Vanguard Security

by S. J. Bishop

  In that moment, it felt like the world had come to a standstill. All I could do was stare into those beautiful blue eyes of his. I knew I’d said I wouldn’t do this – that I wouldn’t fall in love with another stranger, but Ned somehow felt different.

  Without thinking about it, I walked over to him and sat down on his lap. My head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

  At first, he didn’t move, but then his arms wrapped around me, enveloping me in a protective embrace.

  Instantly, I melted into it, my eyes closing, my anxiety soothed by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. I clutched the fabric of his shirt, feeling like he would disappear at any moment if I didn’t hold on tight.

  He rocked me gently before kissing the top of my head, his arms tightening around me. “Everything is going to be okay,” he promised.

  And in that moment, I knew he was telling the truth.

  Everything would be okay.

  13

  Ned

  When the doctor returned, he asked us to wait outside so the nurses could properly do their job. At first, Stacey didn’t want to leave Missy’s side. I didn’t blame her. I didn’t trust this doctor, but we didn’t really have a choice.

  “Come on,” I urged, squeezing her shoulders. “She’ll be back to her happy little self in no time.”

  Stacey was hesitant but eventually allowed me to guide her toward the waiting room.

  The minutes seemed to tick by ever so slowly.

  “Do you want me to get you anything?” I asked, gesturing toward the vending machine.

  She shook her head.

  I got up anyway, buying two candy bars. I handed her one.

  She took it. “Why are you so nice to me…? I don’t get it.” Her eyes were watery. “Everyone who has ever been nice to me has always wanted something in return,” she whispered. “I’m afraid that you’re going to be like all the rest.”

  I turned, gripping her arms in my hands. When she refused to look at me, I tilted her head, my finger under her chin. “Stacey,” I started. “Not everyone is out to try to use you. I promise you that I’m never going to do such a thing.” I cupped her cheek in my palm, my thumb caressing her skin. “Won’t you believe me?”

  Eventually, she nodded, once again falling into my embrace. I held her tight, cherishing the feeling of her small, fragile body against mine. Somehow, it felt right – like she belonged there.

  “I’ll never hurt you,” I murmured into her ear.

  She nodded once more. “I know…”

  I smiled, running my fingers through her hair. For a while, we just stayed like that, holding each other. I vowed that no matter what, I would be there for her. I would be the anchor she needed among the turbulent sea that was her life.

  But the longer we just stood in that waiting room, the more impatient I got. “Stacey.”

  She looked up at me, her hazel eyes tired and fatigued.

  For a second, I reconsidered what I was about to tell her. It wasn’t news she needed to hear – at least not now.

  And yet, it was something I needed to know. Ever since she’d told me about the asshole who’d left her, I had made it my mission to track him down. He needed to be taught a lesson, and if no one else was going to do it, then it fell on my shoulders.

  “What…?”

  “Can you tell me if you recognize this man?” I pulled out my phone, showing her a picture.

  Instantly, her body tensed, and she pushed away from me. “H-How do you have his picture?” she spat out, her eyes now full of suspicion.

  “Look, to put things simply, I work for a company where it’s easy to find people. When you told me that your boyfriend had left you, it made me so angry. No woman should go through what you’ve been through. I thought I’d do some digging and see if I could find him –”

  “And do what? What are you going to do, Ned?” She shook her head. “Teach him a lesson? Then you’d be no better than he is.” She took my hands in hers, cradling them against her chest. “Please, just stay out of it. Things are better that way. He isn’t worth the trouble anymore.”

  Before I could say anything else, Stacey’s name was called.

  She rushed up to the nurse who held Missy in her arms. “Her fever has gone down for now. We’re sending you home with some medicine. Make sure to give it to her every four hours for as long as the fever continues. If any other symptoms appear, please give us a call.” The nurse offered a sympathetic smile. “Good luck.”

  Stacey nodded, a look of relief washing over her face when she held her baby once again.

  Standing beside her, I stuffed my phone back into my pocket. It had been stupid of me to bring up Emil at a time like this. What had I been thinking? Stacey was right. He wasn’t worth our time. Still, deep down, I knew that if I ever saw him, I couldn’t be held liable for the things that might happen to him. Just thinking about it filled me with a deep hatred.

  Men like him were the lowest scum on Earth.

  “Ned?” Stacey looked at me.

  I blinked. “Yes?”

  “We can go home now. Didn’t you hear the nurse?”

  “Oh, right. Sorry.” I headed for the exit, knowing she would follow.

  Once we were back home, I saw Stacey to her door. I was about to walk away when she grabbed my hand. “Wait.”

  I tilted my head in her direction. “What is it? Is something the matter?”

  Her grip tightened, and she bit her lip as if she was struggling with some inner turmoil. This made me nervous. Had I done something wrong? “Look… I’m sorry I brought Emil up –”

  She shook her head, stopping me in my tracks. “It’s not about him.” She took a deep breath. “Do you mind… staying with me?”

  I just stared at her.

  What?

  I must be hearing things.

  “Of course, if you don’t want to… you don’t have to… it’s just…” Her cheeks were burning with blush. “I could just… use the company.”

  Without thinking about it, I took her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest. “Of course I’ll stay,” I whispered. “Whatever you need.” For a while, I didn’t let go. I felt like I could hold her for the rest of time.

  Eventually, however, she wiggled away. “Let me just check on Missy really quickly.”

  As soon as she left, I was hit with the reality of the moment.

  Stacey had asked me to stay.

  Was she implying…? No. I was getting ahead of myself.

  She just wanted some company. That’s all it was. Nothing more. It would never be something more.

  14

  Stacey

  Alright… she seems to have fallen asleep. Hopefully, she’ll rest for a little while. I wouldn’t mind catching up on some sleep myself…” I yawned, stretching my limbs. As I did so, my shirt hiked up my body, exposing some of my stomach.

  Ned’s eyes instantly fell to the exposed skin, a look of hunger in his eyes.

  Could it be that he found me attractive?

  No. How could he? I was a mom, and besides, I hadn’t even gotten my figure back yet. I was probably just imagining things.

  “So…” He cleared his throat. “You wanted me to stay…”

  I blushed even harder. “Um… yeah…”

  We just looked at each other, the air around us growing thick with awkwardness.

  In the end, I turned on my heels and headed for the bedroom, hoping he would follow. There, I slipped under the covers.

  Ned stood in the doorway, his eyebrows raised in question. “Stacey?”

  I lifted the blanket, inviting him into the bed.

  He hesitated at first, but he eventually crossed the room and joined me. There was a gap between us as we both lay there, just staring at the ceiling. Even from a distance, I could feel the heat radiating from his body. He was so hot.

  I wanted to scoot over and cuddle up against him, but there was something holding me back.

  So I just lay there, struggli
ng with the decision. Before I could make up my mind, I felt his arms wrap around my waist and pull me close. He didn’t say a word as he guided my head to his chest. His heartbeat was strong and steady in my ear, but a little bit faster than it had been at the hospital.

  No doubt, mine was beating just as fast.

  I half-expected him to make a move, but to my surprise, he was nothing but respectful. He held me for a long, long time, making me feel safe. I melted into his strong body, my worries melting away. In this lull, I fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

  In the afternoon, when I woke up, the bed was empty.

  I sighed.

  In the end, all men were the same.

  They never stayed.

  My heart tightened with the sense of betrayal, but I quickly pushed it away when I heard Missy starting to cry. Right now, Ned didn’t matter. All that mattered was that my baby needed me.

  I walked into her room, gently placing my hand on her forehead.

  Thank goodness.

  I couldn’t be sure just yet, but it seemed like her fever was gone. “Feeling better, pumpkin?” I asked.

  She responded by reaching for me.

  I chuckled and picked her up, running my hand up and down her back.

  After taking her temperature, I was relieved to find that the fever had passed. Plus, she had regained her appetite, suckling on the bottle for every last drop.

  I looked at the formula and frowned.

  Ned had done so much for us. Then why had he left?

  I tried to convince myself that he had simply gone to work, but I still couldn’t shake this feeling of abandonment.

  Like a zombie, I shuffled up to the kitchen window and looked out. Rain came down in a light sprinkle. I watched the raindrops race down the window pane, feeling like a little girl again. Back then, things had been so simple. The world was just one giant ball – easy to understand. Now, everything was complicated.

  My heart tightened, thinking about the childhood I had left behind when I’d come to London.

  I had been ecstatic when I was accepted into my art school of choice. I was eager to leave my parents, thinking I was setting off on a grand adventure.

  And then, everything had crashed and burned.

  First, that phone call.

  My parents were dead.

  Car crash.

  I couldn’t convince myself to go back for the funeral. I felt like if I ignored it, I wouldn’t have to face the reality of it.

  Now, I do nothing but regret it.

  Why had I left? Why had I chosen to study art? Why the hell had I fallen in love with Emil? When had my life become such a nightmare?

  All these questions tormented me as I stood there, my body shaking. If only there was a way of taking it all back…

  Tears ran down my cheeks, my bottom lip quivering. As my sobs intensified, my body felt weak. I slumped into a nearby chair, my head hanging between my hands and my chest tightening, making it hard for me to breathe.

  Before the oncoming panic attack could take full effect, there was a knock on the door.

  I tilted my head, wondering who it could be, but I didn’t have the energy to answer it.

  The knock grew louder, shaking the whole door.

  Missy started to cry.

  Suddenly, the door collapsed to the ground as someone broke it down. The blood in my veins froze as I saw Emil standing there like a raging bull. He had a sinister look on his face, his dark eyes almost black with malice. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot. No.

  Already, I could smell the alcohol on his lips.

  I hated when he drank - he was always a completely different man.

  A violent man.

  I got up quickly, foolishly backing myself into a corner.

  He charged toward me, grabbing me by the shirt. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he snarled, his teeth bared. “You little slut.” The word was like a slap in the face.

  I was stunned for a moment before I finally came to my senses. “Let go of me.”

  “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” He repeated. “Don’t you know that I have eyes all over this city? There’s nothing that happens that I don’t know about.” He stepped even closer, our chests nearly touching. “You know, this is all your fault. You know how I hate to drink.”

  “I didn’t force you to drink, Emil.”

  He laughed. “No? You went behind my back. What did you expect me to do?”

  “Maybe, talk to me like a normal person.”

  His lip twitched, his grasp tightening.

  “Let go of me.” I demanded.

  He smirked. “Not a chance.”

  “I said, let go of me!” I started to fight him, putting all of my strength into getting away from this man. “I swear, if you don’t, I’ll scream.”

  Smack!

  I fell to the ground, my cheek burning with the impact, my head spinning.

  Had he just… hit me?

  Before I could get my bearings, I heard glass shattering. “Look what you made me do!”

  “No…!” I screamed, but my voice was little more than a whisper. “Don’t do this…” came my pathetic plea.

  He didn’t listen. He just continued to destroy the place, adding insult to injury. When he was done, he returned to the kitchen and grabbed me by the hair, hoisting me to my feet. “Slut,” he growled, his voice low and threatening. “I really don’t want to do this…”

  “Then don’t.” I whimpered. “Please. You’re not like this. It’s the alcohol talking.”

  He scoffed. “Sure, sure, but alcohol reveals sober thoughts.” He said, voice suddenly wise beyond his years. He shook his head and the meanness returned to his eyes as he tightened his hold.

  I knew, deep down, that no matter what I did, there was no reasoning with him when he was like this. .

  “Please…” I tried anyway. “The baby…”

  “Fuck the baby.”

  15

  Ned

  I should have left her a note or something… Or at least gotten her number.

  All day at work, I had been thinking about Stacey. Sleeping by her side had filled me with such excitement that, in a way, it made me nervous. I was scared that I would end up doing something that I’d regret – something that would push her away forever.

  Maybe that was why I had left so soon.

  Still, the thought of her peacefully sleeping by my side lingered in my mind.

  God, she was beautiful.

  An angel.

  Deep down, I already knew there was no question. I was falling for her and falling hard.

  I clutched the flowers in my hands. Daisies. I’d thought about getting her some roses, but that seemed a little too romantic. Yes, I wanted to take things to the next level, but at the same time, I didn’t want to seem too eager.

  When I emerged from the stairwell, I took a deep breath. This was it. I imagined every possible scenario of what was about to happen. Rejection was the most probable. I tried to harden myself against it, but I knew that if it happened, I’d be heartbroken.

  Fingers crossed, I guess.

  My footsteps echoed through the hall in an almost ominous manner. Even before I reached the door, I had the feeling that something was wrong – very wrong. My suspicions were justified when I arrived to find her door kicked in.

  I dropped the flowers and rushed inside. The place was trashed. “Stacey!” I called out, already growing worried. “Stacey? Where are you?” I checked the kitchen. Nothing. Living room. Nothing.

  Had someone broken in? But who? Who would do such a thing?

  Suddenly, I heard Missy crying from her room. I ran in there to find her red-faced, her little fists swinging in the air. I picked her up gently, holding her against my chest and trying to comfort her. “Shh…” I cooed.

  She quieted down, laying her head on my shoulder.

  “Where’s your mommy? Why would she just leave you here?” I asked her, even though I knew I wouldn’t get an
answer.

  With her still in my arms, I started walking around the apartment, looking for clues. There had to be some way for me to track down whomever had done this.

  I entered the bathroom.

  To my horror, I found Stacey unconscious on the ground.

  “Stacey!” I screamed. “Stacey!” She wasn’t responding. Terror struck my heart. Was she dead?

  No. She couldn’t be.

  Gently, I placed Missy back in her crib before rushing to Stacey’s side. I picked her up, carrying her bridal style to the bed. “Stacey… please… answer me…” I begged. Her skin was clammy and cold.

  This was bad. Very bad.

  I pressed my head to her chest.

  Thump… thump…

  Okay, she was alive. Her heart was still beating. Slowly. But beating.

  I checked whether she was still breathing. Her breaths were shallow, almost as if she was pulling air in and out through a straw.

  Knowing I had to do something to help, I pried her lips open and leaned down. It was the first time our lips had come together. Not the circumstances I would have hoped for, but that didn’t matter at this point.

  All that mattered was getting her to wake up.

  I blew air into her lungs, our lips melting into one.

  “Come on…” I whispered. “You’ve got to wake up.” In that moment, I cursed myself for skipping the CPR class offered by VanGuard. Sure, in theory, I had seen enough movies and medical dramas to know what to do, but I still felt like I had no idea what I was doing. “Please… Stacey…”

  I was just about to start giving her compressions – my hands were already on her chest -- when her eyelids fluttered. Eager, my face gravitated toward hers.

  When she finally awoke, our faces were so close that she jumped with fright, nearly falling off of the bed.

  Instinctually, I grabbed her. “Careful.”

  “W-What happened?” she asked, rubbing the side of her head. It was only then that I realized she had a cut on her temple and a bruise on her cheek.