Never Think - Chapter 8

Chapter 8:


The following morning Rob and I liked to have never gotten out of bed. The non-stop ringing of my phone finally forced me out of the comfort that was Rob and my sheets. My mom had called, insisting I come over for the rest of the day and night until Cameron was home tomorrow. My parents were going out of town and she didn’t want to board the dogs for just one night, she wanted me to come stay with them. I reluctantly agreed. I was carrying my overnight bag to the door and noticed Rob’s eyes following my every move.

“What?” I asked, as I looked at him leaning against the bar.

“When will I see you again?”

I sighed, walking over to him, pulling on his shirt. “Come with me,” I begged.

“To your parents’ house? I don’t think that’s appropriate; what if someone sees us?”

I thought for a moment. “Well, mom’s coming to pick me up. You could wear a hoodie or hat and just get in the car with her and she can take you to the house. You’ll go in through the garage. Nobody will be following you or even think about it. I’ll just catch a cab a little while after you guys leave. So, it will just look like I’m going home, alone.”

“That’s putting me in a bit of an awkward situation with your mum, don’t you think?” Rob asked.

“What do you mean? My mom loves you.”

“Yes, but does she know...we’re...you know...”

“She knows I’m crazy about you,” I said, smiling and leaning up to kiss him. I could feel him smiling against my lips. “It will be fine; I promise.”



My mother arrived a few minutes later and I filled her in on the plan. She was thrilled with the idea of some alone time with Rob.

As soon as they left, it suddenly dawned on me that I was slightly concerned about what Rob may ask my mom about me, or me and Michael. I had no idea what my mom would say.

I rang Jerry and asked him to arrange a cab for me and to also overnight Mike’s phone to him. I had nearly forgotten.

***


“So what brought you to L. A. Rob?”

“Your daughter,” Rob laughed.

Jules laughed too. “I figured as much. I haven’t gotten the scoop from her yet, what happened? Last I knew she was mad at Mike about something, and then the next thing I know, you’re here.”

Rob sighed. “Yea, I don’t know how it happened really. It all sort of happened so fast,” Rob hesitated. “Does she talk to you about me?”

“Sometimes. She’s terribly confused Rob. You have to keep in mind, she’s still young. She doesn’t have the experience with these things that you do.”

“I don’t have any experience with loving two women,” Rob joked.

“You really think you love her?” She said seriously.

“I’m sure I do. I’ve known well before now, what isn’t to love? She is incredible. I can’t blame Mike, I mean, we’re both fighting for the same girl, I just hope to God I win,” Rob said, staring out the window.

Jules reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I do know she’s crazy about you, I think she is just confused when it comes to Mike. They’re best friends, he is all she has ever known. He’s always been there for her. It’s scary to her, to throw that away, for some older british guy who could have any girl in the world.”

Rob sighed. “I’ve told her a million times that she is all I want, she’s all I’ll ever want. I’ve tried to move on, I’ve tried to date other girls, and she seems to get jealous. Only then did she proclaim her true feelings for me, when I started showing interest in other girls.”

Jules shook her head in agreement. “I think she thought you’d always be around, vying for her, and when you didn’t, it scared her.”

“I think after last night, it will be different between us. I think we’re on the same page now. But it’s like every time she talks to him, or sees him, she goes right back to being his girl. I don’t know Ms. Stewart, I’m honestly scared to death. I can’t go back to being her friend, watching her with him. I can’t.”

“What happened last night?”

“Well, we just sort of came clean to each other, she stopped lying to me finally and told me everything...”

“Well, you must be doing something right, after all, she’s asked me to sneak you into my house.”

Rob laughed. “That is true.” Rob looked up, noting they were arriving at the Stewart residence.

“Ms. Stewart, if she brings it up again, would you tell her how I feel about her? I mean, I tell her all the time, but I thought maybe if she heard it from you...”

Jules smiled. “Of course Rob, I’m definitely on Team Rob, you’re exactly what she needs. I like Mike and all, but she just absolutely glows around you, I love seeing her so happy.”

“But what if it fades; wasn’t she glowing initially with Mike?”

“Their relationship progressed slowly, she was happy with him, but I’ve never seen her as happy as she is with you.”

Rob smiled, knowing he was never as happy as he was when he was with Kristen.

They stepped out of the car in the garage of the house and headed inside. Rob stopped Jules right outside the door. “Thank you for the talk Ms. Stewart, I really appreciate you being so open with me about Kristen.”

Jules pulled Rob in for a hug. “Anytime Rob.”

***

I sat in the back of the cab in my parents’ drive way, twisted around in my seat waiting for the black car to pass. I saw the same familiar face in the window of the black vehicle as it passed by me. A chill went through my body. I handed the driver some cash and quickly went inside.

My parents and Rob were standing around the bar in the kitchen. Rob had a beer in hand. I smiled momentarily at the thoughtfulness of my parents to offer him a beer. The smile faded when I glanced out the window and saw the black car driving past the house again, leaving the neighborhood this time.

“Kristen, you okay hun?” My dad asked, noting my uneasiness.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Yea, its...its just that guy, the same one, following me again.”

“What guy?” Rob asked.

“Just this weird guy that has been following me when I’m in L. A. It has just been the last few months. He must tip of the paparazzi when I’m in town. He never has a camera. He just appears out of nowhere, just creeps me out.”

“Well I’m glad Rob’s staying with you tonight, you’ll be fine, don’t freak yourself out over nothing. Keep the doors locked, we’ve got to get going,” my mom said. She kissed me on the forehead and my dad followed suit. “I guess you’ll already be gone back to Vancouver when we get back?”

“Yea, Dad.” I hugged him, and he kissed my hair. “You be good kiddo, I love you, we’ll see you soon hopefully.”

I smiled. “Love you too; you guys be careful.”

My parents disappeared through the door leading to the garage.

I walked up to Rob and put my arms around him. “So, what do you want to do?” I asked.

He took another sip of his beer and looked down at me. “Well, I should have gone by my hotel and showered and gotten a few things, but if the paps are around, its probably not a good idea.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry, I wasn’t even thinking about that when I schemed a way to get you in here.

Rob laughed. “Well, I don’t plan on being clothed very long.” He grinned.

“Is that right?” I teased.

“It is.” His lips gently brushed mine. I laughed when I heard the loud growling of his stomach. I pulled away from him. “I’m so sorry!” I looked at the time on the microwave in the kitchen. It was after 4:00 p.m. “I haven’t fed you all day!”

Rob laughed again. “I know! God Kristen, what kind of girlfriend are you!” He joked.

I gave him a playful punch in the arm and walked around the bar into the kitchen to see what I could come up with.



We spent most of the night eating pizza and drinking entirely too much beer while watching funny movies. I let the dogs out and cleaned up a bit before heading upstairs for the night with Rob.

I tripped half way up the stairs nearly taking Rob out behind me. We both just sat on the stairs laughing uncontrollably. “I told you I had too much to drink!”

“You can never have too much!” Rob proclaimed.

We finally made it up to my room and I began changing into a comfy t-shirt to sleep in while Rob walked around my room, inspecting everything. It was his first time in this room. I had old pictures and random things that lined the walls, various music collections and books, all of which were holding his attention. After I changed clothes I sat on the bed and observed him. I watched as he came to the bulletin board above my desk that was littered with old goofy pictures of me and Michael.

“You looked happy,” he said quietly.

“That was a long time ago.”

He turned to look at me, but didn’t say anything.

“I’m happier now.” I finally said.

“Are you sure?” He asked, coming to sit beside me on the bed.

“Rob, I’m sure. I don’t want to talk about him. I just want to be with you.” I pulled him closer to me and kissed him forcefully, hoping he would forget about the pictures of me and Michael.

Rob did forget quickly, making quick work of removing my shirt. We made drunk love for hours. It was quite entertaining. I think his tongue had explored every inch of my body, and I think I left more than a few bite marks in various places along his chest and shoulders. We laid beside each other, breathless.

“I’m freezing!” I said, curling into him and pulling the covers over me.

Rob laughed. “How can you be cold after that?”

“It’s freaking cold in here. My parents keep the thermostat set like a meat locker!”

“You’re silly, Kristen!” He said, as he kissed my forehead.

“I’m going downstairs to get a drink and to turn the air down, do you want anything?” I asked, pulling away from him.

“No, I’m perfect. Thank you though.”

I smiled and crawled out of the bed, searching the floor for his stoli shirt. It was so comfortable, I understood why he wore it all the time. I threw it on quickly and headed downstairs.

I got a glass from the cabinet and filled it with ice from the fridge and got some water. All the beer had dehydrated me. I turned around to head into the living room, where the thermostat was, when I saw a man staring back at me.

It was him. The same guy from earlier, in the black car. He was dressed from head to toe in black. He had thinning salt and pepper hair and a bit darker mustache. He was just standing in my living room looking at me. I dropped the glass instantly and screamed as loud as I could, trying to run but stepping in glass along the way. He ran towards me and covered my mouth with a gloved hand.

“Shut up!!” He demanded. I could hear Rob running down the stairs and I heard him stop suddenly when myself and the stranger came into his view. The man had me in a choke hold and I was waiting for my neck to be snapped at any moment.

He suddenly threw me into the bar, and I raised my arm trying to catch myself, but instead, I slammed into the hard granite and I lost my balance, falling quickly to the floor.

“If you call the police I’ll make sure neither one of you see the light of day again.” The man disappeared quickly through the door that lead to the garage.

Rob ran past me, through the kitchen and towards the garage. I sat on the floor shaking, tears pouring down my cheeks from the pain of crashing into the bar and the little stabbing sensations on the bottom of my feet.

Rob returned a few minutes later and crouched down beside me. He pulled my hair back from my face. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head no. “That was him, the guy I told you about earlier.” I cried.

“Who is he?”

“I have no idea. How did he get in here??”

“He must have manually lifted the garage door, he rolled under it and disappeared down the street, I never heard a car start, he must have come on foot.”

“I don’t understand! What does he want??”

“I don’t know. We really should call the police, Kristen.” He picked up one of my feet, looking at the bottom, slowly plucking a few shards of glass from it. “I need a towel, you have a really nasty cut here.”

I pointed in the direction of the guest bathroom down the hallway and across the room. He returned quickly with two towels, a damp one and a dry one. He cleaned up my feet a bit and looked at me sternly.

“Kris, this one is really bad, you really should go to the emergency room, I think you may need stitches.”

“No! I’m not going!” I yelled at him. “There should be some gauze and band-aids in my parents’ linen closet, down the hall, last room on the left. We’ll wrap it up, it will be okay.”

Rob sighed and hesitated momentarily and then did as I said. He bandaged my left foot and wrapped it tightly in gauze. I had him help me up and I hobbled over to the couch in the living room, picking up the cordless phone on the end table, praying my mom would answer her phone.

She didn’t. I dropped my head in my hands and cried. Rob sat beside me and pulled me into him. “It’s okay.” He whispered against my hair.

“What do we do??”

“I think we really need to call the police.”

“We can’t. You heard what he said!”

“I know baby, but they need to at least make a report, have a record of a break-in, if not, he’ll just come back!”

“No, no. I don’t want the police involved. It will go public, and everyone will know you were here, I don’t want to deal with that!”

Rob sighed. “You are so stubborn.”

“I’m sorry.” I cried. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t want to stay here. I’m completely freaking out.”

“Let me clean up your mess you made in the kitchen; we can go to my hotel.”

I sighed. “I can’t be seen going into your hotel at 3:00 in the morning.”

“Fuck being seen, Kristen! He could have killed you for God sakes!”

A chill went through my body. “I have an idea. Come with me.” I grabbed his hand and headed towards my parents bedroom and into their large walk-in closet. I pulled out a large rolling duffle bag.

“I don’t understand.” Rob said, looking at me, confused.

“I can fit in here.”

Rob laughed. “I am not wheeling you into my hotel room in a fucking suitcase!”

“Do you have any other ideas!” I screamed, seriously.

“Kristen, calm down.”

“No, I’m not calming down until I get out of this fucking house, if it is by way of a suitcase then so be it! I want out of here! I feel like he is watching me. I’m scared.” I cried.

“Okay, okay. We’ll figure something out. Go upstairs and put some clothes on and grab mine.”

“You have to come with me. I’m not going up there alone.”

“Okay.”

Rob followed me up the stairs and I put some clothes on, returning his shirt to him. We gathered our things quickly and cleaned up the mess in the kitchen before leaving. We took my dad’s truck, hoping to go unnoticed. We parked in the garage of Rob’s hotel and I got in the fetal position in the large rolling duffle bag. Rob pulled the bag off the seat and it hit the pavement hard.

“Ouch! Fuck, Rob! Be a little more careful, okay?”

Rob laughed momentarily. “I’m sorry, be quiet, there are people around.”

I heeded his warning and was silent until I heard a door close. “Are we here?” I whispered.

“Yes.” He unzipped the suitcase, letting me out.

“Whew, that was a rough ride.”

Rob laughed. “I can’t imagine.”

I hit him in the stomach playfully.

“Let’s get some sleep Kris, it’s nearly 5:00 a.m., the sun will be rising soon.”

“Okay.” I didn’t even bother changing. I pulled my jeans off and just crawled into bed with the shirt I had on. I was exhausted and my foot was still throbbing.

Although I was extremely tired, I found myself tossing non-stop, a million thoughts racing through my mind. I couldn’t sleep. I finally got up and sat in the chair next to the window, occasionally glancing out through the curtains, on to the street, to see if I saw his car.

My phone beeping on the nightstand startled me. I ran over to get it quickly before it woke Rob. I sat back down near the window and flipped open my phone.

Are you awake? - Mike

I sighed. I didn’t want to deal with him right now. He would freak out if I told him about what had happened hours earlier, not to mention the fact that I was with Rob.

Sort of, what’s up? I responded, pretending to be half asleep. As I waited for his response I still kept my eyes peeled on the window.

My phone beeped again and I cursed under my breath for not having put it on silent.

I had a bad dream about you. Are you okay? Where are you? - Mike

Hmm. That’s interesting, I thought. His timing was so convenient. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

I’m at home. I’m fine. How are you holding up? I responded.

I’m hanging in there I guess. The funeral is tomorrow morning. Mom is a mess, I can’t stand being around her like this. - Mike

I’m sorry baby. :( Although I had serious doubts about him lately, I really did feel terrible for him. He lost his uncle suddenly, his mom was a wreck, and I’m sure he knew he was losing me. The thought of having to end it with him soon made me sick to my stomach, so much so that I ran to the bathroom, just in case. I lingered momentarily over the commode before the wave of nausea passed. I stood up and remembered that I hadn’t taken my birth control pill at dinner, as I normally would. I grabbed my make up bag and pulled out the little purple plastic case. When I picked up the foil square package inside I noticed one of the pills lingered in the purple case instead of in it’s package. Strange. I thought. Must have fallen out while traveling. I grabbed the loose pill and popped it in to my mouth.

I resumed my post back by the window and sent Mike another quick message, telling him I was going back to sleep and that I would talk to him later.

“Have you slept at all?”

I gasped and looked up. Rob’s words startled me. “I thought you were asleep,” I said quickly, exhaling.

He was still in bed but was propped up by his elbow, staring at me. “I thought you were supposed to be sleeping,” he responded.

“I can’t.”

“Kristen, the sun is rising, you haven’t slept at all. Please come lay down.”

I pulled my knees to my chest and shook my head no, glancing up at him over my knee caps. “I want to go back to Vancouver.”

Rob rubbed his eyes in confusion. “What? We don’t have to be back for two more days.”

“I know, but he’s never there. I feel safer there.”

Rob sighed. “Okay, Kristen, please just come lay down and I’ll book us a flight as soon as we get up, okay?”

I shook my head and crawled in bed next to Rob. I still didn’t sleep though.


We got up a few hours later and got our stuff together. Rob stayed at the hotel and I took my dad’s truck back to my parents’ house. I decided I wasn’t going to tell them what happened, I didn’t want them to call the police. I was pretty sure whatever this guy wanted, had to do with me, not them. I took a cab to the airport and got on the next flight to Vancouver. So as not to be suspicious, Rob took a later flight.


***Author’s Note: I hope you all liked it. Thanks for the comments and thank you to those of you who follow me on Twitter! @AllOrNothingKR There may not be another chapter posted until the weekend. I’ve got a crazy busy week at work ahead and a Christmas party this weekend, so it will be touch and go! I’ve actually written this ahead quite a bit, but I can’t post it all at once! So, hopefully sometime this week or next weekend it will be updated again. Thanks!!

**CHAPTER 9 - CLICK HERE**