by R. R. Banks
The breath catches in my chest and pushes painfully against my ribs. I feel like I can't get in a breath or see clearly. His eyes stare at me, cold and emotionless, before coming to settle onto Anna. I start to reach for the panic button, but Trevor doesn't move any closer. He takes a step backward and disappears into the crowd of people behind us. He's out of sight, but he’s still there. I can feel him. I don't know how long he followed us, or how far away he is now. Tears burn my eyes, and I feel like everything I've been building has crumbled around me.
Chapter Fourteen
Xavier
"How can he be out?" Abigail demands as she paces in the living room. "How could he be standing there on that sidewalk? I thought the police fucking arrested him."
"They did," I say, setting my phone down on the side table. "A few weeks ago, when I got word from Evan that the police had found Trevor on his property and arrested him, they brought him to jail. But apparently, he didn't stay there for long."
"What do you mean?"
"I just got off the phone with the police. They weren't exactly thrilled about sharing the information with me, but I pointed out that it's public record, and they finally gave in. They said they were able to arrest Trevor because he was technically trespassing, and there was a note in the record about the first time you called about him when you were living with Evan. That made it a special circumstance, and they were able to bring him to the station and book him. Unfortunately, there wasn't really much evidence of any other crime. They have everything you told them, but even though we all know it was him, there's nothing concrete to tie him to it. They say they don't want to risk charging him if the case is just going to be thrown out to due to lack of evidence. They'd rather let him go and wait until they're able to build a stronger case, which might mean waiting until he does something else.”
"Are you serious?" Abigail asks. "Are you fucking serious right now? I didn't get a phone call to let me know he was released? Evan didn't tell me? They just let him walk away without giving any of us even a quick heads up that prick is out of jail?"
"Because he wasn't charged with any crime related to you, you don't have to have notification. I agree that's a seriously shitty move, but there's nothing you can do about it now."
"And what do you mean there's nothing I can do about it? I'm going to call the police. Like they said, they need more evidence to bring him in on any charges related to him stalking me. I think this qualifies as that."
"I don't know if it does, Abigail."
"What?"
"You can call the police if you want to. If it makes you feel better to tell them you saw him, then I think you should. But honestly, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference. He was just standing on the same sidewalk as you. Even you said he didn't say anything to you or try to grab you. He didn't approach Anna or do anything, really. You think he might have touched you, but that's it."
"That's it? The shops we were at are only three blocks from here!"
I know she’s furious right now, and I understand. Both of us assumed Trevor was still in jail, and I've been enjoying the feeling of security that came along with it. I'm pissed the police didn't think it was important enough to tell us he had been released, but right now I'm doing everything I can to prevent Abigail from spiraling out of control. I don't want her disappearing back into the darkness and panic she was experiencing in her old apartment before she moved into my building. That was horrible to see, and I don't want her to ever feel that way ever again.
Abigail snatches her phone out of her pocket and she dials with such force I'm worried the screen will crack beneath her finger. I already know what the police are going to tell her, but there's nothing I can do to stop her. She needs to hear from them that what happened today wasn’t as serious as she thinks it is. Maybe that will help her to relax.
Within a few moments, I realize that’s not the case. She had walked out onto the balcony to talk, probably to get fresh air in hopes it would clear her head and help calm her down. She comes back into the house a few minutes later, slamming the door and tossing her phone onto the table.
"What did they say?"
"That they would make a note of it, but it's nothing I should be concerned about."
I step up to her and wrap my arms around her waist.
"I know you don't want to hear that," I say. "But maybe it really is just a really fucked-up coincidence."
"Three blocks from the building, Xavier. He was three blocks from the building. How can you say that was a coincidence? He has to know I'm here."
"He didn't try anything, Abigail. I am upset they didn't tell us that he's out, and frustrated as hell he's walking around with no repercussions for what he’s done to you. But I don't want you spending every moment of your life dwelling on him. You saw him, but he didn't try anything. He didn't follow you back here or even threaten you. Seeing you might have been just as startling for him as it was for you. And I'm sure that even though they can't arrest him, the police will still seek him out and have a word with him. Even if they can’t do anything formally, they'll make sure to warn him about coming too close to you."
"But then he'll definitely know that I live here," she protests. "I don't want him to know that."
"They're not going to do anything that would jeopardize your safety," I say. "And neither am I. You're here with me. You still have your panic button. You didn't even have to use it when you saw him. You know you're safe."
"Something just doesn't feel right," she says.
"Listen," I say. "Anna has another slumber party with Susie this weekend, and she's invited Ruth to come up for one. I think she's missing her. I can ask Ruth to come for a few days instead. Let's take the weekend and go somewhere together to get your mind off all this."
"Where?"
"I was planning on surprising you with a trip with Anna and me next weekend, but I think this is a better opportunity. I am looking at buying a new lake house. The memories I have of spending time with my family there when I was little are so important to me. I would love for Anna to start being able to make some of those memories, too. There's a house I've been looking at that's from around the same era as the one my family owned. It's not exactly the same, but that is probably for the better. I never thought I'd be able to take a trip like that again, but you've made it possible for me. I want to bring you there for the weekend, so we can test it out and see what we think."
Abigail nods.
"That sounds wonderful," she says. She lets out a shaky breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am overreacting about this. Getting out of the city for a couple of days might be good for me."
"And it's not at all a ploy for me to get a few uninterrupted days alone with you," I say.
Abigail giggles as I draw her up against me and lean down to nuzzle into the delicate curve of her neck. I tell myself I'll do whatever it takes to get this off Abigail’s mind, and bring her back to the happiness she felt earlier this morning.
********
Being here at the new lake house has brought a peace to Abigail and to me. We’ve only been here a couple days and already I can see the difference in her.
As soon as we are through the front door, I pull her to me. She melts willingly to my grip. Crushing my mouth into hers I grasp her to me, and we stand there for a long stretch, our tongues swirling each other, tasting each other, before I reach down and lift her up. She wraps her legs around me as I carry her to the bed and lay her down. Her hair spirals out onto the sheets and a smile reaches across her face, and in this very second, I have never wanted another human being more in my entire life.
I unbutton my shirt quickly and toss it to the floor and lean down to kiss Abigail again. I work my way from her lips to her neck and down the swell of her breasts before making a direct line for her navel. I lightly brush my tongue across the line where her pants are and grab the flap of fabric beside the buckle with my teeth and pull, unbuttoning her pants in one movement. I hear her gasp abov
e me and I kneel down, grabbing her pants with both hands and sliding them off, exposing white lacy panties underneath.
Tossing the pants aside I begin to kiss one thigh, making my way ever so slowly toward her middle. She wiggles and squirms in anticipation, but that is what I want. I want her to ache for me, to beg for me, and I take my time making my way to the crease of her leg meeting her hips. I slide my tongue across her until I reach the edge of the panties and then move up them until I reach the waistband. I grab them with my teeth and begin to slowly slide them off, feeling her move her hips so they slide more easily down.
Soon her sweet little pussy is revealed to me, and I marvel at her as she reaches to remove her shirt. As the panties fall to the floor, so does her shirt, and I reach forward with one hand to unclasp the bra from the front. Her luscious breasts escape and I reach for them with both hands, filling them with her soft skin and relishing the feeling of her taut nipples in my palms. She opens her legs to me and moans in anticipation as I blow a gentle breath on her center.
Moving my arms under her legs, I pull her to the edge of the bed and then cup her breasts, massaging them as I move my mouth to her. My tongue encourages her folds to open to me, exposing the pearl in the center. I begin to lavish her with attention, swirling my tongue around her, tasting her and reveling in each inch of her exposed body. I begin to circle her clit as I take one hand away from her chest and slide a finger inside her. She’s so wet it’s easy to move myself within her and I can hear her soft whimper as I continue to pleasure her.
I begin to move my fingers in and out of her as I slide my tongue in tight circles around and into her clit, while my other hand mimics the movement on her nipple. I can feel her beginning to buck into me as she begins to ride the feeling to an orgasm and I maintain my rhythm until I feel her clench into me, her legs pressing into the sides of my head and her voice yelling out my name. She pulses as I slowly remove myself from her and stand to look at her from above. She sits up and presses her lips to my stomach as her hands reach for my belt, undoing it with a hunger that seems to match my own.
She yanks at my pants until they come down and my cock forces its way out to her. She grasps the shaft with one hand and begins to stroke me as she takes me in her mouth. I wonder just how long I can hold out before I come. Even if I do, though, I won't be done with her any time soon.
Abigail
His thick cock springs out at me and I immediately wrap my lips around the head. I am still reeling from the orgasm he gave me with his mouth and am eager to give him the same pleasure he has just given me. My hand clasps around the shaft, massaging his throbbing cock as I swirl my tongue around it. I slide my mouth down, stopping when I feel it reach the back of my throat as I hear him moan deeply and feel his hand reach for the back of my head.
I bob back and forth, I know that it won't be long before he explodes into me, but before I can encourage him to, I feel him pull away from me. I look up and see him jerk his head toward the pillows and I eagerly scamper to them. I lay on my back as he climbs onto the bed and walks on his knees to me, straddling over me so I can continue to suck on his thick cock.
Slowly he pulls from me and I see him reach beside the bed into a nightstand. He pulls out a condom and rips open the packaging. I take it from him, placing it on the head of his cock and use my mouth to push it down as far as I can take him into me, rolling it the rest of the way down with my hand.
Xavier moves down below me now and I wrap my legs around his waist as he pulls a pillow underneath me. The confidence of his movements sends another thrill down my spine as he settles himself between my legs and reaches for my overheated pussy. He uses the pad of his thumb to find my clit and gently begins to massage it while he positions the head at my opening. Achingly slowly he inches his way into me, then pulls back, then forward again a little deeper. I can feel how tight my body is, slowly relaxing to take him in, and he pushes deeper still, sending me to a place between pain and absolute pleasure.
Finally, he is mostly inside me and he begins to rock slowly, not removing himself as much and pushing deeper with each thrust. I whimper and moan in pleasure as he continues to thrust, growing in intensity and speed. My legs wrap harder around him as he picks up his pace, a low grumble coming from him with each thrust. I know he is close to the edge and the thought of it is enough to bring me barreling back to the edge of an orgasm myself. His body begins to tense and the thrusting becomes a frenzied blur of movement. He is slamming into me now and the wave of an orgasm is rushing over me. Finally, I feel him pulse as he comes and my body releases into a mind-blowing climax. We pulse together, our voices mixing as one as we fade into the post-climax sense of ecstasy.
I let my body relax, my thoughts seeming to uncoil with it. This trip is exactly what I needed. The time away from the city has started to clear my mind and take the edge off my panic, though I haven't been able to completely forget the paralyzing moment of seeing Trevor again. I tell myself I have to listen to Xavier. Nothing happened. He was just standing there on the same sidewalk I was. He didn't say anything, or try to get any closer to me. It might not have even been him who touched me. I felt the fingers on my back, but it could have been any of the other people crowded onto that block with me.
But even as I fight to force this into my beliefs, there is the faint, lingering thought that I can't fathom any reason why Trevor would return to the city after being released if it wasn't to find me.
Chapter Fifteen
Xavier
Three days later…
I’m drawn out of my sleep by a bright light hitting against my eyelids. It's not the soft glow of the dawn or even the vibrancy of late morning. This is a searing, fierce light. One I know all too well. My eyes snap open and I look toward the bedroom window. Through the curtains, I can see pulsing flames raging outside of the house. Throwing the blanket off me, I rush out of bed and run toward the window. I push the curtains aside and see the fire coming toward the house. I can't see how deep it is, or where it started. One of the flames stretches up, licking the needles of a low-hanging pine. The branch resists, but it's only a matter of time before one of the trees catches, or the scattering of dry needles and leaves below them are fully engulfed.
"Get up!" I shout. "Wake up! Now!"
Fear grips my heart as I tear open the bedroom door and run into the darkness of the living room. The brightness of the flames has shrunken my pupils so tightly I can barely see anything in front of me. But I can't hesitate. I can't slow down. My hip rams into a sharp corner of the dining room table, and I wince at the pain as I reach forward to grab for anything that will guide me across the room. I have to get to the other bedroom. I shouldn’t have let her stay there. I should have never let her be so far away from me.
"Get up!" I scream again.
Finally, my vision starts to return, but everything around me is hazy. I realize the light that's guiding me now is from the fire itself, and that means it's grown. My hands touch the doorknob of the opposite bedroom, and I grab it. As soon as I attempt to turn it, I realize it's locked. I fight against it, trying to break the lock mechanism. I don't have time to go back into the other bedroom to find the key. I don't understand why the door is locked. It shouldn't be locked.
"Anna!" I yell, pounding on the door.
"She's not there!" a voice cuts through mine.
I turn around just in time to see a tree outside the window ignite, sending droplets of fire raining down onto the porch.
A hand grabs onto my shoulder, and I snap my head to look. Helen is standing beside me, but her face fades away and is replaced by Abigail. I realize I'm not standing in the burning lake house. Anna isn't a baby. She isn't in the nursery. Abigail is standing here with me. She seems safe. I let out a shuddering breath and shake my head, trying to rejoin reality. Sweat runs down my back, and I grab Abigail's hand and run with her out of the cabin. As soon as we are standing a few yards away, I realize the flames are not as serious as I initially envis
ioned. The porch had ignited, but the damp wood from the rain the night before is burning far more slowly than the image in my mind’s eye. Abigail is already on the phone, and she tells me the fire department will be here as soon as they can. I rush to the side of the cabin and grab onto the hose attached to the side of the building.
Turning on the faucet beneath the hose, I uncoil the green rubber length and bring it as far to the back of the cabin as I can. Closing my thumb over the mouth of the hose to spread the spray, I sweep the water back and forth, attempting to hold the flames at bay. Within a few minutes, I can hear the familiar scream of the fire engine. It cuts through me, but I try to push the memories out of my mind and focus on slowing the fire as it creeps across the thick layers of pine needles and leaves. The truck stops, and the powerful spray from the water tank within the engine quickly tames the fire and brings it under control. I wrap my arms around Abigail, holding her close to me as we watch the firefighters reduce the flames to nothing but smoke and ash. When they're finished, one approaches me.
"What happened here?" he asks.
"I'm not sure," I say. "We were asleep in the bedroom, and the light from the flames woke me up."
He nods and runs his hand through his salt-and-pepper mustache.
"Well, it doesn't look like there's been a lot of damage. The porch will need some repair, but it shouldn't be too difficult. You're lucky the only branch that caught was a dead one that fell pretty quickly."
"Sir," another firefighter calls as he jogs toward us. "It looks like there was a campground just a few yards into the woods. That was probably the source."
"A campfire could cause that?" Abigail asks. "I didn't even notice a camp anywhere around."
"It happens much more than anyone would like to think," the first man explains to her. "People think they've gotten the fire out just fine, but they haven't actually gone through all the steps. Fire is much hotter than a lot of people think, and it needs more than just a splash of water to burn out completely. It's fortunate this wasn’t more serious than it was. The rain from last night definitely helped, and I'm glad you were able to call us as quickly as you did so it didn't spread all the way to the cabin."
