Unbroken

by Natalie Debrabandere

  They shared quinoa salad and spicy spring rolls, and drank lemonade because Liz was sticking with her decision to remain sober. Not that she needed alcohol to keep her going anyway. Just sitting so close to Kristan, being able to feel the heat of her body through her jeans and her t-shirt, listening to her speak and watching her smile, was intoxicating enough.

  They played the Questions game, finding out about each other. They were not shy or delicate with it either. The questions were deep, targeted, loaded. And every single time Liz answered one of hers, Kristan found herself falling more and more in love with her.

  “You know, it’s weird,” she remarked after a while.

  “What is?” Liz enquired.

  Kristan leaned forward with her elbows on the table.

  “How can it be,” she mused, “that the most wonderful thing in the world, and the most awful thing, can happen to me pretty much right on top of each other?”

  Liz’s eyes grew soft.

  “You really are beautiful,” Kristan murmured.

  “And so are you,” Liz said thoughtfully. “Although big and butch might not be the best way to describe yourself darling,” she added, amused.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I think you are very capable and independent. And strong, too; physically and mentally…”

  “Except for when I am crying like a baby, right?” Kristan pointed out.

  “I think that was probably a one-off. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

  “Yeah,” Kristan said slowly. ”I think I do. I’m not weak, that’s just who I am. You, uh… you don’t like it?”

  “Oh yes. I sure do,” Liz said with an amused little smile.

  “Really? The way you said that, it didn’t sound like you like it at all.”

  Liz nodded, touched at the way that Kristan seemed to need the reassurance.

  “I love it that you are strong and self-reliant,” she said. ”I like it that I feel so safe when I’m with you. But that is not my favourite thing about you.”

  “Should I quit now while I’m ahead?” Kristan asked, smiling a little.

  “What makes you think you’re ahead, stud?”

  Kristan burst out laughing.

  “And keep me real, too,” she said, grinning. “Am I ahead? You tell me, Liz.”

  Liz smiled, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

  “The thing I really love about you is that you let me see inside,” she said.

  She rested her hand on Kristan’s heart, inside her shirt, on naked skin. She watched as Kristan’s eyes darkened immediately and she almost gasped.

  “There,” she whispered. ”This is it, right there.”

  “I don’t get it,” Kristan mumbled.

  “I mean this.” Liz pushed harder. “This is what I love about you. Inside, you feel.”

  Kristan’s eyes suddenly grew a little bit hot.

  “I do feel,” she said huskily. “Sometimes wish I didn’t.”

  “Hence the alcohol and the drugs?”

  Kristan shrugged.

  “We can work on that,” Liz said quietly.

  She was feeling exhausted by the time they got back to the Park, and Kristan drove right up to the cottage and parked under a tree. Liz reached for the door, pulled the handle, and she was about to step out when Kristan stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

  "Wait a minute, Liz," she said softly.

  She peered straight ahead into the darkness, and all of a sudden she hit the central door lock and reached for her cell phone.

  She kept the lights on and the engine running.

  "Son of a bitch," she murmured under her breath.

  Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were flashing, and Liz recognised anger in the set of her jaw.

  “What? What’s wrong?” she asked, fully awake once more, her adrenaline running.

  "I locked the cottage door when we left with Kelly this afternoon, didn't I?" Kristan said. “Can you remember?”

  Liz thought back on it, and yes, she remembered that Kristan had taken the time to lock the door to the cottage before they had driven with Kelly back to the cafe. Now as her eyes adjusted to the darkness on the outside, she clearly saw that the front door was ajar.

  Fear shot through her and she gasped.

  "Police please," Kristan said into her phone, and at the same time she reached for Liz's hand and squeezed gently. "Breathe," she murmured.

  This time the police were back in less than ten minutes. Two cruisers showed up, their lights flashing, and Liz recognised Omaru, the lead investigator in Mike's murder enquiry, as he climbed out of one of the cars.

  “I’ll come round,” Kristan said.

  She jumped out from behind the wheel and made her way to the other side to pull the car door open for Liz. She took her hand immediately, checked that she was okay, and they both went to speak to the officer in charge.

  Meanwhile, two men in uniform entered the cottage and did a thorough search of the premises.

  It was empty.

  Liz and Kristan went in next and had a look around. Kristan walked through every single room of the place she had lived in for the past three years. The one place she had ever called home, and actually meant it.

  In the kitchen she found a plate had been left out on the table, and a half-smoked cigarette was abandoned on it.

  “We don't smoke," she said darkly.

  She spotted that look of absolute distress in Liz's eyes again, and she wanted to punch something.

  Kevin Omaru, the man who had insisted on pursuing the ‘thief’ line of enquiry in Mike’s murder to the exclusion of anything else, was standing in the middle of the room looking grim.

  Kristan settled her gaze on him, feeling her temper rise.

  "Now you believe me that my partner would not just let some idiot thief creep up on him?" she said. “Mike just wouldn’t. He was way better than that. Okay?”

  She wanted to remain strong for Liz, and so she kept on breathing and she kept her temper in check. If Liz had not been standing right next to her she would probably have lost it completely. She was furious.

  "I think it might be best if you did not spend the night here tonight," Omaru stated, looking at her.

  "No kidding, genius," Kristan snapped.

  Liz stepped forward.

  "We need you and your men to hang around a bit longer please,” she said softly. “We just need to grab a few clothes and things."

  “They will,” Kristan said sharply.

  "Of course," Omaru nodded. "Take your time. We'll wait outside."

  Kristan went into her bedroom, grabbed a suitcase from under the bed and started throwing clothes into it.

  Liz watched her from the doorway, not knowing what to say.

  "Kris..."

  "He's been here, Liz," Kristan said quietly. "We can't stay."

  "I am so sorry..."

  Kristan walked over to her and simply held her face in her hand.

  She kissed her gently.

  "It is not your fault,” she whispered. “And we'll be back. He’s just trying to scare us.”

  "Are you scared?"

  Kristan’s eyes sparkled.

  "No," she said sharply. "I'm pissed off."

  Her hands shook as she said that. She turned away and walked into the bathroom. She threw a bag of toiletries into the suitcase and turned to Liz.

  “I am pissed off because this is my home!” she exclaimed. “And we slept together in this bed, and I wanted it to be our space. Ours, no one else! Now some idiot has ruined it. He has no idea what he’s taken on.”

  “We’ll be back, my love,” Liz reminded her gently.

  Kristan stopped what she was doing suddenly.

  She looked back toward her lover and she grinned.

  “Yes, we will. Sorry I’m such a moaner. Feel free to tell me to stop anytime.”

  “Okay. Shut up moaning.”

  Kristan chuckled.

  “Anything else?” she asked.<
br />
  “Yes. I love you so much.”

  “Me too,” Kristan replied, finally slowing down.

  “This sucks, and you know what, I feel awful about it…”

  “I told you…”

  “Shh…”

  Liz simply rested a finger against Kristan’s lips.

  “You know what?” she repeated

  Kristan shook her head no, smiling faintly.

  “We’re alive, we’re in love. No one can take that from us. Please stay calm. It’s shit right now, but it won’t last.”

  “You still want to be with me?” Kristan asked.

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because I wanted to protect you from stuff like this, and now it looks like I can’t.”

  “Oh, Kristan,” Liz exclaimed, smiling softly. “You love me, and that is all I care about.”

  Kristan finally relaxed.

  "Okay,” she said. “We'll go to your camper and get your stuff.”

  It was no surprise to either of them that Liz’s van had been broken into as well. Someone had done a thorough job on her clothes. Every single item had been slashed, every single shirt shredded, her bathroom was thrashed and her paintings had been cut to pieces.

  To her credit, Liz did not get overly emotional about it.

  “I expected nothing less,” she murmured as Kristan stood by surveying the damage, feeling helpless and trying hard not to let it show.

  “I will take you shopping tomorrow.”

  Liz nodded quietly.

  “Okay. Can we just go now, please?” she asked.

  Chapter 10

  They spent the night at a local motel, and Liz woke up just after two a.m. to find the side of the bed next to her was empty. Worried, she sat up and scanned the room, and then relaxed immediately as soon as she spotted her partner.

  Kristan was there. She had not left.

  She was sitting in front of the window, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. She looked lost in thoughts. Her profile was beautiful in the half moon light, her dark hair just a little messed up from the pillow.

  “Hey gorgeous,” Liz said softly from the bed.

  Kristan turned to smile at her.

  “Right back at you,” she said. “Did I wake you?”

  “No. Can’t sleep?”

  Kristan shook her head and crossed the room back to the bed. She undressed quickly, slid under the covers and pulled Liz tightly against her.

  “You smell nice,” she murmured, resting her cheek against her hair.

  “What were you thinking about?” Liz asked.

  “About Mike,” Kristan murmured. “I miss him.”

  “Oh, honey, I know…”

  Liz pulled Kristan against her until her lover was lying close, with her head on her shoulder and her arm wrapped securely against her waist.

  “I wish I had got to know him better,” she said.

  “He was an amazing guy. He was the only one at the Park I told about my past. You’d have loved him. And he would have loved you.”

  Liz was silent, simply stroking her lover’s shoulder gently.

  “I will arrange for a cleaning team for home as soon as they’re open,” Kristan said tiredly, her thoughts as always drifting to what needed to be done.

  “Okay, my love.”

  “Does you ex smoke?”

  Kristan drew the line at saying his name. She did not want him in the room with them. She hated the thought that he even existed.

  “Does he?” she repeated.

  Liz frowned a little.

  “No,” she said. “He doesn’t. At least he never used to when we were together.”

  Kristan was silent again.

  “I can’t think who else would want to hurt me like this,” she reflected eventually. “I know almost everyone in town and I have no problems with anybody. Neither did Mike.”

  “Let it go,” Liz whispered gently. “Just let it go for a few hours, Kristan.”

  She kissed her roughly, slid her leg in between hers, loving the instant flash of heat in Kristan’s face.

  “Don’t move,” she ordered, and she slowly blazed a trail of hot kisses down the centre of her chest and across her stomach.

  “I can’t think when you do this,” Kristan panted.

  “That’s the idea,” Liz pointed out with a smile, and then she drifted down a little lower.

  Kristan could not remember falling asleep and she slept like a rock for a couple of hours. Then she was up at first light raring to go.

  Running away was not in her blood. The police had suggested closing down for the winter and going somewhere else for a while, but Kristan was adamant. She would not run. She would not hide. She would protect what was hers, and she made it clear to Omaru that she expected him to do his job and find the person responsible asap.

  Robert’s name had not shown up on any Customs records at any of a number of potential airports he could have arrived at, but it did not do much to alleviate Liz’s fears. She knew he had contacts in the military still, and if he had wanted to travel under a fake identity she believed it would have been fairly easy for him to do so.

  Kristan still had some doubts, but whoever it was, she now had a healthy dose of respect for that person and their level of obsession.

  At least the police had now completely veered away from the thief theory in Mike’s murder. Whether that had been an accident or premeditated Kristan was not sure, but when Omaru decided to offer her and Liz protection at the Park Kristan accepted immediately.

  She was brave but not crazy.

  Now she stood in front of her staff and calmly explained what was going on. Most of her crew were seasonal anyway and had already left. A few of them were more or less permanent.

  That meant Jen, who worked at reception, maintained the website and generally handled phone calls, email queries and bookings. Kelly, who looked after the cafe and the shop. Julie and Braxton, who worked in the kitchen. And Pam, the kayak instructor and mountain guide who along with Mike was probably Kristan’s longest friend at the Park.

  They all listened intently as Kristan went through what had been going on and filled them in on the latest police theories. She explained that she would not close down for the winter, but that she would not hold it against any of them if they decided that they would rather take some time off.

  Then Liz stepped forward a little, and Kristan smiled.

  “The good news is,” she said, her eyes sparkling as they settled on her girlfriend, “that we have a new member of staff. Liz?”

  Liz went to join her.

  She gave a friendly wave to the group, feeling strangely nervous all of a sudden now that she was standing in front of them all.

  “For those of you who don’t know her yet, this is Liz,” Kristan said, smiling and reaching for her hand. “She’s from England, so if she starts to speak funny don’t worry, just please teach her the appropriate Kiwi word, okay?”

  People started to laugh, and Liz did so as well.

  “She’s a surgeon, so Jen,” Kristan carried on, “next time you get a paper cut just talk to her, right?”

  “Yeah Boss,” Jen replied, looking serious as always. “You got it.”

  “Liz and I, we, uh…”

  Kristan glanced toward Liz and immediately got caught in her eyes. She grinned.

  “Get on with it, Kristan,” Kelly hollered from the back. “We’re all waiting for the good part.”

  Both Liz and Kristan started to laugh.

  “Okay,” Kristan said, smiling. “So, simply put, Liz is not a member of staff. I am in love with her, and I feel incredibly happy that she is here and has decided to stay. Permanently.”

  Her face turned red when everybody started clapping and cheering.

  She raised her hand.

  “Thanks, guys,” she nodded. “So, just to confirm, there will be a police presence at the Park for a little while. If you need to talk to me privately, then please feel free to come and do so. Othe
r than that, thank you for being here, you know I appreciate all the hard work that you do around here; and let’s just get on with our jobs.”

  Everybody wanted to welcome Liz to the family, and Kelly was the first one to do so, hugging her fiercely, almost crying.

  “I am so happy for you,” she said a few times. “So happy.”

  Jen, Julie and Braxton all came forward to hug Liz as well, and Kristan was delighted that they all wanted to meet her and make her feel welcome.

  Only one person did not come forward, and Kristan noticed Pam slipping away quietly. She would have thought Pam would be the first to want to congratulate them, so it was strange that she was the first to go.

  Leaving the rest of the team to chat, Kristan jogged after her.

  “Hey Pam,” she called. “Wait up, mate.”

  The tall, slender blonde woman turned around and waited for Kristan to catch up with her. She looked serious and her green eyes were unusually cold.

  “What’s up?” Kristan asked her quietly. “Are you okay?”

  Pam simply shrugged, looking annoyed.

  “I don’t know, Kristan. You tell me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Pam snapped, and Kristan was taken aback by her attitude.

  She had always been very close to Pam. The woman was a talented kayak instructor, an excellent mountain guide and an even better communicator. Her passion and enthusiasm for her job, her knowledge of the local flora and fauna, and the way that she enjoyed sharing all that with her clients so much made her extremely popular. Kristan appreciated her skills and she also liked the woman as a person. Pam had a cracking sense of humour, a great can-do attitude, and along with Mike she was one of the people Kristan considered a true friend.

  Now all of a sudden it was as if a wall had suddenly come up between them.

  “Sorry, Pam. I’m not sure…”

  “Oh, come on! Think about Mike, Kristan.”

  Pam’s eyes were flashing, and Kristan suddenly realised how angry she was.

  “I think about Mike all the time,” she said, not liking the accusation in the woman’s voice.

  “Oh, really? Doesn’t seem like it to me. He would still be around if not for her,” Pam spat, just before she turned on her heels and stormed off.