by Claire Adams
Not that it was any of my business. All I could do was make sure Jane and Everett knew that I cared about them both very much and do my best to fill the empty space in their lives where a mother should have been – a role into which I could already see myself happily fitting.
After having a few throwback songs, the food from lunch and the stress of the last two days were starting to wear me down. I headed to my bedroom to take a nap.
It had been a while since I'd slept in my own bed, and it felt good to lie down on the familiar comforter and pillow. It would have been even nicer if Everett had been there wrapping his arms around me, but it was good to have a little time to myself as well.
I looked out of the window – my bedroom was upstairs, so I figured it was safe to open the drapes, as Simon wouldn't be able to see inside even if he was lurking outside somewhere – and stared at the deep blue sky with its puffy white clouds drifting about here or there. It really was a beautiful afternoon. I decided I needed to get some fresh air later. Perhaps Everett and I could go for a walk in the park or something. I'd call him when I woke up and figure things out then.
With these thoughts running through my mind, I closed my eyes, relaxed, and was asleep within minutes.
***
I woke with a start and the distinct gut feeling that something wasn't right. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep, but the sun was still bright in the sky, so it couldn't have been too long.
I lay still on the bed for a few moments, listening carefully for whatever the sound had been that pulled me from my nap.
A moment later, I heard it again: rattling. I got out of bed, my heart beating a little faster, a sudden wash of nervousness gushing through me. I walked on tiptoes out of my room, being careful to be as silent as possible, and paused on the landing of the stairs, focusing on trying to pinpoint the location of the sound.
There it was again – there was a definite jiggling, and it was coming from the back door. Someone was trying to pick the lock!
Immediately, waves of cold fear started to blast through my veins, and my legs felt weak and jelly-like beneath me. It had to be Simon – it had to be. And here I was, alone and unarmed!
Alright, I needed to calm down before panic got me in a tailspin and spiraling into hysteria. I needed to call someone. I had to stay calm. Help was just a phone call away.
I picked up my phone with shaking fingers and tried to call Everett. His number rang for a while and then went to voicemail. I cursed and felt fear rising, but I forced myself to stay calm and instead dialed 911. The phone seemed to ring forever before someone picked up.
"911, what's your emergency?" said a soft-spoken male voice.
"Hi, uh, someone is trying to break into my house."
"Are you alone?"
"Yes, I'm alone," I replied.
"Alright, stay calm. I need your address, and I'll get a squad car over there right away."
I gave him my address and phone number.
"Alright, ma'am, I've radioed a police car in your area, and they're heading your way now. Stay on the line, and I'll help you through this. What's your name?"
"I'm Vivienne, Vivienne Andrews."
"Vivienne, I'm Arnold Barnes. Alright, what I need you to do while you wait for the squad car to arrive is to stay calm firstly. I know that's much easier for me to say than for you to do, but try to stay in control of your emotions."
"I'm trying, I'm trying..."
"Good, that's good, Vivienne. Now, is there a room in the house in which you can lock yourself? Any place that's got a lock on the door, like a bathroom, anything like that?"
"Um, yeah, yeah, the bathroom next to my bedroom."
"Go straight there and lock yourself in there. If there's anything like a chair or something you can take to stack against the door handle to prevent the door being forced open, bring it with you. As long as it's not a chair with wheels, alright? No office chairs, just a regular old wooden chair, if you have one. If not, just go straight to the bathroom and lock it up."
"There's, uh, there are a few wooden chairs in the kitchen. But that means I'll have to go downstairs and get one, and the man is trying to get through the front door, which is near the kitchen."
"Alright, forget the chair then, we don't want to put you at risk here by potentially having you downstairs if he does get in. Just go straight to the bathroom and lock yourself in there."
"Okay, okay, I'm doing that. Hang on."
I ran back to my bedroom, headed into the bathroom and then locked the door.
At that moment, I heard the front door open.
"Oh no, oh no," I whispered into the phone, my voice hoarse with urgency. "He's in the house, he got in, and the cops haven't arrived yet!"
"Stay calm. They're close; they're a few blocks away. You should hear the sirens any minute now, and when the intruder hears them, he'll probably run. Just stay in there and keep quiet, and stand away from the door if possible."
That's when I heard a voice I hadn't heard in years – a voice that sent shivers of dread snaking down my spine.
"Alicia! Hello, Alicia... I know you're in here, so don't waste time hiding. Come out; I just want to talk..."
Simon was shouting from downstairs, so at least he wasn't close. When were the cops going to arrive?! Every second counted here.
"Is that the intruder?" asked Arnold. He could obviously hear the shouting from the phone.
"It is, yes."
"Who is Alicia? Is he looking for someone specific who lives in the house with you?"
I was in too much of a state right now to explain the whole story to this guy, so I just cut it real short.
"I'm Alicia. I changed my name to get away from him," I whispered into the phone.
"You know the intruder then?"
"Yes. He's a stalker I currently have a restraining order against. He has made repeated threats against me."
"Come out, come out wherever you are!" shouted Simon in a mocking tone. "I'm starting to get angry now, Alicia, and you know how I get when I'm angry. You know how... unhappy I can be when I'm angry."
Just then, the howling of police sirens pierced the air. Finally, they had arrived.
"You stupid little whore!" he roared. "Calling the cops, huh? Well, now I'm really unhappy, and you're going to pay dearly for this when I do find you!"
I heard heavy footsteps moving quickly down the stairs – it seemed he was fleeing.
"I think he's leaving," I said to Arnold.
"Just stay in the bathroom until the officers come into the house, alright?"
"Alright," I agreed.
After a few minutes, I heard the officers enter the house.
"This is the police!" one of them shouted. "We're coming in!"
I heard them moving around downstairs, and after a while, they came upstairs and into my room.
"Is there anyone in here?" shouted one of them. "Come out with your hands behind your head!"
"I'm in the bathroom!"
"Come out slowly, hands behind your head..."
CHAPTER 24
Everett
The words Liza said to me cut through me, like a blade slicing straight into my heart. But at the same time, it made me realize something. Her words didn't cut because I still loved her, they cut because I felt sorry for her. She was confessing feelings for me that I could never reciprocate. I had expected to feel something for her still because I had loved her more than any woman...until now.
Now, I knew that whatever Liza said from that moment on, my heart already belonged to Vivienne. I could not and would not betray her trust. Being there with Liza made me see that I cared for Vivienne more deeply than I ever had or could for Liza.
"I... I'm sorry that you made that mistake," I said, being careful about how I framed my words. "But that's old history now. Water under the bridge, you know. Those days are gone, and it won't do either of us too good to dwell on 'em."
She nodded, smiling sadly.
"I know. I
t doesn't change the fact that you're the best guy I ever dated, though."
"Well, thank you, I guess."
"You don't have to say anything back to me. I know what I did to you was terrible. It was my fault that you and I didn't work out, and over the years I've come to terms with that, and I've accepted responsibility for what I did. I messed you around, Everett, I really did, and with my selfishness, I ruined what could have been something amazing. Which could have... could have been the best thing in my life."
Her confession hit pretty hard. It did seem like she had changed. I know that often a leopard can't change its spots, as the saying goes, but sometimes people are able to turn over a new leaf. I mean, I never in a million years thought I'd hear her say that things were her fault. I never once imagined that she would take responsibility for what happened between us – yet here she was, doing exactly that.
"I appreciate that, Liza. Thank you."
"I owe you an apology, and I have always wanted to say that to you. I just never imagined that I would see you again. After all, I hardly deserved to see you again after what I put you through."
I didn't know how to respond to that. I waited for a while, seeing if a coherent response could emerge from all the mad thoughts bouncing around my head.
"I never imagined I would see you again, either. It's, uh, well I guess it's downright weird that you're here."
"Yeah, it is. Almost like... fate?" she said, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes.
Oh no. No, no, no. I wasn't about to let her grab hold of any hope of us getting back together. I was with Vivienne now, and nothing was going to change that.
"Or just a strange coincidence. I don't believe in fate," I said.
"Well, we all have our own beliefs, I guess. So, uh, how did you find life as a Navy SEAL? I always thought it was odd that you did that right after finishing a degree in education."
I wanted to say, "Well, it was because of you and what you did to me that I did that," but of course I couldn't. I wanted to keep things civil between her and myself.
"I guess I just always had a thirst for adventure, you know? And you understand how I have always felt a need to be the best I could be, and to push past my limits."
"Oh yeah," she said with a chuckle. "You used to be into all sorts of extreme sports back in college days. Remember the time we went bungee jumping together."
I smiled – that had been a good time. "I had to jump three times before you could work up the guts to jump," I said.
She laughed. "Yeah, you did! I was scared stiff, and I swear I almost had a heart attack when I eventually did summon up enough courage to jump. But wow, it was such an experience. And there was the time you took me skydiving for, was it for Valentine's Day?"
I laughed. "Yes, yes, that was on Valentine's Day when we were 21."
"Wow. How things have changed, huh?"
I knew I was treading on thin ice here; she might be playing all nice and nostalgic and pleasant now, but there was no way I could tell if it was some sort of act, designed to reel me in. Not that it mattered. I only wanted Vivienne.
"Things sure have changed," I agreed.
I needed to get the focus away from the past. All this nostalgic recollection was dangerous.
"But anyway, let's not get too carried away about how things used to be. What about now; I'm sure you have a great guy who doesn't force you to jump from hair-raising heights."
She shook her head, and a look of sadness came over her face.
"No, right now I'm as single as a girl can be. My last boyfriend was a bit of a jerk. He was a lawyer and seemed like a great guy."
"What went wrong then?" I asked.
"He had not only one, not even two, but three other women on the side. He was a serial womanizer. He strung me along for almost two years before I found out about the women on the side."
Part of me felt a little bit of vindictive satisfaction as I heard this. "So, now you know what it's like to have someone you love have an extended affair behind your back," I wanted to say – but I didn't.
"Gee, I'm sorry to hear that," I said.
Again, that glimmer of hope sparkled in her eyes as she looked at me.
"Thanks; guess it just means I'm wide open for Mr. Right."
"Well, I'm sure the right guy will come along soon."
I didn't want to give her even the slightest hint that anything could happen between us. In fact, I needed to get off this topic altogether.
"Anyway," I continued. "We are here to talk about my daughter, and I have a lot of things I need to attend to this afternoon. What can you tell me about Janie's condition?"
"Ah yes, well, according to the tests I had requested before I got here, she's got a nasty virus – it's a type of stomach flu that has been doing the rounds recently. It's a particularly virulent strain and usually hits the very young and the very elderly harder than most, and anyone else who doesn't have a particularly strong immune system. But I'll give her a few shots. I'm happy to say that she has passed the worst of it and is looking much better now. In fact, she might even be ready to leave the hospital later this evening. I just need to observe her for a few more hours before I can recommend that."
Whatever else I might think about Liza, her professionalism as a doctor was apparent, and I had to say that I was pretty damn impressed.
"I'm very, very relieved to hear that," I said.
"Yeah, so am I. I've lost two patients to this virus in the past two weeks. I did all that I could, but they just weren't strong enough to fight it off. Your little girl, though, don't worry: she's a fighter. Takes after her daddy, I guess."
"She does. And I'm very relieved to hear that she'll be alright."
She nodded.
"She will be. Like I said, she's already getting much better."
I could sense that she wanted to talk to me more – a lot more – but I knew that that wouldn't be a good idea.
"Is there anything else I should know about her condition?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Everything seems to be in order for the moment. Like I said, if she continues to show signs of improvement, I'll recommend that she be discharged."
"Thanks, Liza. Well, if that's all, like I said, I have some things to do this afternoon, especially if I might get to take Janie home."
"Alright, well you better take off then."
We looked at each other again, and there was an intense look in her eyes; it seemed almost as if she was on the verge of tears.
"Goodbye, Liza," I said, breaking the silence. "Thank you."
"Goodbye, Everett. It was good seeing you again after all these years."
"Yeah, it was. Maybe I'll bump into you again in another ten, huh," I said, smiling.
"Maybe sooner," she said, returning my smile.
She stepped forward and hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back a little awkwardly and then disengaged.
"Bye, Everett," she repeated and walked away.
As I was walking away, I got my phone out, and saw that I had missed a call from Vivienne; my phone had been on silent, so there had been no ringtone. I called her back and was utterly shocked to hear that while I had been away, Simon had broken into her house.
"I'll be right there," I told her and sprinted out to my truck.
CHAPTER 25
Vivienne
I did as they instructed, and then after they had determined that I was not the intruder, they sat down and asked me some questions while they wrote a report. They assured me they would have someone patrolling the area every thirty minutes and encouraged me to call if I suspected anything unusual.
As they were leaving, Everett returned my call. I told him what happened, and the tone of his voice when he promised me he was on his way was more than a little reassuring.
I sat in my kitchen waiting for him, drinking tea to try to calm my nerves and hearing every tiny sound. He arrived in 15 minutes, and I soon as I saw him, I ran to him. The moment his strong arms were around me, I f
elt safe.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you," he said. "I should have been; I really should have been."
"It's not your fault, not at all," I said. "How could you have known? You had to be with your daughter."
"But he got inside the house! That bastard got in here!"
"It doesn't matter; it's over now. You're here, and I'm safe. I'm so glad you're here."
He looked into my eyes, fixing an intense gaze on me. "If he touches a single hair on your head, I'll tear him limb from limb. I mean that," he said, and I could tell he was serious.
"I feel so safe with you. Thank you," I said, and then I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. The kiss started slow and gentle, but soon it became immensely passionate as we were both consumed with an almost voracious hunger for one another. All of the fear and panic that had been circulating now seemed to morph into a fiery passion, and at once I could feel an almost explosive arousal heating up my center.
I felt Everett's arousal too, pressing almost violently through his jeans as we kissed with an almost animalistic hunger; something intense had been awoken in him as well, although I wasn't sure what exactly it had been.
And then, right there in the kitchen, it began. Passion took over, and clothes hit the floor with furious eagerness, not caring if we ripped or tore the clothes in the process.
Soon his hands were on my ass, my breasts, squeezing and massaging with a voracious keenness, and his hunger for me drove a fury into my desire for him that verged on the manic.
I ripped his jeans down, and his manhood popped up, pointing skywards in the extreme hardness of its arousal. He slipped a hand between my thighs, massaging and moving rhythmically, working my hot, throbbing wetness. We were both gasping, breathing heavily, and my heart was hammering inside my ribcage like an overheated motor.