Given to You

by Carlie Sexton

  She tossed the spaghetti in the pot of boiling water and set the timer. Neil should be home any minute. She couldn’t wait to tell him about her conversation with her mom. It felt empowering to stand up to her mother and have her mom acknowledge that all that mattered was her happiness.

  Kate continued to prepare dinner by chopping the salad and setting the table. She warmed the bread in the oven and poured the wine. Doing these mundane things somehow seemed exciting now that Neil was her fiancé. She wanted to demonstrate her love for him in every way possible.

  Neil walked through the door looking more edible than the meal Kate was preparing for them. He wrapped his arms around her and took in a deep breath.

  “Baby, I’m so glad to be home,” he said, nuzzling his nose against hers. “I just love coming home to my fiancée. It will be even better coming home to my wife.”

  “I can’t wait either. I know it’s just a few weeks away and we have so much to do, but New Year’s Eve seems like an eternity.”

  “Well, I have an idea, but it would have to be our secret,” he said.

  “I love secrets. What’s the idea?”

  “Let’s get married in Vegas this weekend,” he said. “We can go ahead of our friends and just tie the knot. No one has to know and we can still have our wedding and reception like we planned. I just feel an overwhelming desire to be your husband. We both know life can be short. Too short. Let’s not wait. What do you say?”

  “I say yes. A thousand times yes! I love having our own secret and I love you for thinking of it. You are so romantic. Someday we can tell our grandchildren about it,” Kate said beaming. “How do you always know what is going to make me happy?”

  Neil’s eyes glistened as he smiled down at Kate. “It’s a gift, baby. I consider it my mission in life not only to make you happy, but to keep you that way.”

  Kate put her hands on Neil’s face and pulled him in for a kiss. “You’re my gift and I’m so thankful to have you in my life,” she said.

  The timer went off on the stove. The spaghetti was ready. “I hope you’re hungry,” she said. “I made spaghetti and meat sauce.”

  “I’m starved,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs and change and I’ll dish up our food,” she said.

  Neil didn’t hesitate to follow her directive. He bound up the stairs in an instant. He returned in his faded jeans and black turtle neck.

  Kate was impressed. How did he do that? How did he always look so good to her? As good as the first time she laid eyes on him.

  She had put the plates on the table. Everything else had already been set a few minutes before Neil arrived home. They sat down and Neil lifted his wine glass to make a toast. “To my beautiful bride-to-be,” he said. “Every moment of every day I am so thankful that you agreed to spend the rest of your life with me. You will have my heart always.”

  They clinked their glasses together and each took a sip of wine. Kate’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Kate, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head and said, “I know that if I spent the rest of my life looking, I couldn’t find anymore more perfect for me than you.” She picked up his hand and placed it against her heart. “As long as there is breath in my body, you will always have my heart.”

  Neil leaned over and kissed her on the lips. It was a sweet kiss, like a first kiss shared by teenagers. When their lips parted, they smiled at each other.

  “So do you think we are the sappiest couple alive?” he asked teasingly.

  “Yeah, and I think if we act this way in front of our friends this weekend they’ll probably want to hurl,” she said, laughing.

  “Speaking of friends, did you get a hold of Nat? Has she been able to adjust her schedule?”

  “Yes, she texted me earlier that she was able to switch a couple of shifts and she can come. She even verified that Mac was coming for sure.”

  “So, two mutual friends interested in each other. I hope Mac takes her to lunch this week like I suggested,” Neil said.

  “Me too. They would be really good together. It’s been a long time since Nat had a boyfriend.”

  “I’m sure you and Charlie will find a way to orchestrate some things that will put them together,” he said. “So what else happened today?”

  “I saw Dr. Cox. We had a great session and he helped explain to me why I keep having those awful dreams. My brain is trying to process everything that happened. He also recommended that we do premarital counseling.”

  “Did you want to do that?”

  “I really do, actually. I want us to start off with a good foundation. If he can give us some marital insight, I think it would be worth it.”

  “Okay, go ahead and schedule it. Does he have any evening appointments?”

  “Yes, on Tuesday and Thursday nights.”

  “We can start whenever he is available.”

  “Well, tomorrow night we are having dinner with my mom after I meet with Sadie.”

  “How did that happen?” he asked, his eyebrows raised as he took another bite.

  “I called her today and told her that we were getting married, and that I wanted her to be part of my life. She tried, at first, to tell me I was rushing into marriage, but I informed her that I knew you were the one for me. She decided to be happy for us. It turned out to be a very cathartic conversation.”

  Neil took Kate’s hand and kissed it. “That’s great news. I’m really glad that you called her,” he said.

  “Me, too. I feel like a full-fledged grown-up.”

  Neil laughed. “Well, you are approaching a quarter of a century, so that’s a good thing.”

  “I know. I’m getting so old.”

  They both chuckled.

  “I’m glad that you had a good day,” he said. “Are you feeling better having two guards protecting you?”

  “Yes, but it is still unnerving knowing that he is out there somewhere and wants me. He shared some really scary things with me about his foster mother. I think she killed his real mom and buried her somewhere. He kind of opened up to me about his childhood while we were at the cabin.”

  “What did he say exactly?” Neil’s lawyer radar was at full alert.

  “That his mom came to get him and his foster mother sent him to his room. He heard them yelling and then it went quiet. When he came out, he saw his mom lying on the floor and then he saw his foster mom dragging his real mom away. She’s been missing ever since.”

  “Wow, sounds like she taught him everything he knows. Did you mention this to Detective Jameson? He could have the Idaho police pay Roger’s foster mom a visit.”

  “I have no idea if I did or not. I honestly don’t remember what I said in my interview with him. It’s all a giant blur. Should I call him?”

  “Yeah, call him now. This is could be important information for the case.”

  Kate reached for her phone and called the detective. He answered immediately and Kate asked him if she had shared any information about Roger’s mother. Somehow, with everything she had to tell him, she had left that out. There had been no mention of her chilling conversation with Roger.

  Then Kate was silent for a few moments, listening to Detective Jameson tell her some news.

  “What? That is so horrifying… . But obviously that makes the case against him air tight? …Okay. I have one more thing to tell you. Roger had big green trash bags in the back of his car and there was a peculiar odor. It just struck me as odd, especially with him telling Jacob that Paulina went on vacation… . She’s missing? Then, maybe she was in the bags,” Kate choked out. “He tied me up for a while, maybe an hour, to go take care of something…he is so sick…I’ll call if I think of anything else. Bye.”

  Neil stayed glued to Kate during the entire conversation. “Well, what did he say?” he asked.

  “He’s going to contact the Boise police and tell them what’s going on. He thinks that since Roger is a murder suspect, they have probab
le cause to question his foster mom and possibly even search the property. Maybe they’ll find something.”

  “Good,” Neil said. “Jameson said something else about the case, didn’t he? You used the word ‘horrifying.’”

  “Well, that was the only word that even comes close to describing what he told me.”

  Neil continued staring at her, waiting for her to go on.

  “They have searched his apartment for evidence and found a false drawer with knives and a bone saw. But that’s not the worst part,” Kate said with a pained look on her face. “They found fingers and teeth in baggies in the freezer.”

  Neil pulled her into his arms. Kate began sobbing.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry,” he said. “That’s beyond horrifying.”

  “They are running the evidence through forensics. They found two sets, one male and one female. I would guess that they belong to Paulina and Rick or maybe Rose and Rick. But who knows? He could have killed more people than we realize. I would imagine that Rick wasn’t the first person in Roger’s life to ‘go missing.’”

  “It is so gruesome that he would keep parts of people in his freezer. That’s so sick. He seriously came across like a normal guy? You never had any inkling that something was wrong with him?”

  “I never would have guessed that he was capable of any the things he has done. I didn’t feel uncomfortable around him until I began to realize that he was obsessed with me. He had a girlfriend, friends, and his own business. Nobody seemed to realize that something was terribly wrong with him. He’s high functioning for someone who can take another person’s life.”

  “Yeah, it just makes you wonder how many people are walking around behind a carefully crafted mask, when underneath they are really a monster,” he said.

  “I know. Jameson also said that they can’t find Paulina. She is now classified as missing. I’m afraid that he will come after you Neil. He really wants you dead.”

  “I won’t let him touch our lives again. We have enough security and we can move if you like,” Neil said.

  Kate’s brow furrowed and her hands were clenched into fists. It infuriated her that the police hadn’t found Roger yet. She couldn’t stand the thought of Roger hurting Neil. If anything happened to Neil--she brought all of this into his life--and he was dealing with all of this because of her.

  “Baby, talk to me. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

  “Oh, Neil. I just can’t help but think that I have complicated your life with all this craziness. You’re dealing with so much because of me.”

  “Kate, I want you to listen to me. Come,” Neil said, leading her to the sectional, where they sat facing each other.

  “I’m not going through anything because of you.”

  Kate opened her mouth to speak.

  “No. No interrupting,” he said. “I want you to get what I am saying. I’ve asked you to marry me. We’re getting married this weekend in Vegas and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Stop feeling guilty for things that you have no control over. Can you do that for me? None of this is your fault. You didn’t make Roger do any of the despicable things that he has done,” Neil continued. “He was this way long before you met him and he would have continued if you hadn’t met him. He’s going to be stopped. I believe that’s the reason he has crossed our paths.”

  “Okay, I hear you, but old habits die hard,” she admitted. “I am so used to feeling guilty over David’s death, I just feel like everything’s my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault and I’m marrying you because I am truly, madly, and deeply in love with you,” he said, caressing her face with his hand.

  “Wow, Mr. Statton. You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet.”

  “Expect a lot of sweeping over the next fifty years, baby.”

  Chapter 16

  Kate woke up with a gasp. It was too early to get up, much less be awake. She had a dream that had not plagued her since she moved out of her mom’s house—the shark attack dream. Dr. Cox had helped her to uncover that the shark was her mom and, like a shark, her mom devoured and then excreted her. She hated this dream passionately. It evoked her feelings of powerlessness, and had hoped that it was a thing of the past, but after seeing her mom last night she realized it was still lurking in her subconscious. She got up to go to the bathroom and then decided she might as well go downstairs and make coffee. She didn’t anticipate going back to sleep since it had taken forever to drift off. Keeping unthinkable thoughts from her conscious mind was difficult because she was worried about Roger breaching security and getting to her and Neil.

  Kate ground the beans in the grinder and prepared the coffee maker to do its job; she couldn’t wait for the coffee to brew and awaken her senses. She filled her mug with water and heated it in the microwave so the cup would be warm when she poured her coffee in it. The sun wasn’t up yet, so, once the coffee was ready, she curled up on the sofa and covered herself with a throw.

  The night before had gone better than she had expected. Her meeting with Sadie had been productive. It was hard to believe that Sadie could pull this wedding off in such a short period of time, but she has proven to be a miracle worker; she already had the invitations printed. Her assistant had addressed them and they were ready to be mailed. They also had finalized table settings, linens, and centerpieces. Everything was under control and her wedding would, for the most part, go off without a hitch. Unless Roger showed up.

  Dinner with her mom had been slightly uncomfortable. Her mom began salivating after taking one look at Neil. She had tried so hard to be witty and vivacious, which came across as weird and awkward. But what could she do? Her mom was who she was. Neil didn’t say anything about it. Perhaps he had been in situations before in which his girlfriends’ moms were overly enthusiastic about meeting him.

  Kate sipped her coffee and pondered what life would be like once she and Neil were married. She heard Neil coming down the stairs. “Baby, I woke up and you weren’t there. It’s so early. Is everything okay?” he asked, moving toward her.

  “I had a bad dream and decided I would just get up,” she said. “I’m just still feeling a little anxious.”

  “It’s only five thirty. Let’s go back to bed,” he said. “Let me hold you and make you feel safe, Statton style.”

  Kate followed Neil back up to their bedroom. She got into bed after him, spooning her back to his front. She could feel his erection pressed up against her.

  “Are you wishing we hadn’t agreed to wait until we are married to have sex again?” she asked.

  “Well, of course I’d love to be with you right now. You know what you do to me, but I can control myself,” he said. “Besides, we’ll be hitched in a couple of days. I’m planning on finding a chapel on the internet and scheduling a wedding for Friday afternoon.

  “Let’s plan to leave early Friday morning so after we get married we can have some alone time before our friends arrive,” he continued. “Then you’ll be one hundred percent mine, heart, mind, body, and soul.”

  Kate interlocked her fingers with Neil’s and said, “I can’t wait. I’m so glad that you came up with the idea of getting married in Vegas. It’s just perfect.”

  No more words were spoken as they both drifted off. When the alarm went off at six forty, it was not a welcome interruption.

  Kate moved toward the shower. She turned on the water and grabbed a towel. She felt groggy, but once the water began streaming down her body, she began to wake up. She had decided skipping school was in her best interest. Focusing on a lecture was beyond her ability this morning. Then it dawned on her that until Roger was caught, she most likely would have a difficult time concentrating in class anyway.

  After her shower, she slipped into the coziness of her black yoga pants and a long-sleeved gray T-shirt, and grabbed her Kindle, hoping that throwing herself into a good book would help her relax.

  As she meandered down the stairs, the aroma of breakfast rose up to gre
et her. Suddenly she was ravenous, which she figured was stress induced. Usually, she wasn’t that hungry in the morning. Neil had made scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage.

  “It smells delicious,” she said, giving him a half-hearted smile.

  “Everything is going to be okay,” he said. “The police are going to find him.”

  “I know, but it occurred to me in the shower that until they find him my life isn’t my own. I just feel so distracted,” she said. “I’m skipping school today because I can’t concentrate. The only way I can put all of this behind me is for him to be apprehended or killed.”

  “Why don’t you take next semester off?” Neil suggested. “I thought we could find a house to buy and you can spend time decorating and making it exactly how you want it to be. It will be a project to take your mind off of things.”

  “I’m not sure about that yet, Neil. I guess it depends on where Roger is then. I don’t want to delay my education forever,” Kate said. “This is a beautiful place, the location idyllic, are you sure you want to move?”

  “I want us to find a place together that we both love. I want you to be able to make it your own. Plus, it will be important to have a yard when we have kids. They need a place to play.”

  “Kids, huh?”

  “You do want kids, right?”

  “With you, I want everything,” Kate said, hugging Neil.

  Neil looked deeply into her eyes and said, “Then you shall have everything with me, my love.”

  He kissed her on the forehead and handed her a plate of food. They ate their breakfast and made plans for their Vegas trip. When they were finished, Neil got ready for work and departed, again reassuring Kate that everything was going to be fine.

  Kate lounged on the terrace and stared out at the ocean. The crashing waves calmed her spirit. As she sipped her third cup of coffee, all she could think about was how eventually she was going to come face to face with Roger, a man that she originally thought was kind, caring, and decent, but in actuality was a manipulative killer. In her heart, she knew he would get to her again. He was not the type of man who would ever give up. He would have to be stopped.