Son of a bitch. There’s no way I’m showing Kayla his gift. I slam the box closed when I hear her footsteps approach behind me.
“What is it?”
“Don’t ask.” She doesn’t need to know that he sent her pink lingerie, a necklace, a sketch of her, and a note, but I wasn’t able to read it yet.
“That bad?”
“Basically. Let’s go on to bed and watch TV for a bit. I’ll drop this off with your dad in the morning and he can give it to Taylor.” I set it on the bar and she eyes it. “Ignorance is bliss, baby.”
“Right. It’s just that the not-knowing seems as bad as knowing.”
Instead of trying to convince her, I simply take her hand and pull her toward my bedroom, turning off lights as I go. Out of sight, out of mind, right? That’s what I’m hoping for, at least. We get ready for bed, turn on the TV, and watch for a bit.
“I need to know, Logan,” Kayla says quietly. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”
She doesn’t have to say anything more. With a sigh, I get out of bed to grab the white gift box from the kitchen. I wordlessly hand it to her as I climb back into bed. She now sits up with her legs crossed. The box sits in her lap, her eyes focused so intently, it’s as if she’s trying to see through it. Her hands tremble as she lifts the top and sets it aside.
Kayla ignores the lingerie and the necklace and reaches for the sketch and the note. With a deep breath, she reads, “I’ve wanted to give you one of these for a long time. We’re two artists meant to be together. You sing and I draw. Just another way we’re perfect for one another.” Kayla shakes her head and studies the sketch. It’s her at the coffeehouse, singing. She frowns.
“I told you not to look.” Yeah, it’s a dick thing to say and I wish I could take it back the moment it leaves my mouth.
“It’s not that,” she murmurs.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s always given me pictures before, but now, he’s giving me this? It’s almost like it should mean something.” She stares at it. “He’s good,” she admits reluctantly. “I wonder if he did it by memory or if—” Kayla gasps. The paper falls from her hand as she looks at me. “I’ve seen him! That night you stopped by after going to Sydney’s to tell her about your mom?” I nod because she seems to be waiting for it. “He was there! That has to be him. He was sitting in the corner and I noticed him because he was the only person without a cell phone or a laptop, but he had a pad of paper or something in front of him. He could’ve been drawing. He was there for at least an hour before you came, but I don’t know when he left.”
“Do you remember what he looks like?” I ask. Maybe she could give the cops more to go on.
“I don’t know. I mean, I never saw his eyes. He was focused on the paper. He was sitting, so I don’t know how tall he is. His nose looked pointed, I think. He was clean shaven.” She squeezes her eyes closed, as if it’ll better help her picture him. “There was a scar on his jaw, maybe?” Her eyes open. “What if I’m conjuring stuff? What if he doesn’t have a scar? What if the guy in the coffeehouse isn’t this guy?” She grabs the sketch and waves it around.
I take the papers and the box from her and put it away. “Let’s not think about it anymore. Call Taylor in the morning and tell him, just in case it’s helpful. Otherwise, let’s not think about it.”
She frowns, but lets me pull her into my arms. I run my hands up and down her arm and her back. I’ll do it until she’s relaxed. Until the only thing she’s thinking about is what’s on TV, me, and anything else that isn’t him. It takes far longer than I’d like for the tension in her muscles to give in and relax.
“Hey, handsome,” Kayla says after a while.
“Yeah?”
“Can I stay with you for a week or two?”
I snort. “That’s a stupid question. Who do you think you’re talking to? What do you think I’ll say? Hell no?” I laugh. “You don’t even have to ask. Stay as long as you want.”
She turns her face into my shoulder and I feel her smile against my skin. “Thanks, Logan.”
She should know by now that I’d do almost anything for her. She wants to stay with me, I most certainly won’t stop her. I pull her a little closer and smile. I get to have her right here in my bed and be able to do just that until she decides to return to her dad’s house. Aside from her stalker, life is getting better and better.
In the morning, I let Kayla sleep in. I make sure to grab her present as I leave for work. I don’t like the idea of leaving her at home without a cell phone, but I’ll stop by at lunch and check on her. I call Brent and tell him what she told me about seeing him at the coffeehouse and how she described him. She can’t exactly call without her phone, but I can and Brent can relay the message.
My workday starts off normal, but around ten, my phone vibrates repeatedly. We’re not supposed to make personal calls until we’re on break, but a quick check shows it’s Brent. He’s already called twice. Maybe he has an update. Maybe they found the bastard. Either way, it looks like an emergency.
I grab my phone and walk as fast as I can to the bathroom. He calls again as I step inside.
“Where’s Kayla?” he asks as soon as I answer.
“At my apartment. She didn’t want to go to school today. Why? Has something happened?”
“He’s dead. Taylor called me. His name was Hunter Hill. He was driving drunk last night and got into a wreck. Twisted his car around a tree. It looks like it happened after he left your apartment. The only reason they knew it was him was because his car was full of pictures and sketches of Kayla. I want to see her, tell her, and give her her phone back.”
“You remember where my place is, right? I’ll text you the address and apartment number, just in case. Let her know it’s you when you knock or else you’ll probably scare her to death because she isn’t expecting anyone until me at lunch.”
“I’m not going to scare my own daughter,” he snaps, not appreciating me telling him what to do. “Get back to work, Logan.”
He hangs up without another word and I get back to work because I have no other choice right now. A weight seems to lift off my shoulders, knowing that Kayla is completely safe once again. She no longer has to look over her shoulder, worry about someone watching her, or have someone sneak up on her to abduct her. She doesn’t have to skip school because she’s too scared. She won’t receive unwanted gifts.
Life can return to normal.
The first thing I’ll do when I get there for lunch is kiss her and then ask her what she wants to do. I don’t exactly like to think of it as celebrating since the man did die, but nonetheless, Kayla is free of her problem. We’re getting out of the apartment.
I enjoy my job, I really do, and I’m so thankful I finally got it, but all I want is Kayla. My eyes keep averting to my phone, expecting her to text. She doesn’t, which surprises me. I’m dying to talk to her when my lunch break finally comes. The drive home seems to take twice as long. The elevator is obnoxiously slow.
But finally, finally, I’m at my apartment door, unlocking it and pushing it open. Kayla sits on my couch with a textbook on one side and her laptop in her lap. She glances up when I walk in. The smile on her face speaks volumes.
“Dad said he called you,” she says.
“He did.” I walk over, bend at the hips, and kiss her. It’s like she just said yes to either one, or both, of the questions I’ve been nagging her with lately. I kiss her deeply and she gives as good as she gets, making me want to shove her things aside and fuck her on the couch. Instead, I pull back and sit next to her.
“I kinda feel bad and happy at the same time. Happy that it’s over, but bad because he died. I didn’t want that.”
“I know. I feel the same way. I want us to go out tonight though since you don’t have to worry anymore. Where do you want to go? Movies? Bowling? Ice skating? Roller skating? Plain old dinner? Shopping? A Rebels game? I don’t know if there is one, but I can always check with Syd. Or we could go see her and the kids. Have you had lunch yet?” I ask as I stand to make myself a ham and cheese sandwich.
“No, but I had a late breakfast so I’m not hungry. Let’s just see a movie.”
“See what’s playing and pick one.” I grab a bag of chips and a soda and then return to sit next to her. As I take my first bite, I wonder if she’s still staying with me. I don’t know if she decided to stay because of this Hunter guy or because she simply wanted to be here instead. “Will you go home tonight or stay here still?” I can’t help but ask. Better to know now than waste my day wondering.
“Stay, if it’s okay with you. If I like it enough, maybe I’ll say yes next time you ask me,” she says with a smile.
“Don’t tease me, pooks. It’s not nice and when you tease me, it really ain’t nice.” She always means well, I know, but I’d rather she be serious about these things instead.
“I’m not teasing. I’ve been thinking about it for real.”
A grin slowly rises on my face as my phone vibrates with a text. “I can’t believe it. I feel like I’ve been trying for so long, it doesn’t feel real.” Kayla rolls her eyes at that. I pull out my phone to check my message. Carey. She wants to do lunch tomorrow. “Are you going to school tomorrow?” I ask Kayla.
“Yes, hence the studying.”
“You don’t want to do lunch, do you?”
Kayla turns her head to look at me. “That’s an oddly worded question. What are you getting at here?”
I flash my phone at her for a few seconds. “Carey asked if I’d meet her for lunch tomorrow. Wanted to give you dibs.”
She definitely doesn’t think I’m sweet, not that I expected that. “Go ahead. You don’t need my permission. She can’t interrupt plans we don’t have, Logan.”
I decide not talking is my best course of action. It already feels as if I stuck my foot in my mouth and I don’t need to do any more of that. We sit for a bit while I text Carey to confirm tomorrow and finish my lunch. My hour can’t last forever, though. I kiss her cheek and head back to work to spend the rest of the day like I did the first half: waiting until I can see Kayla.
Tonight should be awesome, primarily because it will be worry-free. There’s nothing for either of us to be concerned about. Her stalker is out of the picture. Yet, when I pick Kayla up that evening and we drive to a restaurant, I notice she looks around, as if she expects to find someone watching us. When the waitress comes up behind her and sets her plate down on the table, it startles her. At the movie theater, we’re supposed to be looking at the board to pick a movie, but Kayla hangs tight to my body and scans the crowd repeatedly.
Her stalker may be gone, but the fear is not.
“Relax, baby,” I whisper to her. “Everything is fine.”
“I’m relaxed.”
“No, you’re not. You’ve been on edge since we left the apartment.” I take her arm and pull her to stand in front of me. With my hands on her shoulders, I give her a little massage. “Pick out a movie, sugar.” Three seconds later, she surprises me by picking an animated movie. Maybe a lighthearted kids’ movie is exactly what she needs. We slip into line, get our tickets, and walk inside.
“I’m sorry, Logan,” she says as we walk to our seats.
“For what? There’s nothing to apologize for. All I want is for you to remember he can’t bother you anymore.”
She nods. “I know.”
This movie must’ve been out for a while, or maybe it’s because it’s Monday, but there are seriously only three other people in the room with us to watch the movie by the time the previews are over and the lights dim. We decided to sit a few rows from the top while the other people decided to sit in the second row. With the arm rest up between us, Kayla turns, leans into me, and throws her legs into my lap.
The only thing I think about during the movie is that Savannah would probably like it and I wonder if she’s seen it. Toward the end, my mind turns to better things. Like how Kayla’s legs are in my lap. How her breasts are pressed against my arm. How I should be ashamed of myself for thinking about sex and getting hard for my girlfriend during a kids’ movie.
As the credits roll, Kayla looks over at me. “Do you know what I want?”
“Sex?”
She laughs. “Ice cream and French fries.”
I frown. “Sure it’s not sex you want?”
Kayla stands. “Come on, handsome. The sooner I get what I want, the sooner you get what you want.”
Well, she doesn’t need to repeat herself. We leave the theater and drive down the road to my favorite creamery. It may be too soon to ask, but I find myself wanting to know while we stand in line.
“Do you think you’ll eventually return to the coffeehouse and start your videos up again?”
“I don’t know. Knowing he probably found me either there or from my videos, right now I have no urge to start that up again. Maybe one day, but not any time soon.” She looks up at me with a little smile. “But don’t worry. That means I get to sing private shows for you.”
I dip my head, my lips brushing her ear as I whisper, “You can give me any kind of private show you want, sweet cheeks.”
Her cheeks flare with a blush, even as she rolls her eyes. “I have been thinking about something else, though.”
“What’s that?”
“About changing my major. I do want music in my life in some way. I could be a music teacher or teach some classes at a university. I don’t know, but I want to change my major. What do you think?”
“Don’t ask me. This is something that should be your decision and yours alone. But you have my support, if that’s what your after.”
She nods. “Thanks. Now, to convince my parents,” she says with a sigh.
I snort, causing her to give me a curious glance. “With the way you have your dad wrapped around your finger, he won’t care if it’s what you want.”
She playfully shoves me and tells me to shut up as our ice cream is set on the counter for us to take. She may not want to admit it, but I’m right. She may think she can’t do this, that she needs their approval, but after getting to know Brent, I’m certain he’ll let her do whatever she wants. Her mother may be a different story, but we’ll worry about her when we have to. If this is what Kayla wants, she should do it. She’s also at the prime period in college to change it before it messes up her studies and wastes too much money.
Once we walk to my car, we’re back on the road to a drive-thru for some fries. We’ll be lucky to make it home without wrecking. My gaze repeatedly slips away from the road and over to where Kayla licks the ice cream sitting on top of the cone. My mind is firmly in the gutter tonight, that’s for sure.
“What do you think Carey wants?” Kayla asks out of the blue on the drive home.
“I don’t know. It’s probably to tell me whether or not Jerry’s cheating on her if I had to guess.”
“She didn’t say?”
“She doesn’t usually. Syd doesn’t either, sometimes. They say they want to talk about something and I make sure I’m there to listen. It’s what a best friend does, Kayla.” I get the feeling she’s still uneasy about Carey, so maybe by throwing it out there that we’re best friends, she’ll remember that.
“Has anything ever happened between the two of you?” she flat-out asks. Her face is a mask as she looks at me head-on.
“Aside from harmless flirting, no, and she’s been around for as long as I’ve known Sydney.” Based on her frown, I should’ve just said no. Flirting didn’t need to be mentioned at all. However, I don’t want to leave something out and somehow lie to her that way either. “I don’t want to say she’s like a sister because I wouldn’t flirt with my sister, but...” My voice trails off as I try to think of the best example.
“She’s a friend I’ve known for a long time. I had to put up with her because of Syd. Once we started living together when we moved out here for school, I found out she wasn’t too bad. We mostly flirted because it grossed Syd out. I don’t want her. If you weren’t here and she was single, I wouldn’t make a move on her. There was a chance before, when we lived together. I didn’t do it then and wouldn’t do it now. Same goes for her.” I park in my parking space and lean over to kiss Kayla’s cheek. “Don’t worry about it, baby.”
“I’m not,” she lies. “She makes me feel,” she pauses, as if searching for the right word, “territorial,” she finishes.
“It’s called jealousy,” I correct.
Kayla frowns. “Don’t say that. There’s so much negativity attached to jealousy.”
“Well, territorial sounds weird. Either way, you’ve been reassured. Again.” I throw a pointed look her way. “Keep on and I’ll make you hang out with her.” I open the door and get out before she can object. It’s coming, too. The outrage forming on her face is about to pop out of her opening mouth.
“You wouldn’t dare!” she admonishes as she follows me to the elevator.
“Try me, pooks! It’d be you, Syd, and Carey on a girls’ night out. My three girls.”
Her eyes widen and she sucks in a breath. “Don’t you dare say that.”
“Which part?” Okay, I’m probably in dangerous territory now, teasing her like this.
“Calling her one of your girls. Syd, I’ll forgive because she’s your sister and I could see you doing that for Savannah, too, maybe. But don’t lump me in there with her.”
I laugh, throwing an arm around her shoulders. The elevator creaks and groans as it hauls us up to the fourth floor. “You have problems, baby, but that’s okay. I’ll love you anyway.” Her jaw drops at my telling her she has problems. Perfect opportunity to kiss her and stick my tongue in her mouth. Kayla relaxes against me immediately. A ding and the sound of the doors opening, I pull away. “Sorry for teasing you.”
“Sorry I don’t like your best friend for no particular reason.”
I chuckle. “It’s okay, and you do have a reason. She hasn’t made a good impression. We’ll fix it.” As we step into my apartment, I realize I need to do laundry. “Hey, do you have any clothes that need to be washed?”
Apartment looks a little messy, too. When was the last time I vacuumed? Kayla gets a few clothes together for me to carry to the laundry room. When I get back, I wordlessly clean the house. I smile when Kayla helps me. I didn’t have to ask. She didn’t watch me do it, which would’ve driven me crazy. She may put things back in the wrong place, but at least she’s helping.
We’re almost finished when it hits me. This is what it’ll be like if she decides to move in with me. She’ll help me clean. Our clothes will be stuffed in the same washer and dryer together. We’ll leave for a date and return here for the night. We’ll do what we’re doing now, snuggling on the couch. Man, I hope this becomes my reality for good one day.
“Give me that baby,” I say the moment I see Syd sitting at the table with Carey. She never said Sydney would be here, too. Savannah is probably at preschool, but baby Andrew is here! Sydney rolls her eyes, but hands my nephew over to me.
“You’re late,” Sydney tells me.
“Y’all could’ve picked a restaurant closer to my work if you didn’t want me to be late. Did you order for me?” We’re at a restaurant we’ve visited many times and since I am late, it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.
“Yes,” Carey answers.
“Cool. What did you want to talk about?” I ask, getting right to the point. Andrew wraps his little fingers around my pinky with a tight grip.
She takes a deep breath and looks at me. “I confronted him. I was suspicious because he would say he was out with one of his friends, but then I would find out he wasn’t. It didn’t happen a lot. Just here or there. He seemed edgy, too.”
“What happened?” Sydney asks since Carey decides to take a long pause. Andrew fusses in my arms and Sydney rustles through her bag to hand me a bottle.
Carey shakes her head. “He’s not cheating. He says he was preparing to propose.” I nearly drop Andrew’s bottle at that. “I went ahead and told him no,” she adds. “Things have been tense between us and I think he thought that would be a way of fixing it. That’s not why I want him to propose. I don’t know what he’s thinking, wanting to propose as if it could solve our problems instead of doing it because he loves me.” Carey sighs. “Things were so smooth when we got back together, and it’s like they’re falling apart now. I don’t know what to do.”
The waitress drops off our food. I wave Sydney off when she tries to take a still-eating Andrew from me. Worst comes to worst, I can take mine to-go.
“He hates that I always leave and go to your apartment, too,” Carey says to me. “So, between you telling me off and him ripping me a new one, neither of you have to worry about that anymore.”
“Carey,” Sydney starts with a chiding tone already. “You’ve been going to Logan’s apartment every time you and Jerry have an argument? That’s no way to handle things.”
“Imagine having your girlfriend over on Valentine’s Day and her showing up,” I mumble.
“I’m sorry!” Carey huffs. “Can we focus on helping me with my boyfriend problems?”
That’s all we help her with lately. That’s all I apparently help her with since she doesn’t crash in on Sydney at all. Granted, she won’t be doing it to me anymore. Lunch is spent giving Carey advice. I let Sydney do most of the talking. I eat and play with Andrew until I need to head back. I almost wish I could tell Kayla Carey is engaged, but can’t spread news that doesn’t exist. Before I leave, I do make the girls promise to hang out with Kayla at some point. Kayla may get pissed at me, but I think it’ll be good for her to spend some more time with Carey.
Maybe she won’t get too mad at me.