Hi everyone! Thanks for reading Chapter 9! Hope you enjoy!
I apologize for the delay between chapter 8 and 9. I'm currently writing an historical romance and sometimes those characters get demanding. :) Thanks for sticking with me .:)
Donna looked up as Harvey re-entered the room carrying a fairly mangaled, dirty envelope.
"Where did you find that?" She asked, perplexed.
"Under your bench in the entrance." Harvey took a deep breath. "I slid this under your door on Friday. It must have been kicked under the bench. I was an idiot not to just give it to you. What can I say?" He shrugged. "I'm a coward."
He hesitated a second more before handing over the envelope. Her name was scrawled across the front of it in Harvey's long swoops.
"Harvey, what is this?" She asked, half afraid of the answer.
"Just open it." Harvey said and turned away.
As she broke the seal of the envelope a sudden brisk rap sounded on her front door.
Donna and Harvey both looked up, neither of them sure they wanted to break the spell of the letter long enough to answer the door.
When the knock came again, louder, Donna sighed and set the letter down on the bed. She left her room and Harvey followed, scowling and obviously frustrated.
Donna looked through the peephole and froze, fear flooding through her. She stumbled backwards away from the door as quickly as she could. Harvey saw the fear on her face and walked up to the door to look for himself.
What happened next happened so fast, Donna didn't even have time to gasp. In one fluid motion, Harvey ripped the door open with a growl and punched Andrew Malik in the face so hard she could see blood spurt from his busted lip. He was down.
Before Harvey could haul Malik back to his feet, presumably so he could knock him down again, two police officers grabbed hold of Harvey's arms and pulled him back into the apartment.
Harvey fought against their hold and amazingly it was Malik who brought calm as the officers tried to get Harvey's hands behind his back.
"No, officers! Please, don't restrain him." His voice was muffled as he wiped away blood with the pocket square of his suit.
With dubious expressions, the officers let go of Harvey who straightened his crinkled shirt and stared daggers at Malik.
Donna walked forward to stand beside Harvey and laid a gentle hand on his forearm. She could feel the taut muscles itching to inflict punishment. But some of the tension left him as she continued to hold onto his arm.
She stared at Malik, no longer afraid. Only anger coursed through her.
To his credit, Malik looked slightly ill as he took in her bruises and bandaged arm. His words were still surprising, however.
"Miss Paulsen, I can never apologize enough for what transpired on Friday."
Under her hand Donna could feel Harvey tensing up again and she instinctively linked her arm through his to calm him. It worked.
Mailk continued. "It is no excuse, of course, but I was extremely drunk and not at all myself that night. I've been under tremendous pressure at work and I'm afraid I took it out on you."
"That's a bullshit excuse!" Harvey burst out.
Malik nodded. "Yes, as I've said, it is no excuse. But I've turned myself in to the police and I have made a full statement about what happened." He gestured to the two officers. "I asked these officers to take me here to see you so I could apologize to you in person, for what it is worth. I thought you might feel safer if they accompanied me."
The taller of the two officers spoke then. "If you can, Ma'am, we'd like you to come down at your convenience and supply us with your own statement."
Donna nodded, completely unsure of everything that was happening. The solid presence of Harvey standing beside her was reassuringly grounding.
She really had nothing to say to Malik, so she merely took the card the officer handed her and nodded again. "I'll be down later today."
"Thank you, Ma'am." He responded and they left, ushering Malik out the door.
Donna moved forward to shut the door behind them and then stood pressing her forehead against it for a moment before pivoting to face Harvey.
"What just happened?"
Harvey was still scowling angrily at the closed door. "I'll tell you what just happened. Malik just set up his defense." His voice took on a mocking tone. "He was drunk and he's so very sorry. He knows if he can spin this from the beginning he can try and make the outcome more to his liking."
Donna shook her head. "Maybe, but I think at least part of it was genuine. I mean, no matter what, he's admitted to a crime, that's going to end his career as an ADA. Or at least put a serious dent in it."
"Good." Harvey said, his voice more growl than speech.
Donna smiled and walked back to where he stood. "At least you got to punch him once without going to jail and I don't have to try and convince people that it actually happened." Her smile widened. "Also you don't have to sit and drink tea with me for an hour. I'm happy to dissolve our deal."
Her eyes widened. "Except for the part about the letter! I still get to read it!" she said as she scurried back into her room.
Harvey entered the room after her. "Maybe I should just go and let you read it…" he trailed off as she pulled the letter out and began to read.
A Sonnet for the Bella Donna
Bella Donna is the rarest beauty
Her hair, the sun, with all its sparks and fire
Bella Donna is the finest lady
With skin so soft it sets my heart afire
Bella Donna is th
To hell with this. I am not fucking Shakespeare. I wish I was. You deserve it. But I'm just me. Just Harvey. Just the arrogant asshole I've always been. I'm just me with all my flaws and insecurities.
But -
I'm here on this page trying to show you. Trying to tell you.
That I love you. But you know that already. So, I'll tell you something you don't know. I need you. Not as a secretary, not as a colleague, not even just as my best friend. I need you in my life, every day. By my side, with me. I need us together, I need to touch you. I need to kiss you. I need you, all of you. Now. Forever.
I know I was an ass, and I know this took forever. But I'm not as smart as you. Can you forgive me? Can you love me? Can you give me a promise of forever?
- H
Donna looked down at the slightly crumpled piece of paper she held in her hands. The verse of the Sonnet had a double line scratched diagonally through it and there were various other marks and scribbles throughout the letter.
But to her it looked like the greatest, most beautiful thing ever written. It was more beautiful than anything Shakespeare had ever put on a page.
Harvey broke the silence. "I was going to write a good copy. But Rachel insisted that I leave it just as it is." His voice was slightly sheepish and unsure. She'd never heard the tone from him; it sounded like a foreign accent.
"Rachel read it?" Donna asked in a choked voice.
"Yeah...maybe I wasn't supposed to tell you that part. I don't know. But…" Harvey trailed off before taking a deep breath and starting again.
"I was desperate. I thought I'd lost you completely. You were so determined to be nothing but polite. So, I went to see Mike for advice and Rachel was there and she suggested a letter. Actually, she suggested a Sonnet," Harvey continued, his words racing. "and I did try to do the Sonnet, but I just, well, I just suck at it. So, I figured I could at least get my thoughts and feelings out on paper. Because I've felt all these things for so long, Donna. But I've been so afraid."
He moved over to sit beside her on the bed. "And I'm still afraid. Still afraid that I'm permanently damaging the friendship we've had all these years; afraid that I'm going to cause you pain and hurt you because I'm an idiot who doesn't deserve you and doesn't really know what I'm doing."
Donna couldn't hold in the tears any longer. They bubbled out of her like a spring.
Harvey wiped them away. "But I swear to you I will do my best not to fuck things up and not to hurt you. I just, Donna, dammit! I just love you"
Donna covered her face with her hand as the tears continued. After a moment Harvey spoke, frustration evident in his tone.
"Jesus, Donna! Are those good tears or bad tears?! What do you think? What do you think about the letter?"
Donna sniffed, dashing away her tears, and turned to face him properly on the bed. "Well," she said, her tone serious, "your Sonnet is really lacking in form and adherence to proper structure." Her face split into a cheeky, watery grin. "But I think the sentiments expressed therein are beautifully realized!"
She threw her good arm around his neck and climbed into his lap. "A plus!"
Harvey wrapped his arms around her, chuckling, his own eyes slightly misty. "I always knew I had poetry in my soul." He said, his arrogant, Cheshire Cat grin firmly back in place.
Donna laughed, feeling as if her heart could beat freely for the first time in weeks, maybe months. Maybe years.
She ducked her head under Harvey's chin and snuggled into him. She felt his heart beating steadily against her, felt his strong hand stroke up and down her arm, and she sighed deeply. It was like coming home after a very long time away.
And there was no place like home.
Thanks for reading everyone! There will be one more chapter coming in the next day or two. Because after Donna heals, these two deserve a real first date!
Reviews are incredibly appreciated!
