The Broken Road (5 page)

We headed upstairs and into my bedroom. It seemed fine with the exception of my mattress turned on its side and my jewelry boxed rifled through. Luckily, my most priceless possessions were tucked in a box underneath a floorboard in my closet, along with all my important documents that needed safe-keeping. The box had not been touched.

We walked into Shane’s room and it contrasted differently from mine. His bed was torn apart, ripped to shreds. Clothes covered the carpet, the, drawers were pulled out of the dresser and the curtains torn from their rods. Shane didn't have much in the way of valuables so it was quite alarming to see such destruction in this room. Shane quickly checked the contents of his closet and looked around, saying nothing had been taken. The hard look in his eyes told me how furious he was.

The officer glanced at his notes. “With the lack of theft, I am led to believe this is a random break-in. It was probably just a bunch of teenagers. I’ll turn in the list for the gaming console and games, but I doubt you’ll get that back. You can report it to your homeowner's insurance when you call them about your mudroom. I suggest you call a twenty-four hour locksmith to have them add a lock to the inner door.”

Shane spoke up before I could. “No, that’s okay. I’ll go to the hardware store right now and install it myself.”

I checked my watch. It was eleven thirty. I knew that the hardware store closed at midnight, so he’d have to hurry. When I opened my mouth to say something, he gave me a quick smile. “I’ll make it, don't worry. Are you guys going to be here for a while?” he asked  He took a hooded jacket out of the closet and shrugged it on.

Officer Vaughn replied, “I can stay until you get back if you’d like.” Shane nodded in appreciation. I followed him downstairs and out the front door, stopping at his truck. He pulled me into a hug, knowing that is what I needed. I felt so cold, and not because of the weather.

“Just be careful. No need for any more police activity tonight, okay?” I said quietly, knowing his need for speed. Shane chuckled, his beautiful hazel eyes softening.

“Don't worry. I'll be fine. Go get Penny and I’ll be back soon. Do you want me to call Ben? He could stay  if you want,” he asked, climbing into his truck.  I shook my head.

“No, thanks. We’re fine. I need to get cleaning anyways.”

I crossed the street as he drove away and couldn’t help but shiver. The fact that someone had been in my house, pawed through my belongings, left me shaken.
What could possibly possess someone to do that
? Mrs. Sanders threw open the door before I could raise my hand to knock and gestured me in. I knew she was waiting for the real dirt.

“What did the police say? Do they know who did it?" Mrs. Sanders quizzed.

I shook my head. “They think it was teenagers. All they took was my video game system and my beer, and left a big mess to clean up,” I clipped Penny’s leash to her collar; she was anxious to leave. Mrs. Sanders’s orange cat, Cuddles, did not like dogs and Penny wanted to get away from the cat’s hateful glare.

“Hmm. I’ll have to make sure that Ronald sets the alarm tonight.” She patted my arm and smiled at me kindly. “Penny was a welcome addition and we were glad to have her over. Weren’t we Cuddle-wuddles,” she said in a high-pitched voice, picking up the bowling ball of a cat. Cuddle-wuddles didn't look so happy and swiped at Penny’s nose. Penny whined to leave and started pulling on her leash, so I quickly thanked Mrs. Sanders and headed back to the house.

I let myself into the house through the front door and left my coat and the leash on the sofa. Officer Vaughn was sitting at the kitchen table, making notes.

“Is it alright if I put stuff away?” I asked. The urge to clean strongly took over any thought of sleep. I couldn’t go to bed, knowing that someone had been in here. I felt violated. Returning my house to its normal state would ease some of my anxiety. He nodded absent-mindedly, writing. Once I started putting away items and sweeping up the mess, I felt more in control. By the time Shane returned home with the new deadbolts, the reading area and the living room had been put back to order. 

I slowly made my way upstairs and set about straightening my room. I vaguely wondered where Shane would sleep. With his bed in shambles, he had few options. I figured that he'd make due on the coach or at Allison’s.
Or he could sleep with you,
my inner Shane worshiper whispered. I rolled my eyes as I put on new sheets, the slate blue ones that were the exact same color as my walls.

I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put on a pair of boxers and t-shirt. I was physically and mentally exhausted but too jumpy to sleep. I let Penny climb into bed with me, a rarity, since she likes to kick while dreaming. Shane or not, I could use the company. I climbed under my comforter and looked for mindless entertainment on TV, anything to keep me distracted.

I jumped when a shadow crossed my threshold. I looked up to see Shane leaning on the door frame.

“How are you doing?” he asked in a low voice. His brown hair was glistening from the shower. He was wearing grey boxers, a white t-shirt and his rimless glasses, the kind he only wears when he’s ready for bed.

“I’m okay, I guess. How are you?” I asked, with a half-smile. What did he expect me to say? It sucks that I was robbed, but, oh gee – you can sleep in my bed?

“I’m beat. Scoot over. I’m crashing in here tonight,” he said,  his pillow in hand. My pulse raced and I turned beet red.

“That’s fine. Just don’t snore,” I shot back. Penny looked up at Shane and thumped her tail. She was happy too.

Shane took the remote out of my hand as he settled down next to me.

“We’re not watching Oprah reruns,” he scoffed, turning the channel to the hockey game.

“Thanks for coming back. I’m sorry to have interrupted your evening,” I said quietly, looking at my hands. They were shaking. He looked over at me and put his arms around my shoulders .

“Hey. I’m glad you called. You know that you should call anytime you need me.  How are you really holding up? Don’t lie. Are you okay?” he asked softly, looking me in the eyes. The fear of the evening, the fatigue, the anxiety of him staying here, just melted away when I looked into those hazel eyes. I wanted to kiss him right then and God only knows how I restrained myself.

I gave him a weak smile. “I’m exhausted. That’s all”

Shane rubbed my shoulder. “Yeah, it sucks. I’m just glad that you and Penny are okay. The rest we can deal with. Why don’t you try and get some sleep.” His eyes darkened and looked like he wanted to say something more, but added, “Don't worry. The alarm is on, Penny is in here with us, and I’ll be here. So try to sleep, okay?” Shane moved his arm and put it behind his head as he lay down next to me. I sighed and nodded, then not trusting myself with any more than this, I kissed his cheek.

“Thanks Shane,” I whispered, and then rolled over to my side. I hugged my pillow and closed my eyes. I drifted off to the sound of sports highlights when I thought I felt a feather of a kiss on my cheek.

Chapter 5

I woke up slowly as reality set in. Last night’s events weighed heavily on my mind. I slept horribly and had woken up several times thanks to nightmares. I don’t see how Shane fared any better, because I know I woke him up as well.
Coffee. Must have coffee.
I knew that copious amounts of caffeine would have to be consumed today. I quickly put on my bathrobe and slippers, and hurried down the hall to the stairs where I could hear Shane. My heart stopped when I heard what he said.

“She’s like a sister to me. That’s all. She’s cool. I can trust her.”

A sister? All I am to him is a sister? Disappointment washed over me.
What the hell did you expect?
Turning into the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face to clear my head. I don’t know what the heck I was thinking; there is no reason to get upset, no reason whatsoever. I should be more pissed off about the robbery and the fact that my home was violated, not some kiss that I imagined.
Get a freaking grip.
Angry at myself for being such an irrational love struck teenager and knowing full well that last night’s events were causing me to stress, I took a deep breath to compose myself.  I padded downstairs and walked into the kitchen. I stopped cold when I saw who Shane was talking with. Sitting at my kitchen table, drinking out of my favorite large coffee mug, was Allison. I mentally rolled my eyes, and plastered a bright smile on my face and said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Megan. Shane’s telling me about last night. It must have been awful,” she said. Oh yeah, which part? Feeling something about Shane when I shouldn’t? Or the fact that some jackass decided that breaking into my house was a great way to get some free beer? I bit my tongue to keep the nasty comments from flying out. Regardless of my feelings towards the ice princess, she didn't deserve my bitchiness.

“Yeah, it sucks. I have to make some calls today to get an estimate on the door frame,” I said, pouring coffee into another mug. Yeah, it’s the same coffee, but damn it. It’s different drinking out of a mug that is for guests. I reached for the creamer, which was empty.
Seriously? Should I just go back to bed and start over?
I contemplated the notion while
I threw the bottle into the recycling bin. I added regular milk and then sat at the table with a huff. Shane and Allison just stared at me.

“Didn’t get much sleep did we?” Shane teased.
What the hell do you think?
I couldn’t help it.
My bad attitude boiled over.

“No Shane. I didn’t. I had a pretty crappy night last night, if you remember. I’m exhausted. I’m out of creamer and I need to go to the grocery store. Penny has a vet appointment. I have a laundry list of things to do today; on top of making sure that someone will come and fix my damn door. Plus, mom is expecting me over tonight for dinner. So excuse me while I feel a little out of sorts,” I snapped. The look in their eyes told me exactly how much of a bitch I was acting. I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. I need to get going. Tell me what you need, and I’ll pick it up,” I asked, sipping my coffee and making a face. My coffee isn’t the same without  hazelnut creamer for God’s sake.

“I don't need anything. I already took Penny for a walk. We have things to do, so we’ll see you later.” Shane put their coffee mugs in the sink and headed out of the kitchen.

“I really am sorry for what happened.  Take care,” Allison said softly with a gentle smile.

I smiled back  “Thanks Allison. I appreciate it.” She followed Shane out the door. I looked at the coffee in disgust.
Looks like it’s a Starbucks kind of morning.
I rinsed out the cup and put it in the dishwasher, called Penny in, and headed upstairs. I had a lot to do and the lack of coffee was going to hamper my productivity. After my shower. I threw on a hooded cable-knit sweater and jeans. As I applied my make-up, Shane’s comments this morning kept running through my mind.
This is ridiculous. Maybe Jen's right and I need to actually make an effort to move on.
. I need to do something, because this whole “unrequited love” situation is a bitch.

I headed back downstairs and started the car from my key fob while I put on my jacket and gloves. As I locked the house, I received a text message.

Heard what happened. Call me later – Jen

Ah Jen. My best friend always knows when I really need to talk to her. She’ll understand my frustration. I put in my earpiece and called Jen back once I was on the road.

She answered on the first ring. “Hey Megs. I heard what happened. Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. They let Penny go and I thought she was gone. Since the jerks took my beer and video games, the police think teenagers are behind it. Wait a minute. How did you know?” I asked. She was supposed to be sleeping in today.

“Shane sent me a text this morning,” she replied.

I should have figured. Jen’s parents took Shane in after his parents died eight years ago. Shane and Jen are so close that they’re practically related. When something happens to one of them, the other is the first person that called.

“Yeah, well it sucks,” I said quietly.

“That’s crazy. Did anyone call your brother?” she asked.

I sighed. My brother was very concerned about my safety when I bought my house. He didn’t like the idea of  me living alone. Since my father passed, Kyle’s the man of the family and is over-protective. He’s the one that insisted I have an alarm installed.
A lot of good that did me.

“No and don’t say anything about it either. They would worry and they don’t need to. This was totally random, and I highly doubt anyone will do it again.”

“That’s up to you. So – to change the subject – has Allison been over yet?” Jen asked.

I groaned. “Yeah, this morning. They left about an hour ago. I wasn’t awake when she came in, so I’m not sure how long she was here. And I don’t even want to think about what they could have been doing. But you know what? I’m done with this. I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday. You’re right. I’m stupid to even be thinking of him. I need to get back out there and find someone new.”

Jen chuckled. “I know it’s going to be rough, but you’re twenty-six years old. There are a million guys out there. It doesn’t hurt to look. It’s not like you’re rushing to get married or something. Just take your time. You’ll find someone.”

“Yeah, well. We’ll see. I gotta go. I have a bunch of things to do today and caffeine is number one on my list,” I said, pulling into Starbucks.

We hung up and I walked into the store. As usual, the store was crowded. I stood behind a lady with an adorable baby and passed the time making googly eyes at the kid. I love kids. So innocent and sweet. After placing my order, I started scrolling through my Blackberry while waiting for my caramel latte. Engrossed in an email from Sarah, I thought I heard my order called.  Not paying attention, I reached for my drink and grazed another hand at the same time.

“Oh!” I said with surprise. The hand was attached to a gorgeous super hunk, with caramel skin and sexy gray eyes. He obviously works out and has great style, dressed in a navy sweater and fitted jeans. He grinned, showing his perfectly straight teeth.