“What is it?” I stutter out, instantly sensing the tension in her voice that I didn’t pick up before.
“Drew came by yesterday.”
“What did he want?” My voice shakes.
“I’ve actually been in Dallas the last couple days on business and wasn’t here. I just got home this morning. I only know he was here because apparently he beat on my door for several minutes before Mr. Jenson, next door, intervened, getting sick of listening to the noise. Drew handed him a package and asked that he be sure I receive it as soon as I return.”
“What is it?” My voice seems far off, like I’m speaking through a distant tunnel.
“I don’t know, I haven’t opened it.”
“Open it.” I order, my heart thumping so loud against my ribcage I can feel the vibration through my entire body.
I haven’t heard from Drew since the night he text me and Paxton found the messages. Since then it’s been radio silence. A part of me had hoped that would be the end of it. Now, I’m certain that is was just the beginning.
I hear the distinct sound of paper ripping followed by a loud intake of air.
“Oh my god.” Pam’s voice seems in disbelief.
“What? What is it?” I feel like I might explode from the anticipation.
“It’s pictures... Of you.”
I half expect her to say I’m naked but what she says next is so much worse.
“In Oregon.” She finally adds.
“What?” I ask, confusion laced in my voice.
“There’s pictures of you Charlie. Tons of them. Sitting on the back porch of your house, getting into your car, walking out of class. There’s so many. It’s as if he’s been...” Her voice trails off.
“Following me.” I finish her sentence, panic seizing my chest.
“You need to call the police Charlie.”
“What? Why?” I don’t understand the urgency in her tone. If he was there yesterday than that means he’s in New York and not here.
“On the last picture he wrote, she’s mine, in big red letters. I think he’s planning something Charlie and for whatever reason he using me to make sure you know he’s coming.”
I know this game of his. I remember it well. He feeds off the anticipation, the fear. Pam’s right, he’s planning something. I may have been stupid enough to think he wouldn’t follow me all the way to Oregon but that doesn’t mean I don’t know him.
“I have to go.” I mutter into the phone, ending the call before Pam can get another word out.
There’s only one call I plan to make right now and it’s not to the police, it’s to the one man I know will not let Drew anywhere near me.
The phone rings over and over as I pace the kitchen. “Pick up. Pick up.” I pray out loud; cursing under my breath when his voicemail picks up.
I’m prepared to say anything I have to say to get him here, including the truth. Drew’s coming for me. It’s no longer a question of if but when.
“Paxton it’s me...”
It’s all I get out before something slams into the side of my face, knocking the phone out of my hand as it connects just below my left temple.
I stumble backwards, off balance and stunned. It takes several long seconds for my vision to clear enough that I can focus forward. The moment Drew’s dark eyes filter into view, I feel the familiar sting of his hand as it connects across the side of my face.
“Did you really think I would just let you walk away you fucking whore?” He spits, venom in his voice.
Shock and fear flood through me as I once again stumble backward. His high pitched laugh fills the space, bouncing through the silence of the empty house.
This is what he wants—I remind myself.
Taking a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders and meet his gaze, ignoring the chill of panic I feel from the emotionless nearly black eyes staring back at me.
“Drew.” His name is a whisper on my lips as I take in his appearance.
He looks almost exactly as I remember. His favorite New York Yankees t-shirt hugs his broad frame, and a backward baseball cap covers up his golden hair which I can see peeking out of the sides. His face is void of facial hair and there’s a cocky smirk pulling up the side of his mouth.
“There she is.” His smile widens as he takes me in.
“What—what are you doing here?” I pull my strength from somewhere down deep, fighting to keep my voice even.
“I thought that was pretty obvious. I’m here for you.” His eyes narrow in on my face as he takes a step toward me.
I frantically search the space for something, anything that can help me. He’s blocking my path to the counter where my mom keeps the knives and scissors. He would have me wrapped up long before I could even attempt to make it to the door. My eyes dance between the table to my right and my phone which is currently laying face down just to my left.
“Paxton.” I scream at the top of my lungs, just praying that maybe the call is somehow still connected to his voicemail. “Drew. It’s Drew.” I scream.
It takes less than seconds before Drew has the device under his shoe, the phone cracking and glass popping as he slams his heel down onto it several times, all the while his gaze locked firmly on my face.
Run.
Run Charlie.
It’s the only instinct I have. I spin and take off through the house toward the front door, just getting my hand around the knob before I feel Drew’s fingers tangle in my hair and rip me backward.
I cry out, pain searing through my scalp as he jerks me away from the door.
“Did you really think I would just let you leave me like that Charlie? Did you think I was just going to sit back and let you make a fool of me?” He chuckles darkly. “I’ve been watching you for weeks Charile and you didn’t even know it. I watched you with your friends. I watched you with him.” He grits through his teeth. “I watched you smile and laugh as you began to build a new life without me. You’re mine remember. And I don’t share what is mine.”
“Please.” I shake my head, trying to free his grip on me.
“Please?” He pulls my back flush against his chest, running his nose along my neck as he inhales my scent deeply.
“Please don’t do this.” I beg, tears clouding my vision.
“Oh, I like it when you beg.” He hisses in my ear. “Keep begging Charlie. Beg me fuck you. Beg for me to give you what we both know you want.” He licks my face, trailing his tongue from my jaw line all the way up to my temple.
I fight down the urge I have to gag, knowing it will only spur him on.
My only thought is the baby.
I have to protect my baby—Paxton’s baby.
Pulling my arm away from my body, I slam it backwards with all my strength, landing my elbow directly into his stomach. His grip on me falters just long enough that I’m able to slip away and scramble toward the door again.
I get the main door open this time but before I can push through the screen door that leads onto the front porch, Drew once again closes in on me. Wrapping his arms around my middle, he slams me to the ground with so much force it knocks all the wind out of my body.
Before I even have a chance to catch my breath he lands another blow to my torso, his foot connecting violently against my ribs. I scream out when pain tears through my left side. The feeling of my bones cracking inside me is unmistakable.
“You did this Charlie.”
Another kick.
This one lands directly to my stomach causing the air to once again rush from my body.
I roll, coughing, gasping, desperately trying to suck air into my lungs as I pull myself across the carpet. I feel his weight settle on top of my back before I even make it inches. His hand tangles into my hair again, this time only long enough to pull back and slam my face into the floor beneath me.
A ringing sounds through my skull as the impact jars me near unconscious. I feel like I’m floating, almost weightless. I barely register my body being rolled until I feel
Drew’s mouth close down on mine. Like being awoken from the dead, I snap back to reality.
Rearing back, I slam my forehead into his face, missing his nose but managing to lay a pretty hard blow just below his right eye. He roars above me, shoving my head back down.
I can feel my eyes roll when he repeats the movement, this time bashing my head so hard against the floor that blackness floods my vision. I can’t move, can’t speak. I have so much fight inside of me but my small body is no match for his six foot, large framed build. It’s like a kitten trying to fight off a vicious dog. While the kitten may get a few scratches in, it’s nothing compared to what the dog can do once he gets that kitten’s neck trapped in his strong jaw.
Blow after blow comes but I no longer feel a thing. My mind is suspended somewhere between reality and a dreamlike state. I know he’s hurting me, I can feel each punishing blow but my body can’t seem to register the pain to my brain.
Just when I feel myself start to slip away, suddenly Drew’s weight disappears. I can’t help but wonder if it’s finally over. Have I finally succumbed to his vicious attack?
“Charlie.” I recognize the voice but I can’t do anything to respond. It’s like my lips are stuck together and no matter what I do, I can’t get them to part.
“Charlie.” This time Decklan’s voice is closer, like he’s directly next to me.
I’m not sure if he’s actually here of if it’s his voice I’m hearing at the end of the line. Funny, I thought I would hear Paxton’s.
“Fuck!” Decklan roars and I feel my body shift, but still my mind can’t seem to connect the action.
“Gavin! Stop dude. Fucking stop!” I hear a commotion and once again everything fades to blackness.
“Hold on Char. Fuck just hold on.”
This time when I come to, it’s Gavin’s voice I hear. White lights flood my vision but I blink only once before I slowly slip back into unconsciousness, not able to hold on to the light for more than those few brief seconds.
Chapter Twenty
Charlie
“Charlie. Can you hear me?” The voice calls to me from somewhere out of my reach. I can feel how close it is but just can’t seem to find my way there.
“Char?” It’s closer this time.
“Open your eyes.”
“Open your eyes Charlie.”
Like a switch being flipped, my eyes flutter open. It’s dark. Not completely pitch black but dark enough that it takes me several moments to realize the person next to me is Gavin. His head is resting against my hand, his whispered words pleading for me to wake up.
“Gavin.” His name is like sandpaper against my throat but I manage to push it out.
Like being jolted with electricity he shoots upright, his gaze finding mine instantly.
“Charlie.” Tears flood his vision as he pushes to his feet and hovers over me, clenching my hand in his. “Fuck Char. I thought I had lost you.” He lets out a shaky exhale.
Before I have time to process where I even am or what exactly is going on, images flash in front of my eyes. It’s like watching someone flip quickly through photographs; I get the jist of the story but it comes in broken fragments and pieces.
“Where’s Drew?” My mind races, trying to catch up.
“He’s here.” Gavin’s voice is laced with apology.
Fear grips my chest as I move to sit up, cringing when pain radiates down my left side.
“Whoa Char.” Gavin eases me back. “Relax. He can’t hurt you.” He reassures me. “His room is guarded by officers and the second he’s cleared by doctors, he’s gonna find himself in a cold ass jail cell. For the rest of his life if I have any say in the matter.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t really know. Me and Deck stopped by to drop some stuff off for Mom. I heard you screaming all the way outside. I don’t know what happened next. One minute I’m watching this guy pound your head into the floor, the next he’s underneath me, his face nearly unrecognizable. If it wasn’t for Decklan I’m fairly certain I would have killed him.”
“The baby?” Tears immediately flood my vision because I feel like I already know what he’s going to say.
“The doctor said the baby is fine.” He smiles when he sees the relief that floods my face. “You on the other hand.” He gives me a onceover.
“It’s bumps and bruises.” I smile, feeling the absolute joy of knowing the child I was so sure I had lost is still alive and well, tucked safely away inside me. “It’s nothing that won’t heal.”
“Bumps and bruises.” Gavin can’t seem to grasp my reaction. “Char, you suffered a severe concussion, cracked ribs, and aside from the bumps and bruises as you so casually put it, you have twenty-two stiches across the back of your head.”
“Like I said, nothing” I laugh, the feeling of it vibrating through my chest almost a foreign feeling.
I look around the sterile hospital room, for the first time really processing my surroundings. I have no real grasp on time. Has it been days since Drew appeared in the kitchen in front of me or mere hours, I honestly don’t know.
“Gavin.” I hear my mom’s voice just seconds before her petite frame appears in the doorway, her tear stained eyes widening when she sees me looking back at her.
“Mom.” I croak, emotion suddenly flooding my body.
She is by my side, her arms wrapped gently around me before I can utter another word. Rocking me gently back and forth, I barely register Gavin as he quietly slips out into the hallway and disappears from view.
“I’m so sorry baby.” My mom kisses the top of my head before pulling back to look at me.
“I’m okay.” I reassure her, as she takes my hand and sits next to me on the bed.
“I should have been home. I should have been there.”
“No.” I object, silencing her words. “I’m glad you weren’t there. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something had happened to you too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her tear filled gaze holds mine, questioning.
“Because I knew how badly it would hurt you to know someone hurt me. I didn’t want to do that to you.” I say, assuming at this point Pam has already filled her in.
“You should have told me. Pam should have told me.”
“I know mom and I’m sorry.” I squeeze her hand.
“I don’t want to focus on that right now.” She brushes the subject away, swiping at her fallen tears with the hand not currently holding mine. “What matters is that you’re okay and that the baby is okay.”
“Does Paxton know?” The question falls from my lips before I really even have a chance to consider my words.
“Decklan has been trying to reach him for a little while now.” She shakes her head. “Everything has been so chaotic the last couple of hours that I’m not entirely sure if he’s gotten a hold of him yet.” She gives me an apologetic look. “But Harlee is here, thank god.” She lets out a small nervous laugh. “I don’t think I could have handled your brother without her.”
“What time is it?” I roll my head to the side, stopping my search for a wall clock when my mom answers my question.
“Just after eight thirty.”
“Eight thirty?” I question, my brow arching in confusion.
“You were unconscious for almost six hours. The doctors were worried maybe you had some swelling on your brain but thankfully that all came back clear. Speaking of which.” She stops mid thought and stands, releasing my hand. “I should probably let someone know you’re awake.”
“Mom.” I call to her just as she turns toward the door.
“I’ll make sure he knows.” She responds without me having to say a single word, giving me a relief filled smile.
“Thank you.” I whisper just moments before she disappears into the hallway.
I barely have any time to wrap my head around the day’s events before a nurse appears, pulling in what looks like an old school computer monitor sitting on top of a wheeled c
art. Moments later two more nurses appear, followed by an older gentleman who steps inside and closes the door behind him.
I can only assume the older man, who stops directly next to the bed, is the doctor based on his white lab jacket, blue scrubs, and the stethoscope hanging around his neck. He introduces himself at Dr. Schaller, before running through a series of questions, seeming to be satisfied with each response I give him.
“All your blood work came back good and the baby’s heartbeat sounded nice and strong but we are going to go ahead and just have a quick peek just to be a hundred percent sure that everything looks good.” He explains, gesturing to the ancient looking computer which I now realize is actually an ultrasound machine.
“The police are waiting to speak to you.” He informs me just moments after introducing me to Kelly, the pretty middle aged brunette who will be my ultrasound technician. “But only when you’re ready.” He reassures me, seeing the look of panic that crosses my face.
I’m not ready. I’m not sure that I’ll ever be ready. I know it’s necessary but truth be told, I’m not even really all that sure what I remember from today.
As if sensing where my mind is, he gives me a warm smile, patting the back of my hand before he and the other two nurses excuse themselves from the room, killing the lights on their way out the door.
The room is now only illuminated by the soft hue of the computer screen sitting next to me as Kelly positions my body and lifts my gown, squirting a cold gel across the middle of my stomach.
“Just try to relax.” She gives me a reassuring smile as she presses the probe against my bruised skin and glides it gently across my mid-section.
Nothing I see really looks like anything at all. That is, until she stops just to the right of my belly button and clicks the mouse, dragging it from one section of the screen to the other.
“There’s your baby.” She says, pulling my eyes back up to the image on the monitor.
It isn’t until that moment that I see it. I see my baby. Paxton’s baby. The tiny, precious, beautiful little person we created. It’s still very small but large enough that I can make out the head, body, and the profile of its little face.
Crazy Stupid Perfection (Crazy Love, #3) Page 15