Where Words Fail (14 page)

Jameson was still hanging over the edge of the truck bed when Izzy got into the cab. He asked what happened, and I took a minute to explain everything to him before remembering that she had given me the note. The uneasy feeling in my stomach returned as I unfolded the crumpled envelope and pulled the paper from inside.

Did you honestly think you could hide from me? She’s cute and was easy find. Even easier to get to. You won’t be far behind, your farm is nice by the way. See you soon. Oh, happy anniversary sweetie.

Six sentences. That was all it took to bring my world crumbling down even further than the whole Jameson situation did. My mouth went dry and I began dry heaving, bent over behind the truck as Jameson rubbed my back and asked a million questions that I just couldn’t answer. The words wouldn’t form in my mouth as the questions in my own head jumped to the front of my mind.

When did he get out?

How did I not know he was out?

How did he find Izzy?

How am I going to protect everyone?

I pushed my way towards the driver’s side of the truck after telling Jameson to get in. “Abby what the hell!”

“Just get in the fucking truck Jameson! I can’t explain it right now!” Izzy’s eyes went wide when she heard the swear come out of my mouth. Her head snapped forward, eyes still wide as she stared out the front window. She knew something was wrong, and I could tell from her face that she was trying to figure out if it had something to do with the man who said he was my ‘friend’ or if something was wrong with Alex.

I turned the ignition until the truck roared to life and threw it in drive. With the radio blaring, I slammed my foot into the gas pedal and took off down the mile long driveway. Usually we would walk but for some reason today I had decided to drive, and right now, I couldn’t be happier that I decided to be lazy. I didn’t feel like being exposed or exposing Izzy any more than she had already been.

My fingers were going numb, and my knuckles were white from the pressure I was holding the wheel with. The note was still crumpled in my hand, and the envelope was stuffed in my back pocket. Jameson was staring at me. I could feel it, but I couldn’t even talk to him let alone look into his eyes.

Pulling up to the house I slammed on the breaks and shifted into park. Dust and dirt billowing around us as I jumped from the truck, not bothering to shut it off because I was getting back in it in a minute. “Take her inside and check on Alex. Don’t go outside until I get back!”

“Abby-?”Jameson reached for me as I rounded the front of the truck.

“No, Jameson. I need to get everyone in the house. I’ll tell you as soon as I get back. Please... Please just get her inside and check on Alex and watch them.” I begged with him until he let go, and I made a mad dash towards the barn. I hollered for AJ, Jason and Tuesday until they came out of their apartments, and I told them that they needed to get into the house until I got back.

“Abby, what the fuck?” AJ yelled after me as I bound down the stairs. I turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. All my emotions were wreaking havoc, and I was having a hard time reining them in.

“Matt.” That one word, his name, made AJ grab Tuesday’s hand and drag her down the stairs and towards my house with Jason right behind us. They all knew about Matt. Tuesday and Jason only knew the basics. He hit me. He went to jail. Only AJ, Alex and Paul know everything that went on and how scared I was. I am.

I jumped in the truck as Jason stopped climbing the stairs and turned to yell at me. “You shouldn’t go alone, Abby!”

“I’m fine! Now get in there and lock the door!”

“No! At least take Jameson! We all know what he looks like, Jameson doesn’t. I don’t want you going to Paul’s alone!” He makes a valid point, so I nodded, and he called for Jameson. Pushing his way past Jason, Jameson made his way to the truck and climbed in.

Once again, I threw the truck in drive and drove, way too fast, down my driveway. Only this time I took the backside that we had put in just for this reason because it cut straight to Paul’s house. Jameson held onto the holy shit handle when I took a corner too fast and the rear end of the truck slid around on me.

“Paul!” I slammed my fist against the door. “Paul! I need you!” I know he’s home. His truck is here and he texts me whenever he leaves in case I need him. Come to think of it though, I haven’t seen my phone. I heard the gravel crunch beside the house as Paul rounded the corner.

“Abby, what’s wrong?” The concern in his voice was obvious as I thrust the note towards him. His eyes widened as he read the words. “Matt?” I nodded and I could see Jameson’s eyes narrow as he stared at me. “He gave it to Izzy at school. I need you to…”

“Covered, let me grab my phone so I can make some calls and we’ll head back to the house.”

He turned and ran into the house. My fingers ran through my hair, pulling at it to try to relieve some of the building tension. My ability to keep my emotions at bay was failing fast as I felt the first tear slide down my cheek. Letting go of my hair I wiped it away. Not fast enough though, Jameson saw. He tugged on my hand and pulled me towards him and laced his fingers in my hair, tugging my head back so I would look at him.

“Talk to me Abby.”

“I can’t...” I shook my head back and forth, trying to push myself off him but he wouldn’t budge. “I’m not ready for this, Jameson.”

“Abby, you said you wanted to be friends. Let me be your friend.”

“It’s not safe,” I whispered. “He found Izzy. He found me. We aren’t safe anymore."

“Hey.” He pulled me back into his chest, and I let him wrap his arms around me, his scent wrapping around me. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t let anything hurt anyone of you.” He kissed the top of my head as he promised me things I hoped were true. For too long I have felt unsafe, and now I found the one place I didn’t. The one place I should be more scared of than anything. Back in Jameson’s arms.

Jameson

I don’t know what’s going on, but the look in Abby’s eyes is enough to know it’s nothing good. Maybe she has some type of psycho stalker. It’s not unheard of being in the public eye. But I knew I wasn’t going to let anything happen to them.

Over the past five weeks, every ounce of energy I had in my body that wasn’t spent working on the new album was spent keeping myself from touching Abby. That was a feat in itself. It was killing me not to act the way I want to with her. Not to tell her I love her or kiss her whenever I want to. Knowing she is just across the driveway and not being able to climb in bed with her and hold her at night was driving me crazy.

Making the decision to be her friend like she asked was something I jumped at in the moment. Yeah, it crossed my mind briefly that I knew I wanted more but at that point, I knew I would take her anyway I could get her. I would be her friend until she decided she wanted more. I knew it was bound to happen. I could see it in her eyes. The heat was in her eyes on more than one occasion, but that wasn’t something I could focus on right now.

Right now, all that filled her eyes were tears and terror.

Paul exited his house, barking out orders into his phone. We followed him down the stairs. My arm stayed resting around her shoulder protectively, and we climbed into the truck. Paul took the driver’s seat, pushing Abby to the middle. She turned her back towards me to watch Paul while he was still on the phone. I pulled her into me, my arm crossing over her chest to her other shoulder, and even though she resisted at first, she finally sagged into my chest. Her fingers curled around my forearm as she answered Paul’s questions.

Alex was the first to speak up when we got back to the house. “Abby, what’s going on?” He was sitting on the couch with Izzy’s head in his lap when we got back to the house. His eyes looked like he was about to fall asleep. The cancer was really taking its toll on him lately.

“Matt showed up at Izzy’s school today and gave her a note. He told her he was my friend so she would talk to him.”

“Wait! Isn’t he supposed to be in jail still?” Jail? What the hell was I missing? This had to be worse than some stupid stalker fan.

“That’s what I thought. Mr. Cooper said he was going to get in touch with me when he got out!” Abby’s voice went high, and I could tell she was having a hard time keeping it together. “I’d find out why he didn’t call me and let me know if I could just find my damn phone!"

“Hey,” I broke my silence and walked away from the doorframe I had been leaning on. “Can someone please fill me in on what the heck is going on?”

Alex cleared his throat and began talking after Abby nodded her approval. I kept eyeing Abby throughout the whole speech, but she wouldn’t look at me. She just kept staring at the floor and chewing her fingernails.

“Matt is Abby’s ex. He met her one of the times she got arrested after you left. He’s the police chief’s son. They moved in together right after we turned eighteen. They lived together for three months until I showed up one day and found out he had been beating and raping her. I got her out and she pressed charges. His dad arrested him and disowned him because of it. He holds this grudge over her now because of it.”

The blood was pumping so hard through my body I could barely hear the conversation that continued after Alex said that she had been beaten and raped. Matt must be the blonde guy I saw her with. If I had stayed I could have saved her from all of this. Fuck! I flexed my hands by my side. I heard Abby’s breath catch in her lungs as she began to panic. Her chest was heaving as she cried and sank to the floor, the sight tearing at my heart.

I walked over and sank down beside her, pulled her in between my thighs and wrapped my arms around her. Her hands grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer to her as she turned and cried into my neck. I ignored the need to wipe the wetness off my skin and just let her cry. The dirty stares I was getting from everyone in the room were nerve racking, but I didn’t let go as I rocked her back and forth until she settled down.

“Abby.” Izzy touched her shoulder. I’d never heard her call Abby by just her first name, it was always Aunnie or Aunnie Abby. I could tell by the look on her face she was scared she did something wrong.

“Yeah, baby doll?”

“You mad at me?”

“Not in a million years baby, this isn’t your fault.” Abby pulled her into her arms.

“You still love me? You still my aunnie?” There it is. She was scared Abby didn’t love her anymore. That she didn’t want to be her aunt anymore. From what I’ve seen I don’t think Izzy could do anything that would make Abby feel differently about her.

The corner of Abby’s mouth curved up. “Te quiero, baby. You still mine?”

“Te quiero, Aunnie Abby.” She gave Abby a quick kiss and high fived me for some weird reason. Then bound back towards Alex, who seemed to be thinking the same thing about the high five as I was.

“Abby,” Paul called out. “There’s a cop car in the driveway.”

Abby pushed herself off my chest and sat back on her heels while she wiped her face clean. I hated feeling like I couldn’t help her, but I wasn’t there when it happened. I couldn’t take the pain away but vowed to myself that I would do everything to keep her safe and help her get through this. The heavy footsteps on the porch made Abby jump up and head for the door with me hot on her heels.

“Abby.” The tall officer wrapped his arms around her. His blonde hair sticking out from under his hat. “I’ve been trying to call you for two days. When you didn’t answer I had to come out and tell you myself.” Abby leaned back so she could look into his eyes.

“You’re too late, Officer Cooper.”

The man’s face paled and he narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, too late?”

“He found me. He knows where I live.” She stuttered. “He found Izzy at school and gave her a note to give me.”

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. What did the note say and do you still have it?”

Paul stepped up and unfolded the note. I still wasn’t sure of what it said and after what Alex said he did to her, I’m not sure I want to. Clearing his throat, he started, “Did you honestly think you could hide from me? She’s cute and was easy find. Even easier to get to. You won’t be far behind. Your farm is nice by the way. See you soon. Oh, happy anniversary, sweetie.” Yep. I didn’t want to hear that.

“Anniversary? Abby, you guys met in the winter. What anniversary is he talking about?”

She hesitated. “He’s talking about the first time...” She blew out a long breath. “The first time he bashed my head off the kitchen sink.”

“Holy shit…” The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them. Everyone turned to look at me. Only Tuesday and Jason looked as surprised as I was, but everyone quickly turned back to Officer Cooper. Everyone except Abby that is. She stayed looking at me for a bit longer. The look in her eyes made me want to cry before she said, “Holy shit is right.” And she turned back around to talk. That confirmed it for me. The guy I saw her with was him.

Officer Cooper stayed to set up a game plan to keep everyone safe. He was having the town police do extra rounds and Paul had set up extra security. Izzy now had a full time guard who would be with her anytime she wasn’t in a classroom and even then he was no more than twenty feet away from the door. Three extra guys were brought in to guard the property. One would sit at each end of the driveway, and one would do constant sweeps of the barn because of the four of us staying out there.