"Betty asked you to give Theo to Lucy, didn't she?" he asked.
"Yes, but I don't think they knew each other."
"Are you sure Betty never mentioned her before that?"
"Betty never really spoke about anyone," said Isaac. "Really, the only friends she had were Chloe, Jack, and me. In fact, I always thought her friendship with Jack was an unhealthy one."
"What do you mean unhealthy?" I asked. Isaac had never mentioned that to me before. I watched him shift uncomfortably as he stood at the end of my bed.
"Well, I just always thought he left because he had feelings for Betty. You know…romantic feelings."
"What the hell?" I choked. "What's the matter with you, Isaac? Betty is in her seventies!"
"Yes, I know, but he had a really weird obsession with her. He was always talking to her and asking where she was. And I never told you about the day I found him in her house when she wasn't home."
"What was he doing in her house?" I whispered, shock causing my voice to go really quiet.
"Well, I know I shouldn't have, but I followed him. I caught him rifling through her underwear drawer." I felt the world start to sway. "Now don't get upset, Chloe. He promised me he was looking for money. Apparently he was broke and too embarrassed to ask you for any. So he thought stealing from an old lady was better," finished Isaac, putting his hands in the air in a motion of surrender.
"You never thought to mention this to me?"
"Well, no. I didn't really believe the money story, so I thought it was for your own good not to know, but I did keep an eye on him after that." He shrugged.
"Oh my God!" My stomach churned at the thought of Jack with Betty.
"Now, Chloe. Don't overreact," stated Isaac, his hands moving to his hips. "Betty is…well, she is quite attractive for a lady in her seventies."
I saw Isaac frown. Even he didn't believe what he was saying.
"What if Betty did know Lucy?" asked Brody. "Maybe it wasn't a coincidence Lucy was to get Theo. Maybe it was planned. Betty disappears, Lucy dies, and Betty wants Theo back. Maybe whoever killed Lucy wants Theo as well. That could explain all the break-ins at my house and yours." Brody spoke as he thought this through.
"But what secret does Theo hold? He's a dog," I said, pulling Theo in closer for a hug.
"I'm not sure. Just keep him close."
"Should I be worried?" asked Isaac, his voice a squeak. "Are we in danger?"
"I don't think so, but it's probably best if we be extra vigilant until this is sorted out." Brody seemed so calm about it all. Personally, I was feeling the same way Isaac sounded. Strung out and scared.
* * *
To say I felt groggy the next morning would have been the understatement of the year. Even my lovely rain showerhead didn't invigorate me. Caffeine would have to be my friend today. On my way to work, I stopped at my local coffee shop and ordered an extra-large cup with a triple shot of espresso. It didn't help much. In fact, my day just continued to go down hill. I was contemplating finding a new job when I opened my front door and found Jack sitting on my couch.
"How the hell did you get in?" I yelled, placing Theo on the floor. Theo took one sniff at Jack and headed in the opposite direction. Half Theo's luck.
"Key," he answered matter-of-factly. "You still leave it under the pot. You really should find a new hiding spot." He smiledthe charming smile that had once won me over.
"Well, one thing's for sure. I will now."
"I was hoping we could talk. I've missed you."
"That makes one of us."
"Don't be like that. Tell me what I have to do to make you forgive me."
"Leave the country and never return."
"Haha, you still have that same sense of humor," he laughed. "Now, I've been checking around, and I know you aren't really going out with that guy across the road, so what's stopping us from spending some time together?"
"The fact that I despise you. That's a pretty good reason."
Jack stood and moved towards me. I recoiled. "Get any closer and I'll throw this at you," I warned, swinging Theo's poop bag towards him. I was pretty anxious since it was almost three o'clock and that was the time Betty had said she would show up. Jack stepped backwards as the poop bag swung closer than he liked. I moved away from him and headed down the hall.
Jack followed me at a safe enough distance.
I stopped and opened the back door, lifted the lid on the bin, and threw Theo's poop bag inside. I noticed Rick wandering around his backyard, but I didn't stop to chat over the fence. I turned back and walked inside.
"Jack, you need to leave," I said. "You're an ass, and I'm glad you're out of my life. I never want to see you again." I stood defiant, hoping Jack would see I was serious.
He gave me that smile. "You're really cute when you're angry."
I sighed. "You have to leave. I have someone coming over soon."
"Really?"
"Yes. Really!" My annoyance kicked up a notch. Even though I wanted Jack gone, his violet-colored eyes did suck me in just a little, and that was not somewhere I wished to go.
"Who? Who's coming over?" he asked, sitting down at the table.
"Well, not that it's any of your business, but Betty's coming over. She wants to talk to me about getting Theo back."
Jack's smile disappeared. It only took a second for him to put it back in place, but it was enough for me to know his charm wasn't really about winning me back. Before either of us could say another word, my back door swung open and in marched Betty, her gun shining brightly in the afternoon sun.
I'm not sure who looked the most shocked, Jack or me, especially when Betty ran at him.
"I'm not here to make friends, Chloe," she snarled. "Get Theo or I'll kill him," she said, nodding at Jack.
Since there was no love lost between Jack and myself, Betty was seriously delusional if she thought I was going to swap him for Theo. The world slowed as I looked at the little old lady who used to live across the road. The same lady I used to chat happily to every day because I thought she was lonely. The same one who, a month ago, I had thought loved her little dog. Now I saw a coldness in her eyes I'd never seen before. I knew she meant what she was saying. If I didn't hand Theo over, she would kill Jack. I did hate Jack. However, I also loved my little house and did not want a death to occur in my kitchen. As I stood there, debating how to get out of this situation, my back door opened once again, and in stormed my neighbor Rick, an even bigger gun in his hand.
"Get away from him," he growled, moving towards Betty. She stood motionless as she considered her options. I saw her shoulders drop as she gave a very big sigh and put her gun in her purse. She turned and walked toward my front door, muttering under her breath. Only when it had slammed shut did Rick glare at Jack, drop his gun to his side, turn, and leave through the back door.
What the F…!
"Well, it appears Betty is no longer in a retirement village," sighed Jack.
I looked over at him, my heart pounding in my chest. My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor. "What just happened?" I asked, bewildered.
"You left your door unlocked, Chloe. I have repeatedly told you about things like this, but you don't listen do you?" Jack stood and walked to the back door, closing and locking it. As he turned to look at me, he placed both hands on his hips and sighed again. "How do you get involved with things like this?"
"Things like what?" I yelled.
Even though it was a hot day, a chill ran through me. I rubbed my hands over my arms to stop the goose bumps. Jack wasn't listening to me though. He paced the kitchen, wringing his hands together as he walked.
Eventually he stopped in front of me and asked, "Why does Betty want Theo?"
I looked up at him, wondering if he'd grown a second head. I mean, Betty just ran into my kitchen with a gun, and he was asking me about Theo!
"Did you not notice the gun?" I yelled, pulling myself up to stand.
"What?"
"She had a g
un pointed at you, Jack, and all you're worried about is why she wants Theo?" Okay, I was slightly uptight. I'd never actually seen a gun in real life before, and let me tell you, it was not a pleasant experience. "We should call the police," I said, moving to find my phone.
"Calm down, Chloe," said Jack, grabbing my arm. "You really overreact, you know." He stood looking at me, shaking his head. "But seriously, why does she want Theo?"
It was my turn to shake my head. "I have no idea, but she's not getting him."
"What? You would have given him to her, wouldn't you?"
"No."
"But she would have shot me," said Jack, his eyes growing wide at the realization I wouldn't have sacrificed Theo.
"Yeah, that would have been unfortunate. I really like my kitchen, and who knows if your blood would ever come off the cabinets," I snapped.
Jack looked disgusted. "Next time I suggest you give her the dog."
"Next time? There's not going to be a next time!"
"I don't want you to get hurt, Chloe. Maybe you should give Theo to me. I'll keep him safe until this is over."
"Over my dead body," I spat.
"Exactly! I hope it doesn't come to that."
I wasn't one hundred percent sure what Jack meant, but I saw a coldness in his eyes that resembled what I'd seen in Betty's. I was about to ask him to leave when I heard footsteps coming down my hallway. I recognized the sound of those footsteps and breathed a sigh of relief as Brody stepped into view.
"Hey," said Brody, stopping and looking between Jack and myself, trying to gauge the situation. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. Everything's just lovely!" replied Jack, attitude making his voice snappy. "Not that it's any of your business."
I looked at Brody and saw the softness of his lips harden as the muscle in his jaw started to twitch.
"Jack was just leaving," I answered quietly, staring at Jack.
"Fine, but think about what I said, Chloe. Theo would be much better off with me."
"Yeah, and like I said, that won't be happening."
I heard Jack's disgusted sigh before he turned, opened the back door, and disappeared, slamming my gate behind him.
Brody moved towards me, his eyes warm and filled with concern. "Isaac told me you had a bad night last night. I came over to see if you're okay."
I rubbed my arms in an attempt to eliminate the chill that was left with me. Brody moved closer, and I felt my temperature start to rise. I looked up into his eyes and smiled. The world felt better already.
"I used to think I was pretty good at judging a person's character, but Betty has proved to me I really suck at it." I started to fill Brody in on the events of the last thirty minutes. I was just about to tell him how Betty ran in with a gun when his phone rang. I stopped as he looked at the screen, sighed, and rejected the call. It immediately rang again. He rejected it again. On the third attempt he looked at me and apologized.
"Sorry, Chloe. It's Becky. It must be really urgent."
"Oh, okay. Sure, whatever," I said, feeling that familiar lump return in my throat.
Brody stepped out the back door and answered his call. I strained to listen, all thoughts of Betty temporarily forgotten as I heard a few mms and ahhs, and then I heard him say, "I'll be right over."
I quickly turned away from the door and pretended to be very busy finding something in my cutlery drawer. As he stepped back in the kitchen, I lifted the first thing I could get my hands on and slammed the drawer shut. Brody stopped in his tracks and looked at me.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," he said. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. Just dandy." I smiled tightly. I noticed him look at my hand.
"What are you going to do with that?" he asked.
I realized I'd picked up a carving knife and that I was holding it as if I was about to stab something. Funny…it was Becky's pretty face that popped into my mind.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Once again I slept like crap, thoughts of Jack and Brody filling my dreams all night long. To make things worse, that time of the month had arrived.
Now the worse thing about that for me was it made me emotional. Add the events of the last month to that, and to say I was a bit of a wreck was an understatement. I looked in the mirror and saw dark puffiness under my eyes. No amount of eye patches or creams would fix that.
I'd phoned the police late last night and advised them about Betty and my neighbor Rick. Apparently handguns are illegal in Australia, and the police act pretty quickly on this kind of information. Unfortunately, neighbor Rick wasn't home when they knocked on his door. Hopefully they would catch up with him today.
Tears welled and spilled over my lashes. I really wanted to stay in my hiding place in Denial Land, but some days the truth kept popping its ugly head up, making the world a much worse place than it already was. I blew my nose on some toilet paper and headed downstairs in search of my running shoes.
On days like today, I needed fresh air, a good cup of coffee, and my favorite hiding spot near the river.
My first stop was the coffee. Leaving my sunglasses covering my eyes, I tied Theo to an outside table and walked into the cool, darkened room. I ordered my usual skinny cappuccino and stood against the back wall to wait for my order.
Brody walked in, his long legs stretching effortlessly as he moved to the counter. I pushed my back hard against the wall, hoping he wouldn't see me as I hadn't even bothered with makeup this morning.
I watched the barista flirt with him as she took his order, jealousy mixing with all the other emotions I had happening today. His laughter, deep and sexy, cut through the air, and my stomach clenched as my throat closed. Tears stung my eyes once again.
Brody was the biggest emotional turmoil in my life. Sure, Betty had entered my home, my safe place, with a gun and threatened Jack. No love lost there, so that bit didn't really bother me, but it had freaked me out. Betty threw me. How could I have been so wrong about someone? And why did Rick come in, save Jack, and then leave without muttering a word?
I watched as Brody moved away from the counter and stood back, still chatting to the barista as she made our coffee
I looked at him, studying his face. The light from the front of the shop illuminated him perfectly so I could see every laugh line and imperfection he had. Okay, so there were no imperfections. Today he was freshly shaven and looked like he'd had a haircut. Humor lit his eyes as he listened intently to what the barista had to say.
That was one of the things about him I had fallen for. When he listened to you, he made you feel like you were the only person worth listening to. My heart squeezed. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans as they sat low on his hips. Occasionally, he lifted his arms and I got a glimpse of skin above his belt. Lust rolled around in my stomach with every other emotion, creating a big, swirling pit of anxiety.
"Chloe!" the barista called.
I didn't hear her. I was so caught up in my thoughts, it was only when Brody turned to me and smiled, that I crashed back down to Earth. Humiliation at being caught staring at him made my cheeks flare.
"Chloe." He smiled.
"Oh hi, Brody, sorry I didn't see you there. In a world of my own." I attempted to smile. Brody saw straight through my lie. I grabbed the opportunity to look away from him as I reached for my coffee.
"Are you okay?" he asked, as I hurried past him.
"Yeah, I'm great thanks. I just left Theo tied up, so I have to run. Sorry." I put my head down, my hair falling forward on my face, and adjusted my sunglasses so they covered as much skin as possible. Theo pulled against his leash as I reached him. He too had seen Brody.
"It's alright, little man," I said, retrieving him from the table leg. "We're not stopping to talk to Brody today. He's very busy."
Theo didn't like my reply and pulled backwards against his leash as I walked towards my hiding spot. I needed to think and having Brody anywhere near me meant that wouldn't happen. Whenever he was around all bl
ood not needed for essential organs rushed to areas I didn't want to talk about.
Theo almost slipped his collar at one point, he was pulling backwards so hard, so I gave up, bent down, picked him up, and walked with a new purpose away from Brody. What I didn't anticipate was that Brody's legs were longer than mine, and he was a hell of a lot fitter as well. He caught up with me within minutes. Damn.
"Chloe!" he called. I kept walking, pretending not to hear him. "Chloe!" Only when he grabbed my arm, did I slow down. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing's wrong," I lied.
"Well, then, can you stop walking and look at me?"
I thought about this for a second. "No. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Where are you going? I'll walk with you."
"No. It's okay. I'm just walking Theo. He missed his walk yesterday, and I think he's putting on too much weight," I rushed, making up the lie as I went.
"Chloe, you're carrying him. How much weight's he going to lose?"
"Oh." Shit.
I stopped and put Theo on the ground. He immediately moved to Brody and stood against his leg. Traitor. Brody obliged by picking him up.
I started to walk again, only stopping when I had reached my spot. "Thanks, but I can take Theo from here," I said, hopefully dismissing Brody and suggesting he leave. I waited for him to hand Theo back. The seconds passed as he stared at me.
"What's happened, Chloe? Has Betty been threatening you again?
I sighed, my heart feeling ten times heavier than before. "I just need some time to think, that's all. A lot has happened lately." I moved off the path to the tree that overlooked the river and sat on the grass. Brody followed, placing Theo on the ground as he did so.
Looking out at the water, memories poured out of their hiding places to fill my mind. Mostly they were of Brody. I thought back to the night we'd spent together in the hotel room, and even though at the time I was overcome with hormones, my memory of it now was actually of how I'd felt.
I remembered waking up and finding myself lying on his chest, the feel of his soft skin under my fingertips. I remembered the way my body felt next to his, like it belonged there and how safe I felt in that place. I remembered, when he pulled me in close, how my senses were filled with his scent and how, even first thing in the morning, he smelled like Heaven. I remembered how I'd felt when he let me go. Lonely—that was the part I struggled with most. The loneliness and the yearning for his touch, not just sexually, but just the feel of his fingers entwined with mine. Then images of Becky filled my mind.
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