CHAPTER FOUR
ELLIOT
I head into my apartment and strip down before heading into the shower. AB is going to be back at work tomorrow, and I am stressed out as fuck about this. Jared has been lurking around. I keep catching him down the hall from our office by the elevators and bathrooms trying to catch her alone, I’m sure. It takes every ounce of self-control for me not to beat his face in every time I see him. I notified security already, so hopefully, they get off their lazy asses and take care of it before she heads back to work tomorrow.
I get out of the shower and grab a beer before I try to figure out what the hell I am going to eat. I’m staring into the fridge when the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. I can’t shake the feeling that something is just wrong. I go around and check all the windows to make sure nothing is out of place, but nothing.
So, it has to be AB. I grab the keys and take off for her place. Luckily, I live close to her apartment, so I get there in about five minutes. As I park my car in a visitor space, I catch a glimpse of Jared coming from the direction of AB’s building.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Asshole?” I yell as I get closer to him.
“If it isn't the ever-present, wannabe boyfriend. Still begging for a taste of my pussy, Elliot?” Jared chuckles.
I grab him by his collar and hoist him in the air. Most men would be intimidated by my 6’4 frame, but this asshole knows that AB would lose her shit if she knew I did anything to her precious Jared.
“Don’t fucking talk about her like that again, Jared. My patience with you is waning. Not even Annabelle will be able to save you from the ass beating in store for you if you push me any farther.”
Jared smirks down at me. “Oh, I am so scared of you accountant boy. Belle is mine, and always will be. So why don’t you just run along, and count some numbers or something.”
I drop him on his ass and then step forward, so I tower over him. “Get the fuck out of here before I call the police.”
“You can't have me arrested! This is public property, Dumbass.” I bend down, so I can look him right in the eye and say.
“It’s not for you. It’s so when I start beating the fuck out of you, they make sure I don’t kill you in the process.”
He turns white as a sheet, but quickly stands up and heads towards his car. I stand and watch him as he leaves the complex. I do not want to take the chance he is going to be able to figure out exactly which apartment belongs to AB if he hasn't already.
How the fuck did he find out she moved here already? The only people that are supposed to know are my parents and me.
Oh well, I better check on AB. I take the stairs three at a time before banging on her door. It takes her about five minutes before she answers. She is disheveled looking but all in one piece when she opens her door. I can’t resist the urge to grab her into a bear hug and hold her close.
“Thank God you’re alright. I was afraid he had found you, or worse, done something when it took you so long to come to the door.” I bent down and laid a kiss on the top of her head.
I suddenly feel her beginning to struggle in my arms, so I released my grip on her. She pushes away from me and then socks me in the jaw.
Fuck, that hurt.
“What the fuck is your deal, Elliot? Banging on my door like an asshole at almost ten at night and then grabbing onto me like some psycho? Sorry about your jaw but I'm a punch first ask questions later kind of girl.”
“Well, fuck you very much, AB!” I holler at her, holding my jaw. “I got a bad feeling that something was wrong, so I came to check on you. When I got here, your douchebag of an ex was coming from around the side of your building. I thought he might have broken in or something!”
My other arm is waving around as I try to let go of some of the adrenalin rushing my system.
“Sorry, I was worried about you! Last time I got one of these feelings, I didn’t listen, and you fell off the bleachers and broke your leg! This time it was something way more serious.”
“O-M-G, you are such a drama queen! Put your fucking tampon back in Elliot. I tripped over my feet because I am clumsy as fuck. I would have fallen and broken my leg whether you were there or not, so stop thinking you're psychic or some shit like that.” She’s standing in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked.
“Wait, Jared was outside….hmmm.”
“That’s all you have to say!” I think I want to choke the shit out of my best friends right now, or I want to kiss the shit out of her.
Her nipples are hard as shit right now and perfectly see-through in the white tank top she’s wearing. I wonder if she’s wet right now as well… it would be so easy to slip my finger into those tiny shorts that are barely covering her ass cheeks. I stop myself before I take a step closer.
“Elliot, you need to calm down, I had no idea he was here. He did not come to my apartment. So obviously, he doesn't know exactly where I live. Maybe one of his new whore’s lives here, and it is a coincidence. What did he say to you? What did you say to him? How did he look? How…”
As she talks, she straightens up, her hip no longer cocked and her arms at her sides. I cut her off before she could ramble off more questions with a finger on her lips.
“AB this seems to be exciting you. Are you glad this asshole was here? Do you want to go back to being with him?”
“Are you kidding me? No. I just want to make sure he’s miserable. Okay, that is a lie, I want him to regret cheating on me and to want me back desperately, so I can tell him to go fuck himself,” she says with a giggle.
Oh, that giggle goes straight to my dick, so I’m instantly hard. I’ve got to get the fuck out of here, but there is something in her eyes that says she is lying to me. I am too hard to stand here and try to figure it out, or we will have another incident like before. Maybe Jared was right. Maybe I am just waiting for her to look at me like I am something other than her protector. I guess it is time for me to man up.
PURSUER
I’m going to kill him. How dare he touch what is mine. Even though she has had others, her heart has always been mine. Her heart longs for mine, as I long for her. I am sure he saw it in my eyes, but he has no idea what is coming to him when I get my hands on him. I will try my best not to kill him, but I do know some good places to hide a body. Lessons will be learned. Annabelle Kingston was born to be my wife, and come hell or high water I will make it so.
ANNABELLE
Walking into the office for the first time in over a week, I stop in my tracks as I see Elliot blocking the doorway from Jared.
Elliot is standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, and his arms crossed over his chest with a mean glare on his face. Jared is standing directly in front of Elliot, with his back to me, hands on his hips and shoulders squared. Both are breathing heavier than normal which leads me to believe there was shouting before I got here.
“Jared?” I have no idea why he’s here; this was not how I wanted to start my first day back at work. Fuck me.
At the sound of my voice, Elliot looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. It looks to me like Elliot is asking me if he can punch Jared, I’m not exactly opposed to this idea.
“Baby, there you are,” he says as he walks to me, gripping my arms in his hands. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you, but this dumb ass wouldn’t let me come in. I’ve been trying to call you, why haven’t you answered my phone calls?”
Jared talks to me like I didn’t find him balls deep in some bimbo like nothing ever happened.
“Are you kidding me? Maybe you should have taken the hint that I didn’t want to talk to you.” I say, trying to pull my arms out of his hands.
“Leave on your own, or I’ll call security to throw you out,” Elliot says from behind Jared.
I try again to get him off me, but he holds onto my arms tighter, hard enough to leave bruises.
“Let go of me!” I scream at him.
He pulls me towards him and leans into me so that he can whisper in my ear, “You’re mine, you little bitch. You will show me the respect I deserve, or I will be forced to teach you how.”
I’m completely shocked, in the year that I dated Jared he never spoke to me like this. Ever.
I’ve never been afraid of him, but I am now. I was taught how to defend myself as a child and have continued to learn, but right now, I’m frozen. My entire body is tense as I stare at his face, all hard plains, and anger.
Suddenly, Elliot steps up directly behind Jared, so close they are almost touching.
“Get your hands off her. Now.” Elliot is seething mad, ready to break arms and crack skulls.
“And if I don’t?” Jared says calmly over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off me.
“If you don’t, your face is going to get intimately acquainted with my fist, you stupid fucker,” Elliot responds, hands clenched into tight fists.
Jared releases me so unexpectedly that I stumble backward, catching myself on the wall behind me. He calmly walks to the elevators as if he has all the time in the world, as he steps inside he looks directly at me.
“This isn’t over,” he says before the doors close, and he’s gone.
As soon as the doors close on the elevator, Elliot pulls me into a bear hug. Once I’m enveloped in the warmth of my best friend, I break down. My entire body shakes so hard I feel like I’m vibrating and tears stream down my face though I’m not sobbing. All I want right now is to curl up into a ball with my favorite blanket and a stiff drink.
“Are you okay,” Elliot asks into my hair.
“I think so,” I say into his shirt.
He gives me one more squeeze before pulling me back to arm's length.
“Did he hurt you?” Elliot asks, not knowing how hard Jared had a grip on my arms.
“Um, I’ll probably have some bruises on my arms but nothing too bad. I just want to get to work, forget this happened.” I say to Elliot, feeling defeated.
Wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side, Elliot turns us away from the elevators and moves us towards his desk.
“I’ve got some tiger balm in my desk. It’ll help with those bruises.” He says as we get to his desk. He grabs the little jar with the copper-colored lid and turns back to me, notices that I have long sleeves and a crease forms between his eyebrows.
He’s never approved of the men I’ve dated, ever. They’ve never been ‘good enough’ for me, or so he says. Just like in high school when it was time for the junior prom. I know Elliot must have intimidated every boy in my class before he graduated the year before into not asking me. He promised he would go with me, even though he never went to his own. He was quiet and pensive around others, but with me, he was a different person.
...Elliot is standing in front of his parent's house in a tux, including a bow tie. I have a knee length emerald green, cocktail dress with a chiffon waistband and satin banded tulle skirt, the nude lined bodice is covered in a lace fabric with small scattered matching jewels and an open back. My fiery red hair which I hate so much is in perfect ringlets down my back. I would normally have worn it up, but for Elliot, I wore it down.
Elliot’s mom is snapping away with the camera, saying things like “don’t you two look cute together” and “what a cute couple you two make.” Elliot’s face is bright red, no doubt embarrassed by his mom’s antics. “Enough, Mom,” Elliot snaps, making me giggle. “Time to go, AB.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me along behind him to his car, a white 1989 Honda Accord that is in remarkable condition, given its age. He opens the door, and I can tell he is trying not to stare at my legs as I get in. Once I’m situated, he walks around the car and gets behind the wheel. He sighs, looking down at his lap. “I’m sorry about that. Why she insists on embarrassing me, I’ll never know.”
I laugh and say “It’s fine E. How many times do I have to tell you not to apologize for your family? I know how they are, and I love them anyway.”
Elliot slams his hands against the steering wheel, “Doesn’t she think that if we were going to date, we would have by now? Why can’t she let it go that you aren’t interested?” Elliot takes in a long breath then lets it go, “Let’s just get out of here.”
“Sure,” I roll my eyes and looks out the window. I never said I wasn’t interested. A few minutes into the drive I say, “I don’t want to go to prom.”
“What?” Elliot shouts in surprise. “Why not? When did that change? And why the hell am I in a monkey suit if you don’t want to go? I look ridiculous.”
“First of all, you look damn hot in that ‘monkey suit,’ as you called it, and I just don’t want to go to make nice with everyone I’m just going to see on Monday anyway. It's stupid. Plus, I know you’re going to be miserable, so let’s do something else instead? Please?” I clasp my hands together and stick my lip out at him. He huffs then says, “Okay crazy girl, what did you have in mind?”
“I need a chocolate shake and French fries,” that was a no-brainer.
Shaking his head, Elliot says, “Of course you do. You know those are going to make you fat one day, right?”
I shrug at him, “Eh, that’s future me’s problem.”
Elliot barks out a laugh then gets a serious look on his face. “What a minute. Did you say I look hot?”
He has got to be kidding me right now, “Oh my god Elliot, seriously? Do you own a mirror?”
“Yeah, I do, and I also have eyes that see just fine. You, however, look ridiculous. You seem to be missing the back of your dress.” He says with a smirk and one eyebrow raised.
“I take it back, you look like a penguin.” I try damn hard to say without smiling but fail miserably.
“That’s it, missy, we’re going to go play mini golf, and you only get your shake and fries if you beat me,” Elliot says before getting back on the road, heading toward the town mini golf course.
“Elliot! That’s not fair! You ALWAYS win!” I screech at him.
“Eh, sounds like you’re gonna be hungry then...”
That's how it has always been with the two of us. Elliot has always made it his mission in life to make me smile. I’m really dreading the day when he finds someone he loves more than me. I will never be his ‘forever’ love. Just the best friend, but he is never going to be my forever love either because he isn't my Psycho. I’m afraid Jared is.