Monster

by Holly C. Webb

  When I couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer, I took a deep breath, before I turned and headed back out to my bedroom, then to the door of my room, before heading for the stairs to make my way down to the kitchen in search of Jaxson.

  As I walked down the stairs, I made a mental note to call a locksmith who could come and repair the door to the bathroom in my room.

  I hesitated for a moment, before I made my way into the kitchen, knowing that Jaxson and I were going to sit down and have this conversation that neither of us wanted to have.

  When I walked in, I found Jaxson standing with his back to me, so lost in what he was doing that he didn’t hear me come in.

  “Jaxson,” I said, remaining next to the door, waiting for him to turn to look at me.

  He hesitated for a moment, and instantly a feeling of dread settled inside me. For a moment, I thought that he was being weird with me once more, just like he had been the day before. But when he turned around, and I saw the look in his eyes, I knew it was something else, something worse.

  “Ally!” He said, stepping forward, giving me a nervous smile. He glanced down at his hands, and that was when I spotted the envelope in his hand.

  The moment I saw it, I recognised it straight away. It was the same as the one that had been left in Jacob’s office a couple of weeks earlier. Or at least the same kind.

  “There are more pictures,” I said, my heart suddenly thumping hard in my chest as I realised what was going on. “Aren’t there?”

  “They…they were shoved under the door when I came down,” Jaxson explained, looking a little pale in the face. “I should call the police. Maybe there are fingerprints or…”

  “I want to see them,” I blurted out suddenly, knowing that whatever it was in the photographs, I needed to see it.

  “Ally, I don’t think…” Jaxson began to say, but I quickly stopped him.

  “I need to see them,” I repeated, cutting him off, my voice cracking, but I refused to cry.

  “Ally,” he sighed once more.

  “I SAID SHOW ME!” Ally cried, refusing to back down. This was about me, and I needed to know.

  He released a long sigh, then walked towards me slowly, holding out the envelope to me.

  I held his eyes for a moment with mine before I glanced down at the envelope in his hand. Reaching out slowly, I took it from him, then turned it over in my hands before I looked down and read the words printed on the front.

  I’m still watching. I’ll see you soon.

  “Jesus!” I exclaimed as hot tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back as I reached into the tan coloured envelope and pulled the photos out from inside, before dropping the envelope to the floor.

  I shuffled through the pictures one by one, each one making me die a little more inside.

  There were pictures taken from so many different occasions; it almost blew my mind. There were some from a night out I had with Jacob the week before. Some from my night out with Teddy taken right there in the bar. There were pictures of me getting into my car after I’d left the bar with Jaxson, right after my argument with Jacob in the ladies’ room. But the ones that worried me most were ones taken from the night before. There were some of me climbing into Jaxson’s car. One taken from what looked like inside another car, of Jaxson and me sitting in traffic. This asshole was sitting right next to us in his car, and I didn’t even notice him. There was even a picture of when we came home and Jaxson carrying me from the car the night before while I was asleep.

  I didn’t think things could get any worse. I was wrong

  As I turned over the last picture, my heart almost stopped. There was a picture, clearly taken through one of our windows, of me sitting in the kitchen, across from me were Jaxson and Travis, and we were all eating. It was taken the afternoon before, and we didn’t even notice him outside.

  My stomach heaved as I tried to process what was going on. I blew out a long, steadying breath.

  “He was outside,” I whispered, staring down at the photographs in my hands before I looked up at Jaxson, then I turned to the patio door and walked towards it, staring out at the perfectly manicured back garden. “He…he followed us, and he was right outside my home. Why is he doing this?”

  “Because he’s a sick fuck,” Jaxson growled, the tone of his voice sounding like he was ready to kill someone.

  I turned to look at him as tears trickled down my face, and I had never seen him look like this before. He looked like he was about to explode. But he didn’t even say a word. Instead, he just stared at me; his eyes were dark, and his face was completely unreadable.

  “Why is this happening to me?” I cried softly as I gave Jaxson a pleading look. Right at that moment, there was nothing I wanted more than for Jaxson to come and hold me in his arms, but he didn’t. He made no move towards me or offered me any comfort whatsoever.

  I didn’t know what to think right at that moment, but I knew how I felt. I’d never felt more terrified or more alone in my life before.

  “I need to call Richie,” Jaxson said, his voice sounding cold and strange, as he bent down and picked up the envelope from the floor. He glanced at me once more before he pulled his phone from his pocket, then walked out of the kitchen.

  I stood and stared at the door, having no clue what I had done wrong, but Jaxson was definitely angry with me, and I didn’t know why. I glanced down at the photos in my hand once more, before I turned and looked out through the door into the back garden once more.

  I felt a shiver running down my spine, unable to shake the feeling someone was watching me.

  Suddenly, I had an overwhelming desire to run away and hide.

  Stepping back from the door, one step after another, I turned and hurried back towards the door, heading straight for the stairs.

  I didn’t slow down until I reached my room. Once there, I pulled back the bedclothes and climbed beneath the covers, pulling them up over my head, wishing more than anything that my mom and dad were here. I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands, blocking out the whole world, before finally I gave into my tears, and sobbed myself asleep.

  “Ally,” Jaxson's voice crashed into my head, waking me with a start. I didn’t know how long I’d been asleep, but clearly, it had been a while.

  I opened my eyes and looked up at him, but this time I didn’t greet him with a smile like I usually did. I was hurt; he’d been so cold and distant with me earlier, and right now, I didn’t feel much like being friendly to him.

  “Detective Monroe and his partner are downstairs,” Jaxson said, giving me a worried look as I pushed up in bed. “He would like to talk to you if you’re feeling up to it.”

  “Sure,” I sighed as I pushed back the bedding and swung my feet out onto the floor. “I’ll be right down.”

  I pushed up from the bed, making no eye contact with Jaxson before I made my way to the bathroom.

  “Are you okay, Ally?” Jaxson asked as I reached the bathroom door, stopping me before I walked inside.

  “I’m fine,” I replied, turning to look him straight in the eye finally. “You can tell the detective that I’ll be right down. Thank you.”

  He stared at me for a moment, but I didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, I just hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

  I had no idea why I was so angry with him, but I was. I was angry at everyone, and I was beyond tired, but it wasn’t the kind of tiredness that sleep would have helped.

  I splashed some water on my face, then checked my hair in the mirror before I headed back out of the bathroom, before making my way to the stairs.

  As I walked down the stairs, I could hear voices, and I instantly recognised the detective's voice from when he was here two weeks ago. I stopped on the stairs and listened to their conversation for a moment.

  “You can’t blame yourself for this, Jax,” The detective assured Jaxson, but I didn’t know why he would even say that. Of course, this wasn’t Jaxson’s fault.

&nb
sp; “Can’t I?” Jaxson asked, surprising me with his question. “If my mind had just been on the job, I would have been so much more careful than I was. I let things get too personal, and I made mistakes.”

  “They were just photos,” the detective tried to reassure him. “It’s not like he got that close to her.”

  “He got close enough,” Jaxson hissed angrily. “This is why I don’t take these kinds of jobs. I’ve let my personal feelings for that girl, and her asshole husband cloud my judgment. I lost focus, and I fucked up. I’m just lucky this scumbag hadn’t tried to make his move because she could have been hurt, and it would have been on me. I let my guard down. I fucked up.”

  “You didn’t sleep with her, did you?” The detective asked, and once more, I was surprised by the question.

  “Thankfully, I wasn’t that stupid,” Jaxson said, and instantly my heart ached. “The last thing I need right now. This girl is a mess and as for her husband…”

  I’d heard enough.

  I spotted my car keys on the hall table, and I knew I just had to get out of there.

  Taking a deep breath, I hurried down the stairs, heading straight for the table where I grabbed my keys.

  “Ally!” I heard Jaxson call from the living room, but I didn’t reply. Instead, I reached for the handle of the door and hurried outside.

  I’d just reached my car when I heard him calling me once more, but this time his voice was filled with concern. Still, I didn’t hesitate. I climbed into the car and wasted no time starting the engine. It roared to life just as Jaxson reached the front door, but I didn’t stop. Instead, I pressed my foot down on the gas and spun my wheels before I tore off down the drive away from him. I pressed the fob for the electric gate hanging from my keys, deciding I didn’t have time to wait for the sensors.

  Still, I had to stop when I reached the bottom of the driveway and wait for the gates to be completely open. As I waited, I glanced in my rear-view mirror and spotted Jaxson bolting down the driveway, coming towards the car.

  “Come on!” I cried as I watched the gates moving ever so slowly. I drummed my fingertips on the steering wheel as I impatiently waited for them to open fully. “COME ON!”

  He’d almost reached me just as the gates were opened enough from my car to fix through them. So, I put my foot down and zoom out of the gate, narrowly missing a car that was driving along the road as I pulled out onto the street.

  As I disappeared down the street, I glanced in my rear-view mirror, expecting to see Jaxson standing outside my driveway, but he was gone. I knew that he most likely was now sprinting back to his car so he could follow me before I got too far away.

  So, I did the only thing I could think of. I pressed down harder on the gas pedal, knowing I needed to get some distance between us before it was too late.

  As I came to a major junction, I stopped at the red light, wondering where the hell I was going to go now. I could have gone to Teddy’s, but Jaxson would no doubt head there before he looked anywhere else. I actually thought about going to see Travis, knowing Jaxson wouldn’t expect me to do that, but then I realised that Travis would call his brother, so in the end, he would find me anyway.

  I thought about driving back to New Jersey to my parent’s place, and suddenly that’s where I wanted to go. I glanced down and checked my fuel, and sighed when I realised, I didn’t have enough fuel to make it to New Jersey, and I’d left the house without grabbing my purse.

  The light had turned to green, just as I remembered that Jacob insisted that I carry a spare credit card in my dashboard, just in case of emergencies. I reached over and opened the dashboard, just as the car behind me beeped for me to move.

  I sighed as I sat up and slowly pulled away from the lights when suddenly, a blinding light beside me came from nowhere, and I braced myself for what was coming next.

  As the car smashed into me, I was jolted sideways, then I sprung back, hitting the side of my head off the door before everything else went black.

  “Ally!” I heard Jaxson call from above me. For a moment, I felt confused, like something was very wrong; I just didn’t know what.

  I could hear myself breathing, but everything else sounds strange and far away. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt really heavy.

  “Ally!” I heard Jaxson calling out to me one more time.

  This time I managed to open my eyes, and instantly I met his worried gazed. “You’re going to be okay, just stay with me, okay.”

  I stared at him for a moment longer, but I so was tired, and my head hurt. I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to claim me once more.

  Chapter 15

  Ally

  The smell of disinfection filled my nose and made my stomach heave a little. Normally, it was a smell that I liked, but the fact my head was pounding, and my tummy felt like it was on a spin cycle, just made me want to vomit.

  I moved slowly but quickly released a groan because there wasn’t a part of my body that didn’t hurt.

  What the hell is wrong with me now? I thought miserably as I tried to remember where I was and what had happened to me, but all my thoughts seemed to be mixed in my head, and nothing made sense.

  I could hear hushed voices talking, but I couldn’t work out what they were saying. I just knew I needed to wake up and get my shit together.

  I moved again, and once more, I cried out, this time a little louder than before. Still, I just couldn’t seem to wake myself up.

  “Ally,” Jacob’s voice said suddenly from somewhere in the room, and instantly I stilled.

  Jacob was back.

  He was here, wherever here was. I suddenly remembered the last time I talked to him. I remembered the fight. He had walked out, but that was a couple of days ago. I was sure of it.

  “Ally, sweetheart,” he continued, and I could hear the concern in his voice. “Can you hear me? If you can hear me, open your eyes and look at me.”

  Can I hear him? I thought to myself. Why would he ask me that? Of course, I can hear him.

  I tried to open my eyes, but they didn’t seem to want to comply with what I wanted. None of my body did. I tried to move once more, but everything hurt so much, and my arms and legs felt heavy and tired.

  “Ally,” he repeated once more, and this time I could feel his hand in mine. “Please open your eyes and look at me, baby. I need to know that you’re okay.”

  I’m trying! I cried in my head.

  Why couldn’t I remember what had happened? Why did everything hurt, and why did Jacob sound so upset? With every ounce of energy that I had, I tried to move again, this time, my arms moved slightly, but it hurt so much.

  “Ouch!” I cried out weakly.

  “That’s it,” Jacob cried, and I could hear the relief in his voice. “I’m here, Ally. Please open your eyes and look at me.”

  Using everything I had inside me, I opened my eyes. For a moment, my vision was a little blurry, but then it cleared, and I could see a stressed looking Jacob staring down at me.

  “There you are,” he said, giving me the biggest smile ever before he leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. “God, I’ve been so worried. I was so scared I was going to lose you, Ally. I don’t know what I would do if anything were to happen to you.”

  Glancing around the room, I realised I was in a hospital bed, which explained the smell, but I had no clue how I’d ended up here.

  “Wha… what happened?” I croaked as I tried to move, but every part of my body hurt, and I cried out once more.

  “Don’t try to move, Sweetheart,” Jacob said, squeezing my hand once more. “I just need you to rest. You were in a car accident. You’ve had a pretty bad bump on the head, but otherwise, you’re fine. Just come cuts and bruises mostly.”

  “An accident?” I asked, trying to remember what had happened, but there was nothing there. Suddenly a memory of Jaxson driving a car and me in the passenger’s seat jump into my head, and my heart started to race. “Where’s Jaxson. Is…is he okay?”

/>   “He’s just fine,” Jacob replied, giving me a tight smile. “He wasn’t in the car with you; don’t you remember? You were upset, and you left the house alone. Jaxson tried to stop you, but we all know how headstrong you are. You were alone in the car when some asshole ran a red light and hit the side of your car.”

  “I… I don’t remember anything,” I sighed, trying desperately to remember what had happened, but there was nothing there. At least, nothing that made any sense.

  “Maybe I should have the doctor come check you over,” Jacob said as he reached out and pressed down on the call button.

  A couple of moments later, the door opened, and a nurse came hurrying into the room, but the moment she saw that I was awake, she slowed down as a big smile spread across her face.

  “Welcome back,” she said as she came towards the bed. “My name is Jenny, and I’m your nurse today.”

  “I think she needs to see the doctor,” Jacob announced in his usual uppity, demanding tone. “She can’t remember the crash.”

  “Well,” the nurse said, giving Jacob a reassuring smile. “It’s not that unusual for someone who survived a traumatic event to have no memory of it. Sometimes it’s our brain’s way of helping us get passed it.”

  “I still think the doctor should check her over,” Jacob insisted with an impatient sigh.

  Instinctively, I looked up at the nurse and gave her an apologetic smile, and she smiled back, letting me know that it was okay. Then she gave me a look, and I could see her thinking. Then, with another smile, she picked up my chart before she turned to look at Jacob.

  “I will have the doctor come and check her over in a few moments, Mr. Wallace; I promise you,” she assured him, giving him another smile. “But first, I would like to check Mrs. Wallace’s vitals and maybe make her a little more comfortable. Could you wait outside for a few moments, please?”

  “But I’m her husband,” Jacob replied, looking more than a little put out by her request. “I don’t want to leave her.”