by C. M. Steele
I didn't want this Lynne around my stepsister. That's probably why she was rumored to be promiscuous. I didn’t know if the stories were true, but after seeing my sister’s Facebook page, I wondered. I didn’t see this Lynne girl on her page. Well, I only saw her page when Donna was showing me. Maybe I could learn something about the girls my sister was hanging around with. She was leaving for college in the fall, so I wanted to make sure she was being smart about who she let into her circle.
Just as I was walking to my car, Erin shouted out, “Bye.” I shook my head and gave her a wave before I hopped into my car and headed to my place.
"Why did I agree to this?" I groaned to myself, driving back home. My eyes looked through the rearview mirror every chance I could. It was a habit I couldn’t break. There were different routes I took every time I left my parents to get to my house. It was all because of that one day that changed my life or rather that one person who ruined my sense of security. I took the longer route today, but once I entered my home, I felt calm.
I loved my sanctuary. It was set up the way I liked it and only me and Dexter lived there.
The minute I stepped in the house, Dexter was on me, barking, licking, and wagging his tail. He always happily welcomed me home, although, I only ever left for a few hours at a time. I managed to stay on my feet this time. Normally the beast would make me stumble back.
~~~~~~
“Ready for your walk?” I asked him. Instantly, he sat nicely, waiting for his leash to be attached. When it was time to go outside, the St. Bernard became a model citizen. I had a yard he could run around in, but once a day I took him for a longer walk. It was only two in the afternoon so most people were still at work or the kids in school. This was a perfect time for me to walk him. There was an overcast in the sky so I didn’t have the sun burning and blinding me, but I still wore my baseball cap to hide my face. Dexter was eager to get to our favorite walking spot. We hit the path down the road near my house. It was only about a mile in both directions, but it gave us both a decent workout and he got to do his business where he liked. The trail provided garbage cans every hundred yards, making it so I didn’t have to walk around with shit in a bag for a long time. He managed to do his business, so now it was just to be out for fun. Even though I didn’t deal with people, I loved the fresh air of the woodsy path.
There was a curved hill and this is where I usually lost Dexter’s interest. He was a bit on the lazy side. It was my fault for not taking him on longer walks. Up ahead there were three women jogging. They took up the entire walkway blocking my way, forcing me to walk on the wet grass. I felt like bumping them and moving along, but what kind of gentleman would that make me?
They were doing more talking than actual jogging, but they made an effort to look the part. All of them had on matching running gear and their makeup was perfectly put on with their matching water bottles in hand. Suddenly a scene came to me as they giggled to each other like high school girls, looking at me up and down. It was just what I needed. I stopped at the nearest bench and popped out my cellphone. I typed away in my notes as Dexter sniffed the tree nearby. I laughed to myself all the while plotting the scene out. This would make an excellent murder scenario. Three for the price of one. In fact, I think I’d just came up with my title for it. Damn, I was good. Most would be unnerved where my mind went as I watched the people around me, but that’s how we all did it. Someone pissed you off good enough, they became your villain. I couldn’t wait to add it to the story. This was a case my detective in the book was going to struggle to solve. Coming up with the ideas was half the fun and then finding a way to puzzle it all out as the story progressed was my pleasure. I closed up my phone because I wanted to get back to the house and get this down before it slipped my mind.
“Hey buddy, you done?” I looked over at Dexter who decided that he was a bit pooped and laid down on one of the protruding roots of the massive tree. He needed to get out more; his stamina was weaker than mine. “Let’s go, lazy. We’ve got to get you running around.” He got up and we walked back to my home. Once I got to the two story, four-bedroom home, I stood outside the house and thought it was perfect. It was the quiet before the storm. Tomorrow a group of girls would be descending on my home.
~~~~~~
The following day, my ridiculously bubbly sister showed up an hour earlier than I expected. I was in the middle of my workout. After wiping some of the sweat away, I opened the door for her and she let out a catcalling whistle. “Damn, bro. I didn’t know you had a body like that. Men would kill for a body like that just to attract women or men. And here you are living like a hermit.”
“Wow, a backhanded compliment. Welcome, Erin. This day sounds like it’s going to go swimmingly.”
“Oh calm down, Pearce. It’ll be just fine. I already warned them, they weren’t supposed to interrupt you while you were working and that more than likely they wouldn’t even see you…unless we were too loud.”
“Please tell me you didn’t tell them who I was.”
“Come on. You know I wouldn’t do that. They believe your name is Ryan Masters.”
“Good. I need to finish up and shower. Are you going to walk Dexter now or wait until right before the party?”
“I’ll take him after I rearrange the living room,” she said, moving past me. Erin turned around and gave me a subtle smile. “By the way, Pearce, thanks for doing this.”
“You’re welcome, Erin.”
I walked back downstairs to my gym. Since I sat all day writing today, I wanted to make sure I took care of my heart. They were always on about people with sedentary lifestyles and shit, so I had to stay fit.
The next twenty minutes were ruined by the thought of what she was doing in the living room. I jumped into the shower and washed the sweat away before getting dressed and checking in on Erin.
She was sitting in one of my lounge chairs, looking at the work she’d done so far. Nothing was messed up. She only managed to push the sofa to the wall and the coffee table in front of it.
“Did you give up already?”
“No, I’m just trying to figure out if it’s enough space. I don’t want to have to move all your things around. I know how you are.” I didn’t want to stress her out about it. I already agreed to it, so I’ll lend her a hand.
“Okay, how about I move the end tables into the spare bedroom down the hall and you go ahead and move the recliner over to the corner. That’ll give you a lot more space.
Moving the tables, I had a feeling that maybe I was ready to tolerate people more than in passing. Then I thought about her guests coming over; nope, I definitely wasn't ready.
"What's taking so long in there, Pearce, did you throw your back out, old man?" Erin teased from the doorway.
“Ha, ha. I’m not hurt. I’m thinking about tonight.”
“Pearce, I’m sorry if I took you out of your comfort zone. You know I was only trying to get mom to say yes. If she knew I was harassing you she would cave. She always does.”
“What?”
“Normally whenever mom says no, then I tell her I’ll just ask you.”
“I never knew that.”
“She didn’t want you to know. She told me this morning. I thought she was just going to give me my way. When she said it, it all made sense. My mom still regrets what happened to you and knows that if we hadn’t walked into your father’s life, you’d never gone through what you did.”
“Don’t. You and your mother had no clue what would happen. It’s the past. You two need to forget it.”
“We will, the day that you do.”
“That’s not fair, Erin.”
“Well, you know life isn’t fair. You’re young, handsome, intelligent, and have enough emotional and physical scars to hide away. I’m going to make us some lunch. I know you’re going back into your cave, so I’ll bring it to you.”
“I love you, Erin. I’m not holding a grudge or anger with you.”
“I know, and I love you, P
earce, but sometimes we need to learn to move on.”
I walked to my office and thought about what she said. Was I strong enough to walk away from the memories, the pain, the constant reminder? I didn’t know. Tonight, was the first test. Yes, I walked outside, I drove everywhere, but I never socialized with anyone. The fear still invaded my soul. I used that fear to create my darkest series yet.
Six chapters into my wicked murderous story, my sister knocks on the door. “Here’s your lunch, you devious bastard. How many people died in your story today?”
“I can’t tell you. It would take away all the fun. What took so long?”
“Since you didn’t have anything easy, I had to run to the store.”
“Tell me you locked the door before you left.”
“Of course I did, and your keys are back where you left them.”
“Thanks. That word count run made me hungry. I knocked out so much more than I expected.”
“No problem. I’m going to take Dexter for a walk. We have an hour before they start showing up and I have to organize the snacks and movies.”
“Do you want me to walk with you?”
“I would love that,” Erin beamed.
Our walk was very productive. I got to know a bit more about my sister than I thought I knew. She wasn’t intent on staying here to go to school no matter what anyone would say. Every day she was looking forward to live a more normal life. That was why she wanted a simple sleepover. Something that she could have done without an issue if she had it at someone else’s house. She was becoming her own person and the spoiled little girl was fading into the background.
I went back to work because my deadline was approaching and I needed to shake the anxiety that was fast growing with every minute that ticked by. When the doorbell rang for the first time, I accidentally knocked over my cup of coffee. I growled to myself, annoyed that I managed to waste the bean juice of the heavens and my fuel supply.
An hour into the girl gathering, I was ready to call it a night. I couldn’t write without the feeling that one of them was going to sneak into my quiet space. I headed off to the library in my home and took up to reading the New York Times. There was a new article on my upcoming release and a photo of my last book. It was a super flattering piece. They always made me shine in there.
The sleepover was getting louder as more girls arrived. So far there were ten in total, even though I hadn’t met a single one. I had a surveillance camera at my front door for safety reasons. Watching each grouping of girls come through the door only set off the panic in me. Erin said that was the last bunch. Her friend Lynne probably wasn’t going to be able to make it. I thought that was fucking good. Maybe this was the end of their friendship. Fucking on someone else’s bed was bold as fuck. The chick didn’t sound classy at all.
Erin knocked on my door again. “Here’s your card. I ordered the pizzas, but I need you to sign for them when they come.”
“Did you get me my favorite?”
“Of course I did. I gotta get back. You can come hang with us if you’re feeling up to it,” she offered. I arched my brow at her because she knew damn well that I didn’t want to hang out with a bunch of giggling girls. “Fine. Just let me know if we get too loud.”
“Okay. Have fun.” She closed the door and I went straight back to work.
Chapter 2
"What do you mean the party's going to be at your brother's?" I’d never met her brother before, but I knew he lived near Ellis, who moved with his parents last month. Ellis had claimed that Erin’s brother Ryan was a loner and didn’t like people. It was the same thing Erin had said about her brother, so I guess it was true. Frankly, I didn’t care about him. It was the distance. He supposedly lived in the southwest suburbs.
"My mom won't let me have it there after what happened with you and Ellis." Oh, hell no. I wasn’t going to live that down. That’s why Ellis and I started talking in the first place. He wanted to get to know me since the rumors had spread like wildfire.
"I thought you straightened it out with her,” I grumbled. She was supposed to be my best friend and today she didn’t sound like it. My family didn’t come from money like hers did. Her parents may live on the Southside of Chicago, but they lived in a great neighborhood. I lived in the next neighborhood where the property was cheaper for rent and the people were a little sketchier. We went to the same high school because it was the best in the city. She’d pick me up every morning and drive us to school. What had changed? Did she like Ellis? Was I too poor to meet her brother?
"I did but she saw the booze bottles, so I can't have a party without her there. Luckily, I'm moving away soon. Then I can do whatever."
"Can you come pick me up?" I asked. I had a bus card, but it took more to get to his place. I would have to map it out and see what way was the fastest and cheapest.
"I can't. I'm meeting Ryan at his place to prepare for the party." Damn her.
I couldn't go and what was fucked up was that she didn't seem to care. "I could help set up."
"Sorry, my brother doesn't want anyone here before the party."
"Fine. Unless I find a ride, I can't go."
"I'm sorry, Lynne. You know I want you here," Erin said. The way she said that didn’t sound real convincing. I had a feeling it was because Buffy was going and the troglodyte was going to be there. I hated that cuntpop. She was the reason I got caught in the room with Ellis.
“Do you?”
“You know I do. You’re my best friend,” she said. The first part was muttered, but when she called me her best friend, I heard the sincerity in her words. Damn it, I was so confused.
"I've got to go to work," I said, anxious to hang up. It was the day before the sleepover and she was just telling me about the change of plans. I grumbled after hanging up with my "best friend." She made me doubt that twice in one phone call.
I didn’t have time for that confusion. I had to get ready for work. For the past week, I got ready like I was going somewhere special. My long blonde hair underwent a massive conditioning treatment and straightened. It looked like those girls in the Pantene commercials. Next was the makeup, something I owed to Erin. She taught me how to make myself look like I belonged strutting down a catwalk. My cat eye was on point and my lips had that sexy pout that women killed for.
I worked for a grocery store, so my parents looked at me funny when I left, but they just chalked it up to me being a teenager finding my independence. I turned eighteen last week, so they had no idea the most amazing thing had happened while I was checking at the register. I hadn’t even told Erin. Not that I didn’t want to tell her, but she didn’t give me an opportunity. She’d been ignoring me most of the week. Erin always having some excuse why she couldn’t hang out and only wanted to hang when she knew I was working.
It didn’t matter who knew. I was so focused on getting to work and seeing if I could see him again—the man of my dreams.
I was at the checkout ringing up the most annoying woman possible. She had coupons for everything and questioned the price of almost all her items. It was a nightmare, but I looked past her to see that the man at the next register was my school girl crush. Pearce Kraven, the Pearce Kraven. It had to be him, but he never looked my way. He kept looking down the lane as if looking for someone in particular. It was clear it wasn't me that he was searching for. I couldn't believe that he was in the store in my neighborhood. It didn't make any sense. I read that he was from Chicago, but it's a big city and this wasn't the best neighborhood to be in after dark. I wanted to call out to him, but the woman interrupted my gawking.
When I finally got her out of my line, he was walking out the door. I couldn’t just leave my register, but my eyes followed him all the way to his car. I groaned to myself. The girl that came up next was giving me a crazy glare. I still remember the look of contempt in her eyes, like how dare I look at a handsome guy. She acted like he belonged to her. “He’s off limits, checker chick,” she snipped at me. “He’s mine.
” At first I thought she was joking because her unkempt appearance didn’t bode well for getting a guy like him, but she was serious. “Do you think I’m kidding, bitch? Just ring up my things.” She kept looking out the store front window, but his car wasn’t in the spot anymore. “Damn it.” She paid for her things with cash then rushed out the door. Her eyes surveyed the area for him.
The nutty looking chick didn’t bother me. The next day, I worked my entire shift out on the floor. I didn’t want to miss him. He hadn’t been in there the whole summer. What made me think he would come in again? It was probably a one off.
I left my parent’s home hoping that I would see him again. The possibility was infinitesimal, but a girl could dream and I sure as hell dreamed often about Pearce Kraven. I got to work and didn’t see him again. Once I got back home, I opened the laptop I scrounged up enough money for and worked on my story. I had three more chapters before it was finally done. Two months ago, I got to meet an author by chance and we got to talking. Being self-published, she gave me lots of tidbits and even let me email her. With her contacts, I got ahold of a couple people to read my work for free. Scared of their feedback but unable to afford an editor, I sent them the copy. Within days, I was swarmed with questions about when the next book would be out. I squealed with excitement. So, I wrote my next story. It was about two authors falling in love. Closing my eyes, I envisioned us as the main characters and the story just came to life on the computer screen.
~~~~~
Erin called me the next day to see if I was coming. I had been working on my book since the sun came up so I wasn’t sure if I was coming, but I told her if I got a few more chapters done I would. After managing to hit a wall with the sex scene, I closed my laptop and pulled up the transit map on my cell phone. I figured out the fastest way to get to her brother’s house. Orland Park was a mission away, but not as bad as I expected it to be. It would take an hour and a half to get there. Before I walked out the door, I sent Erin a message that I was going to try and navigate the trains and busses and I would be there late.
