by Amy Brent
“No, I don’t. I have ways of finding out who it belongs to, though. I talked to some of the guys, and she was sleeping with several people that week. She could have taken a picture of any of them and sent it to you, maybe encouraged by him.” I looked at her as she nodded and took a small bite of her sandwich. I didn’t want to say names, as I wanted to keep the information between us. “They won’t get away with this.”
“I know,” she said with a weak smile. They hadn’t even done too much yet, but I could see the worry in her eyes.
Lily
Landon talked me into stopping by the apartment for some clothes so I could continue to stay at his place. We walked in, and he took a good look around as I grabbed a bag and threw some necessities into it. We hadn’t had the locks changed yet, and I just hoped Brian didn’t have a copy of the key. Landon was going to call the following day and explain the situation, getting the procedure moved up quickly. I sighed as I looked around the apartment that had once brought me so much happiness, angry that it was now tainted by my uncertainty. Maybe I should have moved when I’d broken up with Brian, but this was my home.
The guilt of my cheating hit me again as I was zipping the duffel bag closed. I wished I could go back and change the order of things, but that was impossible. Brian just needed to let go and forgive me. We hadn’t been happy, and likely weren’t going to be, and he would find someone who appreciated him the way he deserved. Landon told me it looked like everything had been left alone, and I smiled brightly and followed him out of the house. We went to his car that he’d gotten for this particular purpose and drove to his apartment, where I set my stuff on the bed and stepped out onto the balcony.
The air was cold, and I felt someone step behind me. “Want to get a tree and decorate it here? I saw you did some stuff at your place. It looked nice,” Landon said, and I smiled and nodded. It was still early afternoon, and we had plenty of time to do that and still be in bed early enough for work the next day.
He took me to a lot, which was just a few blocks from the house, to pick the tree. “Have you had a tree lately?” I asked as I looked around and considered each one.
“Not for years. Nadine preferred to travel during the holidays and didn’t see the point. I haven’t been in my new place that long. I think it will be fun, though,” Landon said as he eyed a tall tree with a smile. “You’ll have to sit on my lap and tell me what you want under the tree on Christmas morning.”
I giggled. “I haven’t done that in forever. My parents were so into the holidays and had a lot of traditions. Once I went to Amy’s, we tried to keep the important ones at first. It was hard to find a reason to celebrate anything.” I glanced at him. “I have some of my mom’s ornaments on the tree at my apartment. I could bring them to your house for yours.”
I watched him smile, suspecting he took that as a positive move toward his idea about my moving in. “That sounds great, Lily. I’m honored to be a part of your traditions this year.”
“I love sharing them with you,” I said as he walked toward me for a slow kiss. We made our way around the lot, picking out an eight-foot-tall Douglas Fir that Landon paid for and loaded onto the roof of his beautiful SUV. We drove it home, and it took the help of the doorman along with a guy behind the desk to get the massive tree up to the apartment. Landon told them to lean it against the wall, since we needed to go grab a few things to set it up and decorate, before tipping them generously for their assistance.
He took me to the nearest Target, and we got a tree stand that would keep it fresh along with some lights. He told me to pick out what I thought I’d need in addition to the ornaments I’d be bringing from my apartment, and he smiled as he watched me do so with delight. I hadn’t felt this way since I was a kid, and despite the circumstances surrounding us, I was happy. The cart was full by the time we left, both with things for the tree and apartment. I kissed Landon once we arrived at the car and loaded everything inside, and I was thrilled when he held me in his arms to continue the kiss.
We went home and made hot cocoa, turning on some holiday movies while we decorated. It was only the beginning of December, and we had plenty of time to prepare.
Thanksgiving had been quiet since Amy went to her boyfriend’s parents’ for a week with my blessing. I’d stayed with Landon and cooked a small meal for the two of us, talking to her several times throughout the day for advice.
Once the house was brightly lit with festive colors and multicolored lights, Landon kissed me with intent as I melted into his arms. “Have you ever made love by a Christmas tree?” His voice was soft as I shook my head slowly. “Neither have I.”
I felt overjoyed to be the first as we slipped down to the soft rug by the tree, bathed only in the colors of the lights he’d strung on it. I kissed him hard as we stripped each other down, moving my lips over his neck as he moaned my name. He settled on his back, giving me control as I slipped over him and cried out his name. It was moments like this, when I rode him hard and slow, feeling him fill me everywhere, that I knew in my heart we could work out.
We came together as he gripped my hips and stared into my eyes, making me feel like the only woman in the world.
We ordered in dinner, eating in robes on the couch before calling an early bedtime. We both had to be at work early the following morning and vowed to not let our relationship get in the way of our jobs since we now worked apart. I fell asleep snuggled in his arms, thinking to myself that living here didn’t sound too bad.
The next day I was off a little earlier than Landon, who was involved in a big case. I wanted the Christmas ornaments for his tree, so I made my way to my apartment quickly to bag them up. It was still light out, and I looked around as I approached my door, unlocking it before I slipped inside. I set my purse and keys down on the table by the door before I locked it, making my way to the living room.
My mouth dropped open when I saw the remains of some ornaments on my hardwood floor, broken beyond repair. I fell to my knees and sorted through the mess, crying when I realized they were the ornaments from my childhood. The glass ones were in pieces, and the others that I’d handmade as a child were ripped apart and scattered. I started to sob. I looked up at the tree and saw another one with my picture in it, still intact but destroyed by a marker.
It read: Whore.
I fell back on my ass as I tried to breathe and stay calm, taking a few moments before I managed to stand up. I didn’t think all the ornaments were ruined, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out. The message was clear, and I grabbed my things before I closed and locked the door, making my way out of the building and into the street before leaning against the wall. I reached into my purse with shaking hands to call Landon, crying through my description of what had happened as he told me to catch a cab to his apartment. He would meet me there, and we’d get to the bottom of this.
I hailed a cab and slipped into the backseat, telling the driver the address as I felt a sharp pain in my knees. I glanced down to see blood and gasped.
“Are you okay, miss?” the driver asked.
“Do you have any tissues?”
He reached into the glove compartment and handed me a small, sealed pack of the travel ones. “Thank you. I must have cut myself on something.”
I was in better shape once I got out and hurried up to Landon’s, making my way quickly to the bathroom to clean myself up with soap and water. I heard the door and him calling my name as I replied that I was in the bathroom. Landon came in, frowning when he saw me sitting down with my skirt pulled up as I tended to the wounds. “What the hell happened?”
“I cut myself on some of the glass, I suppose. I didn’t feel it until I was in the cab,” I replied as rage filled his eyes.
“Motherfucker. He’s a dead man,” Landon muttered as he knelt down to look at my cuts. “I am calling your landlord to find out why the fuck the locks weren’t changed. I am calling the police to get them to the apartment and make a report. I want to go find him myse
lf and rip his head off, but that’s not going to help you at all.” I was relieved that he saw the truth in those words, and I smiled at him as he looked into my eyes. “Do you want to be here when the police get there, or do you want to talk to them?”
“I’ll go. They’ll need to know what I saw, right?” We bandaged my knees after putting some healing salve on them, at which point I changed into jeans and a sweater. Landon had already made the call, and he drove me to the apartment, leading me up to the door as he kept casting worried glances at me. Landon unlocked the door and turned on a light before I walked inside, taking a deep breath.
We walked around together, seeing a few broken picture frames before he walked over to look at the tree. Landon knelt to take in the broken ornaments, cursing when he saw the one that was written on as he turned to take me into his arms. “You’re not, Lily.”
“I know that. He’s angry, and he’s going to take that out on me. I did the wrong thing, but I never intended for it to happen that way.” Tears filled my eyes as there was a knock on the door, and Landon told me to have a seat while he answered it. He led two officers to me as they scrutinized the room, letting their gazes rest on the mess on the floor. “Can you tell me what happened?”
I explained how I stopped by on my own to get some of the ornaments and found them broken and vandalized. I went more into detail about the breakup with Brian, how there was seemingly no drama at first. They asked the same thing about the key that Landon had, to which I responded that I had no idea before I pointed to the ornament that was hanging on the tree. One of them walked over and read it as heat flushed my skin. I felt exposed and raw as the officers shared a long look. Landon sat beside me, holding my hand as they asked if anything else was damaged.
They toured the apartment with me and jotted down all the damage for their report before we were at the door again. The officers suggested to Landon that I spend the night elsewhere, making me smile when he put his arm around me and assured them that I would be. They left and handed me a card for if I had any more information, closing the door as Landon told me to check for anything else I’d need for his house. There was a serious tone to his voice, making me nod as I headed back to the bedroom for more clothes.
He was having a heated conversation with whom I guessed with my landlord as I came back into the main room. I looked at him as I walked into the kitchen to get a bag of some of my snacks as he kept talking, his voice rising every moment. I jumped when I heard him say that I’d be moving out of this apartment without penalty given that he hadn’t taken care of the issue when asked. Then he ended the call as he walked in and pulled me into his arms. “That asshole didn’t seem to give a shit about this. He blamed you for giving your key out when he wasn’t on the lease, but he’ll learn not to fuck with a lawyer.”
“So, I’m moving?” I asked in a small voice as I looked around.
“From this unit, yes. I am going to handle everything, Lily. You can get another place in this complex or any other one you choose in the city if you don’t want to live with me.” I looked up at him with big eyes as he stared at me. “This is moving goddamn fast, and I know you’re scared, Lily. Your ex is stalking you, and I can see how that would make you nervous, but I want you in my life regardless of any of that. I want you in my arms every night, and I need to wake up with you every morning.” He pressed his lips gently to mine as I breathed into him, cupping my face gently before a crash sounded and I jumped back with a scream.
Landon opened my door and ran out, calling something as I took a few shaky breaths. I walked into the living room to see the window shattered. Landon yelled and someone responded as I started to cry.
I heard footsteps and looked up as there was another knock on the door. The word “police” was called. I looked through the peephole to see one of the same officers from earlier standing there, and I let him in as he looked at me closely. “Your boyfriend has a guy down there who admitted to breaking your window, and my partner is taking care of him. Are you okay?”
“Scared,” I admitted, and he nodded with a sympathetic look.
“You can get a restraining order against this guy now that he’s a proven stalker if you come down to the station tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll get a great deal of time for this, so you’ll want to be protected.” He looked around the apartment. “I’m going to call your landlord to get this place boarded up until you can move out, Lily. I am sorry that this happened to you.”
Landon came up a few minutes later and looked me over. “He’s going to the station. The little shit pissed himself when I came running out, and he admitted everything.” He looked into the living room and shook his head. “The cops said they’re calling the landlord to board that up as well.”
“Yeah,” I said in a shaking voice before he hugged me to him.
“I want to make sure that he gets over here before we leave, Lily. That’s all.” I nodded against him as tears slipped down my cheeks. He waited with me on the couch, holding my hand as I regained control of myself.
By the time my landlord arrived, ready to get some wood over the broken window, I was shivering with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. He grudgingly apologized to me and glanced at Landon, who led me out of there with a dark look on his face. We drove back to Landon’s apartment with my bag in his hand, complete with the ornaments that weren’t broken for his tree.
I took a long shower when we were back in his place, drying my hair before I pulled on his robe. I tied it around my body and padded into the living room to see him on the couch, looking at the ornaments as he set them down on a blanket on the coffee table. He looked at me and locked gazes with me. “Were the ones you loved the most salvageable?”
I shrugged. “Some of them.” I sat down and looked over the small collection as I sighed. “I don’t know why he did this. He knew what they meant to me.”
“He wanted to hit you where it hurt you the most. Emotions are cruel sometimes, baby.” Landon looked at me as he tucked a strand of damp hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s over, right?” I smiled weakly. “I’ll go to the station and get a restraining order against him like the officer said. He’ll have to leave me alone.” I felt a rush of fear at the idea of what might have happened if I’d been home alone when Brian was there, of where his anger might have taken him. “I want to move out of there. I want to . . . I want to be here with you. I can’t fear moving forward with you because of something that he did. I can’t let Brian hold me back.”
I was pulled against Landon tightly as I gasped softly. “You have made me so happy, Lily.” He kissed me hungrily as he cupped my face, and I felt my need for him outweigh my fear. I dropped back on the cushions of the couch as he stripped my jeans off my legs and took me hard, the way I asked him to. Needing the reassurance that he was here for me, I wrapped my legs around him as he thrust inside me, telling me he loved me.
I called in to work the next day, still too nervous to sleep well. I went to the station to handle paperwork and get the restraining order in place, and I found out that Brian had confessed to everything while also throwing Marilyn under the bus. She’d sent the picture, though it wasn’t of Landon. She knew it would make me doubt and feel insecure, hopefully breaking us up so she could move in for the kill. Landon assured me that she was blackballed in the state of New York as far as practicing law, if not everywhere else.
Brian didn’t get a lot of time, just a few months and probation. I was concerned when he was released, though he made an effort to email me to apologize for everything. He assured me that he would leave me alone—words from my laptop in Landon’s living room.
Landon
I stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror, brushing my growing hair back. It seemed like yesterday that we were celebrating our first Christmas together, and here it was the following year. Once everything calmed down with Brian’s brief stalking of Lily, things were perfect for us. We made love by the Christm
as tree every night it was up, sometimes sleeping on the couch to watch it along with the moon through the window. Lily relaxed as the days passed by, finally smiling when she knew that Brian was behind bars.
She flourished at work, and I knew she could have anything she wanted in the world of law. I had a great setup at my office with a talented assistant who kept everything going smoothly for me, making it easy to go home to the woman I loved.
I dressed in some jeans and slipped a button-up shirt over my torso, leaving it open as I walked out to the living room. Lily was hanging the last ornament with a soft smile, and then she glanced at me, her eyes trailing down my bare chest. “Hey. How was the shower?”
“It felt good,” I said as I walked over to her for a long kiss. They were still just as electric as they had been in the beginning, and I never tired of feeling her mouth on mine. It was a long last day at work before the holidays, and I was looking forward to some quiet time with Lily.
I pulled her to the couch with one hand, sitting her down as I sank to the floor. “What are you doing?” Lily asked, a curious look on her face.
“I have been with you for one of the best years of my life, baby. I have seen you through two holidays now and become a part of your family. I have fallen more in love with you with every week that we spend together, and though I never intended to wait this long . . . I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife, Lily. I want you to have my children.” Tears filled her eyes as she stared at me, and I slipped the box out of my pocket and pressed my lips together. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes, Landon. I’ve been wanting you to ask me that,” Lily said as she bowed her head to kiss me, our lips melting together. She wrapped an arm around me as it deepened, giggling as emotion overcame her. I took advantage of that moment to show her the ring. Her mouth dropped open. “Is that . . .?”
“Amy gave me your mom’s ring. I had it cleaned up and added a slightly bigger stone from my own mother’s ring to combine the two . . . I hope you don’t mind,” I told her as tears slid freely down her cheeks. “I love you, baby.”