|
|
|
Mandie awoke to Craig setting something down on the bed next to her. She glanced over at the clock, it was 11! She sat up quickly. He reached over and stopped her.
"Hey, slow down, you're going to spill everything all over the bed. Where you think you're going?" He asked. She looked around.
"What day is it?" She asked sleepily. He came around to her side of the bed.
"It's Sunday, Mandie. I brought you something to eat." He propped her up, pushing pillows behind her back and then set the tray down on her lap. She looked it over. He made eggs, hash browns, sausage and a cup of coffee. She looked up and smiled at him. What the hell did she do to deserve him? She felt tears behind her eyes and blinked them away. She touched her cheek with her hand. It was very sore where Marcus had punched her.
"You are the greatest Mr. S, did I ever tell you that?" He sat down on the bed next to her.
"Not recently." He said. She reached out and touched him arm. He put his hand over hers and smiled at her. "How are you feeling this morning?" He asked gingerly. She shrugged.
"I guess I really won't know until I move around." He cleared his throat.
"Then you really won't know because you aren't moving around today. Bed rest is what the doctor ordered and bed rest you will have." She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.
"I have to piss Craig." She said sarcastically. He pointed a finger at her.
"That is all you will get up for." He got up and left her alone with her breakfast. She ate. She discovered that as she chewed her teeth hurt. She hoped that the police used brute force to take Marcus to the station. She hoped he resisted arrest and had to be beaten. She was sure that he was aching from Craig's jabs. Craig had large arms, Marcus didn't. Marcus was wiry. Craig got quite a few good shots in from what she could see. Craig came back into the room a few minutes later with a dishtowel slung over his shoulder and a cup of coffee in his hand. He sat down on the bed next to her and watched her eat. She pointed to the plate.
"You want some?" She asked. He shook his head.
"I ate about an hour ago." He said. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"You've been up that long?" She asked. He nodded.
"I couldn't sleep but I wanted to make sure you did." When she finished eating he took the tray and then joined her again. He took her hand in his and kissed it. He wanted to talk about what had happened the day before but wasn't sure she wanted to. He wanted to know what went on before he found Marcus and his failed rape attempt. She slid down on the pillows and he slid down next to her. "Do you care to talk about it?" He asked quietly.
"Do you?" She asked him back.
"Well, sure, if you do." She shrugged.
"Marcus has been pestering me all week." She blurted out. He was taken aback.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, a little annoyed.
"I never thought it would come to that! I , I thought I could handle him. He was just annoying ..." She looked down at their hands still laced together and the ring on her finger.
"Mandie, please tell me if anyone bothers you, threatens you, anything, ever again." He searched her face for understanding and found it. His features softened as she promised him she would. "I am worried about you, about our baby." It seemed so strange saying it. 'Our baby.' He said it again in his mind. She pressed her hand to her abdomen automatically. She hoped that Marcus wouldn't ruin it for them. Now she and Craig were engaged, going to have a baby, he had his contract and would start getting paychecks, they could buy a house .... things were falling into place and she just prayed that Marcus didn't spoil it. She curled herself into his arms. She just wanted him to hold her. He ran his hand through her hair and kissed her ear.
They lay like that for some time ... until Mandie needed to use the bathroom. She got up slowly and found her whole body was sore and aching. Craig walked her to the bathroom and she shut the door on him much to his dismay. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Jeez ..." She said aloud when she saw the huge red mark on her face and the red marks on her arms. She pulled up her shirt and found more. They would be black and blue before long ... She did her business and then opened the bathroom door to find Craig still standing in the same place, waiting for her, patiently. He walked her back to bed and helped her back in. He turned the TV on for her and then told her he was going out to make a few phone calls. He grabbed the phone off the cradle and called his Mom and Dad and then Brent. He talked to Mom and Dad for a long time and told them the story, omitting, of course, the part about Mandie being pregnant. He wasn't positive that she wouldn't lose the baby and why tell the world before they really knew. Mom decided that she and Dad were going to come visit and help him take care of Mandie. "Just a day or so, okay, Mom?" Greg said. He didn't want them around long and figure things out. He left a message at Brent and Andrea's and then called a few more people, like Drew and talked about what happened. He told Drew he was going to be a father. Drew clicked his tongue.
"Well, spank my ass ..." Drew said. He sounded okay with it. Drew liked Mandie, they were always good friends. "I guess I'll be Uncle Drew now then!!" Craig smiled. He was glad to hear Drew talk like that. He made a few more phone calls and then went back into the bedroom where he found Mandie sleeping again. He turned the volume on the TV down and backed out of the room closing the door behind him. He still had the phone in his hand and when he was walking back into the kitchen to do the breakfast dishes the phone rang. He answered it and no one responded, there was only empty air .......
