Shadow Haven

by AJ Schippers

  She chuckled to herself as she thought of Julia wandering through the greenhouse, in search of lettuce and scared that she’d bring back spinach instead. It felt good to see Julia relax over the last couple of days. After their initial rocky meeting, Alexandra had been scared that they’d not be able to get on the right track, but so far she’d been proven wrong. Their conversations at night provided her with a great opportunity to get to know Julia better, and she could see why Caroline was proud of her employee. Julia seemed to have a work ethic that would make most employers eager to have her. It didn’t surprise her that Caroline had offered Julia a job; she always could appreciate people who weren’t afraid to stand up to her.

  Out of nowhere, rain started pouring down, and Alexandra sighed. While she enjoyed the sound it created on the glass of the greenhouse, she wasn’t looking forward to getting soaked during her return trip. She quickly gathered the vegetables she was going to use and dashed back to the house.

  “Julia, are you here?” Alexandra called out as placed the vegetables on the kitchen counter. When she didn’t get a reply, she decided Julia had probably fallen asleep; Alexandra would get her when dinner was nearly done. In the meantime, she really needed a change of clothes. The rain had completely soaked through, and she was starting to shiver.

  Julia groaned as she opened her eyes. She sat up quickly when a flash of light illuminated the darkness around her and immediately grabbed her head. It was pounding, and when she looked at her hand and saw the sticky blood, she felt nauseous. “Shit.”

  Julia tried to stand up, but dizziness took over, and she fell back down on her ass. Her eyes closed as she took a few deep breaths, trying to regain her composure. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Her clothes were soaked from the rain, and the last thing she wanted was to get sick.

  Carefully, she tried standing up again, pleased when she didn’t fall over this time. She tried to remember what had made her slip in the first place, but came up completely empty. Julia’s heart pounded in her chest as she stepped on the first boulder, using her hands to balance herself, and then the next one. After what seemed an eternity, she finally stepped onto the paved road and looked around. Was the house to her left? Right?

  “Fuck.” Julia groaned loudly. Finding the cove in the daylight wasn’t that hard, but now that it was dark, she couldn’t remember which way home was.

  Home. She gasped. “Fuck. Alexandra. She’s going to kill me.”

  Making an executive decision, she decided to go left. Either way, the road would take her around the island and she’d come across the house, right?

  Walking was much harder than Julia thought it would be. The wind constantly swept her off her feet, and she was thrown into trees by its sheer force. For once in her life, she was grateful for the flashes, as they lit up the sky. She tried to look for anything that seemed remotely familiar, a sign that would show her she was almost home.

  God, what she wouldn’t give for one of Alexandra’s lectures right now, reminding her not to take off on her own. She should’ve listened. She should’ve told Alexandra where she was going. But truth be told, time had just gotten away from her. When another flash of lightning graced the sky, she sank to her knees and rested her back against the trunk of a tree. She couldn’t remember whether hiding underneath a tree was dangerous or not, but she didn’t care anymore. If she was going to keep walking, she would only end up injuring herself even more.

  Alexandra smiled in delight as she walked into the kitchen. The dinner she had made, roast vegetables with oven potatoes and homemade gravy, smelled absolutely amazing, and she couldn’t wait to spend some more time with Julia. She had really appreciated how Julia had opened up to her about her family, but she wasn’t going to pry any further. Whatever Julia wanted to share next, it was going to have to come from her.

  She checked the timer on the oven. There were only eight minutes left, so she took quick strides to Julia’s bedroom and knocked on the door to wake her up. She brushed her hair back with a hand and knocked again when Julia didn’t answer. “Julia? Dinner’s almost ready.”

  She frowned when Julia still didn’t answer and slowly opened the door. “Julia?”

  No Julia. Alexandra’s gaze shifted from the bed to the outside window, and a feeling of dread settled over her. “Surely, you didn’t…”

  After having searched the entire house, the dread quickly turned into panic, which was mostly fueled by anger. “Of all the stupid things you could do! Goddamn it!”

  Alexandra snatched the car keys from the hook by the door and ran outside to the Jeep. As she turned the key in the ignition, she wondered where Julia would have gone. Thinking back to all the places she had shown her, she decided to take the same route, hoping she would come across the woman that way.

  It took ten minutes of driving around for Alexandra’s anger to disappear completely. It was now replaced by nothing but pure fear. She didn’t want to think about the possibility that something could have happened to Julia, but that scenario became increasingly more realistic with every passing minute.

  She got out of the car at the cove and walked to the edge of the rocks where she had shown Julia how to get down. Alexandra shielded her eyes from the rain with a hand and shouted Julia’s name. She took a step back when something caught her eye. Were those Julia’s shoes?

  “Fuck,” Alexandra said as her eyes welled up with tears. She took a few deep breaths. Okay. Think. Julia would have come here to take pictures. Did she leave and forget her shoes?

  The possibility of any other scenario happening scared her to death. She didn’t want to think about those. Walking back to the car, she kept calling out for Julia but to no avail. Wherever Julia was, she couldn’t hear Alexandra. Starting the car once more, she decided to head back to the cabin to see if Julia had somehow miraculously made her way back and if she had…well, she was in for the scolding of a lifetime.

  Turning on the high beams, she drove off, muttering words that her mother would not approve of.

  She almost missed her. Almost. It was a flash of a yellow top that caught her attention, and she slammed on the brakes, turned off the ignition, and got out of the car. “Julia! Oh, thank God!”

  Alexandra ran over to her and sank to her knees, cupping Julia’s face when she tried to look away. “Are you okay?”

  Julia nodded. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I could do with some dry clothes, though.”

  “Can you walk?” When Julia nodded again, Alexandra helped her up to her feet. She put an arm around Julia’s waist and helped her into the Jeep. Grabbing a blanket from the backseat, she handed it over to Julia, then got into the car herself.

  Neither of them spoke as Alexandra drove back to the cabin as quickly as she could. She felt utterly conflicted. Part of her wanted to scream at Julia that she had been stupid. But mostly, she wanted to cradle the woman to her and make sure she was okay. The thought that something worse could have happened scared Alexandra to death. She glanced sideways for a brief moment as Julia removed the camera from underneath her shirt and placed it on the seat behind her.

  “Guess it’s broken now,” Julia said.

  “It hardly matters,” Alexandra lightly scolded. “What matters is that you are safe. Cameras can be replaced, people…they can’t.”

  When they arrived at the cabin, Alexandra helped her into the house and closed the door behind them. Her hands were on Julia in an instant as she checked for cuts and bruises. Fresh streaks of red from a wound on Julia’s forehead she hadn’t seen before made her frown. “You’re bleeding.”

  “It’s nothing,” Julia mumbled. “I had an intimate encounter with a tree or two. Call it ‘tree hugging.’”

  “Are you hurt anywhere else?” Alexandra’s hand was still cupping Julia’s cheek, and she smiled when Julia briefly leaned into the touch. She doubted Julia was even aware of doing it.

  “I don’t know. I think I need a shower. I’m cold.”

 
“I…” Alexandra was quiet for a moment. “I should have checked you for a concussion when we were back there.” She carefully checked Julia’s neck, pleased that it seemed fine. Still, concussion could be dangerous when not treated right away. “I need you to tell me what else hurts.”

  Julia sighed. “My knee hurts, and my head doesn’t feel wonderful. It’s throbbing. I slipped on the rock, fell down, and hit my head.”

  “Put your feet together, and close your eyes,” Alexandra instructed.

  “I just want to take a shower, Alexandra.”

  “I’m sure you do, but this is important.” She watched as Julia closed her eyes, ready to catch her if she lost her balance, which she didn’t. “Open your eyes and stand on one leg.”

  “Alexandra…please.”

  Alexandra shook her head. “Now, please.” When Julia, somewhat begrudgingly, followed those instructions and kept her balance, Alexandra felt a bit more relieved.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Ms. Quinn.”

  “Funny. What’s my name?”

  “Alexandra Ortega. Can I take my shower now?”

  “No. What day is it?” She frowned when Julia hesitated.

  “Thursday.”

  “Last question: where are you?”

  Julia looked up at Alexandra. “Home. I’m home. Now, can I please take a shower?”

  Alexandra nodded. “Come on, I’ll draw you a bath.” She placed her hand on the small of Julia’s back before guiding her toward Alexandra’s bathroom. “Let’s get you out of these clothes.” She tugged on the hem of Julia’s shirt.

  “I can do it myself,” Julia said softly as she stilled Alexandra’s hands.

  “Of course. I apologize,” Alexandra said with a nod as she moved over to the bathtub and let it fill up with lukewarm water. She looked over at Julia, who was still standing around in her soaked clothing and didn’t make an attempt at undressing herself.

  “Uh,” Julia drawled as she gestured for Alexandra to turn around.

  “Oh, right.” Alexandra turned around. She added bath salts to the water as Julia undressed herself.

  “Close your eyes,” Julia said. “Are they closed?”

  “Yes, Ms. Quinn. Get in the bath, please.”

  “Why is the water cold?”

  Alexandra wanted to laugh, but suppressed the urge. For a moment, Julia sounded like a child whining that there wasn’t enough syrup on her pancake. It was both endearing and laughable at once. “It’s not cold, but you’ve been out in bad weather all day, and you’re soaked. If the water is too hot, you might go into shock. Just lie down and relax. You will warm up. I promise.”

  “You know,” Julia said, her voice now sounding slightly amused, “for a Domme…you listen surprisingly well.”

  Alexandra arched an eyebrow. “I get the feeling you like keeping me in the dark. I, however, do not enjoy it as much as you do. May I open my eyes now?”

  “Okay. But no inappropriate peeking,” Julia said.

  As Alexandra opened her eyes, Julia gathered some bubbles into her hands and blew them across the water.

  Sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, Alexandra crossed her legs and kept her gaze mostly in front of her. She wanted to keep a close watch on Julia in case she started feeling worse and needed her help. Watching her play with the bubbles in the water was…cute. “Would you like a ducky to play with?”

  “Yes, please.” Julia fluttered her eyelashes.

  Where had she put the toys? Her gaze roamed from the large mirror over the sink to the other side of the room. She was quite proud of her bathroom. It had been one of the first rooms she had redecorated once the house was hers. The ugly green walls had gotten a fresh coat of white paint. The brown tiles on the floor were replaced by black marble, and along the entire right side of the wall stood a cabinet that had cost her a ridiculous amount of money.

  She stood up and opened one of the drawers in the cabinet, fumbling around a bit before getting out a duck toy. She looked back at Julia for a second, pulled a plastic tea set out of a drawer, and dumped it all into the bath.

  Alexandra was pleasantly surprised how good it felt to hear Julia laugh loudly. “Why do you have bath toys for children?”

  She reached with a hand above her and pulled something from the shelf. She handed Julia the octopus squirt toy, and at the sight of it, Julia snorted. “Do you have enough to play with now?”

  Julia stuck out her tongue. “Are you going to tell me why you have all this?”

  “No. But I am going to get you a Band-Aid, because you are still bleeding.” At the door, she stopped to glance briefly over her shoulder. “I would tell you why I have those toys, but I’m afraid I might give you an aneurysm when you find out what they have been used for.”

  The statement apparently took a while to register with Julia, and Alexandra laughed when a loud, “Oh, gross!” sounded from the bathroom. She opened the first aid box that lay in her bedroom and got out the contents that she needed.

  When she walked back into the bathroom, she was just in time to see Julia pick up the teapot and pour water on a bent knee. “I see you’re enjoying yourself.”

  Julia let the teapot slip through her fingers. “Was not,” she mumbled.

  “May I?” Alexandra motioned for Julia to sit up a little.

  Julia closed her eyes as Alexandra used a washcloth to clean the cut on Julia’s forehead. The cut wasn’t deep, but she still wanted to keep an eye on it, especially as Julia had been running around in the dirt with it. She gently applied a thin layer of antibiotic cream and comforted Julia when she winced. “There, all done.” She put the Band-Aid over the cut.

  “Thank you.” There was a sudden softness, a seeming shyness to her as she averted her gaze from Alexandra’s.

  “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  “I don’t think so, just my knee, but it’s only a scrape.”

  “Let me see.” Alexandra gently padded her finger around the wound. “It’s not bad, but you might want to put a Band-Aid on it if your pants rub against it.” She let go of Julia’s knee and brushed back some of her own hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Better, not as cold anymore.”

  Alexandra desperately wanted to ask Julia how long she had been out there. She felt guilty that she hadn’t noticed that Julia had even been gone, and she couldn’t help but think of all the worst-case scenarios of what could have happened if she hadn’t found her. She reached out with a hand and tugged some of Julia’s curls behind her ear. When she stiffened at the gesture, Alexandra pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry that you got hurt today.” She hesitated a moment, fighting the urge to place a chaste kiss on Julia’s forehead. “I am glad you’re home safe,” Alexandra continued. “Come join me when you’re ready for dinner, I’m sure you must be hungry.”

  “Okay.” Julia’s voice was rough. She coughed to clear her throat and looked up at Alexandra. “Thank you for finding me.”

  Alexandra smiled. “You’re most welcome. You will find towels in the linen closet. Call for me if you need anything.” With that, she closed the bathroom door behind her.

  Julia sighed as she slouched down in the bath. She had royally fucked up today, that much was abundantly clear. Her carelessness today had caused her to get injured. She dreaded to think what would have happened if Alexandra hadn’t found her when she did.

  When the water was too cold and she started to shiver, she drained the bath and stepped out of the tub. Once she’d toweled dry, she grabbed a dry towel and wrapped it around herself. As she looked for a place to discard the first wet one, she took in the beauty of the bathroom. Just like all the other rooms, this one smelled of money, but not in a showy kind of way. Opening drawer after drawer, she grinned when she found the laundry basket smartly hidden in one of the cabinets.

  She sneaked a peek around the door and tiptoed to her room. A grunt fell from her lips. Her most comfortable clothes still lay o
n Alexandra’s bathroom floor. Not that she could wear them; they were still soaked. Julia’s wardrobe consisted mostly of jeans and tank tops, and she didn’t feel like wearing either right now.

  “Alexandra?” Julia called out as her hands ran over the towel to make sure she was fully covered.

  “Yes, Ms. Quinn?” Alexandra said as she appeared in front of Julia.

  The apron that Alexandra was wearing made Julia smirk. “You’re like a domestic goddess!” She averted her gaze when Alexandra raised an eyebrow. “Uh, do you maybe have a pair of sweatpants that I could borrow? My sweatpants are on your bathroom floor, and I only have jeans left. I’m pretty sure those are gonna hurt my knee. I didn’t bring enough warm clothes. I didn’t think I’d be needing them.”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you.”

  It didn’t take long for Alexandra to return with a fresh pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. “Anything else you need?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll be right out.”

  Slipping a leg into the sweatpants, Julia nearly fell over as she stumbled around to get her other leg in. Thankfully, the hoodie slipped on with far less of a struggle, and she pulled the hood over her head. She glanced in the mirror and inspected the cut on her forehead. As she brought her hand up to touch the skin around the Band-Aid, the sleeve rubbed up against her nose. Dear God. She was pretty sure that the scent in her nostrils was Alexandra’s perfume, and it smelled absolutely divine.

  “Did you burn dinner?” Julia scrunched up her nose. Something smelled awful.

  Alexandra turned around and laughed. “You look like a gangster.”

  “You’ve been on this island too long if you think this is what gangsters look like.” Julia smiled and sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter. “Can I have something warm to drink? I’m still chilly.”

  A cup of tea was poured and placed in front of her. “I forgot to turn off the oven when I ran out the door to find you. Dinner burned, and I had to whip up something else. That burning smell will hopefully soon disappear.” She was quiet for a moment before making eye contact with Julia. “Does your head hurt at all? Should I be worried about you having a concussion?”