Page 33 of Real Shadows
She looked up at me and fucked me up further by stating what was running through my mind not minutes before. “This was expected, right? We knew there was a chance he’d come after me. Cameras don’t help, Xander,” she said. “Or, at least, they haven’t helped in the past.”
“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get them,” I argued. “They’re good to have for a million different reasons, Fallon.”
Fallon reached out and wrapped her fingers inside the waistband of my sweats. It was an oddly intimate thing to do. It was something couples did, and even though we slept together last night, I hadn’t expected her to become so comfortable and affectionate so quickly.
“Xander, I’m tired,” she replied, her lips trembling, but her voice was tired sounding as fuck. “I’m scared, but,God, am I tired.”
“Fallon, I…know we agreed that…I knew why you chose to stay and make a life here. I knew you were ready to stop running, but…” Christ, I wasn’t ready. Even if she was ready to stop running, I wasn’t ready to face this so quickly. “Fallon, baby,Ineed the cameras,” I told her. “There’s no way I’ll be able to go to work on Monday knowing he’s here.”
“Cameras don’t help, Xander,” she repeated.
“Well, then let me call the police,” I replied. “If nothing else, they can be on the lookout for strangers new to town.”
“Why don’t we-”
The sound of shattering glass had me racing towards the back of the house. I looked back over my shoulder and yelled, “Get in the fucking attic now, Fallon!”
“Xander-”
“Get in the goddamn atticnow!” I needed her safe, but when I heard another window shatter, it turned me back down the hallway towards the kitchen, and Fallon racing down the hallway towards the attic access. The attic was the safest place she could be.
When I didn’t see anything or anyone near the kitchen, I decided to follow Fallon into the attic to get one of my guns. Both of us being half dressed, I knew Fallon didn’t have her phone on her, so I raced towards the bedroom to grab my phone before heading to the attic. We needed to call 911 and this was the first time I’ve ever cursed not having a landline.
Racing out of the bedroom I came to an immediate halt when I was faced with a man at the end of the hallway, a gun pointed straight at me, and I knew he hadn’t shattered one of the kitchen windows. He had shattered one of the glass panes on the door leading to the backyard.
Now, I knew my security alarm had been set off, but would the police get here before he killed me and Fallon? That was the question.
Chapter 21
Fallon~
Hiding out in the attic like a coward was not how this should be going down. I should be wherever Xander was. I should be the one facing this thing head-on, not him. I didn’t even know the combinations to his safes, so I could grab a gun.
“Faaaaallon,” came a faint voice underneath my feet.
“Don’t come out, Fallon!” Xander yelled, and I dropped to my knees. There’s only one reason Xander would be calling out to me instead of being up here with me.
“Faaaaallon,” came that voice again.
Watching movies, I always used to wonder who was right in situations like this. Was the man right for trying to protect the girl, or was the girl right to try to save the man? A man’s protective instincts are vicious, but a woman’s love is fearless. Besides, this wasmymess. Even though Xander walked into this with his eyes wide open, I wasn’t going to let him go down alone. He might hate me. He might see me die. He might even strangle me his damn self.
But he’ll never doubt what I feel for him.
Was it love? Not sure, but I knew whatever it was, it was enough to make me drop the stairs from the attic.
As soon as the latch sounded, Xander’s rage was unmistakable. “Fallon! What the fuck are you doing?!”
I couldn’t answer him. Professing my willingness to die for him was probably not a good move in front of someone who had a vast interest in me. Xander might die anyway, but I was going to do everything I could to keep that from happening.
Even if that meant leaving with whoever was down there with Xander.
I descended on the steps, ignoring Xander’s curses, and made my way towards the living room. Every step was taken with fear and resignation. I was terrified, but I also knew I couldn’t live like this anymore. This person has taken six years of my life from me, and finally finding some happiness in Brant with Karla nearby and Xander as a possible future, I couldn’t let him take anymore. I didn’t want to die, but I wanted to live. Actuallylive.
Two steps into the living room, I saw Thomas Fischer. It’s been ten years, but there was no mistaking that man who had a gun pointing at Xander was Thomas Fischer. He looked exactly as I remember, just older and healthier.
Thomas had always been a bright kid, and had he not been a poor foster kid, he’s the type of guy who would have run with the popular kids. Thomas had always been a good-looking sonofabitch, and he had just grown into a good-looking man. He had light brown hair that paired with a stunning set of hazel eyes that always seemed to look right through you. However, he had been a little on the scrawny side because, half the time, we were barely fed enough to keep us alive. But looking at him now, he had filled out and was nearly as tall as Xander at a little over six-foot.
We had been friends back then, but that’s all.
