Blood & Lace

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

A few days later I am released from the hospital and we head home. Happy and I have talked a little bit and he's been telling me about our life together. Pulling up to the house, Happy smiles at the shocked look on my face. "This is our house?" I asked softly. "Yeah. Bought it for us when we first got together." he says. "I love this house. I never thought that it would come up for sale." I say. "I know. As soon as I saw the for sale sigh, I bought it." he tells me and I look at him shocked. "Thank you. But why?" I asked. "I'll explain when we get inside." he says. I walk inside and look around. It's perfect. Walking over to the couch, we sit down. Me on one end holding Vic and him on the other end giving me my space. "What happened to my other house?" I asked. "You sold it when we moved in here. Some shit happened and you said you couldn't go back there so I bought this one." he tells me. "What happened to me?" I asked. "The night you told me to fuck off, you had a date with a guy that you were working with. You caught him kissing some other chick and stood him up. You walked into the clubhouse and started drinking and after telling me to fuck off, I took you home the next morning and then took you out to breakfast. You quit your job and started working for Luanne. The guy broke into your house and attacked you." he says. "Did he..." I started and he nodded his head yes. "You said you couldn't go back there so I bought this house and moved us in." he tells me. I look at him for a minute and ask "Are we in love?" I asked softly. "Yeah, babe. We are." he says. I look down at Vic, who's asleep in my arms and go to stand. "You rest. I'll lay him down." he says taking Vic from me.

A few minutes later, Happy walks back into the living room and I am sitting there just looking at my hands. "What are you thinking?" he asked. "Uh, look, this isn't going to be easy and I know guys have needs so if you need to step away I get it." I tell him. "I ain't going anywhere. This isn't the first time you've given me that option. I didn't take it then. I ain't taking it now." he says and I nod. "Come here." he tells me. I move over closer to him and he pulls me into his lap. "We will take this at your pace. I just want you to be comfortable." he says. "Thank you Happy." I say.

That night, he gets his pillow and heads to the couch with a blanket while I lay down in our bed. I start to doze off when I start having this horrible nightmare. "Strip." the man says pointing the gun at me. I do has he says and he says "Lay down." I lay down on the bed and he ties my hands to the headboard. I'm in my old bedroom. He climbs on top of me and roughly enters me. Thrusting in and out until he reaches his release, he gets up and unties me and says "Don't make me take it like this again."

I wake up having a panic attack. I can't breathe. Tears are rolling down my face as Happy comes running into the room. He pulls me to him and says "Just breathe baby. I got you. Just breathe." I start to sob into his chest. After a few minutes he says "Talk to me." Still in his arms I say "I had a nightmare. I was in the bedroom of my old house. There was a guy there and he had a gun on me. Made me strip. Tied me to the bed and raped me. Told me not to make him take it from me like that again." I say and start crying again. "Baby, that's what happened when you were raped." he says and I look up at him shocked. "That means I'm starting to remember?" I asked. "I guess so." he says. "Anything else happen?" I asked. "Other than Luanne dying and you getting shot? No." he tells me. He lays me back down and goes to leave the room and I say "Will you stay?" He nods and says "Let me get my pillows." He walks to the living room and gets his pillows before walking back in and getting into bed. Pulling me to him, I lay my head on his chest and it all feels so familiar. Safe. "Thank you Happy." I say. "I love you little girl." he says. I jump up and look at him. "Little girl. That's what you call me." I say surprised. "Yeah. Why?" he asked. "Did we get married at the courthouse?" I asked. "Yeah. We did. Day after me and your Dad got out of Stockton." he says. "I think I remember that." I say. "That's good. But don't stress yourself out. It will come back when it's supposed to." he tells me as he pulls me down to lay on his chest. I drift off to sleep with a smile on my face and his hand running up and down my back.