Status: Complete
Past Lives
38
My blood ran cold as I heard the voice of my psychotic ex behind me. My entire body tensed as Ads asked what he was doing here. I didn't care about the specifics of why he was here, I just wanted to know how. I had left no trace when I left Boston. I didn't want him to follow me. When we had been together, he was abusive, controlling and ridiculously scary. He was the main reason I treated boys as toys. He was the last real relationship I had.
"Can't a man drop in on old friends?" His voice was closer now, more menacing. It was too smooth, too sweet; it sent a chill down my spine.
I didn't want to turn around. I felt like I was the victim in a horror movie about to face her assailant for the first time. Slowly, trying to keep my composure, I said without turning, "What the hell could you possibly want?" I took a deep breath. "How did you even know I was here?" That was what scared me the most. If he was stalking me, I needed to do something about it.
I still didn't look at him. I heard him directly behind me now. "Logan told me. We're good friends now."
Ads hissed. "Looks like I no longer have a brother." Ads and Logan had never gotten along. Now that it was his fault Trevor was here, she was going to disown him.
"Now, Ads, don't be mad at your brother," Trevor said, his voice scaring the hell out of me. "He was only trying to help me. He knew I missed my love."
I felt his hands on my hips and I instinctively rocketed my elbow back, cracking it into his face.
"BITCH!" I covered my face from his hand, but his wrist was held by Craig and he twisted Trevor's arm behind his back.
Craig backed him against the bar and used all six feet of his height to intimidate Trevor. His face only inches from Trevor's, he said in a low voice, "Get the hell out of here before I rip you limb from limb."
Trevor shot back, "Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?"
Craig held Trevor down with his strong hands on each of Trevor's arms. "I'm Jamie's boyfriend and your worst nightmare." He pulled Trevor away from the bar and threw him out the door of Excuses. "If you come near her again, I swear to God I'll destroy you."
"I'd like to see you try."
Craig slammed the door in his face and locked it. It was then I realized I hadn't been breathing. I took a deep breath before I felt the tears fall. Trevor was my own personal horror film. He was every horror villain rolled into one because he was real. Craig seemed to cross the room in three steps before pulling me into his arms and holding me tight. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back.
"I'm so, so sorry, baby," he whispered. "I'll never let him touch you again."
--
Craig stayed with me that night. This time, he stayed with me in my room. As I sat against my headboard, my knees to my chin, Craig held me. He smoothed my hair away from my face and kissed my forehead. "Jamie," he said lowly, "what happened in Boston?"
I took a breath. I knew that question was coming. I couldn't look at him. Instead, I stared at the blanket at my feet. "I met Trevor a little after graduation at a friend's party." I hadn't told this story in years. I had attempted to forget about him. "We went out a few times before he asked me to be his girlfriend. He was really sweet and it seemed perfect." I trailed off. This was where things all went downhill. "But after a few months...he got scary."
Thinking about the next events made me shiver. Craig simply held me closer. "It's ok, honey," he whispered near my ear. "I'm here."
I snuggled into his side and continued, "He started checking my phone calls and texts. He hacked into my emails." I sighed. "He started asking everyone where I was. If I didn't call him once a day or respond right away to texts, he made my phone explode looking for an explanation."
The next part made me nauseous. It was an important part of the story, though. "Then," I said slowly, "I knew I needed to get out. He scared me, though." I shook my head. "I stopped sleeping with him. I hoped that if I stopped putting out, he'd go away." I didn't look at Craig. "He was obsessed. That only made him madder. He...he tried to force me into it."
I heard Craig growl, I swore I did. Before he could interject, I finished, "Brooks' wasn't the only nose I broke. I got an emergency protection order and left for Pittsburgh the next week with Ads. I made sure no one told Trevor where I was. He wasn't allowed near me."
Craig rubbed my arm. "Then how-"
"The order ran out. I had hoped he had gone away. I thought extending the first three-year order was enough...I was wrong."
"How did he find you?"
"Ads' brother, Logan." I shook my head, "He's always hated me. I wish I knew why."
He kissed the top of my head. "I won't let him anywhere near you, love. He'll never touch you again." He pulled me closer. "I won't let him."
I laid my head on his shoulder. "He's the reason I hadn't had a boyfriend in so long," I said quietly. "I was too afraid." I played with the hem of my pants while I said slowly, "I figured a fling would be safer than keeping someone around."
Craig tilted my head up so I was looking at him. "Jamie," he said seriously, "I promise I will never, ever hurt you. I won't let anyone else hurt you." He kissed me softly. "You deserve to be happy and I want to give that to you." He smiled lightly at me. "I'll keep you safe."
I believed him.
--
The next morning, Craig had to leave me for practice. I stood in my kitchen, washing dishes and looking out the window when I saw the same black Mercedes e Class pass the house for the third time. At first, I thought someone was lost. But the third time I really looked and realized something terrifying:
Trevor had found my house.
I ducked from the window and slid down against the cabinet under the sink. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and called Ads. My heart pounded against my ribcage, threatening to jump out as the phone rang. Finally on the fourth ring, Ads answered.
"Morning, Jamie-"
I cut her off. "Ads, I'm begging you, please get over here."
"Jamie, what's wrong?" I could hear the worry in her voice.
I took a deep breath. "Trevor found the house."
"Can't a man drop in on old friends?" His voice was closer now, more menacing. It was too smooth, too sweet; it sent a chill down my spine.
I didn't want to turn around. I felt like I was the victim in a horror movie about to face her assailant for the first time. Slowly, trying to keep my composure, I said without turning, "What the hell could you possibly want?" I took a deep breath. "How did you even know I was here?" That was what scared me the most. If he was stalking me, I needed to do something about it.
I still didn't look at him. I heard him directly behind me now. "Logan told me. We're good friends now."
Ads hissed. "Looks like I no longer have a brother." Ads and Logan had never gotten along. Now that it was his fault Trevor was here, she was going to disown him.
"Now, Ads, don't be mad at your brother," Trevor said, his voice scaring the hell out of me. "He was only trying to help me. He knew I missed my love."
I felt his hands on my hips and I instinctively rocketed my elbow back, cracking it into his face.
"BITCH!" I covered my face from his hand, but his wrist was held by Craig and he twisted Trevor's arm behind his back.
Craig backed him against the bar and used all six feet of his height to intimidate Trevor. His face only inches from Trevor's, he said in a low voice, "Get the hell out of here before I rip you limb from limb."
Trevor shot back, "Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?"
Craig held Trevor down with his strong hands on each of Trevor's arms. "I'm Jamie's boyfriend and your worst nightmare." He pulled Trevor away from the bar and threw him out the door of Excuses. "If you come near her again, I swear to God I'll destroy you."
"I'd like to see you try."
Craig slammed the door in his face and locked it. It was then I realized I hadn't been breathing. I took a deep breath before I felt the tears fall. Trevor was my own personal horror film. He was every horror villain rolled into one because he was real. Craig seemed to cross the room in three steps before pulling me into his arms and holding me tight. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back.
"I'm so, so sorry, baby," he whispered. "I'll never let him touch you again."
--
Craig stayed with me that night. This time, he stayed with me in my room. As I sat against my headboard, my knees to my chin, Craig held me. He smoothed my hair away from my face and kissed my forehead. "Jamie," he said lowly, "what happened in Boston?"
I took a breath. I knew that question was coming. I couldn't look at him. Instead, I stared at the blanket at my feet. "I met Trevor a little after graduation at a friend's party." I hadn't told this story in years. I had attempted to forget about him. "We went out a few times before he asked me to be his girlfriend. He was really sweet and it seemed perfect." I trailed off. This was where things all went downhill. "But after a few months...he got scary."
Thinking about the next events made me shiver. Craig simply held me closer. "It's ok, honey," he whispered near my ear. "I'm here."
I snuggled into his side and continued, "He started checking my phone calls and texts. He hacked into my emails." I sighed. "He started asking everyone where I was. If I didn't call him once a day or respond right away to texts, he made my phone explode looking for an explanation."
The next part made me nauseous. It was an important part of the story, though. "Then," I said slowly, "I knew I needed to get out. He scared me, though." I shook my head. "I stopped sleeping with him. I hoped that if I stopped putting out, he'd go away." I didn't look at Craig. "He was obsessed. That only made him madder. He...he tried to force me into it."
I heard Craig growl, I swore I did. Before he could interject, I finished, "Brooks' wasn't the only nose I broke. I got an emergency protection order and left for Pittsburgh the next week with Ads. I made sure no one told Trevor where I was. He wasn't allowed near me."
Craig rubbed my arm. "Then how-"
"The order ran out. I had hoped he had gone away. I thought extending the first three-year order was enough...I was wrong."
"How did he find you?"
"Ads' brother, Logan." I shook my head, "He's always hated me. I wish I knew why."
He kissed the top of my head. "I won't let him anywhere near you, love. He'll never touch you again." He pulled me closer. "I won't let him."
I laid my head on his shoulder. "He's the reason I hadn't had a boyfriend in so long," I said quietly. "I was too afraid." I played with the hem of my pants while I said slowly, "I figured a fling would be safer than keeping someone around."
Craig tilted my head up so I was looking at him. "Jamie," he said seriously, "I promise I will never, ever hurt you. I won't let anyone else hurt you." He kissed me softly. "You deserve to be happy and I want to give that to you." He smiled lightly at me. "I'll keep you safe."
I believed him.
--
The next morning, Craig had to leave me for practice. I stood in my kitchen, washing dishes and looking out the window when I saw the same black Mercedes e Class pass the house for the third time. At first, I thought someone was lost. But the third time I really looked and realized something terrifying:
Trevor had found my house.
I ducked from the window and slid down against the cabinet under the sink. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and called Ads. My heart pounded against my ribcage, threatening to jump out as the phone rang. Finally on the fourth ring, Ads answered.
"Morning, Jamie-"
I cut her off. "Ads, I'm begging you, please get over here."
"Jamie, what's wrong?" I could hear the worry in her voice.
I took a deep breath. "Trevor found the house."