“Move,” I snap, pushing her hand away and stalking past her.
Still standing on the last step, I hear her gasp as I make my way up. I have never talked to Jessica like this, never treated her anything less than what she deserved. ‘Til now. I’m fucking pissed and my chest burns with hurt. I laid it all out there and told her how I feel, hell, how I’ve felt since day one thinking she might finally see that what we have can triumph fear. Our love is an unclear path, but it’s filled with possibilities. As the fear in our relationship lies on a previously traveled path, it imprints its painful memories to heart.
13
Jessica
Tension clouds the ride back to my apartment. I am as far on my side of the truck as I can get, leaving a wide amount of space between us as I look out the window. I had one rule. One. Don’t fall in love. I’ve made sure not to allow myself to fall in love with Bobby since the day I met him. I’ve kept boundaries and rules, but I got stupid and played with fire.
The truck stops and Bobby shuts the engine off. He looks over at me and sighs heavily. “Jessica,” Bobby mutters, his voice exasperated.
I open the door, and get out, slamming it shut behind me. The rain plasters my face as I make my way to the security gate. The raindrops mixing with my tears create a cocktail of misery. The tires of Bobby’s truck squeal when they bite the asphalt for traction as he speeds off. My heart sinks and guilt riddles up my spine with all that has transpired. What did I do? Why did I deny it? Why am I so scared?
I don’t even bother to try and enter my code in the security gate; I know it’s not fixed and will open without it. Once inside, I head to my apartment. I stop in front of Bree’s door and hear music and laughter. I’ll let Addie stay over there for the night; I need some time to myself. As I pull my key out of my purse and stick it into the handle, the door pushes open without me even unlocking it. I cock my head to the side and eye it. I notice black scuffmarks along the door jamb and my heart leaps into my throat. I lightly push the door open. My apartment is trashed. The couch is overturned and the kitchen cabinets are all open with boxed food thrown all over the floor. I take a step in to get a better look at the disaster. The lamp is on the floor, the bulb flickering, emanating an eerie glow
Chest burning from the violent beat of my heart, it thrusts against my ribcage as I eye the devastation that is my apartment. This can’t be good. This is not good. I turn to leave, but the door is pushed closed stopping me where I stand. As the door shuts, a shadow moves from the wall. I take a step back, trying to identify the figure who was hiding behind my door.
“I wondered when you would show back up.” An arctic chill travels up my back at his voice. I can’t place it, but it brings fear to the surface.
The shadow steps away from the wall and into the flickering light. My vision wavers, everything around the person blurs from fear. All I hear is the rush of blood swimming in my head and my heartbeat drumming in my ears.
“Grant?” I whisper, utterly terrified of the man standing before me, my voice echoing in my head as my upper lip sheets with a coat of sweat. Struck in the grip of fear, my body stiffens and my eyes widen. Lungs blazing with the urgency to resume breathing, I take a painful breath.
It’s Grant, Travis’s brother. To the untrained eye, it would be easy to confuse Grant with Travis; they look almost identical. But Grant is not nearly as distinguished. Grant’s features slack where Travis’s were sharp and squared off. Grant’s blond hair is combed back, a stray in the front curled down onto his forehead. Bloodshot eyes sunk in with dark circles stare back at me. His frame is thin, but the muscles on his arms speak of his strength. He squints his eyes, his eyebrows slicing inward maliciously.
“Hello, Jessica,” he hisses, his tone sharp and his voice slicing up my back with alarm.
I stumble over a picture frame on the floor and fall against the kitchen island. “What are you doing here?” I ask nervously.
“Oh, you know, the usual. I was in the neighborhood, wanted to stop by and see my sister-in-law who killed my brother, and is now taking all his money,” he remarks condescendingly. The hairs on my neck stand as I regain my footing and stand straight. Grant was always quiet and distant when I saw him while I was with Travis, leaving him unpredictable.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, my voice growing in strength.
He stomps forward, making my body shrink onto a stool sitting in front of the island. He reminds me so much of Travis; all I can do in response is tremble with fear.