Tiana

I’ve never been so glad that my brother raised me to be comfortable with guns. This situation with the videos and now someone breaking into our house has gotten completely out of hand. I almost feel like I’d be safer back in New York.

“Tiana?” Drake’s whisper fills the closet where I’m crouching in the corner behind his clothes and next to his safe.

“Yeah?” I whisper back.

“I’m almost to the airport, but I won’t get on the plane until I’m positive you’re safe. What’s happening?”

“Nothing, it’s quiet.”

“Where the fuck is your brother? I’ll be there before him at this rate.”

“How’s he going to get in?”

“I figured he would text you. Hang on, I’m going into the airport.”

I hear a beep on the line.

“Your brother is on the other line. I’m going to click over and tell him to hurry the fuck up and I’ll be right back. Will you be all right for a second?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Wow, that’s a lie. I’m trembling on the floor with a gun in my hands, I’m scared and Drake is the only thing keeping me from flipping out. I wish Jayden would get here, but more than that I wish Drake were here in person instead of just on the phone.

I’m telling Jayden how I feel about Drake. I don’t care what he thinks anymore. I thought it was over when he went to California without a word and wouldn’t return my calls. I figured Jayden had gotten suspicious and threatened him. Although now that I look back, I realize that Drake isn’t the type of man you can threaten.

Something else must have caused him to shut me out, something big. I know what we were feeling for one another wasn’t your average fling. It was deeper, stronger.

Kinda like what I imagine love must feel like.

After being with Drake, I know what love isn’t. It isn’t a drunk boy who shows up at the bar at closing time for a booty call and dips out before you wake up in the morning. I know it isn’t being stood up on Valentine’s Day because a boy decided hanging with his friends would be more fun. I know it isn’t the missionary position every single time you have sex with a boy who is only worried about his own pleasure.

“Tiana?” his whispering voice penetrates the dark, startling me.

“Shit, you scared me.” I’m so on edge I’m liable to shoot my toe off at the sound of a pin dropping.

“I’m sorry. Jayden should be there any minute,” Drake tells me.

“He’s not going in his house, is he? That guy could be armed.”

“Who taught you how to handle a weapon, Tiana?”

“Jayden.”

“He’s a Marine and someone is threatening his family. Do you think he’s unarmed?”

‘No, I guess not. So, he’s coming here first?”

“He’s only coming there. He called the police to come to the house and he is going to text you when he’s in the driveway. I want you to be careful, though. Take the gun with you downstairs and look out the window in the living room before you let anybody in. And don’t get trigger happy either, I don’t want to scrape your brother off my porch.”

“Oh my God, don’t say things like that.”

“I’m keeping you on your toes, giving you the worst-case scenario so anything better, will be a win.”

“Not shooting my brother is more than just a win.”

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t mind shooting him right now.”

“What? Why?” I hiss into my phone that’s lying on top of the safe.

“Never mind. Do you have a text yet?”

“No, I don’t have a text. Now tell me why you want to shoot my brother.”

“Sassy,” he prevaricates.

“You’ll think sassy when I blow a hole clean through all of your uniforms.”

He chuckles and I groan with frustration.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“And your point is?” he asks.

“Drake!”

“Shush, you’re hiding remember?” he reminds me.

“Tell me what’s going on, and yes, I’m aware that I am hiding. My legs are getting numb from squatting in here.”

“I told him,” Drake says.

Every muscle in my body tenses and my hands tighten around the gun. He told him that we slept together? No way, he wouldn’t do that.

“You told him what?” I demand.

Drake says quietly, “I told him that I love you.”

“You… you love me?” This must be what shock feels like and people in shock shouldn’t be holding a gun, so I lay it down on the floor facing away from me and let myself fall back onto my butt with my back against the wall.

“I do, you’re mine and I’m not giving you up because of your pigheaded brother. I’m sorry to tell you like this, I know it’s not very romantic over the phone with you holding a gun while hiding in my closet, but I want you to understand that I’m serious about you, about us.”

“I love you too.” I don’t plan on saying the words, but they come tumbling out of my mouth. How can I love somebody I met less than two weeks ago? Aren’t there rules about these things? A lot of people would call it lust at first sight, but somehow, I know that’s not what this is.

This is what it feels like to be loved, to be put first and cherished over all things, to be protected and worshiped and cared for.

I might not know his favorite color or his father’s name or his hobbies or what he eats for breakfast. But I know his soul and his character and his body. Oh my God, do I know his body.

With that thought, I’m lost in the memories of our only night together. Could this be the start of a lifetime of nights like that with Drake? Is this what happily ever after is?

“Baby? Have you gotten a text from your brother yet?”

“Oh, um, I don’t know. Let me look.” I slide the phone off the safe and see a text sent less than a minute ago from my brother. Finally. I had no idea his friend lived so far away. I thought everybody in Jewel Falls was within a five-minute drive.

I tell him, “Yes, he’s outside.”

“Take the gun downstairs and check. Make 100% sure it’s him before you unlock that door.”

I tuck the phone in the breast pocket of my shirt leaving it on speaker, pick up the gun and stand up on my wobbly legs. The strong scent of sandalwood and shoe polish in his closet isn’t one I’m likely to forget after this. I breathe it deep into my lungs like an addict getting one last fix before I leave.

“When does your flight leave?” I whisper exiting the closet and creeping across the room with the Glock in my grip, being careful to keep my hand near but not on the trigger the way Jayden taught me when I was thirteen.

“In thirty minutes.”

I stop before I leave the bedroom when I remember that he never told me what Jayden said about us. Do I want to be rescued by my furious brother?

“Hey, how pissed is Jay? You said you wanted to shoot him, maybe I don’t want him to rescue me. Maybe I should just wait until you get home.”

“He’s angry, but you’re his sister, he loves you. I don’t think he’s going to bitch you out after everything you’ve been through tonight.”

I snort, “You don’t know my brother as well as you think you do then. If you get home and I’ve disappeared, he’s probably shipped me to a monastery in Italy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. You’d better hurry up. I don’t want him breaking down my front door.”

I open the bedroom door and see red and blue flashing lights sweeping through the window on the stairs facing our house. “The police are here.”

“Good, what about Jayden?”

“I don’t know, I’m going downstairs now.”

I tiptoe down the stairs without making a sound and press my back against the wall next to the front window. I feel like I’m in an action movie with my back pressed against the wall a gun in my hands and police cruiser lights whirling around the room.

I take a quick peek out the window and see Jayden standing at the front door with his hands on the frame. He hasn’t said anything. I imagine he’s afraid of being shot through the door by his freaked out little sister. I pad to the door with my back still on the wall.

“He’s here, I’m going to let him in.”

“You’re sure it’s him?”

“Uh, yeah, he’s my brother, I’m looking right at him.”

“Watch out now. I’m going to be home in a few hours.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Both, open the door so I know you’re safe. My plane is boarding.”

“Jay?”

“Thank fucking God, Tiana. Open this damn door.”

I turn the lock and open the door a crack to make sure it’s not a trick.

“Jesus, T, put the gun away.” He pushes the door open and steps inside closing and locking it behind him. He reaches for Drake’s gun, but I’ve been clinging to it for so long he has to pry it from my fingers to get it away from me. He drops the magazine out and lays both on a table next to the door. “Are you okay? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

“Who’s he? And no, I was lucky I got ahold of Drake.”

“Don’t talk about that fucker right now. I can’t believe you two were messing around behind my back.”

“It wasn’t like that, Jay, we…” I started to explain.

“I said I don’t want to hear it, I mean it, not a word.” Jay was pissed.

A knock on the door makes me jump and Jayden wraps his arms around me and rubs my back.

“It’s the police, it’s okay.”

“Tiana, I’m hanging up now. I’ll see you soon,” Drake says, from the pocket of my shirt.

“Okay, thank you for helping me. Let me know when you land.”

“I will.” I hear his flight being called in the background right before the call disconnects.

Jayden gives my phone a filthy, dirty look before opening the door.

Our small-town Police Chief Sully, informs us that no one was found inside the house and nothing looks to have been disturbed.

Great, now everybody is going to think I’m some paranoid crazy city-girl. That ought to be great gossip on the town square tomorrow.

“Thanks, Chief. So, you think it’s safe to go home?”

“Looks like it, I don’t see hide nor hair that anybody’s been in there.”

“I’m not going back into that house. I don’t care what you say. I saw a man looking at me from inside my bedroom. He was there, you guys and your flashing lights probably scared him off.”

“Well, if that’s all it took to scare him off, lil lady, y’all probably don’t have nothing to worry about.”

I roll my eyes and huff, “Whatever, go, leave, I can take care of myself.” I snatch the Glock off the table and shove the magazine back into it.

“Whoa, lil lady! You need to put the weapon down slowly, put it on the floor and step away with your hands up,” says the Chief.

“I’m on private property and I have a license. If you’re not going to protect me, I’ll do it myself.” I purse my lips daring him to argue with me. When he doesn’t, I turn and go back upstairs to Drake’s room and lock the door.

“Tiana! Where are you going? You need to come home with me. I won’t go anywhere I promise,” Jayden yells.

I don’t answer him. I let the sound of the door locking say it for me. I’m staying right here in Drake’s bedroom, the second safest place I know. The first is in his arms but I’ll have to wait for that.