The Broken Road

by Melissa Huie

  “Just checking. We’re going to have to ask him a few questions as well. It looks like they are ready for the walk through so I’ll talk to Mr. Turner in a minute.”

  I got out of the car and was hit with a blast of chilly air. I looked around for Shane and saw him talking to an officer. Our eyes met and he walked over to me with the officer in tow.

  “They want us to walk them through the house.”

  Shane nodded and followed me inside. We walked into the living room through the front door, taking pictures with our cell phones to record the damage. The couch was in disarray but not damaged. DVDs and CDs littered the floor, plants were overturned, and pictures were lopsided on the walls. The only items missing were the gaming console and all the video games. While everything in the room was upturned, the only damage was in the form of a smashed blown glass vase that I had gotten from the Renaissance festival. I glanced over into the reading area. It broke my heart to see my favorite room of the house destroyed. I hurried over to the shelf and frantically searched for my father’s prized pocket watch. It was my favorite memento. I let out a sigh of relief when I found it on the floor underneath a pile of books. The kitchen didn’t fare much better. The broken wine glasses in the kitchen mixed with the spilled flour and spices from the pantry. Bills and mail littered the ground like confetti, and the bastards had gone through my fridge and taken the beer.

  We headed upstairs and into my bedroom. It seemed fine with the exception of my mattress turned on its side and my jewelry box rifled through. Luckily, my most priceless possessions were tucked in a box underneath a floorboard in my closet along with all my important documents that needed safekeeping. The box had not been touched.

  We walked into Shane’s room and it contrasted dramatically to mine. His bed was torn apart, ripped to shreds. Clothes covered the carpet. The drawers were pulled out of the dresser and the curtains were torn from their rods. Shane didn’t have much in the way of valuables so it was quite alarming to see such destruction in his room. He quickly checked the contents of his closet and looked around. Nothing had been taken. The hard look in his eyes told me how furious he was.

  The officer glanced at his notes. “With the lack of theft, I am led to believe this is a random break-in. It was probably just a bunch of teenagers. I’ll turn in the list for the gaming console and games but I doubt you’ll get that back. You can report it to your homeowner’s insurance when you call them about your mudroom door. I suggest you call a twenty-four-hour locksmith to have them add a lock to the inner door.”

  Shane spoke up before I could. “No, that’s okay. I’ll go to the hardware store right now and install it myself.”

  I checked my watch. It was eleven thirty. I knew that the hardware store closed at midnight so he’d have to hurry. When I opened my mouth to say something, he gave me a quick smile. “I’ll make it, don’t worry. Are you guys going to be here for a while?” he asked. He took a hooded jacket out of the closet and shrugged it on.

  Officer Vaughn replied, “I can stay until you get back if you’d like.” Shane nodded in appreciation. I followed him downstairs and out the front door, stopping at his truck. He pulled me into a hug, knowing that was what I needed. I felt so cold, and not because of the weather.

  “Just be careful. No need for any more police activity tonight. Okay?” I said quietly, knowing his need for speed. Shane chuckled. His beautiful hazel eyes softened.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Go get Penny and I’ll be back soon. Do you want me to call Ben? He could stay if you want,” he asked as he climbed into his truck. I shook my head.

  “No, thanks. We’re fine. I need to get cleaning anyway.”

  I crossed the street as he drove away and couldn’t help but shiver. The fact that someone had been in my house and pawed through my belongings left me shaken. What could possibly possess someone to do this? Mrs. Sanders threw open the door before I could raise my hand to knock and gestured me in. I knew she was waiting for the real dirt.

  “What did the police say? Do they know who did it?” Mrs. Sanders quizzed.

  I shook my head. “They think it was teenagers. All they took was my video game system and my beer, and left a big mess to clean up.” I clipped Penny’s leash to her collar. She was anxious to leave. Mrs. Sanders’ orange cat, Cuddles, did not like dogs and Penny wanted to get away from the cat’s hateful glare.

  “Hmm. I’ll have to make sure that Ronald sets the alarm tonight.” She patted my arm and smiled at me kindly. “Penny was a welcome addition and we were glad to have her over. Weren’t we Cuddle-wuddles,” she said in a high-pitched voice, picking up the bowling ball of a cat. Cuddle-wuddles didn’t look so happy and swiped at Penny’s nose. Penny whined to leave and started to pull on her leash so I quickly thanked Mrs. Sanders and headed back to the house.

  I let myself into the house through the front door and left my coat and the leash on the sofa. Officer Vaughn was sitting at the kitchen table, making notes.

  “Is it alright if I put stuff away?” I asked. The urge to clean strongly took over any thought of sleep. I couldn’t go to bed knowing that someone had been in my home. I felt violated. Returning my house to its normal state would ease some of my anxiety. He nodded absent-mindedly while he wrote. Once I started putting away items and sweeping up the mess, I felt more in control.

  * * *

  By the time Shane returned home with the new deadbolts I had put the reading area and the living room back to order. I slowly made my way upstairs and set about straightening my room. I vaguely wondered where Shane would sleep. With his bed in shambles, he had few options. I figured that he’d make due on the coach or at Allison’s. Or he could sleep with me, my inner Shane worshiper whispered. I rolled my eyes as I put on new sheets, the slate blue ones that were the exact same color as my walls.

  I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. I was physically and mentally exhausted but too jumpy to sleep. I let Penny climb into bed with me, a rarity since she liked to kick while dreaming. Shane or no Shane, I needed some company. I climbed under my comforter and looked for mindless entertainment on TV, anything to keep me distracted.

  I jumped when a shadow crossed my threshold. I looked up to see Shane leaning on the doorframe.

  “How are you doing?” he asked in a low voice. His brown hair glistened from the shower. He wore gray boxers, a white T-shirt, and his rimless glasses, the kind he only wore when he was ready for bed.

  “I’m okay, I guess. How are you?” I asked with a half-smile. What did he expect me to say? It sucks that I was robbed, but, oh gee, you can sleep in my bed.

  “I’m beat. Scoot over. I’m crashing in here tonight,” he said, his pillow in hand. My pulse raced and I turned beet red.

  “That’s fine. Just don’t snore,” I shot back. Penny looked up at Shane and thumped her tail. She was happy too.

  Shane took the remote out of my hand as he settled down next to me.

  “We’re not watching Oprah reruns,” he scoffed, turning the channel to the hockey game.

  “Thanks for coming back. I’m sorry to have interrupted your evening,” I said quietly as I looked at my hands. They were shaking. He looked over at me and put his arms around my shoulders.

  “Hey. I’m glad you called. You know that you should call anytime you need me. How are you really holding up? Don’t lie. Are you okay?” he asked softly, looking me in the eyes. The fear of the evening, the fatigue, the anxiety of him staying with me, melted away when I looked into those hazel eyes. I wanted to kiss him right then and God only knows how I restrained myself.

  I gave him a weak smile. “I’m exhausted. That’s all.”

  Shane rubbed my shoulder. “Yeah, it sucks. I’m just glad that you and Penny are okay. The rest we can deal with. Why don’t you try and get some sleep.” His eyes turned dark and he looked like he wanted to say something more. “Don’t worry. The alarm is on, Penny is in here with us, and I’ll be here. So try to sl
eep. Okay?” Shane moved his arm and put it behind his head as he lay down next to me. I sighed and nodded, then kissed his cheek.

  “Thanks, Shane,” I whispered. I rolled over on my side. I hugged my pillow and closed my eyes. I had nearly drifted off to the sound of sports highlights when I thought I felt a feather of a kiss on my cheek.

  Chapter 5

  I WOKE UP SLOWLY as reality set in. The previous night’s events weighed heavily on my mind. I slept horribly and woke up several times thanks to nightmares. I didn’t see how Shane could have fared any better because I knew I woke him up as well. Coffee. Must have coffee. I knew that copious amounts of caffeine would have to be consumed. I quickly put on my bathrobe and slippers and hurried down the hall to the stairs where I heard Shane talking. My heart stopped when I heard what he said.

  “She’s like a sister to me. That’s all. She’s cool. I can trust her.”

  A sister? All I am to him is a sister? Disappointment washed over me. What the hell did I expect? I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face to clear my head. I didn’t know what the heck I was thinking. There was no reason to get upset, no reason whatsoever. I should have been pissed off about the robbery and the fact that my home was violated, not some kiss that I imagined. Get a freaking grip. Angry at myself for being such an irrational love-struck teenager and knowing full well that last night’s events were causing me to stress, I took a deep breath to compose myself. I padded downstairs and walked into the kitchen. I stopped cold when I saw who Shane was talking with. Sitting at my kitchen table, drinking out of my favorite large coffee mug, was Allison. I mentally rolled my eyes and plastered a bright smile on my face. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Megan. Shane’s telling me about last night. It must have been awful,” she said. Oh yeah, which part? Feeling something for Shane when I shouldn’t? Or the fact that some jackass decided that breaking into my house was a great way to get some free beer? I bit my tongue to keep the nasty comments from flying out. Regardless of my feelings toward the ice princess, she didn’t deserve my bitchiness.

  “Yeah, it sucks. I have to make some calls today to get an estimate on the door frame,” I said as I poured coffee into another mug. Yeah, it was the same coffee but, dammit, it was different drinking out of a mug that was for guests. I reached for the creamer, which was empty. Seriously? Should I just go back to bed and start over? I contemplated the notion while I threw the bottle into the recycling bin. I added regular milk and then sat at the table with a huff. Shane and Allison just stared at me.

  “Didn’t get much sleep did we?” Shane teased. What the hell do you think? I couldn’t help it. My bad attitude boiled over.

  “No, Shane. I didn’t. I had a pretty crappy night last night, if you remember. I’m exhausted. I’m out of creamer and I need to go to the grocery store. Penny has a vet appointment. I have a laundry list of things to do today on top of making sure that someone comes and fixes my damn door. Plus, Mom is expecting me over tonight for dinner. So excuse me while I feel a little out of sorts,” I snapped. The look in their eyes told me exactly how much of a bitch I was being. I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. I need to get going. Tell me what you need and I’ll pick it up,” I said, sipping my coffee and making a face. My coffee wasn’t the same without hazelnut creamer, for God’s sake.

  “I don’t need anything. I already took Penny for a walk. We have things to do, so we’ll see you later.” Shane put their coffee mugs in the sink and headed out of the kitchen.

  “I really am sorry for what happened. Take care,” Allison said softly with a gentle smile.

  I smiled back. “Thanks, Allison. I appreciate it.” She followed Shane out the door. I looked at the coffee in disgust. Looks like it’s a Starbucks kind of morning. I rinsed out the cup and put it in the dishwasher, called Penny in, and headed upstairs. I had a lot to do and the lack of coffee was going to hamper my productivity. After my shower, I threw on a hooded cable-knit sweater and jeans. As I applied my makeup, Shane’s comments kept running through my mind. This is ridiculous. Maybe Jen’s right and I need to actually make an effort to move on. I needed to do something, because the whole “unrequited love” situation had gotten to be a bitch.

  I headed back downstairs and started the car from my key fob while I put on my jacket and gloves. As I locked the house, I received a text message. “Heard what happened. Call me later. Jen.” Ah, Jen. My best friend always knew when I really needed to talk to her. She would understand my frustration.

  * * *

  I put in my earpiece and called Jen back once I was on the road. She answered on the first ring. “Hey, Megs. I heard what happened. Are you guys okay?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine. They let Penny go and I thought she was gone. Since the jerks took my beer and video games, the police think teenagers are behind it. Wait a minute. How did you know?” I asked. She was supposed to be sleeping in.

  “Shane sent me a text this morning,” she replied.

  I should have figured. Jen’s parents had taken Shane in eight years ago after his parents died. Shane and Jen were so close that they were practically related. When something happened to one of them, the other was the first person called.

  “Yeah, well it sucks,” I said quietly.

  “That’s crazy. Did anyone call your brother?” she asked.

  I sighed. My brother had been very concerned about my safety when I bought my house. He didn’t like the idea of me living alone. Since my father passed, Kyle had been the man of the family and was overprotective. He was the one who insisted I have an alarm installed. A lot of good that did me.

  “No and don’t say anything about it either. He would worry and he doesn’t need to. This was totally random, and I highly doubt anyone will do it again.”

  “That’s up to you. So, to change the subject, has Allison been over yet?” Jen asked.

  I groaned. “Yeah, this morning. They left about an hour ago. I wasn’t awake when she came in so I’m not sure how long she was over. And I don’t even want to think about what they were doing. But you know what? I’m done with that. I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday. You’re right. I’m stupid to even be thinking of him. I need to get back out there and find someone new.”

  Jen chuckled. “I know it’s going to be rough, but you’re twenty-six years old. There are a million guys out there. It doesn’t hurt to look. It’s not like you’re rushing to get married or something. Just take your time. You’ll find someone.”

  “Yeah, well. We’ll see. I gotta go. I have a bunch of things to do today and caffeine is number one on my list,” I said as I pulled into Starbucks.

  We hung up and I walked into the store. As usual, it was crowded. I stood behind a lady with an adorable baby and passed the time making googly eyes at the kid. I loved kids. So innocent and sweet. After placing my order, I started scrolling through my Blackberry while waiting for my caramel latte. Engrossed in an email from Sarah, I thought I heard my order called. Not paying attention, I reached for my drink and grazed another hand at the same time.

  “Oh!” I said with surprise. The hand was attached to a gorgeous superhunk, with caramel skin and sexy gray eyes. He obviously worked out and had great style; he was dressed in a navy sweater and fitted jeans. He grinned, showing his perfectly straight teeth.

  “Sorry. I think this is yours,” I muttered, stepping back. Superhunk chuckled.

  “No, no. You can have it,” he drawled. Good Lord, a Southern accent. I was a sucker for accents.

  The barista then put a larger drink down. My drink. I quickly apologized to Superhunk, grabbed my coffee, and headed for the door. I chirped the button to my car and noticed Superhunk climbing into a sleek Porsche Turbo. I turned green with envy. Puppies, babies, and fast cars were my ultimate weaknesses.

  “Nice car,” I called out and added under my breath, “Nice Ass.”

  “Thanks. My pride and joy,” he said with another perfect smile. F
or some strange reason shyness came over me. I felt so awkward. It had been a long time since I had done any sort of flirting.

  I gave Superhunk a quick smile as I got into my car and let him pull out first. I put the Volvo into reverse and started to back out. Suddenly, a black Lexus coupe came to a complete stop right behind me. I slammed on the brakes so I wouldn’t crash into it. The last thing I needed was my insurance going up because of some stupid jerk that couldn’t drive.

  I waited a few beats for the Lexus to move before I gave the universal sign for “What the fuck?” by throwing my hands in the air. I honked the horn but the Lexus didn’t budge. What the hell is this? I threw open my car door and stalked over to the Lexus, “What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m trying to leave. Did you want me to hit you?”

  The darkly tinted windows came down and a familiar laugh billowed out. I peeked inside. Shane was in the driver’s seat holding his sides and laughing hysterically. Allison was in the passenger seat trying to hold it in.

  “You should have seen your face!” he managed to say between breaths. I stomped over to the driver’s side and reached in to smack him. He dodged my hand.

  “You stupid jerk! Why are you such an ass? Argh!” I said with exasperation. I looked at Allison, who was also laughing. “And you! How do you put up with this?”

  Allison muffled her laughter with a cough. “Sorry, Megan. You know you can’t control the man once he’s behind the wheel.”

  “Whatever. Can you please move so I can leave? I have a lot to do today and you’re not helping,” I said as I folded my arms across my chest. I gave the best evil eye I could muster. It failed.

  Shane covered his laugh with a cough. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep your clothes on. I’m moving. But I forgot to tell you this morning that I’m running up to Trenton for the next couple of days. I’m helping Adrian with his brother’s bike. I’ve ordered a new mattress and box springs. It should be here either today or tomorrow. If you’re not home they’ll leave it on the carport.”