“You’ll be fine honey.” She assured me. “You do almost everything yourself now.”
It wasn't the fact that she assisted me with everything that I'd miss, but the companionship, the knowledge that someone was always in the next room brought me comfort. And if I were honest, I would admit that the thought of being alone and defenseless scared me because Reid was out there.
Jude entered the living room in board shorts and a t-shirt. I gawped, just short of opening my mouth.
"Let's go swimming," he announced, taking his shirt off.
I shook my head. “I don’t feel up to it.”
"It's not negotiable, Tara," he walked toward me, and my heart rate quickened. "You either get dressed in your swimsuit, or I take you in with that pretty little t-shirt and sweatpants you have on."
I rolled my eyes and struggled to stand up, Jude following close behind me. The proximity of him, shirtless, was highly distracting. I took small steps toward my bedroom, and at the door, I felt unsteady, leaning against the wall for support, I was annoyed at the effort it took to do simple tasks I used to take for granted.
He placed an arm around my waist, causing goosebumps to spread across my skin. I wrapped my other arm around his neck as he gently guided me into the room and set me on the bed, his scent making me heady and on the verge of collapsing.
"I could undress you if you wanted," he teased, leaning into me, his arms on either side of me.
“I - I think I’ll be fine,” I stuttered.
"Maybe next time," he winked, standing before me. I was at a loss for words. The man was delicious, and what I would give to take him up on that offer. My face flushed, and he grinned before turning away.
"Call me to come get you."
Chapter 20
Tara
Three months before the accident
Men like Reid are cruel because they can be. He'd taken to bringing women home regularly now. I heard them because they were loud. Luckily he only did it when our daughter wasn't at home. There were a few times when I came out of the guest room to find a woman parading the hallways in nothing but her underwear. I continued to the bar, getting a bottle then taking it back to my room. He would come in, spew profanities at me then leave. I didn't care, I was lost out at sea.
One day I wandered down to the kitchen and on the island was a familiar envelope. I’d forgotten about it all this time. I rummaged in a drawer for a letter opener, carefully pulling out the contents before I poured myself another drink. Divorce Papers. I wasn’t surprised about that, I would finally be rid of him, but the conditions had me reeling. He wanted full custody of Becca, claiming that I was unfit. I laughed mirthlessly, understanding that during the last few months, I’d been too drunk to realize that I was playing right into his hands.
"You finally read it," he said from behind me. He walked around and took a seat in front of me. "I want you out of my life, Tara, and that is what you want too,"
“But Becca,” I slurred.
"You're in no state to take care of her, and you know that. I can do a way better job. You can sign it, and we do it the easy way, or we take the court route, airing out your dirty laundry,"
“Nobody is going to believe you.”
"Don't be so sure, Princess," he growled. "I have my ways and means, and I can have you declared unfit in no time. We have neighbors who can vouch for you knocking on their doors, asking for a bottle when you ran out, Becca standing on the front lawn waiting for you."
"You were around, too, asshole!" I shout.
"Well, it's your word against mine. Isn't it, honey? And nobody in their right mind is going to believe a drunk.
“I am not a drunk,” I say, taking a sip from my bourbon.
"Yes, yes you are. You're a drunk, and Becca is better off without you."
“Why are you doing this to me?” I ask him.
He laughs. “Because, Tara, you’re nothing, and when you came into my life, everything changed. And not for the better.”
“I never asked you to give up the life you had, you chose to.”
"Because you left me no choice. It was my daughter or nothing, and now I am taking that away from you." He walked away, with me shouting after him.
