Beauty & The Bear

12

Hayley

I feel all the blood drain from my whole body in an instant when I see the box on my counter. I know exactly what it is. I’ve been waiting for it all day. It has the Fed-ex tape on the side of it. I grip onto the counter to keep myself upright, if not I fear I’d fall flat on my ass.

“You… opened it” I repeat, swallowing hard. My head is spinning, I can’t focus.

He nods, his eyes large, almost fearful. “I uh.. I should go” He turns quickly and bolts for the front door.pussy

Rather than opening the door, he collides right into it.

“Are you alright?” I ask

“Yep. Great. See you later” He opens the door with great force, making the bell ring several times and then he’s gone. The door slams behind him.

Embarrassed, I take the box into the back, opening it and taking out the vibrating dildo I ordered this morning. Same day shipping seemed like a good idea at the time but now all I feel is shame. Shame that Kaine knows what I plan on doing in the darkness of my bedroom.

But since our date, all I can think about is recreating that feeling deep inside me. The feeling he gave me. I am hoping this will do the trick. If I can get that feeling back in my gut, then maybe I can settle down my thoughts.

A tingle forms in my lower region, the shame slowly fades away, I squeeze my thighs together as I remember our hot and steamy evening in the hot spring. I feel my skin burn as the tingle intensifies. My laptop dings with an email notification, I look down and see an unknown sender has sent something. Thinking it is a delivery notice I open it.

There’s a photo of me outside the cafe and another one of me opening the door to my shop. The message attached says ‘Nice little shop you’ve got there. I’ll be seeing you real soon xx’

My blood runs cold in my veins and I stand there for a moment just staring at the laptop before I finally come back into my body, snapping it shut. I grab my belongings and head for the door. Locking up the shop, looking around me paranoid now that I’m being watched, I get in my car. I cut into traffic, getting a honk from someone I accidentally cut off.

Driving blindly I make it home somehow,

I’m shaking by the time I get home. I fumble with my keys and slam the door behind me. Jinxy comes running to meet me at the door. I scoop him up into my arms and cradle him against my chest. He begins to purr as if he knows I need the comfort, I walk us over to the couch and pull a blanket over us and lay down.

I thought I was being careful here. I have started fresh. There was one day that someone recognized me at the hardware store but I thought I played it off well enough that I never heard anything again. I have gotten comfortable here. Started to think I could actually live a life here, and be happy. With Kaine.

Jason will always find me no matter where I go. I will never be rid of him, never be free, no matter how hard I try.

Someone knocks hard on my door. I nervously sit up, Jinxy and I look at each other with uncertainty.

“Hayley, it’s me. Open up” I hear Kaine’s voice on the other side of the door. Relief floods through me as I unlock the deadbolt and open the door.

“What happened to you today? Why haven't you answered your phone all day” I can hear the tension in his voice, the worry.

I look down at my feet. “I wasn’t feeling well. Sorry. I was asleep” I move enough so that he can come inside, look around before I close the door. How am I supposed to know if Jason is watching me right now? For all I know he could be parked outside taking more pictures. If he is then Kaine is in danger.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright” He sits on the couch and pets Jinxy.

“I’m fine, just tired” I say, avoiding eye contact with him. His eyes snap up to look at me, I continue to look at the floor, I pick at the sleeve of my sweater.

Kaine gets up and comes to stand in front of me, his hand resting on my shoulder in a comforting manner.”Tell me what’s wrong hun” He uses his free hand to hook under my chin to lift my face to look at him. His eyes are so warm and inviting but filled with worry. I hate that I cause them to look like that.

“It’s nothing, really. Don’t worry” I force a smile on my face.

“You know where I am when you’re ready to talk” He kisses my forehead before going to the door. He hesitates for a moment, “I’m always here Hayley”

I quickly lock the door behind him, “Come on baby, let’s go to bed” I call Jinxy and head up the stairs. I hear his bell on his collar as he follows me, he jumps on the bed, making himself comfortable.

“I’ll be back” I scratch him behind his ears and grab my towel before going to the bathroom and starting the shower. I refuse to allow myself to cry. I have a quick shower and crawl into bed, snuggling with Jinxy.

Over the next few days I try my best to act normal, but I keep getting emails with pictures of me, some even have Kaine and I together. I’m getting scared. Kaine keeps asking if I want to talk but I keep blowing him off. We were doing so well too so I’m mad that I have to act so cold towards him, but it’s for the best. I can’t put him in danger anymore then I already have.

Four days later I am pulling up to my home and I feel like something is off. I go to unlock the door and the door is cracked open.

I’m hesitant to go inside. Reluctantly, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Kaine’s number.

“Hayley, how are you?”

“Kaine.. Are you busy? I need your help” My voice shakes as I speak.

“Are you at home? I’ll be right there” I make an unintelligible noise before hanging up. I go back to my car and lock the door. I rest my head on the steering wheel and exhale. Rain starts to fall heavily on the roof and windshield of the car, the sound soothing.

A light tapping on the window scares the s**t out of me. My head snaps up to see Kaine standing in the rain.

I open the door and look up at him, he towers over the car door, protecting me from the rain.

“You called?” He smiles down at me.

I nod weakly, tears filling in my eyes. The fact that he’s here, he came for me makes my heart feel like it’s going to burst. I can’t help but launch myself at him, hugging him around the waist, my hands only going as far as his hips but I squeeze tightly.

“Hey, hey.. What's wrong?” He crouches down in front of me, making himself eye level with me.

I spill, like an overflowing bottle tipped over. I tell him everything that’s been happening this past week, the emails, the pictures and how I came home to my open door tonight. How scared I am and I don’t know what to do.

“It’s going to be okay. Let’s go inside and get Jinxy and you can both come and stay at my place okay? As long as you need”

I’m too scared to argue so I nod and let him lead me from the car and up the path to the front door. “Stay behind me”

Kaine pushes the door open and steps inside, the entire place has been trashed, dishes broken everywhere, the couch has been flipped over.

“Jinxy likes to hide in my closet when he’s scared” I whisper acockgrip onto the back of Kaine’s shirt.

We slowly head upstairs and into the bedroom.

The first thing I see is my poor baby on the bed. A pool of blood around his body, he looks so tiny.

A feral scream escapes me as I try to reach for him, but Kaine holds me back, cradling me into his chest.

“You shouldn’t see this,” He says.

But it’s too late. I already saw it. The message accompanying it was clearly written in my cats blood above the bed “You’re next”

Kaine holds me as I cry and sob begging for it not to be true, he was my best friend.

My poor baby. Jason did this. I knew he was a monster, but to harm an innocent cat is beyond sick.