Run Like Hell (6 page)

“George Clooney, Brad Pitt, or Ryan Reynolds. Your choice.” She waves the movies around enticingly.

“Actually, I have to get going. I have to study tonight. I’ll call you later, Morgan.”

Rory raises an eyebrow at me but I ignore her and follow Jack to his car.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” I apologize. His arms circle around me and he pulls me close. I bite my lip to keep from wincing in pain because he’s pressing against my bruised stomach.

“Hey, the timing wasn’t right tonight but I still love you.” He kisses me long and sweet and his arms thankfully loosen around me. “I’ll call to you later and will see you at school tomorrow. I have an early basketball practice in the morning. I can pick you up and take you to school.”

I shake my head no. I’d rather get an extra hour of sleep, even at the expense of taking the school bus. School starts early enough as it is. “Thanks, but no thanks.” Kissing him one last time, I say good-bye and return to the house to find my aunt rummaging in the refrigerator.

“Wow, what’s with all the organic food? My sister’s obsessed with her health.” She pulls out organic chicken breasts and broccoli, and then selects a box of organic whole grain pasta from the cupboard. “I’m cooking tonight,” she beams.

I’m starving and Rory is a great cook. I pull up a kitchen stool while she prepares dinner.

“What’d I interrupt? Boyfriend planned on spending the night?” She gives me a wicked smile and I shrug.

“Something like that,” I admit.

Rory’s fifteen years younger than my mother, and a complete opposite of her. Although I don’t see Rory often, whenever I’m around her I always enjoy talking to her, unlike my own mother. Rory’s actually Mom’s half-sister; their mother remarried and her second husband is Rory’s dad.

“Okay, I’m the adult here so I have to ask. Are you two having sex?”

If anyone other than Rory asked me that question, I’d roll my eyes and gag. But Rory is twenty-five and much cooler than other adults in my life.

I shake my head no and I swear Rory sighs with relief. She probably doesn’t want to harbor any secrets about me from my mother. Then the realization of her visit kicks in and she looks up at me, her eyes big.

“Wow, I was the third wheel tonight, wasn’t I? That’s why Boyfriend disappeared so quickly. I killed his game plan.” She laughs as she chops the chicken breasts into strips.

“He’ll live.” I’m not resentful. In fact, part of me is relieved she arrived when she did. I’m tired, bandaged and bruised. Not exactly the look I was hoping for to impress Jack with considering it will be our first time together.

Over a delicious dinner, Rory and I discuss school and her job. I can’t imagine her wearing a business suit for work each day but she assures me she does. She loves her salary and the power she has over her boss’s schedule.

The evening is enjoyable and dinner is delicious. Sitting across from me at the kitchen table, Rory narrows her eyes and I anticipate her question before she asks it.

“So, when are you planning on telling me about the cuts all over your face and arms? What happened last night that I need to know about?”

Fate is on my side when it comes to answering questions tonight. No sooner does she speak when the door bell rings. Rory looks at me, surprised to have someone ringing the doorbell now. She goes to answer it and I eat the last bite of my dinner. Tiger is tied up in the backyard, barking.

“Morgan,” she calls from the foyer.

I wipe my mouth with my napkin and head towards the door.

Rory is standing in the open doorway, thanking the person on the porch as something is handed to her. I can’t see who she’s talking to because she’s blocking the doorway.

Stepping aside, she says, “Morgan, this nice man dropped off your driver’s license. He said he’d found it in the street. Did you even know your license was missing?”

I don’t hear my aunt talking because I’m staring into the face I’ve been trying to forget since last night. My attacker is standing on the porch. He smiles. All the blood in my body pools in my feet.

Chapter Five

Rory blocks the door as she rests one hand lightly on the door and her other hand on the frame. “Morgan, you should thank this nice man for returning your license.”

My mouth is dry and chalky. I can’t speak. He silently backs away from the door and waves good-bye.

“Wait, don’t you want a reward or something?” Rory calls after him but he disappears into his old sedan.

Without hesitating, I push past my aunt and run outside to get his license plate number. Rory yells at me for shoving her but I ignore her. I tear across the grassy yard and stare intently at his car while he drives away. Turning back toward to the house, I repeat the number in my head over and over again until I jot it down in the kitchen on a scrap of paper.

“Explain what that was about,” Rory demands, standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips. “Is he responsible for your face being cut up?”

She impresses me with her deduction skills.

“You never know what freaks people are. I don’t know him but want to have his plate number in case.” I tack the scrap of paper onto the bulletin board my mother keeps in our kitchen to organize the family’s schedule.

“In case of what?”

In case he comes back.

“Just in case, that’s all,” I answer cryptically.

Rory extends her hand and I take my driver’s license from her. I still don’t want to call the police even though I told myself I would if anything strange happened. Finding my attacker on my porch is strange. Why am I not confiding in Rory or calling the police?

What’s his plan now that he knows where I live? Is he going to stalk me, or was that his warning for me to keep my mouth shut? The whole night is unclear to me. The more I think about it, the more confused I am.

I’d willingly gotten into his car. If he’d pulled me into the car I would be compelled to report him. But I’d gotten into the car so it’s my own stupid mistake. Did I misinterpret his intentions? I trust my instinct, which is why I leapt, but what if he was driving to another gas station down the road? Although, he chased me through the woods and threatened me. And he tried to haul me back to his car before I’d stomped on his foot and gotten away. I don’t know. I just want to forget the whole incident. And I don’t want my parents finding out about it.

We silently clean up the dishes then go into the living room. I choose the Ryan Reynolds movie and we flop on the couch. When the opening credits flash on the screen I realize I’m not in the mood to watch a movie. I pity her. She should have a busy social life rather than babysitting me.

“Do you have a boyfriend, Rory?”

“I don’t think your mother would appreciate me answering that question.” Her smile assures me she has a list of men who would welcome a call from her, any hour of the day.

“You know anything you tell me will stay between us, right? So, tell me—” A fun story told by my aunt will get my mind off the guy’s unsettling smile. A smile I want to forget.

Rory and I sit back into the plush couch and get comfy. Tiger squeezes onto the sofa beside me and I pet him while I listen to her story.

“In high school I dated a guy named Adam. He was totally hot but the worst influence on me. My mother knew it too but couldn’t keep us apart no matter how many times she forbid me to see him. Adam and I were meant to be together, until he cheated on me. Then it ended. Soon after, I met Tyler. He was hot and smart, unlike Adam who wasn’t too bright. Tyler was everything I hoped for in a boyfriend. We dated for several years and continued dating in college, until he hit me one day. Then I refused to see him again.”

My mouth drops open. I can’t imagine a man hitting my sweet aunt.

I’m dying to know more. “What happened?”

“After Tyler I realized I’d been in a relationship since I was a fifteen and needed some space. Seven or eight months passed and I dated a lot of guys but wasn’t interested in commitment. Then, I met Alex. He was sexy, smart and rich. Even better, I thought. Alex and I got serious right away. He wanted to buy me a condo but didn’t want to live with me. I didn’t care about his money. I found out he was married and he wanted me to be his mistress. I left him. I’m not seeing anyone right now.

What I’ve learned from my relationships is no guy is perfect. They have their individual faults. As a woman, you need to decide what you’re willing to live with. Me, I wasn’t willing to live with being cheated on, beaten, or being a home-wrecker. I still haven’t met Mr. Right, and I may never meet him, but I’ll keep looking.”

“Rory, I can’t believe your relationships were so bad.” I can’t imagine Jack every disappointing me the way her old boyfriend did with her.

“Oh, they weren’t all bad. I had some great times with them, but they weren’t marriage material. But you’re still young. I’m telling you this so you can think about what you’re willing to endure for the love of a man. Jack seems nice. You two make a cute couple.” Rory pats my leg and stands to retrieve the movie from the DVD player. We weren’t watching it.

Before heading upstairs I remember Mom’s call earlier. “Rory, Mom wants you to call her in the morning. She and Dad are on a dinner cruise tonight.”

“Are you two getting along?” Rory asks. She’s witnessed the dissention between Mom and me. “If not, you need to start communicating better with her. I know she can be difficult, but she has her reasons and she loves you very much, more than you know.”

“What reasons?”

“She’ll share them with you when she’s ready. But remember she isn’t perfect even though she appears to be. Cut her some slack, okay?” Rory gives me a hug and kisses the top of my head.

Why should I cut her some slack? It should be the other way around. I’m a good daughter and could be doing a lot worse. I don’t use drugs, or smoke, and my grades are good. I don’t roll with the wrong crowd either. Jack and Traci are good influences on me.

I need to call Jack. I miss him. I planned on spending the whole weekend with him but only saw him for two hours. Plus, Traci should be home from her date with Carlos and I want to hear about their day together.

“Thanks for making dinner, Rory. Remember to call Mom in the morning.”

Before I go upstairs I open the front door to let Tiger out. He lifts his head and barks, then tears around the house toward the backyard.

“Tiger!” I yell and chase after him. “Tiger, stop!”

When I round the corner of the house I realize the gate to the backyard is still open. He’s growling and barking at the far end of the yard but I can’t see anything in the dark. “Come here, boy.” After more barking and growling, Tiger reluctantly comes after I persistently call him over. “We’re staying indoors the rest of the night.” I lock the gate and we return to the front of the house.

The open front door gives me a sense of dread, despite knowing Rory is inside. Once again I kick myself for my own stupidity. If I’m going to get through these few days without my parents around, I need to make smarter decisions. Leaving my house open for trouble isn’t smart.

“Rory?” I yell into the house.

She steps out from the kitchen into the foyer. “What?”

“Oh, just making sure you’re inside the house. I didn’t want to lock you out.” Tiger and I step inside and I close and lock the door behind us.

“Why would I be outside?”

“No reason. Okay, I’ll be upstairs.” Without giving her a chance to say anything else, I dart upstairs and go to my room.

I have an idea. If this guy is intent on stalking me, I can call the cops if I suspect anything suspicious. He’ll be charged with breaking-and-entering if he attempts to get inside my house. And I can call the cops and inform them of any suspicious behavior outside my house if I’m threatened. I don’t have to explain to them that I suspect it’s the same guy I hitched a ride with Saturday night. I’ll tell the cops someone is lurking around and the police will come and search the perimeter of my house.

I’m empowered and less afraid knowing I can call the police without having to reveal my stupid mistake Saturday night. He has no right messing with me and if he does, he’s going to find himself in a heap of trouble.

It’s nine-thirty when I call Jack. He’s finished studying and asks to come over. He can’t stay long but insists on seeing me. He tells me he forgot to give me something. Intrigued, I invite him over and hang up. What’s he going to give me? While I’m brushing my teeth and rechecking my appearance, my iPhone rings. Traci.

Excited, she divulges all the details of her date with Carlos. She’s talking fast and I imagine her pacing in her room, or jumping on her bed. I’m happy for her. I can tell she had a great time by the way she’s describing him. She says he paid and he put his arm around her in the movie theatre but didn’t kiss her. She deserves a great guy in her life after the way Steve dumped her. We plan on meeting the next morning at school to get coffee at the Coffee Cart before first period.

I spray a light fragrance on my wrists and the back of my neck then go downstairs to wait for Jack to arrive. Rory is in the dining room working on her laptop. She looks up momentarily, then resumes typing. More legal work, I suspect.