“I’m exhausted. Can we go to sleep and figure everything out tomorrow?” I asked him while rubbing my eyes.
“Yes, let me lock up tight first,” he said as he checked the front door and then proceeded to the kitchen.
“What are you getting?” I asked him as he was going through the drawers.
“A knife. I want to keep it on the nightstand just in case,” he said as he picked a large shiny knife out of the drawer. “One more thing.” He walked to the door and grabbed a chair nearby and jammed it under the doorknob.
“Paranoid much?” I asked him.
“We can’t be too careful, especially with you here. I have no idea who was in here or has a key,” he said to me as he began to shut off the lights. “Come on, baby. I need to hold you.”
We crawled into bed and embraced each other in silence. There was no television for background noise, no guys laughing in the living room being obnoxious, just silence. I snuggled against Kayden, wrapped my body around his, and enveloped him until he fell asleep.
I woke to Kayden’s voice. He was talking to someone on the phone. “No one contacted me. When was it auctioned off?” he asked. I heard the sound of his fist slamming down on the kitchen table out of frustration. Kayden muttered a few more words before he appeared in the bedroom doorway.
“What happened, sweetheart?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“They towed my truck, and when I never contacted the towing company, they auctioned it off last week.” His face was pale, and he looked like he was going to be sick.
“We’ll figure something out. Fucking shit, it’s all because of me,” I said as a tear streamed down my cheek.
“Just another fucked-up thing in my life. Thank God for you, Sophia. Come on. Let’s get the fuck out of this place. I want to go see Bourbon,” he said, holding out his hand to me.
I got dressed and put on my makeup while Kayden went to the mailbox to see what had accumulated since the guys had left. As he rifled through the pile, a pink envelope fell on the table. It was addressed to him, but I didn’t see a return address.
“What is it?” I asked him out of curiosity.
“I don’t know, but it’s to me. There’s no address, but I know the handwriting,” he replied with a hint of anger.
“Do I even have to ask?” I knew at that moment that he hadn’t been entirely truthful. Lisa was still a problem, a thorn in my ass.Why didn’t he tell me?
“Yes, it’s Lisa’s handwriting. I didn’t think she knew where I lived. I have been so careful about never letting anyone have this address. My mother doesn’t even know where I live,” he said to me as he flipped the envelope over and ripped it open.
A picture was the first item to fall. It was a photo of two people, Kayden and Lisa, the same fucking photo she texted me many months ago. He pulled out a card, and a letter fell, landing on top of the photograph. I didn’t move to pick it up. I didn’t even like having the image of that photo in my mind, let alone the contents of a letter. Kayden grabbed the letter but didn’t open it. He opened the card and sat in silence as he read the message.
“Is it from her or one you sent her?” I asked him, pissed off.
“It’s from her.” He looked stunned and worried.
“What did she say?” I could feel my heart starting to pound harder in my chest.
“Read it,” he said, handing me the card.
Kayden,
I’ll find you…no matter where you are. You’re MINE, and I’m yours—always. We’re meant to be together. You can’t deny fate or destiny. We’ll be together again… I promise you.
Love Always,
Lisa
The bitch couldn’t take a hint. She was relentless like a rabid dog unwilling to stop. “What’s in the letter?” I asked him, still holding the card in my hand.
“It’s a letter I wrote to her,” he said to me, putting the letter back in the envelope with the photo.
“I don’t want to read it. I can only imagine what it says. I’m sure you declared your undying love for her, and now she’s reminding you.” I threw the card on the table. “Kayden, she isn’t going to stop. She’ll always be between us. You need to stop her. That is the only way right now,” I told him as I reached in and pulled out the pink envelope.
I had to try to put Lisa out of my mind. I needed to convince him to share her messages with his probation officer. She just couldn’t be allowed to torment him this way. She had played enough games, but she wouldn’t come out the winner. I needed to get that photograph out of my mind, and I needed coffee.
