Welcome to New Haven

by Dawn Doyle

  “Well…” Holly began and she leaned closer to Dev incase anybody was in the house, listening. “Your brother kisses me like, oh, I don’t know how to explain it…um…like…well, wow.” Holly blew out a breath as though she couldn’t believe it herself. She was heating up already just thinking about it.

  “Oh my God!” Dev whisper shouted with excitement.

  “He makes me feel, and think things I shouldn’t.” She flushed at the thought of his lips moving across her jaw, down her throat…

  “Hol! You were saying?”

  “Oh yeah, um...”

  “Whoa that good huh?” Holly hadn’t needed to say much for Dev to come to that conclusion.

  She just smiled as she heated even more.

  “Are you done interrogating my girlfriend?” Alex asked as he walked in carrying the books.

  “For now.” Dev replied with a tone that implied she was far from done.

  Alex set the books on the table.

  It was a large, rectangular shaped, solid oak table that had eight matching seats. So that Holly could see their work and help them both without leaning around them, she sat at the end of the table. Alex to her left and Dev to her right. As they opened the page to where Dev and Holly left off the last time, Alex took Holly’s left hand with his right.

  It came in very useful lately, being left handed. If they ever had to sit together in class, they’d never have to let go of each other.

  “Oh how cute! You guys are so sweet.” Said Dev, happily, with a warm smile and a hand to her chest.

  Holly suddenly thought about being Alex’s ‘teacher’ and laughed, inside, to herself.

  Payback. Let’s see how he handles this.

  She turned to Alex.

  “You need to do the work if I’m going to help you. It’s not like I can give extra credits.” And she winked at Alex.

  His face was a picture. His mouth hung open, and his shocked expression was priceless.

  “However, if you do well…” she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “…I’ll tell you about my dream last night.”

  Alex swallowed, hard. As Holly moved back, she did so, very slowly so she could look him in the eye with their faces close together. His head tilted, and he kissed her with his tongue easing into her mouth.

  It was slow and passionate.

  “Ok, not at the table, please.” Chuckled Dev as she shook her head.

  They slowly pulled apart and lazily opened their eyes. Alex’s fingers trailed down Holly’s cheek, and she took a calming breath as he smiled his drop-dead-gorgeous-panty melting-orgasm inducing smile.

  Not that Holly knew what an orgasm felt like, although she’d woken up that morning close to something she thought maybe ‘it’.

  She’d been panting and had fistfuls of her bed sheets, and her body was sensitive all over. Her nipples were hard and aching, and her panties felt damp.

  Well, Holly had learned enough to know that meant she was seriously aroused.

  “Babe.” Alex’s voice broke through her fog, and he snickered under his breath.

  “Hmmm? Oh.” She flushed. “Anyway…algebra.” She said.

  As they were working through the maths problems, Holly was getting distracted by Alex. He was kissing the back of her hand one minute, and the next…he had his nose in her hair, his mouth by her ear.

  “Holllyyy.” He whispered, and she froze.

  “Tuve sueños traviesos sobre usted. Muy, muy, caliente.”

  “Holy fuck!” She squeaked.

  “What’s going on here then?" Said a cheerful Ben as he walked into the room and plonked himself down next to Dev.

  “My brother keeps distracting the teacher. I think he’s trying for extra credits.”

  Dev hadn’t missed what Holly had said to Alex, but she didn’t know what they were referring to. She thought it was to make Alex pay attention.

  “I guess a guy will try anything.” Ben said with a wink.

  Alex released himself from Holly’s hair and turned to Ben.

  “Hey dude, how’s it going?”

  “Awesome. I’d ask you the same but somehow, I don’t think I need you to tell me.”

  Alex smiled happily.

  Holly noticed Dev rolling her eyes at Ben’s comment. He did too, and he frowned.

  “So…” He said turning back to Alex. “I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but have the cops called about last night?”

  Alex looked to Dev. Of course Ben would know. He was like family to them.

  “No. Not yet.” Said Dev. “We only know what I told you.”

  Holly and Dev passed a look. Holly knew Dev and Ben bickered a lot, but when it came to Alex, they somehow put their hostility aside.

  “Where are the ‘rents?” He asked.

  “Dad’s got a couple of surgeries today and Mom’s filled in for another doctor who’s out on home visits.” Alex said.

  “It was chocker.” Dev said as she pointed at Holly as she used her slang. “She was going to be there for a few hours but obviously she’s back now.” Said Dev

  “I didn’t see her car.” Said Ben.

  “Ben. How did you get in?” asked Alex. A sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  “The door was wide open…” Realization was evident across his face. “Oh shit.” Ben whispered.

  They all looked to each other, faces paling with fear.

  “Dev, go to the study and call the police. Holly, babe, go with Dev and lock the door behind you. I’ll check it out first, then Ben and I will check the house.”

  Alex thought of Holly’s panic attacks. If she thought he was going to be hurt…

  She looked at him, her face drained of color.

  The first sign.

  He still had her hand so he led her to their study.

  Dev and Ben followed.

  The study was clear so Alex led the girls inside. Dev picked up the phone to call the arresting officer that Rami had spoken to the night before.

  “Babe. If she’s here. She won’t hurt me. I won’t let her.” He said gently. His hands cupping her face, his thumbs stroking across her cheeks. He kissed her softly.

  “Neither will I.” Said Ben, coldly.

  “Don’t worry girls, if she’s here she won’t be for long.

  "“Be careful.” Holly said, close to tears as Alex stroked his thumbs over her cheekbones again.

  “Ben…” Said Dev and then stopped herself. Ben smiled at her.

  “I will.”

  They left and Dev locked the door before calling the police.

  “Officer Dixon? This is Devon Valencia. You called yesterday regarding Stacey Scutter. Is she still in custody?…When?…”

  Holly’s stomach rolled with anxiety.

  Stacey had been released.

  She was definitely in the house. She could feel it.

  “We think she may be in our house. Yes. Our front door was wide open. We didn’t realize until our friend walked in. My parents are working. I thought my Mom was back, and she let Ben in, but her car’s not here. He told us the door was wide open, but we locked it. Yes…They’re checking now. Please hurry.”

  Dev hung up the phone and Holly could see the fear etched in her face.

  “She was released over an hour ago. Her mother picked her up, and she was ordered to go home and stay there. They’ve filed emergency protection orders until full ones are signed at a hearing. They’re coming over now.”

  Holly was shaking, and her breathing was becoming shallow.

  She couldn’t panic now.

  The guys would be safe together.

  If Stacey had come for Alex, she wasn’t going to hurt him. She would’ve tried already. Wouldn’t she?

  Holly took steadying breaths as she waited for them to come back. But, she couldn’t wait for long. She needed to make sure Alex was ok.

  Alex and Ben searched the downstairs rooms first. No sign of Stacey.

  “Alex, I don’t wanna be the bad news guy, but if she’s here
for you she might be in your room.” Ben said. It wouldn’t take a genius to guess which one was his.

  “I thought that too. But I’m not taking any chances with the girls in the house.” Alex replied.

  “Yeah, good point.” They crept up the stairs and gently opened Dev’s door…clear. His parents’ door…clear. Alex knew she’d be in his room. He didn’t want to leave any room unchecked incase she’d already thought of that and then tried to ambush them once inside. The longer it took to check, the more chance they had of the police showing up with her still there.

  Alex went to his door and slowly turned the handle. He let the door swing open, and he felt nauseated at what he saw.

  Stacey was in his bed, waiting for him. She had the sheet over her, but it was evident that she was naked. Her disgusting clothes were all over his floor. Alex started to heave.

  “Go.” Said Ben. “I’ll stay here.”

  Alex ran to the master bathroom and vomited. He could hear Ben shouting at Stacey.

  “Get out of his bed, you fucking crazy whore!” He shouted.

  “I’m waiting for Alex.” She said with venom in her tone.

  “What the fuck?! So you thought you would break into his house and get in his bed?”

  “Now he can see how much I want him.” She said, as if that made it all ok.

  “No.” Said Alex from the doorway, his stomach now empty.

  “I hate you. I despise everything about you. I can’t even look at you without feeling sick.”

  “You don’t mean that, baby.” She said, trying to soothe him.

  “Then why have I just puked my guts up, seeing you there? I’m only standing here now because there’s nothing left inside. Now. Get. Out. Of. My. Bed.”

  Alex was so angry he could feel his blood boiling in his veins. His jaw hurt from gritting this teeth, and his heart was pounding. And, for the first time since meeting Holly, it wasn’t a good thing.

  “Let’s just talk about it baby.” She said, batting her eyes and holding out a hand.

  “Don’t you call me that! Don’t you ever call me that! I’m not your fucking baby!” He almost screamed. He quickly glanced around his room. She’d been through his stuff. His clothes, his drawers.

  Oh no, no, no! Please no!

  “Get. Out. Now. And put your skanky clothes back on!” He growled.

  “But, Alex, I love you!” she pleaded.

  Alex dry heaved and took a deep breath.

  “I love Holly.” He said. And he did. He felt great at finally admitting it out loud.

  “No. You don’t mean that…” Stacey said with a snort.

  “I do.” He said. “I love her. I love how she’s smart and funny…”

  “No.”

  “I love her laugh…”

  “No!” Stacey shook her head.

  “…I love her smile…”

  “No, No!”

  “…I love her hair, her beautiful face, her body.”

  “No! You want me!” she screeched.

  “I especially love how she tastes when I kiss her, how her breathing changes when I whisper in her ear. And how she sighs when I kiss her neck…”

  “No! No!” Stacey screamed, shaking her head. “That bitch…You’re mine!”

  “I’m Holly’s, forever.” He said. He belonged to Holly and nobody else, ever.

  Stacey’s eyes were crazed. Her face was contorting into ugly features and her hands twisting like claws.

  “That fucking little virgin bitch!” she spat. “She’s not here ready to suck your dick. I am!”

  “Don’t you ever talk about her again!” He roared.

  “I’m here. She doesn’t love you, I do!” She cried, pleading with Alex.

  “I love Holly.”

  “No, you love me.”

  “I hate you!” He shouted.

  There was no getting through to her.

  Her insistence that he wanted her was driving him insane. Even telling her everything he loved about Holly hadn’t dissuaded her.

  “No. You. Don’t! Where’s your fucking precious little Holly now? Huh? If she’s so fucking fantastic, where is she?”

  “I’m right here.” Said Holly from behind Alex.

  “Holly!” He breathed and he held her close, worried about what Stacey might do.

  Holly cupped Alex’s face with her hands and lightly kissed his lips.

  “I love you, Alex. I wanted to tell you under better circumstances, but I love you.” She said.

  Alex was paralyzed with shock.

  Holly loves me! She loves me.

  “I love you Holly.” He whispered.

  “No, no, no, No!” Stacey screamed again. “You weren’t supposed to be here. You were supposed to go home to your pretty little flowers and your dead Dad! You fucking cunt, you ruined everything!” Stacey jumped out of Alex’s bed, with her skeletal frame, and ran at Holly.

  Alex and Ben were ready to stop her, but Holly pushed forward, pulled her fist back…and released.

  Stacey fell to the floor in a daze. Holly was about to hit her again when Alex took hold of her.

  “Baby, no.” He said gently.

  “I fuckin’ hate ‘er!” She cried.

  “I know. Let the cops handle it now, babe.” The sirens and the sound of doors slamming indicated that the police had already arrived.

  Dev, accompanied by offer Dixon, ran up the stairs.

  “Oh thank God!” Said Dev as she ran to them for a group hug.

  “Alex, I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold her back, and she made me promise to wait to let the cops in.”

  “That’s fine Dev.” He said with a smile. He looked down at his beautiful girlfriend.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Dev beamed and her eyes teared up. She looked at Ben with a worried expression, and he simply nodded, Dev breathing a sigh of relief.

  Holly saw the exchange and knew there was definitely something between them. Even if they didn’t admit it to each other.

  “Alex” Holly said. “She said something about my Dad. How does she know about my Dad?”

  Holly started to panic.

  The police officers were carrying a half-conscious Stacey, wrapped in Alex’s sheet to the police van outside.

  “Officer Dixon…” Alex said. “…She mentioned Holly’s flowers and her Dad. Only Dev and I knew about it.”

  “I’ll make a call, Mr. Valencia.” Said Dixon. As the officer was on his phone, Alex turned back to Holly and held her tight to him.

  “Oh Holly, I’m so sorry.”

  “My Dad!” She said into his chest. “He’s low down…she couldn’t…”

  “Miss. Edwards.” Dixon approached her. “Miss. Edwards, I’m so sorry. A disturbance was reported at your address just under an hour ago. CCTV retrieved from your cameras show miss. Scutter entering the rear of the property.”

  Holly was now silent. Her whole body felt cold, the blood draining from the surface.

  “I want to see.” She said. “I need to see the damage.”

  “We need to take statements from all of you.” Said Dixon.

  “No problem.” Said Alex as another officer was taking photos of his room.

  “But we need to go to Holly’s house first.”

  They arranged to give statements, and Alex led Holly downstairs. An officer was on the phone to her Mum, telling her Holly was on her way.

  “We’ll come too.” Said Dev. They drove to Holly’s house in silence. Holly was holding Alex’s hand, tightly, the whole time.

  Two police cars were there as they pulled up. They walked into the house and through to the kitchen. Where Kim was sitting, with Oli, crying.

  “Oh Holly, babe.” She said as she looked up. She got up and pulled Holly in for a hug.

  “Mum, I want to see.” Holly said.

  “I’m so sorry love.”

  “You didn’t do anything, Mum. It was the psycho bitch.”

  Holly, with Alex behind he
r, walked out into the garden. Her hands flew to her mouth.

  It was wrecked.

  Her greenhouse had been gutted. Seedlings tipped out and stood on. Plants ripped out and torn apart. The poly-carb panels split and broken.

  Holly’s shrubs had been kicked to pieces and the younger saplings pulled out and snapped.

  The glass table in the covered seating area had been smashed with a rock. The flower beds had been trampled on and some pulled up.

  The arches of the hideaway were fixed securely into the ground, but some of the climbing plants had been torn down, and lights ripped off.

  Holly then walked, slowly, to her rockery.

  The daffodils and tulips, that her Dad had worked on for years, were pulled up and thrown on the lawn. The rocks had been pulled up and used to smash through the greenhouse and the table.

  Holly was shaking more and more the closer she got.

  The name plaque was gone.

  Looking around, she spotted it, bent and sticking out of the ground.

  The rocks surrounding her Dad’ ashes had been tampered with, but too heavy for Stacey to move. Even Holly had to get Oli’s help, at first, when placing them.

  The box that housed the urn was still there.

  Holly collapsed to her knees and broke down sobbing.

  Alex at her side, holding her. Her Mum and Dad at her other.

  Holly screamed in pain.

  Alex held Holly as she cried, not saying anything. He just let her cry as he held her and stroked her hair.

  It didn’t make sense why Stacey would do that.

  She was evil. Plain and simple.

  It was as if Stacey had planned on taking her Dads’ ashes and, probably, dumping them but attacked the rest of the garden when she couldn’t get to them.

  The question was…how the hell did Stacey know about them being there? Only the family knew, and Holly hadn’t told anyone other than Alex and Dev.