Shadows: A Love Ever After Series

by Amber Lacie

  "What's wrong?" His voice startles me and I jump bumping my injured hand on the doorframe.

  "Shit!" Grabbing my hand, I hold it close to my chest giving Theron a murderous look.

  "Oh, beautiful. I'm so sorry. I heard you yell. Why didn't you call for me?" His eyes look me over. "Where's your sling?"

  "I didn't know a broken hand would prevent me from using the bathroom. The sling is on the nightstand over there. It's uncomfortable and I'm only going pee, Theron. The world will not end if I don't put it on." I'm furious and my hand is throbbing. I hate relying on people.

  "If you would have had your sling on, you wouldn't have bumped it on the doorframe."

  "Would that have prevented me from rolling over on it? No, it wouldn't have. Now I am going to use the bathroom, by myself. When I lay back down, you can determine if I need anything else." I slam the bathroom door. I use the toilet and wash my hands. Needing to calm down, I splash some cold water on my face. It's not Theron's fault I hurt my hand, and the sling would have kept me from bumping it.

  Opening the door, I crawl back into bed where he is sitting, waiting for me. "I'm sorry I got shitty with you. It's not your fault I rolled over on my damn hand. It fucking hurts. I promise next time I'm pissed off, I'll try my best not to assault you with my crappy mood."

  "That, beautiful, has to be the most unique apology I've ever received." I shrug my shoulders. It's the best I could offer. "You've been asleep for a while. Evan dropped off your pain pills about an hour ago, along with your brother." What? He picks up the pill bottle and starts reading it. "It says you can take two every four to six hours. It's almost been four hours. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anything if you took one now."

  "Wait, what? Back up a minute, please. You said he picked up my brother?" My head might be foggy from the pain medicine I took earlier, but I know I heard that right.

  "Yeah, Gram still isn't feeling well and I wasn't sure what kind of help you would need. I don't want you alone, even if it's just for minute. He can stay in the spare bedroom for tonight."

  "I don’t need a babysitter, Theron."

  He takes my good hand in his, brushing my knuckles with his thumb. "Humor me, please."

  I’m not going to win this. He knows what his touch does to me. "Fine, but it’s just a broken hand. I don’t understand why I need someone here with me."

  "Well, you just agreed, and he’s already here. Take these, please."

  I take the pills he's handing me, popping them into my mouth. He hands me a glass of ice water and I chug it down, swallowing my pills.

  "My mouth is so dry."

  "It's a side effect from the pain pills. I have an anti-inflammatory for you to take as well, but it looks like you'll need more water. Is it okay if I have Robert bring it to you with some water? I haven't checked on Gram since last night. She was quiet on the phone earlier. I could barely hear her. I'm worried."

  I smile and signal for him to come closer with my finger.

  "Yes?"

  Leaning up, I kiss him softly on his lips. He grasps my face in his hand brushes my jaw with his thumb. "That was definitely worth coming in here for. I'll send Robert in. I love you."

  Furrowing my brow, I try to give him my best pouty face. "What is it?"

  "You always call me beautiful. You didn't that time."

  "Forgive me, princess, I was unaware of the formalities of it all. I love you, beautiful." He leans down and softly kisses my cheek.

  "I love you too." I watch him as he stands and walks from our room. Who knew that I would fall head over heels in love with a man and move in with him in less than two weeks? I surely didn't. He has completely taken me by surprise.

  Fluffing my pillow, I sit back against the headboard. My hand may be sore, but I'm not tired. I need something to do. Hearing a knock on the door, I look up to find Robert.

  "Hey, butthead. I was told you were defending little old ladies from dastardly villains and you broke your hand."

  "Something like that."

  He sits beside me and holds out his hand. I take my pill from him and pop it into my mouth. He hands me another glass of water and I have no problem finishing that one as well. Putting his arm around my shoulder, he pulls me to him. "I worry about you, kid."

  "I know."

  "You've known him a little over a week and you’re already living with him? That's crazy, Eve. You must be the most rational person I know. I come back from California and I find out you have a new boyfriend and you move in with him only after a couple of days. Plus, I haven't heard from you for a couple of days, and we usually talk daily, even if it's just a text. Now, I get a phone call saying you've punched someone and broke your hand. I don't know, kid. This all seems pretty crazy to me."

  "I know." I put my head down staring into my hands. It does all seem crazy, but it all feels right, except for my hand, that shit hurts.

  He sighs and kisses the top of my head. "I love you, butthead."

  "I know. I love you too."

  "If this gets to be too much, I want you to call me." Yawning, I rest my head on his shoulder. "I know you’re tired, but before you doze off, I wanted to give you some news."

  My stomach drops. The last time someone gave me news, it ended horrifically. A tear falls from my eye as I sit up to look at him.

  "Hey, hey no tears. This is good news, kid. I promise. Rycore is opening a Chicago office, and since I'm already here, they've asked me to help start it. I get to help the new branch get on its feet. I'll be around for at least the next six months, possibly longer. That's good, yeah?"

  I can't contain my excitement. I've missed him so much. Texting is not the same as having your big brother around to harass every day. "Really? Oh, my God. That's so exciting!" A couple more tears fall from my eyes and I wipe them away with my injured hand. "Damn it!" I need to stop using it, but it's just a natural reaction.

  "Seriously, if you don't stop hurting your hand, I'm going to tape it to your body. Theron told me you rolled over on it and knocked it on the door. Try not to do anything else to it while I’m here. Get some sleep, kid. I'll be here when you wake up."

  I lie back on my pillows and Robert fixes my covers for me. He stops at the door and turns to look at me. "Hey, butthead, your boyfriend has some fancy digs." I roll my eyes at him as he walks away laughing.

  “Hey, beautiful, can you wake up for me?" I want to open my eyes, but they feel so heavy. "Come on, Eve, I need you to wake up for me." Managing to get one eye open, I squint from the light. I open my other eye and it takes a minute for them to adjust.

  My mouth is so dry. My lips are sticking to my teeth, and my tongue feels like I've been licking sand.

  Thunder booms and lightning flashes outside my window. I can hear the pitter patter of the rain just starting to fall. I love the sound of thunderstorms. For some reason, I find them relaxing. "It’s raining?"

  "Yeah, it just started, but it’s really coming down out there."

  I attempt to clear my throat, but my voice still croaks. "What time is it?"

  "It's just a little after seven. You've slept most of the day. I made you some soup. Let's prop you up and I'll get you a tray." I sit up and stretch, making sure not to move my arm. Fixing my pillows, I lean back against the headboard. I look at my hand and the swelling has gone down.

  Theron places a tray over my lap with my soup on it. I try my best to eat it without making a huge mess, but I'm right handed, so I end up spilling more than I get in my mouth.

  "Maybe a sandwich would have been better, sorry I didn't think about it."

  "No, it's fine. It's really good and my mouth is really dry." I take another sip of the broth. The hot liquid feels amazing pouring down my throat. "I feel out of it. My head is so foggy."

  "That would most likely be the pain meds. The doctor said as needed, so I'll wait until you ask before I give you more. Kayla called. I'm not sure how she found out, but I have a guess." Theron nods his head towards the hallway.

  I'm su
re Robert told her. I'm not worried about it. She would have found out Monday at work. I didn't even think about work, typing with one hand is going to suck.

  "So, I was just thinking about work."

  "Do you want to stay home? I can call it in for you now, if you want." He doesn’t want me to work, but I have to. I'm not going to be a leech. He picks up my phone from the nightstand, but I stop him.

  "No, that's not what I meant. It's going to suck typing with one hand. It's going to take me twice as long. I can log in tomorrow and bring up Monday's accounts. Would you help me log them? If I could finish at least half of the entries I should be able to finish the rest at the office."

  "I wonder if this new company knows what a dedicated employee they have. Not only is she willing to work on a Sunday, but with a broken hand as well."

  "Technically, it's just two fingers."

  "Technically, it's just two fingers on your right hand, so broken hand counts. I'll help you though, babe. I don’t mind. Speaking of company, Gram's business partners can't find that company. I'm not sure I feel safe with you working there. How does a company not exist? There's no data or records for it. It must belong to a larger conglomerate, but why would they hide it?”

  "Maybe so nosy people like you can't find them."

  "Oh, so now I'm nosy. Here I thought I was your handsome follower. I've been downgraded." Laughing, I crinkle up my napkin, tossing it at his head. "You've got pretty good aim for someone who doesn’t use their left arm."

  "You should keep that in mind. Perhaps the next time I'll use my left hand when I punch someone." I laugh at the thought, but when I look at Theron, he is not amused.

  His eyes are incredibly dark, and I watch his jaw muscle flex as he clenches his mouth shut. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he looks directly at me. "No. You shouldn't be punching anyone at all. I can't believe you even did it the first time. I will always protect you. Don't ever put yourself in harm’s way again." I feel like a chastised child. I finish my soup in silence.

  Taking the tray off my lap, he sets it at the end of the bed. "I love you, I just don't want to see you hurt."

  "I know."

  "Would you like to take a shower? I can wrap your hand so it doesn't get wet."

  "Yes, please. I smell like a hospital."

  Theron wraps my hand with plastic wrap and tape. It's a makeshift wrap, but it should work okay.

  Stepping into the shower, I close the glass door behind me. I let the hot water spray down on my back and sides as my thoughts race through my mind. I still can’t believe Theron’s dad could be so hateful. It must be awful having a parent so cruel.

  Once the shower fills up with steam, I dip my head back into the water. The water washes over me, taking my thoughts with it. I sit under the stream of water until the heat starts to fade away.

  Grabbing a towel, I dry off and wring as much water as I can from my hair before I slip on a pair of Theron's boxers and one of his undershirts. The armholes are loose so I'm able to put it on, with minimal usage of my hand. Carefully, I peel the plastic wrap and tape from my arm.

  I'm about to leave the room, when I spot the sling laying on the nightstand. Slipping it over my head, I ease my arm into it. My feet pad along the hardwood floor as I make my way into the kitchen. I find Theron sitting on the couch watching a movie.

  "Where's Robert?"

  "He stepped outside to make a phone call." Making myself comfortable on the couch, I lay my head in Theron's lap. His fingers comb through my wet locks. "You didn’t dry your hair."

  "Kind of hard with one hand."

  "I bet." His fingers leave my hair, and find their way to the back of my neck, massaging it with slow circles and I close my eyes. I'm so relaxed, I barely register the sound of the front door closing.

  "Shhh." I can hear Theron whisper to my brother, but I don't open my eyes.

  "Is she asleep?"

  "I think so."

  I can hear Robert walking across the hardwood floors. Theron just sits quietly massaging my neck. I don't plan on moving from this spot. I'm so comfortable.

  "So, what did the guy at your office have to say? Was he able to find anything out? I'm coming up dry on my end, but I have my suspicions."

  "He was able to find some records, but they are linked with some kind of computer entry data system. It's not much of a trail, but at least it's something. My question for you is, whether you think he would go this far."

  "He has the means, and his hate for me is immeasurable. He will go to any means to destroy me."

  "You need to tell her. Everything. She needs to know."

  "I will, but not until I find out for sure. She's been through so much in the past two weeks. I don't want to worry her about anything."

  "It's your call, but if she gets hurt in the process, you and I will have more than words."

  Words about what? I have no idea what they are talking about. Theron's words haunt me. I can only assume he is talking about his dad. Maybe tomorrow I will pay Isa a visit and see if I can get some information from her. I hate secrets. I'm irritated, but I'm supposed to be asleep, so I keep up with the charade and take some deep, slow breaths. Soon it's not a charade, and I welcome the dream that comes to claim me.

  "Why do we always meet here? Why can't you come to my house? My dad built us a tree house. He says it won't last long, because the sand will take the tree away, but we can go there. I don't have to ask my other friends. It could just be us."

  I stare at the boy with the sunglasses. I wish he would talk to me. He's always so quiet when we play. Kayla thinks he's dumb because he won't even tell us his name. I don't think he's dumb. I think he's broken. My cousin had a dog once that was afraid of people. It was never mean or anything, but it would hide whenever people came around. My cousin saved his dog from some mean people that were hurting it. It took a while for the dog to get used to me. I wonder if it will take a while for the boy in the sunglasses to get used to me too.

  He draws me a picture in the sand. It's my name in a heart. There's another letter at the top, but the waves wash it away before I can see what it is.

  "Do you like me? Do you like the beach? Is that why we meet here?" I can see Kayla chasing Matt down the sand dune. They are laughing and having fun. Looking back at the boy, I notice he is smiling at me. "What?" He's always smiling at me.

  "You're beautiful. Your parents should have named you that." My cheeks turn red and I turn my face away from him. It's the first time I remember him saying a complete sentence.

  "That's not my name, though."

  "I know, but it's what I call you.” I look back at his face, wishing I could see his eyes.

  "Does the sun bother you? You never take them off."

  "Not really, I just like them. My mom says they hide my secrets." He reaches across towards me and rests his hand softly on my cheek. His skin is so hot.

  "I don't like secrets. They hurt people." He turns away from me, dropping his hand, and looks back out at the lake.

  It's a clear day. I can see Chicago way off in the distance. It looks like a bunch of gray and black rectangles on the horizon. It looks so small from here. We sit there quietly for a while.

  I hear someone yelling. I turn to see an older lady with long dark black hair waving at us.

  "I guess I have to go. If I tell you a secret, will you come back and meet me this afternoon? I should be able to sneak back out. I hid my skateboard earlier so they can't find it."

  "I'll meet you."

  He takes my hand in his. "I have to go away for a while. My mom is sick. My dad doesn't like me coming here. If he finds me here again, he'll send me away. I think he's going to anyways. Can you meet me here so I can see your smile one last time? I'll show you some tricks on my skateboard." He bites his bottom lip. I feel the urge to kiss him, but I've never kissed a boy before. I lean over and place a kiss on his cheek. I kiss my brother and Matt on the cheek all the time, but they don't count.

  The boy with
the sunglasses smiles at me…he has perfect white teeth. He looks over at the lady with dark hair, she's waving for him to come with her as she walks closer. He kisses my cheek and it feels hot, like a sunburn. I watch him walk up the beach. The lady with the dark hair stands straight and looks right at me. She's incredibly beautiful and has piercing green eyes; I can see them from where I sit.

  Eyes! I know those eyes. I sit straight up in the dark. I can hear Theron breathing beside me.

  Letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, I look on the nightstand for my phone. I stand up and slide the screen making sure to keep the light out of Theron's face. It's almost three in the morning. My heart is racing inside my chest. My hands are shaking. That wasn't a dream. Those are not dreams. I remember all of them.

  Kayla, Matt, and I would spend our summers on the beach. We could walk from my house. I remember there being other kids. We seemed to have new friends every summer.

  I don't know why I pushed the memory of the boy with the sunglasses out of my head, but I did. I can't confront him about it, not when I know he's already hiding something else. It's way too early to talk to Isa about this, but I need to talk to someone. I know those were her eyes I saw. My fingers quickly tap away on my phone, shooting Kayla a text in hopes I'm not losing my mind.

  Well, that wasn't helpful. My only option is to try and get some sleep.

  I take a pain pill and wash it down with a glass of water he left for me beside the bed. Lying back down, I pull the covers up over me. Theron rolls towards me and wraps his arm around my waist.

  This is the first time I am not comforted by his touch. I'm worried about what other secrets he's keeping from me. I wonder if he knew who I was all along? I didn't remember him…maybe he didn't remember me either.

  Waking up, I reach for Theron, but he's not there. I sit up and check my phone. It's a little after ten in the morning. I carefully stretch my injured hand, it hurts, but surprisingly it feels a lot better than it did earlier. I run my fingers through my hair. It's wavy from me sleeping on it while it was wet. I want to change my clothes, but all my clothes are in the spare bedroom where Robert is sleeping.