Tension (24 page)

Stella stretched her legs and arms in opposite directions as she lay in her bed at her parents’ house. Her legs were stiff from all the squats she did yesterday. Jesse’s trainer was really kicking her ass, but she was back to her pre-shooting weightlifting regimen and she couldn’t be happier. She’d also added a self-defense class and the trainer had her and Jesse sparring against each other. The training was invaluable. Also, it was at his house, so there were no prying eyes or camera phones posting her workouts online.

Jesse had been completely accepting of her with all her faults. It was like he understood what she was going through without her even vocalizing it. She confided in him things she couldn’t tell anyone else. He knew how it felt to feel hunted and what it was like to have your every move scrutinized. “Everyone’s got a fucking opinion,” he’d told her.

He was the only person she’d told about her plans, hence the weight training and self defense he was bankrolling. Stella had protested Jesse paying for everything, but he insisted. She tried to analyze herself, why she picked him as her confidant instead of Patrick or George. Their connection wasn’t romantic, so she felt safe showing him all her ugliness; he passed no judgment. The Falcons didn’t make the playoffs this year, so he had down time, explaining it would be easier to make plans with her in Atlanta. He told her about his trainer and the plantation his buddy owned in South Carolina where they could go and shoot. That’s where they were going today.

Trying to determine the best strategy regarding her parents and her car, they thought it would be best for her mother to drop her off at a shopping mall in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, which was located in between their houses. She’d tell her parents she was spending the night with a friend from law school who had settled in Atlanta. Then Jesse would pick her up at the bookstore and they would drive to the plantation in Aiken, South Carolina. It was only about three hours from Atlanta and they could spend the day shooting the gun he’d gotten for her. Jesse told her his buddy would close the entire plantation for him. It would only be her, Jesse, and his friend. He promised they could trust Brian; they had grown up together in the low country of South Carolina and were like brothers. Brian already knew she was coming.

She told George the same story she told her parents. He was glad she was doing something with friends, which made Stella feel worse about lying.

Rolling out of bed, she padded over to the bathroom and started the shower. She brushed her teeth and put everything she used into her bag. The hot water rolled over her sore muscles and she swore under her breath. Stella was using the pain medication sparingly, but damn, all this working out was making her entire body hurt. Yesterday had been the hardest workout yet.

Stepping out of the shower, she heard her phone ring. It said it was a blocked number and she let it go to voicemail as usual. She dried off and put the phone to her ear. Jamie was taunting her. He knew where she was, of course—the entire world knew what she ate for lunch. He was getting close, he told her. G
ood. I’m getting ready.

She’d missed a few texts from Millie and quickly scrolled through them.

Trending on twitter

#stellaandjesse

#stelly

#finneganssingle

Her shoulders slumped as she thought about George; maybe he wasn’t seeing all this speculation about their relationship. She texted him.

Love

He responded after a few seconds.

I miss you Bed is too empty without u

She smiled at his text and put her phone in her purse. After she dried her hair and put on makeup, she rolled up a pair of jeans, a couple of shirts, and a sweatshirt and threw everything she needed into her workout bag. It was going to be chilly outside in January. Pulling on a light purple sweater and grey corduroy pants with her knee high brown riding boots over them, she examined herself in the mirror. As she took in her outside, she inventoried her inside as well. Things were progressing. She was getting ready.

Stella opened the bedroom door and called, “Mom, you almost ready?”

“Yes, give me a few minutes!” her mother yelled from her room.

Cooper was pacing between her parents’ door and her door. She rubbed his head. “You need to go outside?”

At the word “outside,” Cooper raced down the stairs and straight to the back door. He’d gained weight over the last couple of months because Stella couldn’t run outside with him as much. Several times when she tried in Old Town, Cooper had tried to bite cameramen. They ran on the Mall occasionally, but not often enough for Coop to stay slim. Of course, there were YouTube videos of her running in slow motion. She’d vomited when she’d seen those. It was all so embarrassing. Her life was once again unrecognizable. There is only so such much one person could take.

Her mother walked to the back door and watched Cooper running around the yard. “You’ll be back Saturday?”

“Yep, her mother has a house at Lake Oconee or something and we’re going over there for the weekend. It’ll be nice to have a break from the house. No offense.”

“Baby,” her mother cooed, smoothing Stella’s hair back. “I know you feel like a caged animal. We were hoping it would be better here than it was in DC. I’m sorry it’s been worse.”

“Not your fault,” she said. “Coop, come.” Cooper came bounding up the stairs on the deck and then in the house, breathing heavily. “You’re out of shape, my friend.”

“Maybe I’ll take him on a walk after I drop you off. I haven’t seen any press today.”

“Great!” Stella picked up her bag and walked to the garage. “Let’s go.”

They didn’t have to drive too far to the Forum shopping area in Peachtree Corners. Her mother dropped her off with reminders to be careful. Stella grabbed her bag, pulled her wool cap down, and put her sunglasses on. She walked to the bookstore and walked around until she saw the massive body that was Jesse enter the store. She smiled; his swagger was so prominent, it was laughable. She guessed if you play professional football you have to be that confident about everything. It was hard to tell he came from a family where he was the first to graduate from college; he was well on his way to building an empire. He had his own sporting goods line and workout wear. Jesse was also looking into writing a biography, hoping to give boys an example of an attainable goal. She’d known immediately they would be friends. His friendship was one she was extremely grateful for, he was a genuine friend.

Stella waved once they made eye contact and made her way from the back of the store. Jesse nodded and then turned around and walked out. She followed a little bit behind him. If they were seen together, more people would take notice.

Stepping up her pace a bit, she caught up with him behind the store in the parking lot. He’d borrowed his trainer’s SUV and opened the passenger door for her.

“Thanks,” she said, climbing in and scanning the area for any prying eyes. She threw her bag in the back. “I got you this,” she said handing him the tea she’d bought for him.

“Thanks, Stella.” He took a tentative sip. “You ready?”

“Sure.”

As Jesse pulled onto I-20 going east, he looked at her. “You really think you’re ready to go where this is taking you?”

Pushing her glasses up her nose, she answered as honestly as she could. “I don’t fucking know, J. I mean is this really my life? I’m plotting to kill someone. Someone I once loved and was going to spend the rest of my life with. I’ve had enough. I’ve been pushed to the edge of sanity. He’s destroyed my life, twice. I’m afraid what will happen if I don’t follow through.”

“You can’t come back from this, Stella. Ever.” Jesse stared straight ahead.

“There’s nothing left of my life, J.”

“George is left.”

“Will he be, though?” She mindlessly ran her hand through her hair. “Would you be after everything? All the lying, the deceiving I’ve done?”

“Why does he have to find out?”

“Because I’m going to tell him. Because I love him and he deserves to know who I really am.”

“You don’t think he knows who you are? He probably knows you better than you think.”

“Only you know who I’ve turned into, J. I’m afraid when George sees the real me he’ll run the other way as fast as he can.”

“You didn’t worry about that with me?” Jesse kept his eyes on the road.

“Not after that one conversation we had, J. Not after you told me what you did. I knew you felt the same sort of hate that ate at you at one point. The fact that you made it to the other side is something I’m relying on. I’m hoping you can help me make it to the other side when everything goes down.”

They pulled through a gate with brick pillars on each side, the name of the plantation carved on a wooden sign hanging from the right pillar. Stella couldn’t quite make it out as they drove through. The drive to the main house was at least a half a mile and surrounded by woods on either side. They pulled up in front of an expansive red brick plantation-style house with a white wraparound porch complete with rocking chairs and iron boot scrapers.

Jesse pulled up close to the main house and told Stella they would actually be staying in one of the twenty cottages that lined the property. She got out of the SUV and shut the door. Three dogs came running up immediately. Then she heard a male’s voice yell.

“Ned! Sally! Bertha!” The voice came from a guy driving a golf cart, decked out with lights and roll bars, around the side of the house. He stopped directly in front of her. “You must be Stella. I’m Brian.” He was wearing a University of Georgia hat and a black fleece. He got out of the camouflage painted vehicle and extended a hand to her. He had hazel eyes and an easy smile.

“Yes,” she said, shaking his hand vigorously. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

“No problem, anything for Jesse,” he said, grinning.

Jesse rounded the front of the SUV and they embraced, complete with manly back slapping. “Hey, man. I appreciate you doing this. I know deer season is over so you probably weren’t busy, anyway,” Jesse joked.

“It’s rabbit season, man. Come on. You know how all the old men will make any excuse to get away from their wives for the weekend.” They laughed.

“So...Where do we start?” Stella asked.

“Okay, right down to business,” Brian said, motioning toward the golf cart. “You want to use shotguns first and then work on the handgun?”

“Whatever works, man. We’re getting her ready for training with the FBI. We need to make sure she’s familiar with a gun.”

“Did you bring your guns with you, Jess?” Brian asked, walking over to the camouflage vehicle and easing himself in the driver’s seat.

“I got ours.” Jesse said.

“Well, grab them and we’ll get started.”

Jesse walked to the back of the SUV and grabbed two shotguns. “Stella, come help me.” He handed her two handguns and a bag.

They walked over to the golf cart and Stella sat on the back seat, which faced backward, and tried to ease the tension in her neck. They rode for about ten minutes until they got to the skeet shooting area of the plantation. Brian told them this section was called “Hole in the Tree.”

“That’s seriously the name?” Stella asked, dumbfounded.

“Yep. People like easy names and ones you can remember. There’s a huge tree in this section with a hole it.”

Stella looked at Jesse and he nodded. “That’s South Carolina for you.”

They spent hours shooting skeet. She wasn’t great, but she hit a couple. Brian was amazing and hit every single clay pigeon that was sent in the air. Jesse was pretty good. It was about dinner time when they rode back to the plantation house.

“I had Nita leave us food for dinner tonight. Spaghetti and garlic bread, we just have to warm it up,” Brian said as they pulled up to the house.

“Whatever, I just want to make sure there’s alcohol,” Jesse replied as he got out of the golf cart. He put his arm around Stella and guided her up to the front door. When he opened it, she took everything in.

It was overtly masculine; the colors, the wood, the rooms. There was wood and leather everywhere. She followed Brian and Jesse through the main room, which had a huge fireplace complete with three huge bucks on the wall. They walked through to the kitchen, where Brian started pulling out dishes and turning on the oven.