iveystorm@g*******m

Chapter 8

"f**k, her timing is just impeccable.”

He pulled away and I literally was about to cry.

“Who is that?”

He just shook his and laughed.

“That my dear is both our walking nightmare”

He began pulling clothes on so I did the same. As I pulled on my tank the voice hollered again and it sounded closer, like she was coming up the stairs.

“Jason honey I know you are home I saw your car downstairs.”

Jason yelled back.

“I'm coming, give me a minute!”

Just as we pulled the bedroom door open there she was at the door. She was a couple of inches taller than me, had beautiful shoulder-length curly salt and pepper hair, light caramel complexion, dressed in a very well-tailored light grey suit.

“Hi mom, I told I was coming.”

He hugged her and she just stared at me as if she could see into my soul. Then it registered did he say, mom?

“ I didn't know you had company sweetie.”

She never tore her eyes away from mine even as Jason turned and introduced us.

“Mom this is Ivey Graham, I told you about her.”

He gave her a telling look but her face was so calm and collected.

She smiled at me.

“Sweets this my mom Annalyse, she was my mother's partner and raised me from I was 10 years old.”

I blushed at the nickname and I was in awe as he explained to me who this woman was to him in such great detail.

I reached out my hand and she took it. Her hand was firm and she was still staring straight at me but she smiled.

“It's great to meet you Annalyse.”

“It's  great to meet you as well Ivey, I've heard a lot about you and please call me Anna.”

I smiled back because honestly her smile felt so genuine and it was hard not to be in admiration of her.

Jason broke the silence that followed.

“Mom lets take this to the living area having you in my room like this reminds me of childhood all over again.”

They both laughed as they left the room. You could see the love in the way they behaved spoke and laughed.

When we got downstairs Jason poured us some wine and we sat and talked. Anna told me all about her life before and after Jason and Alena Jason's birth mother. They were both lawyers at the same firm in London and were very close friends. When Jason's dad filed for a divorce they became closer as Anna had cared for along time but kept it a secret. Then after one very drunk night, her secret and fantasy became reality and she got the family of her dreams.

Jason tried to keep the conversation on work when it was averted to us but it eventually came up that I would be staying with him for a few days. Her expression was unreadable. When Jason left us to go grab the papers she came to pick up. I felt so odd being with her and I knew something was coming.

“You know my baby boy cares a great deal about you Ms. Graham”

Her voice was clipped but there was no animosity.

“I am aware, I care about him as well.”

I didn't know what else to say she was so straight to the point and I was still confused with everything going on. My fiancé is in jail for assaulting me and I'm shacked up with my partner. I didn't even feel the tears.

“Ivey what's wrong? I didn't mean to ……”

“It's  not you, trust me I understand what you are saying to me things in my life are just so f****d up right now.”

By the time  Jason walked in Anna was hugging me while sobbing. I felt stupid for making such a scene but I couldn't control it. I had already blubbered most of my story to Anna but I doubt it made any sense.

“What's going on? Mom what did you say."

“It's not her Jase it's me, I'm so stupid.”

I was still sobbing so my words were almost incoherent.

“Can someone please explain to me what happened this weekend and who the hell  is Toni.”

It took Jason a whole twenty minutes to explain everything to Anna and answer her questions. She looked paled and horrified by the end.

“ I have no words right now, Jason go get her something strong to drink….”

When Jason left I could see the regret in her face.

“Ivey I'm so sorry, I know I came off cold but I was just looking for Jason, he's been through so much.”

“You don't have to explain anything to me Anna. I understand why.”

I could see she was struggling to find the right thing to say next.

“Ivey you are going to need a lot more support than my son can give you, do you have anyone else that can vouch for all the abuse?

“Yeah my boss and I have doctors notes from the first time he put me in the hospital.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“This isn’t the first time he’s done this?

I didn’t respond it was just too hard.

“It doesn’t matter Anna I just want him and his family to leave me alone so I can move on with my life.”

Jason walked back in and handed us both a canter, the contents were amber coloured and smelt as Anna requested strong.

“Jason hunny from what Ivey and I have discussed it seems she needs a lawyer.”

He looked shocked and I automatically jumped in.

“NO NO NO!! I don’t need a lawyer, I don’t want this to go to court.”

“Relax Ivey I just mean for a restraining order. If he and his family are harassing you there are ground to have them all restricted from contacting you in any way.”

“She right Sweet, I heard the way his mom was yelling at you this morning, that’s abuse itself.”

I knew they were both right but I felt like it was pushing too hard. I felt so damn overwhelmed and my thoughts were all regrets…..

Why didn’t I listen to my parents? Why didn’t I leave after he made me give up my baby? Why didn’t I leave after he put me in the hospital?

So many questions but no real answers other than I loved him.

“I’ll think about it, right now I just need to get my stuff out of the house and settled at my place.”

Jason seemed a little tense after I spoke.

“No worries I understand, but if you decide to proceed you won't have find a lawyer I deal with cases like this every day and I would love to help you.”

She handed me her card and my reality was really setting in, my relationship was over and I needed a restraining order to protect myself. I wasn’t really convinced I needed it but it was a thought.

“Ok mom I think this conversation has overwhelmed us all and it needs to end plus Ivey and I need to get over to her place to grab her stuff before any more complications.”

I never knew we had plans for the day but he could take lead I was just too out of touch at the moment.

“I understand hunny. Ivey take care of yourself and give me a call if you change your mind.”

She gave me a pointed look as she grabbed her coat and Jason showed her out. I didn’t need words to know she was still wary of how I was handling the situation with her son.

When Jason came back into the room I was clearing the glasses off the coffee table and deep in thought. He came up behind me and gave me a warm bear hug. I was a bit jumpy at first but relaxed.

“I’m sorry about that I didn’t remember she was coming over and to be honest I’m kind of sad she chose that moment to show up.”

I didn’t speak I was still deep in thought. He turned me to face him and pulled me close.

“Hey you good babe?”

“Yeah I’m sorry just processing everything, I didn’t know your mom was …..”

he cut me off.

“I don’t normally share it but I was going to with you after this cleared over after you are were mine and for that to work, we need to know everything about each other.”

I wanted to object and let him know I wasn’t sure what was going on between us but he gave me that double dimpled smile and kissed me. The heat from earlier rose in me and I couldn’t resist. When he pulled away I wanted to object on spot.

“Lets go get ready we need to get your stuff from your place before your ex or his parents get there.”

I was confused, Toni wasn’t going home anytime soon this was his second offence he wasn’t making bail. I guess he saw the confusion on my face because he elaborated.

“When I went to get the papers for my mom Detective Campbell called and told me that a judge Toni granted him bail as long as he handed over all his travel documents and will be released to his parents. He’s going to be released at 5 and I’d rather you be completely out of that place before he got back there.”

I had no words, with him lose and knowing I was pressing charges he would be beyond furious and I’m sure if he caught sight of me he would kill me.

“Sweets relax Mark is meeting us there in fifteen to help us move you out and in here so you have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh no Jason I can't go to my place.”

He looked bothered again. I wanted to apologize but chose not to, I couldn’t stay so close to him.

“Look both Mark and I agreed its best of you stay here because he doesn’t know where I live and we all know with his anger Ivey he will come after you.”

"He won't, he really isn't that kind of person until he drinks."

The frustration was breaking through I could see it on his face, in his muscles as they tensed.

"Ivey this arrest and charge of abuse will ruin his career, what you classify as the most important thing in the world to him. Don't you think he won't fight and try to hurt you? Think about it."

And so I did. Toni is vindictive and will attack but he cared about me, so something in him won't let him.....right?

"Look no arguments, time is passing and I don’t want to keep Mark waiting. Go change and meet in the garage, lock up on your way out."

He threw me a set of keys, they didn't look like the ones I always saw him with and I tried to figure out if they were spared or if he got them for me. I was obviously reading too much into his actions. Like all men, they need to save a damsel in distress and I was Jase's.

When he left the apartment I went upstairs and dragged on one of my matching sweats grey, with purple flowers on the hoody pockets. On my way out I grabbed my van keys and my wallet then locked up. We were only apart for a couple of minutes but I missed Jason's presence. He always found a way to lighten my mood and brighten the room.

I was getting too far ahead of myself, my life as I knew it was over and I wasn't even thinking of how to start over I was thinking how great my work partner was. Mark was going to kill me when he found out if he hadn't already. He had a strict no office dating rule and I was a big enforcer of it.

When I got downstairs Jason was standing next to my van. He looked so strong and hard, my thoughts automatically flipped back to what we were about to do before Anna interrupted us and I felt the heat rise in me. I felt different with him, he made me want more not just s*x but...more.

"We're going to take your van because I doubt all your stuff will fit in my car."

He was laughing which meant his mood had lightened, which made me happy.

"Trust me they won't."

We laughed as he helped me into the car and closed me door. My body still hurt and with every pain I had flashbacks of Saturday night. I was so spaced I hadn't realized that Jason had gotten in the van and was pulling out of the garage.

I guess he realized what I was feeling and he looked at me with such compassion and worry that I regretted my thoughts from earlier. If I wasn't careful I would fall hard for Jason Highland and fall real f*****g hard.

"Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? You know instead of being cooped up in the apartment."

"Uhm I don't know. People are going to stare and I don't want to run into anyone that knows Toni."

"Relax will you Sweets, I promise you will be safe and we will go somewhere private and discrete, Ok?"

I wasn't sure I was up for public appearances but he looked so cute.

"Sure why not....Nowhere too fancy ok."

"Sure."

When we pulled up to my townhouse Mark was already outside and so was his ex wife Maria. Maria and I were close when she was still married to Mark and I was so happy to see her. It had been a year, she still looked so beautiful but that’s what you get when you marry a Spanish woman, she was always so fiery.

When I got out of the van she came over to hug me.

"Ivey hunny look at you, if I could castrate that little asshole I would. How are you?”

"I'm ok Maria, What are you doing here?"

"Well I was in town for my sisters birthday and Mark told me what happened, I'm so sorry hunny, But I am here to help lets move you out.”

Mark gave me a hug as we moved up the steps and I let them in. I felt so loved and I knew I had the perfect support system, I just had to tell my mom and that’s what I was dredging.

The house was a mess, the same way I left it Saturday night. Everyone walked past me inside, I was stuck at the door I couldn’t move, everything from that night came back. I fought the tears and pushed on. We divided the work, Maria and Jase took the bedroom to grab all me stuff while Mark and I took my home office and the rest of the house to make sure I didn't miss anything I valued.

We were out of the house and had both vans loaded within half an hour. On our way out unfortunate for us, Caroline and Michael Toni’s dad pulled up behind my van. Without any hesitation, Caroline jumped out of their car and began yelling at me. She accused me of ruining her sons life and being a cheater while Michael just stood beside the car silent.

Mark and Maria tried to calm her as Jason lead me to the van but it didn't work. She turned her rage from me to Mark and Jason saying I f****d them both in order to be where I am. She called me every name in the book.

By the time we all got in our vehicles to leave Caroline had made such a commotion that all our neighbours were on their steps or balcony watching. I felt so bad not just for me but for everyone who had to go through this because of me.

“Hey don't cry none of this is your fault, they just don’t want to blame the real at fault person, their son.”

I didn’t even realize I was crying, I wiped away the tears with my hood. I knew he was right but it all hurt.