《Where Are You?》
Who are You?
Old weary bones will rest in a comfortable bed, red blanket covers my body my hands resting atop the blanket, folded . Grooves and lines make up my outside,but my blue eyes tell my truth they say what I never could I want them to show what I can''t ,yet even the eyes that say so much cannot convey what I feel. Yearning, longing,searching, wondering, love. Love such an overrated word , how can it be possible to describe a fire in your stomach, a warmth that spreads throughout all of you, a feeling of being awake for the first time ever, to say I love you to the one person who made you live life is not nearly enough. Love is a word you can use to describe feelings towards a pet, or a story , or an art piece,or a person who means your world , and that''s why I can''t say it , why I never will to you who are my very heart love is an overrated nonsense word.
. Tip . Tip. Tip. Tip. Tip. Shhhhhh. Water showers the grass,seeping into the land where it releases the aroma of Earth , it smells alive and vibrant I love the rain. I curl into myself listening to the rain falling outside my tiny window shhhhhh.
The sound is quiet lulling me back and forth until finally the shimmering blanket of sleep drifts down softly coating me in a land of dreams. A lake awaits, full of cool pristine water, shells can be seen under the mirror of water close to shore even though it is still a simple lake ,the scenery changes. Sunlight has filled a small field, the grass is long and soft, cool compared to the warmth of the light. Everything has a golden warmth, though you cannot see the sun ,there is a peaceful glow, a soft movement of air rustles the field of grass which holds a strong tree at its heart. A tree that has always grown right in that field The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
,branches which hold an amazing bundle of luscious bright green leaves that are delicately attached by stems delivering life. Have you ever seen dead dandelions when their fluffy wishes are whisked off in a breeze, in this field shining green lights, the size of dandelion fluff , float around the tree that has always been and will always be. I lay in the grass under the tree and watch the lights float I know as I look at them they are life itself and in this moment I get to watch lives dance , effortlessly twirl,bump, and leave I''m solitary but not alone simply at peace.
¡°Cassapeia, my peony how long will you watch these lives ? When will you come back to me ? I will always be with you waiting until I can wrap you in my arms and rest , don''t take too long here my peony. Until I find you again.¡±
An essence that is half of me fades only leaving a lingering hint that it was there with me, that little piece is mine and shall always belong solely to me . I should pass on to start my journey anew so I can find him again my only ''anima mate¡¯.
I''ve been known by millions of names Cassie,Carl,Landon, Ellie, and once a very long time ago I was known as Cassapeia it was at my start that I met you,and I met you again and again, continuously we found each other, were we ever actually apart? My dear I will always want to be with you, but I''m just tired of searching all the time it never stops; we meet, we love, we leave and it starts again, I need you always with me, but I hate the process so this time please stop waiting for me.
Unicorns
¡°Ugh! Cassi find me a decent guy, these stupid ones might literally be killing me¡± Jaycee sprawled on the rug continually rolling about with what she called insufferable angst. Her black hair pooled around her, elbows rested beneath her while her grayish eyes conveyed a look that read ''I am so done¡¯.
¡°Sorry, but I don''t know if a full fledged decent guy actually exists, pretty sure they''re as real as unicorns,girls always yearn for them and yet they''re still mythical¡± I shot her a grin
¡°Noooooooo, Cassi don''t agree with me keep the hope alive.¡± Jaycee whines
¡°Okay how''s about this we can go to Dutch, like stereotypical basic bitches, then go get some curly fries,and you can tell me all about it. I¡¯ll buy¡±
¡°Cass I ever tell you how much I love you? Because I really love you and you know I love my curly fries¡±. It was amazing how fast Jaycee recovered from any negative emotion when Curly fries were involved, she would marry a man if he brought her some fries,if only my life were that simple. Letting out a sigh we got up and moving it was about 2:00 and I''d just been binging shows when Jaycee came in to roll around on my floor, believe it or not this was a pretty common sight seen at least twice a week I''m tempted to start selling tickets.
My car was a beat up tin can, but this tin can had a heater which is all I care about since I may be made of ice and I know for sure the snow hills outside don''t help with that. Demi Lovato¡¯s ''sorry not sorry¡¯ played on the radio station and we both started singing we related with the song on a spiritual level, plus you can never beat Demi.
The ride was fairly short considering how tiny our town was,even a tiny town like this needed a Dutch or should I say we were in serious need of one. Recently in our quiet town a string of disappearances had shook the community, young girls had vanished seemingly out of nowhere all from different places each abduction worse than the last. Nothing had been found and the worst part was where they''d gone missing; at first it was a jogger who never came back from a late night jog , then a high schooler on her way home from school, a swimmer outside a swim meet, and the last one a 19 year old college student gone missing from her dorm room. Each one was bolder and more personal, making every woman in town terrified every second of every day, each incident encroached further disturbing my tiny isolated life, it makes me wonder who¡¯s going to be next.Literally anyone could be targeted, me, Jaycee, or Jaycee¡¯s kid sister it frightened me I didn''t feel safe in my own bedroom which I guess is a way to violate every female in town.
¡°Jeez so Tom and I were out on our second date right, well he was really polite pulled out my chair and everything-¡±
¡°So what was the problem?¡±
¡°Wait I''m getting to that. So he was being polite we had a nice time in the beginning, but towards the end of the night he''s like ''let''s go back to my place¡¯ and I''m like woah dude chill it''s only the second date and I don''t know you that well, and I¡¯m especially not hopping in the sack with any guy when that stupid creep is on the loose already. So he says ''ah come on it''s not like we have to wait let''s just have some fun¡¯ he was just being really pushy I mean ultimately it''s my choice too so I was like you know what I''m out¡± letting out a sigh she eats another curly fry.
¡°Oh my gosh what a douche! Who does that? I swear, Jaycee do you want me to go slap a hoe? I will beat him up for you just say the word¡± generally I''m not like this, but how dare a man like that even try to go out with one of my friends. Jaycee''s my closest friend we''ve helped each other through a lot and have gone through a lot so the fact some weird guy thinks he can just use her for whatever he wants not even thinking of her as a person irritated me beyond all belief, I would totally beat that guy up see him on the streets he''ll get a surprise. Too bad for him girls talk within our extensive group of friends he will never get a date again, every girl we know will hate him and he''ll be blacklisted, Karma sucks. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
¡°Whatever losers like that will probably get someone they deserve, so don''t worry at least you won''t be on the same level as that guy¡± I tried to console her.
¡°Hahaha! you''re so right people like that do generally end up with other people of the same nature¡± she giggles giving a grin, at least she wasn''t that attached to him otherwise this might''ve been a bit more difficult, and I do not know how to handle difficult well.
After getting Dutch we went back to the tiny apartment and had a movie marathon, this was one of her favorite things to do, we especially liked to choose horror movies just to purely mock them. We stayed up late with fluffy blankets and stuffed animals eventually passing out, I dreamed of fields warm tiny lights dancing by a tree it was peaceful and I wanted to stay, but I didn''t. In the morning I drove Jaycee home so she could get better rest than the couch at my place. Than back to my apartment for a bit more sleep and eventually exercise, which is a routine I''ve been trying to maintain, it''s getting started that''s the hard part because I have no will to do something that''ll make me achy.
Done with my 15 minute exercise, which left me sweaty, I didn''t have much else to do you see I have no actual purpose not much makes me happy and I''m not driven so for the most part I just float about until I have to go to work which I dread. Not to say my job is bad, but I don''t like being forced to work with the threat of losing everything I own, that''s the sucky part about existing as an adult. I hopped in the shower before work hoping to look semi decent today after all Chase would be in today and boy was he something. when I got out the time read 4:38 p.m. ¡®shit!¡¯ I was running late my shift started at 5:00pm.I still have to get dressed and everything I knew ¡®I shouldn''t have gone back to bed after driving Jaycee home¡¯. I quickly threw on a light green tank top, a black skirt, and a short black cardigan it¡¯d have to do, then rushed out of the tiny apartment.
¡° So-sorr-sorry I¡¯m late, Tammie¡± I managed to finally wheeze out between my gasping breaths.
¡° Cassi, I expect better. Do not be late again or I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be out of a job¡± Tammie scowled across the tidy desk. She was a stern woman in her late 50¡¯s, streaks of gray showed in swirls around the tight bun that held back the rest of her hair. I hated Tammie she was always such a nitpicker.
¡° Yes I won¡¯t be late again, Tammie¡± I changed the tone in my voice to a perfected customer service persona.
¡°Good¡± she stated, bitter as ever.
I quickly set my heavy red coat over the stiff swirly chair, and put the large black bag that contained my lunch, under the desk just in time for miss knudsen to swing her office door open and escort a sniffling young woman out.
¡°Cassi has my 5:30 arrived?¡± The dark haired woman asked.
¡°Uummmm, let me see¡± I logged into the company computer searching through today¡¯s scheduled appointments.
¡° It looks like Mr. Wallace called and counseled today¡¯s appointment¡± I said looking at the cancelled listing beside his name.
¡°Okay, well would you call Mr. Chase in a little early then?¡±
¡° No problem Mrs. Knudsen¡± I loved talking to Chase he was smart, funny, and nerdy which was completely my type. He¡¯d been Coming to our offices every thursday or so to meet with Mrs. Knudsen about his particularly nasty divorce, which she would be handling.
About 15 minutes later the tall olive skinned man walked in.
¡° Ah Cassi always a pleasure to see you¡± he flashed a pearly white grin that¡¯d make an ice cap melt.
¡° Mr. Chase the pleasure is all mine¡± she shot back her own smile, as she let her eyes trail down his muscular form.
¡°I¡¯m here to check in and maybe enjoy a nice conversation about our favorite superheroes¡± he said while crossing the room to lean against the desk¡¯s counter. His hair held black waves hinting at light curls, and his eyes were a light caramel, let¡¯s just say he was a very attractive man.
¡° You¡¯re already checked in and Mrs. Knudsen is able to see you now, we can talk on your way out¡± I tried to rush him in before Mrs. Knudsen grew impatient and fired me anyways.
¡° Ah somebody¡¯s a little cold today, but I understand you just wanted me for my agreeable opinions¡± he feigned a hurt look as he turned and headed for the metal door. ¡®Why does he have to be so gorgeous?!¡¯
What the heck?!
9:00 p.m. I clocked off thankful for the short shift. My coat was nice and fluffy, on the floor beneath the now shadowy desk, sat my work bag full of snacks and the little knick knacks I liked to carry with me. While reaching down a soft laugh rung through the room. Immediately my skin crawled, every sense in my body went on high alert. ¡®Nobody''s supposed to be here I¡¯m sure of it. Mrs. Knudsen left ten minutes ago¡¯ one timid step forward after another revealed the whole office empty not to say there wasn¡¯t any hiding spot. Fear tore through me, quickly I ran picked up my bag and left as fast as possible.
I made it home safely, and maybe it was paranoia, still I drove around for half an hour reluctant to immediately return to my apartment complex ¡®what if someone followed me from work¡¯ is all that ran through my mind. I was stressed due to nightmares that left me with a lack of sleep and this recent incident drove my nightmares to the edge.
¡°Cassiapeia, Cassi,¡± voices whispered through a dark fog.
¡°Wh-who are you!¡± She yelled through the dark space.
¡° Caaassi¡± they hissed calling to her.
¡° Where are you?!¡± I strained yelling as loud as I could. Drip¡.drip. My steps echoed through the watery floor surface as I searched for the voices source.
¡°You need to find him Cassi, you have to¡± they spoke in a horrible ghostly unison.
¡°WHO?!¡± I shrieked.
Suddenly, hundreds of mangled and gored people materialized from the fog. I didn¡¯t know any of them, but somehow I felt as if I did. ¡®Were they ghosts?¡¯.
¡° Who did this to you?¡± The question barely, came out through my strained vocal chords.
¡° You already know¡± was the last thing they whispered before I looked down and realized the liquid floor I¡¯d been standing on was actually a deep black sea of blood. Upon realizing this I fell directly into the thick liquid, sinking farther and farther.Hot puffs of air tickles my forehead, ¡®someone is standing over me!¡¯ I thought as I sank into the pure black depths of the sea of blood. Bugs crawled out of my skin swarming over my whole body until there wasn¡¯t any part of me left. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Suddenly I shot up, breathing heavily. ¡® I swear I can still feel the breath on my face¡¯ I thought, rubbing the warm spot on my forehead. My skin was wet with sweat, my hair matted and stuck to every part of my drenched body that it could possibly reach. ¡® I need to shower¡¯, my limbs were heavy as if they hadn¡¯t moved in a millenia.Every light turned on as I made my way around the small apartment. Creeeaak, the closet door moved just a few inches. ¡®The heck?!¡¯
¡°Okay is someone in here? Because if you are I will freaking murder you! Seriously I will go savage, so don¡¯t even think of moving¡± swiftly,I grabbed a small ornament I hung on the wall, it wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous but it would do. Furiously I swung the hall closet door open, ready to attack whatever creep might be hiding in there, however all I found was my normal dark closet with a few jackets hanging up and linens on the shelf above. ¡®Great, just great. I am now going nuts, well that¡¯s not that much different from my usual self, but still!¡¯. Safely, I was able to pass through the hallway and into the cramped bathroom, where clothes were flung off and the shower started all the while chills crept up my arms as I felt a gaze upon me,but who or what? Or was I really just crazy?
After my shower I called Jaycee just to hear a familiar voice, this made me relax.
¡° I still don¡¯t know why you called me at 3:00 in the freaking morning, but whatever anytime¡¯s a good time at least this gives me the opening to ask my question¡± Jaycee groggily spoke.
¡°What?¡± I was always a curious person by nature, I would probably be the first to die in a horror movie because I¡¯d be like ¡® let¡¯s investigate!¡¯ and skip to my gruesome death.
¡° Okay so I know you usually say no,but I¡¯m going out tomorrow night and I could really use the companionship¡± Jaycee pleaded from the other side of the phone.
She was right any other time I would have said no, but I was sufficiently creeped out so maybe this would help me relax a bit; plus Jaycee was always there for me the least I could do was join her for a few drinks at an obnoxiously loud new club.
¡°Okay I¡¯ll go¡± I said with a little sigh.
¡°Oh my God are you for real?!¡± Excited squeals and clapping could be heard.
¡° No I¡¯m fictional, but yes I will take my fake self with you to wherever you¡¯re going¡± I was pretty much made out of sarcasm and a tiny pinch of insanity.
¡°Ugh finally. FINALLY¡±it almost sounded like her voice got lower it was a little scary to be honest.
¡° Jeez you gonna be alright over there?¡± I asked concerned.
Yesss, it¡¯s just you barely ever come out with me and even when you do you dress like an old woman, seriously are all those cardigans necessary? I swear I even saw you where a floral print pattern long sleeve dress once, who owns that?!¡± Her voice rose at the very thought of such a hideous dress.
¡° Okay okay point taken, come over at like six and you can help me get ready if you¡¯re so torn up about it¡± I was slightly offended.
¡°Good I¡¯ll be there, but for now I needs my beauty sleep¡± she yawned.
¡° Alright I guess I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then, good night¡±
¡°Night¡± she replied.
¡®Now what am I supposed to do for the rest of the night?¡¯ I turned on a cartoon to help settle down and before I realized it I was asleep once again.
Im a Light-weight
Sun shone making my worn out eyes water, bags hung down to my cheeks; when I finally awoke at 12:30 p.m. My silky golden hair was knotted so much it almost looked as if I was trying for dreadlocks or I could make a very convincing mop, my blue-green eyes were bloodshot and blurry everything sucked. I grabbed a nice relaxing shower, then got into unicorn stretchies with a tie dye purple-ish pink tank top which happened to be a really comfortable outfit. I ate a bowl of fruit loops then went for a walk around the neighborhood. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary since last night maybe I really was going crazy. After I got back I decided to test my limited art abilities trying to draw a puppy, let¡¯s just say my idea of a puppy on paper is a giant irregular blob, this terrifying drawing took me two hours it was a horrendous waste of time. 4:00 rolled around, Jaycee loved my sweets so I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies while I waited, these happened to be one of my favorite sweets. Let¡¯s be honest I would murder someone for their sweets, as long as it wasn¡¯t sherbert that stuff was gross. By the time it was six I¡¯d baked two dozen cookies, I was used to baking large amounts since I came from a large family.
¡°Oh my God it smells fantastic in here¡± Jaycee¡¯s voice stormed through the living room area.
¡° Well thank you, you want some they¡¯re chocolate chip cookies¡± I asked as I pulled out another intoxicating batch.
¡° Don¡¯t mind if I do¡± she snagged a hot gooey cookie from the top of the mountain of cookies.
¡° mmm. These are sinfully delicious, mind if I take a few of these home to my parents and sister¡± she asked with her mouth full of cookie.
¡° No problem I always make too much anyways¡± I really didn¡¯t mind, if she wouldn¡¯t take them I¡¯d have to eat them all and with each one my weight would soar.
¡° Okay you ready? I¡¯ll do your makeup and everything plus I¡¯ll choose the outfit so you don¡¯t look like my grandma¡± for a reason I can¡¯t fathom she was extremely excited to dress me up, I felt bad for her sister who must have suffered through many dress up sessions with Jaycee.
The brushes were soft on my face as she applied the innumerable cosmetics to her blank canvas. I admired her she was really skilled an artist in her own right, which is something I¡¯d never be. I loved to have my makeup and hair done it was always intimate I felt a closeness I generally never felt, so I was pleased to have it done. She curled my painfully straight golden locks, then pulled out a skintight black dress I hadn¡¯t worn since freshman year, not to say I¡¯d grown since then. The dress showed off my curvy physique in an admittedly flattering way, but that doesn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t embarrassing. I was 5¡¯0¡± with a triple D cup, small around my midsection, and blossoming out to short little legs in many ways I had an hourglass figure I just felt uncomfortable showing that off. I¡¯m not gonna lie I had some self esteem issues left over from the hell that was high school, so I often felt secure in a large hoodie and jeans. She gave the makeup a smoky look with a dark red lipstick that made my blue-green eyes pop out. The last touch was a pair of black heels that bumped me up from 5¡¯0¡± to 5¡¯3¡±. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°Umm, am I supposed to walk in these?¡± I asked at the impossible task.
¡° You¡¯ll be fine just bring a large bag so you can change into some comfortable shoes if they start to hurt¡± She smiled at her finished masterpiece.
¡° Alright you ready?¡±She asked opening the front door.
¡° As ready as I¡¯ll ever be¡± I stated unsure of my answer.
When we arrived at the club, I was nervous about going into a club looking like a lady of the night(prostitute).
¡° You sure you don¡¯t want to just go grab a bite to eat and see a movie or something?¡± I asked trying to find a way out from showing off this revealing outfit.
¡° Aww Cassi don¡¯t chicken out now, you look beautiful, now go show that hotness off¡± Jaycee said grabbing my hand and pulling me into the club.
Music pumped through the air like a heart beating blood through a body, and like a heart without the music the throng of people would dissipate for they were the soul of the body. A bar lined a huge wall, green lights sent the whole bar aglow except for the black vinyl on the bar stools across the counter. Jaycee right away joined the crowd finding a tall man to dance with, I soon lost sight of her in writhing mass of people. I was different, oddly enough I needed at least three drinks before I had strange men invading my personal space with their disgusting sweaty bodies.
I hastily made my way through the crowd avoiding jiving hips and flailing arms, finally making it to safety at the bar.
¡° three shots of tequila please¡± I shouted over the music.
¡° I hate this place¡± A guy next to me mumbled underneath his breath. I turned to shout
¡° I do too¡± . I looked at this strangers face then realized he was no stranger.
¡° Chase!¡± I stared into his caramel eyes.
¡° Excuse me do I know you?¡± He asked over the music.
¡° It¡¯s me! Cassi¡± his face went blank for just a second then recognition widened his facial features.
¡° Oh my God, Cassi?! I didn¡¯t recognize you at all you look so...gorgeous¡± his eyes scaled my body making my cheeks flare a deep scarlet. Chase¡¯s gaze soon found her eyes, then he shone that enticing smile that drew her eyes to his soft looking lips.
¡° What are you drinking?¡± He said as she took the seat next to his.
¡° I¡¯m just doing some shots before I throw myself into that mess¡± I jabbed my thumb back towards the dance floor full of people.
¡° Ah, I get how you feel I didn¡¯t even want to come tonight, but my friends drug me out saying it¡¯d make me feel better, clearly it didn¡¯t work¡± Chase¡¯s expression sank as he thought about his soon to be ex-wife.
¡° I¡¯m sorry¡ if it makes you feel better I was drug here by my friend who is currently burning up the dance floor I¡¯m sure¡± I laughed as I saw a flash of her quirky moves across the spacious floor. He laughed at this for a second, then my shots arrived and I downed the burning liquid as quick as I could. Admittedly I was a bit of a light-weight so after three more shots I was stumbling through jazz hands and weird hip movements on the dance floor I couldn¡¯t find Jaycee at all or maybe I just missed her in my drunken stupor. Hours later I flopped down on the bar¡¯s counter curling up for a nice nap, I could barely hear the bartender saying I couldn¡¯t sleep there, then black ebbed at the corners of my vision whispering voices awaiting my descent into their sleep world.
Where Am I ?
JANUARY 20,
I met a girl today, not like the others, but really something unordinary. When she looked at me my whole soul,every part of me ignited seeping flames into the cold depths of my heart. I want her. I followed her to a shabby apartment building, a light was out near the rear of the apartment it didn¡¯t seem as though she noticed it, however I did.
Carelessly she left the dingy door unlocked. A tall girl with black unkempt hair, left with her to an old looking, rusty car. I had no idea how long they¡¯d be gone, but I needed to explore, to know everything about her. My fingers hungrily brushed past every bit of information they could discover, I knew she liked old books due to the full bookshelf of dated parchments, Purple and green covered the walls making the sad little apartment festive, a unicorn bedspread exposed an oddly childish side, I breathed in a sweet spicy scent that was entirely hers, soft, calm, comforting and all the more I knew she¡¯d be mine.
I marked entrances in and out of her apartment, I knew my way in, then I simply waited for her to get back. I averted my eyes as she changed into a sports bra and stretchies, I am a gentleman afterall. After her shower I followed her to a large building where passing by a sour faced,woman on my way in, by the time I entered into the warm heated air of the plain beige office walls she¡¯d pulled out a paperback book. Only two other people waited in tan fluffy chairs, I easily managed to slip by suspicion and watch her turn page after page of the book finding a more comfortable position from afar. Why wouldn¡¯t she look at me? I was right there, instead she turned her attentions toward a dark haired man. She smiled and flirted, trying her hand at the game of love, but I will not tolerate that she is mine and always will belong to me MINE. I wanted to introduce myself that very night, so I did what I do best waited. Everyone had left, but her, she quietly packed up her belongings not knowing what lurked in the darkness how funny that was, I¡¯d definitely be a pleasant surprise at this my deep chuckle escaped. What a magnificent reaction, such a beautiful shocked face was carved into my mind like a portrait of stone. I wanted more, and more and more. Even though she tried to shake me off I followed her every step like we were caught in a tango, step...by...step.
I saw her shifting uncomfortably in a pile of blankets, What troubled her in the depths of her subconscious? I moved closer to see what expression she wore. Such a dark pained look, I was pained by such a look on her beautiful face it wasn¡¯t even caused by me, but a simple dream pained her so. Gently I leaned over smoothing away the hair from her forehead, lightly I painted a portraiture of my lips on the canvas near her brow. When she stirred I melted back into the dark shadows moving towards to a cramped closet, her footsteps started down the hall I moved towards the light from the hallway soaking up every soft step unfortunately my arm bumped the door sending it creaking open. My heart played against my ribcage as she shouted at me, finally she knew I was there¡ finally. What exhilaration strummed through my body crashing against everything I was yes, this is why I did what I did for that excitement that coursed through my veins when they got so close yet would never catch me. Slyly I crouched behind two boxes brimming with miscellaneous items that not even I thoroughly searched through. Silent, still, silent and still, no breaths snuck from my lips, no movement shook my body I blended in so perfectly she¡¯d never distinguish my frame from that of a shadow¡¯s, satisfied no monsters lurked in her closet she let out all of the anxiety with a heavy breath and moved on to the bathroom.
Her voice leaked out to me as she spoke on a hand held blue cased mobile phone, she was sitting on the light blue couch her knees drawn to her chest flipping through different shows on the TV. She was making plans, plans I would be apart of. Saying good night she hung up, laying on the couch until her eyes grew heavier and heavier decisively closing, I soaked in that image while the night ripened into the dawn and light lit up her hair then I went home to prepare for the long night ahead.
I smacked my lips together to wet my mouth, my bed felt especially soft for some reason, cautiously I ebbed my eyelids into a thin squint so I didn¡¯t blind myself with sunlight. Seconds was all it took to realize this was not my bed nor my apartment ¡®Ummm¡. Where am I?¡¯
Gray silky sheets crumpled onto the large fluffy bed, I pulled the red warm thick comforter to my chest ¡®Oh my gosh what is happening? I did not sleep with a stranger, I did not sleep with a stranger, I¡¯m simply not the type not at all. Please tell me I didn¡¯t sleep with a stranger.¡¯
¡°Hey you¡¯re finally up, I thought you were going to sleep forever¡± A deep voice said peeking into the room from the doorway. He had short curly hair, and a swarthy tan complexion that completely offset dark sapphire eyes ¡®how interesting...no NOT interesting, who is this guy and why am I in his bed?...Though he is good looking. NO stop this you crazy lady you don¡¯t know him stop being so shallow¡¯ great now my mind is in turmoil. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡° Ummm, where am I?¡± I managed to croak out.
¡° Oh you don¡¯t remember?¡± He fully entered the room revealing a well toned build I could just imagine being wrapped up in. Stocking over to the bed he took a seat on the bed¡¯s very edge careful not to get too close to me.
¡° Last night you sorta passed out on the bar, generally I wouldn¡¯t take anyone home, but it was closing and I don¡¯t need vagrants in my bar making a mess. I¡¯d feel bad about leaving a little girl like you alone on the streets, so I took you to my house above the bar until you woke up and that¡¯s about it¡± A faint accent lilted each word, though I couldn¡¯t quite place it.
¡° Little girl? I am sick of people saying that, I may be little but I am mighty and I¡¯ll take down any attacker if anything they should be worried about me¡± I was extremely offended. Yeah sure he was an attractive guy, but I got enough of that ¡® women are weak¡¯ thing from my dad I didn¡¯t need to hear it from others...plus I was not small! I hated that.
¡° Jeez, okay I didn¡¯t mean to offend I was just worried is all. How about you let me drive you home? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to walk.¡± I didn¡¯t want to walk, but I also didn¡¯t want him to think I was weak, I could fend for myself.
¡° No, but thank you. I¡¯ll just contact an Uber¡± I said getting up to gather my small purse and shoes, that were neatly set beside the bed.
¡° Alright it was just an offer¡± he shrugged crossing the room to make his exit.
¡°Oh if you want I have some toast, though you might just throw it up you¡¯ve been awfully pukey all night¡± he shuddered as though he¡¯d seen a horrendous sight. I froze.
¡° Please tell me you didn¡¯t have to clean up my puke.¡± I cringed, when I puked I really puked it was not okay how much.
¡° Yes I did, it was like exorcist puke, everywhere...everywhere¡± I could see the event playing in his eyes, and knew it had been horrible.
¡° I am so sorry. I won¡¯t take you up on the toast, but I¡¯ll have to repay you I feel really bad about this¡± I hung my head between my knees feeling the nausea rise to the surface.
¡° I hate to ask this, but where¡¯s the bathroom?¡±puke already surged up my throat when I moved.
¡° It¡¯s in there¡± He hastily pointed to a closed door on the other side of the room. I sped towards the door flinging it open to barf on the nearest bowl which was thankfully the sink, not to say nothing splashed on the handles, but hey at least it was easy to clean off. When I glanced up I caught my reflection in the mirror, I looked like a drug addict. My eye makeup was smeared so I looked similar to a clown, my face was gaunt and pale, my hair was tangled with a few chunks I could only assume came from barf. Yup I wasn¡¯t winning a beauty pageant anytime soon. I did my best to clean up washing away puke and makeup all in one go, then trying to straighten out my hair as best as I could.
¡° Wow you clean up nice¡± laughter rang behind me as he stepped into the bathroom.
¡° Would you hush, I looked like skeletor¡± I said not pleased being a joke.
¡° Hey, remember I haven¡¯t seen you without puke coming out of your mouth¡± he said with another chuckle, then he simply strolled away.
¡° Come down when you¡¯re ready to go, and don¡¯t forget anything I¡¯m not going to track you down¡± he called from another room.
¡° Yeah yeah¡± I muttered still trying to make it look like I had some dignity.
15 minutes later I was presentable, and my Uber had arrived so I found my gracious host in a neat little kitchen.
¡° Uh thank you for taking care of me I guess.¡± I wasn¡¯t really sure what to say to him.
¡° No problem come back again, and I¡¯ll actually make you some good food and you can throw that up instead of whatever it was you ate.¡± He said jokingly as I sighed.
¡° I¡¯ll still have to pay you back somehow, so just call me if you need a favor and I¡¯ll oblige as long as it¡¯s not something I can¡¯t do¡± I was going to regret this, but I¡¯m not somebody who wouldn¡¯t repay a debt.
¡° You don¡¯t have to pay me back, I didn¡¯t expect anything¡± baffled he looked at me as if I was some alien.
¡° Nope, I have to otherwise I won¡¯t be able to have a clear conscious¡± I said writing my number on a sticky note pad I carried in my purse. I stuck the stick note on his counter and headed out the door into the snowy street.
¡° 5th avenue south please¡± I said to my Uber driver.
¡° Rough night?¡± The man asked gruffly.
¡° You haven¡¯t even scratched the surface¡± I said recalling the stranger who¡¯d taken care of me,his striking blue eyes. I didn¡¯t even know his name.
Brownie
When I got home I called Jaycee wondering what the heck had happened and why she left me.
¡°Jaycee! You left me¡ are you okay, wait no, you left me with a stranger he could¡¯ve been a creep or something¡± I was trying to be angry, but at the same time I was worried that something had happened Jaycee wouldn¡¯t leave me alone for nothing.
¡° I¡¯m sorry Cassi¡ I shouldn¡¯t have left you, but I couldn¡¯t find you a-and¡± her voice broke and I could hear the hiccuping of her sobs.
¡° Oh my God what happened?¡± I was really worried now.
¡° Oh Cassi i-it¡¯s hic..Hic ¡.Renee¡± Jaycee managed to gasp out.
Renee was Jaycee¡¯s younger sister she was 15 and at the prime of her life, I loved her like a little sister myself.
¡° I tried to find you I really did, but it was an emergency¡± more sobs interrupted her speech.
¡° Jaycee calm down just tell me where you are and I¡¯ll head over right away¡± panic started to set in as my mind wandered I needed to know what was going on.
¡° We¡¯re at the hospital, I think it¡¯s the one on 5th come quickly¡± then there was a silence on the other end as Jaycee hung up.
I pulled on socks and shoes, grabbed my keys then I was out the door.
January 22
I watched her leave, she looked beautiful¡ she must¡¯ve dressed up just for me. I followed her to a club where she chatted with some ugly guy, why would she do that to me? Why did this guy keep showing up around her? Didn¡¯t he know that she was MINE!? Well that¡¯s just fine, he¡¯ll see, he¡¯ll see that I¡¯m who she needs. When he left her at the bar I followed him out of the club¡¯s large metal doors, he walked right by me not knowing who I was, he strolled to a large black truck ¡®Someone¡¯s compensating¡¯ I laughed internally at a joke no one else could hear. While he was getting in his ¡® masculine truck¡¯ I got in my car so I could watch every move he made as he traveled to the place he called home, a home I¡¯d soon take from him.
It was 1:30 in the morning when he pulled into the driveway of a large two story light yellow house. He stepped down from the truck, whistling as he followed the cement pathway that lead to a triad of solid grey steps, I peered at him as he opened his door. Light after light turned on as he moved around the house, I saw a dark silhouette through a pair of light blue curtains it moved about as he assumedly put on pajamas, the last light flicked off from the upstairs room.
Everything was dark only a single street lamp outlined my form, I¡¯d been observing the pitch black rooms seeing if anyone else came home or left no one passed by the inky black house no other lights were on I knew I was safe to enter.
¡° Hello, I¡¯m looking for Renee Bellani¡¯s room¡± I said to the old receptionist, at the hospital¡¯s front desk.
¡° Are you family or just visiting?¡± She asked.
¡° Umm, no, I¡¯m just a friend of the family¡¯s ¡± I said waiting as she tapped the keys on the keyboard.
¡° Hmm Bellani¡± squinting, she searched the computer screen.
¡° Ah, here we go Ms. Bellani is in room 608¡±
¡° Thanks¡± I said rushing off to go find room 608.
The halls all looked the same, a placid eggshell white with a gray square by each door showing what number the following room was; ten minutes of searching, and I finally came to room 608.
I took a deep breath working up the courage to see what had happened, I didn¡¯t want to go in ¡®what if...what if she was on the verge of-¡¯ I couldn¡¯t finish that thought I just needed to see for myself what had happened to Renee. The heavy door swung open on it¡¯s hinges as I entered the pristine room, my mouth hung open in shock when I saw Renee¡¯s tiny form dwarfed by the large hospital bed.
¡° R-Renee?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe this bruised and scraped girl was the same cheerful girl who not too long ago would call me up just to chat about what she was doing in school and cute boys who she wanted to ask her out. The left side of her face was swollen and red three stitches covered her right brow, a cast enveloped her right leg, bruises and cuts painted the rest of her skin a hideous dark blue marred by unsightly long scratches all across her neck and face.
¡° Oh my God what happened to you?¡± I was speechless I¡¯d never seen someone so beaten looking.
¡° Cassi, thank God you¡¯re here¡± Jaycee appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee and a muffin.
¡° Jaycee what happened?¡± I asked still in shock at Renee¡¯s state.
Jaycee sighed as she moved close to Renee stroking her soft brown hair, and focusing on her bruised heart shaped face.
¡° I should¡¯ve been with her; last night Renee was out with a few friends apparently she was on her way back to mom¡¯s house when she got in the accident. She was thrown from the car an officer found her in a field near the crash, he said she was lucky he didn¡¯t think anyone could survive that, but here she is. She hasn¡¯t woken up yet,the doctor¡¯s say that with a little more time she¡¯ll probably wake up they don¡¯t know for sure her leg is broken in four places, she has two broken ribs, a- and I don¡¯t know how she survived either I¡¯m just glad she did¡± more tears spilled from her brown eyes as she gazed at her younger sister. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
I threw my arm around her pulling her into a hug ¡° What can I do?¡± I asked her after she was done crying.
¡° There¡¯s not much to do, we just have to wait though it¡¯d be nice if I could buy a decent meal. I sent mom home so she could get a shower and a change of clothes she should be back in a few hours, but I¡¯ve only had hospital coffee from the waiting room and this stupid muffin from the cafeteria that I conned off a nurse¡± she looked spitefully at the bran muffin.
¡° Do you want me to pick you up some food?¡± I asked.
¡° That¡¯d be great, I¡¯ll give you ten bucks if you¡¯ll go out and pick up a burger and some fries¡± her hands moved through her bag as she searched for the long blue wallet.
¡° Shit I must¡¯ve left it at the club, I was in such a rush I couldn¡¯t find you and now I¡¯ve apparently lost my wallet too¡± tears ebbed at her eyes as she looked at her bag, it was all too much for her to handle at that moment.
¡° Don¡¯t worry about it I¡¯ll go pick up some curly fries and a burger plus a chocolate shake, I¡¯ll grab your wallet too¡± I wanted to be there for her when she was going through such a difficult time.
¡° Thanks¡± she smiled pulling me into a hug, then she went and sat back by Renee¡¯s side.
I went back home to wash my hair and change into a long black sweater dress that I put gingerbread man stretchies underneath, I grabbed my phone and butterfly purse looking up the directions to Allure , the club we visited last night, the same place I had just left four hours ago.
It didn¡¯t take long to find the club though I dreaded showing my disgraced face to the man who had seen me at my literal worst. I stepped out of my car just as he appeared from the club¡¯s front door being lead by a huge fluffy black dog, I was instantly in love with this canine. Snow froze my toes through my snow boots as I tried to make my way across the slippery road, I hastened my approach as I saw his tall form start to head down the street.
¡° Hey!¡± I called trying to get his attention.
¡° Wait!¡± I continued, not wanting him to disappear mainly because I didn¡¯t want to wait outside in the snow for his return. His head swiveled, deep blue eyes caught mine just as I caught a slick icy spot on the sidewalk and fell directly on my face.
¡° Pfffft! Ha, ha, ha! I swear you¡¯re the best¡± a voice laughed at me.
A strong arm wrapped around my waist heat seeped into my clothes from his touch as he launched me back onto my feet, I turned to find his face inches from mine his electric blue eyes bewitched me. He wore a big cheesy smile that reached up to his eyes, while his hand lingered upon my waist the smile slowly faded as he looked down at my face his eyelashes lowered as his gaze found my lips then he promptly let me go.
I cleared my throat ¡° uh my friend left her wallet in the club last night, is there anyway we could take a look?¡±
¡° Yeah we can take a look, do you mind if we do that after Brownie¡¯s walk? You could come with us¡± he invited.
¡° Brownie huh? That¡¯s a cute name¡± I said looking down at the large fluffy dog happily wagging its tail as it sniffed my boots.
¡°Yeah I named her that when she was a puppy she had brown fur, but it got darker as she got older¡± he said moving forward.
¡° She¡¯s so big, what breed is she ?¡± She was so cute I wanted a dog like her.
¡° She¡¯s a german shepherd husky mix, she absolutely loves the snow so I¡¯ve been taking her on walks every afternoon since I¡¯m not busy until night anyways¡± he said as the wolf like dog pranced in the snow she looked like some weird bunny with the way she was hopping.
¡° I didn¡¯t see her when I was at your place¡± I said thinking back to the apartment above the luxurious night club.
¡° Well you were in such a rush I doubt you even caught my name much less noticed Brownie sleeping in her bed¡± he chuckled.
¡°Holy cow you¡¯re right I don¡¯t even know your name yet¡± I realized now that he mentioned it.
¡° Well you know Brownie here, and I¡¯m Alexander¡± he said with a little bow.
¡° I¡¯m Cassi, nice to meet you Alexander¡± I held out my hand.
His warm hand enveloped mine as he shook it ¡° My friends call me Alex, nice to meet you too Cassi¡± he spoke with that same lilt to his voice.
¡° May I ask where you¡¯re from ? It¡¯s just, you speak with a bit of an accent and I couldn¡¯t help but notice¡± I said, curious about the lilt that continually appeared in his speech.
¡° well I¡¯m originally from Italy, my parents moved here when I was still just a kid so my accent never really went away, but it has faded a little¡± he said.
¡° oh my friends family is italian, though she hasn¡¯t ever been to Italy, but her grandparents were from Italy¡± I thought of Jaycee in the hospital with Renee, and quickly looked to see if we were almost back to the club.
¡° You look like you¡¯re in a hurry or something¡± he said noticing my eyes wandering back in the direction we just came from.
¡° I am kinda in a rush, my friends sister was in an accident and I¡¯m supposed to be grabbing her wallet and picking up food for her¡± I gave the short version of the story.
¡° You sound like a good friend, we can go back and search for the wallet¡± he said giving me a charming smile as he called Brownie over and we started heading back to the club.
¡°Thanks that would be awesome¡± I said with a crooked smile of my own.
The dog galloped back to us with her tongue hanging out and a playful bark ¡® what a cute puppy¡¯ I thought as she nuzzled my hand.
¡° She likes you I can tell¡± he laughed.
¡° Well she¡¯s in luck because I already love her¡± this was not a lie, I was a huge dog person. I pet her soft mane of fur scratching behind her ears as she padded alongside me, she ran ahead to the club door recognizing her home. Alex unlocked the door and soon we were both inside the dark empty club, quickly he turned on the lights making his way to a separate room I hadn¡¯t noticed when I was in the club probably due to alcohol.
¡° This is my office which also happens to hold all of our lost and found items that are left over after clean up¡± he spoke motioning to a safe beside a desk filled to the brim with books and miscellaneous items. I looked away as he opened the safe not wanting to look like a nosy Nelly, he had it open a few seconds later.
¡° Ah, we have a number of wallets can you tell me what your friend¡¯s wallet looks like?¡± He asked.
¡° It¡¯s a long blue wallet with a little pink bow on the front¡± I said trying to recall exactly what Jaycee¡¯s wallet looked like.
¡°Yep we do have it here¡± he said as he handed over her blue wallet.
I let out a sigh in relief thanking God that it was actually turned in.
¡° Thanks you¡¯ve been awesome, seriously I was worried it wouldn¡¯t be turned in¡± I thanked him.
¡° No problem Ms. Cassi glad to be of service, but don¡¯t forget you owe me a favor¡± he sang as I was leaving.
¡° I almost forgot, well what is it you want?¡± I asked turning back to him.
¡° Maybe a cup of coffee¡± he suggested.
¡° Sure I can bring you a cup of coffee just let me know when, you have my number¡± I said turning back around.
¡°Uh that¡¯s not really what I mea-¡± I heard him call after me, but I needed to get back to Jaycee at some point, I threw a short wave in his direction as I closed the club door. I felt bad for cutting him off, but I¡¯d already been gone for over an hour I was sure Jaycee was starting to freak out thinking I¡¯d been in an accident too or something. I hopped in my car and drove towards the hospital picking up the food I promised on the way there, I was hoping Renee would wake up soon thank God I didn¡¯t have work until Monday.
A night to remember
I got home Sunday night after making Jaycee promise to call if there was any change in Renee¡¯s condition. Goosebumps rose making the hairs on my arms stand up, it was cold and the inky darkness of my apartment made it difficult to find the thermostat. I pulled out my phone as cotton puffs of air escaped my mouth, thankfully my flashlight app only took a few seconds to load up letting out a ray of dazzling light when it finally did. The thermostat was on the side of the living room wall that lead into the hallway, I flipped the light switch multiple times before realizing the light must be out which meant I¡¯d have to replace it tomorrow morning. ¡® Great my apartment is now officially creepy¡¯ my mind raced as I instantly thought of ghosts as the alternative to the temperature and lights. My foot caught the corner of the small light blue couch that sat against the wall in the living room, my knee burned after my skin scraped against the usually soft carpet, my phone bouncing a few feet away to highlight a dark window. Palms buried in the carpet, I pushed to get up focusing on the light beaming from my phone so I didn¡¯t have to focus on the terror that ripped through my stomach moving up to fuel my pounding heart. Quickly I snatched my phone from in front of the window turning to shine the light towards the kitchen everything looked odd in the dark lighting it didn¡¯t feel as though I lived in this strange apartment it didn¡¯t feel as though anybody lived here.
I paid close attention to where I was stepping looking down to make sure I could actually see my sneakered feet, I did not like falling I especially didn¡¯t like falling on hard surfaces which happened to be what my kitchen was made out of. A row of large square drawers lined the counter I knew they contained all manner of things, but the drawer I was looking for was filled with just candles and matches I needed to use a lighter, but I simply forgot to get one when I moved in. I could never remember if it was the second or third drawer so I searched the second drawer first, finding various cookie cutters deciding that was most definitely not the drawer with candles I went to the third drawer. I found three large scented candles and ten small tin candles with two boxes of matches lined neatly between them, ¡®It¡¯s probably just a power outage¡¯ I thought as I set a large candle down on the small coffee table in front of the couch and lit a small match. After lighting candles in each room of the apartment I sat down on the couch feeling some of the fear and tension leave my muscles in the warmth of the orange flames wavering light. I wanted to call Jaycee just so the loneliness I felt would also ebb away, but she didn¡¯t need me burdening her right now, she was already going through enough.
-TAP...TAP...TAP ice ran through my veins. ¡®What was that?¡¯ my eyes widened as my brain registered the sound. ¡®Maybe I just imagined it?¡¯ I thought after a few seconds passed. Just in case I snatched my phone from its position on the coffee table, my finger hovering right above the emergency dial button as my eyes searched around my apartment looking for anything out of the ordinary.
-TAP...TAP...TAP the sound came from my window, as if someone was tapping on the glass. Goosebumps made the tiny hairs on my arms stand up; it was not my imagination.
-TAP.TAP.TAP faster the tapping sounded again, and it was all I needed to press the emergency button.
I clutched a kitchen knife as I waited for the police to arrive I needed some sort of protection. I wasn¡¯t safe anymore, I had no idea if someone could see me through the transparent white curtains with their trails of light green swirls that led to baby blue flowers (in hindsight I don¡¯t know why I chose those curtains they looked so good at the time now they were a cause of terror). I was thankful when I heard a police siren and a solid knock on my door I sighed with relief putting the knife down, I twisted the upperlock listening for the thud as it unlocked. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Officer thank-¡± I started to speak then stopped when I realized I had opened the door to the night¡¯s darkness there was no police officer no person stood there at all it was just empty. I slammed the door and locked it again, my heart pounding against my ribcage I snatched the knife back up God only knows who had knocked at the door and I was not about to be a victim. Another knock at the door had me jumping out of my skin.
¡°Who is it?¡± I shouted.
¡° The police ma¡¯m, you called about a possible intruder¡± a light female voice called.
This time I did not drop the knife, I brought it with me as I answered the door. A tall female officer stood next to a taller young man both were in a police uniform, I inhaled and exhaled ,letting some of the tension I¡¯d been feeling, escape. Frantically I told both officers what had happened starting with the lights not working and my freezing apartment, I was just so glad somebody else was here.
They searched my apartment thoroughly then they concluded the outside search.
¡° Well someone was definitely here, don¡¯t worry it was most likely some kids who thought it was funny to terrorize you; but just in case is there someone you can stay with for a few days?¡± The woman asked.
¡° Umm, not really the only family I have lives out of state¡± Jaycee was not an option at this point I didn¡¯t want to stress her out.
¡° Well you could probably stay at the station it¡¯s pretty quiet there right now¡± the young officer piped up.
¡° I¡¯m sure the captain won¡¯t mind¡± he gave a crooked grin that made him look even younger almost like a teenager though he must¡¯ve been at least as old as me.
¡° Well I guess just for the night it won¡¯t hurt it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t done it before¡± the female officer shrugged.
¡° We can give you a ride then, I¡¯m officer Lamont and this is officer Parker¡± She said as she ushered me to the patrol car. Relief washed over me as I walked away from everything I owned and into the safety of the car. I was safe and hopefully it was just a kid playing a terrible prank.
¡®Find him¡¯ the dead chanted in a eerie unison. I was back to this world standing on top of a lake so dark I wasn¡¯t even sure it was a lake, fog furled around the dead making it difficult to see their horribly scarred bodies.
¡®Find him, find him, find him! Find him! Find him!¡¯ Their voices turned into an irate yell it was painful it felt as though they were closing in around me surrounding me with their gray haunting eyes accusing me of a sin unknown to me. I sobbed as I felt the pressure of that sin crash down on me.
¡° I didn¡¯t know!¡± I cried out seeking forgiveness.
¡° I didn¡¯t know!¡± Hot tears slid down my cheeks, the cold inky lake wrapped itself around me accepting me into its ice cold depths. I screamed and screamed until I felt numb and gave up my eyes staring at nothing but darkness ¡®this is it¡¯ I thought as I floated in nothingness.
A white hot light burned my eyes until I had to look away, it¡¯s warmth invited me back up to the surface rescuing me from the torturous oblivion that was the lake¡ that was hell.
¡° Don¡¯t cry love¡± a compassionate voice rang from the light. A soft hand made of light reached towards me, tears streaming down my face I reached out my own small hand.
¡° Cassiapeia¡± the voice whispered my name just before our fingers touched.
I woke with a start just in time to see Alex, with his dark blue eyes and disheveled rave hair, stroll into the police station like he owned the joint.
Safety in Your Arms
¡°Ah you¡¯re awake, I brought you a coffee¡± A blonde wiry young man handed me a warm paper cup full of the dark mocha drink.
¡°Oh um, thanks¡± I said taking a sip.
Involuntarily my face scrunched up in response to the bitter strong coffee, the officer¡¯s face fell just a little as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
¡° Sorry my brewing skills are a little poor¡± he gave a short awkward laugh.
¡° No no it¡¯s fine, really thank you¡± I smiled reassuringly feeling awful at my initial reaction.
His cheeks flushed and his forest green eyes grew wide as he looked at me beaming with glee ¡°Really? It¡¯s okay, because I did try my best¡ sorry I must sound so lame right now¡± his face turned a shade of scarlet I didn¡¯t even know was possible for the human skin. I just couldn¡¯t hurt his feelings he was already so happy.
¡° Parker your coffee¡¯s crap¡± the female officer from last night stated bluntly.
¡®So much for not hurting his feelings¡¯ I thought.
¡° Dang it I knew I should¡¯ve added an extra scoop¡± he said not realizing that he probably should¡¯ve deducted a scoop or two.
I looked back out immediately catching an icy blue stare, my breath caught in my throat at Alex¡¯s intense gaze. I glanced down into my cup of coffee.
¡° What¡¯s he here for?¡± I asked interrupting a heated conversation on how to make a decent cup of coffee.
¡° Who?¡± Officer Lamont questioned.
I pointed towards Alex, who had since continued talking with an older officer at a paperwork filled desk.
¡° Oh the club owner. Some hooligans vandalized his club form what I heard¡± she said with a shrug.
¡° Why? Do you know him?¡± Parker asked hesitantly.
¡°Kinda¡± I replied, thinking of the coffee I still owed him ¡® I¡¯m definitely not giving him this cup¡¯ I looked at the full cup in my hands.
Chairs scraped against the floor as Alex and the officer stood up to shake hands, with the turn of his head and a cat like swagger he made his way towards me. ¡®How does he manage to show up at the worst time, I haven¡¯t even had the chance to shower¡¯ I groaned internally.
¡° Cassi, what are you doing here?¡± He asked eyeing my Unicorn footie pajamas Jaycee had gotten me for Christmas, that I¡¯m sure I looked childish in.
I glanced at officer Parker and Lamont clearing my throat to hint at the need for privacy.
¡° That¡¯s our cue to leave Parker¡± Officer Lamont said taking him by the collar and dragging him away like a lost puppy.
Alex laughed making my skin tingle at the sound ¡® seriously what¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯
¡° They seem great¡±
¡° Yeah they¡¯re honestly my saviours I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without them¡± I meant every word of it who knows what would¡¯ve happened if they hadn¡¯t arrived when they did, I didn¡¯t want to think about it.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡° So what happened?¡± He asked leaning against the doorway.
The light hummed and flickered as I told him everything about the night before; all of the terror, the fear that had built up, my eyes started to water as those feelings were released. I knew it was stupid to get emotional over a prank, but at the same time I had really feared for my life I mean what if it had been that murderer? I hated crying in front of people it was a sign of weakness in my book, so before he saw the tear that had escaped or how wobbly my lip was getting, I looked away. ¡®Why do I have to be like this? Why can¡¯t I be stronger? It¡¯s okay just breathe Cassi, put on a smile and breathe¡¯ I told myself trying to calm down before I turned back towards him. I¡¯m sure my eyes were a little red, but I hoped my smile was convincing enough.
¡° It¡¯s okay I mean I¡¯m fine¡± I finished telling him.
Solid arms wrapped around me, shocking me out of the facade I was putting up. They were warm, comfortable, safe. The smell of clean laundry and aftershave surrounded me enticing me to snuggle into his embrace, quickly I caught myself and pulled away. A flash of hurt shown in his eyes for just a brief moment before it was replaced with concern.
¡° Cassi where are you going to stay?¡± He asked.
I answered him as honestly as I could ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±.
¡° Then you have to stay with me, no one¡¯s going to bother you if you¡¯re with someone and I have plenty of space in the loft¡± he clearly thought the problem was solved.
¡° Alex...we just met I¡¯m not so sure that¡¯s a good idea¡± I said hesitantly.
¡° Nonsense Cassi, I can¡¯t leave you when you¡¯re in such a situation I couldn¡¯t call myself a man if I did. Trust me I¡¯d do it for anybody. Plus if you don¡¯t trust me you can trust Brownie he wouldn¡¯t let anything bad happen to you, I¡¯m pretty sure he already likes you more than me¡± He smiled warmly.
I gave a light chuckle as I thought of Brownie, I did love that dog. ¡° Okay, I¡¯ll stay with you, but only for a couple of days until this blows over, I don¡¯t want to owe you any more than I already do¡± I said sternly.
¡° Of course, we can go get your stuff now if you want, I¡¯m heading out anyways¡± he offered.
¡° That works for me¡± I said before getting up to fold the blanket I had used.
¡° I have work most of the time so I shouldn¡¯t be in your hair too much¡± I said thinking about the work I¡¯d be doing today, at least I¡¯d get to see Chase that¡¯d take my mind off of things.
¡° You¡¯re still going to work?¡± Alex asked with confusion.
¡° Yeah unless I want to lose my job, I got a very rigid warning that if I was late again or anything of the like, that I¡¯d be out of a job so I kinda have to go¡± I said.
¡° Well you could always get a job with me, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be a terrible server and I¡¯m always looking for new people since the club tends to get a little rowdy¡± he said.
¡° Uh no thanks you¡¯ve already done enough plus my job pays pretty well¡± I declined.
¡° Okay, but if you ever need one the offer still stands. You about ready to go?¡± He asked as I got the last of the limited objects I¡¯d brought to the police station.
¡° Yep¡± I responded following him to the large glass doors at the front of the building.
¡°Hey! Are you leaving?¡± Parker¡¯s voice trailed after me.
I turned to see his green eyes staring after me. ¡° Yeah I¡¯m heading out¡± I replied
¡° Oh...okay, we¡¯ll update you on everything later¡± he said.
¡° Sounds good to me let me know what you guys find out I really do hope it was just some kids playing a cruel prank¡± I shuddered to think what else it could¡¯ve been.
He nodded watching after us as we walked away.
¡° Looks like you¡¯ve gained an admirer¡± Alex chuckled from the driver¡¯s seat.
¡° What?¡± I asked puzzled.
¡° Officer Parker there definitely has a thing for you¡±
¡° What? No way, he¡¯s just a sweet guy is all¡± I shot back.
¡° Nope that one has a crush my dear, it¡¯s probably those unicorn pajamas they¡¯re too provocative¡± his face cracked into a smile at that last part as he tried not to laugh.
¡° Hey what¡¯s wrong with my pajamas? I¡¯ll have you know a very dear friend bought me these¡± I said gesturing to the unicorn footies and all of their glory.
¡° Oh well in that case they¡¯re adorable¡± he said sarcastically.
¡°Whatever you¡¯ll never know their comfiness¡± I said feeling the plushy material. ¡®Why did I agree to stay with him again?¡¯ I asked myself ¡®more importantly, why do I trust him so much? Why does he feel safe?¡¯ I questioned more deeply.
I Hate Mysteries
¡°What time do you work?¡± Alex asked outside of the dingy apartment.
With a dark blue fitted sweater that matched his sapphire eyes and a pair of black jeans, he didn¡¯t fit in. Casual clothing somehow made him look even more like a model than usual .
¡®Damn why can¡¯t I ever look that good?¡¯ I contemplated as I studied his strong physique leaning gracefully against the black truck.
¡° Uh I work at 10:00 to 5:00¡± which sucked since I was barely awake at 9:00.
¡° You better hurry and get your stuff then. Are you sure it¡¯s okay to go back into your apartment?¡± He asked as I headed towards the front door.
¡° Yeah the police already cleared the area so it¡¯s safe¡± I said opening the door to an apartment awash with the sun¡¯s early light. I recognized everything, the worn blue couch, white and blue curtains, the messy room I had yet to clean, it was all mine I¡¯d put effort into the decorations it was my tastes my things but it didn¡¯t feel that way now.
Hastily I grabbed the large black duffel bag behind my bedroom door, I stuffed it full of clothes and all of the necessities such as shampoo and conditioner. I looked back once more on my home, hoping that next time I came back it would actually feel like one.
I arrived at work with a few minutes to spare giving me just enough time to glance through my phone to check if Jaycee had sent and update on Renee.
¡®Not yet apparently¡¯ I thought after scrolling through my messages for a few minutes willing her to update me, I was so anxious.
¡° Cassi you¡¯re here early today...for once¡± Tammie appeared around the corner, a smirk glued to her unpleasant face.
¡®Jeez was the ¡®for once¡¯ necessary I¡¯ve only been late like twice¡¯ I resisted making a very unlady like face in her direction while her tall spindly frame exited the building. Every interaction with Tammie was a test of my self-restraint.
The office was completely deserted, the sun dipped low a silvery glow alighting the purple grey swirl of clouds, dry leaves were sent dancing to the winds tune.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡®It¡¯s going to snow tonight¡¯ I thought while staring out the window, waiting for the clock on the wall to tick closer to 5 o¡¯clock as I¡¯d been doing since 4:00.
¡®Wonder where Chase is?¡¯ ten minutes had passed since his appointment, and he was still a no-show which was very unlike him, but heck what did I know.
¡° Has Mr.Chase arrived?¡± Mrs. Knudsen asked from her office doorway.
¡° Not yet¡± I replied.
¡° Well then it looks like you get to go home a few minutes early. I have to stay late today to finish up some business so I¡¯ll turn off the lights¡± she walked back into her office.
¡®Good now I can go home and turn into a human puddle- oh wait that¡¯s right I¡¯m not going home¡¯ my thoughts of vegetating were interrupted by the realization that my home wasn¡¯t mine anymore¡ wasn¡¯t safe anymore. Then I remembered whose house I was staying at.
Internally I groaned ¡®how do I get into these situations? Am I cursed or something? This is going to be so awkward¡¯ I didn¡¯t do well around new people.
- Ding!
My phone chimed from within my oversized overstuffed purse. I fished around searching for the sleek rectangular form, hoping it was Jaycee.
Nope, it was a text from a random number.
It¡¯s going to snow you better put your coat on it read.
Do I know you? I texted back
How could you not we do everything together was the anonymous number¡¯s response.
K that doesn¡¯t really answer my question seriously I hated mysteries.
U don¡¯t know me,but I know u
it was starting to sound almost playful, and I was starting to question what to say next. Finally I settled on
I think you have the wrong number
I had the feeling that¡¯s all I was going to get,but just in case I sent one more text
???
Maybe it was Alex? But that didn¡¯t sound quite right, honestly it didn¡¯t sound like anybody I knew.
¡®Damn I really do hate mysteries¡¯.
The First Night
My hand trembled as I rapped on the freezing solid metal door ¡®God it¡¯s cold¡¯
I pulled my hands up to my face puffing out hot air to warm them. Shivers ran through my body, the cold seeping through my thick red coat hungrily licking at my bones. Snowflakes gently landed on my skin one gently tickled my nose before melting. I knocked again. Brownie¡¯s barking cut the night¡¯s silence as footsteps approached.
¡°Coming!¡± Alex yelled from inside.
The door flung open a burst of warm air exploding outward beckoning me in.
¡°I completely forgot you were coming¡± Alex said letting me in.
¡°You look like you¡¯re freezing do you want some tea?¡± He asked heading straight to the kitchen.
¡°T-that¡¯d be nice¡± I stuttered out, finding a seat in the living room by the coffee table.
¡°How long were you out there?¡±He questioned after poking his head out of the kitchen examining the melted snowflakes that wetted my hair and the flush in my cheeks.
¡°O-only like ten minutes, it¡¯s just snowing a lot and is currently below zero¡± I stated trying to warm up in front of the heater.
¡° Sorry I had my music playing and didn¡¯t hear you until Brownie came and alerted me. Maybe I should loan you a key, I¡¯ve got a spare hanging around from my ex, he was a total jerk by the way¡± He said with a sigh.
¡° He?¡± I asked instantly relaxing.
¡®Good now I don¡¯t have to worry about him liking me, not that someone that attractive would¡¯ I thought with relief.
¡° Yeah I love people for who they are not their gender, trust me I¡¯ve been around long enough to realize gender is merely a formality but boy did I make the wrong choice with the last one he was just horrific, a real crazy ex¡± I could hear the stress in his voice at the mention of his ex, I knew how that felt.
¡®Oh great so I should still be worried, well again though he wouldn¡¯t be interested in me¡¯ a sigh escaped my lips.
¡®Why am I sighing? None of this matters I should be thinking of something else that isn¡¯t romantic, it never ends well when I do, something like, like¡trees! Yep, trees with all their branches and their animals, how cute are they!¡¯ My mind spiraled.
¡° Here¡¯s your tea¡± Alex set a steaming cup on the coffee table in front of me.
¡°Thanks¡± I said, appreciating the hot amber liquid and the warmth that the cup gave.
¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not more shocked that I¡¯m bi¡± He said sitting across from me.
¡°Well honestly who am I to judge you know, it shouldn¡¯t matter what you are just as long as you¡¯re happy¡ wait unless you¡¯re a pedophile or something then it does matter¡± I said after thinking about it for a few seconds.
He laughed a beautiful laugh ¡° you¡¯re right, I was a little worried because I never know how people are going to react and I do want you to like me, but I find most things are better with honesty¡±
¡° I agree with you there, I know it hurts to be lied to¡± I said thinking back on a boy with a charming smile and sweet as sugar talk. Part of me missed the image he had showed me, but I knew he wasn¡¯t ever going to be my love not like he once had been.
¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve had plenty of experience in that field¡± Alex said.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡° I have with my last boyfriend, he was a liar and I loved him he¡¯s actually one of the many reasons I moved here¡± I said, Jaycee of course being one of the other main reasons.
¡° You moved here just to avoid one guy? Must¡¯ve been some heartbreak¡± he said folding his arms and leaning back farther into the chair.
¡° Well he wasn¡¯t the only reason, I was looking for work and managed to find a job down here, plus my best friend lives here, there were actually a lot of reasons¡± I said with ire.
¡° Look you don¡¯t have to convince me¡± he put his hands up defensively.
¡° You¡¯re a very frustrating person you know that?¡± I asked rhetorically.
¡° So I¡¯ve been told once or twice; getting off topics of boyfriends why don¡¯t you go wash up, you might catch a cold like that¡± he said.
¡° Alright I suppose I should change into pajamas anyways¡± I was thankful we weren¡¯t talking about exes anymore.
I found the bathroom and took out all of my showering supplies wondering if it would be okay to leave my shampoo and conditioner in the shower with his after I was done. Questions like this were why I hated staying over at people¡¯s houses, I was always so unsure of myself.
The hot water felt good running down my skin, soaking up all of the stress I¡¯d felt for the past day it was nice to be surrounded by the steam and just have a little time to wind down. I was reluctant to leave the water, but knew I¡¯d have to at some point, so I turned off the water and exited the shower careful not to slip on my way out. I put on another pair of footie pajamas( I have many), they made me feel like a baby being swaddled in a blanket, then I headed out to the living room.
¡° You must have a lot of footie pajamas¡± Alex said when he saw me.
¡° They¡¯re comfortable and warm, so of course I have multiple pairs¡± I responded.
¡° I see maybe I should try them out some time, but for now you must be tired so I¡¯ll let you get some sleep. I¡¯ve brought out spare blankets and a pillow for you, the couch is available to be slept on and I also have a blow up mattress if you want me to get that out¡± he gestured to the blankets and pillow that rested on the couch.
¡°The couch is fine with me, I can pretty much sleep anywhere as long as I have a blanket¡± I said assuring him he didn¡¯t have to get out the blow up mattress.
He smiled before saying ¡°Alright then I think I should head to bed, I have to be up early to walk Brownie¡±
¡° Why are you being so nice to me?¡± I asked.
He stopped in his tracks, turning back to face me ¡° Cassi this isn¡¯t being nice¡±
¡° What do you mean?¡± I was trying to understand him, I wanted to know what was driving him and why he was so concerned with me. I wasn¡¯t anything special, so why? Did he want something? My mind raced filling with all sorts of reasons.
¡° Cassi, the world is plagued with people, we hurt, we kill, we take. I don¡¯t want to be one of those people. I don¡¯t think I can change the world, hell I don¡¯t even think I can make a difference, but just maybe you¡¯ll look back on me and remember that there are good people in this world¡± he gave a short laugh before continuing.
¡° I want to treat everyone with kindness because I know how hopeless life can feel sometimes. Maybe I¡¯m selfish, because I want to be the one to help you¡± he said sitting beside me.
¡°Why?¡± I whispered gazing into his icy eyes.
¡° I¡¯m fond of you Cassi, more so than I¡¯d like to admit¡± His voice was low as he searched the depths of my teal eyes. He moved closer, my heart pounded my cheeks flushed, closer still. His hand moved up to cradle my head his fingers moving through my hair, he was an inch from my face his eyes focused on my lips. Gently his lips touched mine, moving slowly and softly. I felt like I was on fire and that was okay I¡¯d be fine with turning to ashes, I moved more fervently letting the burning passion overtake me. As my lips grew hungry so did his, a deep groan escaped from his throat I wound my hands in his raven hair, feeling the silky curls I wanted more. Our kiss grew more urgent our lips clashing together like lightning and thunder striking the Earth, I fell back on the couch as his body pressed into mine. I could feel his muscles beneath his shirt, the warmth that emanated from his body on mine. I pulled away.
¡°W-we should stop, I mean I barely know you¡± I said breathing heavily.
¡°Mmm, I think you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t know you that well either¡± he said glancing towards my lips again.
¡° Just one more kiss before we stop¡± he suggested.
¡®One more couldn¡¯t hurt right?... NO,no,no,no. I need to stop now before I can¡¯t anymore¡¯
¡° No I think we should stop now, before¡¡± I said hesitantly.
¡° Before what?¡±He invited me to say it.
¡° Before you know what¡± I said sitting up trying to put distance between us.
¡°Okay we¡¯ll go to bed, good night Cassi¡± He kissed my cheek then moved getting up and heading to his bedroom.
¡®Oh my gosh why did I let him do that??? Am I a loose woman?¡¯ My thoughts spun out of control as I died of embarrassment, how was I gonna face him tomorrow?