by Jessica Kile
All hell broke loose as she struggled against Shawn.
The music came to a stop just as the crowd separated. Her lover was between her and the intruder within minutes. A fist went flying the crack could be heard through the sudden silence of the bar.
“Lana, you have to believe me! I was drunk that night,” his lame cousin cried around his hands covering his bleeding nose.
“I should kill you right here, right now,” her lover shouted advancing again. “I promise you, if you send one more text or come near her again I will kill you!”
“I don’t...” Shawn's words were caught off by a fist to his face.
Suddenly the singer from the band wrapped his arms around the drummer in a military hold pulling him away from the other guy. “Simmer down, Hoss!”
The drummer struggled against the hold trying to get back at the man hunkered on the wooden floor. “Let me go! He’s stalking her!”
The man observing all of the action slowly backed away.
Lana was crying in the arms of her new best friend. There was no way to get to her now without causing a scene.
*****************************************
Chapter 14
Drew sat in his dad’s office, at the precinct leg, bouncing. The ass had actually pressed charges! Shawn raped and stalked Lana; yet, it had been Drew who had ended up behind bars.
His dad had bailed him out, but refused to allow him to go home to Lana. He said something about Drew needing to calm down before he faced her.
Bullshit!
Drew needed to get to Lana. Ricky taking her back to their apartment and promised not to leave her. That didn't make him feel any better. Shawn was still running around free. Ricky would be no match against the guy.
“Dad, I need to get to her,” he tried again.
The older man sat behind his desk unfazed by the urgency of the situation. “Do you honestly think you did her any good tonight?”
“He grabbed her dad!” Impatience took hold. Drew darted from his chair, braced his hands on his dad’s desk and leaned over into the older man's face. “Her stalker grabbed her! Did you want me to just let him take her out of the bar?”
“We questioned him,” his dad stated. “He doesn’t know anything about the messages, the pictures, or the roses.”
“And you believed him?” Disgusted, Drew shoved away from the desk and paced the floor. “You’re going to get her killed!”
“I can’t arrest him without proof.”
Drew let out a dry laugh. “What more proof do you need? They are both from Charleston, where he raped her. She runs here to escape him, and almost immediately starts getting messages, and runs into him at a bar. That’s not just a coincidence, Dad!”
“He claims he didn’t even know she was coming here,” his dad told him. “It happens Drew. It’s a small world.”
Drew punched the filing cabinet and opened the door to leave. The legal system was a joke. “I’m not going to stand by and let him get away with this! If you won’t do your job and stop him, then I will!”
“Don’t do anything stupid,” his dad shouted at him as the door slammed behind Drew.
*********************************
The window silently slid up. He quietly climbed into the darkened room.
Lana slept peacefully in the bed; one bare leg was peeking out from under the comforter. A hand lay open on the pillow by her head.
Beautiful.
She was right there. All he had to do was take her. She wouldn't know he was there, until he was in her.
No. He wouldn't do that. When he finally take her she would be alert. He wanted her to feel every touch and every kiss. One day he would possess her but it wasn't going to be tonight.
Carefully, he slid the single rose into her hand and closed her fist around it. He slowly bent his head and gently kissed her tempting mouth.
“Drew,” she moaned rolling towards the empty side of the bed and reached out for someone who wasn't there.
He turned and climbed back out the window and closed it silently.
Lana never knew he was around.
*************************************
Drew let himself in Lana’s apartment using the key Ricky left with Chris. Ricky was crashed in his recliner with some random reality show playing on the television. Apparently, he had chosen to camp outside of her room. Maybe the guy had some worth after all.
It had been a long day. All he wanted was to climb in bed and hold her close. Tiptoeing past the chair, he walked into her bedroom.
He stripped down to his boxers, pulled the covers back and slid in beside her. Something soft hit him in the nose as he rolled to his side to wrap her in his arms. She was holding something.
What the hell?
Drew turned the bedside lamp on, casting a soft glow over her suddenly wide-eyed face. In her hand was a single red rose.
His heart froze.
Slowly, her head turned to look at the flower in her hand. A squeak escaped from her lips as she tossed the rose to him.
Sleep tight was written across a lone ribbon hanging from the flower.
Drew roared with rage, “Ricky get your ass in here!”
Lana whispered, “You didn’t come in and kiss me?”
Tossing the flower aside for the moment, Drew wrapped her shivering body in his arms.
Son of a bitch!
Ricky burst through the door. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh God, he was here,” her voice filled with tears.
Ricky turned startled eyes to Lana. “Here? In the apartment?”
“In her bedroom,” Drew clarified irritably. “How long have you been sleeping out there?”
The other man’s face turned white. “I came out to the chair around three.”
“Oh God,” Lana moaned through her hand, as she pulled away, and darted out the room.
Drew cursed, tossed the covers off of himself, and ran after her.
***********************************
Lana made it to the bathroom just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. More retches came with each thought of Shawn being in her room.
Running into him tonight had been bad enough. Knowing he had been inside her room was ten times worse.
She would never sleep again.
Strong hands gently pulled her up from the floor. Arms wrapped around her holding her close.
“I’ll never leave your side again,” Drew promised, pulling her even closer until there was no more space between them. “I’m going to kill him.”
Her tears soaked his bare chest. “How did I sleep through that? How could I not know someone had come into my room?”
“You were expecting me,” he said. “Ricky was here. You thought you were safe.”
“I’m never going to be safe again,” she said. “Am I?”
“He won’t get away with this,” he promised. “Even if I have to take things into my own hands.”
Lana shivered at the vengeance in Drew’s voice. He had threatened to kill Shawn tonight. Now she realized that it may not have been an empty threat. There was no doubt in her mind he would kill for her.
Chapter 15
“What do you mean you can’t arrest him?” Drew gritted into his cell phone. “He was in her bedroom while she was sleeping!”
Lana glanced up at him as she shoved clothes into her overnight bag. There was no way that she could sleep in her bedroom. If she ever slept in this room again it would be a miracle. Going to Drew’s house seemed like the smartest thing to do. Shawn would never think to look down the hall. That’s what she chose to believe; Otherwise, she would go crazy.
“I don’t give a shit what he claims,” he said, pacing angrily from the window to the bed and back again. “He was here!”
Lana found her favorite slippers and tossed them in her bag. Her makeup was tossed into a small carry-on, which she would add her bathroom supplies to later. The bag fell from her hands
when she heard Drew roar a string of curse words.
“Of course there are no finger prints.” Her rolled-up yoga mat went rolling into her closet when he kicked it out of anger. “Do your job! Until you do, I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
Drew had been on the phone screaming at his dad for the last hour. His dad had refused to send an officer this late at night to take an official statement or pictures of the evidence. Apparently, they were being pulled in a million different directions. Lana’s case was low on their priority list.
If Shawn was still just sending text messages, she would've to agreed with the detective. Even keying her car was low key compared to murders. Shawn coming into her room, kissing her, while she slept crossed that line. How far would Shawn have to go before the detective made Lana’s case more of a priority? Kill her?
He kissed her! She had felt it, so light, barely noticeable. Why had she not realized that it was not Drew? Had she been lost in a dream world? She felt so stupid for not knowing that her enemy had been close enough to touch her.
“What do we do now?” she asked when he tossed his phone onto her bed. “Just wait for him to kill me?”
“That is not going to happen,” Drew told her sternly. “That ass-hole is not going to get anywhere near you again!”
“What’s going to stop him?” Lana demanded to know, tossing books into her book bag. “First, he was in the locker room while I was there. Then he comes into my room and kisses me.” The book bag fell onto the bed as her hold relaxed. “He violated me, but they don’t give a shit!”
He walked around the bed and wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her hands in his. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re not going to be alone for a second.”
“I wasn’t alone tonight,” she reminded him, forcing her body to relax against his.
“Ricky had no idea that you keep your window unlocked,” he pointed out. “Which reminds me...why the hell was your window unlocked?”
“We’re on the third floor,” she stated simply.
“Third floor in a building with has built in fire escapes!”
Lana ducked her head. There was no use arguing. He had her with that one.
Drew’s phone ringing saved her from having to receive further reprimand.
Thank you, Adam!
The first few days at Drew’s apartment did not go as smoothly as Lana would have hoped. It seemed that no matter where she turned, one of them was always looming there. Every time her phone rang they grabbed it. Everybody’s nerves were on edge.
After a week of feeling like a prisoner, she blew up at them. “I can’t live like this!”
Drew and Chris looked at each other and then at her.
“We can’t be too careful,” Drew was the first brave enough to speak.
“I can’t even go check the mail without one of you guys following me,” she vented as she scrubbed down the kitchen stove with a sponge. “I need to be able to live my life.”
“You are living your life,” Chris argued. “You’re going to your classes. I make sure you’re safe at the gym. Tracie has worked it around so you guys work the same shifts so that you are never alone. That sounds like a life to me.”
She turned to look at him. “I’m never alone. That’s my point!”
“You cannot expect me to leave you alone after everything that has happened,” Drew cut in. “We tried doing things your way.”
Pushed past her patience limit Lana turned and aimed the sponge at Drew’s head. It hit his shoulder and bounced off. Her aim sucked.
“It’s a small price to pay for your safety,” he stated, picking the sponge off the floor and tossing it to the trash can.
“It’s been a week since anything has happened,” she pointed out. “No Shawn sightings. No messages. Nothing. I want to drive myself to work and to class again.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Drew argued. “He knows what you drive.”
“I’m not saying this is a good idea,” Chris interjected, reaching for an apple from the bowl in the center of the table, “but if she was driving a rented car he wouldn't know it.”
Drew tossed his hands up in the air. “Fine!”
It took another week to convince Drew to get the rented car. He still stressed how much he hated the idea of Lana being on her own for even that long. Her argument that she would go crazy if she were surrounded all day long without any breaks was enough to get him to hand over the keys. The first day that she got to drive, Drew made a point of leaving a good thirty minutes before she did. On the way to the university she would look in the rear view mirror to make sure he did not pop out behind her.
Drew was already seated in Terminology class when she walked in. He presented her with a doughnut and a coffee. All kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings started moving into her heart. Even though he had been irritated when he left, he had brought her favorite breakfast. No matter what, he would take care of her. Bonus points were gained.
Lana held the coffee with grateful hands. “I can't believe how cool it has gotten the last couple of days.”
“Winter's right around the corner,” Drew commented, stretching his legs out, and casually looking around the room. His eyes stopped, narrowing, on someone over her head. “Do you know him?”
Turning her head sideways, she studied the man. He was not wearing a hoodie this time but the build was similar. Up close she saw he had a piercing above his left eyebrow. A tattoo of a rattle snake ran down his arm. She was drawn to his piercing almost black eyes. Eyes that were looking right at her.
The man smirked, and turned his attention back to the front of the class room.
Lana shook her head, trying to ignore the creepy feeling overtaking her. Why had she not known that Tracie's boyfriend was in her class and had gone to high school with her? Did he know who she was?
“He's the guy Tracie's dating,” she informed him. Once again her attention was on the tasty treat Drew presented her.
“I don't like the way he was looking at you,” Drew stated. He was still glaring at the guy.
“Relax,” she demanded. “Not everyone is out to get me.”
He sighed. “What proof do we even have that Shawn is the stalker?”
“It's Shawn trust me on that.” Lana reached over and squeezed his hand. “Let's focus on class and put all of the other drama aside for a little bit. OK?”
With a reluctant sigh, Drew turned his attention to the front of the room. Every once in a while she caught him sneaking looks over her head. He remained tense until the end of class.
That evening Lana beat both of the guys home. Drew had reluctantly agreed to go ahead to band rehearsals without her tagging along. She had promised to keep herself locked up in the apartment and not let anyone in until one of the guys made it home.
After sending Drew a quick text to let him know she had made it home safely, she decided to take advantage of the privacy and take a nice long hot bubble bath. She needed to feel normal for just a little while. What better way to relax than in a tub full of bubbles?
The small bathroom was equipped with an iPod dock, which was currently playing songs from her playlist. She did her best to keep up with the singer as she relaxed in the hot water. Lzzy Hale she was not. Thank goodness nobody else was at home.
Eyes closed she focused on the lyrics of her favorite Hinder song. The pain and torture in the singer's voice tore at her heart. Just thinking about being in a relationship while still being in love with someone else made her want to cry.
Her thoughts turned to Drew. What would she do if one day she could not be with Drew? Just move on; or, would she keep him hidden deep in her heart like the singer?
Her eyes popped open in realization; she was falling in love with Drew. When had that happened? Was it the night she finally told him about Shawn? Sighing out loud, she admitted, that she had probably fallen head over heels for him the night he played her favorite songs at the party.
“Oh shit,” he said. “I thought you would be with Drew.”
“Uh no,” she stated, trying to hide beneath the bubbles. “If you give me a couple of minutes the bathroom will be all yours.”
“Oh yeah, right.” He backed into the door on his way out. “I really am sorry.”
Lana waited until he slammed the door before she stood up and wrapped a fluffy towel around her body. Well, there went her relaxing bath. She quickly got dressed.
Too embarrassed to face Chris again tonight she ran to Drew's room. For good measure she locked herself in.
“Are you going to keep yourself locked away all night?” Chris asked, through the locked door, after a couple of hours.
When she didn't answer he tried again, “Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have looked.” There was a pause before he continued. “I'm a man. We like to look at beautiful girls. It's kind of our thing.”
Lana rolled her eyes. Did he even hear himself right now?
“Shit,” she heard him mutter. “That came out all wrong. Drew is going to be getting here soon. Can we kind of forget this happened?”
Forget? She would gladly forget that her boyfriend's roommate had seen her naked. There was no way she was going to tell Drew that information when he had yet to see her fully naked.
“Okay, I give up,” he told her.
“Food's here,” Lana heard Drew announce a few minutes later. “Where's Lana?”
“Still locked in your room,” was Chris' response.
A moment later there was a knock on the door. “Honey, let me in.”
Lana tossed her book aside and went across the small room to open the door. “Hi.”
“You okay?” Drew asked as he came through the door, closing and locking it behind him.
