Owen
It had been over a month since Stephen Meyers threatened Owen, but Owen made the conscious choice to go on with his life like it had never happened. He continued seeing Darcy, introducing her to his family and spending time with her every chance he got. He remembered what Mr. Meyers said about the consequences not coming tomorrow or the next day, but it had been weeks and weeks, and still nothing had come of his threats.
He couldn't imagine his life without Darcy. It was like he couldn’t even recall a time when she wasn't his girl. Being with Darcy was natural for Owen, and he couldn't be happier with his choice to ignore the warnings of her family and his own.
He was thinking about her as he walked into his house. It had been almost a week since he'd seen her, and he couldn't wait until later that evening when she came over. He had just come back from London. He went with Daniel and Daniel's girlfriend, Courtney, and they had been gone for the last five days.
It was a spur of the moment trip. Daniel and Courtney decided to go to England on a whim, and they bought tickets for both Owen and Ivy so that the siblings could reunite with their brother, Wes, who was in college there. Daniel and Courtney ended up staying ten days, but Owen and Ivy flew back together and had just gotten back to Memphis.
Owen thought he would leave Henry at his parents' house, but Darcy asked if she could keep him. He would reunite with both of them later that evening, and he smiled as he opened the door wishing they were there now, and imagining a time when they would share a house and he would come home to Darcy.
His house was dark and quiet. It was mid-afternoon, but the shades were drawn, and Owen came inside, taking off his sunglasses and squinting into the living room as his eyes adjusted. There was a man in black sitting in his recliner, and Owen's heart jumped, but he stayed outwardly calm, setting his bags down at his feet.
The man was someone Owen didn't recognize. He was sitting casually in the recliner, and he had a pistol it is hand, which was resting on the armrest.
"Is there a reason you're in my house?" Owen asked.
"Mr. Meyers said you'd know what this is about," the man said.
Owen took a deep breath, feeling a bit like he was looking death straight in the eyes. He tossed his keys onto the nearby catchall. He glanced to the side just a little when he went to do it, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that there was a second man who had been hidden behind him. It was too late by the time Owen saw him. Before he had time to react, everything turned black.
***
Owen was in the same spot near his front door when he came to his senses a little while later. His head was throbbing, and it took a little while for him to regain his full vision and remember what had happened and what was going on. He touched the top of his head and realized there was a huge bump where he had been hit. It was painful, and he winced before looking at his hand. Indeed, there was blood, and he looked around where he was sitting to make sure it wasn't a dangerous amount.
His neighbor across the street was a nurse, and she was the first person that came to his mind. He had her phone number programed into his phone, and he started to call her, but he decided it would be better to get up and make sure the house was secure first.
Owen had more trouble getting to his feet than he anticipated. He was dazed and his head was pounding. There was nobody in the house, but the men had left a note on the coffee table.
Enjoyed the visit.
Next time, we'll stay longer.
That was all it said.
Owen stared at it, turning it over to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He read it three or four times before deciding to toss it in the trash.
He considered getting the police involved, but he knew that would only bring pain to Darcy, so he made the decision to get rid of the note. He knew he would have to take measures to protect himself in the future, but he really couldn't think about that right now because he was still dazed and confused from the blow.
He called his neighbor and was relieved when she picked up her phone. Her name was Tessa. She was a nurse and single mother. Since Owen had moved into the house, he had helped her with a few household chores she couldn't handle on her own, so she came running when he called.
Tessa told Owen he needed stitches and should go to a clinic, but he said he would prefer to take care of it at home if possible, and she reluctantly agreed. She was an ER nurse with several years experience, so she had definitely seen worse, but she hated to see Owen with a head injury—especially one he wouldn't explain. When she asked, Owen vaguely stated that 'he hit his head', but Tessa knew this wasn't a type of injury someone would self-inflict.
Wanting to do her best work, Tessa went to the hospital to get some supplies. First, she had to drop her little boy off at her mother's house, but she went as quickly as possible, and within a half-hour, she was back at Owen's house.
She had to shave a little spot near the wound to see what she was doing, and she explained everything step-by-step as she went along. In no time, Tessa had completed the procedure. She gave Owen a long speech about taking care of it and watching out for certain warning signs that meant he needed to get to the hospital immediately.
They were standing in the kitchen when Darcy came over with Henry. Darcy knocked on the front door, and Owen knew who it was, so he yelled for her to come in. His head throbbed when he yelled, and he made a mental note to keep his voice down until he felt better.
Henry came bounding into the house before Darcy. He was so excited that it only took him about two seconds to cross the living room and kitchen and make it to Owen. He was going back and forth from Owen to Tessa, sniffing everything like crazy and wiggling around.
Tessa and Owen had already stooped down to give Henry love before Darcy made her way inside. "Hey!" Darcy said to Owen. "Hey," she said to Tessa in a surprised but still friendly tone when she noticed the other woman. Darcy had met Tessa before, but it was obvious by her confused expression that she had no idea why she would be standing in Owen's living room. Tessa was a sweet, attractive woman in her late twenties, and Owen picked up on Darcy's concern immediately.
"I hit my head, and Tessa came over to help me out," Owen said.
"Yeah, he hit his head," Tessa said. She seemed to be in agreement with Owen, based on the words she was saying, but she delivered them with some skepticism that made Darcy tilt her head at Owen.
"What happened?" Darcy asked.
"Nothing," Owen said. "I'm fine. I just had to get a couple of stitches. Tessa came over and helped me out."
He gave Darcy a reassuring smile and stepped forward to greet her. He could tell she was taken aback by the whole situation, but he missed her so much that he couldn't resist kissing her cheek. She leaned into him, thankful for the greeting but wearing a worried expression as if she was concerned with his wellbeing. She accepted his kiss, but peered upward, trying to get a look at his head. Tessa saw that they were trying to greet each other, so she busied herself with Henry, cooing at him and rubbing him behind the ears.
"You hit your head since you got home from the airport?" Darcy asked. "What happened?" She was speaking quietly and looking directly at Owen.
"I just hit it, that's all," Owen assured her. "It happened right when I came home, so I called Tessa over here to help me out. I'm glad she was home."
Darcy was worried about him; Owen could see that by the look on her face. She stood on her tiptoes leaning upward and trying to see the top of his head. Owen leaned over and let her get a look at it.
She gasped when she saw it. "Oh my gosh, that's bad, Owen. What happened?"
"Well, I guess I'll go since she's here to keep an eye on you," Tessa said, standing up. She smiled at Owen. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything," she added.
"I won't," Owen said. "Thank you so much. I know I owe you for doing this."
"Don't be silly," she said. "After all you've done for me and Silas… you don't owe me a thing."
"I really appreciate it," Owen said.
She smiled and waved at him and Darcy before letting herself out.
"Hi," Owen said, grinning at Darcy once Tessa closed the door.
"What happened, Owen?" Darcy whispered, staring at him like she was truly upset. "You're bleeding." She reached up and touched the side of his neck and the collar of his shirt. "How'd you do this?"
Owen gave her a reassuring smile has he reached out to take her by the waist. He leaned against the kitchen counter, pulling her close to him and feeling like all was right with the world now that she was next to him.
"I missed you so much," he said.
"I missed you too, but you're not answering my question." Her apprehension showed as she stared up at him. Henry was still sniffing around at top speed, but neither of them paid attention to him. Darcy held Owen around his waist, hugging him securely and letting her face rest on his chest. "What happened?" she repeated without looking at him.
"I told you," he said. "I just hit my head on the cabinet. It looks worse than it is."
Owen really hated lying to her, but he knew that if he didn't add that detail about the cabinet, she would continue questioning him, and he just couldn't let that happen. Stephen Meyers might be a terrible person, but he truly loved his daughter and she truly loved him. Owen had gotten to know Darcy well enough during the last weeks to know these facts to be true, and he just couldn't bring himself to destroy her opinion of her dad—not when he was the only family she had. Owen knew if it came to it, and the truth had to come out, Darcy would pick him over her dad, but he loved her too much to put her in that position any sooner than necessary.
"How'd you do it?" she asked, pulling back to look up at him. "Did you just stand up and hit your head on the corner of it or something?"
"Yeah," Owen said nodding.
"I'm so sorry," she said.
She scanned his face and then grimaced at the blood on his neck and collar before making eye contact with him again. Owen was so relieved to have her in his arms. It was the longest they had been apart since they started seeing each other. It had only been a few days, but it felt like an eternity. He had fun in England and was happy that he got to see his brother, but he missed Darcy every second he was away. She was his delicate desert flower—his beautiful gypsy—and he stared at her, knowing she was worth whatever he had to put up with from her dad.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, smiling shyly at him.
"You."
"Did you miss me?" she asked wiggling gently in his arms.
"Something terrible," Owen said.
"Good," she said. "I'm glad you had fun with your brother, but I don't think I ever want you to go to England again… unless I'm with you."
"Why, because you missed me?" Owen asked.
Darcy didn't answer—she didn't have to. She made her answer obvious. She buried her face in his chest and held onto him, hugging him tightly and breathing a long sigh of relief.