Page 28 of Sexting the Silverfox

Rita nods once and settles in the armchair beside it. “What’s bothering you, Mr. Winchester?”

“Honestly, I keep going back to your concern about Audrey,” I say as I pour the whiskey, staring at the golden liquid for a while before speaking again. “You’re right, she’s … off. She’s been off for a while.”

“She’s not the kind to easily open up to other people,” she replies and takes a long sip of whiskey while I swirl mine in its glass. “Which tells me she was badly hurt in the past by people she trusted and cared for the most. That’s not an easy thing to get over. I recognize that wary look in her eyes. It’s hard to miss.”

“Fair enough. But I haven’t given her reason to doubt or fear me.”

“True. I don’t think it’s about you, though, Mr. Winchester. I think it’s about her and about how much she’s willing to do for this relationship,” Rita says. “Audrey did mention that you are, in fact, the first man that she has ever been with. She’s been on her own up to this point, and that alone should tell you everything you need to know in order to better understand her.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s scared, Mr. Winchester. Something happened to her, something so bad that it made her leave her hometown. You know she’s not originally from Chicago, right?”

I give Rita a startled look. “Audrey never mentioned that. But then again, I never asked. I just assumed she was from here.” I pause and briefly go over our past conversations, realizing that I did most of the talking and sharing. “Honestly, she’s not mentioned much about her past. Especially anything about her family other than the fact that they were very strict and that they could be cruel and cold-hearted. She’s got a dad and two brothers, but they’re estranged. Her mother died when she was little. And that’s about it. Suddenly, I’m seeing it in a whole new light. Wow.”

“It’s all right,” Rita says. “Audrey is either ashamed or afraid of her family, that much I can tell you.”

“Again, I have to ask, how do you know?”

She shrugs softly, taking another sip of her whiskey. Her brow furrows for a brief moment. It’s not often she drinks hard liquor, but she has chosen to indulge me tonight. “I’ve come across a lot of people over the years, Mr. Winchester. I’ve seen suffering of all kinds, and I’m positive that Audrey is simply trying to keep the past in the past, as far away from her present and her future as possible.”

“You would’ve made one hell of shrink, Rita, I have to say,” I groan, leaning back into the sofa. For some reason, as much as I’ve been eyeing this whiskey ever since I got home, I’m still not tempted to bring the glass up to my lips.

“I’m just a good listener. People tell you things without actually saying anything. You know that, as well, from your time in the service.”

“True, but I was looking out for traitors and insurgents. I didn’t have to scan my girlfriend’s body language.”

“I think her heart is in the right place. Perhaps she just needs more time to learn to fully trust you. I’m sure she wants to trust you. I’ve seen the two of you together. Audrey is emotionally invested; she has profound feelings for you. And I can tell that you adore her, as well. But you both have different kinds of baggage that you’re bringing into this relationship. Yours is more straightforward. Hers, well, it needs a bit more unpacking.”

“I would like to be able to help her unpack,” I mutter, setting the glass back down on the coffee table. “I have a constant, nagging feeling that Audrey might try running off again. If only I knew the reason. Why is she keeping one foot out the door?”

Rita thinks about it for a moment, glancing out the living room window. Somewhere below, a sea of taillights echoes in a red glow against the glass panes. “I presume you’ve already checked Audrey’s history?”

“There’s not much to check. Up until two years ago, she hardly existed,” I reply. “I should dig deeper. Maybe hire a PI or something.”

“Wouldn’t that be an invasion of Audrey’s privacy?”

“It could be, yes. But what other choice do I have? Every time I ask her something about her past, every time I try to learn more about her, Audrey just shuts down. She finds a reason to leave early, and I end up sulking and feeling like a fool for asking perfectly reasonable questions. You’re right, Rita. I do have feelings for her, and I love how well she gets along with Lily. To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this way about a woman, but a man in my position … there are things I absolutely need to know before I can allow the relationship to progress.”

“I understand. Perhaps be discreet in your investigative endeavor?”

“Oh, definitely,” I nod with confidence. “I’ll get one of my former Army buddies to—” I pause as an alarm goes off on my phone. “Hold on.”

Rita stays quiet while I check the screen.

My heart starts racing as soon as I tap on the blaring notification. My skin tightens all over, beads of sweat blooming on my temples as I go over the live CCTV footage coming in from Audrey’s building. A few moments pass before I’m able to spot the issue, but as soon as I see it, I jump from my seat.

“Mr. Winchester, what’s wrong?” Rita asks, understandably worried.

“I installed a silent alarm system in Audrey’s apartment, just in case anything happened,” I tell her, my voice low and uneven with uncontrollable emotion. “If anybody broke down the door, for example, I’d get an immediate alert on my phone. I didn’t put any cameras in her place—that would’ve been an invasion of her privacy—but the alarm system is rigged to the entire building, and it also gives me access to The Emerald’s CCTV feed.”

“Okay, so what happened? Is Audrey all right?”

“I’m not sure. CCTV footage just caught two big fellas, clad all in black with guns, heading up the stairs,” I explain. “I have to go.”

Rita gasps. “Oh my gosh! Do you need me to call 911?”

“Please, and patch them straight to my cell number if they need any more details. Advise them that I carry a licensed weapon. Tell them who I am and what I’m wearing, just in case, okay?”

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