Status: Complete
Past Lives
41
“Babe, as much as I enjoy your cooking, I really don’t want to eat burnt chicken for dinner.” Brooks said snapping me out of my daydream.
I looked down at the skillet. “Sorry, I am just worried about Jamie. I mean, I was there when everything went down between them, and I knew she needed out of there. That is why she ended up here with me.”
“What exactly happened?”
I sighed and served out the chicken and vegetables onto plates. “A few weeks after graduation, we were at this party, when she met him. I knew Trevor through some of my classes and thought he was pretty cool, but never my type. He seemed sweet and caring, even during the first few months of their relationship. Then he turned psycho, checking her phone and email, and not even letting her hang out with me. He even became abusive, which she denied for the first couple months. Then I got this job offer here, and she broke up with him, got a protective order, and moved here with me.”
“Sounds like a real douche bag.” Brooks said as I nodded.
We finished dinner in silence, and as we were cleaning up, the phone rang.
“Hey hey hey.” Brooks answered. “No man, it’s cool we just got done eating.—Woah, you will need to talk to Ads about that.”
I rolled my eyes as he handed me the phone. “Hello?”
“Ads, I need a favor.” Craig said.
“Shoot.”
“I don’t want to leave Jamie alone with that asshole. I need to find her someplace to stay.”
“Why doesn’t she just stay with you?”
“Cause I cannot be around all the time with games and practices. Can she just stay there? I asked Brooks, and for some reason he said I needed to talk to you.”
I glared at Brooks. “Of course she can. I work a few midnights this coming week, but Brooks should be here on those nights. And of course you can come and stay whenever.”
I heard him give a sigh of relief. “Thank you. When she wakes up, I will bring her over.”
“Just…. Watch for a black Mercedes. Make sure he doesn’t follow you.”
“Gotcha.”
--
The next morning, when I got back from my daily run, I saw Craig’s car in the driveway. I rushed into the house to see Brooks and Craig in a quiet conversation.
“Where’s Jamie?”
They both turned to me and pointed to the guest room. I rolled my eyes and walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.
“Come on in.”
When I walked in, I saw my best friend laying on the bed in a fetal position. I walked over to the bed and laid in front of her.
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head. “He just needs to go away.”
I moved a piece of hair from her face. “I know hun. We will figure out a way to end it.”
She sniffled. “I feel bad cause I am making you guys watch over me.”
“You aren’t making us do anything. We love you and want you to be safe.” I heard Brooks say from the doorway.
I looked over at him and smiled. “Jamie, you are safe here. I promise you that.”
I offered her a small smile and got up and left with Brooks.
“Where’s Craig?”
“On the phone with the cops.”
I sighed. “Good. But they won’t be able to find him.”
“What do you mean?”
“He is too smart for that. He will stay under different names at hotels and get a new car now that we have seen him in that Mercedes.”
Right then, Craig walked in. “So pretty much, we are running on dead ends.”
I nodded. “Best bet is to wait until he shows back up.”
And the waiting game isn’t going to be at the least fun.
I looked down at the skillet. “Sorry, I am just worried about Jamie. I mean, I was there when everything went down between them, and I knew she needed out of there. That is why she ended up here with me.”
“What exactly happened?”
I sighed and served out the chicken and vegetables onto plates. “A few weeks after graduation, we were at this party, when she met him. I knew Trevor through some of my classes and thought he was pretty cool, but never my type. He seemed sweet and caring, even during the first few months of their relationship. Then he turned psycho, checking her phone and email, and not even letting her hang out with me. He even became abusive, which she denied for the first couple months. Then I got this job offer here, and she broke up with him, got a protective order, and moved here with me.”
“Sounds like a real douche bag.” Brooks said as I nodded.
We finished dinner in silence, and as we were cleaning up, the phone rang.
“Hey hey hey.” Brooks answered. “No man, it’s cool we just got done eating.—Woah, you will need to talk to Ads about that.”
I rolled my eyes as he handed me the phone. “Hello?”
“Ads, I need a favor.” Craig said.
“Shoot.”
“I don’t want to leave Jamie alone with that asshole. I need to find her someplace to stay.”
“Why doesn’t she just stay with you?”
“Cause I cannot be around all the time with games and practices. Can she just stay there? I asked Brooks, and for some reason he said I needed to talk to you.”
I glared at Brooks. “Of course she can. I work a few midnights this coming week, but Brooks should be here on those nights. And of course you can come and stay whenever.”
I heard him give a sigh of relief. “Thank you. When she wakes up, I will bring her over.”
“Just…. Watch for a black Mercedes. Make sure he doesn’t follow you.”
“Gotcha.”
--
The next morning, when I got back from my daily run, I saw Craig’s car in the driveway. I rushed into the house to see Brooks and Craig in a quiet conversation.
“Where’s Jamie?”
They both turned to me and pointed to the guest room. I rolled my eyes and walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.
“Come on in.”
When I walked in, I saw my best friend laying on the bed in a fetal position. I walked over to the bed and laid in front of her.
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head. “He just needs to go away.”
I moved a piece of hair from her face. “I know hun. We will figure out a way to end it.”
She sniffled. “I feel bad cause I am making you guys watch over me.”
“You aren’t making us do anything. We love you and want you to be safe.” I heard Brooks say from the doorway.
I looked over at him and smiled. “Jamie, you are safe here. I promise you that.”
I offered her a small smile and got up and left with Brooks.
“Where’s Craig?”
“On the phone with the cops.”
I sighed. “Good. But they won’t be able to find him.”
“What do you mean?”
“He is too smart for that. He will stay under different names at hotels and get a new car now that we have seen him in that Mercedes.”
Right then, Craig walked in. “So pretty much, we are running on dead ends.”
I nodded. “Best bet is to wait until he shows back up.”
And the waiting game isn’t going to be at the least fun.