“They’re not dope. They’re stamped,” I argued, trying to take one from him to point out the lettering. “They’re prescription. I just didn’t-didn’t go to a doctor.”
“You bought drugs. Don’t try to cover that up. I can’t believe you even took one of these. What if he knew you’d be knocked out and planned to break into your room? Did you ever think about that? And what were you planning to do with a handful?” Suddenly his face went two shades lighter, “No, don’t you even think about doing something stupid like that, baby girl-just how many were you going to take-enough to let me find you dead in here today?!”
“No,” I sobbed.
He sat down on the bed placing the capsules back in the bottle and took firm hold of my shoulders. I wouldn’t look at him as the tears fell down my cheeks. I felt his hand reach under my chin and tip my head back, “Tell me the God’s honest truth, were you thinking about taking more than one of these?”
I couldn’t answer. Yes, the thought was going through my mind, but he stopped me before I had a chance to make the decision.
His eyes welled with tears, “So that’s it then. You were planning a Marilyn Monroe on me! Damn it, Leese,” he yelled as he picked up the bottle and slammed it against the wall. The cap stayed in place as the bottle bounced to the middle of the floor. He ran his fingers into his hair as he grabbed a double-fistful, pacing a small circle on the floor. “Why?! Over him?” he shouted at me. “What about me? What about your mom and your sister and everyone that loves you? All right fine,” he said, picking up the bottle and opening it. “You want to do this then let’s do it together! Okay, how’s that?” He put a small pile of capsules in my hand as he held the others. “I changed my whole life for you. Why not change the ending, too.” And then he tossed the capsules into his mouth.
“
He opened his mouth letting the capsules spill out into his palm, “You’re going to take every one of these to the toilet and flush them down. You will
I was nodding my head furiously, “Yes, okay,” I agreed as I pulled the wet mass from his palm. My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I dropped to the floor sobbing, trying to find all the ones that had scattered.
Then he was on the floor with me, holding me in his arms as I cried, “I love you, Leese-don’t ever do anything like this again.” He kissed me, it seemed every available place; temple, forehead, eyes, nose, ear, throat and then softly on the lips. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. You’ve got a piece of me and I’m never going to get it back. You’ve got to take care of it. Do you understand?” He kissed my lips again, slower this time, but he wasn’t seeking something sexual. This was sweet emotion from an exposed heart, “I’ll be your sleeping pill for as long as you need me. I knew I shouldn’t have believed you when you said you were okay. That crap about wanting to be alone isn’t going to fly with me anymore.”
He finished gathering the pills, “How many were there?” He was going to make sure nothing was left.
“Twenty, I think-yeah, I’m pretty sure it was twenty.”
He counted them and then placed them in my hand, “You’re flushing them, I’m watching.”
I was trembling so hard, I could barely hit the opening in the toilet.
“Have you been eating?” he asked as he tried to keep me from shaking.
I shook my head no.
“I’m making you something to eat. Then I’m calling Candace and you and I are going to bed.” He left no room for rebuttal.
A little while later, safe in his arms, I went gratefully into oblivion.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The only problem now was that Ryan was stuck to me like glue. He wouldn’t let me do anything without him being present. Candace was spending a lot of time at my house,and I knew it was because she was missing him terribly and the only way she could get to see him was to be around me. It was wearing on her and I could tell he needed to give her some attention or his whole plan of helping me was going to hurt them both in the long run. I just couldn’t figure out how to shake him loose again. I finally told Candace to stay the night at my house, so she could wile him away from me. That seemed to help because for the first time in a week, he wasn’t focused on me as she teased him into one of the other bedrooms.
I sat on my bed, grateful it worked and I had some breathing room. I was restless tonight anyway because the show was only three days away. We were performing the day after New Year’s, and the two week delay only served to build the public’s anticipation for the finale.
My bruises and marks were nearly healed as I stood in the bathroom and studied myself in the nude. They were light yellowish green now and the bite marks healed to fine pink lines that, hopefully, would fade in time. I filled the tub with hot sudsy water and slid in, letting the jets relax me. I was totally relaxed, forgetting about the show, forgetting about what was going on in the other bedroom, forgetting about Micah, forgetting…
“Ah!” A thought struck me as I inhaled and sat up in the tub. Over the past fifteen days, I had forgotten some things too well. The longer I sat and concentrated on it, the more I began to see things clearly-especially things of God and things of purpose. Wow, what a difference a revelation could make.
I was up before both of them the next morning. My hair brushed, makeup on, and I was in the kitchen putting together a big breakfast. The scent of fresh perked hot coffee drifted through the house and mingled with the tantalizing aroma of bacon, eggs, and biscuits. It didn’t take long for my aromatic wakeup call to work.
They came out together, sleepy faced and puzzled, but smiling as they entered the kitchen and sat at the island.
“Just in time. I’ve got breakfast ready,” I said as I began filling their plates, “I put cheese over the scrambled eggs. I hope you guys don’t mind.” I placed the plates in front of the silent pair, “You two look like you could use some coffee.” I poured two big cups and set them down in front of them with the sugar and cream containers, as I sat down and joined them.
“What got into you this morning?” Ryan asked. “By the way, you look great.”
“You must be feeling-better,” Candace seemed to be having a problem finding the right word.
“I am.”
Ryan looked suspicious now.
“Honestly,” I defended. “I’m okay. By the way, Don called me early this morning and he wants me in studio, at the latest, by Wednesday morning.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to actually finish the show,” Ryan stated. “I’m going with you. You know that right? I’m not taking a chance that he’ll get his hands back on you.”
“He’s not going to bother me in a crowded studio and I don’t plan on being alone. It’s fly out, do the show, fly back the same night and…” I’d almost said a little too much.
“And, what?”
“And then I’m done. It’ll be all over with and I won’t be going back to L.A. ever again.”
“I’m still going.”
I could see the worry spread over Candace’s face. “I have an idea,” I said with a smile. “Why don’t we all go? Candace couldn’t go before because well, you would look like you were into polygamy, but she can now.”
I watched her face brighten.
“No,” Ryan snapped.
“Come on,” I urged, pushing his shoulder. “We won’t be in any danger during the show and we aren’t going to hang around afterward.”
“What if you win? They’ll expect you to hang around for a while.”
“Nope, win or lose, I’m out of there right after I say goodbye to my friends.”
“Please,” Candace asked, finally finding her voice.
He was out numbered and hopeless to turn down the women in his life. “All right, fine. But if I see him coming around, both of you are out of there.”
All the Remake contestants were back for the finale to a packed house. Tonight’s venue was completely
