I rolled onto my back and stretched. Looking at the clock, I noticed it was still early, too early to get up out of bed. I relaxed back into my pillows and took in the quiet—something I rarely got to do when I was working. It had been three weeks in my new house, and everything was unpacked and arranged the way I wanted. I had even sent out resumes to some magazines and a local newspaper, but I hadn't heard anything yet. I also had the time to get my cell number changed, and thankfully I had heard nothing from Dean.
Climbing out of bed, I pulled the curtains to the side and opened the sliding door. The warm breeze blew over my body, and I could hear wind chimes in the distance. I could see a couple of sail boats already out on the bay. The leaves were already starting to change color too. The red and fire-orange leaves looked amazing against the evergreens. I headed into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee then headed back out on the deck with my book and cell phone.
It was a beautiful morning, the birds were chirping, and a couple of people were already walking down on the beach. I sat back in my lounge chair and took a sip of my coffee. Things were finally coming together. I opened my book and began reading when my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"I see you changed your number. Did you really think that was going to stop me?" My chest tightened with fear at the sound of the deep, commanding voice on the other end of the phone.
"How did you get this number?" Elliott, Parker, and Jen were the only ones I had shared it with.
"Still questioning, I see. How many fucking times do I need to tell you not to question me? Never mind how I got your number. I want to see you," he demanded.
"Why?" My heart pounded. I was barely able to breathe.
"Again? Really? You never learn." His rough voice poured through the phone.
"Please leave me alone."
"It's not going to happen, Tatum. You’re mine. Have you forgotten that already?"
I tried hard to calm the shake in my hand, my stomach starting to turn at an alarming rate. I swallowed down the massive buildup of saliva in my mouth and prayed that I didn't throw up. My memory quickly went to the night in the hotel when he assaulted me, and my blood ran cold. Why didn't I do as Jen suggested and tell Elliott?
"I have a good idea of where you are, Tatum. I'll come to get you. Don't make this harder on yourself than it needs to be. I refuse to let you go. You will be mine again."
I ended the call and tried to slow my breathing as fear clawed its way through me. Within seconds, my phone rang. It was him again, only this time I didn't answer it. Once I calmed down, I listened to the voicemail.
"You bitch. How dare you hang up on me? Keep your eyes open and watch your back. You'll never know when I'll come for you, but when I do, you can bet your ass that it's not going to be pretty."
After I listened to the voicemail, I sat on the deck, rocking back and forth in my lounge chair, my coffee having gone cold a long time ago. I decided that I needed help. I was in over my head, and it was time to tell Elliott what had been going on.
I dialed his number and waited for him to answer.
Elliott and Parker sat in their uniforms at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee. When I had called Elliott, he had finished his shift and was waiting for Parker to return to the station. They had carpooled together, so they came straight over.
"What’s going on? You sounded panicked on the phone," Elliott said, looking at me with concern.
"I have something to tell you, but you have to promise me that you won’t get angry. I need your help." I couldn't look either of them in the eyes. I felt awful. I should have told Elliott about this a long time ago.
Elliott looked from me to Parker and chuckled. "Why do I have the sinking feeling that what I'm about to hear is going to piss me off?"
I looked from my cup to Elliott, then Parker, and back to my cup, chewing on my bottom lip. He was going to be angry, I knew it, but he had to know. "Remember how I told you about my breakup with Dean?"
"Yes, you broke it off, and you left him at the hotel."
"Well, that is sort of the truth, except for one thing."
"And what is that?" I could feel his eyes on me, and it was making me uncomfortable.
"He hit me after I confronted him."
"He laid his hands on you?"
I put my hand on Elliott's arm. "He did, but I left after he hit me."
"And after that you never saw him again, correct?" Elliott questioned.
"Not exactly." I held my head down, looking into my cup.
Elliott looked up at me with a frown. "What do you mean by not exactly, Tatum?"
"Well, he came by my apartment when he got back into town the following Saturday. He wanted to talk and see if we could work things out."
"And you better tell me that you told him to fuck right off!"
I stared down at the floor, unable to look at him. I could feel the blush from my embarrassment crawl up my face. I didn't want to answer his question, but I knew I had to.
"Tatum? Please tell me you told him to fuck off." His hands were balled into fists.
"Not exactly. He swore to me it was over between them and that he had made a huge mistake. We sort of ended up sleeping together."
Parker shifted in his seat, a look between jealousy and hate coming over his face.
Elliott slammed his fist on the table, causing me to jump. "You did what? I can't believe after you saw him with another woman that you would do that. What the fuck is the matter with you?" Elliott got up from his seat and walked to the other side of the room. "Wait, is that the night you called me and told me you were moving down here?"
Nodding my head, I swallowed hard, trying to keep myself from crying. "I don't know why I did it. It didn't matter anyway, because he lied to me. He was still seeing her. I found his cell phone--there were text messages still going on between them that morning."
Elliott poured himself another cup of coffee. "Did you honestly think that he was going to tell you the truth? Guys like that, Tatum, are wastes of skin. Fuck, I never liked him from the fucking start! I never should have let you talk me out of doing a background check on him when I fucking wanted to. What else?" He put his coffee down so hard, it spilled on the table. He was pissed, and I couldn't say I blamed him.
"Well, after I talked to you that night, I went to stay with Jen. Dean started persistently calling me. Jen was sure that she saw him at the airport the day I was leaving. He has been texting me daily since I got here. Jen was adamant that I get a new number when I got here, so I did as she suggested, but he's somehow gotten it. He called me right before I called you this morning."
"You mean to tell me that Jen knows about all of this, but you wouldn't tell me? Your own brother who might actually be able to do something about this? Fuck, Tatum, I'm beyond pissed with you right now! How many times has he hit you?"
"It was only that one time." I zipped up the sweater I was wearing and averted my eyes. At this point, I didn't dare tell him that it had been happening from the beginning. I also didn't want to let him know that it had gotten worse as the year progressed.
Parker looked up from his mug and made eye contact with me, a warm look coming over his face. I could tell he felt sorry for me. He placed a hand on Elliott's shoulder. "I think the right thing to do here is not to get mad at your sister. She made a mistake. I think the fact that she's coming to you now is what’s important."
Elliott ran his hands over his face and took in a deep breath. He looked between the two of us and then got up from the table and leaned against the counter. He stood with his hand on the back of his neck for a few minutes, completely quiet, just staring at the floor. "Where is this message he left you?"
I grabbed my phone and played the message for them. I hated hearing his voice; it sent chills through me. When the message was over, I sat there looking at my phone. "I'm scared, Elliott."
"Well, don't be scared. I'll look into this guy. But in the meantime, you have both of us that you can call. Parker is closer to you, so if it is an emergency, call him first, and then call me. I am going to be out of town for the next two days for a course. Keep your doors locked and make sure you always have your cell on you when you leave the house. We can get that number changed again for you."
I leaned over and wrapped my arms around my brother’s neck. "Thank you for everything. I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you sooner," I whispered, kissing him on the cheek.
"You should never be afraid to talk to me, Tatum. None of what has gone on is your fault, despite how it may feel. Remember that. This guy is a problem, but you've got to tell me the truth if you need my help. I really hope you’re not hiding anything else from me." He hugged me back.
As I hugged Elliott, I looked over his shoulder at Parker. He caught my glance and mouthed “tell him” as he looked to my arms. But I said nothing.
The guilt started to fall over me after they left. I should have told Elliott everything. Especially about the night before my flight when Dean showed up at the hotel, but I felt he was already angry enough. I prayed that Dean didn't follow through with his threats. I just wanted to move on with my life and be done with him. I hoped that if I wished hard enough, he would disappear, but things don't seem to work out that way.