The Night He Saved Me

by Sarah Stevens

  I go back to my room and make a call.

  “I’ll be there in person, on my terms, by the end of the week.”

  I don’t wait for a reply; I just hang up the phone.

  Katarina

  It has been almost a week since I have heard from James. He last text me on Sunday and here it is Thursday and still nothing. Jayce doesn’t know when he will back, so I finally break down and send him a text.

  Kat: Hope you are okay. I need to talk to you.

  I impatiently wait for a text back and don’t get one. Bren and I are packing up her room with everything that she will need in the apartment. Mostly clothes are coming with us. I just have a couple duffle bags so my part is easy. Now we just have to figure out what we are going to do about furniture. We load up Bren’s car with as much as we can and drive over to the apartment. I set up for the cable and internet to be hooked up today, and I have to be there for the afternoon waiting period. Got to love sitting and waiting for four hours when they almost always show up at the very last minute of the time block.

  Bren brought a couple of pillows with her, so once we lug up our suitcases and she runs back down for the last few things, we sit. Looking around the place, I start making a list of everything we are going to need.

  •-bed

  •-Couch

  •-Rug

  •-Curtains (windows and Bren’s space divider)

  •-Pots and Pans

  •-dishes

  •-silverware

  •-cups

  •-cleaning supplies

  •-broom

  •mop

  “Hey, Bren, here is my list.” I read off the list to her. “Can you think of anything else we will need right away? Your mom said you can take the TV in your room, right?”

  “Yeah, she did, and I think that about covers the main things. Where are we going to find a couch? Do you want to look at the second-hand store down the street?”

  “I’ll stay here; you can go look. I have to wait to get our cable set up.”

  Bren gets up off the floor and grabs her purse. “Okay, I will see you later. Text if you need me.” She walks out the door, and I am left to my thoughts in my head.

  I worry that James gave up on me when I wasn’t talking to him.

  I worry that Trent will find me again.

  I worry that my life is too messed up for anyone to want me like that.

  Luckily, I have Bren and Sandy, her mom on my side. I wish my mother could see I can do this even though she kicked me out. Sandy wants me to talk to my mom when she gets back this weekend from her honeymoon, to tell her everything. I know I should, but I just don’t know. Maybe if I have Bren and Sandy bring me to the house I can do it with them on my side. Actually, I know I can, so I shoot off a text to mom.

  Kat: we need to talk when you get home. I have some things to tell you.

  Mom: I know we do.

  Mom: be back Sunday early afternoon. I will text when we arrive.

  Mom: You can come to the new house after.

  Kat: Okay

  I then text Bren’s mom.

  Kat: Sandy are you busy Sunday evening?

  Sandy: No. What do you need?

  Kat: Can you go with me to my mom’s?

  Sandy: Sure sweetie. Let me know the time.

  Kat: she will text when she gets home.

  Sandy: Okay

  As I’m putting my phone on the charger, the door buzzes. I like how this building has the old school door buzzer and speaker.

  I push the button to talk, “Hello?”

  “I’m here to install the cable and internet,” the guy on the other end replies.

  I buzz him in and realize he is actually here on time at the beginning on the time slot window. That never happens. I hear a knock at the door and go open it. Unfortunately, I don’t see a cable guy anywhere but I do see a guy in a black suit.

  Hesitantly, I ask, “Who are you, where is my cable guy?”

  “Ma’am,” he says, “I am here to give you a gift from my boss.”

  He hands me an envelope with a card inside.

  Take this gift and enjoy!

  Now stay away from my son.

  He needs to stay in Boston.

  You don’t want to know what I can do if you don’t.

  -Al

  As I get done reading the note, I look up, and the guy in the suit is gone. He vanished into thin air. I close the door and slide down until my butt hits. I hold a check in my hand for $25,000. When I see the check, I gasp. What am I going to do with this, and who is he talking about? I don’t want this check. And who is Al?

  I don’t know how long I sit there staring at the check, but I soon snap out of it and put the card and check in the envelope and then into my purse. I can’t tell anyone about this. Not yet. The buzzer goes off again, and realize I now kind of hate it. I answer again with, “Hello?”

  “Ma’am, this is Carlos from Coastal Cable. I am here to install your cable and internet today.”

  I cautiously buzz him up and make sure the door chain is on before I open the door when he knocks. This time, I need to verify who this person is. I crack the door open with the chain latched and ask him for some ID. He shows it to me, and once I verify he is who he says he is, I unlatch the chain and let him in.

  “Hi, thanks for showing me some ID. Come on in.”

  “Good afternoon, ma’am. So I am here to hook up the cable and internet. Do you have a TV set up yet?”

  “No we haven’t brought it over yet but we want to put it here.” I show him where we will have the TV and he gets everything set up so we just have to plug it in and hook the cable to it and we are good. The internet gets set up too and he is off with a quick signature on his sheet.

  Bren comes back a little while later with a disappointed look on her face, so I make a suggestion to her.

  “I assume with the look on your face that they didn’t have anything. Mom gets back on Sunday, and your mom is going over with me to talk to her. I want you to come too, but I was thinking since she is moving out of the house, I can ask her if we can grab some of the furniture she isn’t going to be using. What do you think?”

  “First off I am glad that you are going to talk to her, and, yes, I will go with you. Second, I think that is a good idea. Better than her having to put stuff into storage. Did the guy come by and hook up the cable?”

  “Yeah, he just left a little while ago.”

  Bren walks over to the kitchen counter and notices the envelope sitting there that I forgot to put in my purse. I quickly grab it from her as she asks, “What is this?”

  “Nothing important.” I shove it in my purse. “What are we doing for dinner?”

  “I think we should head back over to my house, Mom and Dad are grilling. We need to get as much homemade food as possible before we have to fend for ourselves.”

  I laugh and say, “Sounds good to me.” I look at my phone and check for like the thousandth time for a reply text. No such luck. We both grab our purses and head for the door.

  “Let’s go grab some coffee before we head to your house. By the way, we need to figure out a bed situation fast. I don't care if we have to use an air mattress. Did your mom say anything about the furniture in your room? “

  “I honestly haven’t even asked. This whole thing kinda happened a little fast. But I am so excited to live with you, Kat. This is going to be so fun.”

  We head over to The Java to grab a coffee before we get into her car. As we walk in, I look around to see if he is back. He isn’t. So I ask Jayce, “Hey, Jayce, when is the boss man coming back?”

  “Hey. I honestly don’t know. He said about a week, and he took off on Monday. So I assume he won’t be back until Sunday or Monday. “

  “How goes being the boss?” Bren asks.

  I look at her and notice that there is something different in her eyes when she looks at him. I think she is starting to like him more than as a friend.

  “Not as bad
as I was expecting. The schedule got worked out before James left and I don’t have to do the books or anything. I just unlock the door in the morning and lock it at night and during the day make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. What kills me is getting up so damn early to be here to open. Most days I go home and take a nap before coming back.”

  “I don’t blame ya. I would do the same if I were you,” Bren says to him. Now I notice a little bit of flirting. Jayce makes our regular coffee drinks and hands them to us.

  “Thanks, Jayce, we need to get going to Bren’s house to go get a homemade dinner. We have to grab as many as we can before we are fending for ourselves up the street. See you later.”

  “Bye, Jayce, see you soon,” Bren adds as we walk out the door.

  As we walk up the street I look over to Bren. “Jayce?”

  “No idea what you are talking about,” she says with a smirk on her face.

  “Hey, he is a nice guy, I know he wanted to date me, but the reality is it was way too soon after what happened. I wasn’t looking for anything from anyone. Then there is James who snuck up on me. I still have that to figure out. If the guy would text me back or something.”

  “You texted him? When?”

  “This morning after you left; he hasn’t replied. I don’t know if he is busy or ignoring me, but I know I need to talk to him. I know I need to tell him what happened and how I became pregnant. I just wish I knew what he was doing. What the emergency was and if he is okay. James doesn’t seem like the type to just get up and go like he did.”

  “I agree with you, it isn’t like him. I’m sure he is okay. He will be back soon. Then you can talk to him. Tell him everything. Release the secrets.”

  “I know you’re right, but I’m scared. What if he looks at me differently? Doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore?”

  “The way that boy treats you and looks at you I don’t think he would run away screaming. I kinda think he would be more the type to fight your battles for you. He is protective of you, Kat. I don’t know why, but he is. I have seen the way he looks when he hears you are going somewhere with Jayce. That boy has the tightest jaw and quickly makes an escape. I think he would rather leave than beat someone’s face in especially his manager.”

  “I’ve seen it too. Believe me, I’ve seen it. I just don’t get it, though. I’m nothing special, and he hardly knows me.”

  “He knows enough about you to know he wants you. Heck, he waited until you were eighteen to touch you other than a hug. He is crazy about you. It will all be okay.”

  We get to her house and head toward the backyard where we find her parents by the grill.

  “Hey, can we join you?”

  “Trying to get some home cooking before you are on your own? Oh, and we were expecting you both for dinner,” her mom says

  We both go over and hug her and say hi to her dad. I pull Bren off to the side to ask her, “Has anyone told your father?”

  “Look at him, do you think he knows anything?” Bren laughs.

  “I am serious, Bren, has your mom told him about me, anything at all?”

  “I don’t think so. If she had, I do believe he would be acting much differently. He thinks of you like a daughter too, ya know. I am sure he would be on a war path in search of Trent.”

  “Oh, um, okay. Can we not tell him yet? At least, wait until my mom knows. Before long, I may just have to send out a memo to everyone I know,” I try to joke. Bren doesn’t laugh and looks at me with a stern look on her face. “I know it isn’t funny. I just went from not telling anyone including my best friend to making a list of everyone I have to tell. It isn’t something that’s easy to do. I just sometimes have to joke to release some of my stress. I’m sorry.”

  “No, I am sorry. I know you have a lot going on in that head. Everything has kind of exploded around you this past week. As long as you know I am here and don’t keep secrets from me again, we will be all set. I got you.”

  At that moment, I feel guilty not telling her about the guy in the black suit and the card with a check. I need to get through dinner, and then when we are alone later, I will tell her. I have to tell her because I need her friendship. I need her in my life.

  Dinner is great and her mom and dad go out to the garage and grab us some air mattresses. Then her mom throws some sheets and pillows at us and sends us on our way back to our own place. As I sit in the car, I make a promise to myself: I will not keep secrets from Bren. Once we get our beds set up and the TV hooked up, we sit and relax. After we’re settled, I open up my mouth to tell her.

  “Bren, I have to tell you something. I lied to you earlier about that card on the counter. It is something.” I pull out the envelope I grabbed before we laid down and hand it to her. She opens it and her eyes go wide.

  “What the hell is this? And Goddamn that is a lot of money.”

  “I buzzed up what I thought was the cable guy earlier after you left, and it wasn’t him. It was a guy in a black suit. He didn’t say much but handed me the card. After I read it and looked up, he was gone. I have no idea what this is about, but it scares me. Someone with a lot of money wants me to stay away from someone. The only one I am close to is James. This makes me even more scared for what is going on with him.”

  Bren wraps her arms around me and soothes me by saying, “It will all be okay. I am here for you. We will get this all figured out. What are you going to do with the check?”

  “I don’t know.”

  James

  I wake up the next morning to a knock on the door. I open it to find Jackson on the other side flanked by two guys all three dressed in suits.

  “Who are the goons?” I ask as I open the door for them to walk in, but only one does—the other stands outside the door.

  “My security team. Now, let’s get down to business. “

  “Um, can you give me a minute to throw some clothes on and order some coffee? I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

  “You get dressed, and I will get the coffee up here. Then we will talk.”

  I go into the bedroom of my suite and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt then run into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair. When I am all cleaned up, I go back out to the living area and the coffee is just being brought in.

  “That was fast. Let me get a cup, and then we can sit and talk about all this.”

  I grab my cup and pour in a bunch of sugar and cream—because nothing tastes as good as my coffee at the shop but I need the caffeine—and go sit on the couch opposite Jackson.

  “So, what do you think about what I said? Did you talk to your uncle about it at all?”

  “Yeah, he confirmed what you said about my aunt, as much as it seems a little bit too close to home having my mom hook up with my aunt’s brother. He told me it was all true. What I don’t understand is why all the secrets? Why nobody ever thought I should know.”

  “I feel you there. I didn’t find out until my mom and dad both died at the same time in a car accident. Al came out of the woodwork and has been trying to get me involved with the family ever since. I have resisted up to now. This time, I am desperate. I asked him about someone else taking over instead of me, and I caught a look in his eye right before he said there was no one. I knew in that second that there was and I went looking. Apparently, you aren’t hard to trace back to him and were easy to find with the right PI.”

  “Well, good to know I am traceable. Not really, but thanks for the heads up. I have to admit I was a bit shocked when you approached the table. I saw myself looking back at me. It is nice to know I have a brother. So, tell me about you and why you don’t want in.”

  “I live in Portland, Maine; my parents weren’t great but they were my parents. I’m twenty-two and was twenty-one when they took too many drugs and ran off the road effectively killing them. I am now cleaned up, no more drugs for me, and I own a building in the Old Port with a coffee shop store front. I like my life the way it is, and I don’t want in. He has b
een threatening this girl I am really into; I might even love her. I just found out last week before I came here that he has had her put on radar. He hired this young guy who knocked her around in an alley by my building. I found her after he was gone and we ended up in the ER that night. I don’t know why he wants me so badly when there is you that fits into the family way of life so much better. Yeah it sucks he is dying, but I don’t know him other than all the bad he has put into my life.”

  “I see where you are coming from, but I think I know why he doesn’t want me. My uncle tried to combine the families when he married your aunt. Al didn’t want any part of it to the point he disowned his sister. He has so much shit on her that she stayed away and convinced my uncle to stay away too. I bet that he wants me to stay hidden as the next in line so that the families stay separated. My uncle isn’t a lackey in this family. He is at the table with all the other family members high in ranks. If I go with you to Boston and he comes with me, we will have a joined two-territory family. I will make sure of that. We are too closely linked.”

  “You are the next in line since you are older than me, even if I play his game and he dies in a few weeks I will bring you in to take over. If you want it, I will walk away. I have one week from today to pack my stuff and go to Boston to take over or he will destroy Kat more than he already has. I would rather we go together and you take over and I go home to Kat. What do you think of showing up at his office?”

  “Maybe the shock of my presence will kill him on the spot?” he says as he gets up and walks to the window. Speaking to the window, he continues. “It’s Thursday now, so let me tie some loose threads and then tomorrow night we can head toward Boston. Saturday, we can go surprise dear ol’ dad.”

  I let out the breath I am holding as relief washes over me. “That sounds like a plan. I don’t know how it will go, but either way, we have a backup plan. Either way, he will know I know one of his secrets and you he can’t hide anymore.”