27. Pack Some Things. Lets Hustle
Pack Some Things. Lets Hustle
Bree
T wo days. I have been staying at Arlo’s place for two days, and I feel like I haven’t slept at all in that time. I hear things at night. Creaks and bangs, animals outside, the wind, the gentle roll of distant thunder, and every drop of rain that hits the ground in the dark. In my rational mind, I know those sounds. I recognize them and know they’re nothing to be afraid of, but I’m not being rational right now. I’m too tired for rational. I’m too scared, and those noises have been making my heart race and my throat constrict.
It’s hot, too. The summer nights are stifling, but I’m too afraid to open a window, and Arlo’s air conditioner isn’t working. He brought in a fan and said he’s going to look at it today, or at least I think that’s what he said. I’ve been so distracted that his words didn’t exactly sink in.
He’s playing the doting boyfriend in public. The second we’re out of the house, he holds my hand and kisses my temple, and the scent of him, the warmth of him, makes me want to cry. When we’re inside the house, he doesn’t touch me, he doesn’t talk to me like I’m his, but he takes care of me like I’m precious, and that is, well, it’s confusing. He puts on fresh coffee in the morning and gets my mug ready, he cooks, like every meal, he doesn’t even let me help him, and he walks around like a god in sweatpants or baggy shorts with no shirt on, and I can’t tear my eyes off the man. I watch him read and cook and train or play with Beans, and my heart runs away, imagining that this life together is real. I watch him work out and get all sweaty, and I’m the one who needs to take a shower. I wish I could unpick this with Zoe and my coven, but I can’t discuss any of this with them.
The only other person I could talk to about this is my grandma, but I can’t call her up and be like, ‘Hey, Grandma Dee, so I’ve seen Arlo’s dick swinging about in his joggers every hour of the past two days, and while I know that it’s pretty much the same length as my torso, I want to see if I can make it fit, what do you think?’
My girls and my brother have their own stuff going on, so much that once I told them I was staying at Arlo’s place, after some, ‘Are you sure you aren’t rushing this?’ messages from Doug and some ‘Get it girl!’ ones from my coven, they kind of just left me to it. I mean, I get it. I know they have no idea what’s really going on, but I’m lonely. I’m tired and stressed, afraid, a little horny, confused and lonely.
My cell vibrates on the nightstand, and I grab it, swallowing hard. I expect every message to be from him every time my cell vibrates. I grab it with both hands and squeeze my eyes closed while I steady my heart rate enough to look. It isn’t him.
Jenna : Hey, boss, I’m heading in.
I take a deep inhale. Work. Right, I kind of forgot that was a thing. Jenna has been so patient, waiting for me to call her back in, but I haven’t. I just haven’t been able to face pulling on a uniform that means a little less to me these days. Protect and serve. I took an oath to do that, so did Nolan, and so did Chief Cane. How can I take my work seriously when a cop is doing this to me, when a cop didn’t take me seriously, when he failed to protect me, and when he all but laughed at my allegations?
Me : Okay, Jen. I’m sorry. I just need more time.
Jenna : Bree, I know you have a new guy, and I love that for you, but I need to know what is happening here. Am I about to be out of a job?
Fuck. Hanging my head, I chew my lip and start a reply.
Me : I’ll see you at work.
A fter a shower, I head downstairs and find Arlo sitting out on the back porch, watching Beans chasing birds in the backyard. I watch quietly as the steam from his coffee rises and swirls into the morning air in front of his face, and he laughs at his dog, then takes a sip. He’s so beautiful. He’s not conventionally beautiful, not what you would see in a magazine or a runway show, but to me, he’s as perfect as he ever was. His dark blond hair is damp and pushed back, like he showered and ran his hands through it, and his side profile, which is all I’m gifted with right now, shows the bump in his nose that isn’t noticeable from the front. He didn’t used to have that, and it leaves me wondering when and how he broke his nose.
I pour myself a cup before stepping out onto the deck to join him.
He offers a passing glance, then goes back to his coffee.
‘I need to head into work. I have to go next door and get my uniform.’
He turns fully now to meet my eyes with a stern gaze, then thumbs over his shoulder for us to step back inside, and then closes the door.
‘No sugar, you don’t.’
‘I can’t just hide out here, Arlo. We’re drawing him out, right? So, I need to be out there.’
‘You’re exhausted. You think I can’t see that you haven’t slept at all? You think I don’t hear you creeping around at night? I know you’re checking locks. I know you’re afraid. How can you do your job like that?’
‘This is Forest Falls, Arlo, not New York City. Most of my day will be spent at my desk, but Jenna needs me to be there.’
‘No!’ The sharp way he says the word makes me take a step back.
‘You can’t tell me not to go to work.’
‘I just fuckin’ did.’
‘Arlo, I can’t just…’
‘I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know where the fuck you are,’ he snaps, and I shut up. ‘You want me to come sit in your office all day, look like a possessive prick of a boyfriend that your friends and family will call into question? I can do that. I don’t give a fuck what anyone here thinks of me but is that what you want, Bree? You want them asking questions we don’t have time to answer?’
Inhaling deeply, I steady myself. How am I supposed to know the correct next move here?
‘Jenna needs to know what’s going on.’ My voice trembles with my words, and he shakes his head.
‘Not a good idea.’
‘You have a better one? She’s a cop, Arlo, and she has known me her whole life. If she doesn’t get some acceptable answers to the questions in her mind right now, she’s going to start digging around. That not only puts this whole plan at risk, but it could put a target on her back.’
He takes a breath, then opens the back door and calls Beans into the house.
‘Invite her over for breakfast,’ he grunts as he leaves the room, and I hang my head before heading back upstairs for my phone and texting Jenna.
‘Bree.’ Jenna’s concerned eyes meet mine across the dining table, and she reaches for my hand. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
We decided not to tell Jenna the truth. Well, Arlo decided, and he was right. I’m okay with how this is going to have to end up. I know there’s only one way to stop Nolan, but Jenna—she’s never walked in the gray. Her life has always been black and white, a clear line between right and wrong, good and bad. Meeting Kacey and falling in love opened her eyes to the messy and imperfect parts of life, but still, at her core, she won’t understand why, as the good guys, we can’t stop the bad guy and put him behind bars. She will take it upon herself to try and catch him, and she’ll put herself in danger doing that. So, we’re lying, more lies, but for the right reasons.
‘I am. I’m okay, Arlo is looking after me.’ I turn to him, my fake boyfriend, and smile. He nods and brings his hand up to my shoulder.
‘Are you going to see a doctor?’ Jenna asks, concerned. I told her I hadn’t been feeling well, hadn’t been sleeping, and didn’t feel able to work right now, and she accepted it.
‘I’m going to take a little time, get some rest, soak up some sun and fresh air, and then maybe if…’
‘Yes,’ Arlo cuts in, and both Jenna and I turn to him, but his eyes hold mine. ‘If she doesn’t start feeling better in a couple of days, she’s seeing a doctor.’
‘Good, Bree, that’s good.’ I look back to Jenna, and she smiles softly. ‘I’m going to get going. Arlo, it was nice to properly meet you.’
‘You, too.’
‘I’ll walk you out.’
Standing, I walk Jenna out onto the front porch, and she turns to me, gripping my arms and lowering her voice.
‘Is he forcing you to stay here?’
‘What?’
‘This isn’t like you, Bree, moving in with a guy after a week, not going to work. Do you need me to step in?’
Exhaling, I pull her into a hug.
‘Jen, I promise you, Arlo is the one thing that is helping right now.’ I release her but hold her gaze. ‘And I haven’t moved in. It’s just an extended sleepover.’ I grin, but she doesn’t, and I see she doesn’t buy it. ‘I like him, Jen. I really, really like him.’ I smile wide. ‘He’s kind and generous, and he cooks. My god, he can cook, and he gets me out of the house on walks and rides, and at night, we sit out on the back porch and listen to music while we talk and cuddle, and, well, you don’t need any more detail about the nights.’ I press my lips together, and she shakes her head. ‘I know it seems real fast, but really, I just want to be close to him right now. He makes me feel better.’
‘You promise?’
‘I promise, this is where I want to be.’
She takes a deep inhale and blows it out. ‘Okay, well, in that case, damn girl, that is a real man right there.’
I laugh loudly and hug her again.
‘You are not wrong, Jen.’
As she walks down from the porch, she turns to face me, and my heart drops, as I wonder what she’s going to say.
‘Later, boss.’
Nodding, I turn and head back inside to find Arlo standing in the living room waiting for me, his huge arms folded across his chest.
‘What?’
‘Pack a bag, short stuff. We’re getting out of here for a few days.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘You heard me fine. You said it yourself. You need to soak up the sun and fresh air, so that’s what we’re going to do. Pack some things, let’s hustle.’
‘Arlo, what are you…’
‘Breanne Michaela Campbell, do I need to repeat myself, or are you going to get your behind upstairs and pack up your shit?’
I stare at him, dumbfounded. He full-named me. The smirk that curves his mouth tells me he knows he shocked me, but I don’t question him further as what he said really sinks in. We’re getting out of here, and nothing sounds better.