by Allison Sipe
“Maybe if my prisoner wasn’t so easy on the eyes, I wouldn’t,” he replied. I could hear the smile in his voice and refused to look at him, not wanting to be distracted for even a moment.
I sat down in front of my computer and double-clicked on the printing software. Robert had followed me back to my desk and I looked up at him while I waited for the program to open.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked. “You seem tense this morning.”
“I’m fine, just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
“Is everything alright?”
“Of course.” Robert said, leaning against the side of my desk so I could no longer see his face.
I pushed my chair back so I could at least see his profile. “Would you tell me if everything wasn’t okay?” I asked, unable to hide a suspicious frown.
The set of his shoulders tightened ever so slightly. He was definitely keeping something from me, but what?
“Violet, just trust me,” he said and turned his head to look at me. A sad smile touched his lips.
“Alright,” I said, pushing my chair closer to my desk.
“I need to make a few phone calls. I'll be outside if you need me,” Robert abruptly announced and pushed himself off my desk.
I didn’t say anything as I watched him walk out the front door. Turning back to my computer I pushed Robert out of my mind. I didn’t have time to sit here and wonder what could possibly be bothering him.
I spent the next couple of hours printing the larger photos and fitting the portraits into the frames while Robert went in and out of the store taking and making calls. His mood hadn't improved much since leaving the house that morning and it started putting me on edge. If he wasn’t on the phone outside talking to someone, he was inside frantically typing away on a text message. Something was definitely going on and he was trying to keep it from me.
Toward the middle of the day, food arrived in the form of a pizza I’d ordered. I took a slice and ate without really tasting it. I was in deadline mode and nothing else really mattered until I had everything done. Jessie showed up at three-thirty like always and I put her straight to work. With Jessie putting together the rest of the frames and Robert outside again, pacing back and forth in front of the store, I decided to call Matthew and let him know I’d have everything ready in about an hour.
“Hello?” Matthew’s voice came through after just one ring.
“Hey, it’s Violet,” I said, startled. I hadn’t expected him to answer so fast.
“Is everything okay?” His voice sounded off, tense. I shot a glance at Robert. He was still outside on the phone.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”
“Just checking. What’s up?” Matthew asked, his voice suddenly light and carefree.
“I just wanted to let you know you can come by in about an hour and pick everything up.” I debated whether or not I should ask him what was going on but kept my mouth shut.
“Sounds good, see you in a bit.” The line went dead before I could utter a response.
I removed the phone from my ear and stared at it for a second, surprised that Matthew had been so abrupt. I got up from my chair and went outside to confront Robert, who still chatted away on his phone.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, bursting through the front door.
“I’m going to have to call you back,” Robert said into his cell, eyeballing me. He ended the call and put the phone in his pocket. “Now, what’s the problem?” He glanced at me as if I hadn’t just burst through the door yelling at the top of my lungs.
“I want to know what’s going on and don’t you dare tell me everything’s fine,” I demanded. I could feel my frustration crackle just under the surface. One wrong word from him and I’d lose it.
Robert frowned. “Why do you think there’s something wrong?”
“Well for starters, you’ve been distant all day and your phone hasn’t left your hand the whole time. Also, I called Matthew.” Robert’s shoulders tightened at the mention of Matthew’s name. “And the first thing he wanted to know was if I was okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay, Robert?”
He sighed. “Fine, but inside.” He wrapped his hand around the crook of my arm and led me back into the studio.
“There’s been a lead on the man who attacked you.” Robert said, releasing my arm once the door closed behind us.
“What kind of lead?” I asked as my heart plunged into my stomach.
“We think we may have tracked him down, here in Pismo.”
“So what does this mean?” I asked under my breath. My frustration teetered on becoming full-blown panic.
“Violet?” Jessie called, poking her head around the door to the back room.
Robert and I backed away from each other at the intrusion and I took a deep breath. “Yeah, Jessie?” I replied.
“Sorry,” she said, blushing after interrupting what was clearly a charged conversation.
“It’s alright, what’s up?” I smiled, trying my best to keep my voice light.
“One of the larger photos jammed.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, just give me a minute and I’ll be right there.”
Jessie nodded and disappeared behind the door.
“Robert,” I began, “what are-“
“We’re gonna get this guy, Violet,” he insisted, cutting me off.
“And what about the next guy and the next guy? This isn’t just going to stop with him.”
“I know, but you have to trust me,” he said, reaching up and placing his hand against my cheek.
“I do trust you.” I covered his hand with mine and removed it from my face. “But you can’t keep me out of the loop. I’m not a child, Robert,” I said, trying to stay in control of the wide range of emotions battling inside of me. I knew he thought he was protecting me by not telling me what was happening, but keeping me in the dark wouldn’t help either of us.
“I know you’re not, but it’s more important that I find out what’s going on than it is to fill you in on every little detail.” He frowned, irritation seeping into his voice.
Like a spark to gasoline, the anger ignited inside me. Some part of me knew the fear I’d been keeping at bay since the night I was attacked was driving my anger toward Robert. It was much easier to be mad at him than have to think about the fact that my life was in danger.
“You don’t get to decide what’s more important when it’s my life on the line,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Violet, you have to-“
“No,” I cut him off, “you need to stop pretending you know what’s best for me. I let you follow me around and keep me out of harm’s way, but don’t think I won’t kick you out of my studio if you can’t be honest with me.” I turned and walked away before he could add anything else to the conversation. I opened the door to the backroom and slipped inside without so much as a glance back in Robert’s direction.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself I stepped over to the machine that needed un-jamming. Once I pulled out the ruined portrait and hit the reprint button, I set to work with Jessie on the rest of the frames. Working helped abate my anger and just as we were finishing the last few frames, Matthew came into the backroom.
He was normally all smiles and I could tell he was trying to keep up appearances. But he couldn’t seem to look me in the eye. I found it impossible to be mad at him, though. It wasn't his place to update me on the latest Magical news. Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer than necessary, I quickly showed him all the portrait’s and put them back in the box the frames had come in. He thanked me on behalf of the Deardons and gave me a check as payment.
“Take care of yourself, Violet,” Matthew said as he kicked the front door open. His eyes met mine for just a second. There was a sadness to them I hadn’t seen before.
“You too,” I said as the door swung closed.
I found Robert sitting in the front of the studio in the small waiting area. I glanced over a
t him before heading back to my desk. He didn’t move to follow me, which was all the best since I really didn’t know what to say to him. I sat down in front of my computer and stared at the screen. We finally had more information on the guy who attacked me, but the news offered no comfort. I felt more afraid now than ever. Knowing I might have to face him again made me sick to my stomach. If he got to me before we got to him, would I survive a second time? I tried to focus on the hum inside me, to force myself to see the future. Nothing happened.
The thought of William suddenly came to mind and how he wished he could get a glimpse of the future. I had the ability but not the know-how to make my visions work. I closed my eyes, feeling completely helpless. Maybe Robert was right, maybe it would take too much time to explain everything to me. I didn’t know anything about the Magical world. I couldn’t even use my own Magic when I wanted to.
My cell phone vibrated across the desk, jolting me back to reality. I took a deep breath and answered. “Hey, Becky. What’s up?” I said after seeing the caller ID.
“I just wanted to check in and make sure you’d be ready to go in about an hour,” Becky replied.
I looked at the time on my computer. It was already five o’clock. How long had I been lost in my thoughts?
“Yeah, I’ll be ready and waiting,” I said, trying to sound excited.
“Perfect. Can you grab a few extra blankets? It’s always freezing at night and Aaron is using all my spare stuff right now.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Alright, see you in a bit,” she chimed.
“See ya.”
I saved all the changes on my computer and closed out the programs. When I went into the backroom I found Jessie cleaning up and shutting down. I let her know I was heading out and that she should probably head home too.
I turned the lights out as Jessie and I walked back into the front office and I locked the door behind me. Walking over to my desk, I switched off the computer monitor and grabbed my purse. After everything was locked, powered down and put away, I took a deep, reluctant breath and walked to the front of the studio where Jessie and Robert were chatting. I was the last one out the door and turned the lights off before securing the deadbolt.
I looked at my darkened studio through the glass window for a moment. Everything was still and the late afternoon sun made the room glow orange. I felt a small pang of sadness as I turned away from the building and toward my car. A piece of me knew this might be the last time I ever locked up after a long day.
Robert and I stayed quiet in the quick car ride home. As we walked up to the gate I finally decided to break the silence.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to Yosemite,” I said, keeping my eyes on my keys as I turned them in the lock and swung the gate open.
“No, you should go. If your attacker really is here in Pismo, it'd be best if you were nowhere in sight while we take care of him."
I unlocked the front door and walked inside but didn’t hear Robert’s footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw him standing in the doorway.
“Aren't you going to come in?” I asked.
“No,” he stated.
“Why not?” I furrowed my brow and took a few steps back toward him.
“I have to go by the house and tie up a few loose ends before I follow you.” He laced his fingers around my wrist and pulled me close.
“You’re leaving me alone? Now? With everything that’s going on?” I placed my other hand on his chest, needing to feel his solid presence.
“You won’t be alone. Harriet is just next door and she can protect you until I get back.”
“But Harriet-“
“Is perfectly capable of watching over you for an hour,” Robert insisted, putting his finger to my lips and cutting me off.
“Robert.” His name came in a whisper on my lips. My anger toward him had completely faded. I was terrified of being alone, especially knowing we were so close to finding the man who attacked me.
“It’ll be okay,” he said, pulling me against his chest and wrapping his arms around me. I pressed the side of my face against his warm, solid body.
“It’ll be okay,” I said, repeating his words under my breath.
I started to pull away from him but he didn’t completely release me. Looking up at him, our eyes locked. I felt stupid for being so angry with him earlier. He’d done nothing but try and keep me safe and I’d acted like an undeserving brat every chance I got. I didn’t realize how much I’d grown accustomed to having him around. Having to say goodbye to him, even for just an hour, felt like tearing away some essential part of me.
I started unwrapping myself from the circle of his arms, but never broke our gaze. I couldn’t even if I’d want to. I saw something flash across his eyes as his arms slid away from me. He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist and pulled me back to him. He slid one of his hands into my hair and around the back of my neck. I felt his warmth spreading through me. I didn’t know if it was anxiety at the thought of our parting or the tension that had been building between us since the day we met, but something had finally snapped.
The warmth at the closeness of our bodies burned through every part of me. It was the same undeniable warmth I had felt when he saved me. It coursed through my body, bringing my blood to a boil. I thought I was going to melt into a puddle when he slowly leaned toward me. His warm breath sent a wave of pleasure through me. He hesitated for just a second before he gently placed his lips against mine. Wrapping my arms around his neck I closed what little distance was left between us. Our bodies pressed together, forming against one another and closing the circuit of warmth. Every nerve in my body burst at his touch. I squeezed my arms tighter around his neck, needing to be closer to him. Nothing had ever felt so right in my life, the comfortable feel of his lips on mine, the way our bodies fit perfectly together.
Slowly, he pulled away and looked down at me. His eyes blazed with the same fire I felt inside of me. He kissed me gently once more and then reluctantly pulled away.
“I won’t be long,” he said. He let his hand stroke my cheek then turned and walked away without another word.
Chapter 17
I located the duffel bag in my closet and started packing for Yosemite, still in a haze from the kiss. I strained to focus on the task at hand but it was a lost cause. Robert had completely taken me off guard. I’d known a kiss was in our future but that wasn’t the one I’d seen. My heart sped up at the memory of his lips on mine and I packed on autopilot, completely lost in my thoughts.
Annabel appeared in my living room with a duffle bag just a few minutes before Becky and the girls arrived. I knew Robert would be close behind but not having him in sight made me jumpy. I’d never been more thankful than I was in this moment that Christy liked to hear herself talk. Too many thoughts bounced around in my head for me to be able to participate in a normal conversation, but that didn’t seem to keep Christy from chatting away. Becky kept eying me in the rearview mirror, though. She knew there was something up with me but wouldn’t dare broach the subject in front of the other girls, who were clueless to my mood.
I watched the landscape change colors with the sunset and finally plunge into darkness. I kept looking behind us, hoping I’d get a glimpse of Robert’s car. Since I didn’t know what he would be driving, I soon realized how futile this was. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach every time I turned to look for him and came up empty. What if he wasn’t following us? What if something held him up? I tried to keep the trepidation building with each passing minute at bay. This isn’t the time or place to have a panic attack, Violet, I told myself.
“He’s right behind us,” Annabel whispered and gave my arm a gentle squeeze.
I gave her a small smile and took a deep breath. I guess I wasn’t doing a very good job at hiding my feelings.
Despite trying to stay in the moment, my mind kept wandering back to Robert and that kiss. My stomach tightened at the memory of his body pressed
against mine. Each time it did, I had to fight for control of my emotions. Something was developing between us but I wasn’t sure what that might be.
We stopped for fast food on our way to Yosemite and Becky cornered me while the rest of our group visited the restroom.
“Is everything okay with you?” Becky asked.
“Fine, why?” I replied, trying to blow off her concern.
“I’m your best friend, I know when you’re lying so spit it out already.”
I debated for a moment over what I could safely tell her. Nothing Magical of course. I could tell her about Robert but I had to be careful what I did and didn’t say.
I sighed and said, “I’m just trying to sort some things out. He keeps giving me mixed signals.”
“Are we talking about Robert?” Becky asked and smiled.
“It’s just, there’s so much more to him, to all of this, that I’m not sure about starting a relationship.” I trailed off, frustrated. “It’s just complicated I guess.” I did my best to be vague about the situation. I didn’t want to drag Becky into the Magical world.
“It shouldn’t be. Look, Violet, I’ve seen you guys together and there’s something really right about the two of you.”
“I don’t know, maybe,” I admitted, thinking about the kiss. I could feel myself blush and a small smile started forming on my lips.
“There’s something you’re not telling me.” Becky studied my face with a wry grin.
“Something may have happened just before you picked me up tonight.” I pinched my lips together, hesitating. Part of me wanted to keep it secret and safe from the rest of the world.
“I knew it! Tell me everything,” she said, excitement oozing out of her.
“You guys ready to get back on the road?” Christy asked as she, Rachel and Annabel exited the bathroom, ending any further conversation between Becky and I. Christy and Rachel didn’t even know Robert was in my life and if we opened that can of worms now we’d never get out of here.
“Yep, let’s go,” I replied, standing up from the table and giving Becky a meaningful look.
