"I can be there. What kind of specialist and what is the doctor’s name?"
"Her name is Doctor Liza Alvarado."
The name hit me like a heavyweight boxer's uppercut, and I almost dropped the phone in shock and didn’t even hear what she specialized in.
"Dr.... Liza Alvarado?"
"Yes. She'll be here at two o'clock, so please ensure you're here by then."
"Uh... okay. Thanks."
I cut off the call, reeling with shock.
"Is something wrong?" asked Vivienne.
"Um, no. They're, uh, they're calling in a specialist to see Jane this afternoon, and I need to be there."
"Oh. What kind of specialist? I heard you say a name there."
"Oh, uh, I don't know. Someone from out of town."
And for the third time today, I was telling a lie. I did know Liza. I knew her very well, in fact – she had been my first love, the woman I had loved with all my heart – and the woman who had torn my heart to pieces.
Chapter Twenty-One
Vivienne
I noticed a strange look come over Everett's face as he was speaking on the phone, and it stayed there long after he cut the call off. I couldn't tell what it was, really – only that whatever it was had certainly affected him deeply. Also, it was plainly obvious that he was trying to hide his feelings. When I asked him about it, he just said that some new specialist from out of town had been called in to help with Jane. I didn't know why this in itself would be upsetting, but I decided not to push it.
"Alright," I said. "Well, I sure do hope that this new specialist will be able to help Jane."
"Yeah," he mumbled, looking as if he was very far away and totally lost in his thoughts. "Yeah, me too."
"Do you have to go see her?"
"Yeah, she's, uh, she's gonna be there at two o' clock this afternoon."
"Well, I can come and see what she has to say."
"No, no you don't need to," he stammered. "I'll just go on my own this time," he said a little too quickly.
"Are you sure? It really is no trouble at all for me to come along and give you a shoulder to lean on."
"No, no. Really, I'll be just fine on my own. I just, I just want to have a little alone time with Jane."
"I understand. Well, anyway, that's still a while away, and I do have some stuff I'd like to do myself. Do you think it's safe for me to go across to my house? I really have to get my laptop. I need to make some Skype calls."
He scratched his chin, thinking carefully about this.
"Well, while it would appear that Simon hasn't set up any obvious surveillance devices, we can't be too careful. How about you stay here and I go across there and pick up whatever you need?"
This was starting to get more and more frustrating. I was beginning to feel like a prisoner here, especially seeing as now I couldn't leave without Everett's permission, it seemed.
"But you don't know where all of my stuff is," I protested. "Look, can't you just go outside and have a look up and down the street to make sure it's safe, and then if it is, I'll go across to my place. I'll keep all my drapes closed and all the doors and windows closed and locked. I just... I don't like being forced to hide like this. It's no way to live! I feel like... I feel like a prisoner."
A look of sympathy came over Everett's face, and he pulled me close and hugged me.
"I'm really sorry that things are like this at the moment," he said. "And it hurts me to see you feeling like a rat in a cage. You're right; you shouldn't be cooped up here. You can't simply live in fear. I'll do a perimeter check at your place for anything that seems suspicious, like surveillance equipment. Then I'll sweep the street, make sure he's not lurking anywhere nearby. You watch out the front window, and if it's clear, I'll give you a signal, then you can go across to your house, alright?"
I smiled. "Thank you. I really appreciate your understanding."
"I'm happy to help, beautiful."
"Well, how about you help me eat these omelets before they get cold first," I suggested.
"Deal."
We ate the omelets and talked about the other things we both had wanted to get done today. When we were finished, he kissed me quickly and then headed out into the street. I watched him through the windows, and it was impressive how thorough and focused he was. Again, I couldn't help wondering about his background. He had to have been in some sort of military unit. Nobody learned to move and think like he was doing without extensive training. After a few moments, he returned the sidewalk outside my place and gave a wave. I hurried out the front door, ran across the road, and went to my door. I felt a tingle of unease as I put the key in the lock and turned it, half expecting Simon to be standing inside, waiting for me. I had to pause to calm my pounding heart before I could open the door – and when I saw that the hallway was empty, relief came rushing through me. Still, I didn't want to take any chances.
"Uh, Everett," I said, calling him over.
"Yeah?" he replied as he walked up onto my porch.
"Could you do me one more favor?"
"Sure thing. What do you need?"
"Could you just go through my house and, uh, and make sure there's nobody hiding in the shower or the closets or something... Sorry, I know it sounds paranoid, but—"
"No, not at all. In fact, I deserve a kick in the ass for not offering to do it right off the bat. I'm getting a little slack, and someone like me can't afford to get slack. You wait here – I'll go through the house and make sure everything is safe."
I waited nervously just outside the door as Everett checked out the house. It seemed to take forever, and part of me actually started to get frightened, thinking that maybe Simon was hiding somewhere, and maybe he ambushed Everett, and slit his throat, and—
I almost jumped out of my shoes as Everett seemed to appear out of nowhere, right in front of me.
"Everett!" I yelped.
"What's wrong? Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"You could at least announce yourself, you know. Don't go sneaking up on me, please! Now is not the time for getting frights."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. I was just moving quietly through the house in case Simon was, in fact, hiding out somewhere. I guess I forgot to turn my stealth setting to 'off,'" he said with a goofy grin.
His smile, at least, managed to lighten the mood a little. I gave him a kiss and a tight hug.
"Thank you, Everett, thank you so much for everything you've done for me."
He embraced me tightly.
"No problem. I just want to see you happy – and like I said, we're not gonna rest until that creep is behind bars. Nobody harasses and threatens my woman and gets away with it."
His referring to me as "his woman" sent a swell of joy through my heart. I felt as if the bond between us was growing with every passing moment.
"Well, I still want to say thank you. I owe you a lot, Everett James."
"And I owe you even more," he said softly. "Maybe one day I'll make you a list."
We kissed slowly, the intensity of it igniting a fire in my blood that he seemed to be able to do with just the slightest touch – but now wasn't the time for this, and he knew it as well.
We disengaged, and then he looked at me and smiled. "Alright, well I guess you've got your own stuff to do for a while. Remember to keep everything locked up tight, and don't give any signs to the outside world that you're in here, alright? Mrs. Dobbins be watching from across the street. If there's any sign of trouble, or anything strikes you as being off, even some minor thing, let me know right away. Got it?"
"Thank you, Everett. I will."
"Okay, I'll see you later, then?"
"You will," I replied.
He kissed me goodbye and walked across the street to his house, and as he reached his front door, he turned around and gave me a parting smile and a wave. I waved back and closed and locked the door behind me. It felt strange being back in here; so much had changed in s
uch a short span of time.
I needed to talk to someone, so obviously, my go-to was Kerry. I went to my study, turned on my laptop, and logged on to Skype. Kerry was already showing as online, so I gave her a call. She was on her cell phone.
"Hey, girl, how's everything?" she asked as she answered.
"Well... things are... interesting," I replied.
"Hmm, interesting huh? That can be good, or it can be bad. So, which is it?"
"A bit of both."
"Why don't you start with the bad? Get that out of the way, and then we can move onto the good."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. Well, remember last time we talked, and I had to cut our conversation short because the cops called me about a break-in at my daycare?"
"Yep. What was it all about, did you find out?" she asked.
"I did. And guess who was behind it?"
"It can't be him... It can't be."
"It was him."
She looked totally shocked. "How... how do you know it was him?"
"Who else would have written a message saying 'I've found you, Alicia' on the bathroom mirror?"
"Oh my god... so it really is him. Well, listen, I'll tell Carl right away that Simon is somewhere in Irvine. You've explained everything to the cops about him, right?"
"I have, and they're looking for him. But that's not the worst of it."
"What? It gets worse?"
"Oh yeah. He knows where I live. My neighbor has seen him snooping around my place three times in the past two days."
"That's horrible! Were you at home when he was doing this?"
"Thankfully not. I've been staying at Everett's house, across the road."
She smiled, relieved to hear some good news.
"Well, well, well," she said with a suggestive grin, "I'm guessing you two aren't just having tea and chatting about the weather, huh?"
I grinned.
"I told you there were some good things, too."
"So... tell me everything! All the juicy details! Don't leave anything out, you hear? I'll know if you're holding out on me."
I laughed and began to tell her about how things were progressing with Everett and myself. We talked for another half hour or so and then said our goodbyes. I went down to the kitchen to make myself some coffee, and as I was doing this, my phone rang. I checked and saw that it was Angie.
"Hey, Angie," I said. "How's everything?"
"Oh, it's alright. I was just wondering if you felt like maybe going out to get some lunch today?"
As Everett was going to the hospital on his own, I knew that I would have a pretty big chunk of free time on my hands, and with that in mind, I thought it would be nice to get out and get something to eat. I'd be safe with Angie, as I imagined we'd go to a public place with lots of people around.
"Sure. You got anywhere in mind?"
"I do, actually. There's this new Middle Eastern place that I heard has these falafels that are totally to die for. How does hummus and falafel sound?"
"That sounds delicious. Uh, look, my car is kinda broken down; do you think you could do me a favor and give me a ride?"
"I can do that. I remember where your place is from when I picked you up in the taxi the other night."
"Hey, speaking of the other night, how did things go with that guy you were dancing with?"
She laughed. "Oh, those details will have to wait until I see you in person."
I chuckled. "Alright, alright. So, what time are you thinking of doing lunch then?"
"How about I pick you up around twelve o' clock?"
"That sounds perfect. See you then."
***
I finished off the last bite of falafel, and the joy of its deliciousness rippled across the surface of my tongue.
"These falafels seriously are to die for!" I exclaimed. "I'm definitely coming back to this place."
"Told you," said Angie with a proud smile.
"So," I said. "Spill it. Tell me about that guy you were dancing with... what happened?"
"You tell me first," she said. "What made you leave so quickly?"
"Oh, that guy who wanted to dance with me, he was a serious jerk. Got real pushy and started crossing boundaries way too soon. I'm sorry I left so early, but that guy was repulsive. I mean sure, he was young and really good-looking, but attitude-wise, he was just awful."
"Yeah, my guy was a bit like that, too. But I stayed and drank and danced with them for a while, and ended up having a pretty fun time."
"You didn't uh..."
"Go home with him?" she said with a laugh. "No. But we did make out outside the club before I left. Despite all his swagger and arrogance, he was a lousy kisser, so I think he would probably have been lacking in performance in... other areas, too," she grinned.
We both laughed.
"Now tell me seriously, though," she said. "How it is that a beautiful girl like you is still single? I mean, yeah, I know that the Simon thing probably put you off guys for a while, but surely there's a decent man or two in this town?"
I smiled.
"Actually, there is..."
"Really?"
"The guy who stood me up on Friday."
"No way! Why'd you give him another chance? Come on, what kind of guy does that?"
"No, no, he had a very good reason, and he was really, really sorry about it. Like, hundred-dollar bouquet of flowers, sorry."
"Hmm, if you say so. Me, though, I wouldn't have given him a chance."
"Usually I wouldn't, but him, he's different. He's really different, in such a good way."
I couldn't help smiling broadly and feeling a delicious sensation of warmth spreading through me as I thought of him.
"Alright, alright... Well, who is this guy? What does he do? Does he at least have a name?"
"Oh, he's the new principal of JFK High, but he's young for a principal; he's only 32."
"And his name?"
I smiled again. "Everett."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Everett
I sat and ate lunch alone after spending the morning at the hospital, casting the occasional glance through the kitchen window at the house across the road. After I had received the text from Vivienne, I hoped she was enjoying her lunch with her friend, although I knew she would surely be worrying about the schemes and plots of her psychotic stalker, Simon. I had no doubt he would come around again, as he had the past few days, to stare at the house and try to figure out if she was home. I admit I wasn't crazy about her leaving with her friend for lunch under the circumstances, but she also had the right to live her life without being stuck in her house out of fear. I just wished I could be there to protect her if she needed me.
I would, of course, do my best to stop him from doing anything that might cause her harm. Truth was, I knew that if I caught him, I'd probably not be able to restrain myself. The first chance I got, I would beat him to a pulp, but of course, I couldn't be everywhere all of the time, and I already had so much on my plate with the drug problem at my school and my little girl being sick in the hospital. It was entirely possible that he would be able to get to Vivienne somehow, somewhere, and I wouldn't be able to do a single thing about it. The thought frustrated me immensely; I hated not being in control and feeling helpless. Something would have to be done with this Simon situation soon – and things would need to be done about the drug situation too, of course.
It was just so damn frustrating with all of this being out of my hands. And now, now there was something else in the mix: Liza Alvarado. At least that was something I did have control over – but it would be a struggle to exercise that control. As thoughts of Liza entered my mind, I felt pangs of guilt stabbing through me every time I glanced over the road at Vivienne's house.
I thought back to the days when Liza and I had been together. It had been love at first sight. I still remembered that day like it was yesterday. she had been running just in front of me on the track but at a slightly slower pace. When I caught up to her, she h
ad heard my footsteps and glanced over her shoulder. I had looked across at her, and as soon as our eyes met, I had known she was the girl I wanted to be with. After I'd finished running, I'd waited for her to get off the track and asked her out, straight up. She'd said yes, and that had been that – we dated for a couple of years until she cheated on me.
The memories of that still stirred up intense feelings I'd buried inside me. It hadn't just been a once-off I got drunk and did something stupid thing. No, it had been a whole affair, one I learned had been going on for an entire year behind my back.
And when I found out, she hadn't even tried to make excuses. She had just shrugged and broken up with me to be with the guy she had been cheating on me with, who it turned out had been one of her med school professors.
Well, the joke was on him – she'd cheated on him as soon as she graduated with some rich banker. I guess I should have seen the gold-digger tendencies in her from the start – she had obviously been with the professor to ensure that she got good grades. I guess I had just been a fun distraction for her during her early years at college, but ultimately, all she really cared about was herself.
It took me going off, joining the SEALS and doing a tour in Iraq to get over her and realize how much better off my life was without her. It had taken me a long time to get over her and what she had done to me. But I had – and now I had found a woman whose heart was good, who was kind, loving, selfless, and generous – everything that Liza wasn't. The last thing I wanted to do was risk what I already felt was a good thing with Vivienne.
But still, I knew some old feelings were going to be stirred up when I saw Liza; it was inevitable. And I didn't want to take the chance that Vivienne would see that on my face and mistake it for more than it was. This would be the first time seeing Liza since things have ended, since she had cheated on me and left me, and I knew it was going to be weird...really weird.
Still, she was apparently an expert and could possibly really help Jane, so if seeing her meant that Jane could get better, I was prepared to go through that.
I heard a car pass by and peeked out the window in time to see Vivienne returning from her lunch. With a glance at the clock, I saw that it was time to go. I did my best to mentally prepare myself, and then I headed out to the hospital. I got there at about 20 minutes before two, so I could spend some time hanging out with Jane, who was, of course, happy to see me but feeling pretty woozy from all the medication. She was still, unfortunately, running a fever, and it didn't look as if she was getting much better.
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