I grab the towel I was sunning myself on and dry off before grabbing my phone and seeing all the missed calls. The only problem is they aren’t from Colin like I expected them to be. They are from my landlord. Shit!
Did I pay my rent? Did I miss something I was supposed to take care of? Fuck!
I quickly dial his phone number and wait for an answer. Two rings and Paul my landlord answers with a worried tone.
“Aurora, are you alright?” he asks frantically into the line.
“Yeah, everything is okay. Why? What’s up Paul?” I am beyond confused.
“Aurora, we are at the apartment here. It looks like someone broke in. I got a call from the alarm company when you didn’t answer the phone for them. The police are here as well. We were worried you may have been home when the intruder came in because your car is in the parking lot.”
My apartment? Intruder? Police? What the fuck?!
“What? No, I am out. I am actually on a boat. But I can be back within a half hour or so.” Just as I speak the words Jackson joins me on the deck of the boat mouthing the words is everything okay at me.
No, everything is not okay at all. I shake my head no and he waits for my phone call to end. A few minutes later I end the call with Paul telling him I will be there as soon as I’m able so I can talk with the police and see what exactly is missing since this clearly is a robbery of some type. Although, I really don’t have much anyone would actually want to steal.
“Someone broke into my house. My landlord was worried because my car is in my parking spot and I was nowhere to be found.” I realize how bad it looks and what spawned the frantic phone calls. I am grateful for Jackson making these surprise plans with me. Because what would have happened if I was actually home when this person broke into my house? Would they have hurt me? Would they have broken in when I was there?
Oh my God. What if I was home with Liam when it happened? Would they have hurt me in front of my son? My mind flies a mile a minute as Jackson brings the engines to life, and pulls the anchor up.
I sit in silence, partially in shock the entire ride back to shore. Running a million different scenarios through my overactive imagination. I wonder if I should move now. How I would afford to find a new place to live. If anyone else in the community has been burglarized recently. Was I the target? Was it a random act? Did someone see me leave earlier in the day and decide I would be the perfect target?
Shit!
I hate thinking about all this shit!
Jackson leaves me be. He can tell I am far too worked up to hold any kind of conversation. But the overprotective alpha male in him is starting to bubble to the surface. I can see the rage in his face. His protectiveness starting to show.
As the boat pulls into the slip, he finally speaks. But instead of asking me what happened, or what is going on. He asks how I am doing, how I am feeling. His concern focused squarely on me.
“Aurora, are you alright?” his arms wrap around my body and pull me close, placing a kiss on my forehead. I just nod in reply to him. I can’t even think or speak the words right now. My voice is completely lost. The victim once again.
No matter how hard I try and break the cycle, I always find myself back in this position. I am sick of being the victim of men and their shitty choices. And now that this situation is even further out of my control, it enrages me. I am pissed that someone would fucking target me with this bullshit just as I am finally getting my shit together and getting stronger.
“I just don’t get it.” I say quietly as we walk up the dock. “Why me?” a tear slips from my eye and Jackson grabs my hand.
“A, there are just bad people in the world. It isn’t about them targeting you. They saw an opportunity and they took it. This isn’t personal, Aurora. Don’t take it that way.” his words encouraged me somewhat, but I have a hard time not taking it personally. I take damn near everything personally. Whether it is or not.
Jackson’s car comes to a stop and I jump out running toward all the police cars and my apartment. The front door is broken off of the hinges like someone kicked the door in. The big foot print on the front door confirms my initial thoughts.
“Miss, you can’t go in there! It is a crime scene.” A young, baby faced police officer stops me before I can step over the threshold into my apartment. The sanctuary I have been comfortable enough to finally call home. Never realizing my security could be stripped in an instant. This instant.
“Officer James, it’s alright. She is the tenant who lives here.” Paul comes out of the doorway towards me. He gives me a big, protective hug and asks if I am alright. My body is physically shaking and I am worried about everything I am going to see once I walk through the door into the place I have been calling home.
“Sorry about that Miss…” the officer says.
“Miss Alexander. Aurora Alexander.” I answer him, and Paul escorts me through the mess of a doorway.
“Don’t worry about the door. I already have a friend over at the hardware store picking up the supplies to fix it.” Paul adds in, trying to reassure me the damage will be fixed soon. But I am still unsure if I will feel safe enough in this apartment. I want to run back to the home I once shared with Colin, but I already know that is not, and never will be, an option for me again.
The kitchen is trashed. The vase of flowers from Wesley completely shattered all over the tiled stone flooring. Shards are scattered all over the black tile in every which way. The flowers are completely trashed, ripped apart as if someone deliberately targeted them. But nothing else in the kitchen is touched. Just the small romantic gesture.
I walk like a zombie up the stairs to the bedrooms. Liam’s room is still closed, untouched as it was when I left this morning. I send another silent thank you up to the big guy in the sky, thanking him that Liam wasn’t home for this. He wouldn’t see the damage that has been done or lose his own sense of security in our new home. I have no choice but to stay in this house and pray no one comes back to finish whatever job they started. I couldn't shake Liam’s already upside down world.
The door to my bedroom is open, and when I peer inside, I can see my drawers tossed haphazardly around the room. Clothes are everywhere, but nothing appears to be missing. What could they have been looking for?
My heart hammers against my chest as my body breaks into a cold sweat. The weather outside may be steamy, but this isn’t anything more than my own terrified reaction. I’ve been targeted and I am unsure of why. Why me? What have I ever done to anyone?
“Are you okay?” Jackson’s voice distracts me from the mess. I turn to find him standing in the doorway, carefully and quietly watching me like he doesn’t want to disturb me.
“I’m fine. I just don’t get it.” I look around and run my fingers through my hair and wonder why someone would do this. I am sure it is a question that I am going to ask myself repeatedly for a really long time. I have never been a victim like this before. Yeah, I’ve been hurt by other people, but not in this manner. This… it is all just something else. Something that I will never understand.
“Want some help?” he nods to the mess in the room. I don’t want to even be here anymore.
“Not right now. I think I just want to get out of here for the night once the front door is fixed and the glass is all cleaned up. I don’t really feel safe being here alone.” I admit. I don’t want Jackson to see me as weak, but I also don’t know what else to say right now. Honesty is always best and I feel like I could tell him anything.
“Let’s get the kitchen cleaned up and you can come back to my house for the night. I have a guest room you can use.” Jackson offers. “Pack up a little bag and we will worry about getting the rest of this all cleaned up tomorrow. Okay?”
I really should call Callie and stay with her, but I just nod and go along with Jackson’s plan. I let him take charge because I think that is what I really need at this moment. I can’t make any decisions or even think straight.
I grab some clothes and
my bag of toiletries and toss them in my beach bag and head downstairs to the kitchen. The young looking police officer and Paul are standing there, both staring at me when I enter the room.
“Miss Alexander? There is one more thing we need to show you before we can head out.” the officer says. He holds up a note in a plastic bag. “This was left on the counter, we took it for evidence.” He hands the bag over, and I just eye the words. The handwriting isn’t familiar. And I wonder why someone would feel the need to scare me like this?
You are mine.
Stop acting like a whore.
A chill runs through my body again. My stomach rolls and I feel the need to vomit.
Mine? A whore? Who the fuck would even think this? The idea that this was nothing more than a random break in disappears.
“Do you have an ex-boyfriend or lover who would leave something like that Miss Alexander?” My mind is a complete blank.
“No, I don’t. I literally just started dating again for the first time since I was divorced over a year ago.” my words come out much quieter than I intended.
“Do you think your ex-husband may have a hand in this?” He asks, simply trying to get to the bottom of the situation. I should understand that this is his job, but I can’t help the rage boiling in me. I am over this day, this situation and being a fucking victim to the men in my fucking life. Yes, I am finally mad enough to swear for Christ’s sake. Why do I fucking deserve this shit?
“Colin isn’t smart enough to do something like this. Plus he has our son this weekend. I told you, I don’t know the writing on the note either. Do your job and find the sick fuck who did this for Christ’s sake!” I gasp when I realize my inner rage just spilled out into my actual words. I am actually kind of embarrassed by that, but it feels so good to get it out.
“I’m sorry. I’m just upset.” I apologize to the officer. He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulder.
“It’s okay Miss. I’ve dealt with worse. We’ll get to the bottom of this, or at least try. There isn’t much evidence left behind, but petty criminals like this typically trip up somewhere along the line.” He takes the note and heads for the door, leaving Jackson and I alone with Paul.
“I’m glad you weren’t home, Aurora.” Paul says.
“I don’t think someone would have done this if I actually had been here. I just don’t get it at all. Why me?”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Kiddo. There are just bad people in the world. I’m gonna call the security company and have the system here upgraded. It was about time anyway.” I know Paul is just trying to comfort me, make it so I am not blaming myself, but it’s so damn hard.
“I’m gonna stay at Jackson’s tonight. Liam doesn’t come home from Colin’s till tomorrow night. It will give me some time to be able to process this all before he gets back.”
Paul nods. “Don’t worry about sticking around, I will have my friend help me fix the door and we will take care of the glass. Go have a drink and try to relax a little bit. Like the officer said, whoever did this isn’t a criminal. They don’t know what they are doing and they will slip up and get caught.” I can only nod.
“Thank you, Paul.”
Ten minutes down the road we start to pull into one of the newer subdivisions in town. The houses aren’t as close together as most of the other new communities and for once I am actually finding myself wanting for a real home again. A house. A place I can buy and call my own without the worry of a landlord.
“This is a nice neighborhood,” I mention as we start to pull into the driveway of a brown and white colonial style home. The lawn is perfectly manicured, which isn’t unexpected in Jackson’s line of work. There are shrubs, and flowers bordering a brick walkway up to the front porch. The white wraparound reminds me of my dream house as a little girl. A few blocks away from my childhood home. We would ride our bikes past it and stake claim, wishing that one day it would be ours.
“It’s not much, but it’s all mine.” Jackson says as he parks the car in front of a spacious two car garage.
“Not much? This house is huge. And that lawn!”
He lets out a laugh. I am comfortable around him and even though we are still so new to each other, I feel safer at his house and with him more than I do in my own condo right now. How sad is that?
There are two guest bedrooms on the first floor and a futon couch in my office, which is across the hall from my bedroom upstairs.” He says as we get out of the car. I am unsure how safe I will feel on a different level of the house from him.
“Would you mind if I stayed in the office? I would feel more comfortable on the same floor. If that is okay?” God, I could go for a drink right now, just to take the edge off.
“Whatever you wanna do, Aurora, whatever is going to make you feel safest.” he says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close to his body. I feel safe right where I am. In his arms.
My phone chirps, alerting me of a text. I look down and notice it is from Brent.
What is with the cops?
My mind races wondering why exactly he is in my town. Wondering why he is driving by my house when he knew I wouldn’t be home all day. My suspicion increases, but then again, right now, I suspect anyone and everyone but Jackson because he was with me when it happened. I shrug my shoulders and feel bad because I know there is no reason for me to blame Brent or even suspect him of anything. He would never do anything like that.
Someone broke into my condo. Text you late with the details.
I don’t even want to think about it right now. I honestly want to relax in the bath and a glass of wine. I wonder if that is something Jackson would be able to arrange for me?
“Everything okay?” Jackson asks, and I realize I am just standing on the brick path staring at my phone, far off in outer space.
“Yeah, sorry about that. A friend drove by my condo and saw the police.” He nods and we start walking to the front door. “Would you mind if I take a bath and relax for a little bit? I am really worked up by this all.” I admit. I hate making myself vulnerable to anyone but I can’t help it. I need that outlet. That person to talk to about this all right now.
“Anything you want, Aurora. Whatever is going to make you get past this. I can’t even imagine how you are feeling.” His hand cups my chin and he places a chaste kiss on my cheek.
“Anything I want, huh?” I let out a small chuckle. “How about a glass of wine too? Happen to have any of that laying around?”
“No wine, but I could help numb the shit out of you with some Moonshine.” he laughs. And the funny thing is, I am totally going to take him up on it because right now, the only thing I want to feel is numb.
Three hours, a bubble bath, and three shots of moonshine later, I was finally starting to relax again. The alcohol helped to dull my racing mind. I could finally enjoy Jackson’s company instead of thinking about who wanted to scare me. I just hoped that I wouldn’t have to keep drinking to lose the memories of my torn up house. I didn’t want to move, but the more I thought about it, in the long run, it would be the best option for myself and Liam.
“Okay Chatty Cathy, it’s time to get you to bed.” Jackson laughs as he lifts me off the couch and starts to make his way to the stairs. I laugh at his cute nickname because I am sure in the course of the past three hours I have told him my life story. From my father who walked out on me and my mom when I was too young to remember the taillights of his truck, to my mother’s love affair with cheap boxed wine. Don’t get me wrong, she was a great mother. But, just like the rest of the world… she had her vices. Hers just happened to be alcohol as soon as she got home from work.
I guess my life could have been worse. She could have whored around. She could have had strange men breaking into her house the moment she thought dating would be a smart idea. Instead, my mother lived a lonely life. I am sure she blamed me for her sad existence most of the time. I can’t help but think how much better off Liam and I would be if I just gave up this whole d
ating and happiness pipe dream and focused on working and being an awesome mom.
But, then again… I don’t think I could truly be happy alone.
Sad to say, but it is just the kind of woman I am. Sucks huh?
As Jackson walks into the office across from his bedroom, he places my feet on the ground, and I cling to him as the room starts to sway. This would probably be a great moment to announce the fact that I am a lightweight, and I never drink more than a single glass of wine. Alcohol has never been my thing after watching my mother.
“Whoa there.” he grabs onto me, holding me tight against his body making sure I am not going to go off tumbling anywhere. “Shit,” Jackson mumbles as he looks over at the cluttered condition of the futon in question. “Can you stand for a few for me to clear this?” his eyes lock with mine and I just shake my head no and laugh. My laughter doesn’t stop either until the tears are streaming down my face.
“I’m… Oh god!” I continue to laugh like a teenage girl at a slumber party. “I’m so sorry but, I can’t.” the sad fact that I can’t even stand is probably the funniest thing that has happened to me in years. I know, my life is pretty sad.
“Come on,” Jackson picks me back up in his arms, and I quickly loop my arms around his neck as we move across the hall. He pulls the office door shut behind us and makes his way into the master bedroom. His bedroom. He is bringing me into his room. The worst part of it all is, I know that no matter what happens, I am not in the frame of mind to even understand the weight of the night we may or may not have.
“I can’t.” I whisper as the laughter begins to break. I know the fun is over, and my drunken mind is wandering down a dangerous road.
“Shhh… it’s okay. I’m just gonna get you tucked in. I’ll sleep on the futon.” Jackson reassures me and I let go of the tension in my body. He turns on the small light on the nightstand, illuminating the sprawling king size bed. It is a typical guy set up. Biggest bed he could buy with dark colored sheets and a hand full of crappy pillows. I smile thinking about the bachelor setup, but I can’t knock how he decorated the rest of the house. He didn’t do that bad with the rest.
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