Chapter 10 Ellis
ELLIS
Watching Adam adjust to his new schedule was like watching a flower bloom right before my eyes. The change was immediate and profound as he went from nervous and timid to excited and downright chatty about his day when I picked him up that first afternoon.
He was practically bouncing.
"Looks like you had a good day." I leaned over and kissed him as he climbed into the truck. “How’d it go?”
"Amazing." He buckled his seatbelt and turned to me with the biggest grin.
"There's this lady who works the shift with me.
She's been there for twenty years and knows everything.
She's so nice, Ellis. We talked the whole time, and I told her about Derek, and she said there’s a bunch of cops who use this station, so I have nothing to worry about. "
"That's great, baby." I was so relieved to know he wasn’t working alone anymore. And knowing there was a regular police presence at his workplace was a nice bonus. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
"And there are so many customers during the day. There’s a steady flow coming in and out all day. I was never alone." He leaned back on the seat as if deflating from his adrenaline rush. "I felt totally safe the whole time."
Thank fuck. "I'm so happy you like it and feel safe."
The location change was really good for him. He always came home happy and relaxed and with funny stories to share about his day. Everything was finally falling into place for us.
The best part was that I could get back to a regular work schedule. I had a backlog of new projects I’d been delaying, so it was nice to finally get started on those. The money was always nice, but mostly I was happy to be home every day when Adam got off work.
We fell into an easy routine. I picked up Adam at three, and then we'd come home and have a nice dinner together. Then we'd spend the evening doing whatever we wanted. Sometimes we watched TV or worked in the garden. And sometimes Adam would color while I did paperwork.
It was domestic and normal and exactly what we both needed.
On Friday afternoon, I stopped at the toy store on my way to pick up Adam. I'd been wanting to get him some new toys to celebrate his new job.
I found a dinosaur coloring book and a new box of crayons. A plush T-Rex also called out to be me, so I grabbed it and the matching sippy cup before checking out.
When I picked Adam up, I didn't tell him about his surprises. I just drove us home and made him wait in the living room while I set everything up on the kitchen table.
When it was perfect, I called him in. "Okay, you can come in now."
Adam stopped in the doorway, and his eyes went wide as he looked at the selection in the middle of the table. "What's all this?"
"Presents." I pulled out a chair and gestured for him to sit down. "You made it through your first week on the day shift, and I'm proud of you."
"You got me presents?" He seemed shocked as he took a step closer.
"I did." I picked up the T-Rex and held it out to him. "This is Rex. He's yours."
Adam took the plushie and hugged it to his chest as he sat down. "Nobody's ever done something like this for me before."
"Well, that’s a damn shame." I kissed his forehead and pulled the crayons closer so he could reach them. "Now, what do you want for dinner? I was thinking mac and cheese and dino nuggies."
His face lit up even brighter. "Really?"
"Really." I winked. "How about you color a picture for me while I cook?"
He nodded and grabbed the coloring book to find the right picture. Rex started out next to him but ended up on his lap as he started to work on his masterpiece. Within minutes, Adam was fully regressed, humming a cheery song to himself as he carefully colored in the lines.
As I made dinner, I snuck glances at him the whole time. This was exactly what I'd always wanted. What I’d always needed. A boy who trusted me to take care of him and truly loved me as much as I loved him.
When dinner was ready, I plated the mac and cheese and nuggets, then poured chocolate milk into the sippy cup. Adam looked ready to burst with excitement when I set it all in front of him. "A dino sippy!" He picked it up with both hands and took a careful sip.
The smile that spread across his face was worth everything we’d been through. And it was almost as big as the one on mine.
While we ate, Adam told me all about the picture he was coloring and how he was gonna make it purple because purple dinosaurs were the best. I listened and asked questions and felt more happiness than I had in years.
After dinner, Adam curled up on the couch with Rex while I cleaned up the kitchen.
"This was the best day ever," he mumbled at around nine o'clock.
“It was.” I pulled him onto my lap and brushed his hair off his forehead. "You tired, baby?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Let's get you to bed." I scooped him up and carried him to the bedroom.
He was half-asleep by the time I got him into his pajamas and tucked him in, making sure Rex was within reach and his blankie was where he could grab it.
"Love you, Daddy." No matter how sleepy he was, he never forgot to say it as he was falling asleep.
And I never got tired of hearing it. "I love you too, baby." I kissed his forehead and then stepped back. "I’ve gotta check my phone because it’s been ringing for a bit, but I’ll be right back."
Just as I grabbed it from the charger in the kitchen, it rang again. "Deep Roots Landscaping."
"Ellis? This is Marion Sawyer on Ninth Street. I'm so sorry to call so late." She sounded upset and on the verge of tears. "A huge branch fell on my car and it's blocking my driveway. It doesn’t look stable, so I’m afraid if we don’t move it, it might damage the neighbor’s car too."
Marion was a sweet woman in her seventies who lived alone. I’d just been at her house a week ago to weed her garden and none of the trees were dead or at risk. "Are you okay? Did it damage the house?"
"I'm fine. Just shaken up. The house is okay, but my car is totaled. I didn’t know who else to call."
"I'll be right there." I was already grabbing my keys. "Give me thirty minutes."
"Thank you so much."
I poked my head into the bedroom to say goodbye to Adam, but he was curled up with Rex and totally out. I hated to leave him alone, but Marion needed help, and chopping the branch into pieces that wouldn’t do any more damage was a quick job.
I scribbled a note and left it on the nightstand, then headed out to my truck. My box trailer was already in the driveway, so I attached it to my truck and took off.
Marion's house was usually a twenty-minute drive, but there wasn’t any traffic, so I got there in twelve. Even from a few houses away, I could see the fallen branch. The huge limb was lying across her car in the driveway and spilling onto the street.
She was waiting for me on the lawn when I pulled up. "Oh, Ellis. I'm so sorry to drag you out here."
"Don't apologize." I pulled my chainsaw from the trailer and checked the fuel. It was topped off and ready to go but…the entire neighborhood was sleeping.
“Is that loud?” Marion stepped closer and frowned at the saw. “The Coopers have a new baby.”
“Copy that.” I put the chainsaw back and grabbed a handsaw. "Let me get this cleared for you."
By the time I got back in my truck, I was dead tired and wanted nothing more than to shower and slide into bed with my boy.
Adam had a good five hours left before he needed to wake up, but even if he was completely unconscious, I'd feel better once I was home with him.
I turned onto my street, and my blood ran cold. Derek's black car was parked right in front of my house.
I screeched to a stop in my driveway and threw the truck into park, not even bothering to kill the engine. My heart was pounding in my chest as I ran to the front door.
It was locked and the security alarm was still armed. I punched in the code and burst inside. "Adam!"
I ran down the hall to the bedroom, and he was exactly where I'd left him, fast asleep with Rex clutched to his chest. Safe and untouched.
Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived. If Derek's car was there and Adam was safely sleeping in our bed, where the fuck was Derek?
I pushed the curtain aside just far enough to peek out the window. At first, I didn't see anything, but then movement caught my eye near the shed.
There was a person trying to get inside. That bastard.
Rage like I’d never felt before flooded through me at the idea of that man coming onto my property and violating Adam’s safe space.
I was done playing nice.
Adam was still sleeping peacefully, so I left the room and called 911.
A dispatcher answered on the first ring. "911. What's your emergency?"
"There's an intruder on my property." I kept my voice low. "He's been stalking my boyfriend, and now he's trying to break into my home."
"What's your address?"
I gave her the street number, along with a description of Derek and his car. "I’ve seen this man around. His name is Derek Morrison."
"Officers are on their way. Stay inside and keep your doors locked."
I checked again and saw the shed door open and Derek was nowhere to be found. “He’s in my shed.”
"Just stay on the line with me, sir. An officer will be there in a few minutes."
Not good enough. “I’ll be right back.” I left the call connected and put my phone on the kitchen table.
She probably said something, but I didn’t stick around to hear it. I couldn’t wait for the police to come while some psycho violated my property and terrorized the man I loved.
I headed for the front door and jogged to the trailer to get some tools. The chainsaw was tempting but too loud, so I grabbed my flamethrower and attached the fuel canister.
If Derek wanted to dance, we’d dance.
I quietly walked to the shed and was about to enter it when Derek came out with a gun in his hand.
"I need to talk to Adam."
He’d fucking burn before he got near my boy with a gun. "Drop your weapon. The police are on their way."
He yanked on his hair like he was having a breakdown of some kind. "No, no. You don't understand. He needs me."
"He needs you?" I barked out a laugh, but there was no humor behind it. "You tossed him aside and then decided to stalk him to get him back. That's not love, Derek. That's obsession."
"Call it what you want." He looked me right in the eye as he slowly swung his arm toward me. “But he’s mine.”