Chapter 12

TC paced back and forth, pounding his balled fist into his open palm.  “Sam, I know it was Crane.  I just know it.”

“For a man who just got back from an anger management facility, you’re not exactly the poster child for composed and rational,” Sam said with a frown.  “You want to calm down.”

“How the hell do you expect me to be calm?  Two men grabbed me at the airport, take me to some warehouse, then make plans to…” He paused and glanced downward, drawing a quick breath.   “They had a camera and an ice pick, Sam.   They were going to castrate me and put it on tape.   Only a sick son of a bitch like Julian Crane would do something like that.”

“You think,” Sam remarked.

“I know it was him.  He thinks I raped Eve.”

“He has a reason to believe that, TC, you almost did.”

“Almost, but I didn’t!”

“Yes, because Eve had to fight you.”  Sam released a breath and raked his fingers through his dark hair.  “I still can’t believe this happened.  And you, you go and get help for your out of control temper, but look at you!  You’re as angry as ever.  What was the point in leaving at all?”

TC couldn’t believe this. He was just spared a most certain painful death at the hands of a man that slept with his wife, and his best friend was giving him attitude because he’s angry about it.  “A man I hate more than anything in this world tried to kill me, he screwed my wife on a couch in her office, and he destroyed my chances for a professional tennis career, and you don’t think I have a right to be angry?  You know how much I hate Julian Crane.”

“It appears you hate him more than you love Eve.   Julian said he was in love with Eve the night I found you two almost ready to kill each other.  A man in love will do anything to protect his woman.  I can’t fault Julian for being protective.”

TC gasped.  “You’re taking Julian’s side over mine?”

“No, I just understand if he did what you think he did.  I’m not excusing it, but I can understand.   It scared you, didn’t it?  I can imagine that’s how Eve felt that night.  You’re my best friend, TC, and I love you like a brother, but I don’t begin to understand how you could do what you did to Eve.    She wanted to talk to you when she came home that night, but you were so blinded by your own rage, you took it out on her without even hearing her side of things.”

“What did I need to hear?  I walked in on her fu***ng Julian Crane, and enjoying it.  I didn’t need an explanation for that!”

“So, that justifies you almost raping your wife?!”   Streaks of red invaded Sam’s cheeks.   “Do you have any idea of what you’ve done?  You were going to rape Eve.  Have you thought about that?”

“I’ve thought of little else over the past six weeks.   Sam, I feel terrible about that, and I have nightmares about it every night.”  He twisted the wedding band around his finger.   “This is a bad patch, that’s all.  We can work through this.  Things have been tough for us over the last few months with Whitney moving to LA with that street punk, but Eve wouldn’t turn to Crane over that!”

 TC closed his eyes as images of Eve with Julian played in his mind.   Anger swelled in him at the haunting memory.  Eve pleading with him to stop and the fear on her face as he came toward her flashed next.  “No!” TC shouted, shrugging off the painful memory.  Shaky hands rubbed his face.   “Look, Eve and I have both made mistakes.   I can’t change what happened, but I can do everything in my power to make it up to her, and I will.”
 
“Are you listening to yourself?  How are you going to do that? Not two minutes ago you were shouting about finding her with Julian, but you’re able to forget that and make things right?  I don’t believe that for a second, and after seeing you just now, I can’t believe you do, either.  The memories are eating you alive; I can tell.   Even if you do mean what you say, how are you going to make this up to Eve?  You’ve broken her trust in you.”

“I’ve broken the trust?!  She’s the one who slept with Crane.  I think she’d be willing to forgive me anything after that.”

“Attempted rape is not something a woman can forgive easily, in fact, she can have you arrested!   And if Eve loves Julian as much as he obviously loves her, I think you can forget about her ever coming back to you.  Maybe that’s what she was going to tell you that night--she’s in love with Julian.”

“Eve would never be in love with Julian Crane!   I don’t know what caused her to give herself to that man, but it wasn’t love.  You must really be angry with me to say something like that.”

“I am angry, but I’m more disappointed.  I’m terribly disappointed in you, TC, and I know there is no way you can make this up to Eve.”

“I have faith in Eve and me.  Sure, it’s going to be tough, but we can work this out.”

“I’m glad you think so, but I still don’t see it.  I am sorry about what happened to you today, but you have no proof it was Julian.  You were blindfolded on your way to and from where they held you, and your captors wore masks, so you can’t give us any useful identification.  And, too, if Julian was behind this, why would he stop?  Ask yourself that.   I suggest you forget it happened, because there’s no way you can link this to him.”

“I might not have proof, but I know it was Julian.”

“Yeah, well, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Julian’s secondary, anyway.  Making things right with Eve is all that matters.”

“That’s gonna be kind of impossible with Eve who knows where.   You should prepare yourself for the fact that she may never come back to Harmony or you, and it will be your own fault.”
 

***

Eve and Julian approached the front door of the house.   Eve stopped and closed her eyes.  She took a deep breath.

“You don’t have to do this now,” Julian said, massaging her shoulders.

She turned and buried her face in his chest.  He held her in a comforting embrace.  “I didn’t think coming back would be this hard.”

“I can only imagine what you’re going through.”  Julian squeezed her shoulders and lifted her chin.  “Eve, it’s been a long flight, you’re tired and you’re pregnant, you don’t need to overwhelm yourself.   We can come back tomorrow.”

“No, we’re here now.  The flight was great, the Crane jet is not exactly a cargo plane, and the nausea is gone--for the time being. I’m fine, and I need to do this.   I have to talk to TC.”

She sighed as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.   “You’re so brave.”  His lips gave hers a soft caress.  “You won’t be alone.”

“Julian, I understand you wanting to be there, but….”

“No buts.  I won’t have you spend one second alone with that man ever again.  I won’t interfere when you talk to him, I’ll be as still as a statue and as quiet as a church mouse, but I’ll be there.”

She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her.

“Please, Eve, don’t fight me on this.   I’m coming with you.”

Realizing it pointless to argue with him, she relented.  “Alright, I won’t.”  After unlocking the door, she took his hand and released a drawn out sigh.   “Let’s do this.”