Matt got off of the phone and looked over at C.J. who looked back at him with deep dread and concern in her voice and on her face. "Uncle Roy found out it was Robert, didn't he?
"Yes he did, you could have told me C.J." he told her in as soothing a tone as he could.
"I couldn't… he said he'd come after you if I told you." she said staring down at her hands.
"He won't get to either of us, I promise you that, he will die first". he said sternly.
"Houston, you can't go after him he's not worth it." she said shyly.
"But you are worth it….. more than you'll ever know." he said as he walked over and sat beside her putting his arm around her.
"You don't need to worry about anything except healing after what that animal has done to you." he said kindly.
She shook her head in agreement and put her head on his shoulder as they sat quietly on the couch together. Knowing that if Robert reared his ugly head and Matt and him were to cross paths that it would not be a good thing at all, after all she knew her best friend and what he said he meant.
That afternoon Hoyt came by the ranch to check in and let Matt know that Robert had been spotted and that it was only a matter of time before they got him. "He can't hide forever no matter what he thinks." Hoyt had said matter of fact.
"Well he best not think of showing up here or it will be the last place he ever shows up, I promise you that." Matt said his voice full of anger.
"Houston just calm down, he hasn't come around here, hopefully he's to smart for that, let the police department handle him." Hoyt said sternly.
"Oh you'd better handle him or I will, one way or another he will regret the day he ever met her." motioning over towards C.J. who was sitting at the bar sipping a drink, pain still written all over her. Matt said, more angry than ever as he watched his best friend trying to cope with what had happened that awful night.
"Alright I need to get back to the station, I'll check in when I have more to report." Hoyt said.
"Ok, thanks." Matt told him as he walked him out the door.
Matt walked back in the living room by this time C.J. had curled back up on the couch in silence. "I wonder if I'll ever feel safe again ?" she asked staring out into thin air.
"You will, it's just going to take time, what he did to you was unthinkable and horrible and unfortunately you won't get past it over night, but given time, it will get better." Matt told her as he put his arm around her to comfort her.
"I feel so not in control any more, I hate that feeling. She said tears in her eyes.
"You are in control still, you are in control of how you let what this monster did to you affect you, you can't help what he did, but you can help how you respond, and not let him have another day of your life consumed by what he did." Matt told her as he massaged her hand which she had always said felt good and would calm her if she were up tight about something.
"I hear what your saying and I know your right, it's just easier said than done I guess." she said as she also commented on the hand massage making her sleepy.
That night as she tried to sleep visions of Robert came back again. He was taunting her that he was coming back because Matt knew now that it was him that attacked her.
She screamed. "Noooo!!!!! Go away!!!!! Stay Away from Me!!!.
Matt came running into the room as she sat up gasping for air again. "It's ok, he's not here, your at the ranch, remember." He said to her as he wiped her face with his hand brushing her hair away from her face.
"It was so real, he was taunting me, saying he was coming to get you because you found out he was the one who attacked me." she told him looking at him still shaking and fear all over her face.
"Your awake now and you know it was just a dream, scoot over and I'll stay with you till you fall back to sleep." Matt said, making his way into the bed again as she laid her head on his chest. Soon she was asleep again, and all was peaceful for the rest of the night.
Matt however had a hard time falling back to sleep his mind making its way again to that forbidden place that many years ago C.J. and he had said they weren't going to go. C.J. mainly had put her foot down about their relationship going any further because she had been afraid their friendship would suffer if a relationship on a different level didn't workout. Matt hadn't wanted it that way but agreed because he knew how serious she was about it. But the one thing Matt didn't understand is why now of all times, had he started thinking in this direction, if there were ever a time when nothing could happen it was now. Ok maybe it was just a kind of safety net type thing, his subconscious knew nothing could come of this so his mind was able to think in that direction if only for a while. That had to be it, he told himself as he fell asleep