Colton
As I roll up to Alexandra’s place, I notice she has a new front glass door. I can tell because the old one was just like the door my grandparents had on their back porch. You know the type. It has the metal scroll design on it.
Thinking about my grandparents always gets me a little emotional. I used to spend my summers on that back porch. My grandfather would let me feed the birds and squirrels, and my grandmother would shuck peas with me. Peas right out of the garden are the best. We’d eat so many, my stomach would hurt.
I wonder what happened to her door?
Her lights are on, so I knock and try to let myself in like I’ve done before. The door’s locked.
I knock harder the second time. Nothing.
Knocking again, I start getting concerned. I turn around and make sure her car is here. It is.
Suddenly, the door opens. Goldie appears, but she doesn’t look like my Goldie.
She’s in a bathrobe, her eyes look red, and she’s leaning against the doorframe. Is she drunk?
“Alexandra? What’s going on?”
She looks up at me and starts to explain, but words don’t come out. Alexandra sobs instead.
I put my arms around her, “All right, darlin’, let’s go inside. I got you.”
Moving her inside, I close the door with my foot.
She’s sobbing so hard she can barely breathe.
What the hell is going on?
I walk her over to the sofa and pull her down into my lap.
Not wanting to try to get her to talk just yet, I simply rub her back and hold her close. Whatever has her upset must be pretty bad.
She doesn’t look hurt, so for that, I’m thankful. Because if either of those motherfuckers laid a hand on her, I’d kill them.
It takes about four or five minutes, but Alexandra pulls herself from my chest and finally looks at me.
“I’m sorry, Colton. I should’ve called you and told you not to come tonight.” She stands up and looks down at me. “I’m really not in the mood for company. I had a long day at work today.”
Oh, no way in hell am I leaving her alone like this.
I follow her into the kitchen where she grabs a bottle of wine. Wine? She’s a whiskey girl, so I know something’s wrong. This isn’t just a bad day at work.
“Goldie, I’m not leaving you until I know what’s going on. Don’t even think about trying to get rid of me tonight because I’m not going anywhere.”
She opens the bottle and doesn’t even bother to get a glass. After taking a big swig from the bottle of Merlot, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
Christ. What the hell happened?
I grab the bottle out of her hand. “OK, let’s just start at beginning. What has you so upset? And don’t lie to me, Goldie. You won’t like the consequences.”
That gets her attention, and my dick’s too.
“Colton, I can handle this, OK?”
“Goddamn it, Alexandra. Listen to me. Anything that affects you affects me. I care about you and I want to help, so please, let me.”
She rubs her hands over her face and I know she’s contemplating whether or not to tell me what happened. Now, more than ever, I’m convinced this has everything to do with Miller and Anderson.
I sit down at her kitchen table and wait. I’ll wait if it takes all night. Luckily, it doesn’t take more than five minutes.
Alexandra tells me about the brick being thrown through her door and the red paint on her car. I’m beyond furious. Those two motherfuckers are going to pay, and pay big-time.
“Colton?”
I unclench my hands and my teeth. “It’s all right, darlin’, we’ll get through this together.”
She looks at me with tears in her eyes. Now what?
“That’s not all.”