Chapter Thirteen- Pete
1790 Words
Chapter Thirteen
Pete
Sitting in the evidence locker looking over Brennan's case. Cold case has already taken over earlier this week. There is something about this case though that keeps drawing me to it. The chief has asked me to turn over all the evidence to the cold case team. I agreed with the stipulation that they would allow me to do one more examination before the turn over. Digging through the evidence, I have this gut feeling that there is a missing link we haven't been able to pinpoint.
My time is running out on this. It has been very difficult to focus today. Katie ran away from me yesterday. Wouldn't respond to my texts, and no-showed on our date. I have no clue what to do. I tried to meet her at her house but she wasn't there. I just hope that she's ok. I ran through the events of the last few days, nothing stands out. I don't think I did anything wrong. I called Danny last night for advice. That's how I ended up at her front door. When she wasn't there Danny and I were at a loss. I barely got any sleep. Now reviewing these documents and evidence my heart isn't in it. I have read over the same line probably twenty times. That's when it dawns on me, I have an idea.
~
Blowdryers humming, soft music playing in the background. Sitting in the waiting room, thumbing through some trash magazine. Nina rounds the corner. She is staring at me with her eyebrow quirked, lips taunt, and her hand on her hip. This can't be good. She looks pissed. I must have messed up. I was hoping to get some insight into what's going on with Katie. Now this woman has murder in her eyes and it's directed right at me. Second guessing getting my haircut now.
She doesn't say a word, rather does the come hither with her index finger.
Gulp.
Nina directs me to the shampoo bar in the back. She drapes the cape over me. Fastening the collar way too tight. I cough. “That's too tight.”
She whispers in my ear “If you didn't like that, you wont like what happens to you next.” Ok. Yup. Rethinking this hair cut. I unbutton the collar. Pulling the cape off.
“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” She is mad, that much is clear. I have to get to the bottom of this. Fast.
“What could you possibly say to me right now?” She quietly says.
“Look, I know it's not ideal to do this while you are at work. But Katie isn't messaging me back and didn't show up for our date last night.”
She leans close. “Follow me.” Nina makes her way through the salon. We walk through the kitchen and break room. Walking out the back door. “What the f**k do you think you are doing here?” She says once the door shuts behind us. She crosses her arms over her chest.
“I was hoping to find out if Katie was ok. Now I'm thinking there is something going on, something I did to upset you.”
“Let me ask you something, Pete. Do you think it's ok to mess with someone's head?” Mess with someone's head? What is she talking about?
“No I don't. Why are you asking me that? Will you just tell me what's going on?”
Nina closes the distance between us, poking me in the chest with her finger. “Stop playing stupid. We know you are getting back with your ex and stringing Katie along.”
Getting back with my ex? How could she think that? My heart starts beating so hard I feel like I have a jackhammer in my chest.
“Why does she think any of that is true? I haven't so much as looked at another woman since I met Katie.”
“Bullshit! She saw you yesterday all cuddled up with some blonde chick on her porch with your son. You stupid motherfucker. You know what, I don't have time for this.” She tries to push past me. All the air in my lungs dissipates.
I grab ahold of her arm, stopping her from leaving. “That “Blonde chick” is Danny's sister. He's my best friend and she was watching Jax for me so I could go out with Katie.”
Her face morphs from fuming to shock, her mouth gapes open, eyes sunken, she puts her hand over her mouth. “Seriously? She's not your ex or someone you are dating?”
“Yes, I'm serious. I really like Katie. I would never betray her like that. I feel this deep connection with her that I have never felt before.”
“If you really do feel that way, why have you not introduced her to your son?”
They discussed my son? Katie never mentioned wanting to meet him. Apparently she's upset about it. “I wanted to make sure it was the right time. We have been having so much fun. I didn't want to rush into things. You know?”
Nina sits down on the bench. I joined her. “So what you're saying is you intended to introduce them but didn't want Katie to freak out.”
“Exactly.”
Nina grabs my hand. “So how are you going to fix this? She has been such a mess since last night.”
“I have an idea but I'm going to need your help.”
“Don't break her heart and we have a deal.”
~
Katie
Needless to say, I am back at my apartment. All the blinds are closed, lights off. I'm lying on the couch because I couldn't bring myself to lay in the bed that stirs up memories of our nights together. I even took his painting off the wall and put it in my office closet.
Not wanting to come face to face with Pete I wanted to stay at Ninas. He doesn't know where she lives. I was curled up on the couch watching a movie when she got home from work. Feeling like I had no more tears to shed. I was able to hold a real conversation with her. She allowed me to have my moment, cursing, lashing out, moping. She offered some advice. But then it was like she flipped the script and had taken his side. I was so angry with her that I tuned out a lot of what she was saying. The gist of it was that maybe it wasn't what it looked like, I should talk to him about it, give him the benefit of the doubt, she doesnt think he would do something like that, he's a good guy, she has never seen me this happy why not at least get closure, bla, bla, bla… I told her I would think about it but I needed to be alone.
Laying here in the dark by myself I think I made a mistake. I feel so empty, it's so eerily quiet, no energy left in my body. I try to close my eyes and think happy thoughts. When there is a knock at the door. I'm not in the mood for this. If it's Pete I'm going to lose my mind. Peeling myself off the couch I make my way to the door. I look out of the peephole, no one is there. I call out “Who is it?” standing there still looking out there is no response. So I open the door slowly scanning the area. Not one person in sight. Before I shut the door I see a bouquet on my door mat. Twelve extra large sunflowers to be exact. I pick them up and a card falls to the floor. I pick it up and rush back into the apartment. Locking the door behind me. I put the flowers in the sink and with trembling hands I opened the card. Knowing it is from Pete.
Katie,
I keep replaying the image of you in your dress from our second date in my mind over and over. You were so gorgeous. The yellow made your eyes sparkle. Which made my heart skip a beat. I miss you.
XOXO
Pete
Tears fill my eyelids again. Willing them to not fall. If he thinks this is going to win me over then he's not the man I thought he was. A piss poor attempt you would expect from a highschooler. Frustrated, I lay back down on the couch. A headache is starting to form behind my eyes. I rub my temples with my pointer and middle fingers.
There is another knock at the door. I don't have time for this. I hop off the couch and stomp to the door, whip it open, no one is there. There is a bag on my doormat this time. What kind of sick game is he playing? I pick up the bag and slam my door. Opening it up, I pull out a to-go container. In it is a burrito from the food truck. The smells are intoxicating, my mouth starts to water. My stomach says otherwise. I'm so nauseous, I have no appetite. I put it in the refrigerator. There is another card at the bottom of the bag. Why can't he just leave me alone? Can't he just take the hint that I want to be by myself? I tear into the card, nearly ripping it in half. Which at this point I dont think would have been a bad thing.
Katie,
I stopped to get a bite to eat today. I figured you wouldn't get something for yourself. I couldn't deprive you of this delicious chicken. It felt wrong eating there without you.
Enjoy!
XOXO
Pete
This has got to stop. I get that he is trying to make amends, he knows what he did wrong. Why can't he just admit it to himself and leave me alone? The only way for me to move on is to sever all ties. A very tough thing to do but I have had to make that choice many times in my life. When you move around alot you have to do what you have to do to survive. I have had many friends, boyfriends, family members that I had to leave that ripped me apart. The only way to make it through was to block it out completely. I lay back down on the couch. Nerves frazzled, head pounding. I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep.
- Writer
