Page 75 of My Heart To Heal

‘Get Jonah,’ he growls, and I feel my knees weaken with the muscle memory of what follows that tone.

‘Bax, he isn’t here right now. Can we talk outside,please?’

I feel Kacey and Jenna’s eyes on me, and I know they’re wondering who I am right now. Wondering who this meek, terrified woman in front of them is.

‘You ladies can go.’ I force a smile. ‘Really, everything is fine.’

‘Missy,’ Kacey hesitates, and I smile wider.

‘Really, we have a lot of shit to discuss. I’ll lock up. See you tomorrow.’

Kacey nods, and I wait as she and Jenna get ready to leave. She leans in to hug me and whispers, ‘Are you sure?’

I nod yes and smile to reassure her, then fight the bile that rises as I watch them leave.

After glaring at me for what feels like minutes, Bax heads out of the door onto the street and leans cockily against his car.

‘I’ll wait here. Go and get him.’

‘Bax, you can’t just take him. We talked about this.’

I stand back, putting space between us, and he steps forward.

‘Nah, see, you talked.’ He takes another step. ‘Your fuckin’ Ken doll talked.’ Another step. ‘And in the interest of keeping things friendly,’ another step and heat rushes across my skin as my breath stutters, ‘I listened and tried to be reasonable.’ Another step, and his cologne fills my nostrils — a scent I have tried so hard to block out. The expensive aftershave his mom buys for him, the scent that brings back memory after memory of abuse. His chest presses against mine, and I turn my head to the side, squeezing my eyes closed as I feel the wall at my back and know I have nowhere to run. ‘Then I thought about it, and that son of a bitch doesn’t get a say in my son’s life, and you,’ his thick finger presses into my cheek, harder, harder, pushing the flesh against my teeth, ‘you will do what you’re fuckin’ told.’

‘Please,’ Iwhisper, realizing only now that I’m crying, and he steps back. I take a breath at the respite until he turns, and I notice too late the hand coming toward my face.

The back of his fist strikes my jaw, snapping my head to the side and making me stumble back against the shop front, my own hand hitting the glass as I reach out absently for something, anything to anchor me.

‘Don’t fuckin’ beg, bitch. It’s embarrassing.’ He turns his back, stepping away toward his car as I steady myself.

‘Bax, stop this. You don’t want him — you never wanted him.’ My words come out as sobs, and he laughs then rushes forward. His hand grips my ponytail and he yanks hard, snapping my head back as he pulls me away from the window and into the gap at the side of the salon — out of sight.

‘But your misery makes my dick hard, Marissa.’ His free hand grips my throat as he leans in to drag his tongue up the side of my face, then starts to squeeze.

‘Bax,’ I struggle to speak as his grip tightens, and he starts to lift me from the ground.

‘If you die, he’s all mine,’ he says close to my ear, and hot tears make their way down my cheeks. ‘Yes!’ He laughs maniacally as my vision blurs, and I clawat his wrist and hand in desperation. ‘Cry, baby. You know I love it when you cry.’

Somewhere in the distance, I hear a door open and can make out the blur of a figure approaching. I hear the shout, the dull thud, the sound of a body crumbling to the ground as my own does just that, and my vision starts to clear as oxygen fills my lungs once more, and Nick stands over Bax, fists clenched, body ready to act, his maroon scrubs drawing the light to them, taking all my focus as Kacey lowers next to me, her hand coming to my cheek.

‘Missy, honey…’ She doesn’t say any more, just sits with me, but I can’t take my eyes off Nick.

‘You mother fucker.’ He rears back again, and I see Bax cower, his nose bleeding from the first or maybe second hit. Nobody hits back, I think. He isn’t used to being on the receiving end.

‘Nick,’ I call out, and he freezes, glancing back at me for a second. ‘You’re not like him.’

My words give him pause, and he drops his hand but doesn’t move. Instead, he points at Bax.

‘Stay the fuck down.’

I hear pounding footsteps and the welcome sight of Bree and Jenna.

‘Nick,’ Bree says firmly. ‘I’ve got this.’ He doesn’t move. ‘Nick!’ I see him meet her gaze. ‘Go to her.’

He steps back,snapping himself out of the trance he was in, then turns to me. Uniform or not, Jenna takes her place with Bree as Nick lifts me from the ground and before wrapping me up in his arms.

‘Jonah,’ I cry, and he shakes his head.

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