Hey Fighting For No Reward & Cold in the Rain fans!
Yay! It's June! And that means time for the next book in the FFNR series! I hope you all enjoyed the way Cold in the Rain ended. Judging from the reviews and comments it seemed everyone was quite satisfied so yay!
And now, by popular demand, I bring you the 3rd book in the series entitled "Love Hurts."
So what has been going on with Andy & Jay and more importantly what's been happening with Linds since she was placed into the New Haven Sanatorium?
I can promise that Mel, Linds, Andy & Jay will return in this series, but I can't make promises that every single character we met in Cold in the Rain will. However if there is a character you would particularly love to see return I am open to suggestions at this point. Just let me know as soon as possible who you would like to see and also if possible what you would like to know (For example: I want to see Carmita and know how her music career is going in L.A.).
Ok well I'm going to stop babbling on and allow you all to get right to it, welcome Ladies and Gentleman to the long anticipated 3rd book in the FFNR Series, Love Hurts.
Love Hurts.
By Francois Thurston © 30/5/2016.
Dear Diary,
Urgh! Still can't believe I'm writing this thing.
It's been exactly 6 months to the day since I was first admitted here into New Haven Sanatorium. And, oh yeah, it's been a blast! No, I lie, it's been anything but. The nurses and psychologists are driving me more nuts then I already am. "Ms Peterson how about taking piano lessons? Ms Peterson nice class but maybe you can talk next time. Don't worry we know it's hard."
Urgh yeah right! They have no idea. While they get to leave this hell hole at the end of the day I am stuck here going over and over what went wrong. I was so close to not only getting my revenge but getting away with it. Who knew that B would be the one to betray me? I guess Mel always knew the kind of betrayal he was capable of.
Speaking of Mel she still hasn't been here. Nurses keep telling me she's got a big case load and doesn't have the time. Bullcrap! I know Mel and I know she has no case-load. After all she's still here in New Haven so she definitely not working.
As I write this I wonder if there is another way to escape. I have tried so many, none of which seem to work. Maybe, just maybe, I'll find my way out tonight.
Linds.
CHAPTER ONE – Six Months Later.
Mel sat in her office trying to figure everything out. This Newman case had gotten to her more than any other and she was still having trouble finding a way to help her client.
"Andy!" she called out.
Andy came rushing in clipboard and pen in hand as per usual ready to take any notes as deemed necessary.
"Yes Mel?" he asked confidently, pen poised.
"I need you to do some research for me," Mel continued. "I have this case and it's got me completely frazzled."
After building up a really good resume with her old law firm in Pittsburg, Mel had been forced to pack everything up and move to the New Haven branch. Her ex-wife Linds had gone on a rampage seeking a personal vendetta against her and her friends over the secrets they had been keeping from her. Sadly as this vendetta got completely out of hand Linds had resorted to hiring henchmen and putting some of her friends and her ex-wife through some unthinkable torture. She had eventually been caught after one of her minions B had called the cops and had her and everyone else on her team, known as team-evil, arrested.
Since then various verdicts had come out for everyone involved in the torture which resulted in taking Andy's dad Ben's life and almost killed his boyfriend Jay. Some were let off, while others had various sentences in Jail varying from 3 months to 5 years. Linds however, who had nabbed a brilliant lawyer, managed to get away with an insanity plea and was sentenced to 5 years at the New Haven Sanatorium where she would be eligible for release in a year, which now with half of that time gone had Mel very worried about what would happen in the next 6 months.
"No problem," Andy replied. "What's the case?"
"Wife killed husband after years of domestic abuse," Mel replied still thinking.
"Wow, go her!" Andy couldn't help but say.
Mel smiled, it was good to see someone in this office who still had a heart. After several years of working in the justice industry she had seen many lose theirs. So much so that cases like these didn't even constitute a flicker of an eye-lid.
"I agree," Mel replied. "But it's tricky, New Haven law is tough to get around. I need precedent on-"
"Wives killing their husbands?" Andy guessed.
"Yeah," Mel replied. "See if there's any precedent defense on domestic abuse can you?"
"No problems Mel," Andy replied noting the topic and leaving her office.
Mel smiled as he left the room. Ever since he was involved in a case of his own back in Pittsburg, Mel had hoped Andy would see the potential he had to go into law and it seemed he had. Not long after the verdicts were handed down for team-evil Andy had asked Mel all about the law and how to get into it. Mel had suggested he go for his JD and to give him a head start had promised to let him in turn for her. So far he had more than proven himself to be an outstanding in turn and Mel wasn't regretting the offer one bit.
Just then the phone rang.
"Yeah?" Mel asked into it.
"Ms Marcus, it's the Sanatorium again," her assistant Louise said. "They want to know if you'll be coming down for family day this weekend."
Family day? Mel wondered to herself. They allow people that dangerous a day filled with all different families?
"Ah…" Mel started, having no idea how to deal with this proverbial hot potato. "Tell them I'm not in and to leave a message. I'll get back to them later."
"No problems Ms Marcus," Louise replied as Mel placed the phone back onto the receiver.
It wasn't like Linds hadn't been asking to see her. Even as early as 3 days later she had sent Mel a letter which at the time had shocked her so much she'd dropped her morning coffee.
Until now she hadn't read it, choosing to stuff it in her draw at work and deal with it later. But later had never come and still to this day she'd had no idea what it said. Pulling out the draw she picked up the envelope and tore it open. Taking out the letter she read:
Dear Mel,
I don't know what to say or how to even begin this letter, but I knew I had to write to you to at least say something. Torturing you the way I did it wasn't me, you know that. I just grew sick and tired of-
"Excuses, excuses," Mel stated in anguish scrunching up the letter and throwing it, basketball style into the trash.
"*"
"Dinner is at 8 in the foyer and remember at the Dètendez-Vouz we're not happy unless you are," Jay finished telling a family.
Their daughter who had been intrigued by Jay laughed innocently as Jay smiled back kindly to her. The family then left with Taylor the bellhop to find their rooms.
"You're getting really good at that you know," Rein, Jay's friend and daughter to the owner of the hotel said.
"Thanks," Jay replied smiling.
It had been just over 6 months since Jay had awoken to find himself in hospital after going through traumatic torture thanks to Lind's and her team of evil henchmen. Jay had still not fully gotten over the shock of it, but it had helped to be working with two people who had gone through a very similar situation to him. Despite having not been tortured herself, Rein had helped to locate the warehouse where Jay had been taken after he was abducted by his ex B. Along with her mother Lauren, the owner of the Dètendez-Vouz and some other friends they had immediately began a search party for him and had been happily supporting him ever since the verdicts had finally been handed out.
Jay looked around the hotel, it was filled with such great memories. It was here, up in the President's Suite where he had gotten back together with his boyfriend Andy. It was also here where the Christmas Party took place, that same party that he was abducted in. But it was also here where he'd made friends with Lauren and Rein and grown to love the job he had right now. Who knew that 10 months ago he would have been arriving here for the first time pissed off with Andy for not letting him stay at his house? The way he had treated Lauren that night, it was amazing that they had become the fierce friends they were today. Thank god she believed in second chances.
But that was all she allowed. He remembered one night when she'd taken him back to Andy's after an altercation she'd warned: I love you like the son I never had, but you cheat on him or break his heart in any way…you and the Dètendez-Vouz…done! Capisce?
Jay chuckled slightly at the memory. The last time she'd said it he'd felt awful for what had lead up their fight, but now here in this time he appreciated it.
"What's so funny?" Lauren asked from behind him, always up for a laugh. "Mrs Clamauski freeze her dentures again?"
"No!" Jay replied laughing even harder. "But if she does I swear to god we'll need to remove that fridge from her room."
"Yeah," Lauren replied. "If only I'd hired superman and the hulk instead of you and Rein huh?"
"If only," Jay replied thumbing through some mail that had just arrived.
"So…" Lauren asked. "What was it?!"
"Oh nothing," Jay replied. "I was just recalling that night you threatened me about breaking Andy's heart."
"Oh yeah!" Lauren recalled. "Right after you and Ri-"
She stopped realizing that was not a part of the memory Jay wanted to recall.
What Jay was trying hard not to remember was that despite his being in love with Andy, he had actually slept with one of Andy's friends Rick while Andy was away in Pittsburg
"…eally meant it you know," she tried to smooth over. "You may have only been out of hospital for 6 months and I may love you like a son, but seriously dude you break his heart and we're done."
"You know I won't," Jay replied.
"Yeah, I know," Lauren answered. "I was just messing with you."
She tussled Jay's hair even though she knew he hated it and Jay in return gave her the playful scowl he always did every time she'd done it so far. Lauren laughed, despite Jay being annoyed she found his scowl to be particularly hilarious.
But just then she stopped mid laugh as a man walked through the door. Jay noting her sudden pause followed her gaze and couldn't believe his eyes.
Walking through the door, dressed in all-black was the man that had cheated on Jay with B, the man who had lead Jay to Andy.
It was Edward.
"*"
As Mel got into the elevator she couldn't help but continue to wonder about the Newman case. Despite her agreeing with Andy that it was high time Ms Newman stood up for herself and that she secretly applauded her for what she had managed to achieve, all things considered, she knew the D.A. would have many strategies to cut down any defense she could come up with.
How would you react if your husband had mistreated you? She could hear Mr Dematra, New Haven's most prominent D.A. say in her head to the jury. You might whack him over the head with a fry pan. You might call the cops, you might even run away. But would you put a gun to the man's head and blow his head off? We may all have fantasies of killing our husbands or wives every now and then but at the end of the day, the difference between us and Ms Newman is that we know the difference between right and wrong.
Ding!
The elevator signaled that she had arrived back to the office. As the doors opened and she stepped out, she heard Gerald Gleemen, their latest recruit yelling out his latest verdict.
"No Jail time at all, not even community service!" he cried clearly ecstatic as other's in the common area cheered him on.
The difference between Gleemen's case and hers though, was that his client had actually been guilty of a hit and run and there had been insurmountable evidence also. The victim was on life support at New Haven hospital and by all other accounts it should have been a slam dunk with his client getting 20 to life. But his client was a well known celebrity who was in the middle of filming a sequel to a huge box office hit that everyone had seemed to love.
It wasn't that surprising therefore that his client had been let off as the jury probably had a prejudice to wanting to see the film sooner rather than later and the director had made a statement that if his lead star were to be found guilty he would be replaced instantly.
Naturally a jury was meant to ignore anything going on outside of a case but there was no helping what they saw on TV or heard on the radio.
Mel walked back into her office coughing for the umpteenth time owing to the fact that Andy and Jay had gotten her onto smoking.
"Damn Kids," she said coughing again.
To tell the truth it was Andy who had gotten her onto it during all the stress that had come about with Linds. She had asked them both what they did when they got stressed. Jay had said he drank, which had immediately sparked a huge debate between the pair.
Andy had said he smoked as it was something that could be done in a matter of minutes and didn't leave him feeling drunk afterwards.
Mel could hardly disagree and one of the benefits was that she had gotten to know one of the partner's Liam Shawner who seemed to smoke all day as he was always in the smoking area of the firm.
So as to keep a good smoke-free reputation Shawner had a smoking area built especially for them up on the top floor. It was a nice area with picnic tables and umbrellas and soft music played on a continual loop. Mel had noted once that all they'd needed was a masseuse or two and the area would be perfect, but Shawner had disagreed advising her that not enough work would get done as everyone would be up there all the time.
Taking a breath Mel looked at her desk to see what was clearly a scrunched up piece of paper that someone had smoothed out. At the top were the words page 2 of 2.
Mel took a seat and began to read the paper that someone had clearly wanted her to see.
So I'm not expecting any sort of a response, it read.
I know how much you must hate me and I can understand that, but please know that I can't live without you.
That being said, you need to make your own choice. What I did was wrong and I am well aware of that, but that's why I am willing to give you until my birthday to work out what it is you want to do. If I hear from you by then I'll know we still have a chance to mend the bridge. If not, I'll know there's no more hope for us.
Either way I want you to be happy. You deserve that much at least.
My dearest love,
Linds.
Mel continued to stare at the paper. She had instantly recognized that it was another page from the letter that she was reading earlier. But questions were now racing in her mind. One of them was revolving around who had put the paper there, another being whether or not she should simply grit her teeth and go and see her ex even if it was only once.
But then something hit her as though a huge truck from out of nowhere and Mel grabbed her cell to look at her calendar. With a fright Mel dropped her phone onto the desk as she realized Linds' birthday, was tomorrow.
"*"
So what did you think of the 1st chapter?
Andy now working for Mel at the law firm, did you expect that? So Mel finally read the letter she received at the end of Cold in the Rain, what did you think of her reaction to trash it? Also who put the 2nd page onto her desk? And what about Edward coming into the Detende-Vous to see Jay? And finally what would you do if your ex asked you to come and visit them at a Sanatorium within 24 hours or completely end the relationship?
Please review and let me know what you think and also if there is a character you want me to make sure I include in the series.
Next Monday on and all new Love Hurts.
Sometimes love is harder to heal then it looks.
(Linds): "I told Mel she had until today to come and visit me." "What self-respecting wife waits more than 6 months to come and visit her significant other?"
And sometimes it's even harder to win back.
(Lauren): "Get out."
(Edward): "Now, now Lauren."
(Lauren): "The door is that-a way, have a nice life."
But when a 24 hour clock is placed on a person…
(Andy): "Mel are-are you ok?"
You find out exactly how strong they can be.
(Mel): "I TOLD YOU, IT'S FINE!"
With opinions flying left and right…
(Jay): "I can't say I'd be rushing to her if it were me."
(Andy): "What an impertinent thing to say!"
And flashbacks running amuck…
(Linds flashback): "I promise to disgrace, neglect and defy!"
Beat, Beat, Beat, Beat…WHAT-WILL-MEL-DECIDE?
(Andy): "After everything she's put us through, it's a tough decision."
All this and more in an all-new chapter of Love Hurts, Next Monday.
