by Kyle, Lola
I was wrapped up in my own world when Maye knocked on my door. We started dating officially three weeks ago. Funny how things can put everything in perspective. Ashley let her in and let herself out simultaneously.
Ashley had out done herself, rose petals littered the floor around the set table. Vanilla scented candles burned filling the cozy room with their aroma, perfect for the early autumn weather. Her eyes lit up taking it all in.
“Baby!” she squeals. “This is so sweet. You turned it into a date.”
For the first time today, I couldn’t help but smile. She’s had it tough in the romance department, and I keep forgetting that it’s the little things that count. I couldn’t let crazy Liz take this away from us.
“Yes.” I smile, chuckling at her reaction, “Wanna go take a shower with me first?”
Arching her eyebrows, she answers “You sure that’s a good idea? We might never get out.”
“Yes,” I assure her, stretching my hand out for hers. “Trust me?”
Smiling she says, “Without a doubt!” Her answer should have made me happy, but instead, pangs of guilt ran straight through my heart.
Leading her to the first part of her surprise, pink, yellow and orange rose petals created a trail leading to the marble bathtub I had installed in my bathroom. Water freshly drawn, adorned with dark red mixed with lavender rose petals. I hear her gasp, speechless for the first time since the moment I laid eyes on her. Gracing her with a single novelty rose, the white base with lavender tips signifying the purest form of love at first sight. A new beginning, a lifetime of constantly falling in love with her. I place a lavender scented bath bomb from her stash into the tub. Helping her rid herself of her clothes.
“You’re not joining me?” she asks, curious
“No my sweet,” I say, kissing her on the forehead. “This is about you. I’ll run into town to get our food while you enjoy your bath.”
Helping her into the tub, I leave, grabbing a glass of the white wine she was so fond of and returning with it for her to enjoy while she took her relaxing soak.
MAYE
This was the sweetest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. I stretch out in the marble tub, suds and scents of lavender enveloping my senses as rose petals caress my skin lovingly. Jade really knows how to go all out.
Reaching for the wine glass at the edge of the tub, I accidentally knock it over. I probably shouldn’t have closed my eyes. Taking one last soak, I stand up, careful to avoid the shattered glass on the floor walked over to the robe hanging in the corner.
The front door bangs open and I call out for Jay. The silence greets me and I shiver against the cold draft blowing in the opened door. A feeling of foreboding making me uneasy as I wrap my robe tighter around me.
“Babe, you need help?” I call out, stepping over the puddle of wine and glass.
“Come on babe, it’s not funny. It’s cold.” I say, hearing someone cough and lurking in the shadows.
“Jade!” I yell through the house. “I was never a fan of whodunit!” looking for my phone on the couch, to call her and blow her hiding place up. Bent over at the waste, I toss the pillows on the floor. My cell phone, and wallet were missing. She wouldn’t take them. What the fuck was going on? I could feel eyes on my back, standing up slowly my stomach flips in different directions as my eyes make contact a pair of cold green eyes that mirrored mine. Those eyes didn’t belong to Jade.
She places her hands on her lips. Shhhhhh…. Large arms grip me in a choke hold, struggling as a damp cloth goes over my nose. Bucking my hips back and forth, I try to dislodge my captor.
“Stay still bitch.” He grunts.
My throat restricted, preventing me from screaming for help. I was fucked and no one was coming to help me. My eyes drop as I fight against succumbing to the chloroform on the rag. The last thing on my mind was Jade’s chocolate eyes and the way they looked at me, like I was forever…
The sound of a man’s voice exploded in my brain. Sudden and sharp! Where was I? My eyes ached, even in the absence of light, it hurt, longing for just one ray of light to shine. Here in the darkness, I was blind. The metal chair was cold and uncomfortable, cutting into my skin; the chains biting the tender skin of my ankles. Chains. I was chained to a chair in the dark and none of this made any sense.
One minute I was being pampered with promise of being fucked then fed. Lounging in a warm bath infused with lavender goodness. It was amazing. What happened? My brain hazy as I recall looking for my cell phone and the door being open. Now I was here. Naked and chained to a chair.
With only the distant hum of the generator running outside and the whispering of voices told her that she was nowhere yet somewhere at the same time. With a jolt I realize that one of these voices sounded familiar. At least one of them did.
My ear perk up, enhanced by the loss of my vision caused by the impregnable darkness. Struggling against the quiet to hear clearly what was being said. The cadence of the two voices weaving in and out of tandem. A heated discussion was being had as my entire body strained against my bonds to hear what was being said.
A car door slammed in the distance. Loud and fast. The sound of an engine, tires on gravel and the slow death of any sound at all. Nothing. The new comer bringing unbearable silence, the voices leaving with their entrance. I was alone in this place. In this chair.
JADE
Helplessness, despair, disbelief washes over me. The takeaway dishes falling from my hands as I run towards the messy living room. Guilt consumes me staring at the simple note pinned to the back of the chair.
‘Love L’
She had declared war again. This time taking my heart with her.
To be continued…
Author’s Note
I hope you’ve enjoyed Part One in this series. This was originally meant to be a standalone short story. However, it took a mind of its own. Don’t worry I plan on releasing the final part of this duo before the year ends. I had a lot of fun writing this and I do hope you would consider leaving an honest review. It’s the only way I can grow as an author.
Be sure to follow my social media pages to find out more about me and my upcoming stories.
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About the Author
Lola Kyle
A passionate writer breaking into the field. She has enjoyed writing privately for years before deciding to pursuing it professionally. Lola adds a unique blend of culture, mischief and madness that she applies to her not so Happily Ever Afters.
The 24-year-old entrepreneur, author and blogger started Quirky Words Publishing Ltd in 2016 to create a safe place in the Indie community for authors. Using this as an opportunity to grow and learn, she was taken under the wings of an amazing mentor, where she honed her craft until she deemed it was at a level that any reader deserved. Lola is a dedicated aunt, friend and animal foster. Spending her spare time at football games, recitals and volunteering at the local animal shelters, when she isn’t writing.
Coming
April 15, 2017
No Final
Destination
The Happy Endings
Resort Series
Book #17
Penny Harmon
Chapter 1
Paige Ellison glanced at herself in the mirror and cringed. She’d altered her appearance several years ago, but even now, if she wasn’t prepared, she could startle herself. Pulling at the spikes of the once-blonde, now-purple, Mohawk-styled hair on top of head, she turned her head this way and that. Combined with the dark black outline of her eyes, the black lipstick and pale skin, she looked…well…ridiculous.
Pai
ge chuckled. She could probably knock on her foster parent’s door and they wouldn’t even recognize her. Not that she ever would. Once she left, she’d made a promise she’d never go back.
A last glance in the mirror and she picked up her purse off the counter. The good thing was she loved going to her job every day. It didn’t even seem like work.
“You guys be good while I’m gone. No trying to break through the screens, either. It’s too hot in here to leave the windows shut, so be good.” She leaned down and kissed the black and white longhaired cat on top of the head and then kissed the gray and black, Maine coon. “Tom and Jerry, I’ll be back as soon as I can, so be good,” she said one last time and shut the trailer door behind her. They had a tendency to make messes and she knew that it wouldn’t make a difference to tell them to be good or not, but it was habit.
Looking around, she couldn’t believe the luck she’d had in finding this place. When she had first drifted into Endings, South Carolina, she was just about broke. The cold weather of the North had driven her to the South. When she’d gotten here in March, the temperature had been at least thirty degrees above what it had been in Maine.
When the pet shelter had undergone some cuts in the budget, she’d been informed that her job would end. Even though she still had her part time job at a book store and she’d fallen in love with the area, she’d packed up her old beat up Subaru and headed south. She’d thought about Florida, but it was in Endings where she’d had a flat tire and decided it was warm enough to stay.
For the first week, she lived in her car with her cats while she applied for jobs. That had been no easy task. As soon as she secured a position at the local pet shelter, the manager told her about Happy Endings Resort. After speaking to Rory, the owner of the resort, she agreed to offer pet sitting services for the guests at the resort and, in turn, she was offered a one bedroom trailer.
If it had just been her, a tent would have been fine, but she’d been dragging Tom and Jerry along for the past six years and she wanted them to be comfortable. They were getting up in years and they deserved it. After all, they’d been her only real friends since her parents died.
The resort was great. It offered her everything she needed and more. The only thing she didn’t like was the friendliness of everyone else living there. Being a loner, she would have preferred someplace more private.
Rory had told her that things were pretty calm right now, but she said when summer comes it’s in full swing. It was May and she was already noticing the difference from when she’d arrived last month. She didn’t know how she’d handle it when it really got busy.
Her trailer sat near the end on one of the side streets in the resort. She was within walking distance to the lake and it was the perfect spot to walk the dogs. While she’d only had two jobs since she’d been at the park, Rory said it would all change soon.
On her way out of the park, she waved to the guy at the gate. She couldn’t remember his name, but he was at least friendly without being too-friendly. He didn’t go overboard with questions when he’d first met her, which went a long way in her book. People just needed to mind their own business. That’s just how she liked it.
Once at the shelter, she put her things away in the locker she’d been assigned. The manager came around the corner.
“Paige! I’m glad you came in a little early. I know you’ve only been here a little while, but how would you feel about taking on a little more responsibility? I need someone to take over the training of the volunteers and scheduling them.”
Paige was shocked. Susan was going to trust her with training? Paige had immediately clicked with Susan upon meeting her. Once she had told Susan of her dream of owning her own animal sanctuary, Susan had hired her and told her she’d help her anyway she could.
She’d been surprised to learn Susan’s own story of divorce and how her ex-husband had beaten her and any animal in his path. Her ex-husband reminded her of her foster-father.
Susan must have noticed the shock on her face when she offered her the position as trainer, because she quickly said, “You have what it takes to do a good job. Now, the only thing I wish you would do is tone down on the punk look, but that is up to you...it’s not a requirement. My own daughter when through that phase not too long ago. She always said she just wanted to express herself, so I get it.”
Paige’s hand flew to her hair. She knew she looked ridiculous in a lot of people’s eyes, but she hadn’t felt she had much of a choice when she started. Six years later, she was used to it. She could barely remember what she really looked like beneath all the dye and makeup. Shit! Not how she’d planned things.
“Um, Susan, I don’t know if I want to change my appearance. Is that a problem?”
Susan laughed. “Absolutely not. I just think that people might take you a little more seriously if your appearance was…let just say, if it was a little more subdued.”
Nodding her head, Paige agreed. Over the years, she found that was the main problem, especially when it came to her jobs. But, she’d always thought it was a great way to keep people at bay, which is why she did it.
Susan grabbed her by the arm. “Let’s not worry about that right now. Your first training class won’t start for another week. In the meantime, come with me and I will show you how the scheduling works.”
In the office, a chocolate lab lay in the corner. Sadie belonged to Susan and came to work with her every day. If she had a dog, she could bring hers, too, but she’d never felt it was fair to take in another animal when she moved so often.
The boys she’d taken with her when she left her foster care. Jim, the foster-father had treated them horribly. If either was in the way, he’d kick them across the room. That was what started her argument with him.
He’d backhanded her into the corner, told her he wouldn’t abide any insolence from her, and then leaned in close and felt her up. After finally making it into her room, she’d locked the door. It took two weeks for her to get the chance to run, but when she did, she took the two cats with her.
Since she’d left Ohio, she’d lived in New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. Now, South Carolina. From the moment she left, she’d been wearing a disguise. She really didn’t think that she’d be prosecuted for stealing the two cats, but she didn’t want to take any chances of having to return them.
Susan had left her alone in the office after explaining the schedule and telling her to start on the new one. She’d look at it when she returned.
She had only been sitting there for fifteen minutes when she was startled when someone else entered the door and Sadie let out a bark.
“Sadie, it’s okay. Can I help you?” she asked. It wasn’t until she turned her head that she noticed the Sheriff’s uniform.
“Yes, I am looking for Paige. Is that you?”
Paige could feel her heart pounding and wondered if it were possible for him to hear it, too. “Um…yeah. I am. Is there a problem?”
He laughed and the first thing she noticed was how his nose crinkled when he did. It only made him look better.
“Not at all. I’m just signing up to be a volunteer and heard you were the one to talk to. I’m Clark Wentworth.”
Paige felt like an idiot and tried to ignore the burning sensations in her cheeks. “Um, yes. I just started doing this, so let me find the form for you to fill out. Can I ask why you want to volunteer?”
“I’ve been around animals all my life and I’m not allowed to have pets in the apartment I live in. I figured I could get my pet fix here and maybe it won’t bother me so bad. How about you? Do you have any pets?”
Paige gave him a nod. “Yeah, just two cats. I’d have more if I could.”
“Cats? I like them, but I don’t think I understand them. What I like about dogs is that you can teach them tricks. You can’t teach a cat tricks.”
“I beg to differ. Ca
ts can learn tricks, but it takes someone special to teach them. They’re very independent.” Both her boys loved to play fetch. Of course, it took them a few years to trust her enough to let down their guards. They’d been through too much before she’d come along.
“Well, I am sure you are right. What I’d like to do is walk the dogs or just spend some time playing with them.”
“That can be arranged. Any particular hours you prefer?” she asked.
After rummaging around in the filing cabinet, she finally found the form and handed it to him.
“Can I take this with me? I’m on duty right now. Can I bring it back tomorrow? Will you be here?”
Paige nodded. “I work eight-thirty to five.”
“Sounds good, Paige. I’ll be back tomorrow.” With a nod, he turned around and walked out of the office, allowing Paige the chance to let out the breath she’d been holding.
Seeing him standing there in a uniform had startled her. It wasn’t like there was a warrant out for her arrest or anything and the missing person’s report had disappeared as soon as she’d turned eighteen and reported that she was fine.
She just felt nervous around cops and had been ever since one showed up at her house when she was sixteen to report that her mother had died in a car accident.
Sitting down in the chair, Paige looked at the schedule in front of her and tried her best to concentrate on it. Sadie was now curled up at her feet, completely unaware of the anxiety she was feeling.
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