Expelled

by Claire Adams

  I waited nervously just outside the door as Everett checked out the house. It seemed to take forever, and part of me actually started to get frightened, thinking that maybe Simon was hiding somewhere, and maybe he ambushed Everett, and slit his throat, and—

  I almost jumped out of my shoes as Everett seemed to appear out of nowhere, right in front of me.

  "Everett!" I yelped.

  "What's wrong? Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

  "You could at least announce yourself, you know. Don't go sneaking up on me, please! Now is not the time for getting frights."

  "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. I was just moving quietly through the house in case Simon was, in fact, hiding out somewhere. I guess I forgot to turn my stealth setting to 'off,'" he said with a goofy grin.

  His smile, at least, managed to lighten the mood a little. I gave him a kiss and a tight hug.

  "Thank you, Everett, thank you so much for everything you've done for me."

  He embraced me tightly.

  "No problem. I just want to see you happy – and like I said, we're not gonna rest until that creep is behind bars. Nobody harasses and threatens my woman and gets away with it."

  His referring to me as "his woman" sent a swell of joy through my heart. I felt as if the bond between us was growing with every passing moment.

  "Well, I still want to say thank you. I owe you a lot, Everett James."

  "And I owe you even more," he said softly. "Maybe one day I'll make you a list."

  We kissed slowly, the intensity of it igniting a fire in my blood that he seemed to be able to do with just the slightest touch – but now wasn't the time for this, and he knew it as well.

  We disengaged, and then he looked at me and smiled. "Alright, well I guess you've got your own stuff to do for a while. Remember to keep everything locked up tight, and don't give any signs to the outside world that you're in here, alright? Mrs. Dobbins be watching from across the street. If there's any sign of trouble, or anything strikes you as being off, even some minor thing, let me know right away. Got it?"

  "Thank you, Everett. I will."

  "Okay, I'll see you later, then?"

  "You will," I replied.

  He kissed me goodbye and walked across the street to his house, and as he reached his front door, he turned around and gave me a parting smile and a wave. I waved back and closed and locked the door behind me. It felt strange being back in here; so much had changed in such a short span of time.

  I needed to talk to someone, so obviously, my go-to was Kerry. I went to my study, turned on my laptop, and logged on to Skype. Kerry was already showing as online, so I gave her a call. She was on her cell phone.

  "Hey, girl, how's everything?" she asked as she answered.

  "Well... things are... interesting," I replied.

  "Hmm, interesting huh? That can be good, or it can be bad. So, which is it?"

  "A bit of both."

  "Why don't you start with the bad? Get that out of the way, and then we can move onto the good."

  "Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. Well, remember last time we talked, and I had to cut our conversation short because the cops called me about a break-in at my daycare?"

  "Yep. What was it all about, did you find out?" she asked.

  "I did. And guess who was behind it?"

  "It can't be him... It can't be."

  "It was him."

  She looked totally shocked. "How... how do you know it was him?"

  "Who else would have written a message saying 'I've found you, Alicia' on the bathroom mirror?"

  "Oh my god... so it really is him. Well, listen, I'll tell Carl right away that Simon is somewhere in Irvine. You've explained everything to the cops about him, right?"

  "I have, and they're looking for him. But that's not the worst of it."

  "What? It gets worse?"

  "Oh yeah. He knows where I live. My neighbor has seen him snooping around my place three times in the past two days."

  "That's horrible! Were you at home when he was doing this?"

  "Thankfully not. I've been staying at Everett's house, across the road."

  She smiled, relieved to hear some good news.

  "Well, well, well," she said with a suggestive grin, "I'm guessing you two aren't just having tea and chatting about the weather, huh?"

  I grinned.

  "I told you there were some good things, too."

  "So... tell me everything! All the juicy details! Don't leave anything out, you hear? I'll know if you're holding out on me."

  I laughed and began to tell her about how things were progressing with Everett and myself. We talked for another half hour or so and then said our goodbyes. I went down to the kitchen to make myself some coffee, and as I was doing this, my phone rang. I checked and saw that it was Angie.

  "Hey, Angie," I said. "How's everything?"

  "Oh, it's alright. I was just wondering if you felt like maybe going out to get some lunch today?"

  As Everett was going to the hospital on his own, I knew that I would have a pretty big chunk of free time on my hands, and with that in mind, I thought it would be nice to get out and get something to eat. I'd be safe with Angie, as I imagined we'd go to a public place with lots of people around.

  "Sure. You got anywhere in mind?"

  "I do, actually. There's this new Middle Eastern place that I heard has these falafels that are totally to die for. How does hummus and falafel sound?"

  "That sounds delicious. Uh, look, my car is kinda broken down; do you think you could do me a favor and give me a ride?"

  "I can do that. I remember where your place is from when I picked you up in the taxi the other night."

  "Hey, speaking of the other night, how did things go with that guy you were dancing with?"

  She laughed. "Oh, those details will have to wait until I see you in person."

  I chuckled. "Alright, alright. So, what time are you thinking of doing lunch then?"

  "How about I pick you up around twelve o' clock?"

  "That sounds perfect. See you then."

  ***

  I finished off the last bite of falafel, and the joy of its deliciousness rippled across the surface of my tongue.

  "These falafels seriously are to die for!" I exclaimed. "I'm definitely coming back to this place."

  "Told you," said Angie with a proud smile.

  "So," I said. "Spill it. Tell me about that guy you were dancing with... what happened?"

  "You tell me first," she said. "What made you leave so quickly?"

  "Oh, that guy who wanted to dance with me, he was a serious jerk. Got real pushy and started crossing boundaries way too soon. I'm sorry I left so early, but that guy was repulsive. I mean sure, he was young and really good-looking, but attitude-wise, he was just awful."

  "Yeah, my guy was a bit like that, too. But I stayed and drank and danced with them for a while, and ended up having a pretty fun time."

  "You didn't uh..."

  "Go home with him?" she said with a laugh. "No. But we did make out outside the club before I left. Despite all his swagger and arrogance, he was a lousy kisser, so I think he would probably have been lacking in performance in... other areas, too," she grinned.

  We both laughed.

  "Now tell me seriously, though," she said. "How it is that a beautiful girl like you is still single? I mean, yeah, I know that the Simon thing probably put you off guys for a while, but surely there's a decent man or two in this town?"

  I smiled.

  "Actually, there is..."

  "Really?"

  "The guy who stood me up on Friday."

  "No way! Why'd you give him another chance? Come on, what kind of guy does that?"

  "No, no, he had a very good reason, and he was really, really sorry about it. Like, hundred-dollar bouquet of flowers, sorry."

  "Hmm, if you say so. Me, though, I wouldn't have given him a chance."

  "Usually I wouldn't, bu
t him, he's different. He's really different, in such a good way."

  I couldn't help smiling broadly and feeling a delicious sensation of warmth spreading through me as I thought of him.

  "Alright, alright... Well, who is this guy? What does he do? Does he at least have a name?"

  "Oh, he's the new principal of JFK High, but he's young for a principal; he's only 32."

  "And his name?"

  I smiled again. "Everett."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Everett

  I sat and ate lunch alone after spending the morning at the hospital, casting the occasional glance through the kitchen window at the house across the road. After I had received the text from Vivienne, I hoped she was enjoying her lunch with her friend, although I knew she would surely be worrying about the schemes and plots of her psychotic stalker, Simon. I had no doubt he would come around again, as he had the past few days, to stare at the house and try to figure out if she was home. I admit I wasn't crazy about her leaving with her friend for lunch under the circumstances, but she also had the right to live her life without being stuck in her house out of fear. I just wished I could be there to protect her if she needed me.

  I would, of course, do my best to stop him from doing anything that might cause her harm. Truth was, I knew that if I caught him, I'd probably not be able to restrain myself. The first chance I got, I would beat him to a pulp, but of course, I couldn't be everywhere all of the time, and I already had so much on my plate with the drug problem at my school and my little girl being sick in the hospital. It was entirely possible that he would be able to get to Vivienne somehow, somewhere, and I wouldn't be able to do a single thing about it. The thought frustrated me immensely; I hated not being in control and feeling helpless. Something would have to be done with this Simon situation soon – and things would need to be done about the drug situation too, of course.

  It was just so damn frustrating with all of this being out of my hands. And now, now there was something else in the mix: Liza Alvarado. At least that was something I did have control over – but it would be a struggle to exercise that control. As thoughts of Liza entered my mind, I felt pangs of guilt stabbing through me every time I glanced over the road at Vivienne's house.

  I thought back to the days when Liza and I had been together. It had been love at first sight. I still remembered that day like it was yesterday. she had been running just in front of me on the track but at a slightly slower pace. When I caught up to her, she had heard my footsteps and glanced over her shoulder. I had looked across at her, and as soon as our eyes met, I had known she was the girl I wanted to be with. After I'd finished running, I'd waited for her to get off the track and asked her out, straight up. She'd said yes, and that had been that – we dated for a couple of years until she cheated on me.

  The memories of that still stirred up intense feelings I'd buried inside me. It hadn't just been a once-off I got drunk and did something stupid thing. No, it had been a whole affair, one I learned had been going on for an entire year behind my back.

  And when I found out, she hadn't even tried to make excuses. She had just shrugged and broken up with me to be with the guy she had been cheating on me with, who it turned out had been one of her med school professors.

  Well, the joke was on him – she'd cheated on him as soon as she graduated with some rich banker. I guess I should have seen the gold-digger tendencies in her from the start – she had obviously been with the professor to ensure that she got good grades. I guess I had just been a fun distraction for her during her early years at college, but ultimately, all she really cared about was herself.

  It took me going off, joining the SEALS and doing a tour in Iraq to get over her and realize how much better off my life was without her. It had taken me a long time to get over her and what she had done to me. But I had – and now I had found a woman whose heart was good, who was kind, loving, selfless, and generous – everything that Liza wasn't. The last thing I wanted to do was risk what I already felt was a good thing with Vivienne.

  But still, I knew some old feelings were going to be stirred up when I saw Liza; it was inevitable. And I didn't want to take the chance that Vivienne would see that on my face and mistake it for more than it was. This would be the first time seeing Liza since things have ended, since she had cheated on me and left me, and I knew it was going to be weird...really weird.

  Still, she was apparently an expert and could possibly really help Jane, so if seeing her meant that Jane could get better, I was prepared to go through that.

  I heard a car pass by and peeked out the window in time to see Vivienne returning from her lunch. With a glance at the clock, I saw that it was time to go. I did my best to mentally prepare myself, and then I headed out to the hospital. I got there at about 20 minutes before two, so I could spend some time hanging out with Jane, who was, of course, happy to see me but feeling pretty woozy from all the medication. She was still, unfortunately, running a fever, and it didn't look as if she was getting much better.

  The minutes seemed to take forever to pass, and I kept checking my watch as two o' clock crept closer, and my nerves began to creep in. I shook my head and laughed quietly to myself. I could go into a building filled with men armed to the teeth who wanted to kill me – yet now, waiting for a female doctor, I was getting nervous.

  Just as I settled on how ridiculous I was being, she stepped through the door. From the expression that crossed her face when she saw me, she'd had no clue that I was Jane's father.

  I had to admit, she looked great – just as beautiful as she had been when we dated in college.

  "E-Everett," she stammered, taken aback. "Umm. You're this child's father?"

  "Hi, Liza," I said. "Yes, this is my little girl."

  "Can we talk outside the room instead?" she asked immediately.

  "Sure."

  I followed her out into the hallway.

  "Wow... So, you're married, a family man now?" she asked. "It's been... it's been a long time.”

  "Yes, it has. And no, I'm not married. Not anymore."

  She nodded.

  "I'm sorry to hear that. Her loss, I assure you."

  Even with all the resentment and bitterness I felt for her after what she had done to me, when she said those words, my heart started to beat a little faster.

  "Um, thanks," I murmured, not really knowing what else to say. "And what about you? Did you end up marrying that guy, what was his name, the banker?"

  She looked down. "Oh, Vincent... no, no, things didn't work out with him and me."

  Then she looked up suddenly and blazed an intense look right into my eyes.

  "I've wanted to say this to you for a long time, Everett, a very long time – losing you was the biggest mistake I ever made. It should have been you... You were the one. You really were, and I've never stopped thinking about you. Never."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Vivienne

  I watched out the window as Everett drove off, heading to the hospital. I hoped this new specialist would be able to help Jane; it was immensely saddening to think of her stuck in the hospital and to think of how much pain Everett had to be going through.

  My mind wandered to that morning when I had opened up about my father, and found out that he, too, had grown up in a single parent home. The common ground seemed to have helped us grow closer.

  I put some music on – some good old Bon Jovi from the 80s. After talking with Everett, it didn't feel nearly as painful to think about my dad. I knew he would have loved Everett and would have been proud of me for choosing such a decent, stand-up guy. I was lucky to have him; guys like Everett certainly weren't a dime a dozen. I couldn't help but think that his ex-wife had made a stupid mistake when she had chosen the bottle over him. What woman in her right mind would do something like that? I guessed she had a very real and very serious struggle with addiction to get through, and nobody could help her with that except her. It was just a shame that it had caused such pain an
d sorrow to her former husband and daughter.

  Not that it was any of my business. All I could do was make sure Jane and Everett knew that I cared about them both very much and do my best to fill the empty space in their lives where a mother should have been – a role into which I could already see myself happily fitting.

  After having a few throwback songs, the food from lunch and the stress of the last two days were starting to wear me down. I headed to my bedroom to take a nap.

  It had been a while since I'd slept in my own bed, and it felt good to lie down on the familiar comforter and pillow. It would have been even nicer if Everett had been there wrapping his arms around me, but it was good to have a little time to myself as well.

  I looked out of the window – my bedroom was upstairs, so I figured it was safe to open the drapes, as Simon wouldn't be able to see inside even if he was lurking outside somewhere – and stared at the deep blue sky with its puffy white clouds drifting about here or there. It really was a beautiful afternoon. I decided I needed to get some fresh air later. Perhaps Everett and I could go for a walk in the park or something. I'd call him when I woke up and figure things out then.

  With these thoughts running through my mind, I closed my eyes, relaxed, and was asleep within minutes.

  ***

  I woke with a start and the distinct gut feeling that something wasn't right. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep, but the sun was still bright in the sky, so it couldn't have been too long.

  I lay still on the bed for a few moments, listening carefully for whatever the sound had been that pulled me from my nap.

  A moment later, I heard it again: rattling. I got out of bed, my heart beating a little faster, a sudden wash of nervousness gushing through me. I walked on tiptoes out of my room, being careful to be as silent as possible, and paused on the landing of the stairs, focusing on trying to pinpoint the location of the sound.

  There it was again – there was a definite jiggling, and it was coming from the back door. Someone was trying to pick the lock!