CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Anya
The drive home was a blur, as if I were on autopilot. Before I knew it, I had arrived at my grandparents' house. The sight before me snaps me back to reality; there are at least twelve cars parked out front. Some are cop cars, and I recognize Lana's jeep among them. My heart sinks when I see my parents' car as well. The last time I spoke to them was when Jacob was with me. No no no, I can't do this! I can't face them now! Panic sets in internally. Just as I am about to put my car in reverse and leave, someone knocks on my window. I slump back into my seat and roll down the window.
"Leaving so soon?" Lana asks with a knowing smirk.
"I can't face my parents, Lana! Not after everything."
She opens my door and kneels in front of me, placing her hands on either side of my cheeks. "Yes, you can," she reassures me with a sympathetic smile. "It's going to be okay. You are strong Anya, you always have been." She pulls me into a hug and we stand there as I begin to sob.
She continues to rub my back and then after I have calmed down she pulls away and looks me in the eye. “Come on, the detective is here and he says he has some good news”.
"WHAT?!" I exclaim in surprise and immediately head toward the house. The thought of hearing good news from the police overrides my fear of facing my parents.
I enter the house and feel all eyes on me. Normally, I would feel self-conscious and nervous in this situation, but my determination to put this behind me overrides those feelings.
"Anya, thank God you're okay!" My parents rush over to me.
"We were so worried," my mom says, gently stroking my hair.
"Why didn't you tell us what was going on?" My dad asks.
Seriously ? I think to myself as I step back from them.
"You're kidding, right?" I start to say, but Detective Collins interrupts me.
"Excuse me, Miss Parker?"
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to let you know that we charged the men who attacked you in Pennsylvania." He says with a smile.
My eyes widened in shock. “You did? Who are they? What do they want? Why were they following me?” I ask, my voice trembling with a mix of panic and relief.
"I understand you have a lot of questions, but thanks to your friend's boyfriend, we caught one of their crew outside the self-defense studio. He told us everything." Detective Collins explains.
My friend's boyfriend? What boyfriend? I wonder, then look over at Lana. She's standing next to Adam, our self-defense instructor. Why is Adam here? I wondered but shook it away as I walked over to them.
"You helped catch them?" I ask Adam.
He smiles and nods. "Yes, when Lana came to me asking for help, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. It's my job to make sure you're safe, you know," he jokes. I fake a laugh, still trying to process everything.
"How did you know it was someone looking for me?" I ask in disbelief.
"I kept seeing him outside the studio every night you had classes. Then one night before classes started I went out to talk to him. I thought he was just contemplating coming in. It wasn't until he said he was your boyfriend that I knew he was lying." Adam explains.
I furrow my brow and look at Lana. She seems to know what I'm thinking, because she says, "I told him about Jacob and how he was away for training during one of our dates." She looks into Adam's eyes as she speaks.
"Well, in that case, thank you for your help." I tell Adam. He nods and pulls me into a hug. I’m stunned, he needs to not touch me , I think to myself. Despite my feelings, I awkwardly hug him back, but quickly pull away, still feeling uncomfortable hugging another guy who isn’t Jacob.
Speaking of Jacob, I really do miss him and I know I said I was going to stay away but Caleb is in jail now. I need to talk to him, even if he hates me. I reach for my phone to call him when Detective Collins reminds me that I need to go to the station to fill out some paperwork and receive more information. I put my phone away, telling myself I'll call Jacob later.
Before I follow Detective Collins out the door I see Pops and I immediately run to him. “I’m so sorry Pops! I am so sorry!” I begin crying in his arms.
“Oh shhhh Anya, please don’t blame yourself” he says as he rubs my back. “How can I not! She followed me there and then she got killed because of me!” I say as tears run down my face. He cups my face, “Anya dear, your Nana wouldn’t blame you and she wouldn’t want you to blame yourself either. You are her granddaughter, there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do to keep you safe” he says stroking my head. Then he looks me in the eye, “Anya, I don’t blame you either”. Then I start crying all over again.
“Anya?” I turn around and I see my parents standing there.
“Yeah?” I say calming myself down and steeling myself for what they are about to say.
“Would you like some company down to the station?” he asks.
“Are you going to blame me for getting Nana killed?”
My dad shoots his head up, confused as to my question. “Why would we blame you for Nana’s death?”.
“Because that’s what you and Mom do, you blame me for every bad thing that has ever happened and then you say I’m being dramatic or worse, lying” I answer with a cracked voice.
My Mom looks hurt and tears run down her face, “I’m sorry we made you feel that way, we never wanted you to feel like you are to blame” my dad says as he grabs my hands.
“We handled things wrong and for that we are sorry” my mom says.
All the pain and heartache over the years came crashing down and I fall into their arms. “I’m sorry too!” as I wrap my arms around them.
“I guess we were just so scared and we didn’t know how to handle it. Paul took you away from us for so long that when you were back, I just wanted you around and safe” my mom says.
I see Lana covering her mouth with her hand and tears running down her face. She knows how much I needed to hear their apology.
“Miss Parker, we need to go” Detective Collins informs us and we all go to the station together. Lana and Adam follow behind.
I sit in the back while my dad drives, no one says anything. I think we are all just overwhelmed with everything going on. Then my thoughts go to Jacob, I need to call him, at least to apologize. He can continue to hate me after that but the least I could do is call him. I reach through my bag looking for my phone when I notice the note that I shoved in here. I hesitantly take it out, if this is from Caleb it might help the case against him. I open the letter and start reading it, I quickly realize it’s from Marissa,
Hey Anya, I don’t know where you went, but I just want to understand why you left. Look, I’m not gonna lie my hormones and emotions are all going haywire. My mom is gone and it hurts beyond belief. A part of me wants to lay blame on you because things didn’t start going wrong till Jacob brought you home. But, I don’t, it isn’t fair to you to do that. You lost your Nana too and I am sure you are in as much pain as I am. Plus neither my mom or your Nana would want you to feel guilty…
Tears are falling down my face, because how can she not blame me. She would have every right to blame me, I blame me. I close my eyes and take a few breaths and continue reading.
…but please know this Anya, YOU are NOT to blame! Whoever did this is to blame, they are the ones who need to be punished. So I am asking you to please talk to me, I am here and I am not angry. I remember the day you and Jacob left to go back to NJ and my mom said to me that she knew you would be part of the family. If I’m being honest I knew it too, just by the way Jacob looks at you I can tell you both are perfect for each other. Plus the cat likes you so there’s that.
I laugh at that and my dad looks back at me through the rearview mirror. But I continue reading the letter.
In all seriousness Anya, please call me as soon as you get this letter. I want to be there for you. You have become the sister I never had but have always needed. I hope to hear from you soon.
Love.
Marissa
I wipe my eyes but the tears don’t stop. I should’ve never ran, I should’ve just stayed. It was selfish of me to do that to her, she is hurting too. I dig through my bag again, searching for my phone. I grab it and dial her number. It rings and rings and rings for what seems forever and just when I’m about to hang up, a male voice picks up.
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Umm it’s Anya, uh can I talk to Marissa”
“No, you can’t! You’ve done enough! You - “
I slink back, tears starting to fill my eyes once more but then I hear a faint voice in the background ask who is on the phone and the guy I was speaking to grunts out my name. Then I hear crashing and bunch of other noises. Then Marissa’s voice comes through,
“Oh my god ANYA! Are you okay? Where are you? Why did you leave? Are you safe?” Marissa asks panic in her voice.
“I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m sorry I left like that, I just… I couldn’t…“
“Anya, I understand but we are here for you, you are not alone I - “
Just then a faint voice that I recognize and has always made my heart flutter says something that I couldn’t make out.
“Don’t hang up, hold on just don’t hang up!” Marissa says and just then Jacob gets on the line.
“Anya Baby! Are you okay?”
A wave of warmth washes over me at the sound of his voice. I’m now sobbing and I try to talk but the words won’t come out. “Jacob… I -
Just then my dad says we arrived at the police station and I try to compose myself. I can still hear Jacob on the other end so I calm myself and hold a finger out to tell my parents to wait.
“I’ve missed you so much Anya, and I’ve been so worried about you! Please tell me you’re alright!” Jacob pleads and I can hear the hurt in his voice.
“Jacob, yes, I’m okay at least as okay as I can be. I missed you too and I’m sorry - “
“Anya they are waiting” my mom interrupts and I sigh and nod my head.
“Jacob, I wanna talk to you but I have to go and talk with the police but I’ll talk to you later. I love you and I’m sorry about everything”
“Okay, I love you too baby and you have nothing to apologize for, I’ll come out there after my mom’s funeral” he says and then we hang up. My mind reeling that I just talked to him. I haven’t heard his voice in so long.
We enter the station and an officer gives me some stuff to fill out. Detective Collins then brings us all to the conference room. My parents sit to my left and Lana and Adam sit to my right.
“Okay, Miss Parker, this is what we found out from the guy Adam caught outside his studio” I nod and grab Lana’s hand.
“The guys who tried to burn down your grandparents' house and the guys who attacked you on the farm are all hired men”.
“Hired men? Hired by who?” Lana asks.
“Caleb and his crew” Detective Collins answers.
“What?! Why would Caleb want to hurt me?” I ask.
“Yeah, he is my ex, not Anya’s! That makes no sense!” Lana exclaims.
“Let’s hear him out,” my Dad says.
“Apparently, he said because he was just using you” he points to Lana, “to get to you” he says pointing at me.
“But why?” I ask feeling more confused than ever.
“He says he knows you from 3 years ago, you went to a party and you…umm” he trails off looking at my parents then back at me.
“Just say whatever it is” my mom says with annoyance in her words.
He clears his throat and looks around the room, “umm apparently you two were supposed to have sex but then you met Paul and you never showed”.
“That’s ridiculous! Anya met Paul at a youth group party” my Mom says in a high pitched voice.
“Actually, no I didn’t Mom”
She looks at me with wide eyes, “what do mean no you didn’t?” she snaps and my Dad tells her to sit down.
“Go ahead sweetie” he says to me.
“I went to a masquerade party outside of town with a bunch of people I knew from high school and that is where I met Paul. I got drunk and I might have told someone I would lose my virginity to them.” I say sheepishly.
“ANYA!” my Mom shrieks
“Gloria, please stop yelling” my Dad says to my Mom. Then he sighs and looks at me, “I knew you were going there; I tracked your phone. But since I figured you were with people you knew. You would be okay, that’s why that night I told you that if you need anything to call me, no matter what it was” he says and I sit there in silence.
“Stephen!” my Mom shrieks again.
What? Tracked my phone?! You know what, never mind, it’s in the past, I can’t focus on that right now.
But I remember that night, I knew it was odd when my dad was way too casual about me going out but I had no idea that he knew where I was.
Still, I can’t find words to say, so he continues. “Which is why after everything that happened between you and Paul, I blamed myself. I blamed myself for him coming into your life because if I had just been more vigilant, you two would have never met” he says solemnly.
I feel the anger bubble up inside me, hot and relentless. How could they do this to me? He and my mom—mostly my mom—have been taking their frustrations out on me for so long that I can hardly remember what it feels like to breathe without the weight of their disappointment hanging over me. I can feel the heat rising in my chest, my fists clenching at my sides, ready to lash out, to finally say everything I’ve been holding back. But just as I’m about to unleash the storm brewing within me, I catch myself. No, Anya, it’s in the past. You need to calm down.
I take a deep breath, trying to center myself, to push aside the waves of resentment crashing over me. Anger isn’t going to change what happened. It won’t take back the choices I made or the consequences I have to live with. It won't erase the guilt that clings to my thoughts, reminding me that I’m the one who chose to go out with him. In the end, it’s my responsibility, not theirs.
As I turn to face my dad, the storm inside me starts to dissipate. I reach out, grabbing his hand, grounding myself in that simple connection. “Dad…” I say, my voice steadying as I look him in the eyes, “it was my choice to go out with him. I have to live with that, not you.”
The softness in my tone surprises me, a reminder that, despite everything, I can still choose how I react. I can’t change the past, but I can decide to face my future without letting anger dictate my actions.
Detective Collins clears his throat, “Anyway, we found out Caleb called in Marcus and it was his guys that attacked you. He also confessed to following you around and leaving you notes” he explains.
I sit in silence, replaying everything that was said. I replay the night of the party and I still have no idea who the mysterious guy that Iwas supposed to meet that night. Caleb claims it was him but I feel like I would have recognized him. I mean I know we were all wearing masks but still. Plus why start stalking me now? I left Paul two years ago, what changed? My mind is still going over questions when my dad's voice breaks through the silence.
"Are we finished here? We need to attend a funeral," my dad interrupts our thoughts.
Detective Collins nods and dismisses us.
"This is great news, right?" Adam asks with a smile.
"Yeah, it is. But for some reason, I can't shake this feeling that something isn’t right. I should have remembered Caleb," I say, troubled.
Adam rubs my back trying to comfort me and I tense up at his touch then he says, "Well, you did say you were pretty drunk. Maybe you don't remember everything."
I sigh and back away from him, "Yeah, I don’t know you're probably right."
"Is everything okay?" Lana asks as she sees Adam comforting me.
"Yeah, babe. Anya just feels like something is missing," Adam explains.
"Oh, Anya. That's completely normal after going through something like this," Lana reassures me with a hug.
"Yeah, I guess so. Oh, I need to call Jacob back!" I realize suddenly. But before I could reach for my phone, someone bumps into Lana and she accidentally bumps into me, causing my phone to fall and shatter on the ground.
"Shit!" I exclaim, picking up the pieces of my phone.
The police officer who bumped into Lana apologizes and offers to pay for a new screen. I tell him it's not necessary and that I'll get a new phone tomorrow. Turning on the broken screen only results in cuts on my fingers.
"You can use my phone to call Jacob," Lana kindly offers.
"Oh my god, thank you!" I gratefully accept.
"We need to get going," my dad reminds us impatiently.
"I'll call him later. For now, we need to say goodbye to Nana," I declare as I hand Lana's phone back to her and put my broken one back in my bag
"Hey, why don't we go out and celebrate the fact that this whole stalker situation is finally over?" Lana suggests with a smile as we leave the police station. It's crazy to think that just a few months ago, Lana and I walked out of this same building feeling defeated. But now it's over and I can finally get back to my life.
"Anya? Are you still with me?" Lana asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Oh yeah, sorry. I think it'll be okay," I reply, still feeling uneasy about going out so soon.
"Come on, girl. You can do this! And if anyone tries to start trouble, we have Adam here to protect us," Lana cheerfully reminds me. My head shoots up at the mention of Adam coming with us.
"Babe, I can't go out tonight. I have a late class and then I need to wake up early for my parents' visit tomorrow," Adam interjects and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, right. Well, no worries. It'll be just us girls then, just like old times," Lana says as she wraps her arm around my shoulder.
"Okay, I guess," I agree before we part ways.