by Alexa McLean
Click!
A nearby lamp came on. Tori screamed before rushing forward to grab my shirt and pull me off the unknown intruder. “Get off of him!” She shouted. “You’re going to kill him!” She pounded on my back to get me to stop.
I blinked and my vision came into focus. Underneath me was the tattoo artist. I quickly released my grip.
He coughed and rubbed his neck. “Jeez. What was that for?”
Tori flocked to his side, fawning over his injury. “Are you okay?” She whispered in a soft, caring voice. “I don’t think he meant it. We’re both on edge...”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Slowly, he got to his feet. “Were you some kind of football player or something? I think you cracked some of my ribs.”
I did not answer him. The way Tori looked at him made my stomach tighten with envy. Did she ever look at me that way?
“What happened?” Conrad asked. “Did someone break in?”
“Yeah...” Tori finally broke down. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she crumbled to the ground. Conrad caught her and rocked her gently in his arms.
My stomach tightened even further as I clenched my jaw. I couldn’t stand to watch this. So, I headed for the door but before I could leave, Tori called my name.
“What?” I didn’t bother to turn around.
“Where are you going?” Her voice cracked in multiple places. I waited for her to wrap her arms around my torso and ask me to stay but she never did.
“I’m going to survey the outside of the house. Maybe there’s a clue.”
“Shouldn’t we leave the investigating to the professionals? I mean, you wouldn’t want to tamper with the evidence.” Conrad pointed out.
Just hearing his voice was enough to make my blood boil. Clearly, he had feelings for my girl. It was written all over his face and I didn’t even have to look at him to figure it out.
“I’ll call them,” I said. “Just stay with Tori.”
I slammed the door behind me, unable to suppress my rage. I should have known something like this would have happened in my absence. What did I expect? A beautiful girl like her? She was bound to find someone else – someone better – I just wish it wasn’t some lousy tattoo artist. She could do way better than that.
My anger boiled over and before I could stop myself, I lashed out at the mailbox. The thin sheet metal dented with an imprint of my fist. The wooden pole snapped in two. My knuckles throbbed with pain but I ignored the feeling as I pulled out my phone and dialed the police.
“Hello, 911, what is your emergency?” The operator asked in a polite, robotic voice.
“There’s been a break-in. My girlfriend’s house. The place is completely trashed.” I hesitated for a moment as I considered telling them about Morgan. But, if I did that then I’d be forced to explain to Tori why I was caught up with that woman in the first place. And the less she knew, the better.
“Location?”
“40 Emily Lane,” I answered.
“We’ll dispatch a few units now. Stay put and try not to touch anything.” She prompted.
I hung up the call. The wind picked up, rippling through the tall grass surrounding Tori’s home. I followed the breeze to the back of the house, driven by a need to move.
“I thought I might find you here.” A sultry voice emerged from the darkness.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to pinpoint where the vixen was hiding.
“I warned you. You should have listened to me. Now your precious little girlfriend had to pay the price. Hell, I even warned her myself but no one seems keen to listen to me. It’s a shame, really, because bad things happen to the people who don’t listen to me.” She giggled. The sound pierced right through my soul.
“Where are you?” I demanded as I circled in a three-sixty motion but I couldn’t quite figure out where her voice was coming from. “I’m not here to play games with you, Morgan.”
“Who said anything about playing games?” She asked. “This is business. I need you on my team so consider this some tactical persuasion. If you want to keep your girlfriend safe then you better start working for me.”
“Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t work for you. And I’ll never work for you.” I growled the words, my patience growing thin. “So, why don’t you come out of the shadows and quit being such a coward?”
“So eager to see me.” As she emerged there was a deep-planted smirk on her face. “And here I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.” Before I could stop her, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. Our lips made contact but only for a moment before I shoved her away.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Oh, she was really starting to piss me off now.
“Do you really want to raise your voice like that? You’ll attract some attention from the lovebirds inside. And I doubt you want Tori to see you out here with me. She might get the wrong idea.” Her smirk deepened.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“You already know what I want and you better deliver or she isn’t going to make it.”
Suddenly, I grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her closer. “Threaten her again and I’ll make sure you never see the outside of a cell.”
“The cops will be here any minute and if you try anything, oh, this bird will sing and we both know that I have more than enough dirt to put you behind bars.” She taunted. “So, it’s your choice.”
I eased my grip. She was right. There were things in my past that I was not proud of. The last thing I needed was for Tori to figure out I had turned to crime as soon as she left town. Her whole opinion of me would sour. “I’ve left that life behind.”
“No one ever truly leaves it behind. Just like an alcoholic never really gives up the bottle.” She ran her finger along my chest. “You have twenty-four hours. If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow night then I’m going after the girl and if something happens to her then you have no one to blame but yourself.”
“Don’t you dare.” I snapped.
“The choice is yours.” She said just as the police pulled into the scene. I wanted to go after her but I knew it was a foolish decision. She had me trapped between a rock and a hard place. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t go back to that lifestyle nor could I put Tori’s life in danger. There needed to be some way out of this.
The siren lights painted the world in a mix of blue and red. I approached the front of the property just as a police officer stepped out of his cruiser. “Is everyone alright?” He asked.
“Yes. Luckily, we weren’t home when it happened.” I explained.
He pulled out a notepad and a tiny pencil.” Where were you?”
“My girlfriend and I were at a social function.”
Conrad and Tori stepped onto the porch. Conrad had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. A part of me wanted to shove him out of the way but I knew better than to show my temper in front of a cop.
The officer looked at me and then at Conrad, a suspicious look on his face. “Ma’am, this man tells me you were with him at a social function this evening. Is that true?”
She nodded. “We came back and found... this.” She could barely speak she was so choked up. Conrad took the liberty of rubbing her back.
My jaw tightened. I should be the one comforting her. I should be the one trying to make her feel safe.
“Right. We are going to need some time with the crime scene. Do you folks have somewhere you can go for the night?” He asked. “We’ll need your contact information but then you are free to go.”
I nearly shook my head. The police were so careless. How did they know we weren’t just lying to them? I mean, I’m not complaining because it made my life much, much easier when I was running around alongside Morgan but now that I needed them, they were useless.
“Yes,” Conrad answered. “I’m taking Tori back to my place.”
I felt something snap inside of me. I didn’t even want to think what would happen while she was there – alo
ne with him.
She looked over at me with this almost guilty expression on her face. “I’m sorry...” She mouthed.
I shook my head. As much as it pained me, this was for the best. I couldn’t take her back to my place. Morgan would only expect me to do that. “Thank you.” I nodded my head at the tattoo artist. “Keep her safe for me.”
I RETURNED TO MY ESTATE to find Porter tending to the fire. “How did everything go, sir?”
Instead of answering him, I slumped into the nearby couch and turned on the TV.
“I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that things did not go as planned. Was something amiss at the ball?” He asked.
“Forget the stupid ball.” I snapped. “She’s back.”
“Who?” He raised an eyebrow in question but as soon as he studied my expression he nodded his understanding. “I feared this day would come.”
“Yeah...” I mumbled. “Only, she’s dragging Tori into the mix.”
“What happened?” Porter sat down beside me. “Is everything alright?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course not! She’s going after Tori and Tori is falling right into the arms of a tattoo artist.” I ran my fingers through my hair and started to pace through the room. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. She’s given me an ultimatum. Either, I join her, or she goes after Tori.”
“Why didn’t you bring her here?” He asked. “We have the security for it.”
“Because she doesn’t want to be here. She rather be with the tattoo artist. I could see it in the way she looked at him. She’s moved on. I’m no longer her knight in shining armor.” And the thought alone was nearly enough to kill me.
Chapter 9: Tori
“Can I get you anything? A cup of tea or something? I think I have some earl gray in a cabinet or something. I remember you saying that was your favorite.” Conrad said as he disappeared into the kitchen of his apartment.
I was left on the couch with a blanket pulled over my shoulders. I felt so cold. My skin was frozen and my heart felt like it had been ripped right out of my chest. I was numb.
“I have to wait for the water to boil. In the meantime, do you need anything? Please, don’t hesitate to ask. I know this must be rather traumatic for you. I know I’d be freaking out if something like that happened to me.” He sat down beside me and placed his hand on my leg. “I’m here for you.”
I forced a smile onto my face. “Thanks, Conrad. I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me. You’re a great friend.”
For a split second, he seemed to frown but then he returned my smile. “You don’t have to thank me. I just want you to be okay.”
“Do you mind if I take a shower? I’m freezing.”
“Of course. I’ll grab you something to change into when you’re done. Go ahead and I’ll meet you in the bathroom.” With that, he headed into his bedroom.
I bit my bottom lip. Would it be weird to wear Conrad’s clothes when my heart clearly belonged to another? I felt like I was leading him astray but, at the same time, I barely had the mental bandwidth to guide my body into the bathroom let alone have such a painful conversation with one of my only friends.
Once inside the bathroom, I turned on the water and adjusted it to the perfect temperature. While bent over the tub, Conrad knocked on the door and let himself in. “Here. This is the smallest thing I could find. Hopefully, it fits.” He handed over some pajamas that were neatly folded. That was one thing about Conrad that I had always appreciated. He had a vicious neat streak that matched my own.
“Thanks.” I took them from him and placed them on the counter. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Please. Take your time.” He said before heading for the room. “Oh, and you should probably lock this door before I get any ideas.”
I blushed at his words. “Right,” I responded awkwardly as I locked the door. I leaned against it and closed my eyes. This couldn’t be happening. This had to be some sort of nightmare. Through the window, I could see the top of my house. The police were still there, headlights spinning round and round. It made me dizzy just looking at them.
Suddenly, I heard some muffled voice from the street below. A couple of people wanting to check out the excitement. I forced myself to look away as my home became a public spectacle.
Slowly, I undressed and eased myself into the warm water. I sunk into its depths until the water wrapped around my neck. Only then did I close my eyes and try to relax but, of course, that was impossible given the circumstances.
Someone wanted me gone. But, who? The question echoed through my skull. Had I pissed someone off without knowing it? I tried to playback all my recent memories looking for a blimp that could have caused this but as far as I could tell, nothing strange had happened.
Except...
Hunter showing up at my door.
No. He couldn’t be involved in all this. He would never do anything to hurt me like this. I refused to believe he was involved.
Get out of town.
Those words haunted me. Even if I followed their instruction, where was I supposed to do? Back to my foster parents? I hardly wanted to burden them. They were off enjoying their retired lives. I was in no position to impose on that – even if my life was in danger.
Knock. Knock.
“Hey, is everything alright in there? You’ve been in there for a while.” Conrad called through the door.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’ll be out in a minute.” I said.
“Alright. Your tea is starting to get cold.” I waited for his receding footsteps to fade away before I lifted myself out of the tub and dried myself off. His towels were incredibly soft and smelled like fabric softener. This was a man that actually knew how to do his own laundry.
Then, I put on the pajamas he had brought me. They were warm but way too big on me. I was swimming inside of them. So, I grabbed a few hair elastics off my wrist and tied the waistband a little tighter and the shirt a little less baggy.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I still looked horrible but not as horrible as before. But I didn’t know why it mattered. It wasn’t like I was trying to impress Conrad or anything.
Or are you? The little voice in my head chimed in. You’re trying awfully hard for someone who’s just your friend.
I shook my head. I don’t like him. I told myself. Not like that.
Knowing this conversation would only continue if I remained alone with my thoughts, I finally opened the door and joined Conrad in the living room. “I didn’t know if you wanted milk and sugar with your tea so I’ll just leave that to you.” He pushed the tray in my direction. “How was your bath?”
“I feel much better, thank you,” I said as I slowly poured some milk into the steaming mug of tea. “Aren’t you going to drink anything?”
“No. I’m okay.” He answered.
“You really didn’t have to go through all this trouble just for me. I’ll be okay.” I wrapped my hands around the ceramic and smiled at its warmth.
“I wanted to. I want to make sure you’re okay.” He grabbed the blanket off the couch and wrapped it around my body. “Do you have any idea who might have done that?” He asked as he pulled my head onto his chest.
There was a part of me that wanted to pull away from him, but, at the same time, I was much too fatigued to care. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
“No one comes to mind?” He pressed. “Because I want to see this guy pay for what he did to you.”
“The insurance will cover it,” I said.
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean we should just let this go. Someone broke into your house, Tori, they deserve to be punished for it, don’t you think?” He took my hand and squeezed it gently. “I don’t want you going back there feeling scared because this guy is still at large somewhere.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said looking away.
He took my chin and turned my face so I was forced to look at him. “Tori, you don’t have to act all to
ugh for my sake.”
“Can we talk about something else, please?” I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Even though it was rather late, the last thing I wanted to do was go to bed. My mind was buzzing like a swarm of bees. I had to find a way to calm it down before I had any chance of getting some shut-eye.
“Sure.” He rubbed my shoulder and allowed me to flick through the channels. I stopped on some rerun of an old animated movie.
“Is this okay?” I asked.
“Whatever you want, I’m fine with it.” He was being so sweet and nice to me that for a moment I wondered if he wasn’t the one who had been sending me the love notes at the library. But, that didn’t make any sense. The books belonged to Hunter and yet even he had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned to him.
“I have a question...” I started. It was a long shot but maybe he knew Rebecca or something.
“Sure, what is it?” He turned to look at me, his gaze fixed on my eyes. He was giving me all of his attention like I was the only girl in the world.
“Lately, I’ve been getting these notes at work...” I studied his face looking for answers but all I saw was confusion.
“What kind of notes?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.
I blushed. “Well, they’re love notes.”
“Love notes?” He repeated. “From whom?”
“Well... I thought...” I stammered for words. This was getting awkward. Very awkward.
“Wait. Did you think they were from me?” He asked, his eyebrows raising with surprise. “Are you being serious?”
“Well... you’re being awfully nice to me... and I just thought...” I wrung my fingers together, my blush deepening.
“Tori, I think you’re a smart and beautiful girl... but you’re more like a sister to me.” He admitted with an apologetic look on his face. “Please... don’t take that the wrong way.”
I sighed with relief. “Oh, thank god.”
“You seem happy about that.” He frowned. “Now you’re making me feel bad.”
“No... no... it’s just that I like someone else and I was scared of friend-zoning you.” I said truthfully. “I didn’t want to break your heart or anything.”
