Unbreakable

by Amie Nichols

  As I grab a glass and fill it with cold water from the fridge, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I get the eerie feeling someone’s watching me. The only light in the kitchen is under the counter, and it gives off just enough light to make out shapes. I turn and see a shadow staring at me through the window. I freeze for a moment and the shadow moves a little bit. I can see it’s a man with a baseball cap on.

  The glass of water drops from my hands and it shatters everywhere on the floor. I can’t help myself as a scream escapes me, terrified I’m still not able to move. The shadow darts away from the window and is gone.

  Within seconds, I hear Luke and Jacob calling my name. I hear loud thumps as they run down the stairs. Jacob first, then Luke flies through the door. I can tell they are a little dazed and confused being woken up from a dead sleep. Miss Finnegan appears from the back of the kitchen from where her room is and fumbles to turn on the lights.

  “Lilly,” Luke says as he grabs both my shoulders. “What happened?” Terror in his voice, he notices the shattered glass on the floor then he moves me to safety. In their haste to get to me, they are both wearing jeans and bare feet.

  Jacob’s eyes are searching the kitchen and he heads in the family room to find what had scared me, but he doesn’t find anything. He returns to the kitchen looking at me with confusion.

  Miss Finnegan runs around the counter and is wearing a long nightgown. “What happened, Lilly?” She asks anxiously.

  “There was someone watching me,” I whisper pointing out the window.

  “What?” Luke says running to the doors and turning on the outside light. Jacob and Luke go in opposite directions around the house.

  “Oh honey, sit down,” Miss Finnegan directs me toward the stool at the island. I sit trying to cover myself as best as I can only wearing Luke’s shirt. “I’ll get this cleaned up,” Miss Finnegan says. She’s gone for a second and returns with a broom and a dustpan.

  After making a complete circle of the house, Luke and Jacob come back inside. Out of breath, they are talking in low voices and I can’t hear what they are saying. I scoot off the chair and walk toward them. I wrap my arms around Luke’s waist and bury my face in his chest. Still talking to Jacob his muscular arms engulf me.

  “He’s lying and it is time for him to go,” Jacob says and sits at the kitchen table. He is resting his elbow on the table with his hand in a tight fist up by his mouth. The tension is obvious in his twitching muscles, his knuckles turning white.

  “What were you doing down here anyway?” Jacob turns his attention toward me. I turn my head so that my ear is flat against Luke’s chest. I can hear his heart beating rather fast. He places his hand on the back of my neck and strokes my hair lightly.

  “I was getting a drink of water,” I answer him softly not wanting to move. “Who’s lying?” I question, not budging from the safety of Luke’s arms.

  “Simon,” both Luke and Jacob say simultaneously. “He was standing in the doorway of the cottage when we came back around the house,” Jacob explains.

  “He said your scream woke him up and he was checking what was going on,” Luke finishes Jacob’s explanation. Luke moves toward the table and sits across from Jacob. Luke directs me onto his lap. “We don’t think he could have heard you scream from the cottage. Do you?” Luke asks me, one hand rubbing up and down my back while his other arm is draped over my lap covering my bare legs.

  “I don’t know. You guys heard me upstairs, so I guess it’s possible.” I shrug. “Why are you so certain he did it?” I ask wondering what they are not telling me.

  “Because he was completely dressed in the same clothes he was wearing today,” Jacob says suspiciously. “He just seemed out of breath and not like he had just woke up. You know, like he had been up the whole time,” Jacob reiterates. “I mean, look at us. We have no shoes and no shirts.” He waves his hand toward Luke and back at himself to illustrate.

  “So you think it was Simon watching me?” I ask them starting to understand what they are saying. “If it was, that’s good right? He could have just been walking around and just noticed me in the kitchen. When I screamed, he ran. I wouldn’t blame him after the warning you guys gave him earlier,” I try to explain my point to the boys when they look shocked at my reaction.

  “Besides, how would he have known that I was going to be in the kitchen at that moment getting a drink? It’s not like someone is going to stand there all night watching and waiting for me to maybe be there, right?” I look to all of them while Luke shakes his head at Jacob. I think about earlier and how weird they were acting when they were out by Georgia’s Stone. I can tell when I look at them that they are getting aggravated with me for defending Simon so I decide to let the whole thing drop.

  “Look guys, I’m tired and want to go back to bed. We have a long day tomorrow,” I tell them hoping that there will be no argument.

  Jacob rubs his forehead so hard it looks like he is going to take the skin off, but finally lets his hands drop to the table and nods his head in agreement. I can tell that they both don’t have it in them to go any further with this tonight.

  I hop off of Luke’s lap and go around the table to Jacob giving him a kiss on the cheek. “It’ll be fine.” I pat his back, but I know this is not over. Tomorrow I am going to be more adamant in finding out what the boys were discussing this morning at Georgia’s Stone.

  Luke wraps his arms around me when we are back in bed and I feel so safe. I am asleep in seconds.

  Chapter 24

  I wake up and roll over, squinting as the sun beams through the window. The bed’s empty and I sit up seeing that it’s eight thirty. Crap, we agreed to be on the road by now. I get up and use the bathroom. Still in Luke’s Polo, I walk downstairs hearing talking and laughter in the kitchen.

  “Good Morning, baby,” Luke greets me. Getting off the stool at the island, he comes over to hug me. Emma and Jacob are sitting there eating pancakes also, and Miss Finnegan is standing over the griddle flipping some fresh ones on a plate. Luke leans down to kiss me. I can smell his wonderful smell and his kiss tastes like maple syrup.

  “Good morning,” Emma greets, smiling at my attire. I blush as I stand there in Luke’s shirt. It’s long enough to reach above my knees, so I figure what the heck. I sit next to her grabbing a plate and dish me up some pancakes. I realize I’m starving.

  “The guys were telling me all about the excitement last night,” she says taking a bite of pancake. “My bet, it was Simon,” nodding her head and looking at me with a see-I-told-you-so look on her face. “You should get rid of him,” she exclaims.

  Luke sits on the other side of me, “Emma’s right, Lil, better safe than sorry,” he nods in agreement with her and she smiles from ear to ear.

  “I think you all know how I feel,” Jacob says not looking at me.

  “Thank you!” Emma blurts slamming her hand on the counter, “Four to one, counting Miss F. Sorry, Lil,” she seems pleased with herself. “Think about it. The first night he’s here someone is staring at you through the window,” she explains as she sees the look of annoyance on my face. “I mean you can’t get more coincidental than that, can you?”

  “This isn’t a democracy! We are not getting rid of him,” I yell because I am sick of this conversation and the ganging up. “He hasn’t done anything other than look at me and he has stopped doing that. I refuse to be like Jane and fire someone for looking at me wrong,” I add, my voice still loud. “We don’t know it was him in the window,” I finish and all eyes are on me shocked at my outburst.

  “Lilly, calm down. I can’t help my gut feeling I get about him,” Jacob states and all the heads in the room nod in agreement.

  “This conversation is over! I don’t want to hear any more about it!” I shout at them as I walk out of the kitchen and head for my room to get ready.

  As I stand in the shower, I start to get more upset even though I know they are just trying to protect me. I’m not going to be bullie
d into doing something that I don’t feel is right.

  After seeing that place, I think we will be getting dirty today, so I dress in jeans and a t-shirt. It seems everyone had the same thought as me. I had noticed at breakfast that they were all dressed the same way with sneakers.

  I walk outside and Luke and Jacob are loading the truck with all kinds of big tools to break in with. It looks like they’re bringing the whole shed. Emma is standing by Jeffrey and Miss Finnegan telling him about the intruder last night. I see Simon walking up the lane with the weed whacker in his hands. He’s been working hard already this morning. He’s sweating and there are little bits of grass stuck to every bit of bare skin.

  “There’s my feisty girl,” Emma says as I join them and she puts her arm around my shoulder giving it a squeeze. “I don’t like it when you argue with me, but I am so glad you found your voice Lil,” squeezing my shoulders again, like I’m a child, who she’s proud of. I roll my eyes at her. Simon walks up to us, and I feel her tense up like she is on guard.

  “What would you like for me to do now, Mr. Hansen?” He asks Jeffrey not looking at Emma and me at all, and keeping his distance. Jesus, Luke and Jacob scared the shit out of him. Jeffrey starts giving him orders on his next task and I interrupt.

  “Simon, I think you need a little break.” I interject and everyone stops to look at me. Except for Simon, who keeps his eyes down. This breaks my heart. “Simon, will you look at me please?” I say and Luke and Jacob stop what they’re doing to watch what’s going on.

  Emma elbows me, and mumbles under her breath. “What are you doing?”

  He keeps his eyes to the ground and I take a step closer to him. I can see Jacob tense up and Luke drops the bolt cutters in the back of the truck with a loud bang then walks our way.

  “Simon, I am your employer and I am asking you to look at me,” I repeat myself and he looks up at Luke nervously for direction. Luke shrugs and throws his hands up in a “whatever” motion.

  He turns and looks me in the eyes. He has such sad eyes. “Now, I want to get something straight, okay?” I say calmly. He just stands there frozen, staring only at my eyes. “You can look me in the eyes, but that’s it, okay? You will treat every woman with that same courtesy. Do you understand?” I continue to look at him, and I can feel everybody’s eyes me.

  “Yes ma’am. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel uncomfortable,” he apologizes, still only looking in my eyes.

  “Apology accepted. Now you know what is expected of you, right?”

  He nods yes to my question. “You look like you’ve been working hard, and I think you need a little break,” I say and can still feel ten eyes boring into me.

  “Thank you, Miss Sumner,” he nods and walks around to the back of the house, not making any eye contact with anyone as he does.

  “Well, maybe I’m not so glad you found your voice,” Emma scoffs. “There’s something wrong with that man, Lil,” she just won’t give it up.

  Luke shakes his head at me and goes back to his work. I can tell he’s pissed too. Giving him permission to look at me, there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s a human being for heaven’s sake. I ignore them all and go back in the house to grab the cooler Miss. Finnegan packed for us. This should be a fun trip with them all being against me on this. I refuse to judge him like Jane would, and I hate that everyone else has.

  I roll the cooler to the back of the truck and Luke lifts it up on the tailgate, his arm muscles rippling. He’s ignoring me right now and won’t even look at me. I hop up on the open tailgate letting my legs dangle as he returns from the shed with a saw. He is really mad. He puts the saw in the back of the truck not even acknowledging me. I grab his arm as he starts walking away again and he stops.

  “Talk to me,” I plead. I didn’t think what I did was that bad at all. “What part made you so mad?” I question him.

  He finally turns around and places his hands on the tailgate on either side of me.

  “You told him it was okay to look at you,” he says with fury in his eyes. “It’s not okay, you’re mine.”

  “Apparently you didn’t hear the whole conversation, Luke. I told him it was okay to look at me here,” I say pointing to my eyes. “He’s a human being. He can look at me when I’m talking to him.”

  “I don’t think you understand the seriousness of the situation, Lilly,” Luke says with deep concern in his eyes. “He might have been watching you last night, and by you telling him that you want him to look at you, it’s like your inviting him to………” Luke stops and looks down shaking his head.

  “Like I said last night, if it was him he couldn’t have possibly known I would’ve been in the kitchen at that time. He only would’ve been watching me for a minute. I wasn’t in there long before I saw him,” I try and comfort Luke. Everyone seems to be making it way more serious than it should be.

  “If that is the case, why didn’t he just fess up? Why would he lie?” Luke’s eyebrows rise as he asks.

  “Probably scared to death after what you said to him yesterday.” I raise my eyebrows also. “Even if it was totally innocent and he was out walking, and he noticed me in the window, and then ran when I screamed, you wouldn’t have believed him would you?” I state knowing he knows I’m right.

  “Let’s go, we can talk on the way to Lafayette, okay?”

  I take his face in my hands and stare in his eyes. “Are you still mad at me?” I stick out my lower lip pouting.

  “That’s not fair! You know I can’t resist that,” he kisses my pouty lip. “No, I’m not mad at you, I just want him gone.” I feel as if there is something he’s not telling me. “Please, Lilly, did you not mean it when you said you wanted me to do part of the decision making around here?” He says using my words against me.

  “If you really meant it, then I don’t see why you are arguing with me,” he looks at me pathetically.

  “For heaven’s sake what has he done, really?” I am so sick of it I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.

  “I don’t trust him, and after last night…” Luke stops and shakes his head and looks like he is trying to get an image out of his mind. “…I just want him gone okay, and Dad says it’s not working out anyway. He keeps messing up.” Luke continues to add reasons that justify him. “You’re the only one who doesn’t see it. Jacob, the man you hired to protect you, doesn’t trust him either.” Luke looks at me as if it should be an obvious decision.

  “Fine, whatever, I’m so sick of the ganging up. Do what you want.” I finally give in. It is never going to stop and they are all so adamant about it I don’t see any other choice.

  “But I’m not doing it. If you want him gone, you do it!” I shout and hop off the tailgate and storm to the front of the truck where I see Emma, Miss Finnegan, and Jeffrey still gossiping about Simon, which makes me more mad.

  “Let’s go people!” I shout and climb into the truck slamming the door behind me. Emma jumps at my outburst and hurries over to the truck. She walks over to Luke and I can see them talking. Then Emma starts smiling from ear to ear.

  Jacob climbs in the backseat behind me. “Sorry, Lil’, but I think it’s the right choice,” Jacob defends them.

  I don’t want to hear it, I am so mad at all of them right now I just want to go. Luke and Emma are still in deep conversation next to the truck. I reach over to the driver side and lay on the horn making them both jump. Neither one of them say a word as they get in the truck.

  I sit quietly staring out the window chewing on my thumbnail as we make our way toward Lafayette. I feel nothing but guilt at the fact we are firing someone. I’ve seen Jane do it hundreds of times, but I’ve never done it, and I swore to myself that I never would unless I had a really good reason.

  I’m going to give Simon a very large severance check, and I am not going to tell Luke, Jacob, or Emma about it. This makes me feel better, and my mood lightens a little. I still don’t talk yet because then they’ll think they were right, so I continue to su
lk and look out the window.

  Luke and Jacob are talking strategy on how they are going to get through the chains and the padlocks. I zone out and think about the mansion that has been vacant for so long. I know there’s a story and I hope we get some answers today, but I have the feeling that there is some stuff that I am never going to know.

  “Hey, Lil!” Emma yells up finally braving a conversation with me knowing I’m still mad. I feel Luke looking my way to see what my reaction is going to be.

  “Hmmm?” is all I say, I don’t want to give them too much yet.

  “So what do you think we’ll find in the house?” she asks a stupid question, just to get me talking. She knows I have no idea what were going to find in the house. Stupid question gets a stupid answer.

  “I don’t know!” That’s all I give them and the truck goes silent. For the rest of the trip no one talks and this makes me happy. Let them suffer a little too. Maybe he is a little creepy, but he hasn’t done anything. I can’t stop thinking about it. They are way too happy firing a man that has been a hard worker so far. Maybe I will tell them about the huge check I’m going to write Simon after he’s cashed it that is. I win and I smile to myself.

  We reach the lane of the property and Luke pulls to a stop in front of the gate. Everyone hops out and Luke and Jacob head to the back of the truck to get some tools. I walk to the gate clasp my hands on two metal rungs and rest my forehead on the cool wrought iron staring at the house. What I can see of it. It looks like the windows are boarded up. It makes me sad. Something bad happened here, I can feel it.

  Emma comes up beside me and mirrors me standing at the gate. She whispers, “I love you, Lil, and it’s all because we love you,” she says as she looks at the house also.