Enough (18 page)

“Where’
d my family go?” I asked as Alex turned on the lights. Are they ignoring me or what? It’s my birthday and they didn’t call me or text me or–

“Surprise!” Mom, Scarlett
, Declan and Tiffany yelled.

“What ar
e you guys doing here?” I asked after I jumped.

“It’s your birthday. Hello?” Tiffany said while walking over to hug me.
“It’s a small crowd. Declan told me not to spread the word. Douchebag. But we always have next year, right?” I nodded.

“
Bryan didn’t come?” I whispered to her. She shook her head. I didn’t think he would if I had a party but it would have been nice to see him here.

I looked over at Alex.

“Did you know about this?” I asked. He nodded. That’s why he kept me in the garage. I walked over to where the rest of my family was. “I don’t want to talk about it. I talked to Bryan’s dad already. Let’s just have some fun. I only turn eighteen once.” I said before Mom could say something. I know her. Scarlett’s in a chair and my smile faded. “I’m sorry about this. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to be at a little party.” She waved it off.

“Don’t worry about
me. It’s your day today. Happy birthday, Em.” She said pulling me into her.

A
ll of us spent some time together until the cake was brought out.

“Don’t forget about the wish!”
Tiffany said a little too cheerfully. I glanced at Scarlett. If only a wish could make everything better. For eighteen years, my life has been up and down and back around but my family and friends were always there for me.
I wish my life would get back to normal, Bryan will still be my best friend and that psychopath will get caught soon.
I blew out the candles not caring that it was three wishes instead of one.

We cut the cake and ate.
Everyone was sitting at the kitchen table when the doorbell rang. “I got it.” Alex said standing up. Tiffany wiggled her brows at me when I caught her eye.

“I
had a great time. Thank you. Oh and Tiffany, where’s your new guy?” I asked. She said I’d meet him.

“He had a family emergency.
” She said rolling her eyes. “You’ll meet him soon. Don’t worry.”

Alex
came back with a small package in his arms. “This is a special delivery for you.” He said handing me a small blue box.

“I said I didn’t want anything for my birthday.” I
said as I looked at everyone. I opened the blue box and inside there was a blue collar. I picked it up and it read Gizmo. I was confused.

“We were going to get a dog before we moved but we had to postpone it. You can pick him up next week. So technically
it’s not a birthday present.” Mom said.

“What kind of dog?”
I asked.

“Shi
h-Tzu.” Scarlett said. I almost jumped up and down with excitement. I fucking love those dogs.

“Okay, I’ll accept this
…and the car of course.” I said putting the box down. I’m getting a dog. A dog! We spent the rest of the night laughing it up and having fun. I had a fun birthday. Only thing missing is Bryan, Mark and Christy.

“Hey, w
hat time do you need to go back home?” I asked Tiffany.

She dug out her phone and frowned.
“About right now. I’m already in deep shit for skipping out of school with Bryan the other day but it was worth it.” She said.

“Do you need a ride?
” I asked. “How did you even get here? I could drive you back.” She leaned in closer to me.

“Declan got me.”
She whispered. Then she called out over her shoulder, “Declan, can you drive me home now?”

“Yeah,
sure.” He called back.

She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

“He totally wants me. Just kidding. But you know he is super hot. I haven’t seen him in a while and he looks like he’s been working out and those lips, they are waiting for mine to–” I pinched her lightly on the arm.

“Ew
, he’s my brother. That’s weird hearing you say that.” I said.

“
Shut up!” She lowered her voice. “What about Bryan? He told me… That must really suck. You were totally into him. Now…” She trailed off and hugged me. “Don’t worry about it. He’ll get over it soon enough. We’ll be best friends again in no time.” I nodded my head. I hope she’s right.

Bryan
hasn’t talked to me since I told him.

Declan walked over to the front
door and waited for Tiffany to walk out. “Bye, Spencer.” She said hugging me one last time. Now that I think about it, Tiff doesn’t call me Vasquez. She’s been doing me a favor. I love her for it. She waved goodbye to everyone else and left. Alex closed the door and set the alarm. I just realized I didn’t know what the code is so I watched what numbers he pressed and tried to remember them: 1158392. I walked into the kitchen as my mom was helping Scarlett out of her seat.

“Thank you guys for the
party. Do you want me to bring you up?” I asked. Scarlett shook her head and Mom walked her out.

I cl
eaned up the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator. As I closed the door, Alex popped up waiting there.

I screamed then
I put my hand to my mouth.

“
Alex! You can’t sneak up on me like that.” I said.

“Sorry, I thought you heard me come in.
” He said leaning against the fridge. “Had a nice night?” He whispered.

“Night’s not over yet.” I
whispered back.

Ohmygod…

I turned around and pretended to wipe down the counter. I need to shut up. I can’t be flirting with Alex with my family in the house. I’ll be tempted to do something and I don’t want to have to keep quiet when it’s happening.

“Alex…thank you for tonight. For everything really.” I said.

“Anytime.” He said right behind me. I froze as I felt his body heat on my back. His breath on my neck. His smell wrapping around me.

I turned around and stared into his eyes.

To say we grabbed each other would be putting it lightly. I’m pretty sure I attacked him. I crashed my lips onto his and hands were all over the place. It was the best kiss of my life hands down.

We ended up in Alex’s room with the door closed but then we heard the front door open and we pulled away from each other. I’m actually amazed I can still breathe.

Someone knocked on the bedroom door and Alex told them to come in as he walked to his closet.

“Tiffany
was pretty weird in the car.” Declan said poking his head into the room. “Thought I’d find you in here.”

“Yeah, she’s like that.”
I said. Alex came out of his closet and Declan didn’t say anything about it. My family’s acting strange. Declan sees me in here and he’s not telling me to leave. Maybe they trust me. I don’t know. Maybe they just feel bad for me.

“Well
, goodnight then. Oh and Emily, happy birthday. I know how you feel about gifts but my favorite sister only turns eighteen once.” He said walking in.

“I heard that.” Scarlett tried yellin
g through her room beside ours.

Declan smiled and handed me a little black box.

“Thank you.” I said hugging him. He smile nodded a goodbye to Alex and left the room. I peeled the silver ribbon off and opened it. There was a beautiful bright blue rose on a silver necklace chain. It’s the color of my eyes and it’s also my favorite color. Every year my family would get me flowers for my birthday. This year, this is perfect.

I smiled and closed up the box.

I went under the blankets and counted the minutes until everyone went to sleep. I have to do something for a bit. And I have to do it alone.

“Emily?” I turned my head towards Alex. “This is probably not the right time to ask this but tomorrow
…would you go out with me…somewhere? Maybe a movie, dinner, anything you want.”

It’
s like he’s reading my mind and trying to stop me from leaving.

“I would like that.”
I said. Maybe any other time Alex could have asked me that I would have fainted from joy but not tonight. I’d love to spend some time with him but I have to get away and focus on how I could try and find the psychopath first. I haven’t forgotten him yet.

“It’s a date then.” He
said. “Night, Emily.”

“N
ight, Alex.” I closed my eyes and waited.

A few hours
passed, I think it’s four, and I was sure everyone in the house was sleeping. I tried paying more attention to Alex but his breaths were too quiet. I slowly got off the bed and grabbed some clothes and from the suitcase. I got dressed quickly and walked over to Alex’s desk. I looked for a piece a paper and pen. The first drawer squeaked when I opened it, thankfully it was there. I began to write:
Alex, Don’t worry about me. I just have to clear my head. Don’t tell the rest of them I’m gone, they’ll probably call the cops and just worry more. I’ll be safe. Emily

I laid
the paper on the pillow beside him, grabbed my purse and grabbed the necklace Declan got for me. I put it on, grabbed my phone and quietly went down the stairs.

I put in the code to turn off the alarm, opened the door and reset it. I unlocked the car doors and checked the backseat to make sure there
was no one in there. The car roared to life and I drove. I checked the mirrors every so often to make sure no one was following me.

I feel
bad leaving like that but I can’t focus here. I need to be alone and think things through.

I got on the highway and
drove to a familiar place I’d like to think of as home.

Driving on the highway at this time of day was awesome. No one else was on the road, the sun was starting to rise and the music on the radio wasn’t that bad. The drive to my grandparents’ house always lifted my mood. Maybe it’s because I can be alone and no one will interrupt me. I always loved coming up to this place with my family.

Every Saturday
, Mom would throw us in the car and bring us up here. That was until both my grandparents died of heart attacks days apart. It was tough on us. The hour and a half drive up here would get boring. Scarlett would be texting her friends and ignoring us just like all twenty-one year olds having a day off from college would. Declan would be playing on his PSP because that’s what every seventeen year old who gets stuck with a car full of women would rather do and I would sit in the back reading. Yeah, I’m a bookworm. Reading’s my favorite thing to do. Mom still jokes around by saying I was reading while I was still in the womb. She did read to me while pregnant so that could be it.

My dad would always go to work or
go somewhere else none of us knew about. He never wanted to spend time with us. He was the definition of a douchebag.

My grandmother would
be cooking while we were on the road so by the time we got there, the food would be done. My grandfather would sit outside smoking his cigars and taking care of the garden out back. He would always say, “The vegetables will grow only with a man’s touch.” I believed it. I use to come up here and try to take of the garden but school become harder and I needed to do more things. The garden died.

I was driving
through the center of the city and the Christmas decorations were already up and lit. I remembered that Christmas is Wednesday. Four days away.

The reason I ne
ver want gifts on my birthday is because I get them on Christmas. They’re five days apart so I can wait. But Mom never listens and always gets me something anyways.

The city’
s quiet today. The only people I saw were the ones walking their dogs. The music that plays every year was off so maybe around the time everyone’s up it’ll be on. I can’t wait.

My grandparent’s house i
s five minutes away from here. I can already see the smile plastered on my face in the rearview mirror. It’s really nice to be up here again.

I kept driving until I saw the small family house hiding between a few trees. I pulled into the dirt driveway and put the car in park. I grabbed my purse and looked for the
key. The door knob has always been jammed but a little practice from earlier years shows that when the key is in, you have to twist the knob the other way and it’ll open. It’s an old house.

The
door finally unlocked and the familiar smell of cherry blossoms and orchids filled my lungs. I guess I left the candles uncovered and out in the open.

I shut the door behind me a
nd turned on the hallway light. I fixed up the house every time I came up here. The hallway has photos of the family. Down to the right is where the house spreads open into the kitchen, living room and the stairs to go upstairs. To the left of the hallway was the bathroom, office space and an empty room.

I carefully checked ever
ything. Nothing looked touched.

I walked up the stairs to a bedroom that I persona
lized specifically for me. It’s smaller than my room at the house in Boston. It doesn’t have a walk-in closet but I don’t mind. I need change here and there. Every time I come by I bring some comfy clothes and spare bed spreads. The one already made on the bed is my favorite. It’s a pink and green reversible comforter with pretty flowers on one side and green and white circles on the other. That is the girliest thing I own.

I sat on the bed and took out my pho
ne. No messages so that’s good. Alex didn’t text or call–duh, he lost his phone. I completely forgot.

I snuggled into the blankets and drifted off int
o sleep.

I kept waking up so around 10:30
am I gave up and sat on the bed. I came here for a reason. I hated what the reason was but I have to find this guy. He knows everything about me and I know nothing about him. I grabbed a notepad from the nightstand, ah, I found the Chemistry textbook I lost last year.

Everything that I could remember about both nights I was attacked,
I jotted down. First he said he was doing this because I was a whore. He probably heard that from school. No shit.

1. Goes
to Wilks – heard the rumors

2. Senior?

3. Definitely a guy

4. Not afraid to hurt people.

I wish I knew more about him. All I know is he had cold hands but it’s winter and it was chilly that night. His voice, I can’t remember what it sounded like. His facial features, it was always too dark to see anything. I touched my throat. His fingers were wrapped around them. He’s strong.

I got up and walked to the kitchen. There obviously wasn’t any food in the refrigerator. I remember stacking up Or
eo’s and Chewy’s in the cupboards so I grabbed two Chewy bars. Hmm, S’mores. I swiped a water bottle from the kitchen counter too.

I sat at the table
and ate my snack. It’s a beautiful day out for winter and the guy on the radio said it was going to be high in the 60’s today. I could open the windows but there’s a part of me thinking that maybe
he
could have followed me here and he could be lurking outside. I shivered.

I threw the empty wrappers in the trash and washed my hands. I looked out of the window above the sink
when I heard something. It sounded like a car rolling on the dirt and rocks in the driveway. No one comes here.

I opened a draw
er trying to find something that would be classified as a weapon. There was nothing. No silverware, nothing. Are you serious? Where did everything go? I opened another drawer and found a wooden roller. Yeah, it’s to roll the dough for cookies but it’s helpful.

I went on my tiptoes to see better out
of the window but there was nothing. I made sure the door to the backyard was locked and then I looked out. The garden wasn’t even there. The weeds were withered and only brown crispy grass stared back at me.

I jumped
when the doorbell rang. I walked into the hallway with my fingers wrapped around the roller tight. There were a few knocks on the door and then the doorbell rang again.

Okay, why would a robber knock?

I walked a few more steps and peeked out the window beside the door. I almost melted in my steps. I see that chestnut colored hair everyday, I know who’s there. I was happy to see Alex there but at the same time, he’s here because I clearly can’t take care of myself. He looked worried but when he saw me through the window, he glowed. I melted.

I put the curtain back down and unlocked the door.

“How did you know I was here?” I asked.

“You told me you came up here to clear your head and study. I can’t believe you left
, Emily. I seriously thought that you were gone for good until…” He trailed off looking at the roller. “Are you going to beat me, roll me then cook me?” Haha.

“Until what? Wait
, did you ask my mom where this place was? I told you no one knows I come here. Is she here to?” I asked peeking behind him.

“No, everyone was asleep when I saw the note.”
He said.

“So h
ow did you get here?”

“Well, he has
GPS.” He said pointing at the Camaro. “I looked outside and saw it wasn’t parked so…I tracked it here.” I can’t believe this. “And I tried calling you but I don’t have your number.” He said.

“Didn’t you lose your phone?”
I asked.

He dug in his back pocket and pulled out a
new phone.

“Got it today.
Why did you come here anyways?” Alex asked. I finally found my manners when I noticed he’s still outside. It’s not cold but its weird talking to him from out there.

He walked in and
stayed close to the wall.

“I had to clear my head. Um
…did you make sure no one followed you here?” I asked.

“Yeah
, every turn I took, I checked. There was barely anyone out on the road.” He said. Oh, thank god. “I thought you left because I asked you out yesterday. I mean if it makes it weird we don’t have to.” I smiled. That’s why he’s being a little standoffish.

“I want
to go out with you.” I said. “I just didn’t want to say no and you’d get the wrong idea… Follow me.” I led him up the stairs to my bedroom. Yeah, totally innocent. “I had to get away from Boston for a while. I tried remembering things about that night. I know that he goes to Wilks.” I said.

“How do you know
?” He said sitting on my bed.

“The things he said
to me.” Alex nodded and I went on. “I can’t remember much and I’m pretty sure I won’t know who he is if I see him in public.” That’s what sucks. He can be anyone.

“What do you remember?”
Alex asked. I hesitated. I don’t know if I want to recall the things I remembered with Alex. It feels weird but he was there when the lunatic tried to rape me the first time.

“He’s strong.
I mean if he was a scrawny guy I could have thrown him off me.” Alex lifted an eyebrow at me. “What?”

“When did you become a tough girl?”

“Declan taught me how to fight. Not really fight but protect myself. When we were old enough we took karate. Pretty awesome times.” I said and Alex smiled. “Anyway, he smelled like beer but obviously we were at a party so everyone must have smelled like that. His voice, I can’t really explain it but it sounded harsh and well, like a man. I don’t know what he looks like. It was too dark. But I know for a fact he goes to Wilks.” An idea popped into my head the second I said that. “I’m going back to school Monday.”

“What?
! Emily, you can’t go to school just to find him. What if he tries something again?” Alex asked standing up.

“Tiffany’
s in all four of my classes, she’ll be around. Alex, I’m not going to be a sitting duck anymore. He hurt Scarlett. I don’t want him to hurt anyone else. I can’t let him.” I said.

“But–
”

“No buts
, Alex. I’m going and that’s it.” I said.

He turned his head to look out the window.
“All right.” He sighed.

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” I asked.

“No, I’m fine. Thanks.” We stayed silent for a few minutes until Alex looked back at me. “Are you going back to
Boston soon?”

“No. I’m going to stay here a little longer. You can go back if
you have things to do.” I said. A smile formed on his lips. Oh man, did he want to do something? I’m not going to have sex with him in this place. I mean, I would want nothing more then to but…it would be too weird. This was my grandparents’ house.

“I think the two of us have something tonight.”
He said.

“You still want to?”
I asked, surprised.

“Yeah, besides I’ve never
been around this area. It’ll be fun.”

“What time do you want to go?”
I asked.

“Around three or four?”
He asked. I nodded.

This is a dream come true.

I’m going on a date with Alex Payne.

***

We spent the remainder of the time watching a few movies and cleaning up the place.
I know that sounds lame but I had to keep busy or I would have locked Alex up in my bedroom. I’m trying not to be that easy.

We were in the office area downstairs when the grandfather
clocked struck four. “Ready to go?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Alex said.
I grabbed my purse and made sure everything was in there.

“We can walk there if you don’t mind. It’s only a few minutes away and it’s beautiful out.”
I said.

“You lead
the way.” He said. We walked close and every once in a while our arms and hands would brush against each other. He was purposely doing that. I can tell.

“Was anyone awake when you left?”
I asked trying to keep myself in check. I have this sexual pull towards him and it’s taking all of me to behave. I want to be wrapped in his arms, kissed by his lips, wake up wrapped in his sheets. God, I need to stop.

“De
clan was going to the bathroom. I told him we were going to do something for a few hours. He just nodded.” Alex said.

“My family has been very chill around yo
u. When I hung out with guys they were very protective and never left me alone. I couldn’t believe it when my mom let you sleep with me.” My eyes widened as I cursed myself. I bit my lip so I don’t start pulling on my hair. A smile spread on his lips. “You know what I mean.” I said.

“Emily, can I ask you to do something?”
Alex asked. Hell yes. Anything! I nodded. “Please stop biting that lip or I’m going to be in serious trouble.” He said. Oh, god. I let my bottom lip slip back into place as I blushed harder.