Page 18 of The Only Time

I never claimed to be a saint.

Chapter Seven

Mia

Okay, so I’m attracted to the man I’m staying with while I’m hiding out from my crazy ex who may or may not be trying to kill me.

It’s okay. That says nothing about me or the choices that I make. Plus, I don’t really think you can choose who you are attracted to. And I just saw him with no shirt on. He looks like an athlete who is training for the freaking Olympics. It’s not like I’m attracted to his personality. That I can say for sure.

Good. That makes me feel better.

Now I can go downstairs and not feel bad about the fact that I couldn’t stop picturing his shirtless body.

I look down at my pajamas and am brought back to the doctor’s comment last night. It was so humiliating. I felt like I was in high school and the teacher caught me giving my boyfriend sexy lingerie.

I was surprised by the look Eric gave me when the Doctor joked about it. It felt like a mixture of anger and interest. I didn’t think I would like the combination, but my body proved me wrong on that account.

After I get ready, I feel a bit better. I think I will explore a little bit of the town today. Maybe find a good bookstore that I can peruse with an iced coffee. I’m in my jean shorts and a V-neck shirt. The fall weather down here isn’t exactly what Ohio sees. It dips a bit lower at night but gets up to the mid-seventies.

Before I do anything, I need to call my brother back. He was texting me last night, but I was so drained I couldn’t find the energy to respond.

I grab my phone and lower into the chair in my room. It’s angled to overlook the backyard.

“Finally,” Gabe’s voice sounds in my ear. “I was texting you last night.”

“I’m sorry. Eric cut his arm last night. I had to take him to the hospital. He needed stitches. It was a whole thing.”

“I talked to Mrs. Mayberry,” he says, ignoring my statement about Eric.

“You talked to my neighbor? Why exactly did you do that?”

“I got a call from the police station. Mrs. Mayberry saw Don’s car two nights in a row sitting at the end of the street. She called the cops. They called me. So, I paid her a little visit to get more information.”

I suddenly get a strange sensation all over my body—like someone is watching me, even though no one is around. Is Don crazier than I thought? Did I leave any clues behind as to where I was going?

“I thought he was given the restraining order,” my voice cracks with fear.

“Well, the motherfucker didn’t see it as a real threat. But she told me she thinks she saw him peeking into your windows one of the nights. By the time the police came, he was gone.”

Oh my god. This can’t be happening to me.

“Did the police contact him?” I ask.

“They did. He denies that he was anywhere near your house. Without proof, there’s pretty much nothing that they can do.”

“How is that possible? They can’t, like, scare him or warn him off?”

Gabe sighs. “Crazy people don’t care about what an officer says. If he thinks he can get away with it, or rationalizes what he’s doing in his head, he won’t listen to anyone. I think you should come home.”

“Why on earth would I come home now? It sounds like the worst time to come home,” I argue.

“Because I don’t trust this guy. I had someone go check his place out—try to see what he was up to—and it has been empty since the cops showed up at his place yesterday morning. I don’t know where he is.”

Tears prick the corners of my eyes, but I do my best to hold them in.

“Gabe, I’m not coming home. This was the plan the entire time. The reason why I left. If he’s looking for me, it’s better that I’m hiding.”

“I don’t like not having you here for us to protect.”

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