Matters of the Heart

“What kind of music do you listen to?” he asked. “I pretty much like it all. But I’m more partial to instrumental jazz and neo soul. What about you?” “I’m just like you. I can pretty much stomach anything other than country and classical.” “I actually like country and classical. I’m a huge Tim McGraw fan.” “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” Deon laughed. “My parents always encouraged me to embrace different cultures and try new things. With my father being from Nashville, he was raised on country music. So of course by him playing it around the house I got used to hearing it. And I learned to appreciate classical music because I played clarinet in high school.” “Is there anything you don’t do?” “My parents kept me active as a child. Having those opportunities exposed me to a lot of different things growing up.” “I’m really blown away by all you’ve accomplished. You’re a top notch analyst, you’re artistically gifted, you play the clarinet, you’re smart, witty and intelligent…not to mention beautiful. You’re the trifecta personified.” “Please be careful or I might get a big head.” “I don’t think that’s possible. You’re one of the most grounded women I know. Besides, I’m sure this isn’t the first time someone complimented you on your many talents.” “I don’t think what I’ve done is any different than anyone else.” “There’s definitely a difference…believe me. It’s the fact that you do everything so well and with such humility that does it for me.” Wanting to change the subject, Indya asked, “Is there a particular artist you’d like to hear? I have a ton of songs on my IPod.” “Anything is fine with me.” “I’m in the mood for some instrumental jazz. Sometimes when I’m in a pensive mood I just like hearing the music. That way I can think without the words getting in the way. I know that might sound crazy but it’s how my brain works.” “What artists do you listen to?” “I don’t necessarily have a favorite. I just know what I like. Tell me what you think about this one.” As the sultry saxophone composition filled the room, Indya moved to sit next to Deon. From the look in his eyes she realized inviting him to stay might have been a mistake. When Deon’s hand touched the back of her neck, a frisson of electricity traveled down Indya’s spine. Unable to resist the pull between them, she couldn’t look away as his mouth descended on hers. As their lips touched and the music flowed, a freedom she hadn’t felt in years overcame Indya. The next thing she knew, Deon had pulled her onto his lap. As his hands roamed about her body, Indya remembered her secret. Pulling away to stand up, she couldn’t look him in the eye. “What’s wrong? Did I cross the line?” “It’s not anything you’ve done. It’s just that I’m not ready for anything more right now.” Moving to stand behind Indya, he asked, “Does this have anything to do with an ex-boyfriend? I might be wrong but I have a nagging feeling that it does.” “I can’t talk about it.” “It’s obvious this is weighing heavily on you. All I have to do is look into your eyes to know that you’re hurting. And I’ve got to be honest…it’s killing me seeing you this way.” As tears she’d desperately tried to hold back broke through, Indya fell into Deon’s arms sobbing uncontrollably. Feeling her pain as if it were his own, Deon lifted Indya into his arms to carry her over to the sofa. While holding her, a fierce protectiveness reared its head. The more she sobbed, the angrier he became. As his hold tightened around her waist, her arms tightened around his neck. Whispering words of encouragement, Deon knew he’d do everything in his power to make sure no one hurt her ever again. Now that Indya had stopped crying, Deon lifted her head to look into her eyes. While wiping away her tears, he asked, “What did he do to you? Who hurt you this badly?” Feeling vulnerable and tired of hiding the truth, Indya said, “It was my fiancé.” “Your fiancé? You’re engaged?” “No. Actually I meant to say my ex-fiancé. His name is Lance Preston.” Choosing not to interrupt her, Deon sat silently waiting for her to continue. “We’d been dating for a year and a half when he asked me to marry him. It seemed like the minute he put that ring on my finger everything changed. He became insanely jealous and constantly accused me of cheating on him. He even resorted to hiding behind buildings to spy on me.” “Did he show any signs of jealousy before you got engaged?” “That’s why I was so confused. It was like he changed overnight. The Lance I knew was loving and kind. We never had an argument or even a misunderstanding up until we got engaged. He became so obsessed that my boss threatened to fire me if he didn’t stop calling my job.” “What did he do to hurt you? Did he get you fired?” “I wish that was all he’d done. It’s so horrible that even now I can’t talk about it.” “Don’t cry, baby. It’s going to be alright.” Angry at what she’d been reduced to, Indya pulled away from Deon yelling, “It’s not going to be alright. Can’t you see that? He’s ruined my life to the point where no man will ever want me again,” she screamed. “That’s not true. He was only playing head games with you. He was probably trying to get you to believe that no other man would want you but him. But I can tell you without hesitation that nothing could be further from the truth…because I want you, Indya. As a matter of fact I’ll go a step further and say I’m crazy about you.” When Indya didn’t respond, Deon grasped her by the shoulders to turn her around to face him. “I want you, Indya Farrow. And if you give me…give us a chance, I promise you won’t regret it.” “You have no idea what he put me through. He left me for dead,” she let slip out. Thinking he must have misunderstood, Deon said, “He did what?” Realizing she’d said too much, Indya tried to back pedal; but Deon wasn’t having it. “You said he left you for dead and I want to know what you meant by that,” he asked angrily. Accepting that it was too late to switch gears, Indya moved away so she could think. Knowing this could very well be the end for them, she paused for a moment. Feeling Deon’s eyes on her, she knew there was nothing to do but tell the truth. “After a long day of meetings, I went home to find Lance waiting for me. I knew right away that he was primed for a fight just by the scowl on his face. That day he’d come to my job and saw me leaving with my manager. He automatically assumed the worse and decided to confront me about it. “Because it had been such a long day, I told him that I was tired of him accusing me of cheating on him. Then I said since he didn’t trust me that we should just call the engagement off. He became completely unhinged at that point. He told me the only way I’d get away from him was in a body bag.” “He threatened you?” “Yes…and he had every intention of making good on that threat. I became so angry that I pulled off the ring and threw it at him. Next thing I knew he was holding a knife to my throat.” Seeing the horror in Deon’s eyes caused Indya pause. Closing her eyes, she said, “Then he said that I must have thought he was bluffing so he was going to prove to me that he wasn’t.” “So what did he do?” “He stabbed me more than thirty times in my arms, abdomen and chest. The doctors told my parents he missed piercing my lung by mere inches. They couldn’t believe I actually survived.” Trying to contain his anger, Deon asked, “Where is this Lance now?” “He’s serving a minimum of fifty years for attempted murder, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, pre-meditated murder and stalking, just to name a few.”