I've Got This Friend

Chapter 30

"Are you going home?" Tara asked as she sat in the visitor's chair.

Mae nodded, her feet swaying off the side of the bed. "I am, Ope keeps pushing me to stay with him but I don't feel comfortable with it."

"With him or the idea in general?" Sitting forward, her elbows on her knees, Tara examined Mae's expression and body language.

"Both, I guess." She admitted. "I disgust myself how can I not be gross to him? I feel like he's offering because he feels bad. He's made countless jokes about being my protector and my biker in dirty leather as opposed to my knight in shining armor and I just feel like he thinks he has to. I don't like this, the way we are now and how it feels. Jude ruined it and I don't think I can go back. I know he's a good man and I love him but it feels weird."

"I can almost completely understand." The words were sincere and heartfelt. Tara took Mae's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "But how do you know it'll always feel like this. You're a few days out from an intense traumatic experience."

Mae laughed and rolled her eyes. "You think I don't know this? Knowing it might change with him, knowing I can eventually maybe move on doesn't make my skin stop crawling all the time or my stomach settle. After I showered, when he helped me, as soon as he left I threw up for almost twenty minutes straight."

"I think you need to see someone, Mae. You can't treat yourself."

"I'm probably more qualified than you are but thanks."

Tara stood up and nodded with a tight smile on her face. "I'll forget you said that because I'm thinking straight. You're not and you need help, Mae."

Nodding, she closed her eyes and forced an apology. "I'm sorry. I don't do powerless I hate this, Tara."

"No one would enjoy it." From her pocket Tara handed Mad a business card. "She's fabulous with domestic violence and assault. Please call her."

--

Although weak, Mae walked with Opie through the parking lot to her car. He had brought her clothes to wear home and was keeping his distance not that he felt very welcome near her.

"Am I taking you to your place?"

"I can drive." She said with a shy smile.

"With one hand?"

"Two if you help."

Tempted, yes but Opie was far from willing to do it. "Tell you what, we get you home and fed then tomorrow we can take a drive and I'll help you, okay?"

Tomorrow. Mae closed her eyes and nodded, ignoring the urge to punch him in his sweet bearded face. "Okay."

Opie opened the door for her and watched as she grimaced climbing into the car. The ride was quiet and awkward and Mae could feel him watching her from the corner of his eye.

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Will you eat something? For me?"

Mae clenched her jaw and nodded. She hated how much she was annoyed by him. "Yeah, sure." They pulled up out front of her house. "Order a pizza while I jump in the shower."

--

Mae took far too long in the shower. She quickly washed and relaxed under the water until the it got too cold to stand. She hyped herself up enough to ask Opie to leave but when she made it back into the living room what she saw shattered her already weak resolve. He was stretched out on the couch, half the pizza gone and two empty beer bottles sat beside him. Between his fingers he dangled a necklace his eyes looking through the dangling pendant obviously deep in thought.

"Hey. Save me any?"

"Half a piece and some backwashed beer." There was no use but still Opie tried to hide the necklace in his giant hands. "How was your shower."

"It was a shower." She tiptoed toward him and sat on the far end of the couch. "How was the pizza?"

"Fucking great." He pushed the box toward her. "Want a beer?"

"Please." She took a small bit of pizza.

Opie grabbed her a fresh beer and popped the cap. As he came behind her, first warning her of his presence, he laid the antique pendant on her chest and clasped the two ends together. It wasn't the gift that changed her mind it was the meaning behind the gift and the effort she knew he put into it. It wasn't an 'Opie thing' to do and she could see how hard he was trying, before the attack and after. Unlike Jude and her ex's it wasn't a manipulative move but kind and loving, it was a gorgeous reminder of why she needed to let him back in.

"Oh, Ope, it's gorgeous." It was and she loved it. "You know I was totally going to ask you to leave but I can't now."

"That was my plan." He joked but unsure of her mindset he shook his head. "I'm kidding. I've been holding onto that since the bed and breakfast. Shit got ruined there so I wanted to save it."

Mae smiled wide for the first time in, to Opie, what felt like forever. "Thank you. It's amazing. I guess you can stay now."

"You sure?"

"I'm very sure."