by Tia Siren
I nodded. It was the same thing we’d been told for months. Anytime the police talked to Isaac, he claimed innocence. Isaac was a smooth talker. He had a quiet demeanor that disarmed people. It had worked on me countless times.
“Can I borrow the car?” I asked. “I want to pick up a few things before I go home.”
“Of course, dear. We’ll drive you back,” my dad answered.
“Thanks,” I said and grabbed my purse.
As soon as I got in the car, I called Isaac and asked him to meet me at the McDonald’s in town. I needed to talk to him but wanted to do it in a public place. Isaac would never risk showing his true colors in public. I felt safe enough.
I walked in and found him at a back booth away from the crowd of people. I had hoped to get there before him and pick a table closer to the action.
“Hey, babe,” Isaac said when he saw me. He stood and kissed me on the cheek. I did my best to hide my revulsion but couldn’t stop my body from stiffening under his touch.
I sat down at the table and looked at him. “Isaac, we have to talk.”
He nodded. “I know, babe. Things have been crazy. What are you doing back in town? I thought you moved to Nashville.”
“I have. Isaac, we’re not together anymore. I need you to understand that. You have to leave me alone.”
He shook his head. “You need some time to clear your head. I understand that. I’ll give you some space.”
“No, Isaac. I’ve moved on. You need to as well.”
“Scarlett, don’t talk like that. You know I love you, and you love me. We’re going through a rough patch. We’ll get through this,” he insisted.
I took a deep breath, refusing to let the man talk me into agreeing with him.
“No, Isaac. It’s over. I don’t want you to call me or send me flowers. Don’t come to my house. You have to leave me alone.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’ve done this before. You’re mad. You’ll get over it, and we’ll be together again.”
“You can find another girlfriend. Please, Isaac, just leave me alone.”
“I’ll never stop loving you, Scarlett. You’re mine. You will always be mine. I’m not going to give up on us. We’re meant to be together.”
In that instant, I realized I had to do something drastic. “I’m engaged,” I blurted out.
He looked as if I’d slapped him. “You’re what?” he hissed.
“I’m engaged to another man. I told you, I’ve moved on. We are not going to be together ever again. What we had is over for good,” I said firmly.
He glared at me. “You’re engaged to another man?”
If we hadn’t been at McDonald’s, I would have been terrified. I had to believe he would keep his temper in check with the number of witnesses around us.
“I am engaged and in love with another man.”
“Bullshit.” He was seething.
A nearby mom looked at us and scowled. Isaac ignored her.
“It isn’t.”
“Where’s the ring?” he asked, looking down at my bare hand.
“It just happened. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and he hasn’t had time to get me a ring,” I said.
“Who? Who is this guy you’re suddenly in love with?”
“My neighbor. We met the day I moved in. He’s a cop and was going to give me a ticket. We hit it off, and we’re going to get married,” I lied.
He shook his head. His jaw was clenched, and I knew he was pissed. I hoped I hadn’t made things worse. Isaac was a volatile man. It took little to push him over the edge. I was hoping he would get that I was never going back to him and would move on. I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. What if I had only incited his anger and made him more violent?
“You’re a lying little bitch, Scarlett. You don’t love him. You love me.”
I gulped down the lump of fear lodged in my throat. “I love him. I don’t love you, Isaac. I will never love you.”
“I’m not going to let you go. I told you, you’re mine. We’re destined to be together. I won’t let a stupid cop get in the way of that.”
“I’m going to go now,” I told him. “Do not come by my house. Don’t send me flowers, and don’t call. I will press charges.”
He smirked. “No, you won’t. You can try, but you and I both know nothing will come of it. You can’t have your boyfriend arrested for sending you roses or calling to tell you he loves you.”
I stood up. He wasn’t going to listen to reason. There was no point in trying to make him understand. I just hoped he would hate me enough to leave me alone. I wanted nothing to do with him. I looked down at him and tried to remember why I had been attracted to him in the first place. He was nothing like Cameron. I had been instantly attracted to Cameron. Isaac kind of grew on me like a fungus.
“Good-bye, Isaac.”
I walked out of the restaurant with my head held high. I was pretending to be strong when inside I felt like crying and hiding in a corner. I saw him come out of the restaurant and quickly put the car in gear and drove away. I didn’t want a replay of the window-smashing.
When I got back to my parents’ house, I told them what I had done. They weren’t happy. I’d had to try, though. I’d had to do what I could to make Isaac understand he had to leave me alone.
On the way back to my place, we stopped at a local store and picked up some basic kitchen supplies along with cleaning supplies. My mom ordered me to use the credit card they had given me to buy new clothes if it came to that.
When we pulled in the driveway, the first thing I noticed was that Cameron’s truck was gone.
“Dammit,” my dad said when he walked into the house and saw the mess. “That man is a lunatic. I swear if he does this again, I will take him out myself.”
My mother made various sounds under her breath as she walked through the house.
“Well, we may as well dig in and clean up what we can,” she said, quickly taking control.
We spent the next several hours filling trash bags with things that couldn’t be salvaged, and my mother made a list of what would need to be replaced. I tried to tell them they didn’t have to buy me a new TV and other items on the list, but they insisted.
“Thank you guys, for everything,” I told them as they got ready to leave. “I’m sorry this has become such a hassle.”
“Don’t apologize,” my dad said. “I wish I could find that man’s parents. I would love to give them a piece of my mind.”
I laughed. “According to Isaac, his parents died when he was young.”
“He probably killed them,” my mother quipped.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” my dad agreed.
“We’ll have a few things delivered tomorrow,” my mom said. “I’m going to talk to our security guy and ask him to work up a package for this house. He’s the only one I trust. I don’t want one of those flimsy services traipsing around here.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“Yes, you will, and when the security system is installed, I’ll feel better. You’re doing this for me,” she said with a smile.
They were at the door when I finally gathered the courage to tell them about my little lie. I felt like I had to in case Isaac questioned them. I didn’t think he would dare talk to my parents, but the guy did a lot of things I didn’t expect.
I cleared my throat. “Mom, Dad, I, uh, should probably tell you in case it comes up: I told Isaac I was engaged to my next-door neighbor.”
My mother raised an eyebrow. “Was that wise?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping it would make him see I had moved on.”
“If anyone around town asks, we’ll keep up the lie,” my dad said, nodding. “I think anything is worth trying at this point.”
They waved and walked out the door. I locked the door behind them before realizing it was pointless. Isaac had managed to get in once already. I had no idea how, but he was determined. If he wanted in, he would find a way.
Chap
ter Twelve
Cameron
I was dragging ass after a long day at work. The graveyard thrown in on the weekend had really thrown me off. I had barely slept last night. My mind kept drifting to Scarlett, worrying if she would be okay in that house all alone all night.
I had made the decision around lunchtime that I would check on her tonight once I got home. I needed the reassurance she was okay. Seeing her so shaken had had a strange effect on me. I had this primal need to protect her.
I checked the time and saw I had about twenty minutes before my mom brought Ella home. I walked to her house and knocked on the door. I was still in my uniform, although my shirt had been unbuttoned and was now hanging open, revealing my white undershirt. I wore the vest at work, but the second I was off duty, the thing came off.
“Hi,” she said, opening the door.
“Hi. I wanted to stop by and check in on you. How are you?”
She smiled. “I’m okay. Just finished cleaning up and hooking up my new TV. Come in.”
I walked inside her house and was surprised to see how quickly she had recovered from the break-in. No one would have ever known how bad it had looked less than forty-eight hours ago.
“It looks good,” I said.
“I’m glad you came by. I need to talk to you.”
I could tell by the change in her voice and the sudden anxiousness that she was nervous about whatever it was she was going to say.
“Okay. What’s up?”
“Have a seat.” She gestured to the couch, which had a blanket thrown over the back where I knew it had been slashed.
I sat down and waited.
“I did something really stupid,” she blurted out.
I raised an eyebrow in question. “Okay, and?”
“I talked to Isaac yesterday.”
I shook my head. “That was not a smart thing to do.”
She smirked. “That’s not the stupid part.”
I held back my opinion on what I believed had been a dumb thing to do. “What part is?”
She grimaced. “The part where I told him I was engaged to my neighbor who happens to be a cop.”
My mouth dropped open. “You told him what?”
I couldn’t have heard her right. My mind took a mental census of the people who lived on our street. She had to have been referring to a different neighbor. There was no way she would drag me into her sordid affairs.
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said it. We were talking, and he kept saying we were going to get back together, and I said the first thing that popped into my head.”
“Being engaged to me is what popped into your head?” I asked incredulously.
I was beginning to think Isaac wasn’t the only crazy one in the relationship. What had I gotten myself into? I couldn’t have some crazy stalker chic hounding me. No way would I let Ella be exposed to that. I chided myself for being so foolish. I was always so cautious. I had lost my mind when I took her to my bed.
“I told him I had moved on. I didn’t know what to say. I had hoped the fact that you’re a cop would scare him off,” she said.
“Did it?”
She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t know. I mean, he was pretty mad. I didn’t give him a chance to say much. I was afraid it would get ugly. I left.”
“Why would you meet with him?” I asked, shaking my head. “You told me he was violent. You made a big deal about wanting him to leave you alone, and then you go and meet with him?”
She sighed. “I wanted to tell him to stop, to leave me alone. When I moved here, I just up and left. I thought maybe that was why he was being so persistent. If I could give him closure, he would understand and leave me alone.”
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Guys like him don’t listen to reason.”
“I know,” she whispered. “When it became clear he thought we were on a break and I just needed a little space, I told him I had moved on with another man.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know if that was such a good idea.”
“If he comes around, can you please tell him you’re my fiancé? I don’t expect you to do anything but lie to him. Confirm my story and he’ll go away,” she said softly. “You just have to pretend if he’s here. I want him to think I’m with someone and that I’m not alone all the time. Please, I know it’s a lot to ask. I’m sure this will work.”
“What if he doesn’t?” I asked. “From what I’ve seen and what you’ve told me, this guy isn’t all that sane. What if he decides I’m someone he wants to turn his wrath on? What if he directs all that anger toward me and tries to hurt me where it would hurt the most? And I’m not talking about my body.”
“I don’t think he’ll try anything with you. I mean, you’re bigger than him and he can’t intimidate you. He preys on women like me.”
“Women like you?” I questioned.
“Young and naïve.”
“You’re not naïve. I’ve seen this before. This is what these guys do,” I assured her.
“If he comes by, will you please just pretend to be my fake fiancé?” she asked again.
“Scarlett, the guy isn’t stable. You all but told him where I live with my little girl. I have to think about her and her safety. I don’t know your ex, but I can’t put her at risk. I don’t know what he’s capable of.”
She wouldn’t look me in the eye, and her hands were clamped together in her lap, telling me she was upset. I didn’t want to add any more worry to her plate, but Ella’s safety came first.
She slowly nodded, still not meeting my eyes. “Okay. I understand. I’m sorry. I’ll tell him I lied or that we broke up.”
I took a deep breath. I wanted to help her. I knew what would happen if she told the ex she had lied to him. He would see that as an opening and try to worm his way back into her life. Scarlett would find herself right back in the difficult position she had attempted to run from.
“What about one of those guys who helped you move that day?” I suggested.
She gave a tight laugh. “Jake is Hannah’s boyfriend. Isaac knows him and would never buy that. We used to go out together. He knows the other guy as well. It would never work, and like you said, I’m only dragging more people into my problems.”
She finally looked at me. Her green eyes were glistening with what I knew to be unshed tears. It killed me that I couldn’t be her hero. I wanted to be.
An idea popped into my head. “I could ask Noah to do it.”
She offered me a placating smile. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sorry I brought it up. Maybe he’ll realize we’re over and just go away. He may not even show up here to verify my story. I’m just being paranoid.”
“I really am sorry. I hope you can understand. I’ll be here to help you, and I don’t mind running him off in an official capacity, but I can’t lie to the guy. That’s not my style. You shouldn’t have to make up some ridiculous fake engagement to get him to leave you alone,” I told her as gently as possible.
Her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. “I shouldn’t have to, but he hasn’t exactly taken no for an answer the first few times. It’s okay, really. Don’t feel bad. We’re going to have a security system installed. That will help deter him. My dad has his lawyers sending Isaac some harsh letters as well. They’ll let him know the property is under surveillance. That’ll hopefully be enough to scare him off.”
“I think a security system is an excellent idea. If or when he does show up, we’ll be able to do something with the proof. I’m not promising he’ll go to jail, but a restraining order will definitely be issued.”
A cynical laugh escaped her lips. “Those are so helpful.”
I knew what she was saying. I’d had the same conversation with other women in domestic violence situations. They knew the risks and most chose to skip the hassle of going to court.
“It gives me something to enforce. I can haul his ass out of here if he violates it. I would love to get my cuffs on him,”
I said with a wink.
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
She was upset, and I figured I’d better get going.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, standing and walking to the door. “Call if you need anything.”
Her tight smile told me she was pissed. I walked to my house, feeling a little guilty. I wasn’t the guy to get mixed up in a bunch of drama. I minded my own business and led a quiet life. When I hooked up with women, I didn’t exchange phone numbers or make any promises to call. I hated drama. I knew it had been a mistake to sleep with a woman who not only knew where I lived but also had my phone number and could pop over at any time. It had been a stupid move on my part.
I quickly changed and had just started rummaging in the pantry when I heard the front door open.
“Daddy! I’m home!” Ella called out.
I dropped to my knees to greet her with a big hug.
“Were you a good girl for Grandma?” I asked.
It was the same question I asked her every time.
“Of course.”
My mom came in carrying Ella’s pink backpack and set it on the floor. “She was a very good girl. We picked out a few books from the library. The librarian told me they were a little too advanced for Ella’s age, but I told her my granddaughter was a very smart girl.”
She was beaming with pride as she said it.
“Good. We can try reading one tonight before bed,” I said, getting to my feet. “Thanks for bringing her by.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ella,” my mom said, giving us each a quick kiss and a hug before she left.
“All right, young lady, let’s get some dinner.”
She smiled and followed me into the kitchen. My heart filled with joy at the sight of her scanning the contents of the pantry. There was no way I could risk losing her. If that Isaac character got it into his head I was a threat, it was hard to say what he would do. I hated not being able to help Scarlett out, but the little girl happily humming a tune only she knew was more important.
I would find another way to help out the sexy neighbor. Ella’s safety was nonnegotiable.
