school to us. When faces us and ask, "So are you like my mom's boyfriend?" shocking me and Lucille as he stands and stares at me, waiting for an answer.

“Well I guess you could say that little man, would that be okay with you?"

He looks thoughtfully and replies. "Yeah but I think you have some competition with that giant guy and Alesso’s dad. I mean as long as you make her happy, I don't mind." I can't help but laugh. This kid is perceptive.

"We all want to make you and your mom happy, Teddy. Listen, if anyone you don't know approaches you and your mom isn't there or can't get to you, you ask for the Salvatore’s okay? Me, my brother Silas, the giant guy, and Linc will always help you."

He stares at me wide eyed. "Do you like Lego, Cole?"

"Sure do, you got some?" I ask him, a little taken aback.

"Yeah, let's go play while Mom cooks us some dinner." He grabs my hand and drags me to his room. I look round to see Lucille with tears in her eyes again, God I hate seeing her cry. She puts her thumb up to show she's fine but it does little to ease my worrying.

After a while of building Lego, we've built an airplane, a ship and attempted to build a castle. Lucille shouts us as dinner is ready, it smells great. "Teddy, let's go wash our hands then help your mom set the table." I say to him,

"Okay, I've had fun building with you Cole. Can we do it again sometime?" He asks as we make our way to the bathroom to wash up.

"Sure, anytime you want, little man" I tell him ruffling his hair and he rewards me with a big smile.

Once we are back in the kitchen, Teddy shows me where all the cutlery is kept. Lucille has cooked homemade macaroni cheese and chicken tenders. It looks amazing. "Wow, a woman who is beautiful and can cook, we have lucked out." I grin at her.

"Well you're not the only one that can cook, we will have to share the kitchen sometime," she calls.

"I'd like nothing more, I love to share." I wink at her, earning a deep blush that creeps up her neck.

Once we have finished dinner, I offer to clear up while Lucille helps Teddy get ready for bed. She scoops him up into her arms clinging onto him tightly “Let's go get your favorite pajamas on and you can pick whatever book you want me to read.” She really is perfect in every way. I've never felt so possessive of anything in my life, that goes for them both. Playing house isn’t my thing, but I could get used to this. After cleaning up the kitchen, I wait in the lounge for her to come back. Sitting on the couch, thinking how perfect this day had been minus the whole Kindergarten situation. I got to unleash my demons this morning and now I’ve spent some time alone with this amazing kid and his beautiful mom. I don’t think it could get any better, but then it does, as my angel walks back into the room.

"He's out for the night. Cole I'm sorry I called you so panicked. I owe you an explanation for it all, but thank you for coming to me and thank you for how kind you have been to Teddy. I honestly don't know if I would have kept it together without you today," she blurts fighting back tears.

I stand and gently grab her hands, bringing her to sit next to me on the sofa. Keeping hold of her and staring into her hypnotic emerald eyes I say, "Listen to me, you call I'll come running, don't ever forget that. You give me only what you want to give me, you hear me? And I'd always be kind to you and Teddy. You are mine to protect, mine to cherish and mine to love."

She whimpers at my words, wiping the tears from her eyes "I just was so scared. I'm going to tell you now, about him. You deserve to know. All I ask is that before you say anything, you let me finish, Okay?"

I nod giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, urging her to continue "I won't interrupt but I will also ask that after you’re done, that you listen and give me the same when I tell you mine." She nods and taking a deep breath in, she begins her story.

"It was a normal night, waitressing in a goddamn diner. It was not my dream job. I only had nine more months to go until I qualified as a registered nurse and then I could walk away from the place and never look back. Some of the customers were less than desirable but I could handle it knowing it wasn’t forever. It was a late night cafe for drunks to come in to fill their stomachs to sober up. I remember the first time I met Vinny. I thought he was my knight in shining armor, how wrong I was. I was stupid and naive to believe him.

It was like any late shift, full of drunks looking to sober up before heading home. This particular night I had a couple of guys who were particularly handsy and crude. I brushed it off and I remember wishing my final hour would fly by so I could head home. Studying and working was hard but it was the only income I had. One of the guys decided he wanted me for dessert and grabbed my arm, pulling me onto his lap. I screamed and tried to move away when this shadow appeared over me and I remember looking up into the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. They weren’t looking back at me though, they were focused on the jackass who grabbed me. The guy helped me up and then he dragged the two guys out of the diner. I stood there completely mesmerized. I’d never had a guy stand up for me before. Most of the diner customers kept their heads down and ignored what was going on around them.

When he came back in, I realized that he was someone I’d spoken to a couple of times during my shifts. I thanked him and got him a coffee and slice of pie to say thanks. I called him my knight in shining armor. God I was so gullible. He told me his name was Vincent but his friends called him Vinny. He stayed with me while I locked up and walked me home. He came into the diner every night after that and eventually he asked me out on a date. I was so in love with him by that point I nearly jumped him there and then. That was how enamored I was. I couldn’t see through his act. Looking back now I feel like a fool for falling for him so easily. I was desperate to be loved and he was like a character out of my books, my knight, my hero.

I persuaded him to move in with me after a month and even though he protested and made out that he didn’t want to rush or encroach on my space, he quickly changed his mind. I couldn’t bear to be away from him. My studies slipped, I fell behind because he occupied my every waking thought. Even my dreams were filled with him. Two months into our relationship, he proposed. I said yes immediately, I couldn’t imagine not spending the rest of my life with this man. My first indication that something wasn’t right should’ve been when he convinced me to get married without any of my family there. He made it sound romantic, just us there confessing our love for eachother. We didn’t need anyone else.

Once we were married that's when cracks started to appear. At first the beatings were light, only when he had been out drinking with mates. I later found out that his mates were in fact the same guys that he threw out the diner that night. He had planned everything to make him look like a good guy. When I confronted him about it, that was the first time he beat me enough to knock me out. I woke up the next morning not sure what to do, he acted so sorry and was back to what I thought was his normal self. I forgave him instantly because he'd say things like he was drunk and he didn’t mean to do it and that he wouldn’t do it again. He manipulated me, he made me feel like I was wrong for questioning his actions.

Over time he became possessive and paranoid about where I went, what clothes I would wear and who I spoke too. I couldn't even speak to my brother without being accused of wanting to leave him. He'd ask for sex and sometimes I wouldn't want to, especially after a long shift at the diner, but I'd say yes because I couldn’t bear to let him down. That's how much he had manipulated and gaslit me into believing everything I did was resolved around how he felt and what he would do if it wasn't what he wanted. I was genuinely scared for my life but he would tell me that no one would believe me. That I had no friends, that I didn’t bother with my family so they wouldn’t help me. He made out that it was my decision not to involve them in the wedding. I felt well and truly alone. Things just went from bad to worse. Then one night as I was getting ready for work, it was my final week at the 24/7 diner. My pin for my registration for nursing had come through and I'd had a successful job offer at the local hospital. I was over the moon, even though Vinny kept nagging at me saying he still wanted his dinner on the table and expected me to keep the house clean. Luckily the job was night shifts so I'd be out of the house while he was drinking and back in time to sort everything he wanted out. It's crazy how I thought that was normal. That night, I was desperately trying to find something Vinny would consider appropriate to wear for my shift. I caught his bulky frame standing in the doorway out the corner of my eye, watching my every move. Before I knew what was happening, he's grabbing my wrist as I tried to side step him. He twisted my arm and bent it behind my back then pushed me forward, cracking my head against a mirrored wall. I pleaded with him to let me go, shouting that he was hurting me but that just spurred him on. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, he beat me badly. I was trying to escape but he grabbed me and held me down. I could hear him behind me, unbuckling his belt and fiddling with his jeans. He laid down on top of me, pushing my head into the floor. At that point I had no fight left to give. I lay there still and silent focusing on my bloodstains on the bedroom wall until I blacked out.

At some point I must have gotten up or Vinny had moved me. I can't remember, all I know is one minute I was on the floor and then I was lying in bed and Vinny was gone. When I eventually came to, his car was missing from the driveway.

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