“Rex is here,” my dad says from his seat and my heart starts racing for an entirely different reason. Rex has no reasonto be here. “He’s got back-up with him. I’m going to go talk to him.”
I remain on the phone with Officer Reynolds as my heart starts racing for an entirely different reason. I haven’t seen Rex in eight years now. The anniversary of my brother’s death happened while I was in the hospital and I didn’t go to his grave for the first time since he died. Tears fill my eyes as I realize how much TJ has taken from me.
“Miss Winslow, I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’m already on the road. I’ve got the restraining order with me and we’ll get him out of the house for good. He’ll be going to jail today,” Officer Reynolds assures me before we hang up the phone.
Rex and my dad move closer to the car and I’m surprised when my door opens. Rex kneels down next to me and I get my first look of him. He’s put more muscle on but he’s still got the body of a swimmer with lean muscle instead of the bulky mass I’ve seen on so many other guys. His hair is sticking up and damp from his helmet. It’s so hot, I’m not surprised he’s sweating today. A black bandana rests around his neck and I take in the leather cut covering his torso. I don’t know what any of the patches mean, but that’s okay. I don’t need to know. Rex is wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and has a black tank top under his cut. The only reason I know it’s called a cut is because Elara and I used to watch documentaries on motorcycle clubs when we were younger.
“How are you feelin’, Doll?” Rex asks me, taking in my body wrapped up in blankets.
“Don’t call me Doll, Rex,” I say, my voice a broken mess as I avoid his gaze. “I’m okay. Thank you for saving me.”
“Couldn’t walk away from you, Doll. You’re my one weakness and always have been,” he says and I can imagine thesmirk he’s wearing because Rex is once again ignoring me. “You need anythin’, call me.”
“I’m fine. I won’t need anything,” I say as I hear a car door shut and turn my head to see Officer Reynolds walking up to my dad’s car.
“Miss Winslow, you stay out here until we get TJ out of the house. All of you stay here. I’ve got enough guys here to surround the house. TJ won’t be escaping us this time. I’d rather not knock if you don’t have a problem with me just opening the door,” Officer Reynolds says before he looks toward the front door of the house. I watch as several other officers move silently around my yard and disappear around the sides of the house.
“Do what you have to do,” I tell him, still avoiding Rex while looking at the officer standing just behind him.
My eyes lock on the house as the cop opens the front door and walks inside with three other officers. I can hear the commotion as the music suddenly cuts off and I listen to everything happening inside. People start to run from the house, jumping into cars and racing from my house. We’re almost hit by two of the vehicles trying to make a fast getaway and I brace for an impact that never comes. Shouting comes from inside and I recognize TJ’s rage-filled voice and know without a doubt he’s resisting arrest. That’s simply another charge he’ll face on top of everything else. I’d smile but this is my life and it’s something that’s become my reality.
Rex stands up and blocks my view. I know he’s not allowing me to see TJ as they finally walk him out of the house.
“Let fucking go of me! You have no right to arrest me!” he yells and I flinch with each word because he’ll blame me for this. I mean I did call the cops so I guess it is my fault. “I can fuckingsee you, Taleah. This is your fucking fault. Tell them to release me right this second!”
“You don’t have the right to talk to her,” Rex states, his voice cold and hard in a way I haven’t heard in a very long time. “This isn’t her fault. You made fucked-up decisions and it’s time for you to pay the price.”
“Fuck you!” TJ screams, his voice going higher than normal and I know he’s reached that level of rage I saw the day in my store. My entire body starts to shake and I can’t seem to get enough oxygen in my lungs.
“We’re here, Doll. TJ is already in the back of the cop car and can’t get to you. He wasn’t about to bust through the guys with me anyway. He’ll find himself on the ground real fuckin’ quick if he tries to get to you. Your dad’s car is surrounded. Take a deep breath and hold it for a count of five before releasing it on a count of five,” Rex says, his voice gentle and far away as I try to listen to what he’s instructing me to do.
I breathe with Rex once he crouches down in front of me and pulls my hands out of my blanket burrito to hold in his. He rubs his thumbs over the back of my hands and I start to pay attention to how rough his skin is against mine. Rex has never been one to shy away from manual labor despite the fact he’d rather be working in front of a computer. I imagine he’s spent countless hours with a tool in his hand for one reason or another. Especially working on his bike.
“That’s it, Doll. You’re okay. Are you goin’ in the house today?” he questions me when I finally start to breathe normally again. My heart rate starts to slow down and I look at the man in front of me who once meant the world to me.
“I need to see it,” I whisper and start to pull the blankets from my body after removing my hands from Rex’.
He steps back and lets me get out of the car as my dad appears in front of me with my walker. I don’t really want Rex to see me like this, but if I try to make him leave, he’ll simply remain at my side. He really is a stubborn bastard when he wants to be. With Rex on one side and my mom on the other, my dad stays behind me as I slowly make my way to the front door that’s still sitting open. I can already see the mess waiting for me inside.
Garbage fills the floor. Cups people were drinking out of, empty food bags, paper plates, and other debris cover my once immaculate carpet. My dad helps me up the two steps and into the house before I’m handed my walker once again. Holes fill all the walls in my living room and my TV now sits on the floor, smashed and missing pieces of the screen. A vase Elara got me our senior year of high school has been smashed and pieces rest on the garbage. There’s a horrible smell coming from somewhere in the house. It’s spoiled food mixed with sex, drugs, and body odor. I turn toward the hallway with my entourage following behind. More holes fill the walls and my pictures are no longer on the walls. They’re smashed on the hardwood floor.
Tears fall from my eyes as I take in the massive level of destruction TJ and those other assholes have made in my home. Turning toward my bedroom, I find the door still locked but it now has a large crack down the center as if someone were trying to break it down. My mom hands my keys over and I unlock it to find this room intact. Nothing is out of place as I push the walker inside and head for my closet. While my dad, Rex, and the rest of the guys walk through the rest of the house, my mom helps me pack my clothes in a large suitcase. We don’t take everything, just enough for a few weeks. She grabs my things from the bathroom while I grab my notebooks from the nightstand on my side of the bed.
Once we’re done in my room, I lock the door and my mom closes it behind us. I unlock my office door right next to my bedroom and look inside. Nothing is damaged in here either. I move inside and grab a few things I need for work. I feel Rex step in behind me and turn to look at him over my shoulder.
“He was always so proud to wear that jersey,” he says, his voice breaking as he stares at Bhodi’s jerseys on my wall. “He always lit up on the field and gave every piece of himself durin’ each game. His competitiveness was infectious and we all played better because of him.”
Rex can’t even say my brother’s name.
“The two of you were unstoppable on the field. Elara and I always thought you’d go pro until you started talking about enlisting in the military,” I whisper, remembering all the practices and games we used to sit through while cheering the two of them on louder than anyone else.
Rex doesn’t say another word and leaves the room in a hurry.
Another man enters my office and gives me a smile. I smile back the best I can through my tears.
“Hi, Taleah. I’m Count, Master’s best friend. Um, I think you know Master as Rex. I’m not tryin’ to replace anyone in his life. Guessin’ that jersey belongs to his true best friend, your brother. He’s been a wreck since he found you in that store,” Count says, holding out his hand for me to shake and I accept it weakly. “I won’t let him do anythin’ stupid, Taleah. For now, you focus on your recovery. I have a feelin’ you’ll be seein’ a lot more of Master.”
“He’s wasting his time, Count. Whatever we had ended averylong time ago. He made sure of that. Now, I just want tomove on with my life and forget all about Rex,” I say, grabbing my walker and turning to leave the room as Count follows me.
