Part 40 (2/2)

”No. I have to lay low until I figure things out.”

”What do you mean, figure things out. Ry? I'm not going to let you sneak around and play investigator.

You're going to get yourself killed.”

”Dawson. I have to do this. I will call you when I can.”

”You need to call Lauren and Star. They have been beside themselves worried about you.”

”I can't right now, Dawson. Just tell them that I love and miss them, and I will talk to them when I can.”

”Am I just supposed to go home and do what, Ry?

Are we still a couple?”

”I don't know, Dawson. I truly don't. I just remembered who I was four hours ago. I need time to process all of this.”

”Have you been sleeping with Drew?”

”Dawson, don't do this. I didn't even know that you existed.”

”Was it consensual?”

”I'm not going there with you right now. I can't,” I pleaded. What the h.e.l.l did he expect?

”You're in love with him aren't you?”

”Dawson, he's not the same man that he was then.”

Dawson blew out a puff of air. I could read his face. It was calling me a dumb girl.

”You know where to find me when you figure it out,” he said and stood. I stood with him.

”Dawson,” I pleaded. He turned and crushed his mouth to mine.

G.o.d d.a.m.nit.

I kissed him back, and it was all there, all the love, understanding, care, him putting up with my hang ups. It all came flooding back. I loved this man.

”Please take care of yourself,” he whispered to my lips and let me go.

I sank back to the bench and watched him go. What else was I going to do? The first thing I had to do was get Dawson out of my mind. I hated doing it to him, but he had to get put on the back burner for a while.

Chapter 18.

Okay. This time I had a real plan. Well, sort of.

The guy at the p.a.w.nshop told me that it was a Smith and Weston semi-automatic, nine millimeter, five shot revolver. I used Drew's credit card and paid for it. It was small enough to fit in the back of my jean shorts so that he wouldn't see it. I turned just before I got out of the store and picked up a ball bat.

”I'm going to need this too,” I told the clerk.

”I'm not gonna see you on the news later, am I?”

The older black male with gray hair asked.

”Maybe,” I replied tossing the bat in the air and catching it by the handle.

”Just take the bat,” he offered. I smiled some kind of crazy person smile. I was crazy. There was no doubt about it.

I left both of my new weapons in Drew's car. I needed Marta out of the house before I did anything. I didn't want to put her in the middle.

I slept in Drew's bed as hard as it was. I talked to him on the phone like nothing was wrong and got up the following morning feeling like a super hero. Yeah, I know it was stupid, but I was going to get answers if it was the last thing that I did.

I walked out to the kitchen and said good morning to Marta.

”You can take off whenever you want. Drew is on his way. We're going to go away for a few days,” I lied, pouring a cup of coffee. I didn't know where Drew was, but if he wasn't in a meeting, or in the air. He was listening to me. He was probably smiling, thinking that I was sending her away again because I wanted him to myself. I did. Him and Derik both.

Marta left shortly after, telling me to have a nice time, not suspecting anything. As soon as I knew that she was gone. I took a shower, pulled my hair back and walked out to Drew's car to retrieve my weapons. I stuck the pistol in the back of my jeans, and carried the bat in like I was Rambo or something. I started in the kitchen, smas.h.i.+ng the tiny camera hidden in the handle of one of the cabinets. I turned and smashed the one in the light switch next.

My cellphone rang. I smiled.

”You don't need to call me you son of a b.i.t.c.h. You can hear every word I am saying. I smashed the last camera in the kitchen and started in the living room next.

My phone wouldn't stop ringing. I was afraid to hear his voice. I was afraid that I would coward out. I didn't want to do that. I started to smash a black vase. I always hated that vase. It looked like it had a crack going in a jagged line and the artist had messed up at the top, and it dipped in on one side. I'm sure it was on purpose. I stopped the bat in midair. I knew it had to be expensive, and something told me that it was Mr. Callaway's money who had bought it and not Drew's at all, besides, I liked the idea of the screen in front of him going black from the contact of my wooden bat. I decided to stick with smas.h.i.+ng cameras.

By the time I had finished smas.h.i.+ng the cameras in the living room and hallway to Drew's office my cellphone had stopped ringing. I knew that he was in the air, or I thought anyway. I just didn't know where he was coming from this time. Would he be there in an hour, two, ten? I didn't know. I couldn't remember where he told me that he was going.

I walked to the lavish painting hanging in the hallway and pulled the key, velcroed to the back from behind it. Yeah, I remembered where that was too. My heart started to beat faster as I unlocked his office door. I walked around and sat in his plush leather chair. I picked up the phone with trembling hands and dialed the number on my little sticky note. I had to hang up and redial three times before my shaky hands got it right.

”Can I talk to Mr. Callaway please?” I asked the lady who I was sure was his nurse.

”I'm sorry, but Mr. Callaway isn't feeling well today.”

s.h.i.+t...Now what?

”Who is it?” I heard Mr. Callaway grouchily say in the background.

”Tell him that it is Morgan,” I said quickly before she had a chance to ask or say goodbye.

”Morgan, how are you?” he asked after demanding to talk to me.

”I've been a lot better sir,” I lied. I had never been better, well, that's a lie too. I was better in Maine where I had friends and a man who loved me for all the right reasons. I would have to revisit that later.

”Is there something that I can do for you?” he asked sincerely.

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