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Randy waited until he heard the front door open and jumped on the opportunity. On quick feet, he darted past the open bathroom door and out of the bedroom. At the end of the hall, he saw that the front door was standing wide open, but knew the man, Luke, would be coming back through it any moment. Retracing his steps, he went in the opposite direction, leading him through the kitchen and out the sliding doors onto the patio. He was just about to close the glass panel behind him to cover his tracks, but at the last minute chose to leave it open—just one more reminder to let her know that she was his and he would never let her go.
Dropping his hand, Randy ran around the side of the house. Luke was just closing the door to his flashy car when Randy spotted him. A brief vision of his hands wrapping around the guy’s neck, his eyes bulging as he gasped for breath, flitted across his mind, but he held himself in check until the guy was back inside, the door closed and locked behind him, before jogging across the street and into the shadows where his truck sat waiting.
Taking once last glance back at the house, Randy fired up the engine and tore off down the street. Soon, he promised himself. Soon they would be together again, and he would show Terri what happened to women who cheated on their husbands.
***
She could have sworn she heard something. Shutting off the water, Terri stood bent over the edge of the sink, beads of water dripping off her chin and nose while she listened once again to nothing but the steady drip drip drip on porcelain. Shaking her head, she reached for the towel she kept hanging next to the sink and blotted her face dry. After smoothing on a little moisturizer, she swung open the bathroom door and froze. The distinct smell of smoke tickled her nose and called up memories she would rather not acknowledge, but it was gone just as quickly as it had come, like a phantom called up from her subconscious, designed to torture her.
Suddenly, she didn’t feel so safe, despite Luke’s close proximity. Hugging herself, she just stood there staring out from the doorway into the room. The only light came from the globes over the sink behind her, casting a towering shadow of herself across the center of the bedroom. All of her senses told her she was alone, her ears picking up the sound of Luke moving around in the front room, but she shivered anyway, a feeling deep in her core telling her that something wasn’t right.
Outside, the sound of a powerful engine roared, tires squealing in protest. She had lived in the neighborhood long enough to know that it was a quiet area, and so the noise was out of place. Crossing to the window, she parted the curtains and pried one of the slats in the blind down so she could peek out the window.
Already halfway down the block, she caught the tail end of a dark pick-up truck speeding around the corner, disappearing into the night. She didn’t recognize it, but uneasiness crept down her spine and she backed away, letting the window dressings spring back into place. Needing to be surrounded by light and warmth, Terri strode quickly from the room.
Luke was relaxing on the overstuffed couch, his dark eyes surveying the photos hanging on the walls. All were of landscape or some such scenery, nothing of Terri or anything that hinted at her past, except for the picture of her parents sitting on the corner of the end table next to the colorful lamp.
The design was purposeful.
She had heard once that you had to surround yourself with positive things if you wanted positive things to come to you. Her parents hadn’t had a perfect marriage, but they had always been her champions, and whenever she looked at their smiling faces she felt a sense of peace envelope her.
Her life with Randy had been a sham. A total lie. People thought they were happy, but behind the scenes it was a nightmare. They didn’t know the abuse, both mental and emotional. They didn’t have to live with the betrayals, and they certainly didn’t have to live with the constant fear of never knowing what the day might bring looming over their head.
Yes, the design of her home was intentional. She kept all pictures of her and Randy from before, during and after their marriage in a box on a shelf in her closet. If she put them out she would have to pass by them each day, always seeing and being reminded of the life she so desperately wished to leave behind. One day she would be brave enough to destroy them.
She may be hiding from her husband, but some might say she was also hiding from herself. So be it. You had to do what you had to do to survive.
Gaze landing on her, Luke sat up, smiling in a way that called an instant blush to Terri’s cheeks. He really was a good-looking guy, she thought as she crossed the room and dropped down into the chair opposite him.
“Feeling better?” he asked, looking her over.
“Much. Are these the plans?” Scooting to the edge of her seat, Terri took a closer look at the papers spread out on the table. Luke had asked her for assistance in planning a St. Patty’s Day themed party at Sunset Black for the upcoming holiday, and she found that she couldn’t say no. Besides, she didn’t have much to keep her busy these days and it sounded like the perfect opportunity to immerse herself in something fun that would keep both her hands and her mind busy. Lord knew she needed the distraction, especially since she hadn’t been getting much sleep or peace of mind since that night Randy had contacted her at work.
“One and the same,” Luke confirmed, then leaned in closer so he could fill her in on what his ideas were and how they should go about making them happen.
