Crazy Love

by Rachael Tamayo

  After several minutes, I finally gave up and made an excuse to get her to leave. What’s the point in talking to someone that isn’t listening and acts like I’ve got one foot in the door of the asylum?

  Now I’m having nightmares. Voices waking me up in the middle of the night. At least I’m not hearing them during the day.

  Not yet, anyway.

  I get back into bed, but I can’t sleep. Every little sound perks my ears, makes my head turn and I burrow further under the blankets as if they can protect me.

  I let my mind drift to Isaiah, his smiling kisses all afternoon, his stupid jokes. I wish I could call him, but it’s three in the morning. He’d have a heart attack if I woke him up, especially if it was just to tell him I had a bad dream.

  I was afraid to tell him about what’s going on. The last thing I want, after finding him again, is to scare him off by making him think that I’m losing my marbles.

  There just has to be some rational explanation for this. Tomorrow I’m going to his apartment for dinner. He wants to cook for me. The thought makes me smile. Slowly, my fear melts into something warm, and I drift back to sleep dreaming of Isaiah.

  ***

  Nothing spectacular happens all day. I’m lulled slowly into a sense of everything is okay as I count the time down to my date.

  No weirdness, no headaches.

  I spend the day cleaning up and ignoring text messages from Caroline.

  She’s the last person I want to talk to right now. She’s only confusing me further. I never thought I’d be one to doubt my own senses, but after I talk to her I always do.

  I dress in a wraparound pencil skirt in burgundy and a white lace form fitting top with a deep enough neckline to show off my cleavage. High heels, I tousle my hair, and I’m out the door.

  “Don’t wait up Maxie.” I blow my dog a kiss.

  Twenty minutes later I’m knocking on his door. The same door I remember being pressed up against months ago in a breathless kiss. The door opens and I’m faced with a handsome, smiling blonde. Charcoal dress pants and a deep blue shirt. His cologne wafts out as he looks me over.

  “Hey beautiful.” He steps aside to let me in.

  The scent of Mexican food hits my nose and makes my mouth water.

  “Hi handsome. What’s cooking?”

  He smiles, closing the door as I turn in the room. It’s just as I remember it. Clean and manly. He’s so much tidier than I am.

  “Your apartment is so pretty.” I sigh, walking over to the big window that overlooks the woods.

  I feel his body come up behind me, his hands on my hips.

  “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. Are you hungry?”

  I nod. “I’m starving. Do you like to cook? Or is this special just for me?” I turn to face him.

  He gazes happily down at me. “Yes, ma’am. I sure do. You look stunning, by the way.”

  I bite my lip and tilt my head. “Thank you. So what’s for dinner?”

  Isaiah pulls me into his arms, circled around my waist. I smile, touching the buttons on his shirt.

  “Fajitas and rice. Dulce le leche for dessert.”

  My pulse picks up as I take in the feel of his strong body and the delicious way he smells. I told myself today that I wouldn’t sleep with him tonight. Even as I picked out special panties to put on, to match the bra. As I carefully dressed, dreaming of his hands undressing me, I said, not tonight.

  I’ve been under so much stress, what if something strange happens while I’m here? What if he catches me sleepwalking or something? At least I’d have a witness, maybe some answers.

  But the soft way he’s looking at me with these copper brown eyes, his arms curled around me making my skin feel electrified is making me glad that I took careful care picking out my underwear.

  He bends, nuzzling his nose to mine. I grin, he makes me feel like I’ve known him forever. This connection is amazing. What had me scared before, has me excited this time.

  “So let’s eat.” He mutters, then takes my hand and leads me across the room to a set table. The table is round, made of white oak with four gray padded chairs around it. He’s got two candles flickering in the center, so he turns down the lights.

  I smile as he pulls my chair out for me, smoothing my skirt as I sit down. I watch him with a palpitating heart as he walks into the kitchen and retrieves a bottle of wine, pouring two glasses of white.

  The wine is set in front of me, then he heads back to the kitchen and returns with two plates of steaming Mexican food.

  “Isaiah, this is amazing.” I inhale a deep breath of the spicy scent.

  “Well, dig in.”

  We talk and eat and laugh. He refills my glass and brings me cake that melts in my mouth and we laugh and talk more. Eventually, I find myself barefoot in his kitchen helping him wash dishes. I’ve forgotten all the things that I’ve been so worried about all week long. I stand at the sink giggling at his jokes and listening to his stories as if nothing has happened.

  “...So it took me years to get this place decorated like I wanted. I got furniture bit by bit, so it looks like I spent a fortune.” He laughs.

  I close the door on the dishwasher and turn it on. A low hum fills the room under the sound of the soft music playing.

  “It’s gorgeous. I don’t have the eye for this to decorate my place. It’s a mess.”

  He follows me into the living area, where I sit with my legs tucked under me on the couch.

  “Your house is nice.” He touches my hair. I scoot closer to him.

  I look into his eyes, knowing I’m never going to be able to tell him no. The minute I feel his hands on me I’ll be lost. I should get up and go home, but lately home is a little scary. Maybe here I can pull my head back together, settle my soul just a little. I’d like to be just a little bit lost with him.

  Being around him is peaceful.

  “Do you want more wine?” he asks, softly.

  “No, thanks. I’m perfect.”

  He smiles. “You really are.”

  I laugh at his cheesy line, even as he leans in closer. His lips are soft, tasting faintly of the wine. Slow, nibbling kisses that slowly deepen are my favorite, and he doesn’t disappoint. I rise up on my knees, his arms pull me in tight as he tickles my lips, teases me with his tongue. Grabbing him by his collar, I pull him in closer and he groans as our tongues tangle and tease each other.

  Before long I’m on my back, his lips on my throat, hands tugging at the hem of my shirt to gain access to more skin. We take our time, luxuriating in the slow removal of clothes and lips that linger and explore inch by inch. Soon the room is filled with sighs and soft moans.

  My legs wrapped around his hips, this time isn’t like last time. Last time was hot and furious. We were crazed by the heat we generated, driving us into virtual madness together. This time it’s measured and we enjoy every slow moment.

  I look up, reaching and brushing the hair off his face as he loves me. He catches my palm in a kiss with soft eyes as I gasp from the roll of his hips into mine.

  He says my name against my lips in a whisper when it’s done. Still resting between my legs lazily on the couch, he kisses me again.

  “Stay.”

  The single word on his lips catches in my chest. “Okay. Will you make me breakfast?”

  He smiles, his eyes dance across my face. “I will. I think you’re amazing, Emily.”

  “I’m so glad I found you again,” I confess. I never should have left this man.

  He kisses my nose, my lips, my ear. I turn my head and look into tender eyes, falling into them.

  “Come to bed with me.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Chapter Seven

  Isaiah

  She stayed. I grin as Emily curls into me, smiling sleepily in the morning light as it shines into my bedroom. Her lips on my neck, a giggle in my ear.

  “Morning, sexy,” she purrs.

  Rolling up on my side, I kiss smiling lips. “Morning yo
urself. How did you sleep?”

  Her eyes drift closed as she closes in for another kiss. “Best sleep in weeks.” She slings a frisky leg over my hip.

  I graze her thigh and hip with my hand, she scoots into my body pressing soft curves against me.

  “Mmm,” I smile.

  She bites her lip. “Do you have plans today?”

  “Just with you.”

  Another smile coupled with glittering eyes. I want to know everything about the woman that has so fully captured me. There are so many questions that I have for her, but I can’t stop myself from pulling her on top of me after I roll onto my back. Her hair falls around my face as she leans over me, tracing her fingers over my chest.

  I push my hand into her hair, running my fingers through the silkiness.

  “Tell me about your family.”

  She sighs, sitting up giving me a glorious view of her naked body. I slip my hand over her throat, down her body in a slow caress.

  “My family? I don’t really have one. We’re scattered to the Four Winds. I don’t even think about them anymore. I told you about the adoption.”

  “What happened when you left home?”

  “Yeah. I moved in with my friend from school, Laura. We got jobs and worked through school. She was killed in a car accident about three years ago.”

  I didn’t realize she had such a tragic past. I pull my eyes off her body up to her face. She’s not upset, she talks about it as if it’s nothing.

  “Wow, that’s horrible. So you....”

  “Live alone? No family? Yeah, that’s me. It’s okay. I prefer it to being with awful people. I dealt with it a long time ago.”

  I smile, my hands move over her hips. “You want the real thing, and you won’t settle for anything less?”

  Leaning over me, she nods. “Yes. Hang out with people from work sometimes, I used to talk to Caroline a lot, but....”

  She doesn’t finish. Her eyes cloud and she sighs. “She what?”

  “Nothing. It’s nothing. Why are we talking about this?” She nuzzles my nose.

  “I want to know everything about you,” I mutter, between kisses.

  “Well, I never knew who my birth parents were. My mom is this abusive woman that never should have had kids. She used to scream at me for everything. My dad was a bum, didn’t like to work. He spent all day on the beach surfing. It wasn’t super bad, but it just wasn’t good either. I always told myself that I’d do better than that. One day I would be something that I could be proud of, that my kids could be proud of.”

  She slips off of me and settles back on my shoulder. Does she have trouble getting close to people? Are there trust issues? I guess that’s why she freaked out the first time.

  “What about your family?”

  Her voice pulls me back to her face.

  “It must have been awful to lose your mom that way,” she continues.

  I shrug. “Yeah, it was bad. Took a long time for me and my sister to recover from losing her. My mom was an amazing woman. But like you said, life goes on.”

  I almost tell her that I’ll take her to meet them all, my family, someday, but I don’t. I also almost asked her how many kids she wants, but I swallow that question down too. Instead I get up.

  “What do you want for breakfast?”

  Her eyes drift over my body lazily, making me smile. “Surprise me.”

  As I pull on a pair of gray sweatpants, her phone rings in the living room, I run to grab it, just a number on the screen. After tossing it to her, she smiles and answers.

  “Hello... how did you get this number...?” Her face goes white. “No, No I didn’t... look, this has gone on long enough....”

  She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “It’s him. He’s calling me.”

  With a frown, I take the phone from her.

  “Hello, who is this?”

  “Um, this is Noah, who is this? I was talking to Emily.”

  I look down at her, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “This is Detective Penrose with Katy Police. Miss Bronte has advised me that you are harassing her?”

  The guy coughs. “Harassing her? No, I’m not harassing her. Detective, I appreciate what you’re doing but there are things you don’t know about Emily...” I cut him off, not willing to listen to any of his crap.

  “No, you listen. If you refuse to stop contacting her, I’ll be forced to contact the district attorney’s office and pursue charges. Do you understand me?”

  He laughs, a light chuckle. “Yes, officer. I understand you perfectly.”

  “Good. Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

  “No.” The line goes dead.

  I look over at her, she’s holding her knees to her chest, crying.

  “Tell me what is going on.”

  Emily looks up at me with sad eyes. “You might want to sit down.”

  ***

  Noah

  I look down at the phone in my hand with a frown. Why would she call the police? And where was she all night long? It’s almost noon, she never came home.

  None of this makes sense. Emily loves me, she’d never call the police on me.

  Not that I’m concerned, I know where to go to get more information on this Penrose. I need to know who he is, and why Emily is with him. There has to be a reason. She knows that she’s mine. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at me. In her smile, when she looks up into my eyes, in the way my name comes off her lips.

  She’s mine. There’s a reasonable explanation for this. Maybe it’s the stress. Perhaps I should back off the scare tactics for a day or so, let her settle a bit. I’ve noticed how jumpy she is. Popping Advil off and on complaining of headaches.

  It must be stress. The last thing I want to do is hurt her.

  With a deep breath I scroll through my phone for a number I haven’t called in a while. She’ll help me with this. I’d drop by the police department, but as a Detective Sergeant she doesn’t work on Sundays.

  “Hello.”

  “Julie, it’s been a while.” I put a smile into my voice.

  “This can’t be Noah. I haven’t heard from you in a long time.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. You know how it is, I get lost in my little world over here.”

  She laughs. “That’s okay. I know how important that world is to you. So how have you been?”

  And so the small talk goes. Catching up with her after over a year without calling her. The lack of contact doesn’t stop her from flirting, dropping innuendo. Of course I pick it up, and give it right back.

  A man has to do what he has to do to get things done.

  When I ask her to lunch, she jumps right on it. Unfortunately, she’s not in town so I have to wait until tomorrow.

  I don’t like to wait.

  I crack my knuckles as I sit in the car, one street over from my beloved’s house. Emily is worth waiting for.

  ***

  Emily

  I look up into Isaiah’s face, clutching the blanket to my chest. As I tell him the whole story, every screwed up detail, I cry. I’m not proud of it, but I can’t seem to hold back. I pride myself on being strong, but something in the look in his eyes as I confess everything that has happened over the last few weeks, it’s like a dam broke.

  At some point, He pulls me into his lap, which only makes the crying worse. I bury my face in his neck, as if it’s the last time I’ll get to inhale his scent fearing he will lose my number after this.

  “Honey, why didn’t you tell me?” His voice is soft and sweet. Not appalled like I expected.

  “It sounds crazy. I have a hard time believing it myself.”

  He lifts my head, forcing my eyes to his. Warm fingers brush the damp from my cheeks.

  “Baby, it’s not crazy. I don’t think you’re crazy.”

  He doesn’t think I’m crazy. Well, that’s a relief. I inhale a deep, shaky breath.

  “I didn’t want to bother you with it. How would I even start?” />
  “That’s what boyfriends are for.”

  Boyfriend. He’s done it now. Something light flutters down into my chest, as if a feather had been dropped there, settling on my heart. Somehow, it eases the strain I’ve been under.

  “You don’t think it’s all in my head? What could it be?”

  “There’s a reasonable explanation for everything, I don’t doubt it one bit. Didn’t you ever wonder if maybe someone was breaking into your house? Doing all this to mess with you?”

  “Who would do that? And what about Caroline? She’s so certain when she talks about Noah. And the look she gives me, like I belong in a home or something. She’s been my friend for two years, why would she lie?”

  “Money. Noah has money, you said so. He seems to be a bit weird over you, from what you’ve said. Maybe it’s him. He’s calling you on your phone and he comes to your work and tells you that you forgot all that stuff? I think you’re overlooking him.”

  I swallow. His arms tighten around my hips.

  “I guess I just don’t want to believe it. Why me? I’m nobody special. He doesn’t know me.”

  Astounding relief coupled with terror twists up inside me. Isaiah believes me. I’m not crazy. But that would mean Noah has been in my house, following me, getting to my friends and having them lie to me. A fist of ice wraps around my heart.

  Is he stalking me? Would he hurt me?

  “Emily, you’re assuming that he’s a rational thinker. Maybe he’s not. Lots of people with serious issues walk around able to function, giving no clue that something is wrong. On top of it, he has money, and lots of it. Everything you’ve said is easily something he could be orchestrating to screw with your head. He might have some twisted reasoning behind it, we can’t know for sure at this point. I’d have to look into it.” His light-colored eyes are soft with concern.

  Would Caroline really sell my friendship for money?

  Would a stranger, that doesn’t even know anything about me, really be doing all this to me?

  The warmth of his hands is soothing as I breathe in what he’s suggesting. He’s a cop, so he would know. Probably handles strange things every day without even blinking. Can probably smell a lie a mile away too.