“Father God, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for Stenton. And we ask that whatever it is that’s troubling him…”
The beginning of her prayer jolted my guilt. But I wouldn’t reject her care. No fucking way. I needed it. I needed someone looking out for me. I needed Sarah Barrett. I wasn’t a praying man—outside of what I did with Sarah, and Jordan at night, thanks to Zoey’s training—but I believed in whomever she called on on my behalf because that’s how much I’d trusted her. Maybe it was the fierceness in her tone as she went in for me. Maybe it was the longevity in her requests for my unspoken needs as I went about the house, unpacking until I fell across the bed while clutching the phone to my ear. It could have been when she ended with “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” when I felt that unyielding sensation of soothing. I didn’t know.
But when she was done and asked, “Do you wanna talk about it?”
I answered, “No.”
There was no way I could share the debauchery in Dallas with her.
“That’s fair,” she muttered. “Is it bad?”
“Horrible. Probably the worst.”
“I think it’s time you talk to someone to help you sort yourself out, Stenton. Not a…shrink, but someone professional with a good moral compass. Someone you can identify with enough to be comfortable with sharing.”
“Who?” my voice was delivered muffled from my slack jaw resting on the mattress.
“I have someone in mind. A young man of God name Ezra. He’s in New York City. I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I want you to meet him. Would you do this for me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I slurred.
I heard her sigh of relief. “Good.” Then I heard the smile in her voice. “Now, can I talk about my favorite little baby’s latest developments to share my joy?”
I exhaled hard, rolling out my despair. The reference to my little man was a welcome distraction.
“Please do.”
Chapter 5
Now
August 2014
~Stenton~
“Are you sure you understand what this means, Elizabeth?”
Zoey’s head snaps up and I don’t recognize the enmity in her eyes. She’s never this heated.
“Yes, Edward, I do understand. Just as I understood almost seven years ago when I sat at this very table with my bewildered parents, dying inside from what I thought was the most juvenile error one could possibly make,” she grates. Then her eyes narrow. “Only this time, I know what apparently you and your prized client over here have cooking.”
“Eliza—”
“Don’t Elizabeth me, Chesney! Don’t speak my name as though you’re a friend. You’re just as much the perpetrator as he was. You two…colluding against me.” I roll my eyes, feeling my temper rising. I only have myself to fault. I’d done this to her. “If you continue at this rate, I will go out and hire a new attorney.”
“No, you won’t,” Chesney whines as he rubs his eyes while his arms are crossed femininely.
“Yes. I will. I can afford an attorney, and one of your caliber.”
“No, you can’t!” he cries again, too, affected by her animation.
“Don’t use knowledge from our “friendship”,” Zoey uses air quotations. “You have no idea what I can afford. Or do!”
“Oh, but I do—”
“Ches, man, that’s enough,” I hear the growl in my voice. I don’t want to lose it. We need at least one cool head at this table.
“…but more importantly,” he raises his volume to express correction. “…I don’t want you to!” Chesney roughly brushes his fingers through his blond hair. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want this to get messy with you two. Believe it or not, I care about you both. This can get so ugly, which is why I prefer my clients not engage in high risk behaviors such as this.” He moves closer to Zoey, calming his tone. “We can handle this in house. It’s called mediation. It doesn’t have to go any further.”
Zoey’s nose is flared and lips parted to the point of exposing her fangs. She looks like she’s about to break. It is time to talk with her.