Mallory
The past few months since Jason declared I was his has weighed on my heart. My past affects my future. The shame I felt when I got scared with him wasn’t rational. But it was real. Too freaking real.
And since the kiss, lots of revelations have come to light.
After a particularly drunken Tequila and Taco Tuesday, Kristen decided to drop the bomb that she and Derek are now together. Talk about a shocker. Not that I don’t think Kristen deserves all the happiness in the world, but Derek? The best friend of the man who smashed her heart into the ground? All I can think is “Danger, Will Robinson!” But the heart wants what the heart wants, even if it isn’t the best thing for it.
And then, there’s Camryn. And her confession that she slept with Issac. Mind blown. Camryn is the ultimate good girl. She was in a relationship with Derek’s cousin Adam for years even though she hadn’t been happy for a while. Why she stayed is her own business. He wasn’t hurting her, and they were comfortable. After all, new is scary, but it can also be exciting. But a one night stand with Isaac? Manwhore of the band? Never been seen with the same girl twice? When she decided to break her good-girl mold, she did it big.
My heart lightened that night. I laid all of my cards on the table about what brought me back to Texas and mostly everything that went on with Todd. I’d never tell them all of it, but I told them enough to get the gist across. I was relieved they weren’t mad that Jason knew I was back before they did.
They also helped me realize my fears—fears of not being able to be in a normal relationship. I’m not scared of Jason. I know he won’t hurt me, but the fear is ingrained, and it pisses me off that I’m still letting Todd, that rat bastard, control my life.
After Camryn and Kristen constantly staying on my ass, I relented and talked to Jess about finding me a shrink. She recommended Dr. Davina Atcherly, and what a blessing she has been. She made me see what was I was going through was normal, but without help, my fears were always going to be there on the back burner, waiting to rear their ugly head when I least expected it. Like sharing a passionate kiss with a man I am not scared of and care very much about. I started off seeing her twice a week for a month, and now we are down to once a week. I was upfront and told her I didn’t want any medications to help me cope. Luckily, she agreed. Dr. Atcherly got down to the nitty-gritty of my and Todd’s relationship. She wormed her way into to every aspect of our lives, every action. She made me mad. Made me cry. Made me realize I never asked for what Todd did to me. While I’m far from cured or over the doubt, the guilt, the what-ifs that creep back in, I am doing so much better than I was. I’m coping.
My favorite thing we did as part of my therapy was going to the boxing gym. She had me beating the shit out of a heavy bag, taking out my aggression, my fears. By the end, I was a sobbing mess, curled up on the floor, but I felt freer than I had in ages.
Jason has kept his word and is letting me set the pace, which is great and frustrating all at the same time. We have been spending time together, whether it's kicking back watching a movie, cooking dinner, or going to the range to shoot, but he hasn’t touched me. Hence, the frustrating part. I know he’s waiting for me to make the first move, but apparently, I’m a chicken shit.
Now, he’s left to go on tour. Four months in Europe. And I’m missing him like crazy.
Grabbing my phone, I don’t recognize the number calling. Normally, I’d let it go to voicemail, but something tells me I need to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mallory?”
“Speaking.”
“Hey, this is Denny. You know, Kristen’s neighbor.”
“The cop?” I squeak out, my heart pounding erratically. Why would he be calling me? How the hell does he have my number?
“Yes. I hope you don’t mind. I got your number out of Kris’s phone. There’s been an incident and I can’t get in touch with her parents.”
“Incident? What? Is Kristen okay?” Panic leeches into my voice.
“She’s at the hospital. She’s stable, but that’s all I know. I can’t go into details right now. Do you know a way to get in touch with her parents?”
“Uh…they’re out of the country right now. I know Kristen said it's hard to get in touch with them. I’ll be up there as soon as I can. Which hospital?” Frantically, I start searching for me shoes.
“Yours.”
“Good. They’re good. She still in the ER?”
“For right now. They said they’d be moving her to a room soon.”
“I’m on my way.” Hanging up on him before he can say anything else, I find Camryn’s number and push the call button. It rings and rings before I get a response.
“Hey, girl.”
“Drop everything. Kris is in the hospital. She’s stable, but no other details were released.”
“What the heck?”
“I don’t know. The cop called me when they couldn’t reach her parents.”
“Which hospital?”
“Mine. I’m heading there now. She was still in the ER when he called, but she could be moved by the time we get there.”
“Crap. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
As soon as we disconnect, I throw the phone in my purse. Sliding my feet into some flip flops, I run out the door to my car. God, I hope she’s okay. I can’t lose someone else. I just can’t.
Camryn and I have been sitting in Kristen’s room since when got here last night. We’ve watched several different people come and go, units of blood transfused, pain medication administered.
I’m still coming to grips with the fact that she was stabbed. Or, at least, that’s what Denny believes happened. He had been leaving for work when he looked in his rearview mirror and saw Kristen lying on the ground. He immediately called for an ambulance and surveyed the scene after they got there.
“Denny said she wasn’t stabbed at her apartment, right?” Camryn asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“No, he doesn’t think so. Not enough blood.”
“That’s gruesome to think about,” she says with a shudder.
“Yeah. Maybe you’re getting soft in your cushy ass job.”
“Funny, Mal. Real funny.”
Camryn is wicked smart. Something she tries to downplay when she can. When we were in nursing school together, I never realized she already had a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and had studied to be a Paralegal. She said she couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted to spend her life doing, but is now working for a large law firm as a consultant on medical cases.
“Anyway, he said the majority of the blood was in her car. His theory was she was stabbed, then got in the car and drove home.”
“Why would she drive home after being stabbed? That makes no sense. Do you think this has anything to do with her stalker?” Shaking her head, she glances at the bed.
“I don’t kn—”
“Kristen!”
Her outburst has me looking over to the bed and seeing she’s awake. We’re both off the couch and moving toward her before I can blink.
“How are you feeling?” Camryn asks as we stand on each side of the bed. Kristen tries to answer, but all that comes out is strange noise. Camryn holds a small cup of water up to her and places the straw to her lips. After a few sips, Kris can talk without discomfort.
“What happened? Why am I here?” Her brow furrows as she tries to remember.
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
“I remember getting off work, stopping to pick up some coffee creamer, then going home.”
“Well, at some point, someone decided to slice and dice you. The doctor says you have a five-inch knife laceration. Got quite a few stitches too. We don’t know when it happened. Denny called us when he saw you laid out in the parking lot next to your car. You were unconscious, so he called for an ambulance. You’d lost quite a bit of blood and went into shock. They got you stitched up and gave you a unit,” I inform her.
“Jesus. Really?” Cam and I both nod at her questioning look. I can’t help the tears that pool in my eyes as I realize just how close I came to losing my best friend. Blinking furiously, I glance down when I feel my hand being squeezed. Then, I hear her gasp.
“It was the blonde from the store!”
“What blonde?” we both ask in surprise.
“While I was in the store, I kept feeling like someone was watching me, following me. I kept seeing a blonde woman in the dairy section, then over by the pajamas. She bumped into me outside, by my car. She hit me hard enough to make me stumble, and I remember my side hurting. I got in the car to head home, but the closer I got, I started feeling weird and got lightheaded. I nearly fell out of the car. I tried to get Denny’s attention, but I couldn’t. That’s all I remember. Can I have another sip of water?” Camryn grabs the cup and holds the straw to her lips. “How long have I been here?”
“Only a few hours. They stitched you up in the ER, then sent you up here for the transfusion and observation. More than likely, you’ll get to go home in the morning.” We all laugh at that. Home in the morning, like that ever happens. It’ll be lunchtime at the earliest.
“Has anyone called Derek?” she inquires.
We shake our heads no as guilt settles into my stomach. It never crossed my mind to call him. I guess it hadn’t crossed Camryn’s either.
“Good. Let’s keep it that way. He’ll be home in a few days, and there’s no point in telling him right now. Can one of you stay with me when I get out?”
“Yes, of course,” we both say, then chuckle. “What else are friends for?” I continue, squeezing her hand.
“You think she’s okay?” Camryn asks as she watches Kristen drunkenly walk to her room, her forehead creased in concern. We went back to Kristen’s apartment against my better judgement, but she argued it would be perfectly fine since she had a new alarm system installed. Knowing she would be more comfortable in her own place, I reluctantly agreed.
Kristen was discharged from the hospital earlier today, so we decided to order pizza and watch The Hangover. Kristen had taken a pain pill earlier and the girl can not handle narcotics. After a few minutes of rustling around, she comes back in the room, lays on the other end of the couch, mumbles something, and falls asleep. I breathe a sigh of relief.
We finish the movie and pop in the sequel when the apartment goes dark.
“What the hell?” I ask, looking around the room. “It’s not storming or anything. Why is the power out?”
“The apartments across the courtyard still have lights. Is it just us?”
“It’s wrong is what it is. Let me wake up Kristen. We can head to my place.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Me and you both, sister. Round up the stuff we need and I’ll get her moving.”
I place my hand on her arm to gently shake her awake. She opens her mouth, then I start to speak.
“The electricity went out, but it’s only in this building. I can see the lights on in the other complexes. That means your alarm doesn’t work. I think we need to leave and head to my place.”
“Okay. Let me grab some stuff for tomorrow.” Grabbing her phone, she turns on the flashlight app and heads into her bedroom. She begins rummaging around in a drawer, and I walk out of the room to grab my bag, freezing when I hear the breaking of glass toward the rear of the apartment. Shit!
Kristen calls out our names, and I dart toward her room. She walks out as I shuffle to a stop, nearly crashing into her. My heart races, and I bend forward, fear and concern hurdling through my veins. She jumps when I touch her arm, and I quickly cover her mouth to keep her from crying out.
“Shhh. There’s someone out back. We need to go out the front. Be quiet.” Grabbing her hand, we head for the front door where Camryn’s standing. Camryn quietly turns the lock, and I flinch at the loud sound. We all hurry over to my car and pile in. I start it up, and both girls have their phones out as I haul ass out of the complex.
I decide to head back to my apartment since I live in a gated complex. Hopefully it will make us feel a little bit safer being behind fencing where not just anyone can walk around. That is if my stupid neighbors don’t just open the gate for anyone. I wonder what the hell Kristen did in another life to have a freaking stalker and a crazy chick after her. I mean, what the hell?
Kristen had started doing Crossfit with Camryn a few months ago and had caught the eye of one of the instructors, Josh. Personally, I’ve never met the guy, but he’s supposedly pretty hot. Anyway, he’d been asking Kris out for a while, and she had been turning him down because she wasn’t ready to date after her disastrous ending with Brett. Deciding to take a chance, she had finally said yes, and he treated her like shit. But one good thing came of it. It made Derek get off his ass and make his move. When Kris had returned home from her date, Derek had shown up. And, as they say, the rest is history. These two will have some bumps in the road, but I’m a firm believer that love can conquer all.
Driving down this road, the only thing I regret is the lack of development surrounding my apartment since the complex is newer. There is a long stretch between turning off the main road to where I turn. I see the lights of my complex in the distance and hear Kristen’s phone ring in her lap. She answers it, but I don’t really pay attention until I hear the panic in her voice.
“What the fuck? Mallory, there’s a truck headed right for us.”
Glancing in my rearview, I don’t see anything at first. As soon as the clouds part, moonlight makes the truck visible. Before I can even react, the truck slams into the side of my car, causing me to jerk the wheel. The car spins around, and as I try to gain control, the back tires slide off the embankment, and we start rolling. The sound of glass breaking, metal crunching, and my friends screaming pierces the night air. Each impact of the car jars me, and I hit my arm against the window. The pain is blinding. We stop rolling at the bottom of the embankment, upside down. The only thing holding me in is the seatbelt.
I can hear a voice in the background yelling, but I can’t make it out. Camryn calls out Derek’s name, and I realize it’s him yelling through Kristen’s cell phone. I look into the rearview mirror and my eyes catch Camryn’s, the relief there staggering.
“Thank God, Mal. Are you okay?”
“I think so. What about Kris?”
“I don’t know.”
Glancing over at Kris, I can see she’s breathing. Thank goodness. I push the 911 button on my rearview mirror and am quickly connected to an operator. I’m explaining to her what has happened when Camryn screams out.
“Mallory! Someone’s coming!”
Shit! I move around, trying to get in the center console. I get the latch pulled and my pistol lands on the roof. Running my trembling hand along the fabric, I feel the grip of my gun, pick it up, and rack the slide to chamber the bullet. My heart pounds as footsteps crunch on the gravel, drawing closer, but I can’t see anything from my vantage point.
“Stop it, you asshole! You’re gonna hurt her!” Camryn yells out, and my gaze darts toward Kristen.
Her body jerks as someone tries to pull her through the broken window, struggling with her dead weight. Without another thought, I raise my gun, but can’t get a clear shot. In my rearview, Camryn releases her belt and lands on the roof of the car with a thud. Pushing herself up, she crawls to the opposite side of the car from Kristen. A pain filled hiss escapes her as she climbs out the broken window. I loosen my seatbelt and start to crawl out the opening, reaching out to grab Camryn’s ankle. She flinches when my hand touches her skin, but she doesn’t cry out. Grabbing my hurt arm, she pulls me out, and I stifle a scream as pain flashes through me. As soon as I stand up, I aim my gun toward the other side of the car. When he’s in my sight, I yell out.
“Hey, you fucker! Drop my friend.” Drawing his attention, the shot presents itself, and I squeeze the trigger. The shot sounds like a cannon in the silence of the night, the flash from the muzzle a brief spark. Josh stands there for a second with a look of disbelief on his face before the blood starts pouring from the hole in his forehead, then, as if in slow motion, his body slumps to the ground. Camryn tries to stand, but can’t seem to put any weight on her leg. Looking at the way her foot is positioned, I’m betting her ankle is broken.
“Stay there. I’m going to check on Kris. It looks like the calvary is on its way,” I note as sirens blare in the distance.
“She’s breathing,” I yell as soon as I get to her. “But she’s bleeding pretty badly. I can’t tell from where. It’s pooling underneath her. I can’t move her by myself. I think my wrist is broken.”
“And Josh?” Camryn inquires with trepidation.
“I don’t care about that fucker, but I don’t think he’ll make it with that hole in his head.”
With the cops running toward us, I realize I’m still holding my gun and gently put it down before sagging against the car, the adrenaline from the wreck fading quickly.