“I guess I should probably go, even though I don’t want to.”
“It’s probably best. I’ll be in the office tomorrow so I’m sure I will see you.”
“Elena, you do not have to come back to work yet. Have you even been cleared by your doctor?”
“Well, no but I feel fine.” As soon as I said that I knew that he would put his foot down.
“I don’t want you in the office until you have a note from your doctor, that’s final. Okay?”
I could tell that he was worried and he wasn't trying to be mean, he just wanted to make sure that I was okay.
“Okay. I’m sure I can get a note this week so I will bring it with me when I come back to work.”
“Good. By the way, before I leave, did you have to go to the police station or anything about the attack?”
"Not yet, the police interviewed me when I was in the hospital. I am supposed to go to the station when I'm feeling better to identify Brian in a lineup so I will probably go later this week.”
“Your lawyer will go with you, right?”
“Yes, and I thought I would ask Chloe to go with me.”
“Elena, you know that I would also be happy to go with you because I’m sure you’re going to need as much support as possible.”
"Thank you for that, I really mean it, but I will be okay. He's behind bars so I don't have to worry about him probably for a very long time.”
I stood up giving Sebastian his cue that it was time for him to leave and he did not look happy. I walked him to the door and we stood there awkwardly for a minute as we both searched for something to say. He reached out and gently caressed my cheek as his eyes held mine.
“I’m not giving up on us.”
I didn’t say anything as he walked out the door and when it closed behind him, the tears fell gently down my cheeks.
Chapter Fourteen – Moving On
The next week Chloe came to the police station with me and I saw Brian’s miserable face staring back at me through the one-sided glass. It literally took one second for me to point him out and my lawyer said he would let me know when a court date was set.
“Oh Laney, I am so happy that they caught him. Hopefully he will be put away forever this time, that guy is a sicko.”
“I know, but the good thing is Florida is so tough on domestic abuse so I bet he’s put away again for a long time. I hope so anyway.”
Chloe and I grabbed dinner and I decided to tell her everything that had happened with Sebastian because I needed someone to talk to.
“Wait, he has a three-year-old son and he didn’t bother to mention that to you in all of the time that you guys spent together?”
“Yes, and I don’t know if I’m more upset that he kept it from me or that he thought it would make a difference to me.”
“Well, doesn’t it? I mean, isn’t that the reason that you decided that you don’t want to see him?”
"I don't know, Chloe, I am so confused about all of this. My heart is telling me one thing and my head is saying something completely different. Maybe I’m thinking way too far ahead but a child changes everything, they’re a huge responsibility. I want to open my hotel within the next five years and playing mommy to someone else’s kid is probably going to get in the way of that.”
“Whoa, I think you need to slow down, you guys have barely started dating. You should probably just take things one day at a time Laney because you have no idea if things will even work out with you guys.”
"I know, I probably sound like a crazy person but Chloe, there is something about him, something that is different. You know me, I was totally on the career track, plans for the hotel already laid out down to the color of the paint in the bathrooms. Then this guy comes along and totally turns my world upside down. I never thought I would meet someone like Sebastian, I think he may be the one.”
She looked at me for a minute, her head cocked to the side, and her words were sincere.
“Elena, if you think he is the one then what are you doing? Why are you pushing him away?”
“Because it won’t be fair to him to go out with him if I know I can’t deal with all his stuff.”
“You mean deal with the fact that he has a kid.”
I looked down at the floor feeling ashamed. “Yeah, I’m horrible aren’t I?”
“No, I think you’re entitled to feel the way you want to. But I also think that if you care about Sebastian, everything else will just fall into place. Try not to think too far into the future Elena because you will miss all of the joys of everything happening now. I say give it a couple of days and then talk to Sebastian. I don’t think you should wait too long.”
“I don’t know, ugh! Enough about me what is going on with you?”
“Well, Mike and I hit a bumpy road.”
“Oh no! What happened?”
“Ever since I moved in he seems to think that there is no reason for us to go out, all he wants to do is order in and watch movies. I am so bored! There is no way that I’m going to let this be my life. Lately I’ve been noticing other guys more and thinking about finding someone new. Am I awful?”
I grabbed her hand across the table to reassure her. “Not at all. Maybe you should talk to Mike about this Chloe, tell him how you feel.”
“I did and he doesn’t seem to care.”
“Talk to him again and if he is not willing to change then you have to decide if you want to stay with him. But I know that Mike loves you so I’m sure that once he sees how important it is to you to get out and do things, he will do it.”
“I hope so.”
We chatted for a little while longer and then both headed home.
I got my ‘clear to go back to work’ letter from my doctor and forwarded it to human resources so that they knew I would be back that following Monday. I laid low the rest of the week and rested so that I would be ready to dive into work on Monday. I was looking forward to going back because I was getting really bored just sitting around at home.
When Monday finally came around I was up at nearly the crack of dawn taking my time getting ready so that I looked perfect. I went into the office early because I knew that I had a lot of work waiting for me. Bev, who was the most awesome assistant ever, came in early ready to catch me up to speed.
“Elena, I am so happy that you are feeling better. How awful that you were attacked in your own apartment! Did they catch him?”