Broken

Chapter three

Elliott 
It's been a month since I met Jessie. The first two weeks she started off sleeping in the guest room, but in the middle of the night she'd end up joining me in my bed. It was always because of a nightmare involving Reese. 

I ended up just letting her sleep in the bed with me and she's not had a nightmare in the last two weeks. I'm not going to lie, it felt weird having another woman in my bed that wasn't Miranda, but it was comforting in another way. It was comforting because I was also able to sleep better these last two weeks.

Everyone at work has noticed a change in me these last two weeks, but none of them question it and I'm grateful. I was given a new partner given that Reese was my partner, but is now dead. She held Jessie at gunpoint with my daughter sitting next to her.

We ended up struggling for the gun she had and I was shot in the process. I managed to get the gun from her and my shot killed her instantly. Apparently I was touch and go during surgery, but fought to stay alive. I had to, my daughter would have been an orphan and needed me. I also wanted to see Jessie, she took Macy to safety when I tackled Reese for the gun.

I was on break and wanted to surprise Jessie at the hospital. My partner's wife happens to work with her and wanted to surprise her himself. He knows about my condition and surprisingly accepted me. We both stopped to get a bouquet of flowers and were walking the halls to find our women.

To both our surprise they were eating together in the hospital cafeteria. Jessie's back was to us and my partner's wife points us out. She turns around and her eyes lit up at the sight of me. They shift to the flowers in my hand and tears fill her eyes.

I smile, lean down and kiss her cheek. She looks at me, speechless and I hand her the roses. "I wanted to see you," I say with a smile and take a seat next to her. "Your mother offered to watch Macy tonight so I can take you to dinner."

She smiles, bringing the roses to her nose and says, "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"You say that like you've never been given flowers before," I say softly, tucking a stranded curl behind her ear.

Tears roll down her cheeks and lowers her gaze from me. "These flowers are different. They're not an apology for beating me," she chokes quietly. 

I gently turn her face towards me and our eyes meet. I hesitate, but lean in to kiss her lips. I pull back and her eyes are closed. They flutter open and she seems confused that I kissed her. "I'm sorry, I should have..."

She claims my lips before I could finish and I kiss her back. Her tongue grazes my bottom lip and I happily give her access. Our tongues dance in sync and a rupture of butterflies swarm in my stomach. She breaks from the kiss and were both at a loss for breath.

Tears roll down her cheeks, grabs the roses and darts out of the cafeteria. I was left confused and felt a heavy pang in my chest as I watched her disappear from sight. Tears roll down my cheeks and walk the other way. 

I don't understand what went wrong. She initiated that kiss and then ran away. I walk out and wait in the passenger seat of the squad car for my partner, Gary. In the privacy of the squad car, I let the sobs escape my lips, vision blurred beyond recognition. 

I just wanted to go home and curl up in my bed. Gary climbs in the driver seat and stays quiet. He knows about my past involving Miranda and that I've declined many people who wanted to date me. "Captain said I could take you home," he says in sympathy. 

I don't say anything, letting my sobs fill the dreadful silence. We make it to my house minutes later and I get out without a word. I close myself in my room, stripping out of my uniform, leaving only my boxers and sports bra.