The Ex Killer Series

by Bridget Bundy

  I was thinking about asking Alex to pick me up, but there were so many people around visiting Jason’s mother. I have never seen so many cars and people in this neighborhood before. I would love to use Andrea’s car, but I hadn’t seen it since it broke down. And I had no clue where Pritchard was to ask him about it. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t seen him in a few days. I had nothing to worry about now, anyway. Jason wasn’t around anymore. I can walk without being bothered.

  I walked passed people that were holding flowers like they were walking down the altar to get married, a couple of people had dishes that were covered with aluminum foil, and others were simply bringing themselves, empty handed. Honestly, Jason was a terror around the neighborhood, nasty to any one he didn’t like, and I know a few of the people couldn’t stand him. I didn’t understand why they were going to see his mother. I bet they were being nosy; standing in her home, looking around like the answers to his life was going to be revealed with them being there.

  It sure was dark walking over to Alex’s house, but I didn’t mind it at all. The air was cool and refreshing, and the crickets were singing. When I arrived at his house, I noticed the first floor was lit up. There was no movement inside, and I didn’t see Alex’s truck. It must have been parked around back. When I reached the porch, I knocked on the screen door. I wanted to walk in like it was my home, and give the maid instructions to bring me tea. But this house wasn’t a home any longer. In reality, it had remnants of a warm family that was now covered by white dusty sheets. The wind was the only thing that really occupied this place. But one could tell there was a lot of love in this home at one time. I bet at one time there was smells of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Laughter echoed up to the chandeliers, children must have run through the entire house giggling and playing tag. I wanted to have a life where family exists like that, where there seem to be no problems.

  Alex brought me out of my daze when he came to the door. He opened it and stepped aside to let me in. He wore comfortable, loose fitting blue jean shorts and a pull over yellow and green, short sleeve shirt. I wanted to hug him and kiss him, but he turned away to lead me to the living room. I hope I didn’t show too much desperation. I think he had a lot on his mind. He walked like he was in a hurry. The sofa in the living room was unveiled from its white cover, and he had a magazine setting on it. He tossed on the floor and offered me a seat. I thanked him.

  He asked, “Are you thirsty?”

  I was thirsty and hungry, but I answered, “No, but thanks anyway.”

  “I didn’t hear you drive up.” He sat down facing me. “I was listening for your car.”

  “I didn’t drive. I walked here.”

  “In the dark, that’s not safe. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I was fine, Alex. I walk around at night sometimes and no one really bothers me.”

  He smiled strangely at me, and it looked like he was uncomfortable.

  I asked him, “Are you okay?”

  Alex’s shoulders tensed up and he remarked, “We need to talk about a few things.”

  “Alright,” I waited. I had nothing really to say. So, I was more than willing to listen.

  “I spoke to my dad about getting your job back. Um...” He was hesitating, afraid to go on.

  I said, “Alex, just tell me the truth.”

  He cleared his throat and continued, “He’s not going against Sherrie’s decision. He pretty much told me to butt out. He said that anything dealing with the nursing home is Sherrie’s responsibility and he trusts her decisions.”

  “She fired me because I was here with you. It had nothing to do with my job.”

  “I know, Angela.”

  “Well, I’m not surprised.” I sat back on the sofa feeling very irritated. It wasn’t fair.

  “I wanted you to know that I tried my hardest to get your job back.”

  I nodded accepting what he said as the truth. I had no reason to doubt him.

  “There is something else.”

  Of course, there is. I waited for him to speak.

  “Sherrie also told my dad that you were here, and he wasn’t too happy about it.”

  “I know she told him. My concern is what he said and what you said. I’m not exactly the type of girl your dad wants you to date.”

  “He was very clear on his disapproval.”

  “And he wants you to stop seeing me, of course.”

  “The conversation was much more brutal, but it came down to that.”

  “And what did you say?” I was hoping he was as strong as I thought he was. Tanie didn’t believe in him, but I did. I loved him.

  “There was nothing I could say. He made his demands, and he expects me to follow them. In my family, sometimes there are no choices.”

  “So, where does our relationship stand, Alex?”

  “Angela, I love my family very much despite what they think and say, and I could go against them. But if I did that, my life would change. It would change for the worse.”

  “You don’t care what your family says. That was one of the first things you said to me.” My anger was getting the best of me at that point.

  “My dad has a way of putting things in a way I have no choice but to care.” Alex touched me gently on the hand and said, “Angela, I’m sorry.”

  “So, this is it. Are you breaking up with me?” I didn’t want it to end. I couldn’t take the bad news.

  He answered, “I…I guess I am.”

  I turned to face him more. “Do you feel the same way they do?”

  “No, Angela, I don’t. You know, I don’t.”

  “Then don’t let them change what we have. This is your life, not theirs.”

  “Angela, I have no choice.”

  That’s all I saw was my happiness slipping away. I didn’t want him to stop seeing me. I couldn’t stand it. My heart was breaking, and it was so hard to sit there and hear him choose his family over me.

  Alex remarked as he stood, “I was going to stay in Colum for a while, but with my family interfering, I’ve decided to leave town.”

  And now he was running away. I asked him angrily, “Are you sure they’re the reason you’re leaving or is it me?”

  “It’s them, Angela.” He sat back down, closer to me this time and continued, “I am moving to Atlanta to work for my uncle at his car dealership and get my Master’s Degree. I decided I’m not going to stay in this town and let them run my life. I know for a fact if I stay here, no matter who I date, no matter what I do, they’ll have something to say about it, good or bad. It’s time I move on. It’s easier that way.”

  I wanted to go with him! We still could make this work! His family would be here in Colum, and we would be in Atlanta, far away from their ridicule and judgment. I wanted to go so bad. My heart was throbbing in my chest. I was afraid to ask him.

  Alex continued, “I wish we were talking about something else.”

  I blurted out, “I want to go with you.” I couldn’t hold back any longer.

  He looked at me surprised and asked, “You really want to go with me?”

  “Yes, I do. Yes.”

  Alex sat silently, looking at me, searching my eyes for the truth. I didn’t want him to leave without me. We could be happy, be a real couple, in Atlanta.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am absolutely positive.”

  “If they find out you moved with me to Atlanta, they’ll be a problem for us, Angela.”

  “Then don’t tell them.”

  He nodded and said, “Okay, we can do this.”

  I could not believe it! I could not believe! “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, I am very serious.”

  I threw myself at him, hugging him. Finally, my life was coming together. Alex and I were going to live together and build a life.

  He said after he pulled away, “We have to get a plan going.”

  “What plan? We don’t need a plan. Lets just get up and go. I’m ready.” I had no reason to stay. I could st
art over at that very moment.

  “Listen, Angela. This is the deal. I don’t have an apartment. I planned on living with my uncle until I found one.”

  “Oh, I guess, your uncle won’t be expecting me.”

  “No, he won’t, and he’s my dad’s brother. So, if I show up with you, I’ll have to explain. And I’m not about to start off like that. I’ll go first and get an apartment for us. Then, I’ll come back for you.”

  “Okay.” My excitement died down a little. I asked, “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow evening.”

  “That soon,” I pouted.

  “Yea, I want to get going right away.”

  “When are you coming back for me?”

  “Give me a couple of weeks. That’s all I need to do is find a big enough apartment for us.”

  “Two weeks is way too long.”

  “Angela, it might not even be that long. Two weeks at the most, that’s all.”

  I was going to have a life with Alex! I hugged him. Our hugging turned into kissing. I loved him so much. I had no clue my life would turn out like this. I was finally getting away from Colum. Dealing with Andrea was going to be over soon, and Pritchard will have to deal with her on his own.

  I was going to make sure that our phone number was going to be unlisted and our address unknown. For me, it was going to be a total start over, a brand new beginning. Alex was going to make everything okay. I was going to have the life I’ve always wanted. He had no idea how important this was to me.

  I asked him to make love to me, and we went to the master bed. I didn’t want the floor or the sofa. I wanted the intimacy that a bed could give. It was wonderful, beautiful! The love we shared that evening was not only about him. He made me feel like a woman, too. I loved this man. I could feel him deep in my heart.

  SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009

  CHAPTER FORTY

  The next morning, I didn’t want to leave. I was going to walk home, but Alex didn’t want me to. He wanted to drop me directly at my front door, but I wouldn’t let him. I didn’t want people gawking at us. It was just easier that way. I told him to call me the moment he got to Atlanta.

  Alex asked me before I got out of his truck, “Are you going to the town fair today?”

  “I don’t have a ride there. So, I doubt it.” I answered. “Are you going? I can go with you.”

  “Well, I don’t think we can go together, Angela.” His voice had changed, sounded like he was disappointed. “My parents will be there.”

  How could I forget? Any big town event, the elite of Colum was going to show face, and his family would probably be leading the pack. I didn’t want any problems with his family. He didn’t have to explain anything further. I understood we couldn’t go together, and there was really no exception.

  “I’m sorry, Angela, I wish things were different.”

  “I do, too, but we’ll be able to spend more time together soon enough.”

  “Well, I better get going. I’ll call you when I get to Atlanta.”

  We kissed and I said, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  It was so amazing to hear him speak those words to me. He was so much beyond what I thought I could have. He never raised his voice at me. He treated me like a lady, and I’ve never been treated like that.

  I got out of the truck, and I watched him drive away. I was going to miss him badly.

  Walking past the apartment buildings I felt like there was sadness that hung in the air. I guess Jason’s death affected everyone. It was the late part of the morning, and usually there were a lot more people out, coming from church or going to the grocery store. It seemed like people were just standing still wherever they were and taking in the fact that something had changed. I know for a fact Jason was not going to have the same effect on me like he did the other people in this town that thought he was the light of the world.

  Stephanie was sitting on her porch smoking. The sun blazed in her eyes from an angle, but the smoke seems to bother her more than the sun. She waved at me with a smile when she saw me approaching, and I waved back. I wanted to share my good news with her. It seemed fitting anyway to tell her because she was leaving town soon, too. I sat beside her on the front porch.

  Stephanie said while she was putting out her cigarette, “I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning. I thought you usually sleep in on Sunday.”

  “I have a real good reason to be up today.”

  “Oh yea, and what reason is that?” She asked.

  I proudly told her my good news. The expression on Stephanie’s face wasn’t what I expected. She didn’t look happy or sad but more like an appearance of disbelief. I nodded my head to assure her it was the truth.

  “You and Alex Westing are moving in together?”

  “Yep,” I smiled, feeling euphoria sweep through my body. “We talked about it last night.”

  “Congratulations, Angela. Honestly, I’m kind of shocked.” Stephanie was confused more than anything, but despite her confusion she said, “As long as the both of you are happy, then I think it is great. I’m glad you found a way out of this place.”

  “I can’t wait, Stephanie. What about you? You’re supposed to be leaving soon, right?”

  “Thursday is when I’m leaving. I’m packing only the essentials, and I’m walking out the door. I’m leaving the furniture, most of my clothes, dishes, everything. I don’t plan on looking back, and I’m not coming back.”

  “Same thing for me, except a different day. Two weeks, maybe less than that.”

  Stephanie lit up another cigarette. “I know you’ve heard about Jason.”

  “I heard.” I didn’t want to talk about him, but Stephanie was always nice to me. She hardly ever had a negative word to say about me.

  “Have you talked to his mother?”

  “No, but I had to go rescue my sister from her house yesterday.” I admitted.

  “What do you mean?”

  I told Stephanie how Andrea went over to Miss Carolyn’s house with a stolen trench coat, and she was trying to steal alcohol out of the cabinets in the kitchen. Stephanie was horrified, and the expression on her face showed it. She listened with disbelief, cigarette hanging between her middle and index fingers.

  “What did Miss Carolyn say?”

  “I didn’t see her. I don’t think she was there at the time, but guess who came and told me about Andrea in the first place?”

  “Who?”

  “Jason’s girlfriend. I can’t remember that girl’s name for nothing. I call her Piece Of Shit.”

  “Don’t call her that, Angela.” Stephanie shook her head and said, “You know, your sister is not right in the head.”

  “Well, you understand what I’m dealing with. You got a boyfriend in the same boat, sort of.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend anymore, Angela. Lets get that out there and completely understood.” She puffed on her cigarette and continued, “Maybe, you should try to get Andrea some help.”

  “Oh God, Stephanie, you beginning to sound like Pritchard. Andrea doesn’t want help.”

  “Regardless, Angela, you should try. She’s family.”

  Nobody was listening. Andrea didn’t want anyone’s help. It just wasn’t going to happen no matter what I said, no matter what I did.

  Stephanie continued, “Well, I went by there this morning. Miss Carolyn is feeling awfully bad right now. I’ve never seen her like that before. I know how she feels, losing a son.”

  I was going to say that she worshipped her son, like he was going to save her from the hell hole she lived in, but I kept my mouth shut, not commenting on Jason’s mother.

  “The funeral is Tuesday at Colum Baptist Church.”

  “He wasn’t a member of that church. Why there?”

  Stephanie looked at me weird and answered, “Because the little church he’s a member of won’t hold all the people who plan on attending. I was told this morning that the coaches and his basketball team is coming,
some of his professors and college friends. The Mayor will be there and plans on speaking. Of course, a lot of people from here will be attending.”

  I got pissed off. He was getting more attention dead than he ever did alive. I bet the town was going to be packed with people on Tuesday. I wish I had some other place to be.

  “I was even told some famous preacher was coming to town to give the eulogy. I don’t know who, though. I forgot his name.”

  “They acting like he saved the world or something. He was just some basketball player from a ghetto neighborhood in a small country town. He’s never done anything worth all this attention.”

  “Oh my God, Angela, don’t be like that. These people are trying to show Miss Carolyn some support, and they need closure for his death. They’re not trying to put him on a pedestal.”

  “That’s exactly what they’re doing, putting him on a pedestal.”

  I knew she didn’t like what I was saying. But the truth is she never had to deal with him like I did.

  “Well, I have no misunderstandings on how you feel about this whole thing.” She remarked. “Anyway, life must go on. I’m sure Miss Carolyn will find a way. I did. So, what’s up for today?”

  I answered, “I was hoping Tanie would be back so I could tell her about my good news.”

  “Tanie and I are going to the town fair this afternoon. She’ll be back in town in a couple of hours. You want to go with us?”

  Alex was going to be there! I’ll have a chance to speak with him again. I knew it might not happen with his entire family being there, but I was very hopeful. “Yea, I’ll go.”

  “Well, go get ready.”

  “Stephanie, before I go, do you have something I can eat?” I didn’t feel ashamed asking her for food. There was no judgment there. We both went inside her apartment, and she warmed up some fried chicken, corn bread, and green beans. Stephanie sure can cook. I didn’t breathe the whole time I ate because it was all good. Stephanie actually joined me, but she didn’t eat as much.

  I returned home feeling full and happy. I was leaving town soon. I was going to start a new life, and everything was going to work out. I just needed for Alex to say, ‘It’s time to leave.’ That day wasn’t coming fast enough.