Page 21 of The Heart You've Borrowed

I had to take care of the mess from last night, coffee and donuts are on the counter. I’ll call you later.

-Lio

I smile to myself. He knows the way to my heart is through food and coffee. I swing my legs off the bed and make my way to the kitchen. And sure enough, there is a box of donuts and an iced coffee waiting for me. I open the box and my mouth waters. Maple bars, my favorite. I grab two out and grab my coffee and make my way to the couch. I turn on one of my crime shows and settle in.

Since it’s Saturday I plan to lay around most of today. Last night took a lot out of me and my whole body is sore. I plan to binge-watch TV and then maybe go down and decorate my office since I still haven’t put up the stuff Lio got me.

When I walked into my office the next morning after he got me groceries I cried when I saw everything he got me. The pictures couldn’t have been more me and he got me the highlighters I love. I never really understood when people would say it’s the little things in life because no one has ever paid much attention to me and the little things I like, but Lio always has. Every year since we were kids for my birthday he would get me a new book, a chapstick, and a pack of Twizzlers. I remember Jett would always make fun of it and try to overdo it with really nice gifts that I really never cared for. He never once bought me something I liked. It was always about how expensive or fancy something was. But not Lio, he always listened to me and knew exactly what I liked.

I hate that I can’t give him what he wants right now. He is the best man I have ever known and he deserves someone who can give him the world and I just can’t do that right now. Not with everything going on. I’m still trying to process everything that has happened in the last week. I still can’t believe it’s only been a little over a week since I left and moved here. It doesn’t seem real still.

I know it takes time to heal and to move on and process everything but I wish I could just wake up tomorrow and be okay again. But I know that’s not possible. We have to feel the pain to remember how strong we are and to remember why we left. Why we had to make the decision to move on.

I still love Jett and I think a part of me always will. But I love the man I used to know, the man who I fell in love with as a teenager. The man he became is a man I hope I never meet again. What he did to me was horrible and could have ended a lot worse if it wasn’t for Kelly and Lio. They saved my life from what I’m sure would have been the end of me. I have no doubt in my mind that eventually, he would have killed me.

I just hope that one day I won’t be scared to be alone, I won’t keep looking over my shoulder every two seconds. Going to the gym has been helping a lot with feeling more confident about being alone. Brad has been a huge help in the gym and it’s only been a week but I can feel my body changing and getting better with fighting. I might seem paranoid but I know that Jett is up to something. I know he is planning something and I want to be prepared for when he strikes.

After a few hours of true crime and three more donuts, I get up and get dressed to head down to the office. I unlock my office door and turn on my music. I jam out to some Jamie Miller and get to work. I start with hanging the wall art on the wall across from my desk so I can look at them during the workday. I add a few photos of my own I had printed earlier in the week to the wall too. A few of me and my sister, one of my mom and I, a few of Lio and I as kids, and one of us from graduation. I stand back and smile at my work. It’s starting to feel more like me in here. I sit at my desk and pull out everything from the drawers and get to work reorganizing them. I put all my pens and highlighters in a coffee mug on my desk and sort my paper clips and binder clips into two little baskets for my drawers. I shift around my notebooks and binders, making sure everything has a place.

I decided to check my email just to make sure none came in since last night. I don’t want Monday to be hectic in case we get a lot of orders over the weekend. I know I’m technically off today but I don’t mind. I have nothing better to do since Lio is really the only person I know here still.

When I open my email there’s only one unread, and my heart stops. I click on it and read it.

Char -

You are a hard girl to track down.

He found me. He already found me. He knows I’m in Texas, he knows Lio is the one that helped me. Crap. What the hell do I do? I pull out my phone and try to call Lio but it keeps going straight to voicemail. I grab my keys off the desk and lock my office before rushing back up the stairs. I lock myself in my room and get in bed. How could he have found me so fast? He had to have hired someone to find me. There’s no way he just knew I would be here. I haven’t talked to Lio in years before this week and now Jett knows I’m here. I keep trying to call Lio but he doesn’t pick up. Where the hell is he? I decide to call Jackson to see if he knows.

“Hello?” he answers on the first ring.

“Jackson, it’s Charlie.” My voice cracks.

“What’s wrong?” I can hear the concern in his voice.

“Do you know where Lio is? He isn’t picking up and it’s an emergency.”

“I don't, I'm sorry. But what’s going on? Maybe I can help.”

“Jett found me. I was in my office and wanted to check my email just in case we had any orders and there was an email from him.” The tears start and I can’t stop them.

“Shit. Okay. I’m on my way.”

“No no it’s a Saturday, I know you are with your family. Just please if you hear from Lio, have him call me okay?” I sigh.

“No, I’m coming over. You shouldn’t be alone right now. Just in case. Or how about this, I can come to pick you up and bring you over to our place. My wife is cooking up a storm right now anyways and you can stay the night. I don’t want you to be alone.”

“Yeah, yeah sure that sounds nice.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten, I’ll call you when I’m there.” He hangs up and I pack a bag with a change of clothes. I grab the taser Lio got me and wait in my living room. After a few minutes, he calls me telling me he is outside. I grab my bag and head down the stairs. I see him in the parking lot and run to his truck.

“Thanks,” I say as I get in.

“Of course. My wife is excited to meet you, even if the circumstances suck.” He gives me a small smile.

“I really appreciate it. And I’m excited to meet her too. I could use a friend.” I laughed.

“So could she.” He laughed.

---