Trust Ch. 17

"The nightmares began about two weeks ago, again. It's been about a month since the incident."

Storm sighed and walked to the window. The view of the city from the 18th floor looked calm. Inside he felt chaotic. Suddenly he turned and addressed Dr. Tae Goon. "Tae, I know she was scared when it first happened but she's pass that now. She was distant for a while but not anymore. She and I are closer now, hell, I just asked her to move in with me two weeks ago, and then just like that, the nightmares are back."

"You asked her to move in with you and the nightmares started again..."

"So it would seem but that can't be Tae, it doesn't make any sense."

"How the mind works is a mystery to everyone especially us psychologist."

"Then what do I do?"

"Answer me this, when she wakes up, where are her hands?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where are her hands when she's having the nightmare?"

Storm thought for a moment before answering, "Her hands are up as if she's... blocking...?"

Dr. Tae Goon stood and walked over to her desk. She looked at her printed schedule for the day to see how much time she had left before her next appointment.

"Tae, what are you thinking?"

"How much do you know about Sally? Her past?"

"Not much to know. She's an orphan who migrated here in her teens. Keeps to herself; independent, brilliant, wary, beautiful," Storm sighed. "I think she has a difficult time opening up but she's doing so little by little. I don't know how to get through to her that the things Jessica said were not true at least not about me. What can I do Tae?"

"Honestly Storm, I don't think that's your problem."

"Huh?"

"Sally isn't worried about believing you. It's my professional opinion that Sally's trying to cover her past. Your girlfriend was probably abused and the nightmares are resurfacing memories."

~!~

"How can I help?" asked the man sitting across from Storm.

"I need you to look into someone for me."

"Who?"

"Sally MacDonald. This is all the information I have of her. I need it fast and confidential."

"Give me two days."

"Good."

Two days later...

"Sally Macdonald didn't exist until a few years ago. Whoever this person is, Sally MacDonald isn't her real name and she didn't enter the country as such. I'll have to dig further to get more information."

"Do it. I want to know everything about her past," Storm replied.

As Storm left the meeting, he called Sally. "Hey, are you coming over tonight?"

"No sorry, can't. I have to finish up some work at the lab."

"Okay, then how about dinner. I'll come to you."

"No, I ate not too long ago. I have to go. I'll talk with you tomorrow."

"Ok, bye. Call me before you go to bed."

"Will do, bye."

~!~

As Sally ended the call, she thought about her lying to Storm. She was still having the nightmares only now, the memories were coming back with more details that before, some more vivid that others. Try as she did, she couldn't seem to bury them again. Hit after hit made contact with her and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She couldn't sleep next to Storm anymore. Each time she tried, she would wake him screaming and she was having a difficult time coming up with reasons for not speaking about what he though was a horrible dream for her. That part of her past had to remain hidden and she was going to do everything she could to keep it that way.

~!~

The door slammed and the smile on Sally's face died almost immediately. She walked from the kitchen to see Storm coming down the hall.

"Hey," was the curt greeting she received as he came to her and kissed her on the cheek before going to the bedroom.

"Hey," was Sally's simple reply. She turned off the stove and following him into the bedroom. He was coming out of the closet when she went to him and stopped him from pulling the buttons of his shirt. "How was your day?" She knew the answer to that question but wanted him to talk.

"Fine," he replied sighing and looking away.

Sally finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it from his pants. Her hands moved up his chest and over his shoulders to push the shirt down his arms and off his body. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to her. Her lips touch his gently but he didn't respond. She kissed him again, softly and again no response. She kept kissing him, small kisses until finally he began to respond wrapping his arms around her tightly, pulling her to him and deepening the kiss. She pulled back, her arms now wrapped around his waist.

"Go take a shower," she whispered to him. "When you get out, dinner will be on the table."

He turned from her.

Sally's back was to Storm when he walked into the kitchen. She was gathering the platter of vegetables to place on the table when he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I'm sorry about this evening," he said kissing her neck.

She smiled and looked up at him. "We can't have good days every day."

"You're never in a bad mood."

"You're not around me when I'm in a bad mood. I purposefully stay away."

"Why? I want to share those days with you," Storm said pulling away from her.

"Because when I speak with you, I feel better and I'm no longer in a bad mood."

"Well tell me anyways. I want to know about your days."

"Tell me what happened today."

~!~

Two day in a row and Storm was beginning to wonder if the entire week was going to be this shitty. He slammed the door again. This case was getting worse and worse and he was almost to his wits end dealing with this client. He had not seen Sally's car in the driveway and didn't know if she would be coming by today. He was coming out of the bedroom when he heard Sally on the phone.

"I can't understand who could have messed up everything like that. Those cultures took two days to prepare and we need the results back tomorrow. This is bullshit," said Sally.

["Hey if you pick me up, we can get it done faster,"] said Mitch.

"No, that's fine; it's easier if I just go by myself. I'll get there faster anyway. Furthermore, I know you have things to take care of."

["Yeah, don't remind me please']

"I'll pick you up tomorrow but bring stuff to stay over so we can calculate the results and not fall behind on studying for the test."

["Will do and please let me know if you need help. I will find my way there,"]

"Okay, thanks Mitch."

"You're going to the hospital," Storm asked softly behind her. Sally jumped and turned around. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yes, I have to go back. I'm not having dinner."

"Okay, but before you go please clarify something for me? Mitch stayed at your apartment? When was this?"

Sally was getting a glass of water when he asked the question, "Hmmm," she shrugged, "about two weeks ago?"

"Were you ever going to tell me about it?"

"Tell you about what?"

"About him sleeping at your place."

"No, why should I?"

Storm's laughter was without merriment. He looked away his hands gripping into the flesh of his hip as he tried to hold his temper. He turned back to her, "You're fucking kidding me right?"

"What?"

"You're not serious? You're really going to stand there and tell me you weren't going to tell me that some guy slept over your place?"

"No, I wasn't. It's not a big deal..."

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL?" he exploded. "YOU'RE MY GIRLFRIEND AND YOU DON'T THINK I SHOULD KNOW WHO'S SLEEPING AT YOU PLACE?"

"He's my friend; we were studying and fell asleep..."

"Why didn't you wake him up and send him home?"

"Because I was tired also and I didn't feel like leaving the house at that time. What is the bloody big deal? You're acting as if I committed some sort fucking crime."

"Is that the reason why you can't give me an answer about you moving in? Keeping the apartment as a convenient place for you both?"

"What?" she said softly. Sally swallowed and closed her eyes and slowly reopened them.

"Are you saying that I'm cheating on you?"

"You tell me Sally. I don't know who he is. He's sleeping at your place and you didn't tell me, and I can't get an answer from you about moving in with me. So you tell me what the hell am I suppose to think?"

"Nothing more than what you're thinking at this moment." Sally took a deep breath,

"You know what, FUCK YOU!" she yelled as she stomped to the door and slammed as hard as possible as she left.

"FUCK!" Storm yelled slamming his hand down on the counter.

~!~

"She did it on purpose. There is no way that ager solution got into those petri dishes without someone deliberately putting it in there."

"But why would she do that Sally? I didn't do anything to her," replied Mitch.

"Why? Because she's psychotic and she's stalking you. She thought if she did that then you would come in to work. Why do you think she's been asking to have us switched on the schedule but YOU keep telling the director that we have to work together because we live close to each other."

"Sally I can't work with her. I already have one problem dealing with; I don't need another one."

"Well, she doesn't see it like that."

"She also knows I have a girlfriend or thinks I have a girlfriend."

"I really don't think she cares too much about that," said Sally.

As she began walking up the stairs, she saw a pair of legs in the vicinity of her door; Storm's legs. She came up the stairs and watched as Storm looked at his watch before looking at her. "Mitch I have to go. I'll call you later."

"Okay, Sal, thanks again for going without me. I owe you dinner one night."

"Yeah, you do. Good night."

Sally reached her apartment door. "Move," she ordered Storm but he didn't budge. "I said..."

"I heard what you said. Am I coming in so we can talk?" Storm asked looking at her.

Sally kept her eyes on the door behind him. "No."

Storm sighed. She was going to make this as difficult as possible he thought. "Sally, I'm sorry..."

She finally looked at him, eyes blazing with fire, "There's nothing to be sorry about. Honesty is the best policy they say."

"Yes it is and I am sorry. I didn't mean to imply..."

"You did. You said what you felt..."

"No I didn't. That's not how I meant..." he sighed again and ran his finger in through his hair. "I was angry. I don't know him and all I could think was you could have been hurt and I wouldn't have been able to help you."

"He's my friend and I don't sleep with my friends. Now move."

"No. You're going to hear me out whether you want to or not. I don't know him and therefore I don't trust him. You're my girlfriend and I don't want some guy I don't know sleeping under the same roof as you. When you didn't tell me, what was I suppose to think? If that was me and I had some girl over and didn't tell you, wouldn't you think I slept with her also? Yes, you would."

"No I wouldn't. I would have given you the benefit of the doubt at least. But that's what you're used to. You're used to seducing any woman who crosses your path so when I don't do it, you can't understand that because it's not what you would have done."

"Wrong sweetheart, I don't sleep with just any woman, and I don't cheat in my relationships. When I'm in a relationship, that person is only one I'm intimate with and like it or not, that currently is you. You are the only woman I'm interested in having in or out of my bed. Fine! I'll tell you how I really feel. I want to be the person you come home to every night. He gets to see you at work every day, share lunch and dinner with you and then he gets to sleep with you..."

"We didn't sleep together. He slept on the couch and I went to bed..."

"He was under the same roof..."

"We work together you ass."

"Yes, and you're my girlfriend and I want you home with me every night."

"I'm in an internship. I get tired. We study a lot and he's the only friend I have who knows what I'm going through with this program." Sally looked away and took a breath. "You're a lawyer. You have your clients and office and everything you want. Mitch and I are still trying to get a career and to distance ourselves from everyone else. We're the ones who volunteer for the projects no one else wants. There are times when we put in 12, 14 hours a day, working, studying so that we can stand out from the rest."

"There's nothing wrong with that Sally but why does he have to sleep here..."

"Can you tell me you've never slept with anyone you've worked with? Huh? Can you? How many have you been with since we've been together? He's my friend."

"I've never cheated on you, never. When you didn't want to have anything to do with me, I did sleep with other women but they meant nothing because they were not what I wanted. I only wanted to be with you and still do. What? Did that get you angry, hearing that? Good. I feel like I'm constantly fighting you to be with you, and I do it. You know why? I know you're not used to this. I know it's scary, giving up your freedom but I don't know what else to do to make you understand you're not the only one giving up something. I'm taking a chance too but you're the only one I want to take that chance with. I didn't ask you to be my girlfriend so I could cheat on you. I want to wake up next to you every morning and go to bed with you every night. I want to share some part of your day with you and I want you in mine every day."

"I want my career..."

"I want you to have it."

Both looked at each other. The air around them felt hot and unmoving.

"Are you coming home with me tonight?" Storm asked after a few minutes.

"No, I have some work to do."

He looked away and took a deep breathe. "You have things at my place. The office is available."

"The things I need are here."

Storm sighed and move from the door. Sally went into the apartment but Storm didn't move until he heard the locks go in place. Looking back at the door, he got the urge to call her back out and dragged her kicking and screaming back to his place. He moved to the top of the stairs and looked back before descending the stairs one by one. When he reached the flat, he looked up but a movement caught his eye. Turning towards it, he saw Paul emerging from the shadow like a vermin.

"It seems you and her are not getting along too well right now. Anything I can do to help?" Paul asked smiling.

"No. We're doing just fine."

"She was always so happy, always smiling, until you came along. Now she always seems tense and..." he paused for dramatic effects, "sad. I wonder why?"

"Maybe its work but not to worry, I'll take care of her."

"You think you can take care of her?"

"Paul, make no mistake, she's mine and what's mine I keep. Good night."

As Storm walked to his car, Paul watched with a keen eye hating every move Storm made.

~!~

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Unfortunately due to my very busy schedule at this time, I will not be able to update as often as I would like. I thank you all for the time you have invested in reading this story again and I apology for not being able to update regularly. Have a wonderful rest of the week.

~!~