Page 80 of Body

To: Gillian Callahan

From: Unknown

Never forget who you belong to. I won’t wait much longer.

What does that even mean? Chase knows I belong to him. He’s insanely possessive, but I can’t imagine Chase would send weird messages to me though he can be unconventional at times. Regardless I close the phone and head off on my mission. I don’t have time for cryptic messages from strange people.

***

I stumble into the house holding the new dress I spent a fortune on. Chase didn’t lie about putting money into my account. When I went to the ATM for some quick cash, the receipt showed that the crazy sneak put a hundred thousand dollars in my bank account. I almost threw up at the thought of that much money. My car isn’t even worth ten thousand dollars, and a hundred thousand is more money than I make in a year. True to his word he’d paid off all my credit cards. So with all this newfound money I went straight to Gucci and bought a $5000 dress and a $700 pair of shoes to match. Chase will be ecstatic that I finally splurged, but the thought of spending that much money on one outfit makes me want to hurl. The end result will be worth the spend I keep reminding myself. I have to please not only Chase, but his mother, family and now put “The Bitch” to shame. She’s not the only redhead that can turn a few heads. I’m stacked and tonight, everyone’s going to know it, especially my man.

Since our return from New York I’ve only spent one evening with Chase. The girls and I devised a plan to make him miss me. The idea was to put a little space between us. I want him crazy with desire for me by the time the party rolls around.

Over the past week I made every excuse in the book to get out of spending every night with him. We came home on Sunday evening from NYC and by Tuesday, he insisted I stay the night with him. It was lovely. We had dinner on the rooftop garden and made love a couple times, squashing any strangeness lingering from New York and meeting my twin.

After that, I made certain that the girls needed me for random things so I couldn’t be available to stay with him. Chase was not pleased. The first two days he became downright indignant. I had to be careful, because I didn’t want my ruse to make him resent my soul sisters. That’s the last thing I needed. Instead, I promised him it would be worth the wait and to trust me. Using the “trust” word goes a long way between us.

I set the bags on the table and Maria comes into the living room dressed in a towel, another towel wrapped around her hair. She looks like a Goddess. The damn woman could be a swimsuit model with all her mocha skin, long hair and dancer’s body. I love her and hate her at the same time.

“Hey,Bonita, some flowers arrived for you when I got home.” She gestures to the kitchen table. “Looks like operation miss me is working.” She shimmies her hips and points to the table. Two dozen red, long stemmed roses stand proud and happy. I look at the flowers and cringe but force a smile. I hate roses, but it’s the thought that counts.

Keep saying that to yourself Gigi and eventually you’ll believe it.

It’s the thought that counts.

I pick up the phone and dial Chase’s number while I finger the card. His “Hello Sweet Cheeks,” melts my heart. Looks like he’s got a new one to test.

“Thank you for the flowers.” I smile into the receiver.

“What flowers?” he asks with a confused tone.

“The two dozen red roses that arrived while I was out today,” I respond flipping over the card.

“I’d love to take credit for sending you flowers, Baby, but I wouldn’t have sent roses. I know you prefer daisies over any flower.” I smile at the thought that he knows my favorite flower. “Who are they from?” His voice holds a twinge of jealousy.

“I don’t know. Let me see.” I feel uncertain that it wasn’t him who sent them. I open the card and read it. As I stand there struck, the card drops to the table, slowly making it’s decent like a leaf falling off a tree in late October. The hair on my neck stands up and my belly turns sour. “Gillian, who are they from?” Chase asks in my ear but I stare at the card, not saying anything. “Gillian? What’s going on?” he yells but I can’t really hear him. It’s as if my ears have been hit with a burst of air so hard that everything around me sounds as if it’s coming from a super loud bass drum.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Um, uh,” I stammer.

Chase’s voice filters through the noise in my head. “Baby, read the card to me…now.” His tone is forceful and clipped. When Chase gets mad, he becomes extremely direct and snappy.

“Gillian,

You don’t belong to him. You belong to me. I will have you. It’s only a matter of time.

You’re mine…Bitch!

I read the card to him and chills scream down my spine as fear takes hold. Maria comes and pulls the card from my shaking hand and reads it. Her spine stiffens. She yanks the phone from my other hand. I can hear Chase’s outbursts through the phone but am unable to make sense of anything. I stand still, fear envelopes me and stuns me cold. I shiver as I listen to Maria’s conversation with Chase.

“We’ll see you in twenty minutes. I won’t leave her. I’m calling Tommy now,” she says and hangs up with Chase.

She walks me over to the couch and sets me down. She pulls the afghan off the back and wraps it around my shoulders. “You okay?” she asks, searching my eyes. I nod. She leaves the room with her phone to her ear. “Tommy, I need you…now!” she says into the phone.

I don’t hear the rest of her conversation as she enters her bedroom. Realizing I’m all alone in the room, fear takes over. I look around the space, my eyes scanning every surface. Maria returns a few minutes later in yoga pants and an oversized shirt that hangs off one shoulder. A tank top underneath helps cover her large chest. It’s a very Flashdance look. She brushes out her wet hair assessing me and tapping her foot.

“Tea?” she asks and I nod.

I watch her move around the kitchen. The fear of the note accompanying those flowers starts to dissipate. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my rattled nerves. Who would send something like that?Justinis the only name that comes to mind. All of a sudden, an incessant banging startles me and I grip my arms around my legs, a deep tremble coats my form as I pull my legs up into my chest and cling to my calves in a protective ball.

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