“I’m going to make myself a drink,” I say as I get up from the chair and head out of the lounge. Lydia doesn’t follow me, which I am grateful for. I’m a little angry with her right now.
As I make myself a drink, my mind wanders to the one person that I think will help me. I take my drink back to my bedroom and sit on the bed before picking up my phone and scrolling through my contacts. After finding the relevant person, I hit the call button.
Jake
I sit at my desk, looking at some spreadsheets that have numbers written all over them. I stare at each piece of paper in turn and then I push my chair back from the desk and let out a sigh.
My head isn’t in the game right now. Work is the least of my priorities. All I can think about is seeing Stacey later. I keep trying to foresee what might happen, but I really have no idea how it is going to go. I’ve tried to concentrate on anything else, but it’s no use.
My mobile phone starts to ring on the desk, so I scoot forwards on the chair to see who it is.
Stacey’s calling me.
My heart leaps into my throat as I fear that she may be calling to cancel seeing me tonight. I toy with the idea of not answering for a few seconds, but I quickly push that thought away. I take a deep breath and I answer the call.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Jake.”
“Hi. Is everything okay?” I ask. If she is going to cancel tonight, then I would rather get straight to the point.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you. I just… I need…” she trails off and the line goes quiet.
“What’s wrong, Stace?” I hear her take a deep breath on the end of the line and I patiently wait for her to start speaking again.
“Okay. Here goes. I need someone to take me to The Den.” She says it in a rush, and for a moment, I think that I have misheard her.
“You want to go where?” I ask. I just need to make sure that I heard her correctly.
“The Den.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I don’t want to sound like I am down on the idea, but she hasn’t been out of hospital for that long.
“I think so. I need to do whatever I can to help my memories come back, even if they are bad ones. Seeing Charles clearly didn’t help. Maybe I need to return to the place where the attack happened.” She sounds so sure of herself. She has obviously given this a great deal of thought. “Lydia won’t take me, and you were the only other person that I felt I could ask.”
Her honesty floors me. Okay, so I wasn’t her first thought, but that’s understandable seeing as Lydia is looking after her, but at least I was the next one she felt that she could ask.
Now I am torn between doing something to help her and doing what I think is best for her. I weigh up the options.
“Jake?”
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m just a bit surprised that you want to go back there so soon.” I can’t help but voice my opinion. I can just picture her rolling her eyes at me. The thought of knowing how she will react makes me smile.
“I need to do this. And I need to go with someone that I can rely on. I expect that sounds crazy to you with the way that I have been acting.”
“Not at all.” If she feels that she can rely on me, then that’s a start. “What time did you want to go?”
“I was thinking that we could go tonight? Before we go to yours, maybe?” I ponder this idea for a few moments, but it doesn’t sit right with me. The idea of Stacey walking in there, when The Den is open, doesn’t strike me as a good idea. She’s still recovering from her ordeal and the last thing that she needs is to deal with drunken assholes whilst she is trying to find herself.
“No.”
“No?” She sounds a little panicked.
“I think it would be better to go whilst there is no one else there. Is there any way we can get in without Lydia finding out?” She needs me, and I am going to be there for her. If I know Stacey as well as I think I do, she would just try and go on her own anyway.
“I guess I could try and sneak her set of keys.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” I was already struggling to concentrate on work. I might as well leave and put my focus to better use.
“Twenty minutes?” Surprise enters her tone.
“Is that going to be a problem?”
“No, no. It’s just… I don’t want to disrupt your day.”
“You’re not disrupting it.”
“Well… Okay then. I best go and distract Lydia so that I can get her keys.”
“You do that. See you soon.” I end the call and I buzz through to my PA, Valerie, and tell her to cancel my meetings for the rest of the day.
Stacey is my top priority right now.
I may finally be on the way to getting my girl back.
Chapter Thirteen
Stacey
There is a knock on the front door exactly twenty minutes later. If that’s Jake, then he is certainly punctual.
Lydia is answering the front door as I walk out of my bedroom.
“Oh, hi, Jake. What are you doing here?” I hear Lydia say as I walk down the hallway. She definitely sounds surprised to see him.
“Hi, Lyd. I’m just here to see if Stacey would like to go and get a cup of coffee,” Jake answers.
“Aren’t you guys seeing each other later?”
“Yeah, but I fancied a coffee break and decided to drop by to see if I could persuade Stacey to keep me company for a while.” Jake doesn’t falter in his response and I smile at his quick thinking. If it was me stood at the door, my face would give away that I was lying. I walk up behind Lydia, just as she shouts for me.
“STACE.”
“I’m right behind you, Lyd,” I say, making her jump.
“Good God, woman, don’t do that. You’ll give me a heart attack,” Lydia exclaims. Jake smiles and I feel my heart melt a little. He really is extremely handsome. His eyes sparkle, and I feel a flutter of butterflies in my stomach.
“Sorry, Lyd. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Uh huh.” She smirks signalling that she isn’t annoyed with me. “Jake has requested your company for coffee.” This puts a massive smile on her face and I can see that, with every fibre of her being, she is willing me to go with him.
My eyes shift from Lydia to Jake, and I feel a little guilty for not being honest with her. I hope that she won’t be too mad when I tell her the truth. Jake’s eyes bore into mine and I feel a heat start to creep its way up my body.
Where is this reaction coming from?
“So, do you want to go for coffee?” Jake asks me, pulling my attention away from how good he looks in his suit.
“Sure. Let me just go and grab my handbag.” I go back to my bedroom and pick up my bag and put my phone inside it, along with my purse, flat keys, and the keys to The Den. I hope to God that Lydia doesn’t notice that they are missing.
I walk back to the front door and Lydia and Jake go quiet as I approach. I get the feeling that they were talking about me, but I don’t question them. I don’t need to lose focus right now.
“Ready?” Jake asks. I nod at him and then I say goodbye to Lydia.
“Don’t be too long, missy. You still need to rest,” Lydia says as I walk out of the front door.
“Don’t worry, Lyd. I will take care of her,” Jake answers. I feel a tingle make its way down my spine at his words.
Jake shuts the front door behind me and we walk out of the building and to his car. He has a sporty number which just oozes manliness. I’m a little concerned about how low it is to get into though. Jake opens the passenger door for me and I slowly lower myself down to the seat. I let out a little groan as I feel a twinge in my side. My hand immediately flies to my injury and Jake takes this as a sign to help me sit down.
Once I am inside the car, he puts the seatbelt around me. My entire body is covered in goose-bumps from being in such close proximity of him.
“Thanks, but I can put a seat-belt on, you know?” I say playfully.
He smiles, winks and then shuts the door. He goes around to the driver’s side and gets himself settled before starting the car.
“I take it you managed to get the keys then?” he asks me. I answer his question by pulling the keys out of my handbag, giving them a little jiggle when they are in the air.
“I feel bad that I have duped Lydia,” I say.
“Let’s worry about that later. If this feels right for you, then that’s all that matters right now.” He smiles, and I am grateful for his support. “I am going to ask you one last time though. Are you absolutely certain that you want to do this?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Just had to make sure.”
“I’m sure. Now, let’s go.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replies. Jake pulls out of the parking space and then we are on the way to The Den. It won’t take long but trying to walk it would absolutely wipe me out.
“So, how have you been?” I ask him.
“Fine.” His answer doesn’t seem very convincing, but I don’t push him on it.
We travel the rest of the way in silence, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. We pull up outside The Den five minutes later. I tell Jake to drive around to the parking area at the back of the building. Once he has parked the car, I unbuckle my seat-belt and take a few deep breaths.
“We can go in the back entrance,” I tell him.
“Okay.”
I go to undo the car door so that I can get out, but Jake puts his hand on my arm which stops me. I turn to face him and search his eyes.
“Wait there,” he says before getting out of the car, leaving me to wonder why he told me to wait. I watch as he comes around to my side, opens the door and then he leans in and puts one hand under my legs, and the other around my back.
“Uh, Jake, what are you doing?”
“I’m helping you get out of the car. No arguments.” He then lifts me with ease, and I put my hands around his neck as he stands up.
The moment feels charged with emotions.
I can feel a sense of familiarity pull at my gut.
Has he ever done this before?
Am I just getting used to being around him?
I wish that I knew why I was suddenly feeling like this, but of course I don’t. Jake smiles and lowers my legs slowly to the floor. I release my arms from around his neck and I stand there feeling like a teenager who is about to go on a date with her crush.
“Thanks,” I say a little breathlessly.
“You’re welcome. Shall we?” he says, indicating that we need to enter The Den.
“Uh… Yes.” My emotions are starting to overwhelm me from being that close to him. I gather myself together and I lead the way to the back door.
As I reach the door, I unlock it, push it open and walk into the familiar building, quickly switching the alarm off as I enter. Jake follows me, and he closes the door behind us.
I walk gingerly through the hallway and then turn right, so that I am entering the main bar area. I stop and look around and feel nothing as I survey the area. I close my eyes and jump when I feel something brush against my hand. I open my eyes and look down to see that Jake is taking my hand in his.
I look into his eyes and he squeezes my hand gently. I smile and feel incredibly touched by the simple gesture. I have said some cruel things to him, but he is standing next to me and supporting me through this. He hasn’t gone running off or told me to leave him alone. He just seems like he wants to be there for me, and I am so glad that I asked him to come here with me.
“If anything comes back to you and it becomes too much, then just say and we will leave,” Jake says. I smile a little wider at him and squeeze his hand back before I lead us further into the main room. I walk slowly past the dance floor and come to a stop just in front of the bar.
“It all feels normal,” I say out loud.
Whether I am saying it for my own assurance, or whether I am letting Jake know that I am okay, I don’t know. My eyes roam the bar and then they land on the door to Lydia’s office. Lydia has obviously told me that the altercation took place in there, but I suppose I expected it to look a little different somehow. It doesn’t. It looks just the same as it always has.
I let go of Jake’s hand and start to walk towards the door, feeling Jake close behind me. I reach the door and unlock it using Lydia’s keys before I push the handle down and slowly open it. I start to feel a sense of unease as the door opens fully.
As I walk into the room, the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. I push forward and come to a halt at Lydia’s desk.
I run my fingers along the desk and then look to the floor.
I can see a slight stain on the carpet. I bend down so that I can get a better look at the stain. It’s almost like an orangey colour. I study it closely, ignoring the fact that I probably look like I have lost the plot to Jake. I see him out of the corner of my eye, standing in the doorway, watching me.
Come on, Stacey. You can do this. You can remember.
I close my eyes and all I can hear is my heavy breathing and the ticking of the clock.
Fear starts to creep its way into my system, and I know that I am close to remembering something.
I concentrate as hard as I possibly can. I stay like that for a few moments, just waiting for something to come back to me, and when I open my eyes again, I am confronted by the sight of the stain, and then it happens like a bolt of lightning.
I can see myself, led on the floor, blood seeping from my body.
Some woman with blond hair has her hand on a knife that is sticking into my side.
Her face comes into focus.
Her eyes are almost glowing, and her lips are curled upwards into an evil smile.
I can hear screaming that physically hurts my eardrums.
It isn’t until I feel Jake’s arms around me that I realise that the screaming is coming from me.
Chapter Fourteen
Stacey
“Shit, shit, shit,” I repeat over and over. I am sat back in Jake’s car with him. He carried me out of The Den as I couldn’t find the strength to walk. The images of me lying on the floor, with Caitlin cackling like a maniac, were too much. I take deep breaths and try to get my breathing back to normal.
“Lydia was right. It was too soon for you to come back here,” Jake says. I look to him and his jaw is tense. My hand rests in his and his grip is firm.
“No,” I say, making him look at me in shock. “In a way, this is good.”
“Good?” Now he looks at me like I actually have gone crazy.
“Yeah. Don’t you see?” I say whilst he looks at me perplexed. “I remembered Jake. I actually remembered something. Okay, it wasn’t the greatest flashback to have, but it’s a start. Granted, the images were terrifying, but at least I know what happened now. And if I have remembered this, then maybe other stuff will start to come back to me?” I feel a sense of hope at the thought of regaining my other memories.
“I guess,” Jake answers, but he looks unsure.
“This is a good thing.” Elation takes over any other emotions that I am feeling. Elation at having a break through, and it only just occurs to me that I don’t know what has happened to Caitlin. “Hey, Jake? What happened to Caitlin?” I can’t believe that I haven’t thought to ask anyone this question before now.
“She was arrested at the scene.” He looks uneasy at having to tell me this information.
“Why do I get the feeling that there is more to that answer?”
“Um…” Jake runs his free hand through his hair and lets out a puff of air.
“Jake, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Caitlin was released on bail, pending further enquiries.” I feel like I have been punched in the stomach at his words.
Released on bail?
“Why was she released? And why the hell haven’t the police been to see me about any of this?” Anger takes hold of me, and I feel myself start to tremble.
“That may be m
y fault.”
“What do you mean?” I feel so confused. Nothing new there then, Stace.
“Don’t get mad at me. I have only had your best interests in mind.”
“Just tell me, Jake.” I loosen my hold on his hand as I get the feeling that I am not going to like what he has to say.
“I have been taking the calls from the police for you. I have a friend on the force who is dealing with your case. He is aware that you have suffered a form of memory loss as a result of the attack. They aren’t able to convict Caitlin yet. They need your statement to do that.”
“Hang on a minute. Why can’t they convict her? She was there, I just saw it in my flashback. She had hold of the knife that was sticking in me.” My voice raises several notches as I speak. I ignore the fact that he has been taking the calls for me as my real concern is the fact that Caitlin hasn’t been convicted yet.
“She’s saying that it was self-defence, and without your statement, they were unable to keep her for longer than seventy-two hours.” His jaw starts to tick, and I hope that means that he is just as pissed off as I feel right now.
“So, she’s still out there? She could come after me at any time to finish whatever she was planning to do?” How can this have been kept from me?
“That’s not going to happen.”
“How do you know that? She’s fucking psychotic, Jake. I am living proof that she has several screws loose.” Panic courses through me, and my eyes start to dart everywhere. She could be watching me right now.
“Stacey, calm down.”
“Calm down? Fucking calm down? That crazy woman has been allowed to walk free and you’re telling me to calm down?” I shouldn’t be shouting at Jake, but there is no one else to say this to, so he is just going to have to bear the brunt of my anger.
“She won’t get to you, Stacey. Why do you think Lydia booked time off of work?” My eyes look back to him and I can see that he wasn’t supposed to tell me that.
“Lydia knew?” I am absolutely raging. Why didn’t she tell me? “She told me that she wanted to look after me, and now you’re telling me that she has just been acting like some kind of bodyguard?”
The Complete Perfect Series Page 27