Stealing Grace (17 page)

* * *

Elena hated crying at movies but that dang Sparks knew how to jerk the tears. She tried to wipe them away discreetly with her sleeve as the house lights came up. Alex grinned past her, pretending not to see her streaked cheeks. Once again, holding her hand he led her out of the theater and to the truck, helping her up into the cab. She scooted to the middle, as was usual these days.

It was funny to her that the husbands were thought of as weird if they showed affection the wives. She hadn’t thought about it but, her sitting in the middle, snuggled up next to him would probably be weird to someone in the community if they saw.

She thought they were headed home but he had other plans.

He parked near the football stadium. They could hear the cheering fans and occasional burst of music. He popped in a CD, turning it low. They just sat and listened for a while before he broke the blissful silence.

“El, It’s time. Pam goes first. It’s getting really bad over there. I didn’t wanna say anything, I knew it would just upset you but, Howard has completely gone off the deep end. He...well, I’m not gonna go into it. It’s just time. I know you’re worried, but everything will be ok.”

“I’m not worried anymore.” Elena swallowed before going on. “I thought long and hard today about a lot of things while you were out. Remembering stuff from the past, too. You’re right. Even if this does end badly for us. If we saved even one girl, for me, it would’ve been worth it. I feel like I have a purpose now, Alex. Here with you. No matter what happens. I love you. I trust you.”

Elena hadn’t tried to talk him out of it, tell him it was too soon, or too risky, that he was crazy. He was stunned. She said she loved him and she trusted him and he knew she meant it, and he loved her all the more for it.

“That’s all I needed to hear.”

He reached over and grabbed her arms, pulling her toward him and kissing her. Elena usually didn’t like being held against her will, stuck, pinned, but she loved it when
he
did it, took control. Even if she couldn’t move, she felt so safe. Once, he pinned her arms over her head and for a split second she tried to execute a maneuver plan, but then realized, she liked him doing it.

Alex placed her back gently and proceeded in telling her his plan.

Alex would tell Howard to meet him at the office Monday, middle morning so most people would already be at work. Good thing they all lived close.

Elena, with her hair hidden in Alex’s ball cap and jacket would already be at Rogers’ house and surprise Pam as soon as Howard was gone, there would be no way for her to know ahead of time, so she’d try to explain quickly. Pam would have time to take nothing. They’d run back to Alex’s house through the brush and trees and jump in the truck from there. The truck had tinted windows so no one should be able to see her clearly.

Alex had withdrawn $2000.00 for Elena to give Pam.

Once she was in the city and Pam had the open ended ticket, and was on the bus, Elena would race back as quickly as possible. Alex will have walked since it’s only half a mile to the office and “misplaced” the papers on top of being a few minutes late. Once papers found, he would have conveniently forgotten to have the clerk of courts sign the permit and would now need Howard to drive him to the courthouse and back to the office to finalize.

Elena would have one hour for the trip, and to disconnect the battery, for Alex’s walking alibi and to be back to normal before Howard dropped Alex off at the house. Could they pull this off?

They had two days before they would find out.

* * *

Elena could feel the cool breeze from the no longer nailed shut open bedroom window on her leg kicked out from under the covers. She reached over to find Alex’s side of the bed empty. As she reached she could feel every muscle strain and ache.
Ow
.
She realized her throat was swollen and scratchy as well. She wrapped her hand around her neck.
Ah man, not now!
She couldn’t afford to not be on her game.
Please don’t let this be the flu
.

She swung the covers off and lifted herself slowly from the bed, grabbing her green silk robe from the chair. She shut the window, that Alex had graciously unlocked for her, and started toward the living room.
Maybe he won’t notice...
she thought as she passed the hall mirror but caught sight of herself and gasp.
Ah! I look haggard! No way he won’t notice this.

She walked into the kitchen and poured herself some coffee in the mug Alex always left out for her. She heard him come in the back door from outside, thinking he must’ve gotten a head start on cleaning out the garage. It was this weekends’ project. She heard him shuffle about in the den and come around the corner, not looking up, as he was examining a small cut on his thumb. He looked at her then stopped.

“El, you look terrible! Are you ok?” he exclaimed, unable to stop the concern on his face and in his voice as he crossed the short gap between them.

So much for him not noticing
.

“Gee, thanks.”

“I’m sorry, I just meant you look...sick.”

“I know. I’m fine, just had a rough night, I guess.”

“Hmmm. Well maybe, I can help you feel better,” he said as he undid the tie on her robe, slipped his hands through the opening and around her waist, then stiffened. “Elena, you’re burning up.”

“Well, I don’t exactly feel ship shape.” Then she decided there was no use trying to hide it. “I’m achy and my throat is killing me. I’m sorry, I know it’s so important for things to go smoothly. I felt fine last night. I’m so sorry.”

“Are you apologizing for being sick?” he said as he lifted an eyebrow.

“Yeah...”

“El,” he shook his head, “this is in no way and never could be your fault. Come on, come lie down on the couch. I’ll get you a blanket.”

She did as he said, not like she had a choice, his arms wrapped around her practically carrying her. His face was filled with concern. She felt the need for more apologizing. He must be worried about Pam now; about if we should abort our ‘mission’.

“Alex, I am sorry. I promise I’ll be fine by Monday ok. I will do my part.”

“Sweetie, I’m not worried about that, I’m worried about you. If Monday is the day Pam is supposed to leave, she will. If not, we’ll wait until another day. Now lay down, I’ll grab some medicine from the cabinet.”

He helped her, grabbing the blanket from the hall closet and spreading it over her first. He came back with a glass of juice and two huge orange filled pills. She took them and lay back on the pillow and sniffed, realizing she could barely breathe either. He kneeled beside her and rubbed her forehead looking into her hazy green eyes.

“I’ll warm some chicken noodle soup for lunch in a bit ok?”

She wasn’t going to fight him. She realized she was barely coherent anymore.

“Ok, I love you. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. If you need something, just tell me. I’m serious. I’ll take care of you.”

“You always take care of me.”

She grabbed his face and he put his hand over hers.

“I’m going to grab a quick shower. I’ll be right back. You need anything first?”

She put on a pondering face.

“A kiss?”

He smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She made kiss lips at him as he was turning to leave.

* * *

Once Alex was done, he quickly put on a plain white t-shirt and jeans. After bringing Elena her soup, he sat on the end of the couch, her feet in his lap. He rubbed her socked feet as she slept. She barely making it long enough to finish her measly soup bowl before she had conked out. Now, she was dreaming.

She had talked a little in her sleep on other occasions but this was different. She seemed scared or upset. She was breathing heavy and her brow was scrunched. Alex felt the need to wake her and rubbed her thigh slightly, saying her name. She screamed and jumped up scrambling for him like she had woke up in the dark. He tried to calm her and held her in his lap.

“Alex…you’re here.” She sighed into his chest.

He could feel the moisture from her eyes soaking into his shirt.

“I’m here. El, what’s wrong?”

She realized she was dreaming and had apparently made a big production about it.

“I’m sorry, just a bad dream.”

She hugged him closer, hoping he wouldn’t press about the dream and just let her rest there. He didn’t press but he didn’t let her rest there either. He lifted her up in his arms and lay next to her on the couch. They both napped there for a while, Alex worrying about her, Elena appreciating him.

* * *

She woke up a bit later to the sound of the television. Alex was still laying next to her, her using his arm as a pillow. He was watching the news. There was a hurricane in the gulf. Still a week or so out, but he had heard about it and wanted to check on it. He was hoping it would turn and not spiral in their direction.

Then the more he thought about it, this may be just what they need to get wife number two out.

He glanced down at Elena’s sweaty brow as he ran his fingers over it to check her temperature. Her fever broke and he could feel her cooling off now. He realized she was awake and looking at him too.

“Hey, you. How are you feeling?”

“So much better actually, thank you.”

“Your fever broke. You had me worried there for a minute.”

She glanced at the wall clock and was shocked to see how late it was. He was watching the five o’clock news, at night. She’d practically slept all day.

“I’m fine, now. In fact, I’m starving. What would you like for dinner?”

“Ha! You think I’m gonna let you cook! You need to rest. I’ll order a pizza.”

As he was finishing his last remark they heard a rap at the door. They looked at each other a little confused as to who it could be.

He slid out from behind her and started for the door, then turned and told her to pretend to be asleep. She raised her eyebrow but pulled the covers over her cold, sweaty robe and closed her eyes.

It was Roger.

“Can I come in for a minute?”

“Yeah, sure, come on in.” Alex held the door open for him.

Roger saw Elena on the couch, looking pitiful, still not having her color back and motioned toward her.

“She sick?”

“Yeah, she’s been on her death bed today. What can I do for you, Rog?” He was glad that Roger had stopped by, now Elena had an alibi too for taking Pam if they still could - her sickness.

“Well, I wanted to talk to you for a minute. It’s about Amy. Are you sure she’s asleep?” Roger asked again, glancing at Elena.

“Yeah, she’s Nyquiled out. Roger, what’s this about? Something wrong with Amy?”

“No, no that’s just it. She’s...great. She has completely turned around for the better, a different person. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Um, Rog. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” He knew what had happened, the turn around, but wanted to hear Rogers’ theories.

“Yes, of course it is, I just thought this would take a lot longer for her to...adjust. I don’t feel right about her. I don’t feel like I thought I would. I feel different, man. Alex, I know you’re different, too. You’re my friend right? I can trust you?”

“Of course you can.”

He visibly took a deep breath, mentally and physically.

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep acting like I’m the same as I was. I’ve done so many bad things. I’ve-” He sighed. “The past few weeks, she’s been so sweet and nice to me no matter what I did. She’s amazing and once we started talking it all just came together and I…I love her. I never expected that.” Roger ran his hands through his hair and looked pained by his confession. He paced back and forth. “I know I shouldn’t be saying this but...I don’t know what to do. You’ve been my friend for a long time and I thought I could come to you with this, and no one else.”

Alex was ecstatic. Had he heard his friend right? Was this a trick?

“Roger, what brought all this on.”

“It was like a flipped switch. Amy was crying all the time and cowering every time I came into the room. I practically had to threaten her to make her do anything and she always did it half way; burning dinners and shotty dish washing, stuff like that. Then one day, she just stopped being indifferent. She’s so sweet. The house is spotless, she cooks before me telling her to and she’s really good at it. She even brings me sweet tea and makes snacks while I’m watching TV and things like that for no reason. She rubbed my feet the other day while we were watching the news. We talk at night a lot...it’s weird. I’ve just started to wonder…to doubt some things that I thought were concrete.”

Alex proceeded carefully.

“Roger, I have doubted those concrete things for years now. We’ve been misled, this is not a life. I love Elena, too. I only brought her here because I knew that if I didn’t, someone else would. I thought it was my duty to try and save even one from the life my mother had. I couldn’t just do nothing. We’ve been pretending this whole time, well, I have, for years. I would marry her on my terms if we had met another time and place. And the strange thing is, she loves me too, I know it. And the reason Amy has made such a transformation is because Elena gave her some advice, and Amy took it.”

Roger’s mouth was open and eyes wide. Oh, no. Had Alex misjudged his friends’ confession? Had he just blown everything he had worked so hard to keep secret?

“I can’t believe it. You couldn’t have told me? Your friend? All this time I’ve been freaking out trying to find a way to tell you. I wish you had said something to me, man. You certainly had me fooled.” Roger exhaled loudly, rubbing his hair and Alex shrugged. “Alex, what can we do? You know how it works, they would never let us get away with any of this. They won’t let it go. We can’t just pretend forever. I can’t keep living like this, knowing what I’ve done to her.”