A Twist of Fate (17 page)

If I hadn't been holding my breath, I wouldn't have even heard
the soft footsteps approaching, sounding like that of a small child pattering
across the floor.  But then a heavy thud broadcast only inches from my feet.  I
quickly pulled my knees to my chest and hugged onto the lamp like it was my
lifeline.

An unsettling energy roiled through the room and it felt like
it was sinking into my skin.  My anxiety devoured me, as I anticipated who or
what was at the foot of my bed.  I squeezed my eyes shut, foolishly believing
that the danger couldn't see me if I couldn't see it.  After an extended
silence, my fright-filled eyes flashed open to see what was clawing at the
blanket.

I shuffled higher on the bed, just as the blanket jerked
away and landed on the floor with a soft thump.  I held onto the lamp preparing
myself to strike.  I stared at the foot of the bed, waiting for the threat to
show itself. 
Nothing.

"Show yourself!" I hollered, my voice but a
quivering rasp.  My eyes deceived me as they darted to the end of the bed.  There
she was.

Jenny’s red, shining eyes peered over the edge of the bed,
demanding my attention like I was being hexed.  My own eyes watered and burned
as I stared at her without blinking.  She slowly crawled onto the bed and
inched toward me like she was preparing to slaughter me alive.  I dared her to
move another inch.  I would smash that lamp so hard off her head that she would
die for real this time.

My lips trembled, as I wound up for the strike.  "Don't
move," I whispered.

She froze at my feet and then there was a clunk in the other
room.

"EDWIN!" I screamed.

By the time my voice stopped ringing, Edwin called back to
me.  “I’m here!”  He leapt to his feet and hit a switch.  The light flashed on
and relief washed over me, as Edwin territorially scanned over the room.  But
there was no one there.

Edwin swiftly came to my side.  I tugged the blanket close
to my chin and stared at the foot of the bed. 
I thought that blanket had
fallen on the floor.
  Unnerved, I tossed the blanket away from me like it
was on fire.  My breaths were fast and irregular as I stared at the emptiness
at the end of the bed, feeling very confused.

Edwin grabbed both of my shoulders and gently shook my
traumatized body.  "What's wrong, Abs?  Talk to me."

I didn’t answer.

He wrapped his arms around mine and crushed me against his
hard chest.  He held me for a long time, until my breathing began to regulate
and the rapid thud of my heart matched his.  My mind was a bit slower to return
to reality.

When Edwin finally released me, I stared into his eyes,
hoping to find my answers.  It was like I was lost somewhere between dream and
reality, and I was having a hard time differentiating between the two. 
Since
Edwin is fully clothed, I’m going to guess that this is reality.

"Where were you just now?"  My voice was shaky and
low.

"I was sitting on the couch."

"In the dark?"

"There was light from the fire.  I didn’t want to wake
you."

I turned my head and saw that the fireplace made light
flicker across the ceiling.  I spun around to look for the lamp.  It was
nestled on the table as if it were never touched.  My head started spinning.  Edwin
gently pressed me back against the pillow.

"You should lie down.  I don't want you passing out on
me again."

Huh?
  I dug my fingers into my forehead, trying to
flatten the deep lines of confusion.  "It was so real."

"It was just a nightmare."

"How long was I out for?" I asked softly, not
believing it entirely.

"It's been hours.  I let you sleep.  I figured you must
have been really tired, what with last night and everything."  Edwin
shuffled to the edge of the bed.  "You must be starved.  Let me get you
something to eat.”

When he went to stand up, I frantically yanked him back
down.  "Take me with you," I begged.

"I was only going to the kitchen."  He didn't
understand.

"Please?"  I could see the worry when it crept
back into his eyes, then it quickly vanished.

"That must have been some nightmare."

I hooked myself around Edwin's torso and held onto his arm. 
He walked me to the kitchen, where I reluctantly released him to take a seat at
the spacious island.  Edwin stepped around me to retrieve a takeout container from
the fridge.  While he emptied the food onto a plate, I slowly peered toward the
bed, then feverishly examined the floor to beat the fear that someone or
something was still lurking there.

"There's nothing there," Edwin insisted.

"I know."  But my words were so weak, they spoke
for themselves.

The microwave dinged and Edwin pulled out my steaming meal. 
He gave it a stir, then rested the dish in front of me.  "Here.  You can
eat first and explain later."

I took a bite of my pasta and it burned my lip.  I not-so-attractively
spit a mouthful back into the bowl.  "Where did you go this afternoon?  I
waited for what seemed like forever.”

Edwin’s eyes crinkled at the sides, but he remained totally
serious.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I rolled my eyes and, after blowing on my linguine, I
scarfed it down.  Edwin remained standing the entire time, his hip cocked to
the side, resting against the counter.  His arms were folded across his broad
chest, his shirt straining against his flexed biceps, making it difficult for
me to concentrate on anything but those rippling muscles.

Trying to avoid the fact that I was losing my mind, I dumped
the leftovers into the garbage.  Edwin rushed over to me and helped me to the
couch like I was an elderly lady.  I peeked out the corner of my eye as we
passed the bedroom, but there was still nothing there.  Edwin even let me
believe that he hadn’t caught me checking this time.

I took a seat across from the toasty fireplace, where I
could feel the warmth fanning over me.  Edwin sat next to me, his rigid muscles
toying with my mind.  Any closer and he would have been sitting on my lap.  But
I had to protect my heart.  I shimmied away from him, to the far corner of the
couch, then raised my arm over the back of it and turned my attention to him.

His solid frame was slumped in the most casual position, his
long, thick legs stretched out to show their magnitude.  He kept his attention
on the fire, ignoring my standoffishness.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

He acted like he was confused by the question.  "Taking
a much needed vacation?"

"Edwin, be serious.  Don't act like nothing happened
today.  We need to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about?"  He was seriously
oblivious.

"Eddie.  We made love to each other today.  Not just
that, but I told you I'm not on birth control anymore.  We didn't use
protection.  I told you I loved you."

"Yeah."  He was still not following.

"Ugh!" I squealed, then paced to the kitchen out
of frustration.  I was a little wobbly at first, but quickly steadied myself,
then spun around to face Edwin again.  "You've said all of two words to me
since I told you I love you.  You took off right after sex, without telling me
where you were going, and now you have nothing to say to me?  Forgive me if I’m
a little off balance."

“I never took off, Abs.  You must have fallen asleep the
second you laid down.”  Edwin got up and walked toward me with his arms
extended out to me.

"Don't," I snapped, stepping away from him.  I
didn’t know what to believe.

Unexpectedly, Edwin dropped his arms down, as though he were
the innocent victim in this episode.  "Fine," he said.  "Be
upset with me.  But I won't let you push me away.  I thought you already knew
how I felt.  It hasn’t exactly been a secret all this time."

I stood there motionless for a moment, replaying the events
in my mind.  Now I was the one not following.  Edwin briskly stepped toward me
and swung me around to face him.  Before I knew what was happening, his lips
were brushing over mine, and I was dipped backwards.

He had my full attention now.

"I love you, Abs.  You must know that."  He
nuzzled near my ear and my heart leapt from my chest as his tongue drew my earlobe
into his mouth.  His soft lips trailed kisses down my neck and, when his warm
breath reached my lips, our eyes met again.  “You may be crazy like a fox, but
I’m still crazy about you.”

A trickle of excitement rushed through my veins as he
stroked me with one of his big hands and held me with the other.  I turned my eyes
away, with a blush on my cheeks.  Now I felt guilty for being so distrustful.

"Hey!" Edwin warned.  "No more doom and
gloom.  I just told you I love you too.  Shouldn't you be swinging from the
ceiling beams or something?"

I smiled really big, teeth and all, and Edwin couldn't
resist dipping down for an intimate, smiling kiss.  He returned me to my feet
and linked his fingers with mine.

"I thought for sure you knew that I wanted to be with
you," he stated, like it was a crime that I didn’t know.

"I knew you wanted to have sex with me.  But how could
I be sure you wanted anything more?"

"Abs, I would never do that to you.  You know better
than that.  You know me."

He was right.  I did know him.  He was my best friend.

"It just felt like you were really quiet after we did
what we did, and I worried that it didn’t mean anything to you.  I worried that
we had made a huge mistake."

"That was a big decision for me to make,” Edwin
admitted.  “But I wanted to prove to you that I’m all in."

The fear that had been overpowering me all day, morphed into
extreme giddiness.  I threw myself into his arms and he wrapped me into them
again while we kissed.  Saying I had overreacted was an understatement, and the
fact that Edwin hadn't brought up my crazy nightmare again was such a relief.

"I'm sorry.  I can't believe how I twisted this."

"It's all good," he said, with a teasing grin.  “I
still love you."

I nudged him playfully and he tossed me down on the couch to
kiss me some more.  Edwin pressed his nose into my hair and I felt so
incredibly close to him.  When I reached for his hand, I accidentally pulled up
his shirt, exposing his rock hard abs.  We both froze in place, absorbing the
energy shimmering in the air.  I brushed my cool fingers across his warm, rigid
abs and then pulled his shirt back down.

"You want more of my sex pistol?" Edwin growled.

"What the hell did you just call it?"  I couldn't
stop giggling.

"You heard me," he said, stabbing me with his
erection.  "Want to play Russian roulette?"

"You're shooting blanks now, are you?" I teased.

"No way, baby.  I'm high test all day."

I giggled some more before turning more serious.  "As
much as I'd like to get pregnant, Eddie, you know as well as I do that first
comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby
carriage."  I smirked.  "One step at a time.  I don't want to rush
it."

He covered my mouth with his smiling lips.  "You
could've fooled me.”

NIGHT WAS FALLING UPON us quickly, as
we passed our neighbours’ houses.  It was messy and cold outside, but to me it felt
as though I was returning from my honeymoon.  I looked to Edwin and smiled
sweetly.  “Isn’t it kind of weird returning back to reality together?”

Edwin smiled at me.  “I honestly didn’t think my plan was
going to work out quite this brilliantly.  But look at us now.  It’s like you
never broke my heart last year.”

I took extreme offence to that, but I snapped at him,
playfully.  "All I wanted was for you to tell me you’d be my baby
daddy."

Edwin chuckled.  “You caught me off guard.  Real romantic,
by the way."

I slapped at him, as he turned his truck into our driveway.

“I have to admit, Abs.  It wasn’t a great feeling when you
gave me that ultimatum.  It was like you ripped my heart out of my chest and
ran off with it.”

“Eddie, I’m so sorry.”  And I meant it.  But he just kept
talking.

“I said I needed time and you left me.  I didn't cry at my
grandmother's funeral.  I don't cry.  When you left me that night, I almost
cried,” he admitted.  “I wanted to.  Because it hurt that much."  He pulled
his keys from the ignition and cupped his warm hand over mine.

My voice was raspy when I answered him.  "You could’ve
saved both of us the grief and just said yes in the first place."

Edwin’s smirk sliced through the seriousness of the conversation. 
"I knew you couldn't resist me forever."  Edwin leaned into me for a
comforting smooch, then pushed open his door and jumped down from his truck.

While he pulled our bags out of the back of the truck, I
walked up the dark driveway and paused at door to dig out my keys.  Something
was amiss and, despite the fear rushing into my hollow lungs, I unlocked the
house and let myself in.  One step in the door and the eerie feeling only intensified. 
I froze, waiting for the uneasiness to go away, but the inexplicable dread did
not fade.

I looked back at Edwin.  He was still lugging our bags out
of his truck.  I considered waiting for him, but knew I was just letting my
nerves get the best of me.  I ran my hand along the wall, blindly searching for
the light switch.  Before I could find it, my eyes zeroed in on the two red orbs
staring back at me from the living room.

"Ahhh!" I screamed, the horrifying screech belting
from the top of my lungs.

Edwin dropped all of our bags in the snow and sprinted to my
rescue.  He instantly crowded over me and hit the light switch.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes scanning over the
empty living room.  He looked like he was ready to strike, his blood pumping to
every agile muscle.

I pointed a trembling finger in the direction of the demon
that had set out to ruin my life, but I couldn't look.

Edwin spoke firmly, cautious and alert.  "Is there
someone in the house?"

"She was right there."  I pointed hard, animated
with terror.

"There's no one there, Abs.  Who did you see?  Is she still
in the house?"

Edwin seemed so confused. 
So was I.

"Jenny," I shrieked, as my knees grew weak.  I
crumbled, my body collapsing into itself.

Edwin managed to catch my elbow before I crashed completely
onto the floor.  Then he pulled me into his arms and rocked me, the cold wind
blasting through the open door.  Edwin kissed my forehead and cupped my face in
his hands.

"I'm here, baby.  It's okay."  The growing concern
in his glistening eyes slammed through me.

I had to pull myself together, if not for my own sake, for
his.  "I'm okay," I croaked, my eyes darting to the living room.

"You think you saw Jenny again?"

"What do you mean again?" 
There’s no way he
knew I’d been seeing Jenny lately.

"I've seen your reactions enough to know when it's happening. 
First she comes to you in your nightmares and then you start to see her.  It's
happening again isn't it."

I nodded, apprehensively.  Edwin helped me to my feet and I
glanced to where she had been standing, only inches from the mantle in my
living room.  I squinted as I noted the two red lights glowing on the flat-screen
television mounted on the wall. 
It couldn't be.
  But it was.

A humourless giggle erupted from my chest.  "I'm
seriously losing it.  I was so sure it was her.  It was only the TV."

"I thought that you had found a dead body or something
from your blood-curdling scream.  I wouldn't be surprised if the neighbours
called the police."

Still not letting go of me, Edwin tugged me outside with him
to grab our bags, then dropped them inside the doorway.  I closed the door
behind us to keep some of the heat in.

"You're okay then?" Edwin asked, searching my
eyes.  He would think I was mental if I told him about the delusions I'd been
having lately.

My lashes fluttered away.  "It was nothing," I
insisted.  But it was
not
nothing.  I could’ve sworn Jenny came to me. 
But
why was I being haunted by my dead sister?

"If you say so.”  Edwin flicked another light switch,
flooding golden light into our living room.

Even in the fully lit house I could sense Jenny lingering nearby,
but Edwin was determined to debunk my fears.  He took my hand and led me to the
living room.  I sank down onto the sofa next to him.

"What did Cam think about the red-eyed monster?"
Edwin asked, out of nowhere.

I really don't want to talk about the red-eyed monster
right now, and I never want to talk to Edwin about Cameron.
  "I never
told him," I answered, bluntly.

"You were with him for all those months and it never
came up?  He didn't figure it out for himself?  Some litigator he is."

"Honestly, it didn't come up.  Now that I think about
it, most of my episodes seem to happen the closer I get to you."

Edwin puckered his lips and grabbed onto his chin.  "That's
strange.  I must stir up some old memories; arouse something deep inside you.” 
He smirked. 
He was only joking.
 
But I think he might be onto
something.

***

EDWIN DROPPED ME OFF at the front
doors of our office building, only minutes from 9:00 a.m., so I ran inside.  I gave
Taylor her greetings and bustled to my desk, rushing past Cam's office without
a glance.  The pain of missing Cameron hadn't vanished.  It was just waiting
there for me.

"Oh, you're back," Owen said to me, as I shuffled
through the papers on my desk.  "I take it you had a good time," he
added, suggestively.

"Not you too," I whined.  Not five minutes in the
office and the whole place had already learned that Edwin and I were an item
again.

"You should know by now, you can't get anything past
these critics."

"Ugh.  Who told you?"  I knew the first day back at
work was going to be incredibly trying, but right when I thought things
couldn't get worse, Wesley Carver walked around the corner.

Owen smiled up at him.  “Good morning."

"Is it?" Wesley asked, flashing me a sideways
glance.

"You're still here?" I asked, snarling.

"Good morning to you too, buttercup," he answered,
with a smile.

Owen looked at me with concern in his eyes.  "Now Abby,
Cam agreed to turn over the reins to Wes this week.  I trust you'll help him do
the same."

Wesley chuckled, amused by my distress.

"You must be kidding," I said, feeling more than a
little flustered.  I stared up to the ceiling.  "This is going to be the
longest week of my life."

"Play nice, Abby," Owen said, then stalked off to
his desk.

Wesley lingered by the door.

Not again.
  "What do you want?"

"Ooh, if this is you playing nice, I can't wait to see
you being nasty."

At that very moment, Cameron and Edwin approached my door
from different directions.  All three men stood in a line blocking my exit. 
Cameron and Edwin were both fixated angrily at Wes, and he couldn’t seem to decide
who was more of a threat to him.

Wesley smirked.  "Hey, I'm just the new guy."

Cam was the first to nudge him aside.  "Is this guy bothering
you?"

Edwin shoved Wes out of the picture entirely and glared at
Cameron.  "That's really not your concern anymore," he said, through
gritted teeth.

"I'm not looking for trouble," Cameron said, like
I wasn't worth his time.  "Let's go."  Cam turned away and left
without making any eye contact with me.  Wesley followed after him, not daring
to provoke Edwin further.

"You’d better watch your back," Edwin threatened.

I hoped that comment was meant for Wes, but the rage burning
in Edwin's eyes told me it wasn’t.  When Edwin finally looked back to me, he seemed
to have regained some composure.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I can handle myself.  I'm a big girl."

"Yeah, well, you shouldn’t have to handle yourself here
and you won't have to once I’m done with them."

"Please leave Cam out of this.  He didn't do
anything."

"Don't defend him like that.  He's still protective of
you and that's dangerous."

I stood from my chair and tried to keep professional, but I
had to show Edwin that I cared.  "Calm down.”  I flattened my hand on his
chest and patted one over his shoulder and down his arm.  He was sweltering
through his suit jacket.

“If you want to have a talk with Wesley, that's fine, but I
prefer that he leave that meeting with all of his teeth."

Edwin’s smile rendered him speechless, so I took took the
opportunity to take his right hand into both of mine and shake it firmly.

"It's a deal now.  You shook on it," I teased, as
I pushed him out of my cubicle.

Before long, noon hour rolled around and Aliah took me to the
café down the road to get the goods.  I took the seat across from her and she instantly
leaned in for the gossip.

"Cut the crap.  Tell me.  Are the rumours true?"

I picked up my mug and blew on it slowly.  "Rumours? 
What rumours?"

Her eyes turned mean and green as she glowered at me. 
"Don't be dense.  It's written all over your face.  That smile didn’t get
there by itself."

I shrugged my shoulders to tease her.

"You could've called.  Why didn't you call me?"

"I was busy doing other things," I said, smirking.

"I knew it!" she cut in.  "You're totally
doing him again.  I can hear it in your voice."

"Ally, you cannot."

"Are you sleeping with him again?"

"Well, yeah."

“How did it happen this time?"

"It started with an incident in the pool.  Then we took
things to the pool house.  Then-."

"No, horn dog, how did you fall back into Edwin’s love
trap?"

"Well, there is the attraction factor, and he is very
persistent," I explained.

"I’d bet that's why you caved.  I can't believe you! 
Well I sort of can."  Aliah snickered.  "You certainly didn't waste
any time."

"I do feel guilty for moving on so quickly.  Am I a bad
person?"  I needed her moral support.

"If Cameron didn't make you happy, then you have to
find someone who will."

"That’s the thing, Cam did make me happy, until I
started laying down the rules."

"Stop worrying about it.  Cam came into your life for a
reason.  He’s served his purpose already."

"Ally, I really don’t want to leave this one up to the
stars."

"Whatevs.  I take it Edwin’s plan worked.  He swept you
off your feet and you fell madly in love with him?" she said, her voice filled
with drama.

I smirked and took a sip from my piping hot drink. 
"Something like that."

"Don't sound so excited."

"I’ve been here before.  I hate to run on a high,
because the fall is that much harder when it does happen."  I let out the
sigh that I had been holding in since I had walked in the front door of the office
this morning.

"Forget about the fall.  Enjoy it while it lasts. 
Moving right along.  Did you hear Miller finally found a girl to cover Maddie's
maternity leave?"

"Who is she?"

“Remember Maddie’s friend, Samantha?”

“Um, yeah.  She has the hots for Edwin.  As if having Wesley
Carver in the office isn't hell enough for me.”  I rested my elbows on the
table and settled my chin into my hands.

"I know.  I still can't believe Owen hired your
ex-lover's look alike."

"Aliah!" I screeched, mostly because I couldn’t
believe she saw it too.  "Wesley Carver is a loose cannon.  I don't think
anyone in their right mind would bring this guy on."

"He's not that bad.  I've actually heard that he's a
really good litigator.  Give the guy a chance.  You might like him."

"Oh, no.  He's all bad.  I just have that feeling. 
He's trouble."