Drawn To You: A Psychological thriller

by Ren Montgomery

  She wrenched her arm away from him and stumbled back two steps, dropping her bags and bringing her hands up. The apples spilled out and went rolling away, but she ignored this. Jeremy looked bewildered, and she felt her face flame with her overreaction. “I said no. I’m on deadline and I need to work tonight. Good-bye.”

  She scrounged for her bags again, only managing to locate three bruised apples before she stepped out into the rain and hurried towards her car. She could feel her hair flattening out and she hunched her shoulders even harder. Jeremy followed. “I could keep you company while you work. Maybe make you dinner. Do you like lobster?”

  Ruby threw a glance over her shoulder at Sean’s mom. Her lights were on and she was backing out of her space. Ruby broke into a jog.

  “I said, ‘Do you like lobster?’”

  “What? I guess.” She clenched her hands into fists around the bags and picked up her pace again. “But the answer’s no.”

  They closed in on her car just as the drizzle became a downpour. Her hair became slicked to her head like a hood, and she could feel the water rushing beneath her collar. She fumbled her keys out of her pocket and accidentally flung them into a puddle. The icy water soaked through her new ankle boots as she ground her teeth and slogged ahead to retrieve them.

  Finally, she reached her car—a pale pink Mini Cooper with a white convertible top.

  “This is yours? But it’s so girly. Ever put the top down?”

  She unlocked her door and ducked inside. She gave her wet face a quick swipe with her wet sleeve and tossed her dripping bags on top of the clutter of books and papers piled up on the passenger floor. She could hear the rain splattering loudly on the cloth top, but inside the car everything was dry. “Bye.” She slammed and locked the door behind her and searched for the SUV. It had already left the lot and was headed for a stop sign. Crap.

  She started the motor. shifted the car into reverse, looked over her shoulder and was startled by a loud rap on her side window. She stalled.

  “Jeez Louise!” She rubbed the fog off the glass and cracked the window. “What? I. Am. In. A. Hurry.” She craned her neck around Jeremy, and the SUV was just taillights in the distance now.

  Jeremy peered at her through the crack in her window and slowly blinked water droplets off his long eyelashes. For a moment, she was mesmerized. Really, whatever work he’d had done had been excellent. He should sell the name of his plastic surgeon to Hollywood starlets.

  “How’s about tomorrow night? Could we do something tomorrow night?”

  “Whatever! I gotta go!” She started the engine, and still he hung onto the window.

  “Ruby?”

  “Whaaattt?

  He grinned. “I think it’s fate that we met again tonight, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. I’ll definitely be giving you a call.”

  She backed out, threw it into first gear, and peeled out of the wet parking lot in pursuit.

  Freak.

  ‬‬‬▬▬▬

  The SUV finally pulled into the driveway of a tidy blue house on the corner of Briar Lane and Oregon Avenue. Ruby cruised past so Mrs. Chaplin wouldn’t get suspicious, and there in the driveway sat Sean’s old Honda Prelude.

  She was suddenly bathed in sweat and her hands began to tremble on the wheel. Did that mean that Sean was here? But no. Surely, he would have bought a new car sometime in the past decade. But what if he was just inside the house? Waiting for her…

  She drove around the corner, turned around, shut off her lights, and drove back the way she’d come. She stopped three houses down, wishing that she wasn’t driving her twee car. Not the best car for surveillance work. The street was well-lit, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and she could clearly see Sean’s mother struggling to maneuver a case of toilet paper out of the back of the Bronco.

  The door to the house burst open and out raced Sean, who took the case from his mom with a smile. He motioned for her to go inside. He’d get them.

  Ruby squealed and strained against her seatbelt. She leaned as far forward as she could and greedily drank him in. She took out her phone and held the button down, taking a quick burst of pictures of him.

  If possible, he looked even better than she remembered. Could it really have been six long years since she’d last seen him? His hair was straight, thick, and shiny black, and it just touched his collar in the back. Though she was too far away to see them, she knew he had soulful amber eyes and straight, white teeth. His mother was Hupa, and he’d inherited her hair and maybe her nose. His mother was short and stocky though, while he was tall, thin, and muscular. He must have inherited his build and his fair skin from his father.

  He was wearing faded jeans and a dark sweatshirt, and even from this distance, she could tell that he still had a nice ass. He grabbed another box and turned to go up the driveway. Suddenly, details were magnified and bright, and she seemed to be in an altered state of consciousness. Was this what it felt like right before you passed out? …Or died?

  He disappeared inside, but she hardly had time to miss him because a moment later he was out again, bounding down the driveway. He briefly glanced in her direction, and she grasped the door handle ready to charge out screaming, “I’m here, Baby! Now we can get on with our life together!”

  She forced her hands down into her lap.

  He made four trips in all, and when he’d grabbed the last case and she knew he was going inside for good, her chest began to burn. When Sean rushed through the front door and slammed it shut behind him, she roughly knuckled away her tears.

  He was gone. Again.

  Did she dare knock on his door claiming car trouble? She could feign surprise when he exclaimed, “Ruby Deardon? Why, I always wondered what happened to you! I’ve been pining away for you all these years, and here you are on my doorstep. Come inside and let’s make love!” But his mom was sure to recognize her from the grocery store, and Ruby didn’t want Janice to think she’d followed her home.

  She could always use the car trouble line later if she needed to.

  She started the engine and cruised by his house slowly, noting the address. 1334 Briar Lane.

  What a great night. Hilary was not going to believe this. It had taken six long weeks, but she’d finally found him.

  He obviously didn’t live there, with his parents, but he probably spent a lot of time with them. Now that she had their phone number and address, it was just a matter of time before they were reunited. She began to whistle as she drove away.

  Things were looking up.

  CHAPTER 2

  Hilary McIntyre lived with her husband, Tom, on the banks of the Mad River in Kamata, California. Kamata was located less than an hour from the Oregon border, and the road leading to her house was desolate, with the river running parallel on the right, and the occasional cow pasture or dairy farm on the left. Hilary lived in a tiny house with a huge front yard that was bordered on either side by empty pastures.

  Ruby parked on the patchy grass in Hilary’s yard as there was no driveway. The porch light was off, there were no streetlights, and the sliver of moon was partially obscured by clouds. A light fog clung to the ground. Maybe she should honk the horn so Hilary would turn on the light?

  At least it had finally stopped raining.

  She turned the dome light on and sat for a moment, listening to the unseen river rush and imagining serial killers with hooks for hands…

  “Stop it, Ruby,” she muttered. She grabbed the ice cream bag and opened the door. Her feet disappeared into the fog, and goosebumps broke out on the nape of her neck.

  She picked and slid her way across the uneven wet grass, putting her foot down once into an unseen puddle. By the time she reached the porch her fear was gone, and her mood was dark. Fucking Hilary.

  She beat on the door.

  The porch light came on and Hilary opened the door. She was tall and skeletal, with bouncy, honey-colored hair, big brown eyes, and a flawless complexion. She was in fu
ll make-up, pairing an ivory sweater with a long, chocolate-colored wool skirt and boots. Hilary was the only woman Ruby had ever known who dressed up regularly, on her own time. Basically, her best friend was a super model.

  The house smelled like spice cookies and vanilla, and Ruby wondered which scented candle Hilary was burning this time. Hilary sold them online in some multi-level marketing scheme, and Ruby suspected she might be her friend’s sole customer. Some were better than others and this one was a good one—she would have to add it to her collection. The house was, as always, all lit up and gloriously warm because Hilary was always freezing. Ruby could feel the heat even before she’d crossed the threshold.

  “You’re late—” Hilary paused mid-sentence, staring at Ruby’s head with a peculiar look on her face. “What did you do?”

  Ruby felt her face grow hot. She’d forgotten about the haircut. She patted her damp, spiky hair, relishing how light her head felt now. “I told you I was getting a haircut.”

  Hilary walked in a tight circle around her, gaping. “You didn’t mention this. Your hair was to your waist—”

  “I wanted a change. You hate it, don’t you? Tell the truth.”

  Suddenly, Hilary threw her arms back and belted “Eve-ry thing’s com-in’ up roses!”

  Ruby stepped back, ending up out on the porch again. “Are you all right?”

  Hilary laughed. “Since you went and got yourself a Liza Minelli special, I thought you might welcome a few lines from ‘Gypsy.’”

  Ruby pushed past her, and Hilary closed the door. “Ethel Merman starred in “Gypsy” not Liza Minelli, and maybe, if I actually looked like her, I’d have gotten your stupid joke. Anyway, don’t you really think I look more like Emma Watson with her pixie cut? Or that one actress from that movie I hate?”

  Hilary looked at her blankly, snapped her fingers and said, “Anne Hathaway, ‘Les Mis!’”

  Ruby nodded. “That’s what I was going for.”

  “No, I’m thinking…” Hilary cocked her head and feigned concentration. “Nope. Definitely Liza.”

  Ruby swung the ice cream bag at her, but Hilary ducked in time. “Liza’s having a bad night, ‘ey?”

  Ruby hung up her wet jacket. “I need some ice cream. Want some?” She started for the kitchen, Hilary following at her heels.

  “You really shouldn’t eat that stuff before a show, Liza. It’ll harm your voice.” Hilary made a big show out of clearing her throat. “Phlegm, you know.”

  Hilary’s kitchen was old. Her stove and refrigerator were their original avocado color, her tile countertops were cracked, and her wide porcelain sink was worn. There was a bowl of water on her counter directly underneath a leak in her ceiling. They heard a plink as another drop fell.

  Ruby got a bowl down from the cupboard. “If you keep this up, I’ll leave without telling you my hot news about Sean.”

  Hilary’s eyes widened. “What hot Sean news?” She backed up to a chair and sat down. “You found him? Does he still look the same? Did you ask him out? Did he remember you? Is he still married—”

  “Slow down.” She scooped herself a bowl of the soupy ice cream while she considered how to answer. Some details were better left unsaid. “I haven’t had a chance to actually talk to him yet.” She licked a drip of ice cream off her wrist. “Do you want some or not?”

  “I’ll just have coffee.” Hilary stood up to fix herself a cup.

  “You’ll be up all night.”

  “Decaf.”

  “What’s the point of that?”

  Hilary chuckled. “I know, I know, but it’s hot and it fills me up.”

  Ruby sat down and began eating. Hilary soon joined her with a mug of black coffee.

  “Don’t keep me in suspense,” Hilary said. “What happened?”

  “I saw him at the grocery store.”

  Hilary squealed. “How perfect! You’re shopping, he’s shopping, your eyes meet across the grapefruits and—Wa-Bam! Love wins again.”

  Ruby grinned and took another bite.

  “Wait. Why couldn’t you talk to him? At least you know for sure now that he didn’t move away—”

  “I know! Now I can relax. And I saw him from a distance, but he was gone before I could catch him.”

  “That’s too bad. But now you should have no trouble tracking him.” Her gaze followed the spoon from Ruby’s bowl to her mouth and back again. She licked her lips.

  “Will you just have some already? You’re making me nervous.”

  “I’d love to, but I don’t want to gain any weight until I’m actually pregnant, when it won’t matter,” Hilary said.

  “You’re a skeleton. Live a little.”

  Hilary took a sip of her coffee, almost hiding her pleased smile. “I just wish I had your metabolism. Then I could afford it.”

  “Not this anorexia crap again,” Ruby said. She was five foot two and weighed one hundred and nine pounds and she likely outweighed Hilary, who was five eleven. “Never mind. More for me.” She took a big bite.

  Hilary shrank a little in her chair.

  Ruby pushed her almost empty bowl away. “I’m glad he still lives here, but I don’t have his new phone number or his address. Just his parents’…Um, I mean, I’ve been back for over a month and I’m still at a loss.”

  Hilary avoided Ruby’s eyes. “Have you googled him?”

  “Please. I tried that when I was still in San Francisco, but all the addresses I found were old. You’d think they’d keep those databases up to date.”

  “How irritating for you.” Ruby threw her a look and Hilary said, “You just said you have his parents address. That’s new. How’d you get that? Why not just ask them for his phone number?”

  To give herself time to think, Ruby got up and rinsed her bowl in the sink. There was a bottle opener in the dish drainer, in the shape of a green parrot. She turned so Hilary couldn’t see what she was doing and slid the pretty parrot into her front jeans pocket with a damp hand, pulling her shirt down to cover it. “…I’m superstitious. If this is meant to be, it’ll happen without me having to ask his parents for help. Right?” She set her clean dishes in the drainer, turned around, and leaned her back against the counter.

  “You’re making more work for yourself. You should use every resource available.”

  Ruby sighed. They’d had this conversation before, many times. She never tired of talking about Sean, and Hilary just liked to gossip. “I need some good ideas. Come on, Hil, don’t let me down.”

  “I already gave you one good idea,” Hilary said. “Here’s another. Pay for one of those companies that claim they can find anyone.”

  Ruby crossed her arms. “I told you, I already tried it. I found him, but the address they listed was old and I haven’t been able to get a current one yet.”

  “But I thought they used DMV records—”

  “Wherever he is, he hasn’t gotten a new driver’s license, hasn’t paid taxes, or filed with the post office for a change of address. He doesn’t live there.” She thought of the many hours she’d spent in the last few weeks staking out that place. “Or, if he does, he never leaves the house.”

  Hilary frowned. “Hire a private detective then. You certainly have the money for it.”

  Ruby let that go. Hilary’s husband was a fisherman, and money was a sore spot between them. “Hiring a private detective’s not out of the question, certainly, but it strikes me as so…desperate, somehow.”

  “You moved back here just to hook up with him. I’d say you’re already plenty desperate.” Hilary tossed her head, pushed away from the table, and poured herself another cup of coffee.

  Ruby realized this was payback for the anorexia crack. “Ouch. Tell me how you really feel.”

  “Well, let’s face it. You are acting—” Hilary snapped her fingers. “Hey! What about GSU? I’m sure they keep records on alumni.”

  Ruby felt a tingling feeling spread throughout her chest. “I can’t believe I overlooked the university! You’
re a genius!”

  “Duh.”

  They moved into the living room and sat down on Hilary’s lumpy sectional.

  “What if he’s still married? What then? Or what if he’s single, but he doesn’t want to get back together with you? I don’t want you to get hurt,” Hilary said.

  “Can you lay off the marriage thing? He’s not married. I’d know if he was and he’s not.”

  “Honey, you need to face facts. He was married, and in all your digging, you haven’t found a divorce decree, so he probably still is. You need to be prepared.”

  Ruby thought about her research. Sean’s name linked to that bitch from one address to the next one for years…And she had deliberately not looked for a divorce decree. She preferred believing he was divorced over knowing he was still married. “He’s not. Or, if he is, not happily. I told you, we have a…psychic connection. We’re soulmates.” She felt her eyes grow misty and blinked to clear them. “That’s how I know he’ll be single and waiting for me. It’s kismet.”

  Hilary shot her a pitying look.

  “You’ll see,” Ruby snapped. “Anyway, I deserve him. These last few years have been wasted without him. I know he feels the same way.”

  “It’s always nice to think positive.”

  Ruby leapt to her feet and began pacing. “Except that’s getting so hard. Everywhere I go, even for the smallest errand, I feel the need to put on make-up. I search crowds for him endlessly…I feel like I’m going crazy.”

  “Maybe you are.”

  “What?”

  “You need to let him go and start dating again. This obsession is unhealthy.”

  “So’s throwing up, and that hasn’t stopped you.”

  Hilary’s face crumpled. She stood, turned away, and crossed her arms. Ruby could see every bone in her spine jutting through the back of her thin sweater. “That was mean. Maybe you should go.”