Page 83 of Camden

Haley scoffed. “Screw that. He’s on a fishing trip. Besides, this way, we can come up with a badass way of telling him he’s going to be a dad.”

“Oh, can we videotape it? That would be fun,” Rylie said with a mouth full of food.

I pressed the mute button and went to the toilet, quickly peeing on the stick while Rylie and Haley continued to plan a pregnancy reveal for me.

As much as I loved the idea of surprising him in some elaborate way, I probably wouldn’t. I want it to be just the two of us, sitting on the couch watching a movie. I want him holding me close when I tell him that he’s going to be a father.

After washing my hands, I picked the phone back up and unmuted myself. “Now what?” I asked.

“Now, go downstairs, grab a drink, and kill a few minutes. Then go back up and tell us the results.”

“Okay,” I said, making my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door, I grabbed a bottle of water, although a glass of wine would do better for calming my nerves. “Is it wrong for me to want some wine?” I asked.

“I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t if I were you. Just in case,” Rylie said.

“Okay.” I shut the door and screamed as a bat flew through the glass door that led out to the back deck. My water slipped from my grip and landed on the floor, spilling everywhere. I backed up against the counter, away from the door as a man stepped through.

The alarm sounded, echoing through the house.

Rylie and Haley screamed at me through the phone, but I couldn’t focus on them as my personal hell stepped through the broken door into the kitchen. Glass crunched under his boots, scratching the beautiful hardwood floors.

The guy was tall and bulky. I couldn’t see his face. He dressed in all black, a hood blocking my view. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I looked around for an exit. The front door was just a little too far away. He’d likely catch me before I could reach it.

“What the hell is happening?” Rylie screamed through the phone just as the intruder pushed back his black hood covering his face.

“Hello, Stephanie.”

My blood ran cold. My mind flashed back to my old life. Flashed back to my body laying crumpled on the bottom of the staircase surrounded by my own blood. “Jax.” My voice didn’t sound like my own. It sounded far away. Muffled. He took a step toward me as I took a step back toward the counter. I was in the corner between the stove and the sink.

“Hang up the phone.”

“No! You do not hang up this phone!” Haley yelled at me.

“Hang up the phone, Stephanie.” He didn’t yell. Didn’t scream. His voice was cold. Distant. Evil. He twirled up the bat in his hands. Both covered in black leather gloves.

His grip tightened, the leather creaking. His eyes filled with hatred as he glared at me. “Okay.” I held up my hands. Lifting the phone, I quickly turned down the volume on the side as I flipped the camera, pretending to end the call. I could see the panic on Rylie’s face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“There.” I set the phone face down on the counter, so he couldn’t see their faces. “Jax. What are you doing here?” I said, louder than necessary. I wanted them to know who did this. Who to look for.

Just in case.

“Did you really think that you could just leave me? That I wouldn’t find you?” Jax tilted his head to the side, studying me. He looked deranged. His jaw ticked. The redness of his eyes told me he was drunk, high, or both.

He couldn’t be talked down like this. He was most dangerous like this. After all, I’d dealt with it before.

“I needed to leave. I was hurt.Youhurt me,” I said as I stepped to the side, trying to put distance between us.

“You could’ve come back.”

I shook my head. “We both know I couldn’t go back.” My hand blindly moved around the island looking for something, anything, to protect myself with. My focus never left him.

“You were mine!” Spit flew from his mouth as he screamed. The veins in his head throbbed. “Youaremine. We can go back to normal. We can pack up and leave now. Go back home. Things could go back to normal.” He took two long steps toward me as I skirted around the island.

Please let the cops be close.

“I am home. I’m not leaving,” I said.

His eyes turned to slits. “Yes, you are,” He hissed. His entire body stone still. It reminded me of a predator ready to pounce.

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