Needing You Close

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

GEMMA

When I climb into Robert’s car, my skin feels like it’s melting off my body. I’m ready to internally combust after Victoria dropped the bomb that our wedding has been moved up. Robert thinks he’s so cunning, but I see through this act, and I’m disgusted I fell for it. When Winnie messaged me more than usual this weekend, it should’ve raised some red flags. I went from talking to her every other week to getting questions every ten minutes. It all makes perfect sense now.

During the drive to his house, Robert goes on and on about how excited he is that Victoria’s interested in his company. I don’t respond to anything he says and just stare out the window. Instead, I get lost in my thoughts, wishing I was anywhere but here. When we pull into his driveway, he notices I’m not playing the part of the ecstatic fiancée. After client dinners, he loves to have his ego stroked, but I’m not in the mood tonight. Too many revelations have come to light, and I’m questioning our relationship in a way I never have before.

Over the past few months, I’ve seen glimpses of this side of him, but I always made excuses for his behavior. I’d blame it on his drinking or jealousy, but an underlying issue exists that’s bigger than I ever imagined. It’s frightening not to truly know who he is, and I hope I haven’t been scammed into marrying a man who doesn’t exist. Though a part of me should’ve seen this coming, considering how pushy he’s been. I’m so stupid for falling for his manipulative ways.

“What’s wrong, darling?” he asks as he yanks my weekend bag from the back seat. Without waiting for my response, because it’s not as if he cares anyway, he gets out of the car. I grab my purse, then follow him to the front door. I need to figure out how to bring up the receipt I found for the private investigator and list my other grievances, but it won’t be easy. The last time I complained, he listened, but then nothing changed.

Once we’re inside the house and the door closes behind me, my emotions nearly boil over.

“How could you move the date of the wedding without consulting me first?” I finally blurt out. “That completely blindsided me tonight. It was disrespectful for me to have to find out from a stranger instead of my fiancé.”

Robert sits on the couch and slips off his shoes. “For weeks, I’ve asked you about it, and you’ve been indecisive. I understand you’ve been under a lot of pressure, which I assume is because you work with a criminal, so I’ll give you some slack. I can’t imagine how stressful that is for you, not knowing if it’s safe or if you’re being robbed blind. But I digress. Instead of adding more to your plate, I made the decision for us, something I’ll be doing a lot of when we’re married.”

My mouth falls open at his pitiful attempt to throw jabs at me, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care. I refuse to entertain him or argue about any of this because we have much bigger issues at hand. I’m well aware that Robert will continue to throw this in my face until I bend to his will, but quitting the garage isn’t up for negotiation, and I’ve made that crystal clear.

“The last thing I want is for the happiest day of your entire life—our wedding—to cause any anguish, Gemma. I thought if I moved the date and took care of the major things, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. And you said so yourself, you’ll be ready, so I took care of your dress and veil as well. Everything’s in place. Winnie’s paid and so is the venue. Invitations are going out soon.”

“My wedding dress?” My blood is pumping so hard, I think I can hear my heartbeat echoing in my head. I’m tempted to pinch myself to make sure I’m not living in some weird nightmare because this can’t be real. He’s officially crossed the line, and he is delusional if he thinks I’m going along with this.

I want to slap the smug look off his face. Robert tilts his head and smiles, but it’s not kind nor inviting. Instead, it’s menacing, and his eyes are cold. It’s like the curtain has been pulled back, and the man behind it all is evil.

“Of course, Gemma. I’m sure you haven’t planned anything with Everleigh and Katie like you said.”

“Well, not yet but—”

“I knew you hadn’t, so I did it for you. I’m sure they’re both too busy trying to support themselves since they don’t have men to provide for them. So, I felt this was a better alternative, considering your mother is no longer here, and you have no one else of importance in your life.” He stares at me, and I feel as if I’m suffocating. Mentioning my mother is just so goddamn cruel. I’ve voiced my dread of not having her with me on such a monumental day. Bastard.

“It wasn’t your decision to make,” I seethe.

“Well, I figured it was best for you. I even found a tailor to adjust my mother’s wedding dress to fit you based on some clothes you left here. Only the absolute best for my bride!” he proudly boasts.

My expression doesn’t change, which causes his helpful husband persona to quickly fade.

“You can thank me now,” he snaps.

I finally catch my breath from the whiplash he’s just given me. “You want me to thank you for what you’ve done? Have you lost your mind?” I walk toward my bag, and Robert rushes to stand. He stalks toward me with annoyance on his face. Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he jerks me toward the couch and forces me to sit. I can’t believe I agreed to marry such a controlling, manipulative man.

“Take me home,” I demand, wishing I would’ve driven myself.

Throwing his head back, he lets out a boom of a laugh as he sits next to me, but instead of it being welcoming, it forces a chill up my spine. “Not f*****g happening.”

I try to wiggle from his grasp, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he only holds me tighter. My anger rises, and I grit down, holding my tongue as I try to figure out how I’m going to get the hell out of here. My phone is in my purse across the room.

My thoughts are a jumbled mess, but I need to calm down to think clearly.

“The plan was for you to sleep over and stay with me, so you will. I won’t be taking you anywhere but to my bedroom. Would you like a drink?”

He gets up, but I don’t dare move, too scared to make any sudden movements. Robert goes to the kitchen, then comes back with a scotch on the rocks and settles in the chair in front of me.

Sitting straighter, I plead, “Please take me home. We can discuss this tomorrow after you’ve had some time to calm down.”

He chuckles darkly, then drinks half the glass. “Don’t you f*****g listen? The answer is no. Quit trying to defy me, Gemma. It’s an ugly look for you.”

“I can’t do this,” I tell him, breathlessly. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“This, as in what? The wedding is set for November. You will not f*****g embarrass me.”

“There will be no wedding, Robert. Call it off, immediately.” The words tumble out of my mouth, and I can’t stop from saying what I want.

Robert charges toward me. Quickly, I run to my purse and manage to pull out my phone. He chases after me and grabs my hair, pulling me back. My scalp burns from the tug, and I scream out in pain before pushing him away. Angry tears stream down my cheeks as I hurry to the kitchen. I pull a knife from the block and point the blade at him. When I cooked last, it was sharp enough to slice through meat with no issue, so I hope he doesn’t make me use it.

“Don’t you take another step toward me.” I hold it tightly in my grasp, my hand shaking from the adrenaline.

He’s in a blind rage, so my threats don’t faze him. He takes a step, holding out his hands as if he’s surrendering, but I’m not fooled. I try to unlock my phone but fumble. If I can text Everleigh with one hand, then maybe she can come get me. Seconds later, Robert rushes after me. The sudden movement startles me, and I drop my phone and the blade.

He grabs me, squeezing my shoulders so hard that I screech. “You need to stop being a selfish b***h, Gemma.”

My phone rings, and the high-pitched tone nearly pierces my ears. Everleigh’s photo flashes on the screen, and I whisper a little prayer, hoping she won’t give up on getting in touch with me. “I need to answer that.”

Another dark chuckle escapes him.

I try to push away, and he grabs my dress, ripping the thin material of the sleeve from the hem. I look down, then back at him. “If you think we’re getting married, you’re crazier than I thought. The wedding is off, Robert. So do what you have to do to cancel everything.”

My phone rings again. “Over your dead body,” he hisses.

“I told Everleigh that I’m staying at your house tonight, so she knows I’m with you. She won’t stop calling until I pick up,” I force out, needing to place some fear in him. His image means too much, and if Everleigh catches wind of this, the entire town will know what he did to me by the end of the week. My phone buzzes again, and Robert finally lets me go. I eagerly grab it, but he watches my every move as if he’s waiting to pounce if I say the wrong thing.

“You better watch what you f*****g tell her,” he seethes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. His shirt is still tucked into his slacks, and the sneer hasn’t vanished from his lips.

“Babe! Everything okay? You sent me a bunch of gibberish in a text,” Everleigh asks as soon as I answer.

Robert picks up the knife, and I’m afraid of what he’s capable of doing. The light reflects off the blade as he looks at it, then glances at me. The man I agreed to marry isn’t who’s standing in front of me, trying to force my hand at marriage and threaten me. I try to steady my tone, but I hope to God Everleigh reads between the lines.

“I’m perfectly fine,” I say calmly, and Robert nods, giving me his tacit approval. Robert places the knife in the sink and stalks past me, grabbing his scotch and finishing it before pouring another.

Adrenaline rushes through me like a strong wind in a narrow canyon.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Everything’s great. Dinner was amazing,” I say, forcing myself to smile when I speak so at least he thinks I’m trying.

“No, it’s not. I can tell by the shakiness in your voice. Where are you? Robert’s house?”

I laugh, pretending we’re having a much different conversation. “Of course. We’ll do dinner there one night soon after you get off work. The bisque was incredible. The best I’ve ever had.”

“Now I know something is wrong since you’re holding a one-sided conversation,” she says seriously, and I’m relieved she understands what I’m doing.

“Right, I must’ve texted by accident when I threw it in my purse.” I keep up the act, which pleases the monster who hasn’t taken his eyes from me.

“Alright, I’m coming to get you,” she reassures. “Something’s wrong. I’m bringing my pepper spray.” I hear her walking, accompanied by the dangling of her keys. I’m thankful she’s so observant even when I don’t want her to be. Otherwise, I might not have escaped him tonight.

“Thank you,” I say. “Yeah, brunch tomorrow sounds great. Thanks for checking on me.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hang tight, okay?” she adds at the end, then lingers for a few seconds. I don’t say anything, and my silence speaks louder than my words ever could.

“Great, talk to you later.” I end the call.

“Good girl,” Robert coos. “Now we’ve got some things to discuss, don’t we?”

I check the clock on my phone and hope Everleigh hurries. When she shows up unexpectedly, Robert won’t be able to force me to stay. I want to get the hell out of here as quickly as possible before he hurts me again. The way he’s acting makes me think he will, if needed.

“Alright.” I sit on the edge of the couch, counting down the minutes.

“The wedding will happen, Gemma. You’ve already committed. You know how I feel about people who back out of contracts, and when you accepted my proposal, you verbally agreed to be my wife. So, it’s happening, and things will move forward as discussed.”

“Why did you have me followed?” I snap, ignoring his words.

He grins, not at all concerned that I found out. He’s practiced the doting husband act so much that he can switch it on and off so easily. That’s more terrifying than his words could ever be. “Followed? I’m not sure what you’re talking about, sweetheart.” He tilts his head back and takes a large gulp of his scotch.

“I saw the receipt in your desk for the private investigator you hired. When I called you all panicked about someone following me, you didn’t seem concerned, and it’s because you were behind it all along. What’s wrong with you? What kind of man hires someone to stalk the woman he supposedly loves and trusts?”

Robert charges toward me. I want to get up and run away, but it’s no use. I try to act as if I’m not threatened by his sudden movement and keep a straight face. He doesn’t seem to like that reaction either and pushes me down until my back is against the couch. With his strength, he forces my arms over my head and straddles me. His face is inches from mine, and the scotch on his breath smells rotten.

“It’s time for us to be honest with each other, isn’t it?”

I blink up at him through the tears forming in my eyes.

“I don’t f*****g trust you,” he says roughly, adding more pressure to my wrists. He’s heavy and too strong for me to break free.

“Get off me!” I scream. “You’re hurting me.”

He moves his face even closer. “You think I’m stupid? You lied about your past with Tyler. Didn’t think I’d find out you two used to be a hot item, huh? I know about it, Gemma. The whole goddamn town does too,” he snarls.

“Stop it,” I cry out, fighting against his hold and jerking my body. “Robert, stop!”

It doesn’t faze him as he squeezes his knees tighter into my ribs. “I knew about you and him before he returned. Then he conveniently started working at the garage, so when I asked, I wanted to hear the truth from your lips. Being my future wife, I thought you’d share everything with me, but you acted like there was nothing to tell. So you left me no choice. I had to ensure my assets were protected.”

I snap my eyes, wishing this would end. “What assets?”

“You. Gemma. You’re my property. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you f****d him. I arranged for you and your little friend to be watched for weeks. I have a handful of photos of you two flirting, and it makes me so f*****g sick. Everyone sees the way he looks at you, and the way you eye f**k him when he’s around you. So goddamn embarrassing,” Robert hisses before trying to force his mouth against mine, but I turn my head. I don’t want his lips anywhere near me.

“Why are you even with me then?” I wiggle against his hold. “There’s no trust between us, so it’s time to end it.”

“I’ll never let you go, Gemma,” he growls. “Not unless one of us is dead. Don’t you f*****g get that by now?” he snaps, his eyes darkening with every word.

“No!” I scream. “It’s over.”

“It’s not. And I’m only gonna tell you this only once, Gemma. You need to be very f*****g careful. And so should Tyler.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“Exactly what you think it means.” He tsks, sliding his body down mine.

“Get off me!” I’m brought back to being eleven years old when the boys picked on me at recess. Lifting my knee, I plant it right between his legs. Robert grunts, and I push him to the floor. “You cunt,” he breathes out, holding his crotch.

I’m breathing hard, my chest heaving as Robert manages to stand.

“Just stop,” I beg. “Please, stop.” I create space between us, ready to run out the front door. If his neighbors heard us arguing on his perfectly landscaped lawn, Robert would die of a heart attack because the rumors would fly. He’d do anything to avoid being the talk of the town.

“Don’t you go anywhere,” he orders as if he read my mind. “Sit. Right now.” He talks to me as if I’m a child, and I guess in his mind, I am one. Only wanting to temporarily appease him, I do.

Before I can open my mouth to rebut his threats, the doorbell rings followed by rapid knocking. Robert narrows his eyes at me. “What have you f*****g done?” he hisses.

Robert moves toward the door, and I take the opportunity to grab my s**t. I hear Everleigh ask where I am, and Robert lies that I’m taking a bath. She doesn’t believe his bullshit and barges past him. Once Everleigh sees me, she grabs my hand, then pulls me through the house.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Robert shouts.

“f**k off,” I throw at him as Everleigh rushes us toward the door.

“If you leave, I promise you’ll regret this,” he warns as I walk outside. The warm air feels amazing on my skin. The front door slamming behind us startles me, and I’m tempted to look over my shoulder, but Everleigh maintains her fast pace toward her car that she’s left running.

She opens the passenger door, and I climb inside. As the adrenaline subsides, I begin to break down, overwhelmed by my emotions. He has no idea how much I regret agreeing to marry him. Everleigh hops in the driver’s side, and my body begins to shake. She glances at my torn dress and frowns. Seconds later, she backs out of the driveway. Silence fills the ride to her house, which I’m grateful for.

When we pull into Everleigh’s driveway, she turns and looks at me. “I know this is a stupid question, but are you okay?”

I clear my throat and find my inner strength. “I’m not sure,” I say honestly. “I’m safe tonight, thanks to you, but I don’t know how Robert will retaliate tomorrow.”