Steven
Page 21
After the first month, I started living on my nerves, waiting, wondering when he’d do something. In the end I went to the police, but not much could be done without proof.
Ed was interviewed but expressed surprise and sorrow that I was being subjected to stalking.
Following the advice of the police, I changed my landline phone number and got a new number for my cell phone. Changed all my email addresses, although I did have to keep my business one.
All those months of continual harassment had made me afraid to go out unless I had someone with me. I had become afraid of my own shadow. Afraid to answer the phone, to check my emails, to even open the door.
I became withdrawn, rarely leaving the protection of my home. Before all of this, I’d been a confident, single woman with the world at my feet. But that all changed as I became reclusive.
No one could understand why I was withdrawing. They thought with the threat of Ed gone, I should have been okay, and to be honest, I should have been. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t trust anymore. It was all I could do to live from day to day.
I tried, I tried hard to push past the terror, to live again, but each time I ended up acknowledging the fear rising up to choke me. I became a loner. Only two couples stuck by me—Becky and Cass Lees, and Charlie Lyton and Justin. I had no idea what I would have done without them. They saved my sanity. They held my hand when the darkness threatened and helped me as I slowly tried to rebuild my life, my confidence. It took me almost a year, but at last I reached a point where I could see people without thinking they might hurt me. Slowly, I rebuilt my trust.
It was Cass who suggested I get away and recharge. It was him who convinced me I was ready to take this next step. He was the reason I now breathed in the clean salty air. And as I took in that deep breath, I knew he was right.
Clambering back over the rocks, I reached the edge of the rock shelf and watched the waves crashing against it, the salt spray invigorating.
I couldn’t help myself, I took a deep breath and shouted, “Okay, Anabelle Rowley, it’s time to get rid of the past and grab life again.”
Sitting down, I dangled my legs over the edge of the rocks touching the water with my toes. I knew I’d get wet but I didn’t care. I wanted the sea to cleanse me, to make me whole again. Except I didn’t expect the set of waves that followed. Within less than a heartbeat, I was soaked to the skin. After my initial shock, I started to laugh and it was good to be able to. Maybe it was the first real laugh I’d had in many months.
After getting to my feet, I walked back to the beach, dripping. I still couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. It was as if I were a little kid. Taking a quick glance to make sure no one was around, I did a little dance on the edge of the sand, kicking and splashing the water. I was wet. I figured I may as well go the whole hog and dived in under a wave. It was cold, but as I paddled about, I was sure this was one of the best things I’d done in the last ten years.
Finally, I thought I better get back to the villa. I’d started shivering a little and needed to put on some dry, warm clothes. Revitalized, I climbed from the water and walked up the beach. A late-afternoon chill was creeping into the air as the sun sank lower. I must have been out for a few hours. I went inside and quickly jumped into the shower after peeling off my wet clothes and throwing them into the bath. I’d chuck them into the washer later. The hot water warmed my chilly skin. I closed my eyes and raised my face, letting the water run all over my body. I washed the salt and sand from my hair then finally got out.
Wrapping a towel around myself, I padded into the kitchen and was surprised to see it was almost four twenty-five. I went to the fridge, opened the door, and stood staring in. Wasn’t sure what I wanted to eat, but I did know I couldn’t be bothered with cooking despite the large chef cooker. Shutting the refrigerator door, I picked up the menu from the restaurant and studied their room service list.
Mmm, yum.
After picking up the house phone, I ordered myself a nice vegetarian lasagna with a mango salad and a Macadamia nut cheesecake to be delivered around six-thirty. After giving my villa number, I hung up, pulled on some underwear, jeans, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. I dragged a pair of fluffy socks on my feet and surveyed the outside view.
I watched the sun sink behind the distant mountains. It had almost disappeared when the last rays hit the water, turning it golden as I stood on the patio. Although I’d only been here a few hours already, I felt different. I thought I could at last truly free myself from the past.
****
The next morning, I woke early. I’d left the glass wall open and had fallen asleep watching the moonlight play on the water, snuggled under a thick warm comforter. Now the sun just crested the horizon and it was simply stunning. Orange, gold, and yellow streaks hit the wispy purple-edged clouds and bounced across the surf. The wave crests turned gold as they broke. I sat up in bed, mesmerized by the spectacle. I was sad that within ten minutes the morning show was over as the sun slowly rose higher and the day brightened. There were heavy, dark-purple clouds on the horizon and I wondered if that meant we were in for a storm later in the day.
After getting out of bed, I dressed in a pair of three-quarter jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. In the kitchen, I studied the fridge contents and settled on mushrooms, poached eggs, and multi-grained toast for breakfast with a cup of tea. Once I had it made, I sat on the verandah to eat and watch the world go by.
All at once, I realized I had a visitor—actually three. Right in front of the entrance were three kangaroos. I sat as quietly as I could. The receptionist had warned me these were wild ’roos and not to feed them. As long as I was careful around them, there shouldn’t be a problem. I would remember not to get between a male and any of his harem. These three were females and two had joeys in their pouches. While I watched them eating the grass, another six bounded in.
It was obvious who the boss was. A large, well-developed male spied me and stared. I almost buckled under his in-depth gaze and his glare never wavered. The other five were two more females and three youngsters. The big boss decided a closer investigation was warranted. With one bound, he came onto the patio then proceeded to sniff around, getting closer and closer to me all the while. I held my breath as he reached my side.
Keeping very still, I murmured softly, “Hello there.”
This big boy reached maybe around one and three-quarters of a meter, or six feet in the old scale, if he stood straight upright. His muscles would have made a gym junkie very envious. He put a paw on my hand as it lay on the chair arm and studied my face. Leaning forward, he sniffed me. I looked at that paw on my hand with each sharp nail as long as one of my fingers and hoped I’d pass muster. If not, he could inflict serious injuries in less than a heartbeat.
Still keeping his paw on me, he inspected the table and spied my half-eaten breakfast. A half hop and he pinched a slice of toast. So much for not feeding them. I carefully moved the plate further onto the table—multi-grain toast I didn’t mind, but I didn’t think egg was a good idea for a kangaroo. He finished eating the toast then realized the plate was well out of his reach.
He glared at me as if to say, “I was going to eat that,” but he sat back on his heels and turned his head to gaze across at his family. I was thankful I obviously passed the test as he casually went back out to his girls and joined them eating grass.
It was a truly wonderful experience. I’d seen ’roos thousands of times, fed them in local zoos and animal parks, but this was the first time I’d been up close and personal with wild ones. Although I guessed they’d really be considered semi-wild. After finishing my breakfast, I watched my visitors for about a half an hour as they worked their way back into the bush.
Getting to my feet, I said, “Okay, time to start this holiday properly.”
End of sample chapter
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Steven