"Maybe sooner," she said, returning my smile.
She stepped forward and hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back a little awkwardly and then disengaged.
"Bye, Everett," she repeated and walked away.
As I was walking away, I got my phone out, and saw that I had missed a call from Vivienne; my phone had been on silent, so there had been no ringtone. I called her back and was utterly shocked to hear that while I had been away, Simon had broken into her house.
"I'll be right there," I told her and sprinted out to my truck.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Vivienne
I did as they instructed, and then after they had determined that I was not the intruder, they sat down and asked me some questions while they wrote a report. They assured me they would have someone patrolling the area every thirty minutes and encouraged me to call if I suspected anything unusual.
As they were leaving, Everett returned my call. I told him what happened, and the tone of his voice when he promised me he was on his way was more than a little reassuring.
I sat in my kitchen waiting for him, drinking tea to try to calm my nerves and hearing every tiny sound. He arrived in 15 minutes, and I soon as I saw him, I ran to him. The moment his strong arms were around me, I felt safe.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you," he said. "I should have been; I really should have been."
"It's not your fault, not at all," I said. "How could you have known? You had to be with your daughter."
"But he got inside the house! That bastard got in here!"
"It doesn't matter; it's over now. You're here, and I'm safe. I'm so glad you're here."
He looked into my eyes, fixing an intense gaze on me. "If he touches a single hair on your head, I'll tear him limb from limb. I mean that," he said, and I could tell he was serious.
"I feel so safe with you. Thank you," I said, and then I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. The kiss started slow and gentle, but soon it became immensely passionate as we were both consumed with an almost voracious hunger for one another. All of the fear and panic that had been circulating now seemed to morph into a fiery passion, and at once I could feel an almost explosive arousal heating up my center.
I felt Everett's arousal too, pressing almost violently through his jeans as we kissed with an almost animalistic hunger; something intense had been awoken in him as well, although I wasn't sure what exactly it had been.
And then, right there in the kitchen, it began. Passion took over, and clothes hit the floor with furious eagerness, not caring if we ripped or tore the clothes in the process.
Soon his hands were on my ass, my breasts, squeezing and massaging with a voracious keenness, and his hunger for me drove a fury into my desire for him that verged on the manic.
I ripped his jeans down, and his manhood popped up, pointing skywards in the extreme hardness of its arousal. He slipped a hand between my thighs, massaging and moving rhythmically, working my hot, throbbing wetness. We were both gasping, breathing heavily, and my heart was hammering inside my ribcage like an overheated motor.
"I need you," I whispered into his ear, "I want you. Every part of you."
He swept his muscular arm across the kitchen table, shoving all of the contents to the floor with a crash. I was so turned on that I didn't care.
He picked me up and laid me down on the kitchen table, and spread my legs apart as he stood before me, his chest heaving with the intensity of his breathing and his powerful arousal.
The kitchen table was just the right height, and he stepped in closer as he fed his throbbing hardness into me. I was incredibly aroused, and the feelings of pleasure seemed to be amplified to an even greater degree by the urgency of the moment. Soon he was thrusting in and out, with every thrust of his hips, a fresh boost of bliss shot through me; the feeling of having him inside me, filling me so completely from this position, was exhilarating.
He soon began thrusting with an ever keener and almost ferocious vigor, and his broad, sculpted chest was soon glistening, and beads of sweat were running down his face. He gritted his teeth as he grunted, thrusting like a furious machine, and I felt boost after boost of pleasure ripping through my body with every expert motion of his hips. An orgasm was building, undeniably, like too much steam filling a pressurized container.
I gripped the edges of the table and ground myself against him, moving in time with him, feeling a burn in my thighs and hips as I struggled to match his movements and stay in the same rhythm as him.
The force of the orgasm was as if it were going to explode any moment – and it was going to be intense, I could just feel it.
"Oh, damn, that's so good, that's so good, Everett," I moaned. "Don't stop, don't stop!"
Finally, it erupted, gushing through me, blasting sheer euphoria through every nerve-ending in my body, pulsating spasms of intense bliss through me. I cried out and shuddered as the powerful orgasm tore through every fiber of my being. He continued to push into me until he tensed and came as well, collapsing onto me and crying out loudly as the force of his own orgasm released.
We lay like that, on the kitchen table, panting, in a heated mess, for several blissful minutes, catching our breath.
And after a while, he kissed me softly, looked into my eyes.
"You're amazing," he murmured. "Absolutely amazing."
"So you are," I whispered to him. "So are you."
Chapter Twenty-Six
Everett
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Vivienne asked, looking concerned.
I wasn't, but how could I tell her about what had happened with Liza earlier? There was no way I could mention that. Not without getting into a world of trouble.
"I'm just... tired I guess."
"Well, we have done it three times already since you got back from the hospital," she said with a flirtatious grin and a wink.
I chuckled, appreciating this moment of levity.
"No, it's not that," I said.
"I know," she countered. "I was just joking. Wow, you really must be exhausted. And I can see why; this drug thing at your school, your daughter in the hospital... And it's not like I'm entirely blameless either, I know that. You're worried about me, and you're running around watching out for me on top of everything else. And I really, really appreciate everything you've done for me, and everything you keep doing for me. I want you to know that."
I gave her a long, tight hug.
"Thank you, Viv. I am tired... but that's never stopped me before. I just keep on going and going. It's what I do."
"I can see that – but everyone reaches a point where they burn out, and you need to be careful that you don't burn yourself out, alright? You aren't going to be able to help anyone if you are."
"I know, I know."
"You have to practice some self-love, you know. And I'm aware that that sounds like some new-age bull crap, but it's important to take care of yourself. Burnout is a real thing, and it can have bad consequences."
"Don't worry," I said. "I'll make sure I'm getting enough rest and eating well."
"You better," she said, and then she kissed me. "I care about you very much, you know."
My phone rang as I was leaning in to kiss her. I got it out and saw that it was the hospital.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mr. James. Dr. Alvarado has recommended that your daughter be discharged, so you can come pick her up now if you're able to."
I smiled. "I'll be right over. Thanks."
Vivienne looked at me with a hopeful glint in her eyes.
"Good news?"
"Excellent news. Jane can come home."
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
"Finally! You must be so excited! Well, come on, let's go pick her up right now. And we can watch a movie with her when she gets back. If you'd like to, of course."
"I would like that," I chuckled. "I think you're more excited than I am. But she can come tomorrow. I’m going to
settle into my usual chair here by her bed and I’ll call you in the morning."
***
We pulled into my driveway, and Jane's face lit up, beaming a huge smile. "Daddy! We're home! We're home!" She was still sick but was much better than she had been.
Vivienne was waiting for us on the front steps when we got out of the truck. It was wonderful to see her so happy, and from the broad, warm smile on Vivienne's face, I could tell she was feeling the same thing.
"Yes," she said to Jane. "Welcome home! Are you happy?"
"Very, very, very, very happy!" exclaimed Jane, still gushing with joy. "I don't like the hospital. I don't want to go there. I want to stay home! I like home!"
Vivienne hugged her. "Don't worry, sweetheart," she said in a soft, reassuring tone. "You won't be going back there. You'll be staying at home."
"Will you stay here, too, Vivienne?" asked Jane.
Vivienne and I exchanged a glance, and we both smiled.
"I will tonight if it’s okay with your dad," she said.
"And tomorrow night?" asked Jane excitedly. "Can we have ice cream? And will you stay here again?"
Vivienne laughed warmly. "Well, maybe! We'll see. Now come on, let's go inside. You want to watch a movie, don't you?"
"Yeah! I wanna see a movie!"
Vivienne turned to me. "I'll take her in while you put your truck away."
"Thank you," I said, handing her the spare house keys.
She leaned across and gave me a quick peck on the lips, and then picked Jane up and took her to the side door.
Things felt like they were finally falling into place. I parked the truck and killed the motor. As I was about to grab Jane's bag and get out, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
It was from an unknown number, so I opened the message and started to read.
"Hi, Ev. It was great to see you again yesterday. Ever since I saw you, I haven't been able to get you off my mind. I hope we can see each other again soon. Really, really soon, actually. XXX – Liza."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Vivienne
“Have you ever seen The Little Mermaid, Jane?” I asked as I settled her on the couch with a blanket.
“What's a mermaid?” she asked, looking perplexed.
I chuckled. “I guess that's a 'no,' then. Well, sweetie, a mermaid is like a fish, but also like a girl. She lives in the ocean.”
“She likes swimming?”
“Yes, she does. She spends her whole life swimming under the sea.”
“Ooh! I like swimming, too! I wanna be a mermaid,” she announced.
I laughed and gave her a hug. “You'd make a lovely mermaid, Jane. Well, since I've told you what a mermaid is, would you like to watch a movie about one?”
“Is the mermaid pretty like you?”
I laughed. “You're such a lil' sweetie, aren't you? Thank you for the compliment. Yes, the mermaid in the movie is pretty, very pretty.”
“Yeah! I wanna watch it! Let's watch The Little Mermaid.”
“Just to be courteous, we'll see what your daddy says about it.”
“Daddy always lets me watch whatever movies I wanna watch. He'll say yes, I just know he will.”
“I think if you and I both ask him very nicely ... then yeah, he'll say yes.”
Just then Everett came into the room. I saw immediately from the expression on his face that something was bothering him, but as soon as he saw us, it seemed that he did his best to put on a big smile. I could see, however, the worry lurking behind his eyes. Still, it seemed that at this moment he didn't want to discuss it, so I didn't push it.
“Here's your medicine, sweet pea,” he said to Jane and knelt down next to her with a spoonful of medicine. “I don't know how it's gonna taste, but you have to have it, alright? You can have a piece of chocolate after you have it. So, open wide, and drink all of it, okay?”
Jane nodded, and he gave her the spoonful of medicine, which she swallowed without complaint.
“Good girl,” he said, and he handed her the chocolate, which she took with a smile and popped into her mouth.
“The medicine was a little yucky,” she remarked. “But this chocolate is very yummy!”
He ruffled her hair playfully. “Have we reached a consensus about what we're going to watch?” he asked.
“Well, both of us agree The Little Mermaid would be an ideal choice,” I commented.
He laughed. “Alright, alright, I'm sure we can find that on the smart TV.”
“Yay!” exclaimed Jane. “We're gonna watch The Little Mermaid!”
“Since when do you know what The Little Mermaid is, sweet pea?” Everett asked, looking amused.
“Vivienne told me all about mermaids, Daddy! They're real pretty, they live under the sea, and they're like girls and like fish! I wanna be a mermaid!”
He looked at me, and a deep affection glowed with warmth in his eyes.
“Looks like you're a good influence on this one,” he said to me.
“I try,” I replied with a smile. “But you only need to go look in a mirror to see where the best influence in her life is coming from.”
He smiled at me.
“I try, too,” he said. “Come on, I got some chips and soda, let's settle down and enjoy the movie.”
TWO HOURS LATER
“How much of the movie do you think she saw?” I asked.
“Maybe half. Then it was lights out. Come on, let's put her to bed. She's still running a bit of a temperature, and the doctor said she's going to need a lot of rest.”
He picked up the sleeping form of Jane and gently carried her to her room. I trailed behind them and watched as he lovingly slipped her under the covers, pulled them up over her, and then gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Good night sweet pea,” he whispered. After that, he tiptoed out of the room and took my hand.
“I don't know about you,” he said as he pushed the door gently shut. “But I don't quite feel ready for bed just yet. It's only 7:30.”
I kissed him and smiled.
“Well, I'm feeling a little peckish. Why don't we order a pizza or something, and maybe watch an adult movie?”
“Oh, kinky huh?” he joked. “I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff!”
I jabbed him playfully in the ribs.
“I'm not!” I exclaimed. “Come on, you know what I meant!”
“I know, I know,” he said with a laugh. “You know I'm just teasing. Alright well, I'll order a pizza, and you go look through the latest releases to see if there's anything worth watching. Oh, um, any preference regarding what kind of pizza you'd like? I don't eat pizza that often, and when I do I'm not real fussy about the toppings.”
“Hmm, well I always do enjoy a good Hawaiian.”
“Pineapple on pizza, huh?” he said with a grin. “Good choice. I'll go place the order, you see if there's anything worth watching.”
I went back to the living room, but before I sat down on the sofa, I pulled the drapes back a little and peered out of the window, looking across the street at my house. I shuddered, and a cold jolt of fear rippled through me as I thought of what had happened earlier with Simon. That was the closest he had come to physically getting to me in a very long time, and the thought of what he could have done to me had the cops not showed up terrified me.
It also depressed the hell out of me. I had gone through so much trouble to be free of him—uprooting my life, cutting my ties with the past, moving hundreds of miles away, going through all the bureaucratic hassles of legally changing my name and getting a whole set of new official documents. And after all of that, he still found me. What had I done to deserve this? And would I ever, ever be truly free, or would I have to spend the rest of my life running and hiding, looking over my shoulder all the time and sleeping with one eye open?
This last thought was really crushing, and I almost broke down and started weeping right there and then, but I summoned up all the strength and willpower inside o
f me to do my best to hold everything together. I had to be strong now, not just for me but for Everett. He had an immense amount of pressure on him right now, and he didn't need me to add to all of that.
“Hey,” said Everett, interrupting my thoughts. “The pizza has been ordered. Did you find anything to watch yet?”
“No, to be honest, I haven't even looked at what's available.”
“Ah. Something on your mind?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, since you're standing by the window there looking out, I imagine I know what it is.”
He walked over to me and put his arms around me, giving me a warm, reassuring hug.
“I know that you must be scared. I mean, who wouldn't be?”
“It's not just that,” I said. “It's the fact that... That I'm stuck, that I'm like a prisoner now. I have to look over my shoulder, I have to worry all the time about where he is, whether he's about to pounce. It's horrible Everett, it really is. I can't live like this.”
He squeezed me tightly.
“I know it is, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Nobody deserves this, nobody. But rest assured, I won't let that creep get within a hundred yards of you.”
“I know that, but you can't be around me 24-7, Everett. And even if you could, I would want my independence anyway. But that psycho, that evil asshole, he's robbed me of that!”
Again, I felt like crying, but Everett stroked my head gently and hugged me, and I drew strength from him and managed to keep myself together.
“He'll eventually get caught, you know. I don't know how he wiggled his way out of a jail sentence before, but now he's committed a serious crime. Breaking and entering with the intention to do someone harm is not something that the courts will take lightly. And on top of that, he was breaking a restraining order, multiple times – Mrs. Dobbins will surely testify that she's seen him hanging around your house a few times. And he can be tied to the break-in and threatening message left at your daycare. When all of that is added up, he'll be looking at some serious prison time.”
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