The figure moves out of the shadows, slowly. It is Kat but what I can see of her looks very different. She’s dressed in all black from her head to her feet. The hood of a black sweatshirt is pulled up over her hair. She’s wearing black pants and black tennis shoes on her feet. She definitely came planning on remaining unseen. I can barely see her eyes as far as the hood is pulled down over her face, but I know it’s her.“That’s it, sweetheart, come out and talk to me. We can make this better.”Bile rises in my throat from the term of endearment and softness of my tone, but I’m trying to coax her out of the shadows. I want her in an open area.
I hold my hand out hoping she’ll see this as a sign to come to me. Using a tone someone would use on a wounded animal I encourage her to keep coming.“Right, I’m here. Keep coming.”As she emerges from the shadows into the little bit of moon light on the roof, I can see her face is filthy. A little bit of her hair has fallen from the hood and I can tell it is dirty, like she hasn’t bathed in a while. Dark circles ring the underneath of her eyes which look lifeless and dead. She looks more like a zombie than a 34 year old woman. Alarm bells ring in my head reminding me Kat is seriously unstable. Yet I continue to coax her to me. This must end now.
“Good keep coming. I want to help you.”Her body jolts and she freezes on my last words.
“Help me?”Her tone is flat but I see something flicker in her eyes.
Still holding my hand out and my tone soothing,“Yes, I want to help you.”
Kat lets out a harsh bark of laughter.“Help me? You mean like you helped me into a mental hospital? Or like when you kept calling the police on me?”She asks incredulously.
“Kat, please, I–,”my assurances are cut off when my eyes wander down to see the moon light glinting off of something shiny in her hand. She’s standing no more than 20 feet away from me when the object catches my attention.
Kat realizes what I’m looking at and a sinister grin starts to spread across her tattered face.“Oh, I guess you see my friend here, huh.”It was not a question. She raises up what looks to be a large knife from my kitchen. Her hand, not holding the knife, strokes the blunt side in a loving caress.“You see,”she starts before letting out a little chuckle,“I thought it would only be fitting I finish off the whore and your disgusting affair with one of her own knifes. I want her to know what it feels like to be stabbed in the heart. Just like you stabbed me in the heart when I saw you cheating on me with that skank.”
Fear and anger claw at my throat.“Kat, you and I aren’t together. Why are you doing this?” “Why?”She asks, clearly shocked by my question.“Why?”She shouts again.“Because you’re MINE, NOT HERS!”She shouts even louder, shaking her head side to side. Kat takes a step back and calms. The switch in her emotions flipped as easily as she took the step back. Back to the lifeless tone she mutters quietly, while still playing with the blunt side of the knife,“She’s always fucking things up. She’s always had everything. She’s beautiful, nice and popular. I have nothing except you. You are mine. I won’t let her have the one thing I have and she doesn’t.”Halfway through she began to cry. By the end her body was racked with sobs.
I took a couple small, slow steps forward. My hands out, palm up with a gentle tone I try to persuade her to listen to me.“Please, Kat, let’s just talk. We’ll figure everything out. Put the knife down. I’ll help y–,”
“NO!”she shrieks at me.“I tried to talk to you. When I came to see you at your loft, I tried to talk to you then. I came a bunch of times but you wouldn’t talk to me, refusing to answer the door, ignoring me like I didn’t exist.”Her body started to shake. Her eyes looked like they were on fire but her expression stayed emotionless.
“Kat, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I’m never at my place.”At this point I’ll tell her whatever I can to get her to drop the knife. I’m not worried about what will happen to me but I’m terrified what will happen to Hayden and our baby if Kat gets away from here. I may not be a psychologist but anyone can see she’s clearly had a psychotic break.
“I told her to back off. I told her you were mine. I warned her I would kill her if she didn’t leave you alone. SHE. CAN’T. HAVE. YOU. YOU. ARE. MINE.”She’s seething on her last declaration.
We stared at each other for moments while I tried to figure out what to say to her. My mind is racing. Without warning she let out a horrific scream, raises the knife and charges at me. A scream sounded from behind me momentarily distracting me. Turning, I see Hayden standing behind me screaming, her wide eyes frozen in terror. Even under the low moon light the paleness of her face is unmistakable. I turned back to Kat just as she started to weave to the side heading for Hayden. I grabbed for Kat when a searing pain ripped through my left side causing me to yell out as Kat’s body collided with mine, knocking us both to the ground.
Hayden screaming my name tears through the night. Kat managed to break free jumping up to take off after Hayden, again. All the frustration and anger over the hell Kat put us through bubbled back up to the surface. The notes, pictures, the terrified in my girl’s eyes.
Leave Gavin Alone! He Is Mine. I Thought I Got Rid Of You Once.
I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I can’t be with you. She wins, again.
I warned you. You are mine. You shouldn’t have called the fucking cops. She’s dead.
The pictures: Kat and Trix, Hayden and I on the couch making love.
Hayden’s pregnant…my baby
Hayden and our child are my life. She will not touch my family. My blood boils as they assault my mind. I wasn’t letting this happen. She was not removing Hayden from my life again. Kat was not taking my family from me. Ignoring the pain in my side, I reached up and grabbed Kat’s leg as she tried to jump over me. She fell to the ground. Struggling to keep hold of her I reach for her hands but she manages to kick me hard in the stomach, knocking the breath from my body. No way am I letting her free. Hayden is still standing by the roof door screaming as Kat and I fight for control.
A blood curdling scream erupts from Kat. I look back just in time to see her drag the knife down from her wrist to the inside of her elbow. Fuck no; she’s not getting out of this that easily. The burning pain in my side no longer played in the forefront of my mind, shooting up I straddled Kat. Taking a hold of both Kat’s wrists, I yanked the knife away tossing it to the side. Her non-injured arm was penned down by her body with my knee. Using my belt, I quickly fastened a tourniquet to slow the blood flowing to her laceration.
Detective Beston and several officers burst through the roof door as I finish tightening the tourniquet. Detective Beston helped me up and over to Hayden while the other officers dealt with Kat.
“I thought I told you to stay where you were, Hayden.”Detective Beston scolded her but she doesn’t pay any attention to him. She shot straight over to me wrapping her arms around my middle.
“Oh my God, Gavin!”She cried as she reached me. I wince as her arm squeezed over my side where Kat cut me with the knife. Quickly she drew back, examining me for the source of the pain.“Gavin, you’re bleeding!”Hayden screeches, beginning to panic. Her hands run over the rest of my body searching for other injuries.
“Hayden”I said calmly but she isn’t listening. She’s starting to cry and breathing harder making me worry she’s going to cause herself to hyperventilate.“Hayden”I say a little more forcefully, but still no response. Her mind is all over the place. Her eyes search me and the events going on around us, including the paramedics taking care of Kat. Her breaths are coming in pants as she fights to stay in control. Cupping her face with my hands, I force her to look me in the eyes.
“Baby, c’mon, baby, you have to calm down.”She’s not paying attention to me, though. Her eyes are still searching the events happening around us.“Hayden!”my harsh tone stops her panicking and brings her attention back to me. In a more soothing tone I say,“Baby, you’re alright. The baby’s alright. I’m alright, but you’re going to cause yourself to hyperventilate if you don’t
calm down.”
“But why are they helping her and not you. You’re bleeding, Gavin!”Her breath that had started to calm is beginning to increase again.“Someone, please help him.”She shouts as her body begins to shake and breathing increases.
“Hayden.”I say her name sternly.“Deni, look at me,”she does as I cup her chin in my hands.“I’m ok.”I promise her.
“But you’re bleeding.”Her voice is soft almost a whisper. While her breathing calms, tears still stream down her face.
“I’m ok,”I reassure her.“Baby, it’s not a bad wound. A few stitches and I’ll be good as new.”I pull her back into my arms and kiss her forehead. “I love you, Deni. It’s finally over.”She leans her body weight into me. Her body shakes as she cries.“Shh, baby, it’s ok. Please don’t cry.”I hold her in my arms as she clings to me.“C’mon Deni, we’ll meet Jeff at the hospital and get him to stitch me up. She nods and we head down to Detective Beston’s car.
Detective Beston had already called Jeff for me while I was trying to calm Hayden down. He and Amy left the fundraiser just a short time ago, so they weren’t far away. He agrees to meet us at the hospital. I highly doubt he would have had a choice in the matter once Amy found out what happened. She’s the kind that needs to see for herself that everyone is safe. Plus, she’ll be able to handle calling our parents to let them know the situation and everyone is safe.
When we arrived at the hospital, Jeff already had a room ready for Hayden and me. At first, I was really confused as to why he had one set up for the both of us. Apparently, when Detective Beston called Jeff he wasn’t sure if Hayden was injured so they set up a room with two beds. Knowing I wouldn’t let her out of my sight, therefore putting off getting my side examined. Hayden’s doctor was also already waiting in the ER for us. Even though Hayden insisted she wasn’t injured, Dr. Hartford was adamant Hayden be checked out anyway. Jeff is a very smart man. The only way we were both checked out at the same time was because we were in the same room. No way would I have left Hayden alone and she would have definitely been checked out first. However, when Dr. Hartford pulled the curtain separating our beds from view I nearly came off that table.
My sister was on the side with Hayden while Jeff worked on me. The moment Jeff snapped at me to lay back down my very pregnant sister tore around the curtain,“Gavin Paxton Hudson! If you don’t sit your ass down now and shut the hell up I’m going to unleash Sarah and Mom on you. I’ve had it. Hayden is only on the other side of this flimsy assed curtain. She’s fine. You are not. You can hear everything and I’m standing right next to her.”Amy’s face is set in stone cold agitation.“Now are you going to knock off this caveman bullshit and get this over or am I going to get the moms? We’re all tired. Hayden’s and my backs hurt-”Amy holds her hand up to stop me as she evils eyes me when I make to jump up at the statement of Hayden’s back hurting.“Just fucking stop it, Gavin! We are both pregnant and have been on our feet tonight. Anyone in that situations back would hurt. Now, sit there, be a good boy, shut the hell up and let’s get this done.”With one more stern look at me and a finger pointed at Jeff and I she turns and waddles off to the other side of the curtain.
I can hear giggles coming from Hayden just as Amy is finishing. Damn, I love that sound. Amy can chew my ass any day if it makes Hayden giggle. With that, I lie back on the bed and let Jeff stitch me up.
“Damn, you made her cuss man.”Jeff said under his breath. No doubt hoping his wife didn’t hear him.“She’s really pissed at you. I can’t even make her do that.” His face twisted in a way I knew what was coming next but the way I was laying prevented me from hitting him.“Well, I take that back. I can make her cuss…usually when she’s screaming my name.”He wiggled his brows at me.
“Fucking eh! What the hell, Jeff? You’re an asshole.”
“Nah,”he shrugs like we’re having a normal conversation,“it’s more like“Fuck me harder, Jeff!”He said trying to imitate my sister. I picked up the closest thing to me, which just so happened to be the emesis basin, I suddenly had an urge to use and chucked it over my shoulder at him.
“For fuck’s sake man, just sew me up and shut the fuck up. I’m seriously going to whip your ass when you’re done.”I groan. Why wasn’t I smart enough to call in a different doctor? I hear muffled laughter coming from the other side of the curtain and decide to just close my eyes and ignore everyone.
After Hayden and I were both checked out and questioned by Detective Beston and another cop we were finally able to head home. Our parents convinced us to stay with them for a few days. It didn’t take a whole lot of convincing for Hayden, since she really didn’t want to go back to the loft until her dad went through changing the locks and codes and scoured the security footage to figure out how Kat had been getting in.
I’m now laying here in my old room at my parents with my whole life in my hands. Hayden’s laying on my non-injured side with her head on my shoulder. Her soft breath fans across my neck as I play with the ends of her hair. She’s finally sleeping more peacefully than I’ve seen her in a long time, probably not since we were teenagers.
After all we’ve been through, after our long journey back to each other. After dealing with Hayden’s insecurities about us and whether or not our relationship was true. And finally, after dealing with my batshit crazy ex from high school, I finally feel whole. My family is finally complete and safe. I feel a peace that just over a year ago I didn’t know if I would ever feel. Hayden is mine. We are finally together. We have a baby coming and soon, very soon, Hayden will be my wife. My life is complete. With that thought, I drift off to sleep holding onto two people that matter most in my life. Our crazy journey to get here may have come to an end but our life together is just beginning. There is always light in the end and I found my light.
Chapter 31
Hayden
July 26, 2014
Life has finally returned to normal. Kat is facing multiple charges, including three counts of attempted murder. Her attorney has tried to get her a plea deal but the prosecution refuses to make her any kind of deal. He said with the amount of evidence stacked against her and the severity of her actions there is no way she is not paying for her crimes. They were able to match her handwriting to all the notes she left. Each break-in, including many more we didn’t know about, were all caught on the building’s surveillance cameras. In addition to the break-in footage, the events from the night on the roof were also captured on the surveillance footage. Once they knew who they were looking for, campus police was also able to ID Kat from the footage captured at the university. Really the only piece of evidence the prosecutor said they can’t 100% link to Kat is the threatening email she sent to my campus email account. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter. She is going away for a very long time. I’m not looking forward to the trial nor testifying, but I will do what is needed to protect my family.
Actually, Kat is pretty intelligent when it comes to technology. She attended a trade school for computer programming but her drug use took over her life. Apparently, she was able to tap into the security feed from the camera in the elevator which is how she was able to get the code to our floor. From there she easily broke into Brooklyn’s loft and took my spare, had a copy made before putting B’s back. We were none the wiser.
We did find out the breaking point for her was when her boyfriend OD’d about six months before Gavin and I reconnected. Gavin was the one to save her and get her into a detox program. Unfortunately, she transferred the grief of losing her boyfriend to old feelings she had for Gavin. It doesn’t make anything she did ok and I’m not God so I highly doubt I will ever forgive her for what she put us through, but it is nice to have some understanding as to why she did what she did.
Gavin decided there was no way he was waiting to make me his wife after the night on the roof. He informed me of this fact while Jeff was stitching up the laceration on his side. This is one fact I was absolutely on board with. I can’t imagine my life with
out Gavin Hudson. The night on the roof was the worst night of my life. I may have started this relationship holding back but I was now jumping in head first without a life vest. Gavin is my life vest.
One week later we were married in a quiet ceremony in the place that started it all for us, again. Dr. Asher made sure we had use of one of the banquet rooms at the university. Only our family, a few friends–Carver James was one, which Brooklyn pretended to be annoyed with but I could tell she was secretly happy about–and Dr. Asher and his wife were in attendance.
Our wedding was beautiful. Actually, I was surprised how beautiful it was for only having a week to pull it together. We continued the black and white theme from the fundraiser the previous week since it was so beautiful with touches of pink thrown in to soften the look. I carried a bouquet of black and white calla lilies. Instead of just my dad giving me away to Gavin, I asked both mom and dad. They both took such an active role in my life I couldn’t imagine leaving my mom out.
I’m currently a couple of weeks away from my due date. However, Dr. Hartford said Baby Hudson could safely come any day now. As much as I have enjoyed being pregnant–I know many women don’t but I have–I’m looking forward to having our little gummy bear here with us. We didn’t find out the sex of the baby, much to the chagrin of the women in our families. We decided that after all the bad surprises we’ve had over the last year and half, Gavin and I were ready for a good surprise.
Now I sit with my feet currently propped on my gorgeous husband’s thigh, my latest romance novel on the Kindle while he massages my seriously swollen feet. He’s off today but has to work tomorrow. I don’t mind when he works because Brooklyn comes over and spends the entire day hanging out with me. I’d say life is definitely good now.
Lilies Page 32