Carlton House

by B. Groves

  Lily once more tried to struggle out of his grip. She thought back to when she was staying in the group home. She learned how to defend herself. She hadn’t been in a fight in a long time, but one never forgot about those times.

  Lily reached up her hands and placed them on Jordan’s chest. With adrenaline and memories to help her, she tried to push Jordan off her.

  Lily forced him away. Jordan let go of her shoulders and stepped back, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade him.

  Jordan’s face turned even darker. “You are not going anywhere!”

  “Dude, stop!” Stephen yelled as she tried to duck into her room and shut the door on Jordan.

  “Jordan, no!” She screamed as he reached his hand around the half-closed door trying to get to her.

  “I won’t fucking have it,” Jordan breathlessly said trying to open the door. “I love you, Lily. I never fucking stopped loving you.”

  “If you loved me, you’d let me go,” Lily said.

  Stephen approached the door and said, “Dude, stop. She doesn’t want you.”

  Lily couldn’t believe it was Stephen making sense. She tried closing the door again, but Jordan kept his hand on it to prevent her from closing it.

  “Get the fuck away from me!” Jordan warned Stephen.

  The bedroom door was flung open, and Jordan stomped through the threshold. His face was fiery red, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. Stephen tried to grab his shoulder, but Jordan shrugged him off.

  Lily tried to find anything to use as a weapon. She tried to find a means of escape, but there was none. Her body tensed not knowing what would come next. She didn’t have her phone because she left her handbag on the counter. She never saw Jordan like this before and it frightened her. They had their problems in the past, but he never raised a hand towards her.

  As Lily looked around for any means of defense, she felt her shoulders grabbed again and her body being shaken as Jordan yelled and cursed at her.

  She struggled from his grip. She turned her head away to avoid his face. She tried to lift her knee and meet it with his crotch, but he realized what she was trying to do and backed away far enough so Lily couldn’t reach his crotch.

  “Don’t even try it,” he snarled.

  Lily cringed when she turned to see his hand forming a fist. She turned her head and clenched her eyes closed, waiting for the strike.

  Stephen yelled something about not hitting her to Jordan.

  Lily heard a deafening sound and tried to find the source. Jordan turned away distracted also hearing it. She watched in astonishment as the front door of the apartment swung open violently. Lily was chilled by a sudden burst of frosty air that sailed by her.

  Jordan’s eyes widened when he was hoisted into the air about four feet right in front of her and thrown against her dresser.

  The force of the throw knocked all her pictures and jewelry off the dresser, landing on top of Jordan.

  Stephen was pushed to the side, but not knocked over. He wobbled back and tripped over the coffee table landed between that and the coffee table.

  Lily watched as the front door slammed shut.

  The apartment went silent for about a minute as all three of them tried to process the events that took place.

  She looked down at Jordan in surprise as he rolled over onto his knees and groaned from the pain.

  “What the fuck was that?” Stephen asked as he rose from the floor.

  “I—I don’t know,” Lily said.

  She turned her head from side to side and from floor to ceiling trying to comprehend how Jordan was lifted into the air and thrown against her dresser.

  “I don’t know and I don’t fucking care,” Jordan moaned.

  He turned his head to face Lily, his face still red with rage. “All I know is you’re going to get your shit and get the fuck out. I don’t give a fuck about your part of the rent.”

  Stephen came back into the bedroom. “Did you do that?” He asked Lily.

  “No. I didn’t even touch him,” Lily said.

  She had no words for what transpired while Stephen helped Jordan to his feet. She heard Stephen ask if Jordan was okay, but he cussed at him.

  “Why don’t we have a drink while she packs?”

  Jordan nodded still eyeing Lily as if he wanted to kill her. Lily shrunk back shaking her head. She did not understand what happened, but whatever it was, possibly saved her life.

  A small trickle of blood flowed down Jordan’s cheek. He felt it and cussed.

  He pointed to Lily accusingly. “You bitch. You did this.”

  Lily shook her head. “No… Jordan… I didn’t do anything.”

  From Jordan’s expressions, he didn’t believe a word of it. “Get your shit and get the fuck out. You’re not welcome here anymore.”

  Jordan stomped out of the apartment leaving only Stephen and Lily inside.

  Stephen shrugged and followed Jordan out the door.

  Lily was left alone still wondering what happened. She never saw Jordan act like that before and she certainly didn’t know what that gust of wind was that sent him flying into her dresser.

  Lily was shaking and sank down on the bed trying to understand the events that took place in her apartment.

  She breathed deeply and tried to calm her pounding heartbeat. She tried to prevent tears from falling down her cheeks.

  She was confused and hurt, but now she knew she was making the right decision.

  Lily waited for another few minutes until her body relaxed.

  She didn’t have much time before Jordan returned so Lily changed into jeans and a sweatshirt and packed as much as she could fit into three suitcases and an overnight bag.

  As the situation played over in her mind, she became angrier that the man she trusted for so long—even after their unofficial breakup—would become so violent with her.

  Lily loaded her car as fast as she could and walked back up to the apartment to take one last look around. She would come back later for her furniture, but she had everything she needed for the time being. She would keep the key because she would need it later, but she would not return alone.

  She stared at the binder on the countertop. Lily would do what was right.

  She entered Jordan’s room and rummaged through his desk. Lily found the copy of their lease and added up her part of the rent on the calculator on the cell phone.

  She finished filling out the check and placed it on the coffee table, so he would see it when he returned.

  Lily thought about her situation and shook her head. She was excited about the new opportunity, but, she was upset about how it ended with Jordan.

  Lily closed and locked the apartment door behind her. She ignored the cool air drifting through the breezeway and dialed Mr. Carlton’s number.

  “Michael Carlton speaking,” he answered.

  Lily didn’t hesitate.

  “Mr. Carlton. This is Lily Evans. I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I accept your offer, and if I could I would like to move into the cottage right away,” Lily said.

  “Right away, Miss Evans?”

  “As in tonight? I understand it’s sudden… I’ve found myself in a bind and…” Lily almost laughed. Here she’d been judging Mr. Carlton’s weird requests, and now she was handing him one of her own.

  Lily’s voice caught in her throat. She tried to hold back the tears that choked her. Mr. Carlton didn’t need to know about her domestic dispute with her ex.

  There was a pause on the other end and Lily’s hopes faded by each second that passed.

  Then she heard the words that changed her doubts into relief.

  “The gate will be open when you arrive,” Mr. Carlton answered.

  Chapter 5

  The Cottage

  Lily pulled up to the gate and sighed. Even in the dark, the mansion was glorious if not intimidating. Seeing the house again in the moonlight gave her an uneasy feeling that set her on edge as she rolled down her window to call on Mr.
Carlton.

  But she didn’t have a choice. She had been kicked out of her apartment and Jordan had assaulted her.

  This is your new home, Lily. Be positive. So many opportunities opened up because she chose to work for Mr. Carlton and accept his generous offer. She only hoped it worked out and all her fears and doubts about the man who interviewed her had been stress related.

  Lily looked straight ahead and only saw one golden light shining from one of the first-floor windows. The rest of the house was shrouded in darkness with only the moon shining down on the rooftop.

  She would call for Mr. Carlton to let him know she arrived even though the wrought-iron gate was open. Lily rolled down her window and pressed the button on the call box.

  A floodlight turned on above her, blinding her momentarily. She blinked several times while her eyes adjusted to the light.

  Lily looked around. The light from the flood lamp was so bright it blacked out the surrounding forest. The only noise was her car running as she waited for an answer.

  “Come in, Miss Evans. Park your vehicle on the right side of the house and enter through the front door. You do not have to call or knock,” Mr. Carlton answered.

  “Okay,” Lily answered.

  Well, here we go, she thought as she put the car in gear and pulled forward. She glanced at the headless statue as she passed the fountain and tried not to stare at it, but failed and cringed at the creepy decoration.

  She turned her eyes forward and looked up at the house. Her eyes caught a dim light shining on the second floor. If she hadn’t been so close to the house, she would have never seen it.

  She focused her sight on that window and narrowed her eyes. Did a silhouette just move past the dim light?

  Was that Mr. Carlton? But it was the same window where she saw a face earlier this afternoon and she would have sworn that face had feminine features.

  Lily realized she had become distracted by the light in the window that her car drifted into the grass.

  “Oh, God,” she muttered as she straightened her car. That’s just what I need. Good one, Lily. Go ahead and piss off your new employer on your first night.

  She turned her car to the right and realized there was more driveway leading around to the side of the house.

  No garage but enough asphalt for her to park her car.

  She pulled up next to another car. She wasn’t certain about the make or model, but she would find out in a minute.

  Lily placed the car in park and reached around to the back seat to grab her traveling bag. She gathered enough of her clothes for an overnight stay until she could unload the rest of her belongings in the morning.

  She exited her car and flung the bag over her shoulder. Her heart pounded again with each step taking her closer to the house. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans and checked out the expensive car first.

  She rummaged for her cell phone and shined her light on the back of the car. “Wow,” she mouthed.

  Lily wasn’t familiar with cars, but she knew money when she saw it. It was an older model, but the Porsche logo shined underneath her flashlight.

  Who is this guy? Where did he get this kind of money? Inheritance? Drug dealing, maybe? Hell, he could have won the lottery for all she knew.

  Shrugging, Lily used her flashlight to light her way to the front door. The surrounding area was deathly silent except for the occasional cry of a bird.

  Hadn’t Mr. Carlton advised her to stay inside the cottage at night and lock the door?

  Remembering Mr. Carlton’s earlier warning, Lily practically jogged up the wide stone steps and almost fell through the door when she opened it.

  She straightened herself, crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her really fast.

  The house looked the same from earlier this afternoon, except the shadows dancing around in the corners from the lantern that glowed from the wall.

  “In here, Miss Evans,” she heard Mr. Carlton’s voice echo from the dining room.

  Lily’s eyes wandered around the foyer. She thought it had been eerie during the day? Ha! This house was downright frightful at night. It was like she’d stepped into one of those haunted houses that opened around Halloween and any moment a performer dressed as a ghost would appear to scare the shit out of her.

  “Lily?”

  Lily jumped at the voice. “Oh, sorry. I’m coming.”

  She walked through the dining room doors and found the same scene from earlier that day.

  Mr. Carlton’s legs were sticking out from the winged back chair. A cozy fired lit up the room.

  The only things that changed were instead of a meal waiting for her on the table, there was a notepad and a set of keys and the overpowering smell of pipe smoke clouded the room.

  She looked over and saw a waft of white smoke rising into the air.

  “Mister Carlton, thank you for this opportunity. I am extremely grateful,” Lily said, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. “I am so sorry if I’m disturbing you—”

  “You’re welcome, Lily. I’m glad you responded immediately,” Mr. Carlton said.

  I didn’t have a choice, Lily thought.

  Lily walked closer to the table and set her bag on the chair to give her aching shoulder some relief.

  “I hope I’m not imposing by showing up so soon,” she said.

  “Of course not,” he answered. “You are the best choice for the position. I’m thrilled you’re here.”

  Lily nodded and waited for instructions.

  “The keys you see on the table are for the cottage and the house. On the notepad is where you will find the code for the gate. Take tomorrow off to get settled into the cottage, but I want you in this room at 8 AM sharp on Thursday.”

  Lily looked down at the keys and said, “Yes, sir. By the way, my share of the rent—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Mr. Carlton said cutting her off. “You have a new opportunity ahead of you. I will give you more instructions on Thursday morning.”

  Lily nodded knowing he had just dismissed her. She snatched the keys and tore off the first page of the notepad, placing both in her pocket.

  “Walk down the hallway and through the kitchen. There you will see a back door and a sidewalk that leads straight to the cottage. Please lock the door behind you,” Mr. Carlton instructed.

  “I will. Goodnight, Mr. Carlton,” Lily said turning to leave the house.

  “Goodnight, Lily. Sleep well,” he answered from the chair.

  Lily picked up her bag and without another word, she walked out of the dining area and back into the foyer.

  She peered down the hallway and felt the goosebumps rise on her skin. The hallway was pitch black. She almost turned around to ask Mr. Carlton where the light switch was but decided not to disturb him anymore tonight.

  Okay, Lily. You’re in unfamiliar surroundings. You’re going to freak out a little. Who wouldn’t? She thought, trying to give herself a pep talk as she took a few steps into the darkness.

  Your flashlight app, dummy, she thought and fumbled around in her handbag to find her cell phone.

  “There’s a light switch on the wall to your right, and another one to turn it off once you enter the kitchen,” a voice from behind her said.

  Lily turned around in surprise. Her eyes searched the hallway, and she walked back out to the foyer.

  She could have sworn that Mr. Carlton had been right behind her when he told her where the switches were.

  Lily rubbed her head with her hand. She was exhausted. She was still upset over how Jordan reacted to her wanting to move out, and she was in a huge house she didn’t know.

  Her mind was playing tricks on her. That had to be it.

  Lily took her flashlight and shined it on the wall to her right. Sure enough, there was a light switch there.

  She flipped it on and a pale-yellow light illuminated the hallway. Lily made a face when dust floated over her and she spotted cobwebs above her. She had a lot of work to do in this hous
e when she started her job. She would earn every cent of what Mr. Carlton would pay her.

  Lily walked down the hallway but kept the flashlight on. Her weight caused the wooden floor groan beneath her.

  She walked into another dark room and shined her flashlight around despite the hallway light behind her. She could see outlines of appliances and cabinets inside the kitchen. Not wanting to know how much cleaning she’d have to do in this place until the day after tomorrow, she turned her gaze and found a back door.